Real Weddings: Megan and Blake

Megan and Blake may be the two  sweetest people on the planet! The beautiful couple showered us, and their guests, with gracious thank you's throughout their wedding.  All we have to say is, "no, thank you!"  It was so much fun helping Megan and Blake create their ideal wedding.  They also had a lot of help from family and friends.  The amazing centerpieces you see here were designed and created by the couple's family and friends.  The vases were used in two other weddings of friends, the lillies came from one of the guest's garden that morning and everyone pitched in to decorate the tables to black and ivory damask perfection.  

The gals who work here couldn't stop oooing and awing over Megan's dress.  The flowing french bustles and candlelight color were stunning. 

Congratulations Megan and Blake.  And thank you for letting us be a part of your special day!

Simple and Classic Boutonnieres

Ivory and Purple Bouquests

This sweet flower girl, niece of Megan, created the comic relief.

She was confident and ready to go down the isle...until she saw all the guests.

Then she dropped to her knees and hid her face.  Adorable!

White Hydrangea Pomander Balls Hung from Pews

 The Guestbook was a Photo Album from the Couple's Engagement Photos

Homemade and Remarkable Centerpieces

Long branches, fresh cut lilies and hydrangeas filled tall vases.

The vases were placed on ivory and black damask linens.  Small crystals covered the table.

 Matching cocktail and cake napkins add a custom detail.

The cake is by Celebrations by Sonja. Beautiful and yummy.

We don't like to see Chapel decorations go to waste. 

We brought the pomander balls into the reception and hung them on the chairs at the head tables.

And here's another shot of that gorgeous dress.

Cheers to Megan and Blake!

The Experts

Flowers:  Shannon's Custom Florals

Photographer: Captivated Photography by Ginger Robison

Cake: Celebrations by Sonja

DJ: B# Sharp Entertainment

Caterer: Infused Catering by Jill Barron

Real Weddings: Kayla and Marcus

Kayla and Marcus had one of those weddings where their personalities could be seen in every detail.  The only thing traditional about this wedding, was the vows. Everything else was unique and special to this super sweet couple!

Kayla and Marcus were married at 3 o'clock in the afternoon on Saturday, followed by a small reception at The Villa.  The weather was sunny and warm...until just before the ceremony was to begin, when a heavy summer rain came through. We kept waiting for it to pass but alas had to start the ceremony.  Amazingly the rain stopped just as the couple started saying their vows and when the doors opened and the couple was announced husband and wife, the sun came out.  It was perfect! And remember Kayla, rain on your wedding day is good luck!

Our favorite thing from this couple's wedding?  The attendant's processional song, "Million Kisses," is written and sung by the bride's brother, who also escorted her down the isle.  Here's a link to a YouTube video of "Million Kisses" by the brother of the bride's band, Romance on a Rocketship

Congratulations Kayla and Marcus! You are an amazing couple and we thank you for letting us share in your special day.

We were completely in love with Kayla's selection of bright Gerbera Daisies against the black attire.

Kayla's dress from David's Bridal was gorgeous and was the perfect style for her laid-back personality.  

 This very nice groomsman escorted guests in when the rain started pouring down. Whatta guy!

Planning for a hot June wedding Kayla and Marcus put their program on paper fans.

The Groom's Cake in the shape of Texas and tuxedo strawberries.

The Wedding Cake.  The bright yellow, orange and pink against the black and white cake is gorgeous.

Cakes by Pastries by Carla.

Guests wrote messages to the couple in Dr. Seuss's "Oh The Places You'll Go."  This is perfect since Kayla's an elementary teacher.  Even the pens were Gerbera Daisies, and I bet Kayla and Marcus are more likely to keep this on their coffee table than a traditional guest book.

Rather than a liquor bar guests enjoyed a soda bar with custom labeled Jones Sodas, featuring photos of the bride and groom.

These are some smart folks, opting for comfortable shoes! The girls wore black flats and the guys wore black and white sneakers.  The bride wore TOMS bridal white wedding glitter flats.

THE PLAYLIST:  We enjoyed the music Kayla and Marcus chose for their ceremony a lot!  As with everything at their wedding, each song selected held special meaning for the couple.  They were sweet enough to let us keep their CD and playlist.

