About Me

My photo
I spent two summers while in college working as a waitress at a dude ranch in Colorado. The experience was nothing less than incredible. Years later, I have wonderful friends that I still keep in touch with as well as an amazing husband. I still think back to those summers because I learned how hard work really pays off and how much I enjoyed putting together all the food events for the guests. The ranch always hired staff from the South because the owners said they always received compliments on their friendly service from guests...My boss' response was "It's just Southern Hospitality." It was not until I began planning my wedding that I realized how I had missed my calling. I wish I could say I am a successful event planner living my dream, but I am not just yet and hope that collecting my ideas and sharing them will be a start (thanks Molly). Enjoy!

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Quotes about Love

I have always loved quotes.  I came across an about article about some of the top love quotes while looking through http://www.realsimple.com/.  Here are my favorites:



“To love abundantly is to live abundantly, and to love forever is to live forever.”
― Henry Drummond


“To love deeply in one direction makes us more loving in all others.”
― Anne-Sophie Swetchine


“Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for a while, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never, ever the same.”
― Flavia Weedn


“You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.”
― Kahlil Gibran

“Love doesn't make the world go 'round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile.”
― Franklin P. Jones

“Have a heart that never hardens, a temper that never tires, a touch that never hurts.”
― Charles Dickens

“There is no remedy for love, but to love more.”
― Henry David Thoreau, The Journal of Henry D. Thoreau, Volumes I–VII (1837–1855

“There is no more lovely, friendly and charming relationship, communion or company than a good marriage.”
― Martin Luther, Table Talk


“When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible. “
― Billy Crystal as Harry in When Harry Met Sally

Why Wedding Planners/Coordinators are needed....

From my Real Simple Weddings book and The Wedding Book: The Big Book For Your Big Day by Mindy Weiss

Engaged
The word engaged implies that you are busy, occupied, employed.
There are a lot of things to do before you can say “I do.” First and foremost you have to establish an idea of what you would like your wedding day to entail, and then look at the time frame you have. You also can’t forget to take into consideration who’s helping you pay and plan for this special occasion. You must understand that realistic expectations are very important! Also involve your fiancĂ© in these beginning stages because it’s a day about two people and you’ll be surprised that they actually do have an opinion- might even have a great idea or two! All these “to dos” shouldn’t be a painful process! So another big thing to decide is how these tasks are going to be accomplished and if it’s even possible for you to do some/all of them by yourself. If you have any hesitation, it is best to at least look into having a consultation with a wedding planner.

Tying the Knot
The word Knot can mean “something hard to solve” or “a cluster of persons or things.”
This is an exciting time but definitely a stressful one too. The main thing to keep in mind is that it’s about you and your fiancĂ©- it’s your big day! I know many brides, as well as their mothers want to do all the planning themselves, but sometimes planning can take over your life. Brides with busy schedules and demanding jobs can have things end up becoming overwhelming instead of enjoyable. Brides who do not live in the same town as their mothers are really at a disadvantage when it comes to planning a wedding of their dreams. Sometimes mothers are too busy to help out and more realistically they can be overly involved! A wedding planner/coordinator can be a serious lifesaver, especially during the weekend of the wedding. They can play many roles, whether they need to become the mediator, final decision maker, or your therapist!


Years ago, wedding planners were only used by wealthy families, but weddings have evolved into more of an extravagant event and the need for someone to manage it has increased. Planners/coordinators may cause additional costs to ones’ budget, but they can also save you costs. They can find better deals because they are use to dealing with certain vendors frequently. The vendor sees you as a onetime deal, but they see a wedding planner as a repeat customer that will continue to provide new business. Planners can think of creative ways to have a wedding within a certain budget as well as unique locations for your rehearsal dinner, ceremony, and reception. Furthermore, they can save you from costly mistakes because they know the business, understand what rates are reasonable, and know when you are getting off track of the schedule. A planner will make everything come together on your wedding day so you will be able to enjoy your day to its fullest!


