I Wanna Rock with You...Rock n' Roll Themed Wedding

We have loved working with our clients Jenn & Chris! They both share a love for classic rock, the florida gators and anything rustic. They have inspired us to write a post on a Rock n' Roll themed wedding.  Chris in particular definitely loves his classic rock! From the outside you might not think he has that "edge to him"...but trust us, he does! He is a little bit rebellious, might color out the lines and is definitely free spirited. So, why should we expect him to change for his wedding?  Instead of trying to transform Jenn and Chris into fitting the traditional bride and groom persona, details have been incorporated to make their love for rock n' roll obvious. We have been inspired to design our own dream rock wedding! Thanks for the inspiration!

First, this is something that Jenn and Chris have done really well...they have incorporated song choices that are subtle in terms of theme and definitely them. Their ceremony will include versions of rock songs played by a classical quartet. You might have heard of something similar by artists such as the Vitamin Sting Quartet. Definitely classy, definitely rocker.   

image found

For wedding attire, something as simple as cuff links made from classic rock records or a dress with a hint of color (maybe even black) hits the nail right on the head. We know the taboo of wearing black in the bridal party...but feel that this rebellious wedding color can definitely be very elegant.

Found on from a great shop on etsy.

Dress designed by Oblivion Clothing

Black and white are simple colors that look great together and go perfectly with the theme.  Whether the cake is round or square, covered in white fondant with black appliqué or covered from bottom to top in roses...anything with edge is perfect.    

Cake from Saras Simply Delicious

Favorite! Pink Cake Box! 

explanation. Your Family Members are not Wedding Vendors

I get a lot of great emails every week from our posts entitled "Your (family member) is not...." and we also receive a very rare nasty comment or two. So, I thought I'd write a little something to explain our thought process behind our posts.

I mentioned in our first post of the series "Your mom is not a planner" that I thought about what to write for quite some time. My goal is never to offend anyone, but to educate. I hear from brides and mothers alike...that they love the series. So I know, we are doing something right.

First, we write our posts from previous experiences of our own and recommendations of other wedding vendors in our hometown and across the nation. We also, have those same vendors read our entries before we post them to our blog. This way, we know that our work has been double checked before the public can read it. It helps with grammar, but also with the education piece that I mentioned above.

Second, it is obvious that some "readers" stop at the title of each post..rather than actually reading the entire thing. I know that they can get lengthy...but there is some great information to share. We always make sure to explain that there are some mothers who are amazing florists...or amazing amateurs florists....or your Dad might really be a professional photographer...We are not discrediting those people. We are merely speaking from the little experiences of life.

Finally...even if your mom is a great florist, your brother an amazing DJ or your dad an out of this world Photographer...Do you really want them to work on your wedding day? And what if they mess something up (not on purpose...but things happen). Are you going to be able to let them live those mistakes down?

11 Insider Tips to a Great Wedding

The ACE Team has learned many things during our years in business...some of them might be obvious to you...and others might not be. We thought it would be educational and fun to pass along 11 tips to live by when planning your wedding...They should help your stress and enjoyment level. Here they are...in no particular order:

1.         We know that you should never get spa treatments (eyebrow waxes, facials, etc.) within 2 days of your wedding.  You’re makeup won’t adhere to such a smooth face. Get those treatments early in the week...you'll need the stress reliever anyway. 

2.        We know that the best way to create your dreaded seating arrangements is to use paper plates with post-it notes.  The paper plate acts as your table and the post it as your place card. You can move them around and not bother yourself with scratching names out and messy papers.

3.        We know that you should have a final meeting with your DJ two weeks maximum before your wedding so that all of your song requests do not get lost or forgotten. You don't want last weeks wedding songs played as your own. 

4.        We know that engagement pictures with your wedding photographer are a must.  They are great to build a mutual rapport and get to know each other’s style.  The photographer will learn how you like to be shot and you learn how he or she likes to shoot. You also create banter between yourself and your photographer…making for a much more laid back experience. Trust us, it's needed when they are with you during the most intimate of moments. 

5.         We know that whether with bridal portraits or not, you should always do a trial run of hair and makeup to make sure every detail is how you have always envisioned it. Your wedding day is not a day for trials.

6.         We know that you should read your contracts carefully! Some vendors give discounts when you pay in full or charge for things that another vendor is already offering.  It is also good to know exactly what you’re getting so there are no communication errors.

7.         We know that each family (or formal group shot) picture takes roughly 3 minutes to set up, so be mindful of how many pictures are on your “must get” list.

8.         We know that this is your wedding day. Details inspired from things both you and your spouse enjoy are great starting points for those "unique to you details". 

9.         We know that your friends and family can help plan your wedding but we also know that you don’t want them to work on your wedding day. Take all of their input before the big day...and let them sit back and relax as you embark on the first day of the rest of your life. Leave the wedding day and it's stresses up to professionals. 

10.      We know that a wedding is a stressful event.  Plan things for you and your spouse to do alone together the week of the wedding. This will help with open lines of communication and creating memories to last a lifetime. 

11.       We know that you should hire your vendors for what they specialize in.  When you hire people for what they do additionally, quality of product may decrease. In other words, don't hire your makeup artist to create your flowers...or your videographer to do your hair. Don't laugh...it happens. 

Happy Planning! 


Image Found Here. Thank You!

Meet Lacey Lee: Our Work Wednesday Fitness Guru

For quite a while we had a series on our blog called Wedding Wednesday which took a backseat while we searched for the perfect fitness guru to get us back to our weekly tips....and finally, We found someone!

