A Touch of Elegance

Our Blog Has Moved

2010-03-30T05:51:00.000-07:00

Our blog has moved...please check out the link below to see our new blog!

http://atouchofelegancellc.com/blog/

Crazy about Flowers!

2010-03-20T13:17:00.000-07:00

Seeing as it is officially Spring, what could be a better topic than flowers? What I LOVE about flowers for weddings, is that there is something for everyone in any budget. And your options are endless with flowers. Not only are they used in bouquets, they can line aisle ways, add life to centerpieces, or drastically change the look of your venue. One of my all time favorite blogs for flowers is Just Bloomed. The inspiration from that website is almost insane. It's really hard to narrow it down to a few favorites. But...I will try :)

You can keep it simple with flowers, or you can go all out...and the great thing is that either way you go with them, it will look great. Working with a florist is one of the most fun parts of the planning process, in my opinion. You can get as creative as you want! And let's not forget the added bonus when you get to take them home with you after the big day. I know I didn't mind having leftover carnations and roses around our house after our big day :)

Gown Spotlight: Monique Lhuillier

2010-03-13T18:02:00.000-08:00

Not sure how many people tuned in to watch the Bachelor wedding of Jason Mesnick and Molly Malaney this past week, but it was stunning. I was absolutely in love with Molly's gown, made by the amazing Monique Lhuillier. Isn't this gown gorgeous?!

I have always been a huge Monique fan as far as bridal gowns go, and when I watched this wedding, I knew there needed to be a blog entry in her honor :) Let's check out some of her work, shall we?

This first inspiration board is from the Monique Lhuillier collection at Kleinfields of Manhatten.

I love all the details in her dresses. Gorgeous! If you follow this link to The Knot, they have an entire gallery dedicated to the brilliance that is Monique Lhuillier. There is just something about her dresses that is dreamy. They are feminine, modern, and elegant, not to mention, classic. They are definitely one of a kind!

Color Me: Yellow!

2010-03-06T13:33:00.000-08:00

I can't think of a more appropriate color to blog about today! Finally, some nice, Spring-like weather! And Spring time means it is getting close to prime time wedding season!

As I was putting this weeks inspiration board together, I couldn't help but be cheered up. And speaking of the inspiration board, can we check out that cake on the far right of the top row?! HELLO! As soon as I saw this cake, I fell in love. I'm trying to come up with excuses as to why I would need a cake like that now that I am married :) It is just really one of the most beautiful cakes i have ever seen. And trust me, I looked through picture after picture for our wedding.

Top row, left to right: Zappos, The Knot, The Knot
Middle row, left to right: The Knot, Google Images, Bellissima Vita
Bottom row, left to right: The Knot, The Knot, Tying the Knot

Love, love, love all those pictures. How can you not? It's so cheerful. I am a huge fan of the bridesmaids dresses in the last row, too. JCrew does it again with amazing options for bridesmaids. And those dresses could definitely be used for other occasions. Big Plus!

The options are all over the board with this color. Even lemons can be used for centerpieces. And speaking of lemons, I'm a huge fan of fresh squeezed lemonade in the Spring and Summer months, so there is an easy, crowd pleasing drink! My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

I have noticed the color yellow being paired with a smoky grey a lot recently, and I am loving it! It's very modern and fresh. I found an inspiration board on Always a Blogsmaid that shows off these two colors well!

It's hard to choose my favorite color to pair with yellow...total toss up. How can you narrow it down? They all look amazing!

Evan & Lauren Are On The Knot

2010-03-02T06:31:00.000-08:00

Evan & Lauren's New Year's Eve wedding is on TheKnot.com! They are competing for the 3rd Annual My Real Wedding Awards!

Please take the time to vote for their FABULOUS wedding!

http://www.theknot.com/My-Real-Wedding/photo/148430/lauren-amp-evan-shook-new-year039s-eve-wedding

All Things Paper: Save the Dates!!!

2010-02-28T15:28:00.000-08:00

I don't know about anyone else out there, but I am a huge fan of save the dates! Having that extra bit of notice for someone's wedding is always helpful for me. We had save the dates for our wedding, and I was so glad that we did. More than half of our guest list was made up of family and friends who would have to travel to attend our big day. There are so many different ideas out there for save the dates, it's hard to pinpoint a favorite. So why choose just one, when we can look at more? :)

Far left column, from top: Magnet Street, Magnet Street, Craft Master Invitations
Middle column, from top: Invitations by Dawn, Magnet Street . Far right column, from top: Martha Stewart, Wedding Paper Divas, Wedding Paper Divas

Your options are endless when it comes to these things! What I love about save the dates is that you can really tie in the theme or colors of your wedding to set the tone of the event early, be it a more formal or a fun, low key event. There are magnets, postcards, calendars, you name it, it's probably out there. Check out this unique option, a bookmark!

Photo courtesy of Martha Stewart Weddings.

When looking around the internet for some save the date inspiration, I found so many creative options! I wish I had seen some of these before. For example, on the Erin McLean Events blog, they showcased this awesome idea:
How cool is that? A scratch off save the date! So, so, so creative!

Another option for those of you on a budget like my husband and I were is that you can create your very own save the dates! I spent a few days on the computer toying around with various ideas and came up with something we both liked. I uploaded it onto Vistaprint and just like that, we had great save the date postcards! And did I mention they only cost us $10.00 including shipping? Bargain! One thing's for sure, you won't have a tough time finding things to choose from, the problem will be picking just one!!!

Jared & Jessica- September 6, 2009

2010-02-23T16:56:00.001-08:00

When Cassie and Debbie asked me to blog about my own wedding, I was thrilled! It’s so exciting for me to relive our big day! Jared and I were married on September 6th in Anderson, Indiana. I have known Cassie and Debbie for a few years now, so it never crossed my mind to get help from anyone else but the two of them! I’ve been lucky enough to help them with a few weddings before as well, and I knew that Jared and I would be in great hands. We definitely weren’t let down!

Jared and I had a smaller budget to work with, so we all had to stretch our minds creatively. We all know weddings aren’t cheap these days! But, it’s amazing what we all came up with and how grand it turned out to be! I have always known I wanted to be married outside. And luckily, Jared was okay with this too! (Or he just knew he had to go along with it!!! Haha) I grew up in Anderson, so I was really familiar with the town. Unfortunately, it isn’t a very “wedding friendly” town as far as venues…so we had to do a lot of searching for something that could work for us. We first set our sights on Mounds State Park. We even booked a date there. As we got deeper into the planning, we realized that this wasn’t going to be a big enough place for our friends and family, so we began the search again. We immediately went to Shadyside Park where they have a garden terrace area. This park has fantastic scenery and so much to offer for outdoor events. I couldn’t believe we hadn’t looked there first! Naturally, almost all the dates were taken except for Sundays, so with that, we scooped up September 6th, and got to work on the remaining details! And can you believe that it only cost us $30.00 to reserve the space!? Major bonus.

At the top of the list for us after having a venue was finding a photographer. I spent hours upon hours searching the internet to find someone who fit what we were looking for. I stumbled upon Lindsay Wilson Photography and immediately put in an email for her asking about her availability. At this time, we were planning for a June date. She had my original date open, so I hurried and scheduled a meeting with her. Lindsay met me, my mom, Cassie, and Debbie at Starbucks in Castleton, and we immediately hit it off. I knew after seeing her work it was a done deal. We had to have her! Then a few weeks later, when we found the new venue, we had to change our date. All I could do was pray that Lindsay still would be available. I had my fingers crossed when I was waiting for a response because having a Labor Day weekend wedding definitely can make it tough to find someone who has that date open. She emailed me back and said she had it open! YES!

So now that we had figured out that important part, it was time to nail down the reception venue. The places that were well known for receptions in Anderson either didn’t fit into our vision, or didn’t fit into our budget. And all during this time, we were completely looking over the little old Elks Lodge not even a mile away from the ceremony site! We knew we had our work cut out for us as far as transforming it into the reception we wanted, but we went for it. Reception site-Booked.

Now it was time to start deciding what food we were going to serve. Having a smaller budget, you have to really figure out ways to stretch your dollar. We couldn’t bring in outside food to the Elks lodge; we had to go through them. So then, we brainstormed, and came up with the idea for a dessert bar. I had already known I wanted to do a candy bar, and Jared was definitely on board with that! So, we just decided to go full on with the sweetness! We came up with a menu of cream puffs, mini éclairs, a full chocolate fountain table full of fruit, pretzels, chips, rice krispies, you name it! I still have dreams about that chocolate fountain! Our candy bar for favors was a HUGE hit. We barely had anything left over. And to add to the sweets, we opted for yummy cupcakes for everyone instead of a large cake. We used The Flying Cupcake, and it goes without saying, that they were the best cupcakes Jared and I have ever had.

So now with most of our food decisions out of the way, it was time for the “smaller” details. It took me forever to come up with the color scheme I liked. Jared would have gone with beige! So I was glad he let me take the reins on that! After changing my mind several times, we decided on black, crimson, and white mixed in with a damask pattern. I designed our save the dates myself and had them printed through Vistaprint. I also made our invitations by using kits from Michaels and adding my own touches. I was really, really happy with how they turned out. Next on the list were the programs and various other paper-related items. And after changing our minds several times on centerpieces, we came up with an idea that we both loved. It was very overwhelming at times, and it doesn’t help that I am a perfectionist when it comes to those things! But with Cassie and Debbie’s help, we trucked through.

Next on the list was finding someone for hair and make up. Through Cassie and Debbie’s recommendations, I chose to go with True Colors. Rebecca was awesome! When my mom and I went down for a practice run, she did exactly what both of us wanted. I remember sneaking back into our apartment and Jared was home, and I had to run in with a scarf over my head because I didn’t want him to see my hair until the big day. I was so sad to take it down! Haha.

We had all of our floral items done from Toles Flowers, a floral boutique in Anderson. They were very easy to work with, and very helpful with finding ways for us to stay in our budget. Once again, it really worked in our favor of having an outdoor ceremony, because we didn’t really need too many floral arrangements. In fact, all we had at the ceremony were rose petals. The park truly was beautiful as it was.

Fast forward to our big day! All week we had been worried about rain, and thought it might hold off. We all woke up Sunday morning to overcast skies, and I was bummed! Anyone who knows me, knows that I despise rain! But, realizing there was nothing I could do to control the weather, we got to work with Rebecca and her assistant on hair and make up, while Jared and his groomsmen hung out and watched tv! Oh, the easy life of men !! Once again, Rebecca worked her magic. Everyone who had their makeup and hair done by her looked fabulous! And I can honestly say the rain didn’t mess it up one bit. Debbie went over to the reception site to make sure everything was okay over there. We had all gone there the night before to do the transformation to the venue, and it looked AWESOME. I couldn’t believe it was the same place! It was fun to make it our own for the night, and personalize it a bit. Since Cassie was one of my bridesmaids, she stayed with us, and of course helped calm me down! Lindsay and her husband Ken arrived and began taking pictures, and then we all got into cars and headed out to take pictures at the ceremony site. There was light rain at this time, but we all sucked it up and headed out. Then, out of nowhere, the sun broke through! YES! We definitely took advantage of this and quickly got through some more photos. As soon as the seating of mothers took place, the rain started again! I couldn’t believe it. But oh well, we were about to be married! With the help of umbrellas and my amazing Dad, I made my way down the aisle towards my soon to be husband! The ceremony was amazing. Our Pastor won the award of being the best ever, that’s for sure. He was perfect for us. Even through all the rain, he was making everyone laugh. We did a sand ceremony, but ours was extra special because we have twin sons, who were a year and a half old at the time, and they joined us to poor the sand. That was one of my favorite moments EVER. Soon we were pronounced Husband and Wife, and as soon as the song “Beautiful Day” by U2 started playing, the rain stopped! I still say to this day, if all it took to stop the rain was to play that song, we would have played it the entire ceremony! But luckily, no one complained and most even considered it to be good luck! And we got to see how dedicated Lindsay and Ken were to photography, as several people came up to us afterward telling us how they didn’t let the rain stop them from getting a good photo, even if it got them a little dirty in the process!

We all freshened up and headed out to the reception. It was a blast! The food was yummy, the speeches were great, and the people were amazing. Our DJ is actually a friend of ours, so we were really glad to have him on board. We also did a special “Anniversary dance” for my parents, who have been married for 25 years. That was really special for us and for them.

I could probably go on and on forever about our wedding day! All the planning and the stress was totally worth it, and every moment was special, rain or no rain! And we did it on a small budget! YES! And most importantly, we couldn’t have done it without Cassie and Debbie!

And now, for some pictures!!

My dress!

Jared and I opted to see each other before the ceremony so we could get pictures in before the rain! This was after we first saw each other.

Love this shot at our ceremony site!

My bridesmaids and myself!

All the bouquets from Toles Flowers.

Of course I have to throw in a picture of Cassie and I!

Our favorite shot! Love this one so much.

Flower shot with a close up of my rings and rosary.

Our wedding party!

Jared and the groomsmen and ushers.

My husband!!!!

My handmade programs, and our rings!

Gorgeous ring shot!

My shoes...wish I could say they were still that clean :)

We had the boys wear little converse shoes with their tuxedos...way too cute!

Our son Nicholas playing in the grass!

My dad giving me away...one of our favorite photos. Aren't they both so handsome?

Our other son, Noah, and Cassie's husband, Dustin. Our original plan was to send the boys down the aisle in a wagon...and after several breakdowns...that never happened! So we quickly ditched the idea, and Noah found a new buddy! :)

First kiss as husband and wife!

The Madison Family! Practically the only picture the boys weren't crying in with us! Haha!

The cupcakes. I am drooling right now...I can still taste them! My favorite? Banana Nut!

Our centerpieces! I made these myself, and saved a ton of money. And they turned out perfect on the tables!

LOVE this ring shot! I told Lindsay that I wanted a shot like this, and she definitely delivered! I love the colors of the M&Ms...perfect for us with all the sweets at our reception!

Our first dance!!!

I love everything about this picture of my parents. This was when we surprised them with their first dance at their wedding, 25 years ago. Precious.

No one could keep their hands off the boys. I can't say I blamed them :)

The last picture is my son Noah dancing with me. Such a cutie!

Color Me: Green!!

2010-02-21T15:33:00.000-08:00

Color me: GREEN!

Green, green, green. There is so much to love about this color. It’s fresh. It’s versatile. And personally, one of our favorites :) With a color like this, you can go so many different ways. From fresh and crisp, to a huge pop of color, to a softer shade for a toned down atmosphere. Is there a color that it doesn’t look good with? We haven’t found one! I happen to be a lover of the shade of kelly green. When browsing around online for some fun inspiration photos, I stumbled onto the David’s Bridal website, and right in front of my eyes was this lovely picture! :)

What’s not to love here? Cute shoes, cute dresses, even invitations!
Are there any brides out there planning to get married outside? It is super easy to create a green palette just by using flowers and greenery alone. And if you are planning an outdoor ceremony, you definitely have nature on your side with the upcoming Spring and Summer months. Trees, flowers, endless possibilities! And think of the photo ops!
Let’s wrap this up with another inspiration board, shall we? Seriously, how cute is the idea with apples next to the place cards? Inexpensive, creative, and can even be eaten! What’s better than that? But my favorite? The Nine West shoes. A girl can’t have too many pairs of shoes :)

(To see this as a larger image and to find out where the images came from, just click right on the picture.)

Let me introduce myself!

2010-02-21T13:25:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! My name is Jessica Madison. I have known Cassie and Debbie for quite some time now, and also had the amazing experience of having them help plan my wedding! More on that to come! But for now, I wanted to quickly introduce myself to everyone. I am going to be helping out and writing a few blogs here and there. We will try to cover all the topics that are important in the whole planning process and hopefully give you some ideas and inspiration. If there is anything in particular you'd like to see, let us know!
I am looking forward to all the fun!!!

--Jessica

Michael & Sarah ~ September 5, 2009

2010-02-06T08:50:00.001-08:00

BEAUTIFUL COUPLE

Michael and Sarah are an amazing couple! Just look how adorable they are! Roughly six months before they were set to say “I do” we received a phone call from Sarah wanting to know about our services. So, we set up a meeting and I clearly remember our first meeting because we met at the Starbucks on Massachusetts Avenue and it was PACKED! Literally there was nowhere to sit so we walked down the street to Hoaglin’s and brought in our Starbucks…ha! The staff was very sweet about it though (I think Sarah did end up getting tea so at least we didn’t just take up a table without getting anything!). Anyway, our first meeting was wonderful. We met with Sarah and her mom, Holley, and we just had good chemistry. It is also fun to meet with mothers and daughters because being a mother/daughter duo ourselves I can understand where the bride is coming from and what she is wanting whereas my mom is able to connect with the mother and understand where she is coming from and her concerns about the planning process and the wedding day.

After our initial meeting we corresponded through e-mail and once school was out for the summer (Sarah and her mom are school teachers) we met about once a month to make sure that everything was on track. When we initially met with Sarah she was looking at a completely different venue but her sorority sister, Amanda, is the catering manager at The Conrad and let Sarah know that there was an opening for her date! So we quickly switched gears and began planning Michael and Sarah’s gorgeous event at the amazing Conrad. Sarah had in her mind what she wanted (blues and greens) so we just helped set her up with vendors who would make sure that her vision came to life on wedding day.

On rehearsal day, the girls all had lunch at Café Patachou and then had manicures and pedicures. Following rehearsal, everyone went next door to Rock Bottom Brewery. The first few hours were reserved specifically for those who were invited to the rehearsal and then around 9:00pm they opened it up to include their out-of-town guests.

YAY…wedding day arrived and everyone was so excited! The girls had a later start to the day not having to arrive at The Conrad until noon. After settling into their dressing room it was time for hair and makeup! Adee from Pure Ambiance Salon came to The Conrad to do everyone’s hair. Sarah was very cost-effective when it came to the girls makeup. While some of the girls were getting their hair done the other girls walked over to Circle Center Mall (it is right across the street) and had Ashley with Smashbox do their makeup and then they would switch! Adee and Ashley did such a FABULOUS job on all of the girls hair and makeup! Everyone looked so GORGEOUS! Sarah did a wonderful job managing her budget but when it came to getting the photographer of her dreams…she didn’t care what it cost! The unmatched, amazing, phenomenal and so sweet Jennifer Driscoll was a MUST HAVE for Sarah’s big day! Jennifer did a WONDERFUL job all day long and as you can see captured the day beautifully! She is truly a pleasure to work with…so nice, accommodating and provides an phenomenal product and keepsake!