Article from Martha Stewart Wedding about hiring a wedding planner:
http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/article/hiring-a-wedding-planner


Tips:
Real Simple has some great checklists and tools on their website
http://browse.realsimple.com/holidays-entertaining/weddings/index.html?archive=Checklist
http://browse.realsimple.com/holidays-entertaining/weddings/index.html?archive=Tool

Martha Stewart Wedding does as well
http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/planning?rsc=planning_planning

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Traditions

After I got engaged I was given a few wedding books and magazines from one of my bridesmaids.  All of them were so helpful, especially The Wedding Book:The Big Book for Your Big Day by Mindy Weiss.  One of my favorite things to read were her excerpts about wedding traditions. I am a bit of a history buff but the explanations helped me have a different look about some of the things I considered weird or unnecessary.  I wanted to share my favorites! 
All the pictures are from http://thebridesguide.marthastewartweddings.com/ and http://www.erpbyalyson.blogspot.com/


Bridal Showers
The bridal shower dates back at least three hundred years, when a beautiful Dutch girl fell in love with a good-hearted but poor miller. Since his daughter wouldn’t be properly provided for, her father refused to let them marry. Friends and neighbors wanted to see the love match succeed, so they created a procession and marched to the young woman’s house, each bearing a gift to help set up her household. They showered her with enough blankets, linens, pots, and pans to rival a respectable dowry. The show of support helped convince the father to agree to the marriage. The foundation of the shower, then, is all about gift giving. 


 Bachelor Parties
The bachelor party can be traced all the way back to fifth-century Sparta. The stag night involved much feasting and toasting with wine, and possibly some more explicit forms of farewells to single life. Guests even collected funds to give to the groom so that he’d be able to go out drinking with his friends once his wife held the purse strings. This custom lingers on at modern-day parties- if there’s a game of poker or any activity involving a kitty, it’s handed to the groom-to-be at the end of the evening.


The White Wedding Dress
Queen Victoria is the reason why brides wear white (before her Brides would simply wear their best dresses). She realized how special pure white could be because it shows how the dress has never been worn before. The Queen’s wedding was the first to be photographed and finally brides all across England had something to emulate. She was not known for her looks but on that day she looked radiant and her appearance convinced the world that every bride could be beautiful. Also the Queen’s train was so long it took twelve train-bearers to get her down the aisle, and her wedding cake is said to have measured three yards around.


The Pearl
There’s a long tradition of fathers giving pearls to their daughters as wedding gifts and there is also an entire web of superstition that surrounds them. Many cultures associate pearls with innocence and purity. The Greeks called pearls the “wedding gem” and believed they would prevent newlywed brides from crying- but some brides wouldn’t be caught dead in pearls as they’re also thought to cause tears and bring marriage bad luck. Nobody’s really sure where that belief comes from, but it has stuck around. To further muddle the topic, legend also goes that it’s good luck for a bride to shed tears on her wedding day; that way she gets it all out at the altar! Superstitions aside, many a bride opts for the classic look and elegant shimmer of a pearl necklace or a pair of pearl earrings. And how could she go wrong with a gem once thought so precious it could only be legally worn by a member of English royal family?

 

The Wedding Party
While groomsmen and bridesmaids serve largely ceremonial roles today, it wasn’t always so. During the Middle Ages, when robbers were common and a young woman needed an entourage to protect her virtue, the groomsmen, known as “bride’s knights,” were charged with safely escorting the bride from her home to the wedding. Similarly, the tradition of having a best man goes all the way to the days of marriage by capture among Anglo-Saxon tribesmen. It was too dangerous for a man seeking a mate to attempt the heist solo, so he brought along a comrade (usually a brother who was a skilled swordsman) to help fight off angry relatives or to create a diversion while be grabbed the maiden and rode off on horseback. The best man also helped protect the couple from being found by the bride’s family before they consummated the marriage; today, this custom translates into last-minute help in getting the couple off on their honeymoon. As for bridesmaids, their origin stems from a perception of spiritual danger: In early European society, it was believed that evil spirits would try to ruin the happiness of the bride and groom. To fool the demons, the bride and her bridesmaids dressed alike, making it harder to identify the bride (the same went for the groom’s side). This ruse also proved useful for fooling ex-suitors or a groom attempting to spirit away the bride without making it legal. By the end of the Middle Ages, the bride’s attire stood out from the bridesmaids’ dresses, but the custom of having the attendants dress alike remains. To this day, however, the groomsmen dress nearly identically to the groom- but that’s probably the result of a lack of fashion options for men.
 