Starting next week we will have great tips from Lacey Lee!

Lacey is a certified personal trainer and nutritional consultant with over 10 years experience. She focuses on bootcamp style fitness classes and training approaches that fuse cardiovascular and strength training exercises. 

One of the best things about Lacey and her method of training is that she customizes everything for each client. She works within the parameters and needs of each client while traveling to their location or meeting in her new space (soon to open!) She offers at home personal training, group training and nutritional counseling while incorporating her passion for fitness and the ability to educate and help people achieve their personal fitness goals. 

Her background and philosophy:   " As long as I can remember, I’ve been active and involved in sports.  The sport I love most and excelled at is tennis.  My love for tennis led me to Old Dominion University to play on the Women’s Tennis team.   Unfortunately, a serious back injury ended my career.  I had to re-focus and find another career path.  My journey led me to the importance of physical fitness and it was then that I began my education to become a personal trainer and nutritional consultant. 

·         My fitness and nutrition philosophy is to treat each person as the individual they are.  We are all unique and our body’s different.   Therefore everyone receives a tailored fitness and nutritional program to focus on individual goals and shape their body to its optimal state. Once we begin you will not experience two workouts alike and you will learn to balance the nutrition and the fitness plan – you can’t do one without the other – nutrition is 90% of your efforts."

Lacey Holds a Commercial Recreation degree from Old Dominion University and she is ACE Certified Personal Trainer, AFPA certified Nutritional Consultant, CPR and First Aid Certified. She also played for the ODU Womens Tennis Team from 1996-2000. 


We look forward to sharing a bit more information about Lacey's bridal bootcamp tomorrow...and hearing back from her weekly on our "Workout Wednesday" Feature!   

Your Brother Is Not A DJ

So we are back…with another part to our very popular series “Your mom is not a (insert bridal vendor here)”. Each time I sit down to write for this series in particular I get a bit nervous. I definitely don’t want to insult anyone, but I feel it is my job as a wedding professional to give the truth to clients and friends alike. While it is very generous and kind of your family to offer to donate their non-trained services to you on your wedding day it is also truly doing you an injustice. While saving money is a definite plus…saving embarrassment is probably what you’d like more of on your wedding day.

I have said it once and I’ll say it again…a DJ can make or break any affair! We have had relatively “boring” weddings that were definitely spruced up by an amazing DJ….and we have also had very beautiful events for some of the most energetic, in love clients ever that have had their weddings pretty much ruined by a bad DJ…or a “DJ” that was a friend.

First, let me explain a small but very important difference in DJ’s. There are a few different kinds of DJ’s and you should be mindful of who you are hiring. (Or who is offering to help you).

First, there is a Radio DJ…This DJ is great to listen to in your car, but they don’t necessarily have the same experience with events as they do with keeping your ride home from work enjoyable. Many Radio DJ’s do not have their own equipment or insurance as your wedding venue might require. 

Next, there is your CLUB DJ…also, a very big difference between your wedding DJ and a radio DJ. A Club DJ might be known for making announcements such as “the bar is closing” or “the little black dress contest is starting”…but definitely not for keeping up with traditions such as cutting the cake or introducing you to your guests for the first time as Mr. & Mrs.… a time when tradition and fun are to be mixed, with great levels of care and class. A club DJ is an absolute pro at pumping the base (and maybe even a few fists)…but not necessarily for the first dance type of crowd.

Finally, there is a wedding DJ. This person is skilled in getting grandma on the dance floor without boring your 20 something aged crowd to tears. They know how to stall a toast while the bride gets all of the cake off of her face (that the groom has so romantically smashed up her nose)…They know how to line up a bridal party, read a crowd and know that if a very lively crowd quickly leaves the dance floor that it’s time to fade to a new song. Being a wedding DJ is an art…they have to be fun not cheesy, well dressed and appropriate…they have to get everyone on the dance floor from age 8 to 80 while following the strict wishes of the people in charge. The Bride & Groom.

Now you might ask, why did she explain the difference in DJ’s….why can’t my brother play my playlist on my iPod and just let it roll without minimum interruptions. Because that’s the truth right? You want a mix of all 3 types of DJ”s without the expense? You want a radio DJ that knows what’s hot and popular, the fun of a Club DJ that can keep the floor moving all night and the experience with tradition of a wedding DJ….and you think your brother has been to enough events as a guest to know how to incorporate all 3 of these for FREE! And the truth is: can you come up with a kickin’ playlist? Yes…but is he insured? Does he have the right type of sound equipment (and yes each venue might need something a bit different)? Does he have a microphone (actually 2) for the priest, toasts, and impromptu serenades? Can he read a crowd and slowly fade into another song when all of your guests leave the dance floor…because your pre-made guest list wasn’t working out exactly how you thought it should be. Probably Not...Save the embarrassment, add a bit of expense and have any amazing time at your wedding...The one where your family is there for one reason and one reason only: To enjoy your new marriage while they celebrate your love.  

Think about it.

Sneak Peek: Dana and Nonye

We introduced you to Dana and Nonye a few weeks ago and this past weekend we had the honor of celebrating their marriage! It was our biggest guest count event to date, with 600 in attendance. Although challenging, it was a very fun and successful evening! Here is a sneak peek of their special day thanks to well-known local photographer John Cachero who assisted Elise Theuer this weekend! More to come!!!