Michael and the guys arrived a few hours later to relax and get dressed for the big day. Michael and Sarah wanted to have their individual photos taken prior to their big reveal so Sarah and her girls had their photos done first. Sarah wanted as many photos outside (utilizing the beautiful city of Indianapolis and plus it was a gorgeous, sunny day) as possible. Once Sarah and her girls made it back to The Conrad it was time for Michael and his guys to take over the city! Upon the completion of the guys photos Michael and Sarah had their big reveal in the lobby of The Conrad. It was very storybook like in the sense that they have this HUGE, BEAUTIFUL staircase that Sarah came down to meet Michael. Because Michael and Sarah wanted to enjoy their cocktail hour all of the individual, wedding party and family photos were taken prior to the ceremony.

Once everything was set it quickly came time for the attendants to take their places, for Catherine (their pianist) to begin playing and for guests to be escorted to their seats by the groomsmen. Once the guests were seated and everyone made it down the aisle it was then time for Sarah and her dad, Jeff! Sarah looked absolutely STUNNING and Jeff was beaming with PRIDE! Those father/daughter moments are something that can never be recreated and they are just so precious to experience (not only as the father and daughter but as the planner…always brings a HUGE smile to my face). Heath (their officiant) did a WONDERFUL job and because he is personal friends with Michael and Sarah he was able to make it more intimate and special.

Once Michael and Sarah kissed and were pronounced as husband and wife everyone recessed down the aisle. Heath asked the guests to remain seated as Michael and Sarah made their way back up the aisle to personally greet each guest as they released the rows. Once the guests were released from their seats they made their way into the foyer for the cocktail hour. After Michael and Sarah officially signed their marriage license they joined the cocktail hour with their guests.

The cocktail hour was intimate and fun! They had a slideshow going on the various information boards throughout the foyer, an open bar and WONDERFULLY, DELICIOUS hors d’oeurves! As the guests were enjoying the cocktail hour the vendors were working like CRAZY to get the ballroom flipped from the ceremony to the reception. Amanda and her staff at The Conrad are BEYOND AMAZING and are so FABULOUS to work with! They truly roll out the red carpet for you and go the extra mile to ensure that the bride and groom are thrilled with their experience. Angie and her staff at Bokay Florist OUTDID themselves as always! All of the flowers were so vibrant, fresh and beautiful! Branch and all of his guys with the band, Shoes & Strings, did a PHENOMENAL job of getting everything set up within that hour time frame…that is not easy to do!

The ballroom looked AMAZING! There were seventeen guest tables. Each table had a floor length sand color linen with either a blue or green napkin (the napkin color alternated by tables...each gold chavari chair also had a coordinating blue or green sash). The napkin was folded in a menu fold and had a beautiful gold menu tucked inside. The beautiful misty blue centerpieces were displayed in low cubes and wrapped in blue and green ribbons surrounded by votives.

Once the ballroom was flipped the guests were invited to take their seats (because Michael played soccer and is a soccer coach they decided to name their tables after professional soccer teams). The wedding party was then introduced to “Eminence Front” by The Who! After a wonderful welcome from Sarah’s dad, Jeff, and a prayer by Father Stepanski it was time for the OUTSTANDING dinner! The guests were then treated to cupcakes from A Little Bite of Heaven and a candy bar (in Sarah’s wedding colors…blue and green) for dessert!

After Michael and Sarah fed each other cupcakes and listened to AMAZING toasts it was time for their first dance as husband and wife! They chose to dance to the song “I’m Yours” sung by the OUTSTANDING band Shoes & Strings! Sarah and her dad, Jeff, danced to the song “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” and Michael and his mom, Eileen, danced to the song “I Hope You Dance” performed by Shoes & Strings. Following these special dances the dance floor was open for the evening! The dance floor was seriously PACKED all night long! The band, Shoes & Strings was so AMAZING and the energy in the room was just electric! It was definitely a party and everyone had a FABULOUS time! I think Michael and Sarah chose the PERFECT song to close out the evening…“Don’t Stop Believin” performed by Shoes & Strings!

Michael and Sarah’s wedding day was so BEAUTIFUL! They both looked FABULOUS and surrounded themselves with top notch vendors to ensure that their wedding day was flawless! Here are a list of the exceptional vendors who helped make Michael and Sarah’s wedding day dreams come true…

A Little Bite of Heaven ~ Heidi and Lisa were wonderful to work with! The cupcakes were DELICIOUS and everyone enjoyed them!
Oriental Trading Company & Candy Direct provided all of the amazing candy for Michael and Sarah’s candy bar! You can never go wrong with a candy bar…it looks FABULOUS and everyone, young and old, loves candy!
Shoes & Strings ~ Like I said earlier, Branch and his guys were FABULOUS! Not only were they so nice and accommodating but they really went the extra mile to make sure that Michael and Sarah had the night of their lives! The music was AMAZING and everyone danced the entire evening!
Bokay Florist ~ WE LOVE ANGIE & her staff! They are seriously the best and they do such AMAZING work! They are so very fun and creative and truly LOVE their jobs! All of the flowers for Michael and Sarah’s wedding day were STUNNING and just matched everything to a tee!
Jennifer Driscoll Photography ~ Isn’t she just amazing? Jennifer is truly such a sweet person who is so passionate about her job! As I said before, Sarah had to have her and from her pictures you can see why! I love to look at Jennifer’s blog because every single photo she takes is just phenomenal! It was an absolute pleasure working with her!
Conrad Indianapolis ~ Amanda and her staff are just PHENOMENAL at their jobs! As I said earlier, they truly roll out the red carpet for you and make you feel so special! They truly went above and beyond to ensure that Michael and Sarah had a night they would never forget! Everything about The Conrad is amazing…the people, the building, all of the fixtures, the chandeliers and the food! The food was OUTSTANDING and everyone loved it! We cannot say thank you enough to Amanda and all of her staff for their assistance throughout the entire day!

The GORGEOUS bride, Sarah, getting her hair done
Such a fun shot of all of the girls dresses
Shoes

Zipping up the dress
Is this not one of the most AMAZING pictures?
Sarah ~ You look STUNNING!
The Bride :)
I love this picture...the girls look like they are having so much fun!
Downtown Indy
The handsome groom, Michael
Such handsome men
Sarah's bouquet and one of the flower girls, Riley

The ADORABLE flower girls

Heath, the officiant, getting ready for the ceremony

Sarah and her dad, Jeff, walking down the aisle

Michael and Sarah saying their vows

YAY...They are Mr. & Mrs.

First Dance (I just LOVE how Sarah is looking at Michael...the love just radiates from her!) and the DELICIOUS cupcakes

The Band, Shoes & Strings and the flower girls dancing

Michael & Sarah as well as one of the bridesmaids bouquets

Michael and Sarah ~ Thank you so very much for allowing us to be a part of your special day! You both are such great individuals and truly make such a fabulous couple! We really enjoyed getting to know and working with both of you as well as your families! We wish you both nothing but the best as you move through life together as husband and wife! We hope your married life is filled with health, happiness, prosperity, fun, adventure and lots and lots of laughter! Thank you again for sharing your GORGEOUS day with us! Please stay in touch!

Sarah and Holley ~ You two were so fun to work with! We truly enjoyed our lunch/strategizing dates! You both were so great at “homework” and we cannot thank you enough for that! :) The day turned out absolutely beautiful and both of you looked so STUNNING! We miss our meetings and hope that you both are doing fabulously!

Brain & Laura ~ August 15, 2009

2010-02-06T08:09:00.000-08:00

SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL

Brian and Laura are such a sweet couple! They are both so soft spoken but are truly a joy to be around. About seven months prior to their wedding we received a call from Laura's mom, Barbara. She had been referred to us by Ben and Jessica. We initially told her that we couldn't do it because we already had a wedding booked for that day (Zach and Marie) but we decided that since they were a referral from one of our past couples that we would split up into two teams and take Brian and Laura's wedding on! So we called Barbara back and began the planning process!

Brian and Laura live and go to school in Montana so Laura really entrusted the planning to her mom. Barbara and her husband also live in Montana during the winter and have a summer home here in the Indianapolis area so we began the planning process over the phone and through e-mail. Once Barbara and her husband returned to Indiana for the summer we hit the ground running. Laura had a clear vision of what she wanted for her day so it was up to Barbara and us to implement it. We had multiple strategizing and vendor meetings to make sure that everything was just as Laura had envisioned for her big day!

We were able to meet with Laura a few times prior to wedding day while she was in town. She is such a sweet and adorable person with such a caring and warm personality. She came into town a few weeks prior to the wedding to make sure all of the loose ends were tied up and that is when we found out that she had broken her wrist (she fell off of a horse) just a few weeks prior. So for her wedding she was in a cast but they were able to have a sleeve made from silk material to cover the cast. Because of the way her wrist was bent in the cast they called it the claw...too cute! Although it was less than ideal timing, Laura really had a good attitude about it!

On rehearsal day, all of the girls got pampered with manicures and pedicures and were then treated to a bridal luncheon at Plum's Upper Room in Zionsville (It was funny because they had lunch here and Zach and Marie, our other August 15th wedding, had their rehearsal dinner here that night). After the rehearsal, everyone went to dinner at the fabulous Loon Lake Lodge!

Wedding day quickly approached and was truly a wonderful and stress-free day! The girls began their day with breakfast at The Sheraton and were then picked up by Antique Limousine of Indianapolis service and taken to Allure Salon in Zionsville to get their hair done. Melissa, Natalie, Renee and the rest of the Allure Salon staff did a FABULOUS job with everyone's hair. Not only are these ladies wonderful at their jobs but they are also amazing individuals (I guess we are partial because both my mom and I get our hair done by these ladies on a regular basis)! Once the girls' hair appointments were complete the limo took them to Laura's grandmother's house where Rebecca and Ashley with True Colors BEAUTIFULLY applied everyone's makeup! The girls were also treated to lunch from Cafe Patachou. I love it when the girls are pampered and given the five-star treatment on wedding day! It just provides such a fun and relaxing environment which really sets the tone for the day!

Brian and his guys met at The Sheraton to relax, watch television and eat (they were treated to Jimmy Johns) prior to getting dressed and ready for the day. Brian and Laura had decided ahead of time that they wanted to see each other prior to the wedding so after lunch the guys got dressed and were taken to the church, St. Peter's United Church of Christ, in a limo to await Laura's arrival. Once Laura and the girls arrived we added the last few touches (the veil) to complete her look. We then took Brian out to the garden area where he patiently waited for Laura to make her entrance. Once Brian and Laura had their reveal and a few minutes alone it was time for fun group photos with the AMAZING Bobbi + Mike! You can just see from the photos how much fun everyone was having! Truthfully, Bobbi + Mike provide one of the most fun, energetic and exciting atmospheres, putting everyone at ease and allowing for FABULOUS photos.

It was soon time for the attendants to be in place and for guests to begin arriving. Barbara had arranged for two shuttle buses to transport the out-of-town guests from their hotel (The Sheraton) to the church. The guests were serenaded by The Village Quartet as they entered the sanctuary. There were many tender moments during the ceremony including Brian's father lighting a memory candle in Brian's mother's honor as well as Laura being escorted down the aisle by both her mother and father. Reverend Larry Kleiman did a FABULOUS job of delivering a very heartfelt and meaningful ceremony.

Once the ceremony was over Brian and Laura re-entered the church and personally greeted each individual as they released each row. As guests exited the church they were handed delicate paper cones filled with rose petals so that they could shower the bride and groom as they exited the church and stepped into an awaiting vintage Cadillac. The guests were then shuttled to the reception at The Indianapolis Art Center.

Once guests arrived at The Indianapolis Art Center they were escorted outside for the cocktail hour. The grounds are just GORGEOUS so the guests were able to walk the grounds or stand under the BEAUTIFUL portico or relax under the tent. The guests were treated to delicious hors d'oeuvres and drinks! Mark Beecher with Grapevine Productions did a WONDERFUL job with the music and really helped to set the light, airy and relaxed atmosphere.

After a few more photos around the grounds it was time for Brian and Laura to cut their BEAUTIFUL cake provided by Classic Cakes! Brian and Laura then led their guests into the library for dinner. Because Brian and Laura enjoy reading they decided to name the tables after some of their favorite authors. Instead of making table name cards that had the author's names on them, they decided to get books that the author's had written and display them! I thought that was a cute and unique idea/alternative. They also put together very thoughtful favors...they were mini jars of Huckleberry Jam made from wild Montana huckleberries with an adorable note that read "Thank you BERRY much for being a part of our special day!"

The food was provided by Jacquie's Catering. Crystal and her staff did a wonderful job of making sure everything was ready and that the food tasted outstanding. Once dinner was over the guests were escorted out to the portico where they were greeted with a glass of champagne for the toasts. All three of the toasts were so sweet and thoughtful (Kelli, the maid-of-honor, did such an outstanding job! She told many great stories filled with lots of laughter and tears of joy.). It was then time for Brian and Laura's first dance as husband and wife (they danced to Forever and Ever, Amen by Randy Travis). Laura then shared a dance with her father to the song, How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You by James Taylor. Ah...I just love father/daughter moments (I know I am such a sap!). Open dancing began and the evening was closed out with the song, We Are Family by Sister Sledge! Mark Beecher with Grapevine Productions really did a FABULOUS job throughout the evening, not just with the music but as the master of ceremonies, He kept the atmosphere fun and upbeat, making sure that the dance floor (under the portico...which I love) was full for the entire evening!

Here are the vendors who made this day possible...

Classic Cakes ~ Always providing outstanding service and beautiful and delicious cakes!
Jacquie's Catering ~ Jackie and her staff are always a pleasure to work with. They really do give it their all and provide a wonderful array of delicious foods!
TLW Entertainment (The Village Quartet) ~ Terry and his staff are so great to work with. He always provides us with top notch entertainment!
St. Peter's United Church of Christ ~ Larry was so fabulous to work with! He was so genuinely nice and accommodating. We really enjoyed working with him.
Grapevine Productions (Mark Beecher) ~ What can I say that I have not already said...Mark is fabulous and does such a wonderful job! He had a wonderful array of music options and he really kept the party going all night long!
Posh Petals ~ Meredith and her team did a beautiful job with all of the florals for this wedding! Everything looked vibrant and fresh and truly fit in perfectly with the vibe of the wedding!
Engledow Group ~ Kevin and his team provided large trees to fill in around the entrance and the sanctuary of the church. The trees were beautiful and provided an excellent look for the day!
Allure Salon ~ Melissa and her team did a wonderful job on all of the girls hair! Everyone looked beautiful!
Sheraton Hotel (Keystone at The Crossing) ~ Greg really took care of everything for us! Everyone was so nice and accommodating and truly made it a great experience for the out-of-town guests.
True Colors ~ Rebecca and Ashley are just amazing at their jobs! They truly made each of the girls look so stunning! They are genuinely such nice people and they truly love their job!
Bobbi + Mike Photography ~ Again...what can I say...I just LOVE them and their work! They are fabulous at their job and create the perfect atmosphere to keep everyone upbeat and carefree! Not to mention that their photos are beyond AMAZING!
Indianapolis Art Center ~ Iris and her staff were so great to work with! They were so accommodating and truly went the extra mile to make sure that we had everything that we needed to make Brian and Laura's day perfect!
Loon Lake Lodge ~ They provide such a fun and relaxed atmosphere for rehearsal dinners! All of their staff is so fun to work with and the food is awesome!
A-Classic Party Rental ~ Gary and his team always provide the best linens and rental items! Everyone who works there is so fun and truly cares about making your event the best it can possibly be!
Antique Limousine of Indianapolis ~ Jack was so fabulous throughout this planning process! He organized all of the vehicle needs (limos, shuttles, antique Cadillac) eliminating the need to have multiple contracts with multiple companies! He is wonderful to work with and truly goes the extra mile to provide the best for his couples.

Laura's Shoes & Dress
Isn't she just GORGEOUS?
Laura and her mom, Barbara (BEAUTIFUL!) ~ Laura and the girls having fun!

Brian and the guys getting ready

Brian and the guys around the grounds of the Indianapolis Art Center

Ah....Bobbi + Mike are just AMAZING! Picture Perfect!

Brian and Laura walking through the vegetable garden :)

See how much fun everyone was having :)

The little moments

Brian and Laura being showered with rose petals

CUTE!

They are so GORGEOUS together

One of the guest tables

After Kelli's Toast

Brian and Laura's first dance as husband and wife

Isn't it BEAUTIFUL under the portico?

Laura and her dad, Patrick

Laura dancing with her grandfather...so ADORABLE

Brian and Laura ~ Thank you so very much for allowing us to be a part of your special day! You two are so sweet and have such wonderful demeanors. We truly enjoyed working with both of you and your families. You are both such great individuals and are surrounded with such an amazing support group of friends and family. We wish you both nothing but the best as you travel through this marital adventure. Enjoy marriage and please stay in touch!

Barbara ~ It was so much fun working with you! You are so sweet and were such a pleasure to be around! You did a fabulous job of taking Laura's vision and implementing it! Thank you for allowing us to be a part of Brian and Laura's day!

Zach & Marie ~ August 15, 2009

2009-11-16T10:00:00.001-08:00

Picturesque

Zach & Marie
Marie Putting On Her Veil
There She Is...The BEAUTIFUL Marie!
Marie & Her Sister, Bonnie
The GORGEOUS Bridesmaids
Marie & Her Family

The FABULOUS Groom

Zach Walking Along The Grounds Of Coxhall Gardens

Zach & The Guys

More Of The Guys

Zach's AWESOME Parents Terry & Amy

They are such sweet people and were so gracious to us!

Zach & His Siblings

Zach's Family

There Is The AMAZING Mother Of The Bride, Sherry, Being Escorted By Her Wonderful Son In Law, Nathan

Ring Bearer, Conner & Flower Girl, Elizabeth

Zach Anxiously Waiting For Marie

This Is One Of My FAVORITE Pictures...I LOVE Father Daughter Pictures

Marie & Her AMAZING Dad, David

A Look From Above

Sherry & Amy Lighting The Unity Candle

Exchanging Vows

Zach & Marie Lighting The Unity Candle

Marie's Brother In Law, Nathan, Played "Can't Help Falling In Love" By Elvis Presley

Yay! You Are Married!

