Friday, October 17, 2008

My Grandpa

This post has nothing to do with weddings or events, but today I wanted to share how proud I am of my grandpa.
My grandpa is a man who has always put his family first. My childhood was filled with such great memories because of him and there has never been a time that I have called him and he wasn't there for me. And now my kids are fortunate enough to have him in their lives.A few weeks ago, my grandpa was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the United States' highest civilian award, for his service in the Tuskegee Airmen program.
For those who may not know about the Tuskegee Airmen, here is a little excerpt from the National Park Service...."Before 1940, African Americans were barred from flying for the U.S. military. Civil rights organizations and the black press exerted pressure that resulted in the formation of an all African-American pursuit squadron based in Tuskegee, Alabama, in 1941. They became known as the Tuskegee Airmen.

The Tuskegee Airmen overcame segregation and prejudice to become one of the most highly respected fighter groups of World War II. They proved conclusively that African Americans could fly and maintain sophisticated combat aircraft. The Tuskegee Airmen's achievements, together with the men and women who supported them, paved the way for full integration of the U.S. military."(Photo Credit: NPS)

Not that I needed another reason to be proud of you, but I'm so excited that you got the recognition you deserve. I love you, grandpa!And I couldn't resist a picture of my two babies after the ceremony.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Lucky Paperie Open House

Lucky Paperie is having an Open House at the Paisley Umbrella this Sunday! Be sure to stop by and meet the designer of Lucky Paperie's chic letterpress and event stationery collection. There will be delicious munchies by Wolfgang Puck Express and lots of surprises in store. Each bride will be given a gift bag filled with goodies and a chance to win a luxurious gift bag complete with a set of letterpress stationery.

Sunday, October 19th
1:00 pm to 4:00 pm

2971 N. Fulton Drive
Atlanta, Georgia 30305
paisleyumbrella.com


Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Baham Anniversary Part 2

For the Baham Anniversary dinner party, we arranged tables around the dance floorWe used the same paper as the escort cards for the table numbers
Because all the guests didn't know one another, we placed "Baham Trivia" cards on the tables to help avoid the awkward moment of 'what do we talk about' before dinner arrived
Heather at Flora Design Studio did a beautiful job with all the flower centerpieces. Even when the gas shortage caused a problem with getting certain flowers that we had originally planned on, Heather went above and beyond to provide great substitutes and the couple never even realized the flowers had been changed until I told them at the end of the night. It makes such a difference to have a great professional to work with in these type of circumstances.
The couple wanted a modern feel to the centerpieces.
Because the tablecloths were black, silver vases and red flowers really popped on top of the tables And candlelight made the whole room sparkle

This centerpiece had so much texture with red roses, red carnations, and red kangaroo paw
I loved the way this centerpiece turned out.
Simple red roses were made spectacular by standing them in crystal iceFor entertainment, we showed a Love Story DVD which featured interviews of the couple and photos from the past 10 years. PHOnomenal Video did a fantastic job with this DVD, and there wasn't a dry eye in the house when it was over!At the end of the night we set up a chips and dip station for guests to snack on after dancing for hoursThanks to all my great vendors who helped to make this event a success:
Venue: Bocce Room at Ippolito's
Flowers: Flora Design Studio
Stationery: Socially Write
Bakery: Sugarplum Visions
DJ: Avalanche Entertainment
Videography: PHOnomenal Video
Photography: Photography by R. Harrington And happy anniversary to the Bahams! Thanks for giving me the opportunity to work with you on such a special occasion.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Baham Anniversary Part 1

I have so many photos to share (courtesy of Photography by R Harrington), that I have broken them up into 2 posts.

The Baham Anniversary party took place at The Bocce Room at Ippolito's. I loved this space because it is completely separate from the main restaurant and even has its own entrance. In the bar area we created a lounge feel using red up lighting.We added red silk pillows to the black leather couch. You can see the red lighting really added ambiance to the bar area.
Instead of a traditional guest book, the couple decided to do a signature mat portrait.
The couple will hang this portrait with all of their guests' signatures in their home.
The cake from Sugarplum Visions, was a very simple 3 tier with silver pearl dustBut we added special touches to make the cake sparkle like this cake topper from etsy shop SheaChic Designs, which was sliver embossed and trimmed in red crystals.Red satin ribbon and a crystal brooch finished off the cake.As guests arrived they were welcomed with a table holding their escort cards and party favors.
We hung red carnation balls and pictures of the couple over the past 10 years on silver branchesHere is a close up of the escort cards and party favors
The escort cards were printed on silver metallic paper and mounted on red card stock. The cover of the party favors featured the couple's monogram
Here is a close up of the party favor - a bookletwith the couple's picturewords of gratitude to the special people in their lives, a dedication song list, and a CD of the couple's favorite music
Up next the dinner party!

Monday, October 13, 2008

Baham Anniversary Inspiration Board

Photo Credits - Middle photo: Love and Splendor Clockwise starting from the top left: Bright Events, Jessica Claire, Peculiar Pair, Knot, Heffernan Morgan Designs, Knot, Brides.com, Knot, Becker, Rebecca Thuss

This is an inspiration board I created for the Bahams 10 year wedding anniversary party which took place last month. They wanted to create a special evening with friends and family to thank them for all the love and support they have been given over the past 10 years. The colors of the party were red and silver. The Bahams wanted the party to be elegant but not too much like a wedding reception. Stay tuned to see how everything turned out!

Friday, October 10, 2008

Today, To Do, Guilty Pleasures & Random Facts

I've been tagged by Pen and Ink!

Today I...
1. Worked on a top secret project that I'm sooo excited about!!!
2. Met with a client and her invitation designer
3. Picked up my daughter from school
4. Emailed follow ups to clients

To Do (Tomorrow)...
1. Lunch with an event venue and tour their space
2. Start planning my daughter's princess tea birthday party
3. Laundry
4. Buy tickets for industry event

Guilty Pleasures...
1. McDonald's chocolate chip cookies - they're like crack, so addictive!
2. Having a glass of wine with my husband
3. Sleeping in when ever I get the rare opportunity!
4. Shopping for ME with no kids!!!

I'm tagging...
1. Sublime Photography
2. Dreamy Gelato & Chocolates
3. Lara at Southern Weddings
4. Dare to be Domestic


Thursday, October 9, 2008

Portrait Sale!!

Two talented Atlanta photographers are having great holiday portrait sales. These are great for family holiday cards. So check them out!



If anyone else knows about any other great holiday specials let me know and I'll be happy to post about them!