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Posts tagged ‘Invision Events’

Jan 11

Craft Sessions for Carnivale: A Masquerade Mask Tutorial

If you are a regular reader of my blog (and if you are – thank you! much love!), then you know that I have been working with The Layman Group on their events for the past year. And the biggest event of the year is coming up very soon – Carnivale Gala and Masquerade! PS – this event is open to EVERYONE so go here to get your tickets. I will see you there!

Last year was super fun. But, I felt very much like a slacker because I had bought my mask from Party City while so many others came with masks they had made themselves. Being one of the major sponsors of the event, I decided that this year I needed to step up my game and make my own mask. A full crafting session was needed. As I have stated before, I’m not really a crafty person until I get a certain idea in my mind. Then, it’s on. So, I went to our local Hobby Lobby and spent some time browsing.

I have never made a mask before. So, I was kind of guessing what all I needed and how much. First, I knew I wanted a full feathered mask. I recently bought a dress that I found on super sale and decided that it would be my Carnival dress. It has earth tones in it and has a little bit of a tribal feel to it. Don’t worry. I know that tribal could be questionable. But, it’s BCBG. Tribal done right. I decided that I would go with that and get feathers in brown tones. So, I picked up a few packs of feathers, a blank mask, some glue, some black paint and some paint brushes. You can see my general set up below – pardon my iPhone quality photos. Most crafting projects I do require a glass of wine to start off.

Then, I had to prep the mask as a whole. I took the elastic band out and got started by painting the whole mask black. I thought that the white showing through wouldn’t go with the tribal look. I used black paint and brushed it on. It obviously didn’t need to be perfect, just enough to take the white out, but I did do two coats. As a tip, it would have been much easier to spray paint it. I really have no clue why I didn’t just do that.

Once this was dry, and it didn’t take long, I started placing feathers. This is just a layering process. So, I started by placing some feathers around the edges. Keep in mind that feathers and glue go really well together. You don’t have to fight to get them to stick. This includes any glue that you get on your fingers and then try to pick up any feathers. It can get really annoying. To combat this, I decided to paint the glue on the mask with a brush, working in sections, and then put the feather down. That way, I could keep my fingers as clean as possible.

You might notice the mess that I have made thus far. This is because I had to trim most of the feathers I ended up using. They were either too long, or they had these fuzzy pieces that I wanted to get rid of. Like this:

Once I had the base layer put together, I could put some larger feathers on that were strictly decoration. And, I used some thinner ones to finish off the edges of the eye holes.

And, the mask is done! I spent about $20 in all. Not too bad. As a final verdict: I enjoyed my little project and I think it came out okay considering I had close to no plan going into it. It will go with my dress well and I know nobody else will have one like it. It’s not super flashy or over the top. Mostly because I will be working at the event and I need something that isn’t high maintenance. Now that it is all done, it is itching to be worn and I am more ready than ever for the Masquerade to be here! Be sure to get your tickets early! We are going to have a great time!!! – Below is the finished mask next to my choice of dress. They go together, right? Until next time – XOXO, Julie

Dec 28

New year, new design

I’m not usually one for new year’s resolutions. I never really have been. But, I have decided that I needed to get more organized this coming year. To most people, that would mean organizing their office (I should do that), their closets (that too), their entire house (okay – you got me). But, to me, it means organizing my online life. That is a tall order for a business owner these days. Between a website, blog, Facebook, Tumbr, Pinterest, etc. there is much to be done. Because I put a lot of effort into my blog, I decided to start there and work out. So, I found a new design, added a few new pages and in general got a little more put together around here. What do you think?

Also, I ran across this fun little video that I put together years ago. I think I was just wanting to play around with my new Mac and the video software that it came with. I never really did anything with this video besides posting it on Facebook a few months ago. Maybe if I find the time, I’ll do another one. But, in honor of the new year coming up and the organizing that I’ve been doing, I’m putting it here and hope you enjoy it. May you have a safe holiday and many great wishes for a wonderful new year for you!

Until next time… XOXO, Julie

Dec 21

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Weddings, Pets and a Merry Christmas!