The Wedding Party

This Looks Like It Is Out Of A Story Book! Love It!

The Reception Site

The Ceremony & Reception Were At Coxhall Gardens In Carmel

Inside The Tent

The Rings...So BEAUTIFUL!

The STUNNING Cake

A Full View Of The Cake

Mr. & Mrs.

Guests Welcoming Zach & Marie

Zach & Marie...So Sweet!

This Picture Just Melts My Heart! They Are So In Love!

Marie & Her Dad, David, After Their Father Daughter Dance

Bonnie & Her Dad, David

Sherry & David

They Were A Dancing Group

The Reception Site When The Sun Is Setting

I LOVE This Picture! So Cute!

Dancing The Night Away

So Cute!

The Dance Floor Was FULL All Night Long

Having A GREAT Time

The Reception Site At Night

The Pathway To The Get Away Car Was Lined With Luminaries...We Had All Of The Guests Line The Walkway & Then They All Lit Their Sparklers As Zach & Marie Made Their Way Down The Pathway...It Was So Neat!

Marie & Zach Were Driven Away In Marie's Dad, David's Vintage Car...Isn't It So Cool?

This is day was a long time in the making! We worked with Marie & Sherry for quite a while and it was such a blessing to be able to! We had monthly meetings which were so fun and really kept things moving all the time! Marie had a good idea of what she had in mind so we took what she had and worked together to just enhance her vision!

Wouldn't you know...it was like the hottest weekend in August! But, all started well with the rehearsal and then the FABULOUS rehearsal dinner at Plums Upper Room In Zionsville provided by Zach's AWESOME parents, Terry & Amy!

Wedding day came so fast but was so relaxing and free flowing! Everything ran on time and went off without a hitch! Everything was absolutely BEAUTIFUL and everyone (especially Marie) looked FABULOUS!

The day was so fun! Everyone was sweating like crazy due to the heat but it didn't stop anyone...the dance floor was PACKED all night long!

Vendors Who Helped Make Zach & Marie's Day So Spectacular Include...

Classic Cakes ~ You can never go wrong the ladies at Classic Cakes! They are so WONDERFUL to work with and ALWAYS provide such EXCELLENT cakes! Always so delicious and beautiful!
Coxhall Gardens (Ritz Charles Catering) ~ Everyone at The Ritz does such an OUTSTANDING job! Their staff is so WONDERFUL to work with and went above and beyond to make Zach & Marie's day SPECTACULAR!
DJ's Direct ~ Jeremy did a good job of keeping the dance party alive and going all night long!
Simple Elegance Florist ~ Lynne & Fran did a GREAT job with the florals for Zach & Marie's wedding!
Lemongrass Photography ~ Jessica & her assistant, Megan, were absolutely FABULOUS! We have worked with Jessica before and just love her! They are so easy to work with and as you can tell...I had a difficult time deciding which photos to choose! I wanted to put them all up!
Wedding Paper Divas ~ All their paper products are just AWESOME!

A BIG Thank You to all of the vendors! It definitely takes a dedicated team to make weddings run flawlessly and I think we came up with an excellent combination! The day was so FABULOUS and everything went FLAWLESSLY (Although it was HOT, HOT, HOT outside!)!

Our Crew For This Wedding...Glenda, Deborah, Karrie & Kelsey

We had two weddings this weekend so my mom, Deborah, was the lead coordinator for this event! It was fun because we had Glenda (our usual assistant...love her...she is amazing!) and then we added my other aunt (Karrie) and my cousin (Kelsey)! It was fun to bring them into the business and they did a wonderful job!

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE This Picture! So Sweet!

Zach & Marie ~ What we can we say...we just love you guys! It was such a pleasure to work with you guys! We absolutely LOVED our monthly meetings with Marie & Sherry! It really gave us a chance to develop such an outstanding friendship. You two are so in love and it shows in your simple touches and sparkling eyes...it is just beautiful! The two of you are such FABULOUS individuals and are surrounded by such OUTSTANDING family and friends! We felt truly blessed to be a part of your special day and we can't say THANK YOU enough! We wish you nothing but the best! Here's to a lifetime of love, laughter and happiness!

Mike & Nicole ~ July 18, 2009

2009-11-11T13:50:00.001-08:00

Taking Time To Smell The Roses!

Mike & Nicole
Nicole & Her Mom, Merigail
Mike & His Daughter, Alecia
The Ceremony Site

Harpist, Sharon Watson

Nicole & Her Dad, Robert

Mike & Nicole In Prayer

Cocktail Hour

One Tablescape In The Arabian Room

Cake Table

The BEAUTIFUL Cake

So Much Detail!

We worked with Mike, Nicole & Nicole's mom, Merigail, for well over a year. We received a phone call from Nicole and she had just had their beautiful baby, Nolan, and they were living in the state of Washington. So, we met with Merigail, who resides in the Indianapolis area and the rest is as they say...history! Planning went really well and as you can see everything turned out so BEAUTIFUL!

Wedding day was such an easy going and relaxing day! Everyone arrived on time and everyone was able to truly just enjoy the day!

Throughout the planning process we became such great friends and it was so fun to see everything come together and be beyond their expectations! We couldn't ask for nicer people to work with from the couple, to the parents, to the grandparents, to the FABULOUS vendors!

Here are the vendors who helped transform Mike & Nicole's vision to reality...

Sweet Seductions (Cake) - Paige is truly the best! We absolutely LOVE working with her! She is so personable and creative. She truly loves what she does and it shows in her masterpieces!
Sharon Watson Music (Harpist) - Sharon did an outstanding job with the ceremony music!
Johnny Winn is Nicole's uncle and he provided the music for the reception!
Bokay Florist - Angie...we just LOVE her too! She is so creative and again...absolutely loves her job and it shows! She ALWAYS goes above and beyond for every bride!
Mode Salon & Becky Lee Naylor did the hair & make-up for Nicole
Rodney Williams performed the ceremony
Carrie's Clicks - Carrie was the photographer for the evening. She was so sweet and took some great shots throughout the day!
Paper By Appointment provided the stationary for Mike & Nicole's big day
Men's Wearhouse provided the tuxes for the guys
Murat Shrine Temple - I cannot say enough good things about Patti & Jason and their staff! They are absolutely FABULOUS to work with and went above and beyond to make sure that the event was everything Mike & Nicole envisioned! Not only were the people amazing, but the space is just BEAUTIFUL! I loved the "stars" in ceiling...such a beautiful touch!

I could go on and on about how FABULOUS this family and their vendors were to work with! We had such a great time throughout the planning process and I think it really showed in the finished product!

Mike & Nicole - You two are so WONDERFUL together! You are two of the nicest and sweetest people we have met. You can truly see the love you have for each other in your eyes and it is so sweet to see the two of you interact! We wish you nothing but the best as you move forward in your life journey together as husband and wife! We wish you a lifetime of love, laughter and happiness! Nicole...best of luck in your journey to becoming a doctor...you can do it girl! Please stay in touch!

Merigail - You were such an integral part of the planning process so we wanted to thank you for all of your hard work and dedication throughout this process! Mike & Nicole are so lucky to have you in their lives! All the best!

Here Are Some Additional Photos That I Took With My Camera...

The Ceremony Site

Nicole's Dad, Robert, Giving Her Away To Mike

One Tablescape In The Arabian Room

Another Tablescape In The Arabian Room

Place Settings

Mike & Nicole's Sweetheart Table

The Cake

The Cake Up Close

Marc & Becky ~ July 11, 2009

2009-11-11T13:49:00.000-08:00

STUNNINGLY BEAUTIFUL!

Marc and Becky are such a fabulous couple and we truly enjoyed working with and getting to know them! Early on in their engagement we received a call from Becky's dad, Bill, wanting assistance in planning his daughter's wedding. Bill and Ellen (Becky's parents) live a few hours away and wanted someone closer to the Indianapolis area to help make Marc and Becky's wedding day vision come to life.

The one thing Becky knew for sure from the beginning of the planning process was that she didn't want to get married anywhere other than the Indiana Roof Ballroom. Because Becky is a school teacher and didn't have a lot of time to plan during the school year, a year prior to their wedding we had a marathon day of vendor meetings. We had Bill, Ellen and Becky (and as I recall Marc was able to meet with a few of the vendors after work) come to our house and they were able to meet with multiple vendors from each major wedding category. After all of those meetings, they were able to narrow down who they wanted to work with and we were able to move forward with all of the contracts. We had a few other vendor meetings here and there but we had virtually everything nailed down before Becky returned to school!

Truthfully~Marc, Becky and Becky's parents were such a pleasure to work with! They were all so nice, generous and appreciative. They were excellent at completing their "wedding homework." They made decisions and just went with it...making the planning process that much smoother.

When it came time for wedding day...all went perfectly. Becky and her girls began the day in a suite at Embassy Suites. The girls had breakfast and then Karen Hall & Company came to pamper them with gorgeous hair and makeup! Both the guys and girls had delicious Jimmy Johns for lunch. Vendors began arriving around 2:00pm to begin getting the Indiana Roof Ballroom ready for the event filled evening. The room served a dual purpose of ceremony and reception site. All of the staff at the Indiana Roof Ballroom were beyond amazing and truly bent over backwards to make sure that this event was perfect! Prior to pictures, Angie and her staff at Bokay Florist outdid themselves with the ceremony decor. It was stunningly beautiful and provided such a romantic atmosphere.

Marc and Becky decided not to see each other prior to the wedding so Marc and his guys had their photos taken first. Marc and Becky hired Karen Bowling Photography to capture their big day! Karen and her daughter, Rachel are so much fun to work with and as you can see provided outstanding photos and memories to last a lifetime. While Marc was getting his photos taken, Dianne with A Fitting Creation was helping Becky step into her dress. Once Marc's photos were complete, it was time for Becky and her girls.

After photos were complete, Markey's set the ceremony lighting and all of the candles were lit! All of the attendants took their places and guests began to arrive. Once guests were seated the processional began. Bob and Colleen with Disc Turner's did a wonderful job with the music for the ceremony. Becky and her dad, Bill, looked stunning! It is one of my absolute favorite moments to see the father-of-the-bride and the bride right before they walk down the aisle! I guess it is just because I am such a daddy's girl, but it always chokes me up a little bit! The ceremony was absolutely beautiful! Everyone looked amazing and Justin (their officiant) did an outstanding job!

Cocktail hour was fun! They had big band music playing, a video montage showing, amazingly delicious hors d'oeuvres and a signature drink (Pink Cosmopolitan). The wedding party went outside for photos (it had poured down rain the entire day but it cleared up during the ceremony...just in time for photos)! All of the vendors worked quickly to get the ballroom flipped so that it was perfectly set up when the guests entered.

The wedding party entered into the Chicago Bulls Theme and then it was time for Marc and Becky! Prior to their entrance their was a thunderstorm with lightening (not really...it is all sound and lighting effects)! Once the thunderstorm ended the song Thunderstruck by A/C D/C began playing and Marc and Becky entered the ballroom! Marc and Becky then cut their beautiful cake from Classic Cakes. Following that, Marc and Becky shared their first dance. They wanted to make it special so they took dance lessons and performed their choreographed dance to...That's How Strong My Love Is by Otis Redding. They were so nervous about their dance but they did a fantastic job and it was so special to watch! After a welcome and a prayer it was time to eat. The food was absolutely delicious! The Indiana Roof Ballroom is top notch and began the evening with a salad march...always impressive to watch and makes such a wonderful impression on the guests!

Following dinner, it was time for toasts! Bill, Becky's dad, gave a wonderful and heartfelt toasts (again, I am partial...love the whole daddy/daughter moments!). After all of the toasts, it was time for special dances (which included a wonderfully choreographed dance performed Becky and her dad, Bill) and then the dance floor was open for the duration of the evening! Bob and Colleen of Disc Turner's did a fantastic job with the music. The dance floor was full and everyone had a wonderful time! Becky had her bouquet toss off of a balcony! She truly looked like a princess up there!

The evening went by too fast! They ended night with the song, The Last Dance by Donna Summer...it was a wonderful way to end a magical day! Marc and Becky arranged for Carey Limo to provide a LimoBus to take guests to the after party at The Elbow Room!

Marc and Becky's day was truly beautiful and a dream come true! We worked for over a year to make sure that everything went perfectly...and perfectly it went!

Becky~She is just GORGEOUS!

The back of the dress

One of my absolute favorite photos

The STUNNING flowers

Becky and the girls looking sassy!

Bill and Ellen (Becky's Parents)

Marc~Looking Handsome!

Such a good picture of Marc

Marc and the guys

The BEAUTIFUL ceremony site...ah...just looks so romantic

Becky before she went down the aisle

Becky and her dad, Bill ~ LOVE this picture

So cute...I love how Marc can't take his eyes off of Becky

The Aisle

The Wedding Party

Marc and the ladies

Becky and the men

The entrance into the Indiana Roof Ballroom

Escort Cards

Cocktail Table

Glasses lining the bar

Cocktail Napkins

The Reception Site ~ So BEAUTIFUL

The Head Table

A peak at Marc & Becky

Centerpiece

Signature Drink (Pink Cosmo) with their favors (Pink M&M's & Peanuts)

Centerpiece

Menu in a napkin fold with a photo card

Cake ~ It was STUNNING

Are they not the cutest couple ever? ~ You can see how in love they are!

Their First Dance

Becky and her dad, Bill

The Bouquet Toss

Dancing

So Sweet!

Here are the incredible vendors who helped to make Marc & Becky's day magical...

A Fitting Creation ~ Dianne was fabulous to work with! She was on-site to make sure that Becky's dress was impeccable!
Markey's Rental & Staging ~ Brian and his team always do such an outstanding job with event lighting! Lighting makes such a huge difference in a space and can truly create and change an atmosphere.
Classic Cakes ~ ALWAYS awesome in presentation and taste!
Disc Turner's Mobile DJ ~ Bob & Colleen are AMAZING at their job and so much fun to be around! They always do a fabulous job and really know how to keep the party moving all night long!
Bokay Florist ~ Angie & her staff are second to none! They are just FABULOUS and I never have enough words to express just how great they are! Not only are the wonderful visionaries but they are the sweetest people as well!
Karen Hall & Company ~ Karen & her staff are just AWESOME! They always make our brides, bridesmaids & mothers look BEAUTIFUL!
A Classic Party Rental ~ They are always so easy to work with and provide a wonderful product and service to our clients!
Karen Bowling Photography ~ Karen & Rachel are so much fun! They are so easy and nice to work with! As you can see they do a FABULOUS job!
Paper By Appointment ~ Michele is so easy and wonderful to work with! She has a ton of options to choose from and the cutest little office!
Carey Indiana Limousines ~ ALWAYS awesome! They are so very nice to work with and provide fabulous service!
Indiana Roof Ballroom ~ Antonia & her staff were just AWESOME! We truly enjoyed working with each and every one of them! Obviously this space speaks for itself...it is beautiful and ornate. The food was WONDERFUL as well! They are definitely top notch and it is definitely a must see space!

Marc and Becky ~ We can't thank you enough for allowing us to be such an integral part of your special day! We feel truly blessed to have gotten to know both of you as well as your families! You are both such amazing individuals and the love between the two of you is evident! You guys are so patient and loving towards one another and it was so nice to see you two together because you both just lit up when the other entered the room! We truly hope that the two of you have a long, happy, healthy and prosperous life together full of adventure, fun and lots of laughter! Please stay in touch!

Bill and Ellen ~ Thank you for allowing us to be a part of Marc and Becky's special day! It was a pleasure to meet you and an honor to work with you, your daughter and your son-in-law! You are both such wonderful and caring people and we feel so blessed that you chose us to help you! Please stay in touch!

Will & Kennie ~ June 6, 2009

2009-11-03T06:13:00.000-08:00

"The Perfect Pear"

Kennie...Looking BEAUTIFUL On Wedding Day!

Emmanuel Missionary Baptist Church

Memorial Table

Ah...Looking At These Pictures Just Makes Me Smile...Kennie ALWAYS Puts A Smile On My Face!

Peek-A-Boo

Kennie & Maid-of-Honor, Yommier

Just GORGEOUS

Kennie BEAUTIFULLY Showing Off Her Custom Gown

Will Reading A Note From Kennie And Opening Up His Gift!

Kennie Got Him Cuff-Links That Have A Photo Of Will's Father In Them!

Kennie Opening Her Gift!

Last Minute Touch Ups

Ring Shot...Their Rings Are BEAUTIFUL

Some Of The Hostesses That Helped Out Throughout The Day

Kennie Walking Down The Aisle :)

A Photo From The Balcony

Vows

Yay! You're MARRIED!

Group Shot On The Circle

The Gobo As People Enter Into The Ballroom

Part Of The Room

One Tablescape

Second Tablescape

Third Tablescape

Cake...Complete With A Fountain

Cake Topper

The Sweetheart Table

Decor At The Sweetheart Table

Love Them!

All Of The Guests Were Invited To The Dance Floor & They Formed A Circle...Not Expecting That They Were Going To Be Doing The Hokey Pokey...Everyone Did It & Had A Great Time!

It Was Ayanna (Bridesmaid) & Her Husband, T.J.'s 11 Year Anniversary So Kennie Gave An Eye Watering Speech About Their Love & Friendship & Then Presented Them With An Anniversary Cake! Kennie & Will Also Planned For Ayanna & T.J. To Share In A Special "Eleven Year" Dance...It Was So Sweet!

Gettin' Down :)

Look At Those Moves Will :)

Everyone Having A WONDERFUL Time

I LOVE The Smiles...So Sweet!

Will & Kennie had one interesting day! Will had spent the day before in Kentucky watching his daughter graduate high school which left Kennie, her bridesmaids and us to get everything ready on rehearsal day! But, we got it all taken care of and wedding day came early in the morning! The day was BEAUTIFUL and I just can't say enough about how FABULOUS Kennie & Will along with their wedding party and parents looked! Everything turned out so GORGEOUS and all of the guest seemed blown away by the decor!

We worked with Kennie & Will for a long time on this wedding (14 or 15 months)! They had a clear idea of what they wanted and they went for it! I LOVE to see the faces of the bride and groom's when they see their vision become reality! We had such a WONDERFUL time planning this wedding with Kennie & Will. They are so much FUN and they ALWAYS make us laugh and put a smile on our face! Not only are they wonderful together but they are surrounded by OUTSTANDING individuals that I just cannot say enough about! This was one of the most fun we have had and we LOVED working with Kennie & Will!

