Posts from the ‘Weddings’ Category

Jan 18

Karen and David: A Summer Wedding {Callaway Gardens, Pine Mountain, Ga} {Auburn, Ala}

When I first met Karen, it was clear that this wedding would have a different focus than the flowers or the invitations or food or anything else. It would absolutely be completely focused on the happiness of the couple, the blending of families and enjoying their time with their closest friends above all else. I was so excited to be asked to be her wedding planner.

Karen and David’s love story is wonderful. After being widowed with triplet daughters (yes, you read that right – triplets – and they are adorable), Karen was lucky enough to meet David and fall in love. And, it’s not hard to see why David would fall for her. Karen’s personality is infectious. Bubbly, happy, sunny – all words that come to mind about her. I mean, she teaches Zumba and you know that a Zumba instructor has to be high energy. Karen was very focused on simply enjoying the day. So, it was up to me to help pull her vision together while making sure that she was able to enjoy the love and togetherness of her wedding weekend.

They decided that they wanted to have a smaller ceremony and then a larger reception. To do that, they chose the Chapel at Callaway Gardens for their ceremony to get away from things just a little bit and then moved on to the reception at the Moores Mill Country Club in Auburn. It was one of the sweetest summer soirees I’ve ever been a part of.

So, of course, we had to turn to Rob Smith of FlipFlopFoto to photograph the day just perfectly. Always lovely! I’m so glad I can share the photos with you here. Many, many congratulations to Karen and David! Y’all were so great to work with and I wish you nothing but a lifetime of happiness! Until next time….. XOXO, Julie

The girls waiting for the cake to be cut. Classic!

Jan 4

Jennifer and Scott: A Bold and Colorful Wedding {Callaway Gardens, Pine Mountain, Ga}

This is another one of those weddings that I’ve loved and, for some reason, I’ve never done a post on the blog about. So, I thought I would start the new year off with a great wedding!

I was honored and really excited when Jennifer asked me to be her wedding planner. She and Scott chose Callaway Gardens as their destination wedding. Jennifer had a great vision for her wedding and wanted to use black and fuchsia as her colors. Very bold. She let me be her editor on the design and we decided that there would be no white in the wedding at all except for her dress. Black chairs, black table cloths, colorful flowers. But, she would be the only white.

It is always a little risky to go bold. But, with a garden setting, I think Jennifer’s vision came together flawlessly. One of the things I liked the best is that all the black that was used in the wedding as a backdrop allowed the flowers and any other accents pop completely. And, it made Jennifer, in her dress, stand out above all.

Beyond the fun and bold design, Jennifer and Scott were very focused on making sure that they and their guests enjoyed the day to its fullest. I have seen a lot of weddings. I can say that they had a BLAST. Their guests had so much fun. Again, that makes me more happy than anything.

So, enjoy the photos taken by the wonderful Delaney Holliman Photography. Another congratulations to Jennifer and Scott! I smile every time I look at your photos!

Until next time… XOXO, Julie

Dec 14

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Kelly and Joseph – Married!

Happy blog day! Another wedding to feature! Kelly and Joseph had such a sweet wedding in Auburn. I was so happy to serve as their wedding director. With a July wedding date, Kelly had the good sense to have everything inside. Good thing too. It rained off and on the entire day.

But, it didn’t bother Kelly one bit. She was one of those brides who was just visibly happy about getting married. And, she ate it up. Also lucky for her, she had hired Rob Smith of FlipFlopFoto to take care of capturing her happy day. Obviously, she was in good hands. So, without further ado, enjoy Kelly and Joseph’s wedding day.

Until next time… XOXO, Julie

Oct 6

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Ben and Becca: Backyard Wedding Chic {Columbus, Ga}

I apologize for taking a week off. But, I will more than make up for it with these amazing photos of Ben and Becca’s wedding. First, let me set the scene.

It is hard to explain Ben and Becca’s wedding style. If I said casual, you would get the wrong idea. It wasn’t really. And comfortable doesn’t quite say it right either. Even though it was comfortable. I would definitely say that their personality was all over the wedding and it created a definitive style that immediately told you something about them. As a wedding planner, this makes me happy.