Presentation of the Family:  Wonderful World by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
Attendants Processional:  Million Kisses by Romance on a Rocketship (bride's brother)
Bride's Entrance:  1, 2, 3, 4 by Plain White T's
Sand Ceremony:  Only You Can Love Me This Way by Keith Urban
Recessional:  All I Want Is You by Barry Louis Polisar

VENDORS:

Caterer: Dining by Design
Photographer: Colby Moore Photography
Videographer: Rob Lyons
Florist: Artistry in Bloom
Baker: Pastries by Carla

How to get custom Jones Soda bottles? My Jones
Where did Kayla get her sparkly flat shoes? TOMS Wedding Collection

Real Weddings: Jessie and Jace

My post-wedding blog posts are coming a bit late this week, but for good reason. We had three (yes, three!) weddings and receptions over the weekend and it kicked off with a Lieutenant and his Mrs on Friday night.  

Jessie and Lieutenant Jace had a really fun wedding! It started with hors dourves on the dance floor and a full bar while the wedding party finished up photos.  The mother of the bride's family is from Mexico so we mixed margaritas at the bar and they brought maracas for dancing.  Jessie's colors of deep purple and champagne brought a rich and elegant feel to the reception.  I knew I was going to love this couple and their friends when they showed up to the rehearsal on time to the second and the groomsmen lined up without any instruction.  This wedding party was awesome! 

I loved getting to know Jessie and her mom during the planning and it's obvious Jessie and Jace are surrounded with amazing family and friends.  We wish them endless happiness for many years.  Congratulations!  And Aloha (we're pretty jealous you're going to live in Hawaii!)

"Trees" with Hanging Crystals were one of two centerpiece displays,

provided by Shannon's Custom Florals.

Bows of Purple Satin Decorated Each Chair, provided by Artistry in Bloom.

We did our best to meet the bride's specification of "big floppy bows."  I hope we did well.

The Bouquets Were Simple and Elegant Calla Lillies

All Dresses Came from Gracie's Bridal in Springfield.

We especially fell in love with this flower girl's dress.

Jessie and Jace are clearly so in love.

These girls worked their tails off Friday...they were in charge of hair and make-up for the bride and all eight of her bridesmaids.

Stylists from His and Hers Salon in Springfield.

We've found it's really helpful to guests when an assigned table is provided, especially for larger parties.  Jessie and Jace had about 170 guests attend.

The groomsmen decorated our smaller golf cart to wisk the couple away after the ceremony. 

(clearly my photo skills need some work)

Beautiful four tiered cake in the bride's colors.

The balloon from the golf cart got brought into the reception for the head table.  This flower girl was so adorable! She stayed pretty close to the bride most of the night.

Advice for all brides and attendants...stash slippers or flip flops under your dinner chair earlier in day so you can switch into comfy shoes during the reception.

The groom cut the cake using his sabre.  How cool is that?!

This is a great way to use your bouquets at the reception.

Simple vases filled with a bit of water on the mantel.

The couple left The Chapel under an awning of bubbles. 

These bubble bottles were shaped to look like champagne. Adorable.

Guests took home containers of custom M&Ms.

VENDOR LIST

Flowers:  Shannon's Custom Florals

Custom Linens:  Artistry in Bloom

Hair & Make-Up: His & Her's Salon

Photographer: Apple Studios

Cake: Celebrations by Sonja

Wedding Coordinator:  Andrea Alcorn, Gracie's Bridal

DJ: B# Sharp Entertainment

Videographer: All Occasion Video

How to buy custom M&Ms: http://www.mymms.com/ 

Real Weddings: Rachel and Bryce

It was a bright and sunny afternoon for a wedding.  The heat didn't seem to phase Rachel at all...she remained a beautiful, cool, calm and collected bride throughout the day.  We loved Rachel's selection of wild flowers, arranged by Petals in Branson, and pies, instead of cake, for dessert.  As for Bryce, he was just thrilled to being marrying his sweetheart...and to get the special beer he requested from Springfield Brewing Company.  (No problem Bryce. Glad we could make you happy!)

What the couple doesn't know, is that while I sit in our office writing this, I'm also watching their groomsmen decorate Bryce's truck.  Wonder what they'll think about that...

Congratulations Rachel and Bryce!

As usual, Petals did a beautiful job with the flowers.

The bright yellow against the bridesmaids' navy dresses was gorgeous.

It's always good to see the bride and her daddy smiling before they walk down that isle.

As wedding coordinators, watching the ceremony through the cracks in the doors is our favorite thing. 

This is Whitney.

Rachel and Bryce put numbers on each table and assigned each guest to a table.

Homemade centerpieces, arranged by the couple's family and friends.

The Chapel gardens went perfect with the Bride's colors.

Ya' gotta love flowers in the hair.  So sweet and feminine.

Please welcome Mr. and Mrs...

 The head table was set upstairs so the couple had a great view of their reception.

Rob (owner/bartender) chatting it up with the Father of the Bride.