Today's post was submitted by a Mother-of-the-Bride looking back on her daughter's wedding in early November. We thank her very much for contributing her thoughts!
"After my daughter became engaged, we dove headfirst into planning her November wedding. Blaire had LOTS of good ideas and had researched each component of the wedding with meticulous detail. But, oh my, there were so many options and so many choices to be made! It was overwhelming.
When Blaire first mentioned the idea of having a wedding planner/coordinator, I was adamantly against it; I felt she and I could handle the ceremony and reception with ease. HA! When we began discussing the day before the wedding and the actual wedding day, I became overwhelmed with the amount of detail and coordination that was required. I was also painfully aware of my lack of training or expertise in any of the arenas in which we had been thrust. And, to my horror, the “to do” list was growing rapidly and, seemingly, exponentially.
When Blaire and I began talking about “the day of” in detail, I realized there was no way that I could be there for my daughter and get everything done for the ceremony and reception. At that point we asked Carly to let us know what she could do for us. OMG (I normally don’t use text lingoJ) – I was astounded at what Carly could and would do for us AND at the price she quoted ! It was seemingly too good to be true. However, true it was!
We had met Carly at the Bride’s Boutique when we purchased Blaire’s gown. She was so professional and so very knowledgeable. After about a 20 minute conversation, my daughter and I decided we must hire her. That was a GREAT decision! She was with Blaire and me every step of the way, and provided guidance. That is the KEY word – guidance. She didn’t tell us WHAT to do, but actually guided us into making our vision a reality. Without her services I know the ceremony and reception would not have moved forward as beautifully as they did. It was an absolutely wonderful day."
You can learn more about Carly Rager Event Planning and Coordinating at her BLOG and she can be contacted - Daytime: 931-552-4866 Evenings: 615-417-1283 and carlyrager@gmail.com.
And come visit Carly in her booth at the ClarksvilleBrides Wedding & Event Showcase.
Introducing Courtney & Randy - Their Love Story
Randy and I had actually known each other through mutual friends
for quite sometime before we started dating. We kept in touch as friends
through Myspace; I had interest in him but he always had a girlfriend! So,
when he did finally become available we e-mailed and he ended up asking our
mutual friend for my phone number. He called me that night (February 11,
2007), we went on our first date two nights later (February 13, 2007) and
have been together ever since.
We were "that" couple, you know the one's who say "we'll never get married, we're happy where we are now", although much like every other girl on the face of the earth I always wanted that special day with the white dress! So, after nearly 3 years of dating much to my surprise Randy proposed to me on October 9, 2009, I obviously said "yes" and the rest is history.
Oh I do need to mention he proposed to me with a ring he made me, he made the ring out of the metal from old bread ties and welded them together, he said he made the ring months before the proposal but was
too nervous to give it to me then. The next day we went to Kay Jewelers in Bowling Green and I got to pick out the perfect ring!
for quite sometime before we started dating. We kept in touch as friends
through Myspace; I had interest in him but he always had a girlfriend! So,
when he did finally become available we e-mailed and he ended up asking our
mutual friend for my phone number. He called me that night (February 11,
2007), we went on our first date two nights later (February 13, 2007) and
have been together ever since.
We were "that" couple, you know the one's who say "we'll never get married, we're happy where we are now", although much like every other girl on the face of the earth I always wanted that special day with the white dress! So, after nearly 3 years of dating much to my surprise Randy proposed to me on October 9, 2009, I obviously said "yes" and the rest is history.
Oh I do need to mention he proposed to me with a ring he made me, he made the ring out of the metal from old bread ties and welded them together, he said he made the ring months before the proposal but was
too nervous to give it to me then. The next day we went to Kay Jewelers in Bowling Green and I got to pick out the perfect ring!
“Styling Woodrique’s Personal Wedding Day Makeup
by Rockelle Coffey, I Do Bridal Makeup
It’s your wedding day it’s time to emphasize your unique features. If you have beautiful eyes or lovely lips play them up. Woodrique had it all. From the moment her presence graced my studio I knew she would be a delight to work with. From our initial phone conversation at my request she brought photographs from magazines of makeup looks that she liked. Her ideal makeup was the “no makeup look”. With so many products available how does a bride select and apply the right product to help her appear radiant on her Big Day?