They chose to hold their wedding at Becca’s uncle’s house in Upatoi (just outside Columbus, Ga) which has a pecan grove. The ceremony was perfectly situated in the middle of the grove with the afternoon light just perfect. Becca chose bright flowers and bridesmaids dresses to off-set the burlap tones that they used throughout. Another touch? Collected craft beer bottles (Ben and Becca love craft beers) that were cleaned and used as groupings of vases. It was such a welcoming setting for an outdoor wedding and reception.

I think it was this home-y feel to things that let people really enjoy everything that Ben and Becca added to their wedding. Bocci ball and Cornhole at the cocktail hour? Yes, please. Full tent of desserts? Delicious. An ice cream truck later in the night? Awesome. Photo booth? Epic.

I can’t say enough about how much I enjoyed working with Ben and Becca and seeing their wedding come together in such success. It is what makes my job really great. So, I will stop gushing and just let you take in the genius photos by Altmix Photography. It’s no secret that I love photography, but Matt and Katie perfectly captured Ben and Becca’s day, personality and love. All you could ask for in your photography. Thank you so much for sharing your photos!

This is my new favorite wedding photo. Just so great.

The awesome ice cream truck. So great.

Becca had presented Ben with a surprise of a craft beer that she had brewed, bottled and labeled just for Ben. In case you are wondering, that smile on Ben’s face is saying, “My wife totally rocks.”

Congratulations Ben and Becca! Y’all are so great and I smile evey time I look at your photos. Many wonderful wishes to you guys! – XOXO, Julie

Sep 21

About those photo booths…

I’m going to be a bit reflective today. Sometimes, I can get caught up in the wedding-ness that I am a part of day in and day out. And by that, I mean, all the research and blog reading and magazine reading and Facebook stalking and Twitter-ing and general “keeping up” with the wedding industry at large that I have to do. I say have to. I mean want to. Because, I want to see everything there is to see about weddings to be able to give my clients the best in design ideas, direction, etc.

I feel like I have seen it all by now. Seriously. Very few things stand out to me for real anymore. I can look at 10 different wedding blogs a day and find maybe one or two photos that stand out to me – and that’s a good day. I was getting worried that I might have become a bit jaded by my job. If you look at beautiful images all the time, you start to get very picky on what you personally call beautiful or interesting or unique. It’s kind of sad (for me).

But, the redeeming part of all this is separating the design aspect of a wedding from the personal aspect of a wedding. I know that I have already given myself away as a very formal person if I were to sum up my event style. Black tie. Uber fancy. But, when it comes down to it, all I would want from my event is that everyone has a great time. The personal aspect of it. The “who gives a care about what type of paper the program is printed on, I just want to celebrate with my friends” attitude that usually comes at about 2.5 hours before the reception ends at any normal wedding. Don’t get me wrong. I’m a paper snob and if I have the choice, I will definitely care about what type of paper the program is printed on. But, I get a zillion times more pleasure in seeing my clients have a knock-down, crazy-good time at their reception.

That brings me to a little preview of Ben and Becca’s wedding. I had the honor of helping them put together their day and it was so much fun. If I tell you that I am super formal when it comes to my event style, then Ben and Becca would be my nemesis. Not in a bad way at all! Their wedding was beautiful! Disclaimer: I appreciate all good design, formal and informal. Theirs was very crafty and homespun with love and very welcoming. An outdoor ceremony with burlap on reception tables, cornhole and bocci ball at the cocktail hour, an ice cream truck along with their dessert tent, and a specially brewed craft beer. Just a very comfortable setting. And guess what? Their guests were completely involved in all the special touches that they had going on.

To illustrate, I give you Exhibit A: the photo booth. I share these photos with you before sharing the wedding photos because it illustrates how much fun everyone was having. I have had several photo booths at weddings. Up until this point, I have been slightly indifferent on the photo booth. I sometimes think that it’s just something to add to the hoopla of a wedding. But, Ben and Becca’s just had a different attitude. First off, the “booth” was really just a backdrop with a camera in front of it. Very simple. But, the genius of it was that you could watch what everyone was doing in the booth. All others I’ve had have been actual booths. Kind of closed off. This one, coupled with the amazingly fun props that Becca collected (I mean, who doesn’t love a Viking helmet and red feather boa?), was a recipe for fun! It just begged for you to jump in and be a nut in front of a camera. Which made for a very fun wedding reception elsewhere.