Invitations
Until the Middle Ages, wedding were announced by town criers. Once weddings started becoming invitation only affairs, noblemen and wealthy people turned to monks to create handwritten invitations. The monks’ elegant calligraphy (some were even commissioned to illustrate drawings) made the invitation a true work of art and still has this affect today. After the invention of the printing press, copper plates were etched with typefaces designed to mimic the monks’ calligraphy styles, and the engraved invitation was born. In fact, some of the fonts that remain popular today, including Antique Roman, Shaded Roman, and Fancy Gothic, closely followed the monks’ calligraphy.  The slip of tissue paper found on top of the wedding invitation originated because ink use to be oil based. The ink would take too long to dry so sticking the tissue on top was a way to go ahead and send out the invitation without having the ink smear. For some reason this tradition stuck even though we use water-based ink now which dries much faster.  The inner envelope came about duringthe Victorian era. Streets were muddy and outer envelopes often got dirty in transit. Once it arrived at someone’s home, their servant would remove the invitation from its outer envelope and place the pristine inner envelope on a silver tray fro the mistress of the household. – This explains why the inner envelope does not have the address and not sealed.



The Wedding Favor
Favors have been associated with weddings for centuries. Over the years, biscuits, sweet rolls, knotted ribbons, floral nosegays, and mementos like scarves and gloves have all had their moments in the spotlight. Elizabethan brides would sew colored ribbons (actually called “favours”) onto their gowns, each color representing a different kind of luck. Guests were so eager to grab a little luck for themselves that they would swipe the ribbons, and in their frenzy, sometimes rip the bride’s dress. It wasn’t long before protective mothers-of-the-bride and bridesmaids staged an end run: They began to carry baskets of favors (usually knotted ribbons) so that guests could help themselves. When it comes to the most enduring favor of all time, Jordan almonds-pastel, candy coated, and tied in tulle- win the prize. Why almonds? Their bittersweet flavor represents the bitter and the sweet in life; coating them in sugar is a ploy to tip the future toward the sweet. At Italian weddings, five almonds are given to each guest, representing health, wealth, happiness, fertility, and longevity for the bride and groom. Traditionally, the five almonds are wrapped in tulle, a reference to the bride’s veil.


A Wreath on a Door
Not only does it make guests feel welcomed and a door look decorated- it is symbolic. A circle is an ancient emblem of endless love, and a wreath announces a special occasion.

Throwing Rice & Tossing
the Bouquet & Garter
The tradition of throwing rice at the bride and groom as they exit the church actually stems from an ancient fertility rite. The traditions of tossing the bouquet and garter date back to the fourteenth century. As different as they seem today, they share the same roots. Any piece of the bride’s attire was considered lucky, so guests were eager to claim their own bit of good fortune. Overeager well-wishes would rush the bride to grab at her bouquet, so to protect themselves from a mauling, brides started preemptively tossing their bouquets to the crowd. The garter probably came from the “bedding ceremony.” Guests would accompany the newlyweds to their bedchamber, and the groom’s friends would try to remove the bride’s garters. To avoid being groped by a bunch of drunk men, brides began tossing their garters in their direction.


Marriage License
The required marriage license was established by the Marriage Act of 1753, also known as Hardwicke’s Marriage Act, in England and Wales. Marriage licenses existed before 1753, but they weren’t mandatory. In a move to prevent clandestine marriages and bigamy, the Marriage Act abolished common-law marriage. It mandated that banns, the wedding announcements of the time, be published, that the couple obtain a marriage license, and that the marriage take place in a church (with exceptions for Jews and Quakers). Parental consent was also required if either member of the couple was under twenty-one. Marriages from then on were officially recorded, as they eventually would be across North America, making it easier to determine if someone attempting to get married was already committed to another.


Prenups
Prenuptial agreements sound like a modern invention designed to protect wealthy men from gold diggers, but they actually date back centuries. They were most often associated with protecting a woman’s property so it wouldn’t automatically belong to the man. In Colonial America, such agreements were also used to protect widows who remarried.

The Honeymoon
The tradition of the honeymoon goes back centuries, but it wasn’t always quite so romantic. In the days of marriage by capture, the groom absconded with his bride, and then hid out with her in a secret location until the angry family gave up looking for her. The hiding-out period lasted about a month, the known as a “moon.” In Northern European cultures, the couple drank mead or a similar fermented honey concoction every day for the first month (moon) of marriage, and this is commonly believed to account for the origin of the word honeymoon. The mead was thought to aid in conception (probably by getting the nervous teenage bride drunk), but it was also a symbol of the sweetness of a new union.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Venues in Decatur, AL

I grew up in Decatur, AL and I also had my wedding here in April '09.  Many of my posts will be about event planning in Decatur.  There are so many great venues that are overlooked.   I realized a need to identify many of these venues for the Decatur bride-to-be so, I hope this is helpful!  Just remember that Decatur has many beautiful and unique aspects and you know if your childhood friends are involved everyone will have a great time...you just have to think outside of the box!