I’m winding down for the year as most of you are. I only just got my holiday cards out. For the third year running, my lovely puppies are featured on our cards. I know I’m biased, but they are so cute! Bless them for putting up with everything I make them do all for a great Christmas card. I promise, no one was harmed in the making of my cards. That I know of.

It has made me think about how much pets are a part of families and I thought I would touch on the subject of how to include your pets in your wedding. As a blanket statement coming from a wedding director, pets in weddings are bad ideas. If you think children can be wild cards at a wedding, a pet is that much worse. I have done several weddings where dogs were a part of the ceremony (my own sister’s wedding included), and while nothing has gone wrong, I still can’t say that I would recommend it.

If you do want to have your dog with you at your wedding, there are some ways to it. So, here a few tips for such a situation.

1. Make sure that you have someone designated to watch your dog throughout the entire day. Like a handler. Just to make sure that they are well taken care of. That includes having a nice set up for them during the reception. Have a room in another area just for them to relax in and have some treats.

2. Definitely include them in your photos! I can’t think of anything cuter. But, be considerate. If it is hot outside, make sure you have plenty of water. It’s only nice.

3. Think about including them in other ways. One of my clients had custom stamps made for their invitations with the photo of their cute pug, Ollie. Since Ollie wasn’t able to make it to the wedding, they wanted to make sure that he was included in their day. He also got a mention in the wedding program. I thought it was great!

I hope that you are able to include everyone you love in your wedding day. Just make sure you are as considerate as possible to your pet and to your guests. And, to wish you a wonderful Christmas holiday, I give you Invision’s unofficial mascots – Oliver and Annie. Just so you know, Annie (the brindle) hates when I do Christmas photos. She hates it. Oliver (the black and white) could be a professional dog model. Many thanks to my dogs for putting up with my photo ideas once a year. And, also thanks to FlipFlopFoto for indulging this dog-momma’s need for cuteness and taking such great photos of my kids. A very Merry Christmas to you all! Our dogs are adopted retired racing greyhounds. They make fabulous pets and there are so many that need good homes. If you want to know more, ask me or go to www.adopt-a-greyhound.org4EXARDC8EDVS

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

Dec 7

Dali Photo Shoot on SMP_Photographer Sanderson Images

The Art of Calligraphy – from guest blogger Moya Minns of MM Ink

A few weeks ago, I posted about the great art of wedding calligraphy. I have come to seriously appreciate (and by that, I mean love) this small, but amazing, part of weddings. And, this week I have asked calligrapher extraordinaire Moya Minns of MM Ink to be a guest blogger. Moya has been responsible for making some of my favorite invitation suites (Katherine and Chris, Brooke and Tom) be complete with her gorgeous work. Beyond the wedding invitation calligraphy that she has handled for my clients, she is highly sought out elsewhere. Her “featured in” list reads like a who’s who list of the wedding online and print industry – Style Me Pretty, Southern Weddings, Inside Weddings and Brides Atlanta. Just to name a few. I have loved working with her and hope that you enjoy her work and thoughts as much as I do.

Until next time… XOXO – Julie

There is something extra special about a hand written note. It lets the recipient know that they are thought of dearly; and for weddings, a hand addressed envelope sets the tone for the wedding and all of the lovely details that await your guests. I fell in love with calligraphy because of its beauty, gracefulness and the ability to make letters dance on paper.

I really enjoy helping brides-to-be choose a calligraphy style that is the perfect complement to the overall look and feel of their special day. And I am happy to feature my Lola calligraphy style here on Julie’s blog! It is one of my favorite styles that I have created by first starting with great letter forms and altering beginning and ending strokes to achieve a unique and sophisticated style. I wanted it to have a romantic feel with a bit of drama to it.

And with that – here’s Lola!

Photo by Sanderson Images

Photo by Katie Stoops

Photo by Claudia Lopez

Nov 30

Asking folks to Save The Date

I’m not really sure when the Save-The-Date card started happening. Needless to say, it has definitely caught on and many folks feel like it is as mandatory as the actual invitation. It hasn’t quite reached that point, but it is definitely something that isn’t going away soon. So, here are some thoughts on how to handle your Save-The-Dates and some cute ideas of how to do them.

