Unexpected Color Combo: Pool & Crimson

Pops of color are definitely all the rage in today's events...so we thought we would show that thinking out of the box is a definite HOT trend. Check back often as in the next week we will be showing great trends in stationery design with this great color combo Crimson and Pool.

Turqouise and Red by acevents on Polyvore.com

Dress by Maggie Sottero

We work well together....

As many of you know I have the opportunity to work with my husband James of James Christianson Photography...but not very often. This past weekend James shot a rehearsal dinner for a fellow photographer friend that was out of town until the actual wedding on Sunday. James and Trey don't own the images of the event as they were working for someone else...but since these two pictures are just of the Christianson's (and don't show any of the fabulous details of the event) ...I thought it would be ok to post them.

Mandy & Jay...Bay Creek Resort

A year of planning with Mandy (and a bit from Jay) came to a beautiful culmination at Bay Creek Resort in Cape Charles Virginia on a beautiful Saturday in September. Mandy had impeccable taste and it showed in every last detail we pulled together for their fantastic pierside wedding. We brought a few firsts to the venue...First time with complete custom linens, first time with event lighting, and first time with a couple that were so Amazing. Thank You Pike Media Resource, Fluttering Flowers and of course Scott Hayne Photography for helping make this event so beautiful.

A few details...Mandy's girls wore beautiful dresses in cornflower blue (which started as our wedding color) and after picking linens that were more of a sky blue with gold detailing we decided to change the reception to include shades of blue...rather than just one color. You can see by the beautiful blue glass columns in the below picture that we couldn't have only 1 shade of blue and the room was phenomenal. We alternated linens on the kings tables and booths and had beautiful all white flowers throughout the reception venue in both tall and short glass vases. Debbie Pence with Fluttering Flowers even added a few large Ostrich Feathers near the back of "dinner room" to add a bit of height and everything meshed so well. Mandy and Jay also had complete custom stationery created from my good friends Kim & Kristen at RSVP. The feel for their wedding started when their guests received their beautiful invitations before the wedding and everything continued through with their custom created programs, menu cards that doubled as place cards and great signage throughout the venue. There were so many details I couldn't begin to explain them all. You'll have to check back for more detail images in the upcoming weeks...Did I mention their ceremony took place at the end of a 600 foot Pier? SO COOL, RIGHT?

What was my favorite part of the wedding? Their guest book...Yep! We took Polaroid pictures of all of the guests as they entered the reception and throughout the night they were able to come back and leave their well wishes next to their picture. It was an absolute hit!

Komen for the Cure: 10th Anniversary Celebration: Part 1

As many of you know I am honored to work with the Tidewater Affiliate of Susan G. Komen year after year on their event entitled "Pink Martini Night." This year however, we spruced things up a bit and celebrated the Affiliates 10th Anniversary with the help of over 300 guests and changed our name to reflect the events of the evening: The Dedication of a Komen Mermaid and Martinis (of course)...hence the new name "Mermaids & Martinis". I have a million people to thank and I thought this was a great place to start:

Ilona Webb Bruner (Executive Director of the Tidewater Affiliate of Komen)

Karen Zablocki (Administrator of the Tidewater Affiliate of Komen)

The City of Norfolk

Cuisine and Company

Distinctive Event Rentals

Pike Media Resource

Char's Floral Design

Scott Hayne Photography

Nicole Livas (Our amazing EMCEE)

Just Cupcakes

Max Media

SKIRT! Magazine

GTI Systems

nTelos Wireless

BlackBerry

BlackWhite & Blues

More Music Group

Bella Floral for Survivor Corsages

Event Staffing, INC.
CHJ Digital Repro
Georgia Mason

Grace Gibson

Color Me Mine, Norfolk

And Of Course the FABULOUS COMMITTEE THAT MADE EVERYTHING HAPPEN!

My Good Friends with a HUGE HEART Scott & Adina Hayne were there that night capturing all of the images...and as soon as those are ready we will post a few. But until then, I leave you with a snapshot of the night shot by my pal Charlie Pike with Pike Media Resource.

Invitation Etiquette...Part 1

Tis’ Wedding Season in Hampton Roads and I have received quite a few invites that are not following proper etiquette….So I thought I’d give a bit of insight and help future brides in the process.
1. Please send out your wedding invitations 6-8 weeks before the wedding and give your guests AMPLE time to RSVP.
2. Send each guest the same invitation...they will talk and you don't want anyone thinking they are on the "B" list.
3. Do not "pre-write" in the total number of guests on the RSVP card.
If you only want 3 guests to come, write 3 names clearly on the invitations...Do not write "3" in the space on your RSVP card for your guest to send back to you.
4. If sending out a wedding invitation do not include where you are registered at inside the invitations…That information is for your shower invitations or engagement parties.
5. Do Clearly Address your invitations with who is invited.
1. The Outer Envelope on the invitation is for proper names (and everything should be written in full...except for social titles "Mr., Mrs., Dr., Sr., etc):
Mr. & Mrs. James Christianson
1234 Elm Avenue
Virginia Beach, Virginia 234522. The Inner Envelope should have the names of all guests that are invited to the event. If there are more people invited to the wedding than just the names put on the outer envelope it is proper to write their full names if they know them.
Mr. & Mrs. James Christianson
Sally Christianson
Jimmy Christianson3. If there is both an inner and outer envelope it is not proper to write “and guest” on the outer envelope.
Outer: Mrs. Antonia Christianson
Inner: Mrs. Antonia Christianson and Guest
4.If there is only one envelope you can write and guest.
Mrs. Antonia Christianson and Guest

Follow these few tips and you are sure to not offend anyone during the invitation process....check back tomorrow for more wedding etiquette...

Really? No More Modern Bride?!?

Sad But True...Conde Naste has decided to pull the plug on not 1 but 2 fabulous wedding magazines. I know you are thinking that there is plenty of content online to plan your wedding without having to purchase a single bridal magazine, but let's be real: These magazines are a household name and brides for decades (upon decades, upon decades, upon decades) have been using these magazines as "THE" source for inspiration. And I feel there is something magical about that idea. The idea that millions of brides have flipped through these same magazines feeling exactly the same way that you do today...Giddy, In Love, Inspired (I Could go on forever). I have so many clients and friends that purchase these magazines years before their engagement to plan their "someday" wedding to "prince charming"..they have binders and folders of ripped out "must have" items that they never would have thought about themselves without the nudge of fabulous bridal magazines.

Now if this is stressing you out as much as it is me...I thought I'd show you a few fabulous bridal magazines that don't look like they are going anywhere in the near future.

If you are looking for breath-taking inspirations...traditional ideas with a modern twist...or just beautiful weddings go to your local book retailer and purchase some of the above magazines...let's make sure these magazines stay around for decades and decades and decades to come.