A railroad bridge stretching over the Tennessee River in Decatur, Alabama during a beautiful sunset. 

www.flickr.com/photos/robinlynne/3468584834/

Many of these venues have space to have luncheons, showers, engagement parties, rehearsal dinners, and receptions.  Also most of the restaurants cater!

Albany Bistro
1051 Grant Street Southeast
(256) 686-1667

Albany Bistro is located in the Historic Albany District. The restaurant has a unique atmosphere due to the history and charm of the building. The exposed brick walls and hand carved mantel add warmth to the dining room. The bistro also offers an outside patio area.


Burningtree Country Club
2521 Burningtree Drive Southeast
(256) 355-5827

Burningtree Country Club is a full service facility that can accommodate all of your special function needs. With the help of our trained and experienced team, we can accommodate all of your special event needs ranging from: bridal tea's, groom tee's, rehearsal dinner, weddings, wedding receptions, birthday parties, anniversary parties, retirement parties, Christmas parties, baptisms, corporate meetings, conferences and class reunions. The Burningtree Clubhouse hosts over 24,000 sq. ft. which allows accommodation for small, intimate parties to an extravagant event of 800 or more. The clubhouse and grounds are equipped for outdoor as well as indoor events.

Cahoots
107 2nd Avenue Southeast
(256) 301-8909

The restaurant holds 80 people total. She said it's divided into 2 rooms so your party would somewhat separated. Putting 20 people in one room would be tight. She has a huge table that holds 16 people though.


Carnegie Visual Art Center
207 Church Street Northeast
(256) 341-0562

The Carnegie Visual Arts Center welcomes you to this beautiful facility. The Historic Carnegie was built in 1904 and served as the public library in Decatur for over 70 years. The Carnegie is a public building that now serves as the area’s first art museum and education center. As a public facility, the Carnegie is available for public use as a rental facility for meetings, receptions and similar events. The Carnegie must be treated with respect for its historical significance and value to the community. The following rules are designed to insure the safety of the building and it patrons.
Basic rental rates for the Carnegie Visual Arts Center are as follows:
• $500 base rental which includes set-up, first three hours of rental, and basic cleaning fees
• Each additional hour will be billed at $75 per hour
• A full day’s rental shall not exceed $1000.
• Rental includes the facility, one Museum staff person on site at all times and basic cleaning of facility after the event.
• For events exceeding 150 guests, $15 per hour will be added for additional Museum personnel.
• Charges for excessive cleaning will be billed at $20.00 per hour and all damage repairs or replacements will be billed at actual cost to the CVAC.


The Casual Gourmet
1721 Somerville Rd SE
(256) 351-0604

Casual Gourmet is a cute restaurant that also offers catering. The owner, Jackie Grimsley, has become known for her event catering. She catered my rehearsal dinner and it was delicious.



The Corner Bakery & Eatery1123B Somerville Road Southeast
(256) 353-8400 - Owner, Kay Stevens
http://www.cornerbakeryonline.com/

If you have a reception, banquet or other special event coming up, The Corner Bakery & Eatery can help you make it one to remember by catering a variety of hot and cold food selections. Our beautiful, custom designed cakes are the perfect touch for birthday celebrations, anniversaries and other special occasions.
The Corner will also hold Bridesmaid luncheons and showers depending on the size of the group with no additional party fees.
They did my wedding cake and the groomscake and they were delicious!

Curry’s Restaurant
115 1/2 Johnston Street, SE
(256) 350-6715


Curry’s is the perfect spot for your next special event. We make it easy to host a casual anniversary party, a formal rehearsal dinner, or an impressive business dinner for out-of-town clients you need to impress. Our team will go above and beyond to make you and your guests welcome. We will be happy to work with you on a menu that caters to your tastes.
There is a flat $300 rental fee of the restaurant for private events. Of course, the final food and beverage menu will determine the prices on those items and we add taxes on food and an 18% gratuity for the wait staff. There is a 16-person minimum. For a cocktail party, we can host 85 guests; for a seated dinner, 76; and for a buffet-style meal, 66. Our wait staff includes bar tenders and we have a fine selection of wines and liquors. Curry’s is closed on Sundays. Call Scott or Meg Curry to talk about all the possibilities for holding your next event at Curry’s.  I had my Bridesmaid Luncheon here and this is a picture from that day.  The food was great and everyone had a great time!