First off, let’s start by thinking about what the Save-The-Date is really used for in it’s most basic sense then we can move on to being creative with it. In general, a Save-The-Date is sent to folks who might have to plan way in advance to attend your wedding. If they live out of town and need to book travel, if they have crazy work schedules (I can relate) and need to block that day, or if they have other major events happening at the same time (is this a May wedding competing with graduations and other things???). But, basically, it is the out-of-towners that get the first consideration on the Save-The-Date.

To be able to even start to think about your Save-The-Dates, you have to know your guest list. Take a long look at it. Before you order up enough Save-The-Dates for every address on the list, you need to be realistic about it. If you are sending a person a Save-The-Date, then you really want them to attend the wedding. So, if you are looking at an invite list that might be longer than you wanted, you may want to edit a few addresses off the Save-The-Date list. Because, you can’t edit them later. Not everyone has to get a Save-The-Date. But, if you send a person a Save-The-Date, you have to send them an invitation.

Now that we know what a Save-The-Date is supposed to be for, what can we do with it that is creative? LOTS of things! It doesn’t have to be this way, but most Save-The-Dates include a photo of the couple. This is good because some of your guests may not know one of you. It’s nice for people to have a photo of the two of you before the actual day. And, some folks aren’t going to be able to come regardless of the time to plan travel. So, this can serve as an engagement announcement, too.

So, what to do for these Save-The-Dates? Well, I’m all about being creative with paper. I love thinking of new and fun ways to put your personality into print. Sometimes that is fun with your engagement photo shoot. Sometimes that is in the design as a whole on your Save-The-Dates. Regardless, I love the more fun ones. The ones that let your personality shine. And, I have to admit that I love a magnet. I may be one of the few people who doesn’t like clutter, but I LOVE a fully decorated refrigerator with notes and photos and all kinds of things. I have a collection of magnets from places I’ve been, Save-The-Dates, holidays, you name it. And, I love to post notes and invitations on the fridge. I keep Christmas photo cards on my fridge all year long. It makes me happy. It is the one place that everyone in the house pays attention to. So, I say, do a magnet if you can. Because, that keeps your wedding on peoples minds.

Now for some nitty-gritty tips:

Always include the fact that a formal invitation will follow. Some folks don’t get wedding invitations all the time and they might think that this is it. So, make it clear that you will be sending them a real invitation. That’s the rules of etiquette. And, include a website about your wedding. If you don’t have one made, there are a zillion options to making one quickly. Like theknot.com has some great options. This is a great way for you to give all kinds of info about your wedding. Especially if you are having a destination wedding. People will want to know about where to stay, what there is to do in the area (maybe they will make it a mini vacay…), what all will be going on for the wedding itself, directions, etc. It’s just nice.

Until next time… XOXO – Julie

The photos are of some cute Save The Dates that I found on a simple Google Images stroll. I like the first one for its great personality. I know I have said I don’t like themes, but this is the one place that I say go for it. And, if you do an old Hollywood theme (like this is), maybe carry it through to the wedding by having a glam feel to the wedding? Not a theme, an ambiance… Just to be clear. The second is such a great way to do a destination wedding Save The Date. Highlight the awesome location. Ummm, who wouldn’t want to attend an Aspen, Co. wedding? I’m there!

Nov 23

A List of Wedding Thankfulness

Thanksgiving is upon us and I decided to put some thoughts down on what I am thankful for when it comes to weddings. Weddings are a lot of fun and there is a lot to like about a wedding. But, when you work in weddings, you will find things that you wouldn’t have become so aware of in any other line of work. So, here are a few small things that I have come to love and be thankful for all because of weddings.

1. Ranunculus. This little flower is so fantastic. It is delicate and pretty and complex. It comes in a whole lot of colors. I’m absolutely in love with it. I try my very best to sneak it into my clients’ floral design somehow. The florists that work with me a lot already know this about me. They even know what flowers not to mention as options because I won’t let it happen. Daises, lilies and alstroemeria to name a few. But, ranunculus makes me happy. Just the perfect dainty little flower. Unstructured and yet defined. Mmmmmm. I smile just thinking about them. Hubby knows that it would thrill me if he showed up with a bunch of ranunculus one day. Any season, any style of wedding. I can make ranunculus work. Love.