The day was so great and I wish that it had lasted longer!

Here are the vendors who helped transform their vision to their reality...

Swank Audio Visuals - I cannot say enough good things about Mark and his team! They did a WONDERFUL job with the gobo and uplighting! FABULOUS...FABULOUS!
Sweet Seductions (Cake) - Paige...there are not enough wonderful words to say about Paige! She is as sweet as her cakes! She is so OUTSTANDING to work with and ALWAYS provides the most BEAUTIFUL cakes!
Disc Turner's Mobile DJ - Bob & Colleen are BEYOND FABULOUS! We LOVE working with them. They ALWAYS provide great service and they are so much FUN!
Bokay Florist - Angie...OUTSTANDING, FABULOUS, BEAUTIFUL, GORGEOUS, FRESH, CREATIVE...the list goes on and on! We LOVE working with Angie! She is truly GIFTED!
Karen Hall & Company - As ALWAYS...FABULOUS work! Kennie and her girls looked AMAZING!
2nd Floor Studio - Cady took the pictures and Morgan took the video! They are so professional and wonderful to work with! I loved looking back through all of the photos and as you can tell I had a difficult time choosing! Ah...when I see Kennie & Will it just brings a smile to my face and I am thankful to Cady and Morgan for capturing their day so beautifully.
Hilton Indianapolis Downtown - Becky and her team were FABULOUS! They were so patient with us and truly went above and beyond to provide Kennie & Will with their wedding day dreams!
Carey Indy Limousines - FABULOUS as always!

Will & Kennie...THANK YOU for allowing us to share in your big day! We truly ENJOYED getting to know the two of you and your family and friends. You two are PERFECTLY matched! We truly LOVE you guys and wish you nothing but the best in your life together! Keep smiling and keep laughing! Keep in touch! God Bless :)

Sean & Christina ~ May 29, 2009

2009-10-15T11:11:00.000-07:00

Magazine Worthy!

Rings In Blueberries :)
Christina Is Just GORGEOUS!

Love, Love, Love All of Amanda Wilcher's Work!

The Bottom Picture Is Awesome...All of The Girls Are On Their Phones!

So Pretty!

Just Beautiful!

I LOVE The Height Of The Barn & The Girls Poses!

The Colors Are So Vibrant!

The Guys...So Handsome!

All Lined Up & Ready To Go!

Adorable!

They Are Such A BEAUTIFUL Couple!

Sean Is A Fireman...

Dancing...Thumbs Up :)

Drinking Champagne

I ABSOLUTELY Love The Colors In This Photo!

Isn't This Such A Fun & Gorgeous Picture?

THANK YOU!

We met with Christina about a month prior to her wedding! She is SO organized and had really thought through and planned her day but she wanted to make sure that everything went smoothly and that she was able to just let go and enjoy the day! So...here we are! We had really good chemistry with Christina from the first time we met and she was such a pleasure to work with (even though it was short).

Here are the vendors that helped make Sean & Christina's wedding dreams come true:

Piece of Cake Bakery out of Greenwood provided the cake
St. Mark Catholic Church is where Sean & Christina said their "I Do's!" We worked with Chris and she was truly so WONDERFUL to work with! She was so nice, accommodating and was a great help throughout the day. Deacon Kerry was FABULOUS to work with as well and did such a GREAT job with the ceremony!
Elite Entertainment (Josh Jacobs) was the MC and DJ for the evening
Our Backyard Flowers did a GREAT job with the girls bouquets and guys boutonnieres! They were so fresh & vibrant!
Meridian Design Group (Ashleigh & Taylor) did a WONDERFUL job with the girls hair! They all looked so BEAUTIFUL!
Karen Hall & Company did such a FABULOUS job, as always, on the girls make up! You can't go wrong with Karen & her girls! They are so sweet and just do OUTSTANDING work!
Amanda Wilcher Photography ~ Well...what can you say...look at the STUNNING photos (I think they speak for themselves)! Amanda & her husband, Kyle, did such an EXCELLENT job with all of the photos! Not only are the EXTREMELY talented but they are also very nice and easy to work with!
Valle Vista Golf Club was the reception venue! Rosie and her staff were very nice, professional and accommodating!
Carey Indy Limousines provided the shuttle bus for the bridal party! As always, they are FABULOUS to work!

Sean & Christina~We truly enjoyed working with the two of you! You guys are so great together and it is so sweet to watch! You two are two of the sweetest people we have met and we wish you nothing but the best that life has to offer as you move forward as husband & wife! Here's to a lifetime of love, laughter & happiness!

Jon & Julie ~ May 2, 2009 (Additional Photos)

2009-10-14T13:58:00.001-07:00

Here are more reception photos taken by me from Jon & Julie's wedding as promised! Enjoy!

Here is the escort card table, mailbox & map!

Here it is closer up!

Here are the 300+ luggage tags (Julie made them herself!)
Birthday Cake
Groom's Cake

Cake Topper (Their Vows)

The Scottish Rite

A Table Shot From The Balcony

Jon & Julie's Sweetheart Table

Place Settings For Jon & Julie's Brothers

~Both were lost to young but were definitely there on wedding day~

Antonio & Natesha ~ May 10, 2009

2009-10-03T09:59:00.000-07:00

ADORABLE!

Ceremony

Tablescape

Food Display

Cake

Antonio & Natesha were so much fun to work with. They planned and put almost everything together by themselves! They hired us to make sure that all of the decorations were set up just how they envisioned as well as make sure that the ceremony went off without a hitch! Everything turned out really nice and here are some of the vendors who helped to make their day exceptional...

A Piece of Cake in Greenwood provided the cake
Jesse Carruthers provided the sound and music for the evening. Jesse was so easy to work with and truly did an OUTSTANDING job as the master of ceremonies!
Best Rentals provided the heart-shaped candelabras...so pretty!
Pam Shelly (Natesha's co-worker) was their photographer
The Atrium was the ceremony and reception site! Rhea was so nice and easy to work with. She and her staff were very accommodating!

Overall the day was really nice! It was also Mother's Day so it was nice to be able to spend the day with my mom!

CONGRATS Antonio & Natesha! The two of you are truly just so sweet and adorable together! We really enjoyed working with the two of you and your families! Your kids are so ADORABLE and we wish the two of you and your families nothing but the best as you move forward as a new family unit!

Jon & Julie ~ May 2, 2009

2009-09-28T14:48:00.001-07:00

Julie LOVES her gift :)

Second Presbyterian Church

Pinwheels...So Adorable!
So Cute
Tablescape
Cutting The Cake
Toasts...What an awesome photo...
The Scottish Rite Cathedral

Jon & Julie were so much fun to work with! Julie had spent a lot of time and effort planning and thinking through her wedding day so we contracted with them to set up the reception hall (Scottish Rite Cathedral) and make sure that the everything looked PERFECT!

I have some additional photos that I will have to find and put on here because they came up with some really cute ideas! When guests entered into the reception hall they were greeted by the escort card table. Julie made luggage tags for each guest that had their name and table number on one side and their address on the other! Then, they were able to locate their table on a map that Julie had made that replicated the London Subway system! The guests were also able to put their cards for Jon & Julie in an oldtime mailbox! So Cute!

Here are some of the vendors that helped make Jon & Julie's day spectacular:

Photographer - Todd Pellowe (Louisville, KY)
Church - Second Presbyterian Church
Reception Venue - Scottish Rite Cathedral - Ashley is the coordinator there and she is absolutely FABULOUS to work with!
Caterer - Thomas Caterers of Distinction
Cake - Heavenly Sweets
Photo Booth - Indy Photobooth

Jon & Julie ~ We really enjoyed working with you and wish you nothing but the best as you begin your married life together! The two of you are just so sweet with each other that it is just refreshing to see! We wish you a lifetime of love, laughter and happiness!

Long Time

2009-08-31T16:21:00.000-07:00

Oh Man! I haven't written in SO long! My goal is to get the blog up to date with all of our weddings from 2009! We have been so unbelievably busy (which is a GREAT thing) but due to our schedule the blog has suffered! So I am hoping to put up one wedding per day! Ambitious I know but I will do my best!

Alex & Ashley ~ October 5, 2008

2008-10-16T14:35:00.002-07:00

Simply Stunning!

Such an awesome couple with wonderful parents!

Ashley was referred to us from Megan at Crowne Plaza at Union Station about a month prior to her wedding. Ashley and her soon-to-be mother-in-law, Debbie were putting this wedding together and then decided to bring us in to pull everything together. We mainly corresponded with Ashley via e-mail, but we did meet with Ashley and Debbie a week or so before the big day to make sure all of the details were ironed out and to drop off the ADORABLE favors they made!

Obviously, their rehearsal day was busy for us because we had Phil and Hannah's ceremony and then drove downtown to Crowne Plaza. Everyone showed up on time, despite the fact that it was Circle City Classic and the streets were absolutely PACKED!

The rehearsal went awesome. Jaelynne, Ashley's daughter, was adorable because she had a fake flower that played "The Wedding March!" Too cute! Following the rehearsal we headed downstairs for the rehearsal dinner. We were contracted with them to coordinate the rehearsal dinner. We began with a really great speech about Alex and Ashley by Alex's dad, Mitch. From there, Jim (the officiant) said a prayer and then it was time for the AMAZING food! They had good down home cookin'! For dessert they served AMAZING cherry and apple cobblers! Yummy!

Not only was the food delicious, but the company was so GREAT! We enjoyed talking to everyone and getting to know their families and friends! Then, it was time for the best part ~ GIFTS! Alex even surprised Ashley with a gift ~ a Coach diaper bag...they are having a baby in April :). After gifts were handed out, Alex and Ashley gave a really sweet thank you speech to everyone.

The next day came quickly! My mom, Jessica and I showed up early in the morning to get everything set-up! Ashley and her girls arrived about 1 1/2 hours after us to get their hair and make-up done in their dressing room. Alex and his guys arrived about an hour after Ashley so that they could all eat, relax and get ready for the big day!

While everyone was getting ready we were making sure all of the details were covered and that the ceremony and reception sites looked AMAZING! All of the vendors arrived on time and the cakes and flowers looked GREAT! Ashley surprised Alex with a grooms cake that was a replica of his truck and in his favorite flavor, Red Velvet!

Alex's pictures went by quickly and then it was time for Ashley and her girls! Photos wrapped up, Jim (the officiant) was present, the trio (violin, cello & harp) was set and the ushers were in place! The guests were seated and then it was showtime! The ushers escorted the grandparents and parents down the aisle and to their seats. Then Jim (the officiant), Alex and his guys entered and took their place. It was then time for the bridesmaids to shine. Ashley's daughter, Jaelynne, was the flower girl and did an excellent job lining the aisle with leaves for her mom. The music changed and the doors opened to reveal Ashley and her dad, Gary!

The ceremony was beautiful! Alex, Ashley and Jaelynne performed the sand ceremony and are now never to be separated! It was too sweet :) Alex and Ashley were then pronounced husband and wife! The bridal party then went outside for more photos while the guests were released by the ushers and invited to enjoy the cocktail hour. Once photos of the bridal party were complete, they were treated to their own private cocktail hour downstairs. Once everything was set in the reception hall it was time for the guests to find their seats. The guests were treated to the sounds of a harp during the cocktail hour and the reception.

Once everyone found their seats, Alex's dad, Mitch, made the bridal party introductions. Jim (the officiant) welcomed everyone and said a prayer before the buffet bruncheon began. It was very yummy as well...waffles, sausage, hash browns, etc! Following the brunch it was time to cut the cake and then it was time for toasts ~ everyone did such a great job with their toasts!

Alex and Ashley spent the day really getting to visit with all of their guests. They envisioned an intimate gathering and I think they achieved their ideal environment!

Vendors who helped create the atmosphere include:

A Little Bit of Heaven ~ Provided the cakes! The replica of Alex's truck was AWESOME!
Sharon Watson Music ~ Sharon did an EXCELLENT job with the music! For the ceremony the guests were treated to the violin, cello and harp and then Sharon stayed to treat the guests to the elegant sounds of the harp, creating the intimate atmosphere Alex and Ashley desired!
Hendricks County Florist ~ They provided GORGEOUS bouquets, boutonnieres, candelabra pieces and cake topper!
Reverend Jim Rogers ~ He did such an EXCELLENT job officiating! He is so very animated and has such a great personality! He really made the ceremony fun and yet meaningful at the same time!
SB Childs Photography ~ Stephanie and Brock were so much fun to work with and just look at the AMAZING pictures and moments they captured! They are so very nice and easy to work with! They really do take the time to make sure they get AWESOME shots! We hope we get to work with them again soon!
Crowne Plaza at Union Station ~ Always, always, always AMAZING and nothing but the BEST! Megan and Cambrie were out-of-town, but of course made sure that everything was in order with us and their banquet captains! Mark was our banquet captain for the rehearsal dinner and Tina was our banquet captain for the big day! Everyone is always so AWESOME to work with and we just LOVE working at this venue! AMAZING all the way around ~ building structure, staff, accommodations, and of course the food (Chef Randy and his team are masterful at what they do!).

Here is an AWESOME sampling of photos provided by Stephanie & Brock of SB Childs Photography:

The rings

Ashley's daughter, Jaelynne

Ashley :)

Ashley and her girls

The girls having a good time

So cute...mom and daughter

Ashley's shoes

Alex

Alex and the guys

The beautiful bride escorted by her dad, Gary

One of the sweetest shots...Alex's dad, Mitch

I just LOVE this picture!

Everyone on stage in prayer

They are now...husband and wife...Congratulations!

Mr. & Mrs.

Group shot

The happy couple!

Another GREAT shot

The wedding cake and the reception hall

Their ADORABLE favors!

The grooms cake...a replica of Alex's truck

The DELICIOUS food

Jaelynne and Alex...she absolutely ADORES him...it is so precious

The happy family!

Alex & Ashley ~ Thank you so very much for letting us share in your AMAZING wedding weekend! You are both such nice people and you are surrounded by such awesome family and friends! We really enjoyed helping you pull these events together. We truly enjoyed being a part of your events and getting to know your families as well. We wish the two of you a long and very happy life together filled with lots of LOVE and LAUGHTER! We are so very excited for the two of you and your family as you get ready to welcome that precious baby in April! Jaelynne will be such a GREAT big sister! Thank you again for sharing your wedding weekend with us and please keep in touch!

Phil & Hannah ~ October 4, 2008

2008-10-16T14:35:00.001-07:00

So Sweet...

These two were so sweet! Their ceremony was at Lakeview Christian Church, where my mom is the church coordinator.

In the morning of rehearsal day my mom arrived early to get out all of the candelabras, the archway, the unity candle table, the podiums, etc. A little later, Hannah and her family and bridesmaids arrived to decorate the youth center where the ceremony took place. Kelly (Flowered Occasions) also came and placed tulle and bows down the aisle. Once decorating was complete, everyone went home to change and later returned for the rehearsal!

Wedding day came and the girls began their day getting their hair and make-up done. All of the wedding party arrived at their designated times (making sure that Phil and Hannah didn't see each other) and everything went according to plan from there on! Phil and his guys ate some food that Hannah's mom provided for everyone, got dressed, got their boutonnieres pinned on and then had lots of photos taken by Britton (The Perfect Shot). Once the guys photos were complete we put them back in their hangout room and then it was Hannah and her girls turn!

Once photos concluded we put Hannah and her girls in their hangout room and we lit all of the candles (probably 100+ candles) and dimmed the lights! It was then time for the ushers to seat the guests. The guests were serenaded by piano music played by one of Hannah's bridesmaids.

Once all of the guests were seated it was time to seat the grandparents and then the parents. Pastor Burks, Phil and his groomsmen entered following the lighting of the unity candle and then it was time for Hannah's bridesmaids to make their way down the aisle. The ring bearers were Hannah's twin nephews and they were pulled down in a wagon by Hannah's brothers. Then, the guests rose and Hannah and with her father, Barney, made their way down the candlelit aisle to Phil.

The atmosphere was total ROMANCE! Everything looked gorgeous and there were some really special moments during the ceremony. Two of Hannah's bridesmaids sang a worship song followed by a prayer circle led by a family friend. It was very unique and a very nice touch to the ceremony.

Following the recessional, Hannah and Phil along with their parents formed a receiving line to greet all of their guests. Once all of the guests had been greeted it was time for more photos and then they were off to their reception.

Vendors who made Phil and Hannah's day amazing:

Lakeview Christian Church ~ It is such an AMAZING church with such amazing people!
Pastor Steve Burks ~ He has been a longtime friend of Phil's and he was nice enough to travel from his home in Kentucky to officiate this wedding
Flowered Occasions ~ Kelly and her team did a good job with the tulle, bows, boutonnieres, corsages, and bouquets
The Perfect Shot ~ Britton was very nice and easy to work with. She took lots of photos!

Phil and Hannah~ Thank you so much for allowing us to share in your special day! You both looked amazing and the ceremony site looked AWESOME with all of the candlelight! We wish the two of you the best of luck as you begin your lives as husband and wife in Evansville! You both have amazing families and friends!

Erik & Anna ~ September 27, 2008

2008-10-16T14:34:00.000-07:00

So Adorable!

How cute are the two of them? Erik and Anna and their families were so much fun to work with. The planning of this wedding actually began with Anna's mom, Julia. Erik and Anna live in Texas so we corresponded with Anna through e-mail and met with Julia numerous times to recommend vendors and discuss the wedding details!

Anna arrived in Indianapolis a week before her big day, so Julia and Anna had a few loose ends to tie up, but nothing major! Everything was virtually in place and we had one last meeting the Wednesday prior to the wedding to actually meet Anna in person and to review the timeline and details one last time!

Rehearsal day came quickly and everything went well. Christ the King Catholic Church has a church coordinator, Stacey, who typically runs the rehearsal, so we let her do her thing and made adjustments as we went along to make sure that everything went as planned! You have to have teamwork to make a couple's day be SPECTACULAR! Following the rehearsal they all made their way to The Claddagh for dinner.

Wedding day came quickly as it always does! Anna and her girls began the day early with hair and make-up. We arrived at The Rathskeller to drop off the reception decor and to station our assistant, Jessica. She made sure that everything and everyone arrived on time, that the room was set properly, the favors were out, the escort card table looked fabulous and that everything looked IMPECCABLE when the guests began arriving!