So, I dare you not to smile, and probably laugh out loud, as you look at their photo booth shots (thank you Altmix Photography). And think about how you want your guests to feel at your next wedding/event. I’m not saying that things have to get goofy to have a good time. But, it certainly doesn’t hurt… XOXO, Julie

Sep 14

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Sean and Rachel: New Orleans Flavor for an Alabama Wedding {Pike Road, Ala}

Meet Sean and Rachel. This gorgeous couple got married in May at Rachel’s aunt and uncle’s house in Pike Road, Ala. Sean and Rachel live in Florida, but it was the beautiful property that her aunt and uncle have that inspired them to hold their wedding in Alabama. The property was chock full of beautiful trees with Spanish Moss hanging from them and it served as the best backdrop for Rachel’s wedding design: a New Orleans flavored wedding – since Rachel grew up in NOLA. I was loving being their wedding planner.

It was such a sweet wedding. Staying true to the NOLA flair, the music in the ceremony was heavy on the Louis Armstrong (i.e. recessional to “A Kiss to Build a Dream On” – how awesome!) and they paraded to Second Line at the reception. So fun! To round it out, cajun food abounded at the cocktail hour. Yum. So, please enjoy the amazing photos from the uber talented Julie Lowry of Chanterelle Photography. Laissez les bons temps rouler!

Congratulations, Sean and Rachel! Y’all are awesome and I am so happy for you! – XOXO, Julie

Aug 17

Mary and James: Southern Wedding with Asian Flair {Opelika, Ala}

Today I have a treat for you. Mary and James are about the cutest couple you have ever seen. Totally in love and thrilled to be getting married. It was a total pleasure to work with them as their wedding planner.

They had a sweet ceremony at Mary’s mother’s house and then held a large reception at the new Event Center Downtown in Opelika, Ala. Mary hired Clay Mitchell at Opelika Floral Company to help incorporate James’ Japanese heritage into the floral decor. If I can gush for just a bit, Clay hit it out of the park. The flowers were perfect. Oranges and purples were used to create a gorgeous motif. The Event Center’s exposed brick and warehouse feel let the decor take center stage. Japanese lanterns were hung and specialty lighting added to create the right feel. It was gorgeous.

Please enjoy the photography of the lovely Erika from Kim Box Photography. She did a wonderful job capturing this beautiful couple and wonderful wedding. Congrats to Mary and James!!! I had a blast getting to know you. Your wedding was amazing!

Jul 27

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Kelly and Matt – a wedding review

Another wedding to feature! Yay! Today I give you Kelly and Matt. Kelly was another breeze of a bride. I worked with Kelly and her mother, JoAnne, for about a year to plan their beautiful wedding in Auburn, Ala. Kelly and Matt were looking for an elegant, southern wedding where they met and fell in love – Auburn. Being members of First Baptist Church Opelika, they decided to have the ceremony there. Reception would be held at the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Art in Auburn.

This was another ivory and green wedding design. We all took cues from the clean lines of the museum and the fresh feel that comes with a June wedding date to come to the simple color palette and decor scheme. Side note: I’m really loving what this particular color palette does for a wedding. Ivory – classic wedding color. Green – basic color found in nature. You cannot go wrong. If you haven’t visited Jule Collins Smith Museum, I highly recommend that you do so. The museum itself is great. And as a reception venue, I’m in love with it. When I mentioned that I’m a less is more kind of gal (see Brooke and Tom’s feature), I wasn’t kidding. The museum offers the perfect backdrop to a formal setting, but has the ability to be light and airy. There is no point to having anything overdone there. The building is art itself. No need to fight with that. We enlisted the talents of Kim Nelson of Kimberly Nelson Floral Designs to create floral arrangements that gave a traditional ceremony setting at the church, then pieces that complimented the architecture of the museum for the reception. White tulips were the main flowers and it came off flawlessly.

Beyond good design, Kelly and Matt were another super easy couple to work with. Throughout all the planning, Kelly was just a happy camper. She’s one of those types that really doesn’t ask for a whole lot. Which makes you want to do more for her. Even her mom said as much. In the end, she and Matt had a beautiful wedding, a great time with their guests and a thrilled planner. So, enjoy their photos by the one and only Rob Smith of Flip Flop Foto. Beautiful work as always.