2. Pigs in a Blanket. I know what you are thinking. Surely, I (a wedding food snob) wouldn’t have something as casual as Pigs in a Blanket as an hors d’oeuvres option at one of my weddings. Au contraire! While there are a few times where these little bundles of goodness aren’t appropriate, more often than not, I am thrilled when I see these listed as an appetizer. I don’t exactly suggest it to my clients as an option right away. But, if they go for it on their own, I don’t try to talk them out of it. I love these little things so much, I could spend the evening in the kitchen with the caterer eating the left over piggies instead of the offered meal. Reminds me that I might want to make these for Thanksgiving breakfast…

3. Black and White Photography. After a wedding is over, one of the best things is getting the email or Facebook post that the wedding photos are ready to be viewed. As much as I am focused on the detail shots, the ones that get me every time are the super romantic shots of the bride and groom. And, more than likely, they are in black and white. I’m not quite sure why this is. Maybe a photographer could explain it better. All I know is that I like it. Any photos from my own wedding that I ordered (save for one) were all black and white. Call me crazy. But, I love it.

Such a cute shot by Chanterelle Photography for Lisa and Hunter’s wedding.

4. Cream Cheese Icing. I’m not sure when or how buttercream became the default icing for wedding cakes. It’s a shame that it has. People don’t know what they are missing in cream cheese. I personally think that buttercream is too sweet. Cream cheese icing is thick and rich and decadent. In other words, perfect! I have a rule that I always eat cake at a wedding. Seeing as how I am at a lot of weddings, I eat a lot of cake. And, the cakes that I remember as out-of-this-world have all been ones with cream cheese icing. Trust me. If I have outed myself as a non-food snob with the pigs, then I would have to say that I am a definite cake snob. Carrot, Italian Cream, Red Velvet… All cream cheese icing cakes. Who could argue with that list?

While my own carrot cake was undeniably the best ever, Billy Lee’s Italian Cream cake is right there with it. The first time I had the pleasure of this cake was at Megan and Phil’s wedding. Unbelievable.

So, there you have it. This is what I am thankful for in weddings. A little silly, I know. Still, all true. Before I sign off to go eat my weight in turkey (that’s a lie – I am probably just going to eat my weight in desserts), I wanted to share some of the real things that I’m thankful for this season. While this list could go forever, I know that I am most thankful for the people in my life. First, I’m so thankful for my family. I couldn’t make it without them. Honestly. I could go through life with no friends, but if I didn’t have my family I would shrivel up and die. My super supportive husband, my sisters who know me better than anyone and love me anyway, and my parents who are the best in the world. I couldn’t ask for more. But, I am seriously thankful for my friends, too. I am blessed beyond belief to have gained friends in so many areas and walks of life. I count myself lucky to call them my friends. And, I’m very lucky to call my clients and vendors that I work with friends as well. I know it’s not often that people get to work with their friends and I am very grateful for this. So, for everything else that I could go on and on about, this year I am focused on the people who I couldn’t do without. I wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving with the ones you love!

Until next time… XOXO – Julie

Nov 16

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The Trendy Wedding: Part 2

After my thoughts on wedding trendiness last week, I decided that I might take a few stabs at specific trends that I see. Like I said, everyone has their own taste and style, but if you find the way to edit it all together, everything should work perfectly.

The Vintage Wedding This is kind of funny to be talking about vintage as a trend. By its very nature, vintage should be the definition of un-trendy. Doesn’t the word “vintage” mean that it’s been around for a long time? We all know that vintage in the fashion world is great. There are just some pieces that will be amazing forever. I actually once met a girl who, after I complimented her on her purse, explained to me that it was part of the vintage Gucci bag collection that her grandmother had left her in her will. I have never met anyone so fabulous.