My mom and I made our way to the church to meet Angie (Bokay Florist) and assist her with anything she needed so that we could ensure that the church was just as picture perfect as Julia had envisioned! It was then time for the guys to arrive, receive their boutonnieres and take photos! Kevin (Kiley Studios) and his wife had a nice location outside the church set-up where everyone could go to get their pictures taken. Once the guys were finished it was time for Anna and her bridal party! All photos went quickly, which allowed Kevin to get shots he normally doesn't have time for. He had told us at a prior meeting that pictures generally don't run on time and we told him...they do on our timeline! :)

The guests began arriving and it was then time for the ceremony. The ceremony was beautiful and everyone did a great job! Once the ceremony ended the guests made their way to The Rathskeller and Kevin had more photos to take ~ group shots, signing of the marriage license, etc. Those additional photos went quickly and then a limo came to pick up the wedding party and take them to The Rathskeller.

Once at The Rathskeller, we got the wedding party drinks and appetizers (ballpark pretzels with cheese ~ yummy!). It was then time for introductions, Anna's brother Patrick was the DJ for the evening. Then, Anna's dad, Mark, gave a very nice welcome speech and then it was time for prayer and dinner. Yum...the food was so DELICIOUS...it was all German food! Following dinner, Erik and Anna cut the cake. Anna surprised Erik with a "Cats" groom's cake ~ he was so surprised and loved it! Then, the Maid-of-Honor and Best Man, as well as Erik and Anna's fathers gave nice toasts to the couple. Following toasts, it was time for the first dance and they danced to "Kiss the Girl" from The Little Mermaid. It was so cute, because they slow danced the slow parts of the song and then busted a move when the chorus played! It was so sweet and made it unique unto them. Then, they had the father/daughter and mother/son dances followed by the bouquet and garter tosses. The rest of the evening was filled with dancing, talking, smiling, laughter and love! Everyone had a wonderful time, everyone & everything looked GORGEOUS and everything went flawlessly according to plan!

Vendors who helped to make this day magical include:

Taylor's Bakery ~ The cakes were beautiful and tasted delicious!
Christ the King Catholic Church ~ It was a very nice church. Stacey Hoaglin was the church coordinator and Angela Peterson provided the wonderful ceremony music. Reverend Anthony Volz did a good job performing the ceremony.
Bokay Florist ~ We can never say enough wonderful things about Angie and her staff! The flowers are ALWAYS gorgeous! Angie has so many great ideas and does such a great job of taking care of her brides!
Kiley Studios ~ Kevin and his wife did a very good job with the pictures. Julia, Anna's mom, was so very pleased with the final pictures! Great job Kevin.
The Rathskeller Restaurant ~ Josh and his team did a FABULOUS job! Everything looked beautiful, the food was awesome and the staff was great to work with! Chad was our banquet manager for the evening and he was superb and so accommodating!
Paper By Appointment ~ Michele did such an excellent job! She did their wedding invitations, programs and escort cards all which flawlessly coordinated with red roses! BEAUTIFUL! Michele is so very awesome and we always get the nicest feedback about her and the service she provides our clients!
Carey Indy Limo ~ You can't go wrong with Carey Indy Limo! They are always so great to work with and provide excellent service, cars and drivers!

Their programs

Erik, the groom!

Erik with his AWESOME parents

Isn't this a beautiful picture?

Anna...the beautiful bride!

Anna and her AMAZING family

Christ the King Catholic Church

Anna's dad, Mark, giving Anna a kiss

The wedding party

The happy couple!

Place setting at the head table...this china was given to Anna by her grandmother and she thought it would be meaningful to use it on her wedding day!

Personalized M&M's

The cakes

Busting a move during the chorus of "Kiss the Girl" from The Little Mermaid

Love...it's so sweet!

CONGRATULATIONS ERIK & ANNA!

Erik and Anna ~ Thank you so very much for allowing us to be a part of your special day! You two are so adorable together and the love between the two of you radiates and lights up your faces! You are two of the nicest people we know! Your families were so great and you have an amazing support system and wonderful role models for a long and happy marriage!. We wish the two of you the best as you go on this adventure called life together!

Julia ~ We enjoyed collaborating with you to help make Erik and Anna's day all that you and they envisioned and more! You were so great to work with and we enjoyed getting to know you and your amazing family. Stay in touch!

List of Events

2008-09-09T09:02:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

On the right-hand side I went ahead and listed the dates that we have already booked for 2009.

We have been getting a lot of inquires for 2009 wedding dates, so we thought we would go ahead and let you know the dates that are already taken!

We look forward to hearing from couples!

If you have questions on pricing or how we can add "A Touch of Elegance" to your day please let us know!

Scott & Trisha ~ September 13, 2008

2008-09-08T16:05:00.000-07:00

Lucky In Love!

Scott & Trisha..."Lucky In Love!" We met with them toward the end of May. They booked with us immediately and together from there we made their dreams come to reality!

When we met with Scott and Trisha they told us their vision and they had hired a good deal of their vendors. They are such a creative couple and came up with so many great ideas to make their day uniquely theirs! Their colors were green, peach and white...so pretty together! During the planning process we met numerous times and spent a great deal of time e-mailing and talking on the phone! One of the neat things about this wedding was that it was to be held at Fort Benjamin Harrison (where I got married!). So, we were familiar with the layout and how the day should flow in order to be flawless! Scott and Trisha wanted an outdoor ceremony and that is what we planned for...of course, we had a rain plan as well!

So, about a week prior to the wedding we were all watching the radar and it showed rain all week long and about a 40% chance of rain! As the week progressed the chance of rain increased from 40% to 80%! So on Wednesday Scott and Trisha made the decision that we were going to go with the rain plan, which was a covered tent on the patio outside of The Garrison overlooking the golf course (still GORGEOUS). I could totally sympathize with them because it rained the entire week up to my event as well! I had told my mom that I just had a feeling that they would have a day just like I did...it would rain all week, rain the morning of the rehearsal, be PERFECT weather on wedding day and pour down rain the next day! Guess what...that's what happened for Scott & Trisha's big day! But, even though we went to the rain plan it turned out BEAUTIFULLY!

So, rehearsal day went well. It was a bit soggy, but we were under a tent so it really wasn't bad at all! Following the rehearsal everyone went out to Bynum's Steakhouse!

Wedding day came and it was AWESOME! I love the feeling of seeing a blank room and then seeing it transform minute by minute! We arrived early in the morning to make sure that we got everything done! We tied the bows on the chairs, made sure all of the tables were set properly, put all of the favors out (personalized M&M's in a round tin, personalized champagne toasting flutes, personalized matchbooks, a lottery ticket and scratcher for each person), helped the florist decorate by scattering rose petals EVERYWHERE, made sure the bar was set and that their personalized cocktail napkins were in place, set up the reserved tables escort cards (I love the pin-wheel set-up) and much much more! One of my favorite touches of the reception hall was the one peach rose that was placed in the bow on the back of every other chair...it just looked so elegant!

I will tell you that when everything was set up...it was STUNNING! The ceremony site was so rustic and romantic looking and the reception hall looked amazing with rose petals everywhere and glowing with candlelight placed all around the room!

So, on wedding day...Peace, Harmony & Hair came to the Kendall Inn to do Trisha and her girls' hair and make-up, which allowed everyone to be in a comfortable atmosphere so that they could relax and grab a bite to eat! Scott came over to inspect the room and hangout before it was time for all of the festivities to begin! But, as it always does...the day moved along quickly and it was time for Scott and all of his guys to get ready in their room at the Kendall Inn! Once everyone was ready, it was time for photos to begin for Scott and the guys! Normally, once the groom's photos are finished it is time for the ladies, but Trisha was not quite ready so we ended up completing her photos once the ceremony was finished! Everything moved along WONDERFULLY and all of the vendors were there on time and ready to go! About 45 minutes before it was time for the ceremony to start we stationed the guys downstairs in a room and we brought Trisha and her girls over from the Kendall Inn (we had Carey Limos mini-bus get the guys and girls to have from the hotel to the ceremony & reception location) to see the room! Trisha's reaction is why we do this job! Her face just lit up and it brought tears to her eyes! LOVE to see that :)

The guests began arriving and then it was showtime! The ceremony was so very sweet and intimate. Grace String Quartet really set the mood for the ceremony! Trisha was escorted down the aisle by her son, Rayne! Because they were blending two families together they conducted a sand ceremony that included all of their children (everyone had their own color and it made a great piece of art for their home)...it was so sweet! They had a really cool unity candle. Instead of using actual candles, it was oil based and it was just breathtaking! When guests were being escorted to their seats we had the ushers hand each guest a program and a takeout box filled with rose petals and a "thank you" charm so that once Scott and Trisha were announced the guests could shower them with rose petals!

Once the recessional was over Scott, Trisha and the wedding party went out to take more photos and the guests made their way into the reception hall. It was nice, because the way that we had it set up, we made sure that each guest that was present signed their guest book, which was a photo mat with a picture of Scott proposing to Trisha! Once inside, the guests were treated to a roaming violinist, Mrs. Jenny Powell. The guests had amazing passed hors d'eouvers, including shrimp shooters!

Once the wedding party returned from getting their additional photos taken they took a little bit of time to regroup and get a bite to eat in their own private cocktail hour. Then it was time for introductions and dinner! Steve and The Garrison staff did an excellent job with the set-up of the venue and the very delicious food! Following dinner the best man, Scott, gave his toast and then it was time to cut the cake! The cake was made by the best man's wife, Amy, and it was her first wedding cake she had ever made...she did an EXCELLENT job and along with one big wedding cake she also made two additional heart-shaped cakes that were a BEAUTIFUL compliment to the main cake! While the cake was being served the special dances began...Scott & Trisha's first dance, Trisha & her father's dance, Scott & his mother's dance and then parent/child dances...Scott & his daughter Ashley's dance, Scott & his daughter Alexandria's dance, Trisha & her son Rayne's dance and Trisha & her new step-son Aaron's dance! It was so sweet to see all of their dances and it is so great that they gave each child their own special moment with them!

Following the dances it was time for the bouquet and garter toss and to kick the evening of dancing off they played an Anniversary & Married Couples Dance - "Babe" by Styxx! It was so AMAZING because the dance floor was PACKED and it was so great to see how long everyone has been married! The night was GREAT and the kids had such a great time dancing the night away!

While the party was going, we snuck over to the Kendall Inn and spread rose petals all around the room and made a heart on the bed as well as put votive candles in the foyer, bedroom and around the bathtub! The room looked AMAZING and so unbelievably romantic :)

Here are a list of vendors who helped to make Scott & Trisha's dreams come true:

Grace String Quartet - Powell Music and all of their musicians are beyond AMAZINGand really know how to set the mood to make an event spectacular!
Party Time Sound (DJ) - Mark & Scott were great to work with and provided a great atmosphere for Scott and Trisha's guests! The groom, Scott, actually put his whole playlist together himself on his IPOD, so he really made their job easy!
George Thomas Florist - Ahh...Melissa and her staff are AWESOME! They were so GREAT to work with and truly did an OUTSTANDING job of transforming the ceremony and reception site to make all of Scott and Trisha's ideas come to life! Melissa is a GREAT person and was just amazing!
Reverend Matthew Skiles - Reverend Skiles did such a GREAT job for Scott and Trisha! He made the ceremony unique to them and was so easy to work with. He is so nice and you can tell he truly cares about the couples he is marrying!
Ancient Monkey Photography - Bob did a wonderful job with the photos! It is always fun to see how each event comes across in print and I think Scott and Trisha are very pleased with Rob's work!
Paper By Appointment - Michele once again did a GREAT job! She spent time with Scott & Trisha to pick out a very BEAUTIFUL invitation! She made the process so easy for them and we, of course, love to work with her!
Carey Indiana Limousines - Always FANTASTIC service and drivers! They provided a mini-bus for the wedding party to get to and from each of their destinations!
The Garrison (Fort Benjamin Harrison) - Steve is AMAZING at what he does and he was such a pleasure to work with! He provided us with endless floor plans and was so knowledgeable about what his venue had to offer to make Scott and Trisha's day perfect! It is definitely a venue to consider...I, of course, am a little partial, but truly it is beautiful and with a little imagination it turns into a spectacular venue! Thank you Steve for all of your help :)
Movietyme Video Productions - Jessica did a great job of capturing their special day! We can't wait to see the finished product, but she worked her butt off to make sure that she got as much footage as possible!

Here are some photos from Scott & Trisha's big day!

Trisha getting her ribbon tied and looking STUNNING!

Grace String Quartet!

The GORGEOUS ceremony site! It was so rustic and romantic looking! It was overlooking a golf course and just looked AMAZING!

The BEAUTIFUL flower girl, Celina!

Trisha being escorted down the aisle by her son, Rayne!

The sand ceremony set up for seven :)

Scott & Trisha being showered with rose petals!

Picture Perfect

The wedding party!

The reserved tables escort cards! I LOVE the pin-wheel set-up!

Cutting the cake!

A Touch of Elegance...our team...Deborah, Jessica B., Cassie & Jessica A.

Cheers To You!

Scott & Trisha...the two of you are so AMAZING! We cannot even begin to tell you how much we enjoyed working with and getting to know the two of you and your families! Thank you so much for allowing us to share in your special day and we are so happy that it came together even better than you envisioned! We truly believe that we found great friends in the two of you and we hope to continue to get updates on your family! They had a baby girl, Ivey, in July and she is just adorable and so darn sweet! Truly, we can't say thank you enough and we wish the two of you and your families nothing but the best, because you all deserve it!

Joseph & Jessica ~ September 6, 2008

2008-09-08T16:04:00.002-07:00

Loving Every Minute

Jessica & Joe’s wedding was at Lakeview Christian Church, where I am one of the wedding coordinators. I met with Jessica & her mother, Carolyn to discuss their needs and get a feel for their vision about six weeks before their big day. Jessica wanted lots of candlelight and a romantic feel to the ceremony site. Her chosen colors were lilac, purple and ivory.

To create Jessica’s vision, we placed an arch (decorated with tulle) at the entry of the aisle with the base surrounded with hurricane candles and rose petals. We lined the aisle with hurricane candles and puddled rose petals between the hurricanes. We set up two 15 candle spiral candelabra’s, two 15 candle arch candelabra’s and two 9 candle candelabra’s at the alter. They also had a unity candelabra. Candles were also placed on the sign in table and gift table.

Kevin & Alicia Monahan (Kevin Monahan Photography) were the photographers for the day. Jessica & Joe opted to have all of their photographs taken before the ceremony. Getting ready shots and individual shots were the first order of the day then they moved on to family shots. Before the wedding party photographs began we arranged a moment where the very nervous groom got his first glimpse at his beaming bride. Jessica was absolutely gorgeous and Joe was all smiles. Kevin & Alicia were a joy to work with.

Minutes before the prelude music began my assistant Jessica Ayers and I lit all of the candles and dimmed the overhead lights to provide the ambiance Jessica was looking to achieve. What an AMAZING transformation! The room was STUNNING.
The ceremony was held in the Conference Center at Lakeview. Pastor Rob Haslett officiated and did a wonderful job personalizing the ceremony. Jessica’s brothers, Steve & Jacob were ushers.

After the ceremony the guests lined the walkway and threw birdseed as the happy couple made their grand exit and headed to their reception.

Jessica and Joe honeymooned in Mexico. Here’s what she had to say upon their return. “The honeymoon was a blast, we just got back from Mexico. Although it’s great to be home, we almost didn’t want to leave!”

The guest book

Hurricanes and rose petals lining the aisle

Jessica...isn't she beautiful?

Joe...isn't he handsome?

Father and daughter making their entrance

United together in this life

Joe & Jessica...It was a pleasure to meet and get to know you and your wonderful families. We enjoyed having a small part in making your wedding dreams come to life. We wish you a lifetime of love and happiness! Best wishes!

Mike & Jennie ~ August 31, 2008

2008-09-08T16:04:00.001-07:00

Picture Perfect!

Such an AMAZING couple and two amazing families! We were referred to Jennie and her mom, Kim, by Megan at the Crowne Plaza - Union Station. Jennie and Kim called us and the rest was as they say...history! Jennie and Kim had a vision in their heads as to what they wanted everything to look like and they had already hired their other major vendors prior to hiring us, so it was a matter of helping them get their vision across on the big day! We had meetings at Crowne Plaza many times to go over how everything was supposed to be set and we met with the florist numerous times to make sure that their vision was truly captured by Judy (Ayers Flowers Wholesale).

The rehearsal went great! There was a wedding getting ready to take place on the day of the rehearsal so we improvised and had the rehearsal in the hallway! It was a piece of cake and everyone did awesome with the practice location! From there they had their rehearsal dinner at J. Gumbos in Indianapolis and then as a group they went to an Indianapolis Indians baseball game!

The day of the wedding was just AMAZING! The bridal party (who had all stayed at the Crowne Plaza the night before) walked over to Pan Am Plaza to get their hair and make-up done. Once they were finished they walked back over to the Crowne Plaza and had a great time in the girls dressing room! The guys arrived and went to their dressing room where they ate, talked and got ready for photos! Mike and the guys had all of their photos done first and then it was time for Jennie and the girls! Jennie looked absolutely RADIANT! She was 6 months pregnant and you COULD NOT tell! Her dress was just so gorgeous and elegant. Following their individual pictures, it was time for them to see each other for the first time! Ahh...it just make me want to tear up, because both of them cried! It was so sweet!

Judy did a great job with the flowers for everyone and the flowers used for the ceremony site and the reception site were just what Jennie and Kim envisioned! The cakes arrived and looked STUNNING. They got Mike a groom's cake with the Cubs logo on it! The string quartet arrived and then it was time for guests!

Everything was set up so elegantly! There were rose petals and candles everywhere! They also had a table of family photos from each side. Their guest book was a big photo mat with Mike & Jennie's engagement picture in it! Their programs were made by Jennie's brother, Mike Jr., and turned out AWESOME! I found this GREAT website that has a ton of different ideas and it fit their really elegant and royal theme. Everything just tied together so nicely. Their colors were ecru (ivory) and black.

The guests were seated to wonderful musical selections by the Grace String Quartet and then it was show time! Everyone did so great and everything went PERFECT! There was such a sweet and tender moment right before we sent Jennie and her dad, Mike, down the aisle! We told her how beautiful she was (truly...she was gorgeous) and asked her if she was ready and that brought on a flood of emotions and she started to get teary eyed and turned into her dad...so sweet! Then, it took my breath away when it was time for Jennie and her dad to start down the aisle! The trumpet was playing to "Trumpet Voluntary." It was truly a royal entrance!

