Featured Couple: Emily & Jason Eversull

Emily and Jason are one of the nicest couples I have met and are such a great match!  They met here in Birmingham through work and continued their relationship while they were both in school at Auburn.  The day before Emily's birthday, Jason took her for a stroll on the beautiful Auburn plains before dinner.  They ran into photographers in front of Samford, but Emily didn't think much of it.  When they asked to take their picture to make sure the "lighting" was correct,  she was still thinking more about food than photos. But when she turned around to find Jason on one knee,  it all made sense!  He even had their families waiting at the restaurant, so they all could celebrate the occassion!

They were married on August 8th and Feel the Beat helped them celebrate afterwards at the Vestavia Country Club.  It was a gorgeous set up with lilac and pinks everywhere!  Gene's Flowers sprinkled their beautiful touch throughout the room including a cascading curtain of live orchids and other single-stemmed florals. This couple's laidback and friendly personalities shows through in the work of Arden Photography, as well as videographer, Mitch Joynt, who were there to capture all of the beauty of the day.  And leave it to Louise's Cakes and Things to make an absolutely beautiful and delicious cake for the occasion!  Afterwards, Emily & Jason made their getaway in one of Rocky Ridge's very own firetrucks!  Best wishes to both of them!

Bless the Broken Road

I found a wedding idea today that I just love! It was featured on Laura Hooper Calligraphy, a green invitation company located in LA (no not Lower Alabama!). She creates Emotional Maps for couples that show the journey of their lives, when they met, and dates that have been important in the relationship. What a wonderful way to share some of the more personal highlights of you and your fiancee's courtship with all of your friends and family!  You could also use this idea to map out the locations of all the events that are taking place on your wedding weekend.  Check out the website for more ideas for using the map for save-the-dates, programs, or just on display at the reception!

Great Tips from Brides Post-Wedding from Bellagala

Everyone hopes that each aspect of their wedding will execute flawlessly. But no matter how much planning you do, things can be overlooked, and the unexpected may arise. Newlywed brides share their biggest wedding regrets to let those in the planning phase learn from their mistakes!

Chocolate Disaster

"I would not have combined a chocolate fountain at our wedding reception with six flower girls. Thank goodness for Shout Wipes -- they were the only thing that managed to save my dress."

Tip: Regardless of whether a chocolate fountain OR young children are involved in your wedding reception, it's a wise idea to pack a bridal emergency kit. Include items like aspirin, clear nail polish (for stocking runs), and a miniature sewing kit.

Mapquest Fiasco

"I would have driven the route to the reception myself instead of just going by an online map. A lot of people got really lost on the way, and I'm still hearing about it to this day."

Tip: Don't count on online maps, because there may be glitches. If your guests get lost and frustrated en route to your reception site, they will be less enthusiastic and it's likely to show in your photos. Map the route yourself, and have a family member designated for guests to call for direction clarification.

Bustle Complications

"I would have taken pictures of my bustle at my final dress fitting. When I was 'bustling up' before the reception, we couldn't quite figure out how to get it right."

Tip: The arrangement of the bustle can indeed be a tedious task. Bring a member of your bridal party to your final dress fitting so she can learn precisely what needs to be done for the wedding.

Ghastly Lashes

"I would not have worn those ghastly fake eyelashes. They work on some people, but I'm not one of them."

Tip: Be sure to test new beauty products you'll be using for your wedding at least a few times before the big day. You don't want to run into an "unexpected" look and loathe all your wedding photographs as a result.

Wedding Party Selection

"I wouldn't have jumped so quickly to choose my bridal party. I would have taken more time and given it more thought since I hurt quite a few people in the process. I realize now that out of sheer excitement, I hastily selected the people who were closest to me at that time, neglecting the people that were with me for many years before."

Tip: Give it some time and thought before jumping to contact those you wish to include in your wedding party. There could be conflicts between those whom you'd like to ask, and those who anticipate that they'll be asked. Identify those potential conflicts before you make any hasty decisions. Most times, there will be at least some damage control to be done, since it's impossible to include everyone in your life in your wedding party. But you'll feel much better knowing you put in lots of consideration.

DON'T Do-It-Yourself

"We wouldn't have done DIY invitations. The amount of money we saved just wasn't worth the time it took us to make them."