But, back to weddings. While I say that the vintage wedding is a trend, it isn’t the kind that turns me off. It is just a trend that brides want to use things in their wedding that reminds people of what makes wedding design so great to begin with. Some of those things would be the textures (lace dresses, distressed wood, etc), processes (letterpress invitations anyone?), colors (ivories, muted pinks), types of flowers (peonies, garden roses, ranunculus – aka the most amazing flower ever) – just to name a few.

The reason that I say that this “trend” isn’t off putting to me is that it utilizes so many great art forms that it is a joy to see it. Take letterpress for example (I’m about to get real paper-geeky on you guys). If you don’t know your printing processes, letterpress is how all printing was done back in the day. It’s a hands on process. A person has to physically work the press. Many companies that specialize in letterpress are using machines that are 100+ years old. It uses papers that have great textures. All of this makes me in love with letterpress! Vintage wedding or not. It’s just beautiful. And, since it is something that isn’t easily mass produced, it is definitely an art form. And that is just one example of vintage-inspired work for weddings. Take a browse through Etsy. You’ll see a TON of handmade, vintage styled items.

Before you think that you can just go hold your wedding in an antique store and call it “vintage”, think again. Tacky knick-knacks aren’t cool. But, well thought out attention to detail is cool. Personal touches are cool. The contrast between rustic and formal is cool. And thinking of all this made me think of The Not Wedding that I attended not long ago and a few other events I’ve been to recently. It is a trend that is alive and well! But, because it is vintage, it will be beautiful for many years.

Until next time… XOXO – Julie

The photo is from The Not Wedding by Donnan Photo. I really liked the contrast of the rustic/country feel with the metro loft location. Well done!

Nov 11

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The Trendy Wedding

I may, or may not, be the best person to discuss trends. I wouldn’t call myself a trendy person in real life. Meaning that I have a hard time latching onto a trend for a trend’s sake. Good heavens, I live in a college town. If I took to every trend that I saw going on, it would be a sad day. And, I feel the same way with weddings. As much as you want to be current and have fun with your wedding, I try to stay away from trends. Instead, I work with my clients to create a wedding that will speak to their personality as a couple, be beautiful for years to come and still have something special that will set it apart from other weddings that their guests will attend.

You may be wondering how this is possible. It’s not that it doesn’t take work. I have found that it is much easier to over-design than it is to edit. It takes much more attention to know when enough is enough. To hold back at just the right points. I have said many times that I will always tend towards the less is more approach to design. I think that the reason for the event will shine through much more if you don’t throw everything you can imagine into the mix. I believe that it is the people that make up a wedding, not the flowers (or other piece). This touches on my dislike of themes to weddings. If you need a theme, then it isn’t a wedding. Or, if you have to spell it out for people – literally. I, for one, could go without seeing wedding photos of a bride and groom holding signs that say “Love” or “Mr. and Mrs.” or some such thing. I’m sure you know what I am talking about. I mean, really. If your photographer can’t capture the love of a wedding without having written out signs that say “love”, you might need to re-think your choice of photographer.

But, I’m getting off track. In terms of trends, I think that they only work when you can incorporate them effortlessly. If they stand out as a piece on its own, then it shouldn’t be used. Everything should flow completely. This does not mean that I think all weddings should look alike. Neither do I think that you can’t have fun with color or printing or other design aspects. Of my clients that I am working with this moment, all of them have a very distinct color palette. And, I love them all. I know that there are very few people (me being among those oddballs) who would do a black and white wedding.

To try to actually define what I am talking about in terms of trends, think of it this way: if you have to tell someone that you are awesome, then you probably aren’t. Basically, stop trying so hard! Just let your wedding be as natural as possible. If you naturally tend towards the formal side of things (like I do), then go with it. If you have a love of color, use it!

Example 1: I know I use this wedding a lot, but please see Lauren and JP’s wedding for an example of using color and personality in just the right amount. Flowers, printing, etc. all colorful. But, nothing overdone. Lauren used white/negative space in the best way possible to set off her love of color. Photos by Our Labor of Love.

Example 2: Kara and Ian’s wedding was formal with a deep plum color palette. With such a strong color, she kept it all in check. Photos by Flip Flop Foto.