Jul 20

Wedding Inspiration – Winter

It’s about 1,000 degrees and 200% humidity here in Alabama and it has made me dream of a lusciously cold winter fete. Although, I have to admit that it is more than the lack of oppressively hot weather that attracts me to a winter wedding. I think that there is something innately romantic about a winter affair. The quiet that comes with the winter. The peacefulness and mystery of a snowy winter scene. The juxtaposition of watching a roaring fire and drinking warm libations while the outside world is blanketed in cold. It’s a study in contrasts and I love it.

So, while I have been pinning away at various wedding inspiration boards, winter scenes have been popping up and I thought that I would give us all a reprieve from the heat and discuss my thoughts on winter wedding design. To start out, I have to explain the difference between the words design and theme. I, personally, don’t like to use the word theme when it comes to weddings. Themes are for children’s parties. Not weddings. Design is something that will stand the test of time. Something that will be meaningful to the couple. I believe that a design is meant to support the event’s purpose. It is the environment. Not the focus. A theme is a focus and it will inevitably take away from the reason for the event – the couple’s love and commitment to each other. If you create a design that is the environment to support the event, it will be effortless and natural. Beautiful, yes. But, nothing that will overshadow the reason for the wedding.

Now that we are all clear on that point, on to the design. I know that this particular scene that I am setting isn’t necessarily achievable here in Alabama. While we do get snow, it is always on the most unbelievable day possible and completely unpredictable – like, we had snow on Christmas day last year. Who would have thought?!? Just keep in mind that I pack light. Well, not really. But, I would be super happy to travel to the Rockies where I would love to see this wedding happen. What I am really going for is an atmosphere of warmth and elegant coziness. Refined rustic. Kind of what I always want my Christmas Eve to feel like, if I were lucky enough to have it in the mountains. Anticipation and wonder. An air of magic. The feeling that even though you are dressed up for a celebration, you are relaxed because you are with your most favorite people ever.

So, here is a beginning to an inspiration board that I started for this winter fantasy wedding. See all of it here: http://pinterest.com/invisionwedding/wedding-designs-that-need-to-happen/

Jul 13

Brook Fleming and Tom Backenson wedding at Callaway Gardens Discovery Center

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Brooke and Tom: Classic Wedding Design {Callaway Gardens, Pine Mountain, Ga}

After last week’s post about candid photos where Brooke and Tom were featured amongst other favorites of mine, I realized that not only was their wedding truly one of my favorite designs ever (I know I say this a lot, but seriously. Seriously.), I have not actually featured their wedding here on the blog. Their photos have popped up here and there for things, but no actual feature. How could I?!? So, I am making up for lost time and giving you a much needed feature of their classic wedding.

When Brooke and I met for the first time, it was clear that she and Tom fit with my design style perfectly. Nothing overdone. Nothing that will take away from the importance of the events. Simple and refined. Clean lines. Simple color palette. I knew it was going to be gorgeous. They had chosen The Discovery Center at Callaway Gardens as their setting. This building is completely done in light colored wood (floors, beams, ceilings) and has one entire side of the building with floor to ceiling windows. It also fit the clean lines and simple backdrop that they were going for. Brooke chose ivory and and sage green as her color palette. With the wood tones of Discovery Center, the palette was perfect. Brooke lives my mantra of less is more and everything about their wedding was just like that. Less is more. I was really excited to work with them as their wedding planner.

Since weddings at Callaway Gardens end up being more or less destination weddings, Brooke and Tom spent all weekend with their guests. People arriving on Thursday and Friday morning. Golf tournament (winner given a prize at the reception), rehearsal dinner, etc. They had a very full time with their guests. Something I wish for all my clients, but doesn’t always happen unless you are away from everything. They had a great time.

To get to what everyone wants to see, here is their wedding in a recap. Wedding photos by The Decisive Moment. Gorgeous. Exactly what Brooke wanted. And, I’m a big fan too. If you know me at all, you know that I will have to start with the printing. Brooke and Tom had some of the most cohesive and comprehensive wedding printing of any client I’ve had. I love it. Everything just fit perfectly. So, enjoy!