Tip: Make sure you understand the nature of the project and what to expect of the result before taking on something that you ultimately may not wish to finish.


Day-of Coordinator

"I would have hired a day-of coordinator. It got irritating when people would ask questions like, 'Where should I put the extra programs?' after the ceremony."

Tip: You shouldn't have to be in charge of mindless details on the day of your wedding. Hiring day-of help will let you enjoy the individual moments of the day rather than answering questions and dodging obstacles. Being able to relax and enjoy the day will be worth the cost.

Green Tip of the Day: Use local, seasonal flowers

Did you know that there are 2.5 million weddings a year in the United States, with an average of more than 150 guests each.  When you add up all of the stuff that goes into weddings (single-use bleached white dresses, chemically treated imported flowers, toxic makeup and skin care products, mined gem-based jewelry, individual packets of rice, etc.) you see that the environmental impact from these events is enormous.


Going green for your wedding day may not be as difficult as you might think.  There are hundreds of things that you can do to cut down your wedding day's impact on the environment and every little bit helps!  


Today's tip is to talk to your florist about using local flowers.  Flowers that do not have to be transported long distances have less of an ecological impact and flowers that are in season during your wedding will already be a perfect match with the season of your event.  You can even take it a step further and re-purpose old teapots like the ones shown in the picture to use as centerpieces that will benefit not only the earth, but also your wallet!


For more green wedding tips, check out The Green Bride Guide at http://www.thegreenbrideguide.com/

Alabama Weddings & Flowerstems on the U of A campus

It is a well-known fact that if you are planning a fall wedding in Alabama, you better check the football schedule!  In honor of this weekend's initiation into official college football season, here's a clip from an Alabama Weddings Magazine photoshoot down at Tuscaloosa's campus.  Flowerstems provided the bouquets and MGMT provided the awesome music that you hear - Electric Feel - one of my favorites.  For more great ideas, go to Alabama Weddings website at www.alabamaweddingsmagazine.com

Alabama Weddings Shoot - Behind The Scenes from Holloway Productions on Vimeo.

Repost from Memorable Events: Flavorful Favors for under $1

Flavorful Favors for under $1: "There are two things I look for when choosing favors, okay maybe three.

1. I find that guests love edible favors. Chocolates, jelly beans, M&Ms, anything tasty. Even a candy buffet is a great idea, just place a bag or box at the table with a cute note and have the guest fill them with all of your favorite candies.
2. With all the money you are putting into the rest of your wedding, favors should be reasonably priced. Since you are giving one to every person the cost of favors can add up quickly.
   
3. Whatever you give your guests as their favor should represent your overall look and feel of the wedding. The biggest way people do this is by incorporating your color scheme and any graphic they may be using.

The favors above were extremely easy to make and the cost came in for under $1 a piece! All the supplies for both favors pictured were purchased at Michaels.

I will start with how to make the favors in the top picture, the tulle with the cute charms.

• The tulle is available is pre-cut circles to make it easier to gather and tie and comes in different colors. Another super easy way to get this same sort of look is to purchase organza bags with pull ties (look on ebay if you want a specific color)
• Cut your chosen ribbon to a good length that you will be able to get a nice bow out of, slip on the charm before you tie the bow.
• Lay out the tulle circle and place your candy in the center, gather the edges together.
• Tie the ribbon around the tulle just above the candy and make a cute bow.
• Enjoy!

How to make the boxes with the ribbon bows.

• The boxes are available in rectangular ivory or white squares and they come in boxes of 100.
  
• The boxes are very easy to fold together.
• Place a square of tissue paper inside to surround the candy. Use paper in your wedding color to add a little splash when the boxes are opened.
  
• Fill the boxes with your candy, we used Assorted Gourmet Jelly Beans from GFS Marketplace stores. A 1/2 cup fit into the rectangle boxes.
  
• Next we cut the ribbon to a length that would wrap the box and provide a good sized ribbon.
• Tie the ribbon around the box and...voila! Adorable favors for under $1 each.

Here is one done using the square white boxes.

Have fun!

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Repost from Swanky Tables: So Sweet Wedding Posters from Ello There

So Sweet Wedding Posters from Ello There: "
Love, love, love these wedding posters from Etsy Store Ello There. You can have the bride and groom customized to match and both posters can be turned into invites too!

Images: Ello There

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