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Posts tagged ‘Invision Weddings’

Feb 8

Weather or not: Southern winters and your wedding

Ah, winters in the South. We have been having a very mild winter. Mild, as in, it is basically spring. It is amazing. I’m quite sure that I will never move from this wonderful locale. And not just for the weather…

The weather does make for some interesting scenarios for other parts of your life. Primarily event and wedding planning. As much as I have been loving our current weather pattern, it seems that no one quite knows what to do with it. Does it mean that you should plan or incorporate outdoor activities with your already planned indoor event? Does it mean that your very wintery design needs to change to a more neutral one? Does it mean that it is okay to wear more “warm weather” appropriate outfits to such events? Well, I have put down a few thoughts.

First and foremost, don’t bet on having warm weather during the winter. Think of it as a special treat. But, design your event as though normal seasonal temps will be in place. With that, I don’t recommend a tented event in the winter months. Unless you are springing for solid flooring in your tent, or tenting over concrete, you can bet that the ground will not drain as you would like it to. From my experience, if there has been any wet weather in the week prior to an event, the ground just won’t drain correctly in the winter. Warm weather or no. Thus, all the traffic in and out of the tent to set things up, all the foot traffic during the event (heels anyone?)… It adds up to a bad – probably muddy – situation. Not fun. Also, the cost effectiveness of a tented event is drastically reduced when you have to bring in side walls and heaters and flooring, etc. to make such a tent venue worthy. Not that it can’t be done. Just use your dollars wisely.

Your absolute best bet is to find a venue that offers enough indoor space that you can plan your entire event to be inside. But, have the option of being able to use their outdoor space (patios, etc.) in the good fortune that you have great weather. If, and when, that good weather happens, move your cocktails outside. Add some high boy tables and one or two pieces of music outside. These are small pieces that won’t require a huge event layout or design shift. And, it won’t draw attention away from the main event that is going on inside. Just offers your guests a little break.

My main point is that when it comes to making changes to your event at the last minute because of weather, it is much easier and more enjoyable to do it because the weather is great instead of fighting the elements to make an event happen regardless of what Mother Nature brings. As with most things, none of this matters if money is no issue. But, that is rarely the case. Just spend your dollars wisely. It is always the best situation.

Until next time… XOXO, Julie

The featured photo is one of my favorite venues, Moores Mill Club Pavilion in Auburn, Ala. In the warm months, it is open air. In the colder months, there are clear walls to keep things warm but still give the feel of the outdoors. What a perfect venue! Photo by FlipFlopFoto.com.

Feb 1

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What’s Inspiring Me Now: {Preppy Wedding} {Vintage Meets Southern Wedding} {French Country Wedding}

I like the thought of having semi-regular columns on the blog. I know I have done a few inspiration posts in the past, but they have now gained their own title of “What’s Inspiring Me Now”. With the start of the wedding season (that’s what peeps in the biz call the frenzy of wedding bookings after the holidays), I’m scouring the internet for all kinds of inspiring photos for the upcoming season. Not that any of my clients have asked for these designs. I just think that it is a good thing to stay inspired. Instead of one particular design that has hit this wedding planner’s fancy, I’ve started several boards that I’m in love with. Maybe it’s the thought of spring being here soon, maybe it’s my love of warm weather, maybe I just can’t live in the season that we are in, but the following designs seem to scream spring/summer wedding to me. They are also screaming photo shoot to me…..

1. The Preppy Wedding. There are a lot of things to like about the preppy wedding. My favorite? It’s kind of like less-is-more goes bold. I know that sounds strange, but think about it. It’s clean lines. Not overdone. Just great color contrasts. There are plenty of colors that go along with a preppy design, but my choice would be navy and white. Almost nautical. To be honest, navy has been one of my favorite colors my whole life. And there are an amazing amount of colors that go with navy – think how great pops of bright pink and kelly green would look with this. But, today is all about putting navy and white together. I found this photo on Pinterest that kicked off this design thought: white anemones. While the center of these flowers are technically black, they have a blue tint to them that make me think preppy.

2. The Vintage Wedding Meets Southern Wedding. I have posted several times about the interestingly controversial (among the industry) vintage wedding. Is it in or out, trend or classic, stylish or campy…? Apparently no one can decide. So, I decided to start pinning things for my idea for a vintage wedding. Then, I looked at the board as a whole and I realized that it was taking on a distinctly southern feel. Vintage, yes. But, definitely southern. And I have decided to put the controversy to rest on the whole vintage wedding design: southern does vintage right. Actually, southern does a lot of stuff right. But, particularly vintage. To be sure, this wedding would be quite a home in Alabama or Georgia – my stomping grounds. The photo below was the one that kicked off this board. So effortless and beautiful.

3. French Country Wedding. This is my nod to girly. Or, indulging my need to travel vicariously through photos. I think it would be awesome to bring a little bit of the French countryside to Alabama. I love the movie Marie Antoinette with Kirsten Dunst and the scene with them having a summer soiree under a tent is perfect. A beautiful garden, a relaxed feel, a simple wedding. I feel like Martha Stewart would be all over this wedding (I like to imagine that Martha and I are close). The photo that kicked this board off would be a bunch of lavender. It smells amazing and is gorgeous in bunches and is so French Provincial. Merci!

I’d love to hear your thoughts and what might be inspiring you these days! Until next time… XOXO, Julie

Jan 18

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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!

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

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 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!

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 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 3

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The NOT Wedding – A Better Bridal Show

Last week, my friend Lindsay invited me to be her guest at The Not Wedding in Atlanta. The Not Wedding? What is this? Well, come to find out, this was a different type of bridal show. Basically, this was a mock wedding. Brides and wedding professionals were invited to attend as they would an actual wedding. Every sponsoring vendor had a significant role in the production and therefor the attendees were able to experience their work in a wedding setting. As in, a buffet dinner was part of the evening, so brides were able to see the sponsoring caterer – Sun In My Belly – in their natural element. It makes a lot of sense. What better way to judge a wedding vendor than seeing them in action? Of course, there were booths set up where attendees could pick up more info on the vendors they were interested in. But, in general, you were to look at the production as a whole as a show of what those vendors could do for you.

Lindsay, my wonderful friend and connection, is friends with the producer of The Not Wedding, Callie. If I may say so myself, Callie is one smart cookie. She produces this event once a year and, I will say, I’m more than impressed. The whole production was flawless. While the decor was very trendy with many paper accents and a vintage design, it was the flawless production quality that I was most impressed with. As a wedding industry member attendee, I give two HUGE thumbs up. Major applause for Callie! Other highlights include: a mock ceremony delivered in spoken verse (I would like to know who wrote it), a flash mob to kick off the party after dinner was served, an amazing band who didn’t let up at all even when the AC decided to cut out, and free flowing sangria. I was a happy gal.

Lindsay and I ended up seated next to a super cute couple, Andy and Jane. Andy happened to be a wedding photographer himself. He and his beautiful fiance were there to get some ideas on their upcoming October wedding. We chatted a bit about the production at hand and a little bit of wedding industry shop. Andy was kind enough to share some of the photos that he snapped at the event. He’s a great photographer and I highly recommend that you check out his work at donnanphotography.com. In the mean time, please appreciate his contribution to this post in the photo recap of The Not Wedding. Many thanks to Andy, Callie, Lindsay and all The NOT Wedding vendors! Until next time… XOXO – Julie

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.

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