Following the recessional, Mike and Jennie went back and released each row, while their wedding party went upstairs to their own private cocktail hour. The guests had a great cocktail hour while the UNBELIEVABLE staff at the Crowne Plaza flipped the room in about a half an hour (half the time they normally have). We were definitely all scrambling behind the scenes, but that's why you hire us...so you don't have to worry about all of that :) When the room was transformed it was STUNNING!

Jennie's brother, Scott, was in charge of introducing the wedding party and WOW...we could not have picked anyone better! He did such a great job and has such an announcers voice! He made it fun and really got everyone in the mood for a fun and exciting evening! Right after the introductions, Mike & Jennie cut the cake and then Jennie's dad, Mike, gave a really nice welcome speech and Kevin (the officiant and groom's brother - who did a great job) gave the blessing! Dinner was served and yum...yum...you cannot go wrong with the food Chef Randy and his staff at Crowne Plaza prepare! Next up were the toasts and everyone did so great! All of their families and friends have such great personalities and really know how to have fun! Following that we had all of the special dances and the the bouquet and garter toss! It was then time to PARTY for the rest of the evening!

The Flying Toasters were the band for the evening and they were just OUTSTANDING! They kept people out on the dance floor all night long and really took the time to include their guests so that they stayed engaged in the atmosphere (although....it's hard not to, because all of the lights and great music are infectious)!

The last song of the evening was "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" and then we gathered the guests outside and handed out sparklers to each guest as they lined the pathway to the horse and carriage! Mike and Jennie made their way down the path and rode off into the city lights! It was truly magical and such a fitting ending for such a royal couple and wedding!

Here are the vendors who helped to make Mike & Jennie's day so AMAZING:

· Pastry Diva - Andrea did such a GREAT job with all of the detail work on their wedding cake and the groom's cake! It was delicious!

· Grace String Quartet (Powell Music) - WOW...amazing as always! They are all such great people to work with and they no cease to amaze us!

· Flying Toasters - Jason and the band were just AWESOME! Like I said earlier...they kept the guests on their feet the entire night and really gave special attention to make everyone feel included and energized! They are AMAZING!

· Ayers Flowers Wholesale - Judy did a great job of making Jennie and Kim's vision come to life.

· Meridian Design Group - They did such a WONDERFUL job with everyone's hair and make-up! Everyone looked stunning!

· Kevin Kiefer (Officiant) - Kevin did such a GREAT job! He is the groom's brother and did a great job of tying in stories from their family and he truly made it personal and unique to them! Kevin was so WONDERFUL to work with!

· Mary-Ellen Bertram Studios - WOW...Mary-Ellen is FABULOUS at what she does! The pictures are beyond AMAZING! She truly did a great job of capturing how royal and elegant the day was! We cannot say enough good things about her!

· Crowne Plaza Union Station - Megan, Cambrie and their staff...simply the best! I'm sure you all have noticed a running theme...we truly LOVE working with them and they make the process so easy for us and our clients! It is just a truly beautiful venue!

· Dos Halos Studios - Zach and Rikki provided the videography for the day and we are so excited to see the video! They were so nice to work with :)

· Yellow Rose Carriage - AWESOME as usual! They are just first class and great to work with as well!

The Invitation

The Groom, Mike

The GORGEOUS, Jennie

Jennie...again...AMAZING shot!

The Group Shot

BEAUTIFUL Group Shot

Grace String Quartet

Escort Cards

Yummy...shrimp shooters!

The Grand Hall

"Thank You"

Yum...cake :)

Mike's surprise groom's cake

Guitars from The Flying Toasters...they are AWESOME!

Kim & Mike

Mike & Jennie...we cannot THANK YOU enough for allowing us to share in your special day! It was truly royal and we enjoyed so much getting to know both of you and your great families (Kim - we love you and thank you so much for all of your kind words and friendship)! Everyone was so delightful to work with and we thank you so much for all of your kind words! We wish the two of you the absolute BEST! You two deserve so many great things in life and we are so excited for you and your little bundle of joy...they are having a girl :) Thank you again!

Eric & Erin ~ June 20, 2008

2008-09-08T16:03:00.002-07:00

Magazine Worthy

WOW...Eric and Erin could definitely have their photo in a bridal magazine! STUNNING! We met Erin and her mom Sue (both women are so AMAZING) about 3 weeks before her wedding! Erin had done A LOT of the planning, but most of it was in pieces, so she needed our assistance to bring all of her ideas and vendors together to make it SPECTACULAR! Let me tell you...it was just that and more! Erin is an actress and Eric loves to write plays! They met while attending Indiana University and then Eric moved to New York to pursue his dreams! Erin was there for a little bit and then came back to finish a few credits and plan this wedding! She has impeccable taste and she made the event truly unique to her and her guests!

The rehearsal went well and their rehearsal dinner went awesome at Buca di Beppo's in Indianapolis. Eric's father got them rehearsal dinner "tickets" with their names and the location and time printed on them and that's what they used as rehearsal dinner invitations (too cute!). They truly thought about their attendant and parents gifts (no dry eyes)! Everyone just LOVED what Eric and Erin presented them!

Wedding day went flawlessly! Erin had Karen Hall & Co. come to the Crowne Plaza to do everyone's hair and make-up! WOW...everyone looked STUNNING! The day rolled on as it was planned to with the groom's photos and the bride's photos! Following their separate pictures, it was then time for Eric and Erin to see each other! It was so gosh darn sweet! They were crying and just so happy and in love! From there it was time for guests to arrive!

It was very nicely set up because Eric and Erin had brought in family photos to place on a desk in the foyer so that everyone could see the history of their families and their history as a couple. Erin and Sue bought scented candles for the foyer and the reception hall for the tables so it smelled so MAGNIFICENT throughout the entire venue. Guests took their seats and everything (processional, ceremony and recessional) went PERFECTLY! One unique thing Eric and Erin did was that their wedding party walked down to "Part of Your World" from "The Little Mermaid" - Erin's favorite movie! Also, in this wedding, Eric and Erin wanted to include their dog, Zoe, so they even had a dog-bearer for the ceremony...too cute! Everyone was perfect throughout the ceremony and their officiant (Tim Noble...a family friend who was ordained specifically for their event) was absolutely GREAT! During the ceremony they had a couple of their friends sing "In Whatever Time We Have" and it just took your breath away! Truly, it was magical and just beautiful to watch!

Following the ceremony, the wedding party went outside to take photographs around the city while the guests mingled in the foyer and the bar for the cocktail hour! For the table assignments Erin made AMAZING turquoise boards displaying everyone's cards! During the cocktail hour guests were treated to the sounds of a string quartet provided by the Cool City Swing Band. Once the wedding party finished their photos they went up to a private cocktail hour for them!

The staff at Crowne Plaza is just BEYOND amazing! Megan, Cambrie and their staff are just such an absolute joy to work with and they make the process so easy for everyone involved. For this wedding because the ceremony was in the same location that the reception was going to be the Crowne Plaza staff had about an hour to flip the room and transform it in the beautiful reception location! They definitely have it down to a science and are just MAGNIFICENT!

Once the room was transformed it was time to let the guests in and the night truly began! Eric and Erin came up with really fun introductions for each of the members in their wedding party! Following introductions Erin's dad gave a really gracious welcome speech and her uncle gave a blessing! It was then time for dinner...yum...yum! They had a seated dinner and boy oh boy...it was GREAT! Chef Randy and his staff are truly masters at what they do and everything was PERFECT! Then, it was time for special dances, toasts and cake cutting! The cake was absolutely STUNNING! Erin designed it and WOW...Classic Cakes delivered big time (even the fondant was good...hard to do :)

All night long the guests were entertained by the Cool City Swing Band! Roy and his band were just OUTSTANDING and kept people out dancing all night long! Erin gave us all a WONDERFUL surprise by signing a song with the band! WOW...she is amazing and it put the perfect cap on the night! The song that ended the evening was "I Told Ya I Loved Ya, Now Get Out" and it was great! Everyone had a blast and everyone was just so darn easy to work with!

Here are the vendors who helped make this day so amazing:

Classic Cakes - Liz and her team are just dynamite! They do an AMAZING job and are just a joy to work with!
Karen Hall & Co. (Hair & Make-up) - Karen and her team and PHENOMENAL at what they do! They are so very diligent and want to make sure everything is flawless and just amazing for everyone involved! They are all so easy and nice to work with!
Crowne Plaza at Union Station - I could gush on and on for days about Megan, Cambrie and their staff! AMAZING, WONDERFUL, FLAWLESS, PHENOMENAL, PERFECT, EASY TO WORK WITH, OUTSTANDING SERVICE & FOOD....
Cool City Swing Band - Roy and everyone in the band were AMAZING to work with and truly provided a great atmosphere for Eric and Erin's wedding!
The Florist at Allisonville Nursery - Chuck did a great job for this wedding! The backdrop for the ceremony was just STUNNING!
Erin Hession Photography - Erin and her team...WOW...you can just look at the photos and they speak for themselves! Not only do they do GREAT work, but they are genuinely a pleasure to work with! They were so very diligent in making sure that they got every shot from multiple angles, so that the client has options! There were so many GREAT pictures that it was so difficult for us to choose!
Indy Visual (Videographer) - Bob...AMAZING! Truly...when we met him we knew he was going to an EXCELLENT job, but when the DVD arrived on their wedding day we just sat with our mouth agape, because it was just so AMAZING! He just does an absolutely WONDERFUL job capturing every moment and making it into a story of art! Just AMAZING...not enough good words for how great he is at his job and what a great person he is as well.

As you can probably tell we LOVED working with everyone on this wedding (truthfully...we LOVE everyone we work with because we are truly that blessed to have AMAZING clients and vendors to work with).

Here are some photos from Erin Hession...

They are just so photogenic!

Erin looking STUNNING!

So BEAUTIFUL

Erin & her bridesmaids

A GORGEOUS overhead shot of the ceremony

Having a good time on the train cars!

The cake...Erin designed it...she is SO creative!

Cool City Swing Band

Having a good time dancing...so cute

Erin gave the guests a special treat by singing a song with the band...she sounds AMAZING!

My mom and I having a GREAT time!

Hugs & Kisses to the two of you (and Zoe)

Eric and Erin...we cannot thank you enough for allowing us to share in your special day! The two of you were so fun and laid-back. Your families were so GREAT to work with and we enjoyed meeting and getting to know each of them! Erin you have so many OUTSTANDING ideas and it was so AWESOME to see everything you worked so hard for come together! We wish both of you the best in New York and we definitely hope to come see you someday when your name are in lights (it will happen!). You both looked STUNNING on your wedding day and were just such a pleasure to work with! Best of luck to you in all of your future endeavors!

Jason & Nicole ~ June 14, 2008

2008-09-08T16:03:00.001-07:00

WOW!

Jason & Nicole! They are just another AMAZING couple! We met Nicole towards the end of September 2007 and knew from the get-go that she was going to be so much fun to work with. She was another bride who had a lot of her day planned when she came to us, so our role was to help with some additional vendors, give extra ideas, put the timeline together and coordinate with all of her vendors to make sure that everything went smoothly on her big day!

In October of 2007 Jason & Nicole moved to Colorado so they wanted to make sure that there was someone here in Indiana to oversee everything. So, we e-mailed multiple times each day until everything was in its place. Jason & Nicole did come back to Indiana once or twice prior to their event, so we set up vendor meetings with virtually all of their vendors to go over everything that had been discussed between all parties. Everything was set to go and it went...flawlessly!

Their wedding was outdoors at Laurel Hall (BEAUTIFUL location). On rehearsal day my mom and I got their a couple hours early because we helped the waitstaff get the tables set. Well...kind of...they delivered pink tablecloths instead of imperial white...so we had a minor setback! So, once we identified that the pink was NOT what we ordered they waitstaff quickly rectified the situation and on wedding day all of the linens were correct and the room was stunning!

The day of the wedding was absolutely gorgeous! On rehearsal day we had a bit of a sprinkle, but the sky was perfect just for them on their big day! Our team worked really hard to make this wedding just perfect! There were so many elements and locations. Laurel Hall is an old house and the rooms are broken up so we had lots of ground to cover! We helped the waitstaff change out the linens, fold the napkins, tie the chair cushions on, etc. It was crazy...as it always is, but that is why you hire us...so you don't have to worry about all of the craziness that goes on behind the scenes! :) We made sure all of the chairs for the ceremony location were set up and that everything and everyone who was supposed to arrive did just that!

Really...this day was just so darn smooth! Nicole and her maid-of-honor had their hair and make-up done (True Colors...Rebecca) in the suite upstairs in Laurel Hall. They just relaxed all morning and drank champagne. Jason and his best man were on time and had time to just mingle with family and relax. We really aim at a stress-free day for our couples...the day goes bye so quickly the way it is that no bride or groom should be bothered with the details on their wedding day! I think both Jason & Nicole will attest to that...they both just kept saying how fast the day was going bye!

We have just truly been so fortunate to work with GREAT couples and vendors! Here are a list of vendors that helped make Jason & Nicole's wedding day so memorable!

Classic Cakes -- Liz and her team are just AMAZING at what they do! They provided a BEAUTIFUL cake for Jason & Nicole's day!
True Colors (Hair & Make-up) -- Rebecca and her team once again did an OUTSTANDING job on Nicole and her maid-of-honor!
Jacquie's Gourmet Catering -- Jackie is so nice to work with and talk to! Her staff are wonderful to work with and our banquet manager for the night, Crystal, was just great! They were all so accommodating and quickly rectified any situation that arose (i.e. the linens).
Laurel Hall -- Stephanie and her team are AMAZING and such a pleasure to work with! It is such an impressive and unique venue! If you are looking for an outdoor location this is definitely one to check out!
TLW Entertainment (Village Quartet & Krista Lee) -- Terry, Liz & Krista Lee are just so easy and nice to work with! Terry is the booking agent for TLW, Liz is the main point of contact for the Village Quartet and Krista Lee is a great (fun and energetic) DJ. TLW has a lot of entertainment acts to offer...definitely check them out!
Flowers by Melissa -- Melissa was so sweet to work with. She really worked with Nicole to make sure that she was totally pleased with her flowers and on the day of she definitely delivered! The flowers were so vibrant and just look magnificent around Laurel Hall.
Anointed Hands Interpreting -- Lisa did such a great job for Jason & Nicole's friends! They had a few deaf friends attending their event, so Lisa signed during the ceremony and Nicole signed during dinner!
Julie Denny-Hughes (Officiant) -- Julie did a wonderful job for Jason and Nicole.
Alanna Photography -- WOW...Janie and her husband, James, did a MAGNIFICENT job on the photos! She took so many photos and they were all so good it was difficult to choose!
Antique Limousine of Indianapolis -- Jack and his men put the last touch on a perfect evening!

Here are some of the photographs courtesy of Janie at Alanna Photography...

The outside of Laurel Hall

Nicole getting buttoned in her dress!

Isn't Nicole just beautiful?

Jason & Nicole exchanging rings

The rings!

The Village Quartet playing during the cocktail hour

Mr. & Mrs.

Aren't they cute?

The dining room for Laurel Hall...it looked so AMAZING in there!

The Basset Hound cake topper! Jason & Nicole have two basset hounds, so they tried to incorporate them! They also gave a donation in honor of their guests, in lieu of favors, to High Country Basset Hound Rescue & Black-Footed Ferret Recovery Program in Colorado.

Simply AMAZING!

Jason & Nicole...we cannot thank you enough for allowing us to be a part of your very special day! You both are just such great people and make such an amazing couple. You two compliment one another so wonderfully! We cannot thank you enough for all of your kind words and friendship. We miss chatting with you on a daily basis, but we hope that married life has been nothing short of amazing for the two of you! We wish you the best because you both deserve it! Thank you again for letting us share in your day!

Dustin & Wendy ~ May 30, 2008

2008-09-08T15:42:00.001-07:00

So Sweet!

Dustin & Wendy! We first met with Wendy in mid-September of 2007 and from there began assisting Wendy with wedding planning! Wendy is another bride who is HIGHLY organized and had pretty much already planned her wedding down to the last detail (She was so great about keeping her wedding party informed...at the rehearsal they received a detailed schedule of events!)! When we met with her she was wanting assistance from us to keep her on track up until the wedding day, but mostly to just make sure that the day went seamlessly! And, seamlessly it went!

We were only contracted to help with their rehearsal and ceremony as well as to put together a timeline and to make sure that all of her vendors arrived on time and to make sure the church looked flawless. On wedding day we arrived around 10:00am and from there everything went like clockwork!

Rebecca & Cassandra from True Colors arrived to do all of the girls make-up (they all had their hair done at a salon earlier that morning). Jimmy Johns arrived with sandwiches for the girls and guys. The florist dropped off BEAUTIFUL flowers and then it was time for pictures! Pictures were QUICK and SMOOTH! We truly had about an hour and half of just down time. The girls listened to music and played card games, while the guys went to grab more to eat (we generally don't let the guys leave once they are on the premises, but we made an exception)!

Guests began arriving and watched a looping video montage of Dustin and Wendy from birth to current day (It was cute, because one of them graduated from IU and one from PU, so there were cute rivalry photos)! It was then time for the ceremony and off it went without a hitch! Everything turned out BEAUTIFULLY and Wendy looked STUNNING!

Once the ceremony was over the wedding party was off in a limo and ready for the reception at The Ritz Charles in Carmel!

Here is a list of vendors who helped make Dustin & Wendy's wedding day dreams a reality!

True Colors (Make-up) -- Rebecca and her staff ALWAYS do an amazing job and this event was no exception!

Hazel Dell Christian Church -- Pastor David did a GREAT job with the ceremony! He was a pleasure to work with.

Tin Barn Flowers -- Chris and her team delivered BEAUTIFUL flowers! They were so vibrant and fresh! They really popped!

Bella Pictures -- Jessica Limeberry (Lemon Grass Photography) did an OUTSTANDING job with the photographs for Dustin & Wendy's wedding day! She is so down-to-earth and easy to work with and talk to. She really gave them GREAT photographs that will last a lifetime!

Carte Blanche Limo -- Bob and his guys did a wonderful job of being on time and transporting the wedding party to the reception!

Here are a few photos from Dustin & Wendy's big day from Jessica!

Wendy & her bridesmaids! Don't all of the colors just pop! I just LOVE outdoor photos!

