Signature Drink Saturday: Instant Margaritas

We haven't posted a "Signature Drink" in quite some time...but I saw this on my favorite site (Pinterest) and thought it was perfect for holiday parties! Instant Margaritas!! Just pour Tequila over frozen lime sorbet (in a salted rim glass)...and Voila! Instant Holiday (or summertime) Yumminess.

Source: realsimple.com via Kendall on Pinterest

Thankful!

Source: pinklemonade-blog.com via Lane on Pinterest

Every year for the last several years we have posted a "Thankful" post on Thanksgiving Day....and this year, more than ever I felt the urge to continue the tradition. 2011 has been an extremely emotional and trying year personally for me. I have been dealt a deck of cards that I never would have expected, at a time when I least expected it. With the help of amazing friends and event vendors I have gotten through by taking things one day at a time. I truly feel that I have grown stronger.

On a personal level I am thankful for the support of my husband, boys and extended family. I am thankful for the current health of my mom who was diagnosed with a Glioblastoma in May. We are fighting daily to make her life as stress free and comfortable as possible. I am thankful that my boys are creating memories with her that they will hopefully remember long after she has left us. While we all know the outcome, I am thankful to have this time with my mom and family. Each day is more enjoyable than the last and for that I am thankful.

I am thankful for Wyatt and Sophie. Children that left our world too early, but reminded me what is most important in life. Wyatt is the son of my college roommate and sorority sister, Ashley. He was taken from us at only a few weeks old the night before my mom was diagnosed. To say that the week of May 10 was the hardest in my life would be an understatement. Sophie is the daughter of one of my employees, dear friends, and clients, Rachel.  She was a gorgeous baby that passed away the week of her parents first wedding anniversary. Through her and her parents ministry an entire community was brought together. These sweet babies taught me more in their short lives than most people learn in a lifetime. I am thankful for their strength and dignity.

I am thankful for business! 2011 was another amazing year at Antonia Christianson Events. My clients truly kept me sane through the year and without each of them i'm not sure that i'd be writing this post today. I am thankful to every vendor that we have the opportunity to work with...but I am most thankful for those that turned from "colleague to friend" this year. I have friends in this industry that literally dropped everything to support my staff and I when I needed them most. And for that I am thankful.

Finally, I am thankful for my amazing staff that has stuck with me through the years. Each year we grow and learn together. Ladies, Thank you for helping our clients feel like the only brides in the world...just as they should.

I am thankful and eternally grateful.

Real Wedding: Tori and Ryan

Early this year the ACE Team had the honor of planning the wedding of Tori and Ryan. You might remember them from their engagement session featured on the Wedding Chicks Blog or from a recent article in VOW magazine...but we haven't had the chance to properly write up details about this fun couple.

Tori came to us through one of our employees and a mutual sorority sister and we knew immediately she was a great fit for us! I loved planning with Tori and Ryan because their main focus was on each other and on making sure their guests had fun. Yes, we got to create beautiful tablescapes and help them pick out every detail of their big day...but that wasn't the main focus (which was a breathe of fresh air). Tori and Ryan had not been to a million weddings so they didn't have a large list of items that we could not incorporate into their big day. So often, our clients come with a laundry list of details that they have seen at friends weddings and they want to make sure that nothing is repeated. (another breathe of fresh air for us). Their vision for a blue and yellow wedding was perfect for their May nuptials.

Here are a few of our favorite things:
 1. The bridesmaids wore blue knee length dresses with yellow Chuck Taylor sneakers.
 2. Tori took some of her wedding pictures in a yellow cardigan, to match her yellow shoes.
 3. Ryan's face when he saw his wedding present from Tori was PRICELESS. A moment we will never forget.
 4. Their cake! I actually saw an inspiration picture of a similar cake online from a planner that I follow on the West Coast...and I knew it was the perfect fit for this fun couple.
 5. HOMEMADE touches were the key to this wedding and the guests noticed the amount of work and heart that Tori put into the reception.

Here are a few images thanks to the always fabulous Trivium Studio:

Her fun flowers were from Fluttering Flowers, her wedding and reception were held at Cypress Point Country Club, Trivium Studio was their photographer, Patti Cakes was their baker and DJ No Request was their DJ that kept the party rocking all night! 

An Engagement Story: JD and Stacy

It's engagement picture time in the Antonia Christianson Events studio...we are literally getting images of our great couples from amazing local photographers a few times a week. I am like a kid in a candy store opening up all these great emails and sharing the images (and our clients) with each of you. Today i'd like to introduce you to JD and Stacy a fun Virginia couple that now reside in Florida. This adorable couple have known each other practically all of their life but did not start dating until 2008. In 2009 JD proposed to Stacy on a cruise to the Bahamas surrounded by a few dear friends and the rest is history...

The Antonia Christianson Events staff is honored to help guide Stacy and JD through the planning process of their June 2012 nuptials.

Please welcome them to our blog, along with the always fun and great photographer Deanna Casey.

 

Meghan and Mark: An Engagement Story

               After a bit of a blogging hiatus the ACE team is back to sharing another amazing love story.  We'd like to introduce you to our clients and Meghan and Mark. This couples love story is something special and I'm honored that I have the pleasure of sharing it with you.  This year marks TEN years, the couple have been together, and I’m not talking on and off… but uninterrupted love for a decade.

  

            The story of Meghan and Mark begins the summer Meghan turned 16 and began babysitting for her nephew, while her sister was a teaching summer school.  Many times she would end up staying with her sister rather than driving home and one afternoon Meghan decided to go on a bike around the neighborhood.  It was during this bike ride that Meghan met Mark. After spending much of the following week together Mark invited Meghan on their first date to Joe's Crab Shack. The rest, as we say, is history...

            They dated all throughout High School and attended College together, soon to become engaged on Oct.6^th 2010 during their trip to Hawaii.  Mark proposed at the top of Diamond Head in Waikiki (making that day the happiest day of Meghan’s life).  What a perfect way for two beach lovers to decide to spend the rest of their life together. So Perfect!

Below are a few images from their Virginia Engagement Session from the always amazing Hayne Photographers: 

Emily and Zach: An Engagement Story

I have been holding this engagement story and session for quite some time now...and I am finally excited to share these fun pictures and love story with you.

Emily and Zach were introduced by a sorority sister, Casey, in May of 2010 (both of which happen to be sisters of mine!). Zach had been invited to a wedding of two law school classmates in Texas last August and needed a date. Casey introduced the two via facebook and after a month of texting, emailing and playing hard to get (on Emily's behalf) the two decided to meet...and well, the pictures below show the rest!

Zach and Emily decided to take their engagement pictures somewhere that had a little southern flair and alot of class (both literally and figuratively), just like their upcoming nuptials in January. They decided to take their pictures at Wake Forest (where Zach attended Law School) to include the classic and southern vibe they were looking for. The library ended up being the perfect location. What do you think?

 

 

 

On a side note: We love Emily and Zach's photographer! Kristin Byrum shot another sorority sister of Emily's a while back and Emily fell in love (we can see why!) I know the ACE Team is excited to get to know this North Carolina based photographer.