As with all things, have an editing eye. You don’t have to fill your ballroom with fuchsia tablecloths for your guests to know that fuchsia is in your wedding color palette. (As a matter of fact, I strongly advise against a ballroom full of fuchsia tablecloths. Painful to eyes. Email me for more thoughts on this.) Even a glam wedding style needs to be edited. Don’t be afraid to hold back – just a little. It will allow you to shine that much more.

Until next time… XOXO – Julie

The featured photo is by Chanterelle Photography from Rachel and Sean’s wedding. Rachel understood editing when it came to design. Her wedding was absolutely perfectly done. While every detail was thought about, it came across as effortless.

Nov 2

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The Etiquette of Money

This subject is probably, by far, the most un-loved subject of life. Money. While everything in a wedding starts with the all-consuming budget, the more contentious question would be where this budget is coming from. Or, to put it bluntly, who is actually writing the checks for the wedding bills.

Traditionally, the bride’s family is the host of a wedding and therefore would be the ones paying for everything. Even in that heading, there may be extra family members who want to contribute to the festivities. Maybe your aunt owns a stationery store and would like to pay for the printing for the wedding. Maybe your grandparents would like to give you the gift of your wedding dress or photography. Sometimes the bride and groom host the wedding themselves. And all of this is very common. I actually have very few clients where only one person/party is paying for everything.

I say all that to drive home the point that money in a wedding can get very confusing. So, when you start to get into your planning, you might want to keep some of these tips in mind before the bills start to arrive.

1. Decide your budget from the get-go. It will serve you well if you sit down and have a very open and frank discussion about where the bulk of the money is coming from for the wedding costs. Once that is decided, you need to come to an agreement on how big that budget is. One of the biggest mistakes that a person can make in planning their wedding is starting off with no budget and getting too far in and realizing that they have spent too much on certain parts with nothing left over for other things. I have heard “I have no idea what things cost so I have no clue where to begin on deciding a budget” many times. And that is a valid point. To combat this, get some very basic quotes from well-known vendors in the area. Just to see where their prices fall. Then, think about the point where you would say, “I cannot spend a penny more on this wedding.” That is usually where your budget will fall. Be realistic. Once you see what vendors in your area charge for general packages/services, you should be able to see where you can spend and where you can’t.

2. If someone else is paying for a portion of the wedding, be very specific on where that begins and ends. Let’s just say (for sake of argument) that Grandma has decided to pay for your floral decor. That is a beautiful gift! And just like your overall budget, you must be frank about what that means. While many grandparents might want to skirt the actual money issue (I hear things like, “Just let me know how much it costs”), this isn’t a good way to go. Be very up front about how much she is really prepared to spend. There will be a breaking point. Everybody has one. It will help you immensely if you have the conversation about money long before you have your heart set on a particular floral scheme.

3. Make sure the parties involved know when the deposits and balances are due. Even if you have been diligent in getting all your numbers straight before hand, not keeping those folks up-to-speed on when the bills are due makes for more awkwardness. Awkward for you, awkward for the vendor (who really doesn’t want to get involved in family issues) and awkward for whoever has agreed to pay. And many times this happens when the wedding is close at hand. Maybe just a week away. So, it adds to the last minute chaos that does not need to happen.

4. Follow through and actually make sure that the bills are paid. If you (or your planner) have served as the main contact point for a particular vendor, even though another person is actually paying for it, you need to make sure that the vendor actually did get paid. Just because your dad was made aware when he signed the contract that the balance was due the week before the wedding, that does not mean that it actually happened. A little reminder on a calendar (Google will text message you reminders) is all it takes to keep it fresh in his mind. And then, follow up with him and the vendor to make sure all is taken care of. This might not be necessary if your dad has been the only person in contact with that vendor from the get go. But, if not, follow though!

It may not be romantic to be completely forward about bills, but it is considerate. Believe me. You will be glad you did. Your vendors will thank you. And, you and your family can enjoy your day with fewer headaches. Until next time… XOXO, Julie

Photo by Flip Flop Foto of Kelly and Matt’s wedding. Kelly’s mom actually was very involved and upfront about all vendor contracts and bills. And everyone enjoyed the day!

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