The Dailey Brew
350A Market Street NE
(256) 686-1593

It's all good at the Daily Brew, Decatur's newest deli and espresso shop. Come say hi to the brew crew and enjoy the best Reuben in town, or try some delicious gelato. Grab a latte and enjoy our view of the Tennessee River and Rhodes Ferry Park. The Brew has a back room that holds up to 35 people and also a large outside patio area that. They have a woman that does catering for any type of event so they do luncheons, rehearsal dinners, and receptions where they can take advantage of Rhodes Ferry Park if they need extra space (a large tent can fit easily at Rhodes Ferry with a great view of the river!)

Rhodes Ferry Park
100 Market Street NE
I had my wedding reception here and in a big tent.  The Daily Brew was not here so I had to use a different caterer, Food Fite (I'll do a whole post on Caterers later)  It turned out great! Photographer- Alyson Clemons, www.erpbyalyson.com/
She does amazing work and is great to work with!    

Decatur Country Club
2401 Country Club Road
(256) 353-5773


Our dining facilities include formal and informal dining rooms, a large ballroom, a lounge, and an outside dining area when the weather is suitable. Our chef, Rick Waters, has trained at the Greenbriar Resort and has gained extensive culinary experience at a number of fine dining operations and clubs. Our facilities are available to members and, on a limited basis, to non-members, for wedding receptions, rehearsal banquets, and engagement parties. Our ballroom can seat 250 for dinner or accomodate 350 persons for receptions and other stand-up gatherings. Our golf course is an excellent venue for golf outings for your wedding party.


Historic Bank Street:



Old Decatur was the original downtown of Decatur, built in the early 1800s. The neighborhood was nearly destroyed during the civil war, with only four structures remaining. One of those structures is the Old State Bank, which was occupied by troops during the war. The neighborhood is now known for its historic Bank Street shopping district. I found the great print (above) and absolutley love it.  To order it please go to www.stricklandsart.com/prints.html. Also there is great hotel located at the end of Bank Street that is within walking distance from shopping and restaurants as well as two great venues, Simp McGhee’s and Syke’s Place on Bank.  Country Inn and Suites, 807 Bank Street, (256) 355-6800, www.countryinns.com


Simp McGhee’s
725 Bank Street
(256) 353-6284

Simp McGhee's can make your next event a success! Let Chef Dean Moore bring his 23 years of experience to your table, no matter the occasion. His masterful creations are perfect for:
• Corporate Gatherings
• Birthdays
• Supper Clubs
• Christmas Parties
• Class Reunions
• Rehearsal Dinners
• Receptions
We can cater any event. In addition, our second story fine dinning room is also available for booking your private party. Any gathering is the perfect time to enjoy Simp McGhee's unique atmosphere and delectable flavors with your friends. For more information, please call Christy Wiley at (256) 353-6284.  Christy helped with my wedding reception and was an absolute lifesaver! 

Syke’s Place on Bank
726 Bank Street
(256) 355-2656


Welcome to Syke's Place on Bank Street. We are Decatur Alabama's newest reception and banquet facility! Located in the heart of downtown Decatur, we are convenient to the entire Tennessee River community! Our facility has floor space for tables and chairs which can hold approximately 250 guests. We also have a bar area and band/dj stage. Our 4,000 Sq Ft floor is made of real bamboo hardwood and the red brick walls provide a nice accent to just about any kind of event decor. We also feature flourescent and/or incadescent lighting to fit a variety of lighting needs.  My rehearsal dinner was here and it we wouldn't have had it anywhere else! Sykes' big room allows everyone to be together and the head table to really be featured.  Also the layout is set-up great for having any type of slideshow, video presentation, etc. 



Outside Ceremony Venues:

Rose Garden at Delano Park
825 Gordon Drive SE
The Rose Garden is a great place to take a few engagement pictures too (but just with your own camera).  If you have a professional photographer you will have to pay a fee.


Frazier Park Japanese Garden
309 Cherry Street NE