Woodrique, as so many of my bridal clients, generally wear little or no makeup and they desire that same look on their wedding day. This can be challenging to many makeup artists especially with mature brides (age 30 and up). This bride presented a beautiful canvas. Designing a “no makeup look” style requires more makeup for the illusion of radiant, healthy and flawless skin. We worked together and she got her wish.
Because her wedding day was sure to be a long one, I wanted to strive for a makeup look and application that will hold up for several hours. During our initial consultation and trial run we selected the right foundation. All foundation including airbrush makeup is custom blended because no color out of a tube is a perfect match. A moisturizer followed by primer and Re9 eye cream (Arbonne) was applied to bride’s face before applying foundation. Based on her normal to dry skin type MAC Studio Fix Fluid liquid was selected for a sheer look on her wedding day. A mixture of moisturizer and cover cream was used to cover a few blemishes to avoid a heavy makeup feel. A transparent yellow base powder was dusted lightly over her face complimenting her yellow undertones followed with a peachy in color bronzer as blush. Keeping in mind that mature skin has a tendency to lean more toward the dehydrated side special caution was taken not to overdo it with blush or powder. Keep in mind that blush was designed to spruce up your complexion.
Generally because she was going to be photographed I would have recommended a little more foundation and mascara. Woodrique’s wedding was on a beautiful sunny day, her makeup was applied in natural light to achieve a soft elegant look that would work beautifully inside and outside.
Even though she wanted a natural look she wanted her eyes to stand out, we selected two shades of gold shadows by MAC and Kryolan blended together from lashes up to brow bone. Used as a liner and applied in the crease a deep bronze shadow followed with clear mascara designed to thicken and separate. A touch of peachy beige shadow by Sephora was lightly dusted under the brow bone. Foundation was buffed followed by light contouring. For weddings it is always safe to go with eye shadow colors that blend well with your natural skin tone.
Finally after curling and applying lashes, the inside of Woodrique’s lips were lined and filled in with a light chocolate lip liner to help lipstick last longer. The brides favorite lipstick combination was applied followed with a custom blended tan MAC lip gloss compliments of the artist.
Women of color have more challenging issues in selecting foundations because of the wide range of skin tone. Black skin, even when it is not oily, will reflect light and will look shiny in photos without foundation. If your goal is for a natural look on your wedding day you will still need the right combination of cosmetic products to avoid that “ashy” look often seen. With your makeup ideally you want to strike a balance of being camera ready and being prepared to face your friends and family comfortably. Keep in mind that bridal makeup is a pretty and clean makeup. Your makeup should enhance and make you feel as beautiful as you are.
It’s your wedding day it’s time to emphasize your unique features. If you have beautiful eyes or lovely lips play them up. Woodrique had it all. From the moment her presence graced my studio I knew she would be a delight to work with. From our initial phone conversation at my request she brought photographs from magazines of makeup looks that she liked. Her ideal makeup was the “no makeup look”. With so many products available how does a bride select and apply the right product to help her appear radiant on her Big Day?
Woodrique, as so many of my bridal clients, generally wear little or no makeup and they desire that same look on their wedding day. This can be challenging to many makeup artists especially with mature brides (age 30 and up). This bride presented a beautiful canvas. Designing a “no makeup look” style requires more makeup for the illusion of radiant, healthy and flawless skin. We worked together and she got her wish.
Because her wedding day was sure to be a long one, I wanted to strive for a makeup look and application that will hold up for several hours. During our initial consultation and trial run we selected the right foundation. All foundation including airbrush makeup is custom blended because no color out of a tube is a perfect match. A moisturizer followed by primer and Re9 eye cream (Arbonne) was applied to bride’s face before applying foundation. Based on her normal to dry skin type MAC Studio Fix Fluid liquid was selected for a sheer look on her wedding day. A mixture of moisturizer and cover cream was used to cover a few blemishes to avoid a heavy makeup feel. A transparent yellow base powder was dusted lightly over her face complimenting her yellow undertones followed with a peachy in color bronzer as blush. Keeping in mind that mature skin has a tendency to lean more toward the dehydrated side special caution was taken not to overdo it with blush or powder. Keep in mind that blush was designed to spruce up your complexion. Generally because she was going to be photographed I would have recommended a little more foundation and mascara. Woodrique’s wedding was on a beautiful sunny day, her makeup was applied in natural light to achieve a soft elegant look that would work beautifully inside and outside.