Here is Dustin & Wendy's wedding program! Wendy made them herself and they turned out beautifully!

Aww...they are so ADORABLE!

Dustin & Wendy are another one of our dynamic couples! We have been so BLESSED to work with such amazing couples! Because they are so great it makes our job feel like we are just hanging out with our good friends!

Dustin & Wendy ~ Thank you so much for allowing us to be a part of your special day! You two are such a NICE couple! You were such a blessing to work with and did such a FANTASTIC job planning your big day! Your vision was great and we were honored to help you execute it! We wish you nothing but happiness and a long life together! You two deserve the best and we are so very happy for the two of you!

Mike & Jamie ~ May 17, 2008

2008-09-08T15:41:00.001-07:00

We Love Them...

Ahh...Mike & Jamie! We absolutely LOVED working with them and their families! We started working with Jamie and her family around October of last year and it was such a wonderful experience! They had virtually all of their vendors in place when they hired us, because Jamie's sister had gotten married the year prior and was satisfied with the vendors she had chosen. So, from there we met numerous times and went over and over the details to make sure that everything was picture perfect for their big day!

The rehearsal went great and Jamie's dad had arranged for his company's shuttle bus to pick all of the guests up at the Marriott downtown (where virtually everyone was staying) and then take them from the rehearsal to the rehearsal dinner at Loon Lake Lodge.

The wedding day was just absolutely STUNNING and such a blast! In the morning we arrived at the church to make sure everything was going smoothly and that everything was set-up and ready to go. From there we headed to Jamie's parents house where all of the girls were getting ready! Their day was very stress-free. Hair and make-up was done at the home, so everyone was comfortable and they were able to eat and move around freely. They took a majority of their photographs at the home because their home is magnificent and it backs up to woods so they were able to get some stunning indoor and outdoor photos with the green foliage and blue sky! Ahh...I just LOVE outdoor pictures...you just can't beat the lighting and colors!

Mike and the guys were stationed downtown at the Marriott prior to arriving at the church, so their day was very relaxing as well. They were able to eat and lounge around and have the photographer come to them and get some great photos of them in the GORGEOUS hotel!

It was then time for pictures, so the guys were up first and once all of the photos with Mike were finished Jamie and all of her girls were brought to the church in a stretch hummer. The girls did their photos and then it was time for the guests to arrive! Most of the guests were once again shuttled in a bus from the Marriott downtown to the church and then back to the Marriott for the reception! Everything went so great and everyone did exactly what they were supposed to do. The ceremony was so intimate and romantic. It was just beautiful.

Following the ceremony we gave guests some rose petals and had them line the walkway out of the church. Once everyone was in place the guests showered Mike & Jamie with rose petals and Mike and Jamie made a "fake" getaway and were brought back for more photos while the guests headed to the cocktail hour via the shuttles! Everything was just so AWESOME looking at the cocktail hour and reception! In order to set the mood for the event, we had a cabana placed in front of the entrance for the guests to walk through to give it that exclusive and intimate feeling. Mike proposed to Jamie in a cabana in Mexico, so it had symbolic meaning to them as well. From there the guests were just treated like royalty with AMAZING food and unlimited drinks.

After photos at the church, Mike & Jamie along with their wedding party stopped downtown and took photos at Monument Circle and then headed to the Marriott downtown for their private wedding party cocktail reception.

Following the cocktail hour we opened the doors to the elegant reception ballroom! Jamie wanted a black, white and silver theme so we had white table linens with white chair covers and a silver and black sash tied in a bow on the chairs. The centerpieces alternated with high-low arrangements. The high centerpieces were silver stands with a huge arrangement at the top and the low arrangements were three varying size glass cylinders will floating orchids and floating candles. It was very elegant. Mike is from Texas so we named each table a city in Texas and had adorable table numbers with the state of Texas on it along with the city's name. The name cards had a matching motif! They also had food stations and each station had white uplighting to give the room a really elegant glow.

Once we got all of the guests in the ballroom and seated it was time to introduce the wedding party! Once the wedding party was introduced we showed a video montage of Mike and Jamie and then we had the big introduction of the new couple! Following that it was dinner time! The food stations were absolutely AMAZING and all of the guests had nothing but compliments on the food, service and staff! It was then time for toasts, cake cutting and special dances! For a surprise to Jamie's dad we put together a video montage of just pictures of the two of them as Jamie was growing up! It was so sweet and there was not a dry eye in the place (including Bob, her dad).

The night was AMAZING and everything turned out absolutely BEAUTIFUL! The dance floor was PACKED all night long and it was so great to see everyone having a great time. To end the night the DJ, Rick, played one last song and it was so sweet because they all stood in one big circle and sang a song together as a group (there were about 60+ people still there at the end of the night!). From there we sent everyone out to the front door to wait for Mike & Jamie to make their exit into a horse and carriage! It was just a perfect ending!

Because there were so many guests who stayed at the hotel that night once Mike & Jamie returned from their horse and carriage ride and changed clothes they had pizza brought in and the bar reopened! I think they said the continued to party until 3:00am! It was such a GREAT night and I could see not wanting it to come to an end!

I must say that they were one of the funnest families we have been privileged to work with! It is so nice because we still have an ongoing friendship with them and we LOVE to get together with LouAnn (Jamie's mom) and just talk about life! Both families were so nice and an absolute pleasure to work with!

Here are the vendors who helped Mike & Jamie's day magical:

Castleton United Methodist Church with officiant Bill Schwein - This church was newly remodeled and updated so everything was SPECTACULAR!

Marriott Hotel Downtown - Lisette was just absolutely AMAZING to work with and we cannot say enough about her organizational skills and willingness to work with us! The hotel is just GORGEOUS and the food and amenities are OUTSTANDING! The staff went above and beyond to make sure that everything was first-class and flawless!

Rue de Fleurs - Florist

The Studio by Mark A. Rice - Mark & Shelley were AMAZING to work with and took such time and paid such close attention to every detail and every shot! They really thought through the process and made sure that each photo was magical! Not only are they great photographers, but they are all around great people!

Hal Graves Productions (Videographer) - Hal was so nice and easy to work with! He was so generous in sending us a copy of the completed DVD of Mike & Jamie's day! He provided wonderful work and a timeless piece for Mike & Jamie and their families.

Heavenly Sweets - The same result as always...AMAZING! Tanya and her staff just send out such a quality product and really take the time to make sure it is everything the bride wants and more!

DJ's Direct - Rick did such an OUTSTANDING job with the music for the night! He was a great MC (master of ceremonies) and he was really fun for us to work with! Such a great personality which translates to a great DJ! The dance floor was FULL all night long!

Luxury Services Limousine - Robbie and the driver, Greg, were just AMAZING! They are so GREAT to work with and went out of their way to make sure everything was just PERFECT! They are definitely first-class!

Wendi Closser (Flipped Out) - Wendi did such a GREAT job with everyone's hair!

Kathy Moberly (Make-up) - Kathy provided the make-up and it was STUNNING! She airbrushed all of the girls and gave them that flawless finish!

Yellow Rose Carriage - You cannot go wrong with them! The nicest drivers and just impeccable to work with!

Jill Pitz (Harpist) - There was actually a trio who played for the ceremony and they did an OUTSTANDING job! The music just brought tears to your eyes thinking about the meaning of marriage and the step that Mike & Jamie were taking in their lives today!

Bokay Florist - Mrs. Angie Kenley is just AMAZING! She provided the set-up and tear down of the cabana and let me just tell you that it was STUNNING and really set the stage for the evening!

Paper By Appointment - Michele is just unmatched! Her personalized service just makes her customers want to continue to come back to her for every event! Michele provided the name cards and table numbers with the state of Texas motif! She is just GREAT at what she does!

I still can't believe this wedding is over even after all of this time! Like I said earlier, we just LOVED working with everyone involved and we truly are thankful for the friendships we have established!

We want to wish Mike & Jamie the absolute best! They went back to Mexico (where they got engaged) for their honeymoon and then Jamie moved down to Texas to be with Mike and his family. They bought their first house and Jamie found a teaching job! The didn't have to evacuate for Hurricane Ike, so that was good! It sounds like they are doing AMAZING and we just want them to know that they were such a pleasure to work with and get to know! Thank you to the both of you and your families for allowing us to share in your special day. You both looked AMAZING on your wedding day and we hope you have an AWESOME life together! Remember to live, laugh and love!

Chris & Michele ~ May 10, 2008

2008-09-08T14:10:00.000-07:00

Absolutely Stunning!

Ahh...Chris & Michele...Can I just say that I love this couple! They are two of the nicest and sweetest people we have ever met! We met with Michele in mid-September 2007! She had a lot of her wedding planned, but just wanted someone to be there to make sure that she had not forgotten anything and that the day went flawlessly! So, she signed with us to make sure that her rehearsal and ceremony were just perfect! We met a couple of times to go over everything and we e-mailed all the time! Michele is such a detail-oriented person that she made our jobs pretty darn easy! She truly put a lot of time and effort into making her wedding day absolutely AMAZING!

At one of our meetings at the church we were throwing around ideas to make the space feel more intimate and romantic (let me just say...this church is AMAZING BEAUTIFUL just by itself) and so we came up with lining the aisles with hurricanes and red and white rose petals! I must tell you that when we sent Michele down the aisle it took my breath away! Not only was Michele absolutely STUNNING, but everything was glowing and we truly achieved that intimate and romantic feeling.

To make their grand exit, Michele made cones to put rose petals in and we handed those out to guests as they exited the church and lined the walkway to shower Chris & Michele as they made their way to the Rolls Royce!

Everyone in Chris & Michele's wedding party and family were so nice and easy to work with. The flower girl, Anne Carrington, was the most ADORABLE flower girl I have seen!

Father James Wilmoth performed the ceremony and he is just the nicest man! You can tell that he loves what he does and truly believes in the sanctity of marriage.

I cannot tell you how smooth the day was and I am so pleased that Chris & Michele had the wedding of their dreams! They are such great people and an amazing couple!

Here are the vendors who helped make Chris & Michele's wedding day dreams come true!

St. Roch Catholic Church -- Again, Father Wilmoth was amazing and did an outstanding job with the ceremony!
Obsidian Limos -- James and his men truly rolled out the red carpet (seriously) for Chris & Michele!
McNamara/Enflora in Fishers, Indiana -- Heather and her team were great to work with and the flowers were just GORGIOUS!
Galleria Studios -- Dawn and her team...what can we say...AMAZING! Not only were they great to work with, but they took some really GREAT photographs!
Fishers Chamber Players -- Nana and her team did an EXCELLENT job with the music during the ceremony!
Paper By Appointment -- Ahh...Michele...she is just AMAZING...she is a great person, businesswoman and friend! She always provides our couples with first class products and service!

Here are a few photographs that Dawn shared with us!

This Saint Rock's emblem on the floor as you enter the church!

The lining of the aisle!

The beautiful bouquets!

Michele & her dad...the candlelight and the glow of the alter were just breathtaking!

The BEAUTIFUL bride, Michele!

Michele & Anne Carrington a few moments before walking down the aisle!

Chris & Michele...aren't they just ADORABLE!

A Pefect Ending!

Aww...Chris & Michele...it gives me goose bumps just thinking about your day and how spectacular both of you looked! We feel so blessed to have been a part of your amazing day and we cannot thank you enough for all of your kind words! We truly enjoyed working with the two of you and Michele...you are an AMAZING woman! We wish you both nothing but love, laughter and happiness as you go through life together! You make a great team!

Still Working!

2008-09-08T12:05:00.001-07:00

Hey Everyone!

I am still working on updating all of our weddings from the past two years, so please continue to bear with me! It is fun to relive all of these weddings and hopefully all of you find it just as interesting!

Also, I know I am not putting direct links when I am writing in regards to vendors, but if you find someone you like I have added their links on the right-hand side under Outstanding Vendors!

Thanks for your patience and for reading!

Jason & Courtney ~ December 1, 2007

2008-09-08T12:00:00.000-07:00

Jason & Courtney's wedding was at Lakeview Christian Church, where my mom is one of the wedding coordinators. So, they filled out the wedding form with the church and then their file was passed along to my mom. My mom actually did a lot of the planning with Jason's grandmother, Linda. Linda had an idea in her head of how she wanted everything to look so we just helped her make her vision a reality.

On the Friday prior to the wedding we helped Linda and a few of her girlfriends decorate the ceremony and reception site (they held the reception there as well). On wedding day everything ran according to the timeline and once again there were absolutely no hiccups in the day!

Everything looked beautiful and came to life just as Linda had envisioned it. Courtney looked AMAZING and the ceremony was so intimate, romantic and sweet. Once the ceremony ended everyone went into the reception hall and had a good time. Linda and her friends had prepared all of the food and we just made sure that everything was out and stayed replinished for the guests.

Linda makes cakes so she made the cake and it was BEAUTIFUL! So, everyone had a great time and it was so nice to her all of Linda's nice words about us once everything was over. She passed along to the church the following: "In the beginning I didn't think I needed a coordinator, but I could not have done it without them!" Linda is so sweet and was such a pleasure to work with.

Jason & Courtney are a great couple! We wish them all of the best!

Josh & Nicole ~ October 6, 2007

2008-09-08T11:40:00.000-07:00

So...as you can tell October 6th was a super, busy, crazy day! Josh and Nicole's wedding was at Lakeview Christian Church where my mom is one of the coordinators! So, she was making sure everything was running smoothly while I (along with two assistants) made sure that Ben & Jessica's day was flawless! While juggling two weddings in one day is not the norm for us, we decided it give it a try! For Josh & Nicole's wedding my mom was only in charge of getting the ceremony location set-up, getting everyone down the aisle and making sure that the ceremony location was cleaned up! So, once my mom made sure this event ran smoothly she high-tailed it to Ben & Jessica's wedding and actually made it in time to see everyone walk down the aisle!

For Josh & Nicole's big day they arrived at the church ready for pictures to begin! The photographer, Kristy - a long-time friend of the family, was so nice and easy to work with! She was so professional and made sure that everything ran smoothly! Their colors were red and black and everyone looked AMAZING! They held their ceremony in the main sanctuary and served communion to the wedding party and guests. Josh & Nicole, along with their families, were so nice and were such a pleasure to work with.

Following their wedding day they sent out a "Thank You" letter to their family and friends that included a few pictures from their honeymoon. They went on a cruise to the Caribbean and said it was "extremely beautiful and extremely HOT!"

Josh & Nicole ~ Thank you for allowing us to share in your magical day! We are delighted that you LOVED everything and we wish you nothing but the best in your future life together! Happy 1 Year Anniversary early!

Even though we were juggling two events both went FLAWLESSLY and we enjoyed making our bride & groom's dreams come true!

Ben & Jessica ~ October 6, 2007

2008-08-28T15:43:00.000-07:00

BEAUTIFUL!

Ben & Jessica are such a sweet couple. We had met them a year prior to their event at A Perfect Wedding Guide Bridal Show in Zionsville. They talked to us a little bit about their event and we exchanged information. Time passed and we didn't hear from them. Then, about 4 weeks prior to their event they gave us a call and inquired about our services. They told us that they had hired another wedding planner and he just stopped corresponding with them. Understandably, Ben was very unsure about the whole wedding planner idea once again considering what they had just gone through, but they decided to give it another go and we got to work! They had some little pieces done, but for 4 weeks to go until they walk down the aisle we had A LOT to put together. Needless to say, we all worked very diligently and got it done!

We got them connected with additional vendors and made sure that every last detail was pain-stakingly ironed out. They had their ceremony and reception at Traders Point Creamery in Zionsville which is a working farm. People can come and purchase organic foods (mainly cheese, milk and ice cream) and they have a little restaurant upstairs that people can eat at. This was the first wedding they had ever had there so there were a lot of details to figure out in order to make everything work. While there were many bumps in the road for Ben and Jessica leading up to hiring us, once we came on board everything fell into place and they could start to see the light at the end of the tunnel!

It was kind of comical the day of their wedding. There were just so many unexpected things, but that is what you hire us for...they only got to hear the following once they returned from their honeymoon! First, it was like a record hot day (mind you...their date was October 6th and it was 90+ degrees). Second, Angie (the florist) was working so hard to put the huppah together and when I turned around to go up to the reception location I heard a load crash and she had fallen off of a chair and unaware that she BROKE her wrist finished the entire set-up of the ceremony and reception site! Isn't she amazing? Then, our sound guy came to deliver the microphones and ended up getting in a fender bender with another car in the parking lot. The restaurant upstairs had to be totally flipped, so my dad, one of our helpers and I had to move out all of the exising tables and move in all of the new tables and chairs. We had to put on all of the linens and fold all of the napkins (it took me four hours the night before, but they look so good, so they were totally worth it). It was definitely NOT an easy task! At the end of the night we had to flip the room once again so that it could be ready to open up the next day! But, because it is not a site where they host weddings on a regualar basis they don't have staff to do all of that...so that's why you hire us! I'm sure I am making it sound terrible, but it truly wasn't! It was a great experience, because I have a much better appreciation for the staff who do that on a regualar basis.

Anyway, the ceremony went off without a hiccup. Everything went smoothly with the cocktail hour and the reception. The restaurant was completely transformed and looked absolutely STUNNING! All of the guests were so happy and really enjoyed themselves. Ben's mom had purchased a bunch of mums to have scattered around the property, so while the guests were eating we moved all of those mums up by the door where the guests would exit for the night and the guests were able to take a mum home if they wanted. It was such a nice gesture and all of them were gone by the end of the night.

It was so funny because while we were moving the mums and cleaning up the ceremony site we looked up and a cow had gotten loose and was up by the reception site. It was mooing, but the guests and of course the bride and groom never knew it was there! That is why I LOVE the picture of Ben & Jessica by the cow! What great memories.

So, we have a lot of fun at each and every wedding and each is so unique! It just makes us feel so good when a bride and groom are so happy with how the day turned out when it is all said and done...it totally makes everything worth it. And, it is fun to re-live some of the hiccups with the bride and groom because they don't get to know until it is all over with.

