About Me

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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!

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Everyone Loves a Good Deli Sandwich on the Day of a Wedding...

My husband was in a wedding over Memorial Weekend in Jekyll Island!  It was so nice to take a trip, see family, and be a part of our friends' big day!  The rehearsal dinner was at the main wharf of Jekyll called The Rah Bar.  We had a laid back low country boil that was delicious!  They had our group in a separate area close to the band the place had booked for the night.  I thought this rehearsal dinner was a great idea because it was different and really felt like a fun night out with friends.  Being outside and right on the water allowed the grooms' parents to just use the setting as the decor and not have to spend time or more money to use this venue! 







The wedding and reception was at the hotel where everyone stayed- The Beachview Club (www.beachviewclub.com).  I was shocked when I heard that the bride planned everything- even did the flower arrangements with help from her bridesmaids and family.  Once again I get to show another great DIY event!  She lives hours from Jekyll and pulled this off.  So I hope this will be an inspiration for anyone that is considering doing a "Do It Yourself" wedding/event.  

The ceremony was on a small bluff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean under huge, century old oak trees.  Once you walked into the ceremony, there were shepherd hooks lining the walkway.  One of them held a bucket with printed fans for everyone to grab and the other held a ball of white roses.  






The bridesmaids had three different patterns of dresses that complimented each other and they carried a small bouquet mix of green flowers.  The groomsmen wore a casual attire- charcoal vests, charcoal pin striped pants, and a white button down with a black tie (the vest, pants, and tie were all bought by the groomsmen for under $50! they wore their own white shirt and black dress shoes)


The bride looked beautiful and carried a small bouquet of blue hydrangeas.  






The reception was about 100 ft from the ceremony under a huge tent that was decorated with white table cloths, small white flower arrangements, string lights that surrounded the edges, and big lanterns that hung from the ceiling (they had a soft glow once the sun set).  







They served a variety of hors d'oeuvres with wedding cake and homemade pies.  They even had a scoop of vanilla ice cream to offer as well. Yum! The food table had a really cool drift wood centerpiece and the dessert table had a unique vintage theme.  









The bride and groom did their first dance and then everyone joined in and danced throughout the night to a wide range of songs from the DJ.  Watching everyone dance to Footloose was one of my favorite moments!

For favors, they did rock candy and small containers of green m&m's that had a picture of the bride and groom and thank you printed on them.  






A few other unique touches:
-Engagement picture framed and had everyone write personalized notes on the matte 
-Cocktail napkins had a picture printed on them that the groom drew for a school assignment when he started pharmacy school (where do you see yourself in 10 years)






The bride and groom left the reception by everyone lining up holding sparklers! 
Overall, great weekend getaway and wedding! 
I even got to watch another wedding party take pictures while I was laying out at the beach...





"Well I guess event planners don't start 
their day till about 12pm, right?"
-Deby Caldwell
A little windy :)

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Bright Flower Bouquets

I have a friend that is getting married in Virgin Islands so I began looking for bright/tropical bouquet ideas. Here are some of my favorites that I found (from theknot.com & marthastewart.com):













































































































































































































































































































Of course I came across other bouquets that I really liked and wanted to share:































































































































































































































































“To accomplish great things, we must not only act, 
but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.”
-Anatole France