Real Wedding: Dina and Melissa; A Love That Stands the Test of Time

This wedding had me at, "Hello!"  When I was contacted by Dina to help her plan her wedding celebration, I was thrilled for two reasons: 1) Same sex marriages haven't been legalized in Louisiana yet (Louisiana is always last in everything but seriously, guys, what's the hold up?!?!?) and 2) She told me she wanted to have a Medieval Themed Wedding.   Immediately, upon meeting her and seeing her genuine smile, I knew I HAD to help her.


If you were to spend any amount of time around Dina and her partner, Melissa, you would immediately see that these two are truly in love.  A ceremony and reception that pays homage to yesteryear, was quite appropriate, because it was easy to see the love between the two could stand the test of time.

The wedding was held at The Manor, in Shreveport, Louisiana.  The Tudor Style home was the perfect setting.  The couple had already been married in D.C. but wanted to celebrate with their family and friends. 

Staying true to theme we chose bold colors with varying shades of reds, burgundies, golds, and purples.  The flowers were natural arrangements of daisies, lilies, roses, ivy, and assorted flowers.  Guests were greeted by a town crier and invited to eat, drink, and be merry.  The guests were also given engraved chalices and tankards to drink from and invited to have their palms read as they entered.   

The ceremony, performed by the brides' mothers was held on the back porch of the house and with personal vows shared between the two, there was not a dry eye in the house. 

The reception was held under a tent where there was lots of dancing and fun to be had.  Dinner was served in stations featuring braised beef, herb roasted chicken, and Louisiana favorite shrimp and grits.  For dessert...let them eat cake, of course!  The brides chose two simply decorated cakes with branches intertwined between the two cakes to celebrate the union and the two families coming together.

Complete with fire dances, palm readings, stilt walkers, juggling, and belly dancers, it was an entertaining and memorable day.  However, the most captivating moments, were those between Dina, Melissa, and their family and friends which illustrated the overwhelming amount of love, acceptance, and support they all had for one another.  Here are just a few pictures from their wedding.

      

             

Dina and Melissa, 

I wish you a lifetime of love, laughter, and happiness!  Thank you for allowing us to be a part of your special day!

Photography: Sheryl Finney Photography

Catering: Wine Country Bistro

Entertainment: Lotus Studio Dancers and Spinner Entertainment 

Cakes: My Pastry Chef

Flowers: Flower Power

5 Tips on How To Incorporate Patterns in Your Wedding

As more and more brides are looking for ways to make their weddings stand out, we're finding that the more daring brides are incorporating patterns into their color schemes.  We're all for taking a walk on the wild side, but there's a fine line between being unique and overwhelming your guests.  When it comes to adding a flair of pattern, here are five helpful tips.
 
1. Just as with makeup when it comes to using patterns, less is usually more.  Using bold prints or patterns can be beautiful, but not if you have it on EVERYTHING.  Be sure to use the print as an accent to bring out the other colors in your wedding.
 
2. Use your pattern as inspiration to help build your color palette.  For example if your pattern is hunting camo (here in the South, that's pretty popular these days!) use colors that will compliment the camo pattern, like tans, greens, browns.  Subtle colors that still match, but will make the pattern pop.

Here's an example of when using patterns go wrong. 

3. Get unique with pattern placement. It's always the details that people remember about a wedding, things that are special and unique to each couple.  So when incorporating a pattern, try to think of little ways you can be different. Tie it around your bouquet, put it on the guys' tuxes, or even use it in your lighting design.  Subtle places make the most impact
 
4. Pick a pretty pattern; all prints are not created equal, if you're going to be bold, be sure to pick a palatable print.  

5. Incorporate the pattern into your decor and pull the whole look together- the napkins or souvenirs are perfect places for you to get creative. 
                           

How to Choose a Theme For Your Wedding

As you begin to plan for your wedding, one of the most important decisions you'll make is choosing a theme for your wedding.  While it doesn't have to be as obvious as a "Beach Theme" or stick to a two color palette, it is important to develop a unifying theme and color scheme to help tie your event together.

1. Start with what you love. Look through your closets and throughout your home, which colors emerge. The colors you are most drawn to will become apparent and serve as an excellent base for your color palette.  Create a color inspiration board using pictures of the colors you like and try using paint color charts for ideas on hue variations.

2. Let your venue be the guide.  Does your ceremony and/or reception site have strong colors in draping and carpeting?  If so, you'll need to take these into account when choosing your color palette for your wedding.  Choose colors that compliment what is already there and can't be changed.  If having a wedding outdoors, choose light fresh colors to compliment the natural setting.  Don't be afraid to have two distinct color themes if your ceremony and reception site have colors that compete with each other.

3. Consider the season.  Mother nature is an awesome guide.  Think about what color and shades, naturally occur together and let that be your guide.  Though you aren't limited to oranges and browns in the fall, it is wise to consider which flowers are naturally in bloom during the time of year your wedding will be held to lower the cost of your floral arrangements.

4. Let your personality shine through.  How did you meet?  What do you love to do as a couple?  If you're totally into Renaissance fairs then consider having a Medieval Themed Wedding.



Whatever you decide, don't feel confined to color matching every single item.  It's nearly impossible to do so.  Make strong statements with your colors in your bridesmaid's dresses, the invitations, and with ribbons.  Use shade variations elsewhere to highlight your color while making your wedding design interesting.

5 things all GREAT wedding planners know,but will never tell you.

Any seasoned wedding planner, will have a few tricks up his or her sleeve.  The best of them make the job look easy and seamless.  Here are a few things, they wish you knew.

1.  Something WILL go wrong.  Whether it's the baker arriving an hour late with the cake or favors that get "misplaced," something will go wrong.  However, the best wedding coordinators will keep it a secret and only involve you if absolutely necessary so your experience is worry free.   You hire a wedding coordinator to handle these mishaps for you and their experience usually finds them prepared for almost anything with go-to vendors on speed dial, alternate arrangements, and emergency kits.

2. There is ALWAYS a budget.  Even celebrities and millionaires have budgets and so do you.  Planning a wedding for a client who says, "I'll just pay for things as they come up" can be difficult for wedding planners who usually base their referrals, suggestions, and even their fees on your budget.  Be open and honest with your planner about what you can truly afford and feel comfortable spending to avoid awkward moments when he or she refers you to a venue or vendor that you can't afford.

3. There is always competition.  From the church coordinator to the controlling bridesmaid, there's always another "coordinator" at every wedding.  She will be the one telling you how she would have done a better job than the person you hired.  It's best to assign these well-meaning loved-ones an "important" task so they feel valued.  Be sure to consult her often for advice and remember to thank her for her input.  Make sure she knows your wedding couldn't be successful without her but by all means, keep her out of the coordinator's way.  You don't want your wedding coordinator's time tied up by someone questioning her about everything she is doing.

4. We don't wear headsets and heels.  The very best of us know the value of a comfortable shoe.  There's a lot of walking, standing, lifting, and arranging.  This job is not all glitz and glamour.

5. We're usually unavailable on weekends.  Most weddings occur on the weekends.  From the rehearsal to returning rentals, most wedding coordinators will have devoted their time to the couple that has booked them on that weekend.  Be considerate, if you call or email your wedding planner over the weekend wait until the following Monday for a response.