Here are the vendors who helped Ben & Jessica's vision come to life:

Traders Point Creamery (Fritz & Jane) -- They were so wonderful to work with. It is such a pretty location for an event!
Heavenly Sweets (Tanya) -- Their cakes are just HEAVENLY looking and tasting!
Juniper Spoon (Lali) -- Lali and her team did an OUTSTANDING job with all of the food for the evening!
Bokay Florist (Angie) -- We LOVE Angie! She is so GREAT to work with and definitely went above and beyond with this wedding broken wrist and all!
TLW Entertainment -- The Village String Trio did an GREAT job during the ceremony and The Tom Duncan Duo were EXCELLENT during the reception!
Anne Ruthmann -- What can we say about Anne...have you seen those pictures? WOW, she is AMAZING at what she does and you can tell that she honestly LOVES her job and her clients! She took such time and care and I think it really shows.
Rabbi Tom Moshe -- He traveled all the way from Ohio and was EXCELLENT!
Allure Salon (Melissa) -- They do a GREAT job as always with hair! Both my mom and I go to Allure Salon to get our hair done.
True Colors (Rebecca) -- We LOVE Rebecca. She has done make-up for so many of our brides and she is GREAT at what she does and this wedding was no exception!
Markey's Rental & Staging -- They are always WONDERFUL to work with and go above and beyond to provide great service to their clients.
Ace Party Rental -- Kelly & Eli are such a pleasure to work with. They really do take the time with you to go over everything and make sure that the client is 100% satisfied. They provided a tent, tables, tableclothes and napkins for this event and everything was great!
Carey Indiana Limo -- They are so GREAT to work with as well. They have always been so reliable and have provided great service to our clients.

Here are some pictures documenting the day by Anne Ruthmann...

Traders Point Creamery in Zionsville

Program

A dog made out of FLOWERS by the sign in book

Bridesmaid and her flowers

In the loft of Traders Point Creamery...it was so BEAUTIFUL!

One of the accents around the room

A place setting at one of the tables

Salad

Yummy!

Delicious

The Heavenly Cake!

So cute!

An ADORABLE couple!

Ben & Jessica -- Thank you so much for putting your faith and trust in us to make sure that your day would be ABSOLUTELY perfect! You two were so easy to work with and exude such love and affection for one another. Your friendship and kind words and truly treasured by us and we wish the two of you nothing but the BEST! CONGRATULATIONS!

Wow...it's already almost been a year...so CONGRATS early on one year!

Mohamad & Nada ~ August 10, 2007

2008-08-25T09:50:00.000-07:00

Elegant!

We met Nada while she was in the beginning stages of planning her wedding. Her husband and family were in another country so all of the planning fell on Nada's shoulders. At that time she was getting her Masters at Ball State. Nada had previously done a lot of research on her own so she knew virtually what she wanted, even down to what favors, but she was not sure how to get it all accomplished. So that's where we stepped in and guided her to a wonderful wedding venue and outstanding wedding vendors. One thing that made their wedding unique is that we had to find a place that would/could have all female staff so that the women could be unveiled during the event.

Nada's story was that she and Mohamad had been legally married for 2 years prior to this event; however, they have always lived in two different countries. So, we were planning a "Grand Entrance," where Nada & Mohamad would walk down a designated aisle, greet their guests and share their first dance. Then, Mohamad and all other men exited the ballroom and the rest of the party was for the women only! In their culture the men & women celebrate in separate rooms so the women were in the Illinois Street Ballroom and the guys had a couple of meeting rooms downstairs. The women danced until midnight and still weren't ready for the party to end! Nada & Mohamad made it nice for their guests, because they hired a babysitter so all of their guests could truly enjoy the night!

It was a beautiful event despite having started nearly an hour late! Most of Nada's guests were coming from Muncie, IN and there was a HUGE wreck on the interstate, so most of the guests sat in traffic for 3-4 hours to make it to Nada & Mohamad's big day! Very loyal and great family & friends! But, everything turned out BEAUTIFULLY and everyone really enjoyed themselves. That's how it goes in the wedding business...it is ever changing and you just go with the flow!

We really enjoyed working with Nada. She looked absolutely BEAUTIFUL on her wedding day! We had never seen her with her hair & make-up done and honestly...we didn't even recognize her when she came out of the room! STUNNING!

Nada is so very sweet and her and Mohamad make such an adorable couple. Mohamad is a wonderful guy and I think they are both so lucky to have found one another. They have since moved out of state so that Mohamad can pursue his educational goals. They just celebrated their one year anniversary and she wrote to tell us that they spent it in Hawaii!

CONGRATULATIONS to Mohamad & Nada! We wish you all of the best!

Here are the wonderful vendors who helped pull Mohamad & Nada's wedding together:

Crowne Plaza at Union Station (Illinois Street Ballroom) -- Megan did a GREAT job as always! She is a pleasure to work with and her staff is always AMAZING!
Nana's Village House (Linda) -- Linda does such a GREAT job and has such a good eye and vision when it comes to flowers!
True Colors - Hair & Make-up (Rebecca) -- WOW! Nada was unrecognizable (in a good way)!
Disc Turners Mobile DJ (Colleen) -- Colleen is just GREAT fun and kept the women on their feet all night long! She was so willing to work with them and play their musical selections.
Northern Light Filmworks (Jennifer) -- Jennifer did a WONDERFUL job on their video! Such a great way to re-live their special day!
Karen Bowling Photography (Karen) -- Karen did such a GREAT job with their pictures. They turned out BEAUTIFULLY!
Babysitter (Jessica) -- Jess is great with kids and kept them busy the entire night.
Heavenly Sweets Cakes (Tanya) -- You can't go wrong with a cake from Heavenly Sweets!

Thank you to all of the vendors listed above. You truly made Nada's dream come true and it would not have been possible without you!

The Wedding Invitation

The Centerpieces in the Illinois Street Ballroom

Mohamad & Nada's Sweetheart Table

Some of the Food!

The Bride & Groom M&M Filled Favors

The Heavenly Cake!

Mohamad...He is just so gosh darn cute!

Mohamad & Nada...we wish you all the best as you go through life together! You were so great to work with! CONGRATULATIONS once again!

Aaron & Melissa ~ August 4, 2007

2008-07-30T12:30:00.000-07:00

So Romantic

My mom is the wedding coordinator for Lakeview Christian Church in Indianapolis, Indiana. On August 4th, 2007 my mom coordinated the wedding ceremony for Aaron & Melissa. Although she doesn't get to be a huge part of the couple's wedding planning process (she doesn't get to assist with vendors or decorations...unless people ask for advice; she is mainly in charge of putting together a timeline for the day and getting everyone down the aisle) it is still GREAT to be a part of a couple's special day and Aaron & Melissa were no exception.

My mom's favorite memory of their wedding was when the flower girl, Lili, was pulled down the aisle in a little red wagon with cans dragging behind and a sign on the back that said "Just Married!" She said it was so ADORABLE and such a big hit with all of the guests! Unfortunately, we don't have a picture to post, but we will work on that!

Alright...Melissa was sweet enough to send us some pictures to post on here!

Here is Lili in her wagon!

Jevon & Lana ~ July 21, 2007

2008-07-30T11:54:00.000-07:00

Picture Perfect!

Jevon and Lana got married on July 21st, 2007! It was an absolutely gorgeous day and everything went so perfectly for their special day! Lana and I are childhood friends! She was in my wedding and I was fortunate enough to be a part of her's as well! When Lana got engaged she asked my mom and I to assist her with the wedding planning process. So, we set her up with vendors and attended vendor meetings with her. It was fun to be able to be such a big part of the planning process for someone you have known forever! Lana is so GREAT and deserved such a great man and she truly found that in Jevon! They are AMAZING together and their wedding day was a total representation of their love and commitment to one another!

The WONDERFUL vendors who made their vision come to life:

They got married at New Hope Christian Church in Whitestown, Indiana. It was wonderful to go back there because that is where Lana grew up going to church and I can remember attending vacation bible school with her and her sister when we were younger...good memories!

They had their reception at the Holiday Inn Select. It is the one with the indoor waterpark (Caribbean Cove), which the wedding party visited following the rehearsal dinner!

Nana's Village House did a FABULOUS job with all of the flowers!

Matt Ayers was in charge of the photography

Digital Video Solutions was in charge of the videography

Bob & Colleen with Disc Turners did an AMAZING job making the reception feel like a dance club! There were people on the dance floor ALL NIGHT long! They were so upbeat and helped Jevon come up with an AMAZING surprise skit for Lana!

Paige with Sweet Seductions did an OUTSTANDING job with their cake!

Allure Salon did a GREAT job with all of the girls hair!

Jevon & Lana just celebrated their one year wedding anniversary! CONGRATULATIONS to a truly amazing couple who are so great together! We wish them nothing but the best that life can offer! They are great friends and their wedding day and all of the festivities leading up to it were PICTURE PERFECT!

Lana & her flowers...so GORGEOUS!

Lana & her girls!

Jevon & Lana on Main Street!

The BEAUTIFUL and YUMMY cake

The PERFECT family!

Andy & Katie ~ June 23, 2007

2008-07-29T07:19:00.001-07:00

Aww...They Are So Adorable!

Andy & Katie got married on June 23, 2007 in good ol' Evansville, Indiana. Katie & I met 5 years prior when we were going through sorority recruitment together! We wound up in the same sorority (Thank Goodness For That!). We quickly became the best of friends and she was a GREAT choice as my maid-of-honor for my wedding! So, when she got engaged I was thrilled when she asked me to be her matron-of-honor. Kate is in med school so she was SUPER busy during the planning process but her and her mom spent a lot of time putting her wedding together. I had graduated and left Evansville a year prior to her wedding so unfortunately I wasn't able to help out with a lot of hands on stuff.

I came down a couple of days prior to Kate's wedding and my mom and I helped Kate and her mom decorate the reception hall (it was in a County Fair Building). It was fun to finally help with the wedding! So, the rehearsal came and went and it was wedding day! My parents and my husband were invited to the wedding as guests, but my mom ended up taking over and put on her wedding coordinator hat for the day! She directed everyone, pinned on flowers, lit candles & lanterns, ran the timeline, coordinated the cake cutting, etc. etc.!

The day was BEAUTIFUL and Kate looked AMAZING! Everything ran so smoothly and we were all exhausted by the end of the night! I would have to say that one of my favorite moments of her event was when it was time for the father-daughter dance. Kate made a video montage of pictures of her and her did while she was growing up and played that during their dance. It was adorable and there was not a dry eye in that place!

Kate is a GREAT friend and person and she deserves so much happiness! Her parents were SO appreciative of all of my mom's help!

Isn't she BEAUTIFUL?

Such a precious moment between mother & daughter

Andy & Katie cutting the cake

Capturing the moment that melted all of our hearts!

They are united in marraige!

CONGRATULATIONS to Andy & Katie! They just celebrated their one year wedding anniversary and are doing WONDERFULLY! We wish them a lifetime of love, laughter & happiness!

We Got To Work!

2008-07-29T06:42:00.000-07:00

Following my wedding my mom and I got to work! We began building A Touch of Elegance, LLC from the ground up! I took classes to become a Certified Wedding & Event Professional from U.S. Event Guide and we got all of our paperwork in order. We also became a member of the Association of Bridal Consultants. From there we met with vendors who helped us with my wedding and they pointed us on the right track as to how and where to advertise. So, we met with the Perfect Wedding Guide and put an ad together for them. We also put an ad on The Knot. We ordered postcards and everything began rolling!

Now, I won't lie and say that starting a business is easy...it is NOT, but it is rewarding to get to know our couples and hear such wonderful reviews from them. We are ALMOST two years old and have been so fortunate to have worked with INCREDIBLE clients and vendors! The road was slow going in the beginning, but now everything is really starting to fall into place!

I think it helps that my mom and I are excited about our job and eager to hear what the couple is envisioning for their day...EVERYONE is so different! That is one of the things we really pride ourselves on...listening to what the couple wants and making THEIR vision come to life!

We cannot even begin to THANK our clients and vendors enough for everything! You all are AMAZING individuals and we are honored and blessed to have worked with everyone!

I am working on posting the weddings that we have done in the past two years and of course, will be updating with our upcoming weddings!

Dustin & Cassie ~ June 24, 2006

2008-07-28T17:06:00.000-07:00

The Happy Couple!

The day was June 24th, 2006...the day I got married to the LOVE of my life! It had rained ALL week leading up to and in the morning of my rehearsal! UM...I had an OUTDOOR ceremony! YIKES! But, luckily it stopped raining mid-day and we had an absolutely beautiful day for the wedding. It was a tad hot for the guests, but I didn't notice!

My wedding was at Fort Benjamin Harrison in Indianapolis, Indiana. My mom and I spent about 2 years planning my big day! I can remember the first time I went out to the Fort and I left there in tears! It was not exactly what I pictured as my dream wedding location (probably because we visited in winter and my wedding was in the summer), but once we started coming up with all of the amazing things we could do to make it spectacular it became an absolutely PERFECT place!

We connected with some absolutely wonderful vendors.

Nana's Village House in Zionsville did my flowers (Linda is AMAZING)
A-Classic handled all of our rental items (an arch, all of my linens & martini glasses for the centerpieces, chairs for the ceremony)
Paige at Sweet Seductions did my wedding cake (red raspberry swirl cake with buttercream filing, Key Lime & Zesty Lemon...YUM YUM)
Ken Stout provided our entertainment for the evening
Jenny Powell with Resurrection Brass provided the BEAUTIFUL violin music for the ceremony
Yellow Rose Carriage provided two horse-drawn carriages for the event
Carey Indiana Limo provided a 23 passenger mini-bus to transport my guests to and from the ceremony site
Matt Ayers did an OUTSTANDING job with the photography (I had SO many compliments!)
Sharon with Precious Memories put together a video monage of Dustin & I that played right before our introduction into the ballroom...she also put together a video of my day that was documented by some of my family members who took video from so many different angles that day
Fast Signs made all of our direction signs (they were FABULOUS!)
I found my DREAM wedding dress at Posie Patch Bride Superstore in Castleton (I found it in a magazine and just knew it was the dress...all of my thoughts were confirmed when I put it on!)
Allure Salon did all of my girls hair (as well as my mother's and grandmothers')
My cousin, Kelsey (she works for Merle Norman) did everyone's make-up
And, to top it off...my Uncle Jeff was the officiant!

So, once the rehearsal dinner was over all of my girls and I stayed in one of the sargeant quarters for the night. It was fun and I didn't get to sleep until about 1:30 in the morning! Morning came all too quickly and it was then time to travel to the salon for hair. Once hair was finished it was back to the sargeant quarters for make-up then time to put on our dresses for pictures! We took pictures for an hour and half (we walked all over that place and it was HOT!). When we returned we ate while the guys walked all over and go their pictures taken! Then, it was time for the ceremony to begin...the horse drawn carriage arrived and all of my girls and ring bearer loaded on one carriage and my dad and I were on the other. It was SHOWTIME! The ceremony was absolutely BEAUTIFUL! I did a good job of holding back the tears and I was so happy to see everyone and it was amazing to lock eyes with my HUSBAND and just be in that moment!

Once the ceremony was over all of my guests went to the cocktail hour and we of course took more pictures! But then it was time to go the reception. My wedding party was introduced and then Dustin & I's video montage was shown and then we were introduced! It was a bit overwhelming to see everyone, but it was so nice to know just how loved we are. The food was GREAT (we had so many compliments) and everything looked like a fairytale to me!

What I am most proud of is that I can say that given the chance I would do my wedding all over again in a heartbeat (to the same man, of course)! It was such an amazing experience and I thoroughly enjoyed the process. Everything went so smoothly and all of my girls loved how relaxed and unrushed they felt during the entire process.

It was GREAT and I can't thank my parents enough for all of their love and support!

Me :)

My AMAZING husband!

My Girls

His Guys!

The BEST Ring Bearer ever!

The Gazebo at Fort Benjamin Harrison

My Daddy & I!

Jenny Powell

Dustin & I during a prayer

The Garrison at Fort Benjamin Harrison

The AMAZING cake

My Mom & I

There are SO many GREAT pictures to choose from, but that is all that I currently have time to upload!

A Little Bit About A Touch of Elegance, LLC

2008-06-16T16:54:00.000-07:00

Hello & Welcome to our blog! We decided that we would start a blog to keep everyone updated on the weddings we have been coordinating for the past ALMOST two years as well as our upcoming weddings!

We are a mother/daughter team and have enjoyed the chance to build a wonderful business together. There is something about weddings that seems right for a mother and daughter to tackle together! A mother can give one perspective and the daughter is able to give a bit of a fresher perspective. It can definitely be a challenge working so closely, but in the end it makes us stronger.

My mom, Deborah, is GREAT at what she does. She is EXTREMELY organized & detail oriented! She truly wants to make sure that our brides have the absolute BEST experience possible. I, Cassie, am also EXTREMELY organized and love finding new elements for brides to incorporate into their special day.

We are the kind of planners who do not want to take all of the planning away from you. We want to help you enhance your vision to make it even better than you ever imagined. We will do as little or as much of planning as you would like us to and our packages are diverse enough that there is a package for everyone at every point in the planning process.

We started our company in October 2006. The company came about because I, Cassie, married the love of my life on June 24, 2006 and we had such a great time planning everything. EVERY vendor we worked with told us that we should make a career out of planning weddings because we were so easy to work with, had great ideas and were EXTREMELY organized & detail oriented, which in turn made our vendors jobs that much easier! My wedding was absolutely flawless and we had such a WONDERFUL time during the planning process & all of the wedding related events.

So, after giving it some thought we decided that we wanted to give brides the same fun & stress-free experience that I had and so A Touch of Elegance, LLC was created!

In order to make our company a reputable success I took classes through U.S. Event Guide to become a Certified Wedding & Event Professional. We also joined the ABC (Association of Bridal Consultants).

In November 2006 we launched our website and were ready for clients!

We also began advertising in The Perfect Wedding Guide and on TheKnot.com!

As with most business it takes a little bit to get up and going, but we started booking weddings & events!

In May of 2007 we helped the Morgan family throw a graduation open house for their daughter Amanda. The event was amazing and everything was beautiful. They had food catered from Lumiere du corps Resort and rented amazing pink linens. They had a really nice photo montage made for Amanda that looped throughout the open house.

In June of 2007 I (Cassie) was in one of my best friend's weddings and my mom oversaw all of the events of day! Katie & Andy's day was absolutely beautiful and she looked AMAZING!

In July of 2007 I (Cassie) was in another one of my best friend's weddings and once again my mom oversaw the day's events. Lana & Jevon had an absolutely BEAUTIFUL day and everything came together just as they envisioned.
There are MANY more events to write about, but I am going to close for tonight! I will also try to figure out how to post pictures from each of these events!