Even though she wanted a natural look she wanted her eyes to stand out, we selected two shades of gold shadows by MAC and Kryolan blended together from lashes up to brow bone. Used as a liner and applied in the crease a deep bronze shadow followed with clear mascara designed to thicken and separate. A touch of peachy beige shadow by Sephora was lightly dusted under the brow bone. Foundation was buffed followed by light contouring. For weddings it is always safe to go with eye shadow colors that blend well with your natural skin tone. Finally after curling and applying lashes, the inside of Woodrique’s lips were lined and filled in with a light chocolate lip liner to help lipstick last longer. The brides favorite lipstick combination was applied followed with a custom blended tan MAC lip gloss compliments of the artist.
Women of color have more challenging issues in selecting foundations because of the wide range of skin tone. Black skin, even when it is not oily, will reflect light and will look shiny in photos without foundation. If your goal is for a natural look on your wedding day you will still need the right combination of cosmetic products to avoid that “ashy” look often seen. With your makeup ideally you want to strike a balance of being camera ready and being prepared to face your friends and family comfortably. Keep in mind that bridal makeup is a pretty and clean makeup. Your makeup should enhance and make you feel as beautiful as you are.
Woodrique & Dudley - December's Featured Couple
I really enjoy Woodrique and Dudley's story and the way Woodrique tells it. In the segment below I love two things. First of all, that her bridal attendant understood her role. To attend to the needs of the bride. And secondly, that when something didn't go as planned on the day of the event, that it didn't cause a crisis or any unhappiness but instead created laughter.
Woodrique tells us, "The following personnel were all committed to ensuring Dudley and I and our guests shared an extraordinary celebration: Bridal Attendant ~ LaTonya Groves She made herself available at every turn; luckily she lives just around the corner. We assembled wedding favors, went back and forth on centerpieces, and I could call her when I just wanted to be buggy, ok, just call me a buggy bride, but we had bundles and bundles of laughs.
Especially the moment as I was about to make my way down the staircase and the music skipped, and skipped, and skipped. I motioned to Tonya to inform the ushers to go to Plan B, she relayed the message and in seconds she returns and asks, "What's Plan B?" Laughing almost to tears, my son and I tell her, "THERE IS NO PLAN B". After we gathered our composure, Josh and I shook off the giggles and carefully proceeded down the staircase. Not sure what happened to the music, by now we were carefully strolling to our own beat as the joy and love in the atmosphere embraced us.
Woodrique tells us, "The following personnel were all committed to ensuring Dudley and I and our guests shared an extraordinary celebration: Bridal Attendant ~ LaTonya Groves She made herself available at every turn; luckily she lives just around the corner. We assembled wedding favors, went back and forth on centerpieces, and I could call her when I just wanted to be buggy, ok, just call me a buggy bride, but we had bundles and bundles of laughs.
Especially the moment as I was about to make my way down the staircase and the music skipped, and skipped, and skipped. I motioned to Tonya to inform the ushers to go to Plan B, she relayed the message and in seconds she returns and asks, "What's Plan B?" Laughing almost to tears, my son and I tell her, "THERE IS NO PLAN B". After we gathered our composure, Josh and I shook off the giggles and carefully proceeded down the staircase. Not sure what happened to the music, by now we were carefully strolling to our own beat as the joy and love in the atmosphere embraced us.
Woodrique & Dudley - December's Featured Couple
Dudley and I obtained our marriage license December 29, 2007, just a few days before he departed for Afghan. He'd always visioned me in a gown, walking down the aisle (as we blew kisses at each other). But on Dec 29th we just made our way to the court house in the cold rain, verified our identity, signed below, and that was it. Our children, DJ, Mia, and Josh were our witnesses. Not even sure if we kissed...but we were now married. Ok, let's celebrate. Not so much. Our family and friends deserved sooo much more because of their love for us.
It wasn't until his return in Jan 09 and we attended his sister's wedding in Mar 09 that we really focused on planning "something" for us, not even sure what to call it at that point. We both just wanted something very simple, almost private, maybe 25 in attendance. Our families would always tease us about our trips to Gatlinburg, implying everytime we had a wedding and didn't invite anyone. Well the count went from 25 to 75 to 125 to 150 just days before. We were warned that would happen.
The movie Fireproof was somewhat of an inspiration and jumpstart of the planning process, but the Song of Solomon was by far the tone and setting of every detail. From the invitation capture, "I have found the one whom my soul loves" to the program capture, "I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine." Talk about a love story, as you read the Song of Solomon, rejoice not only in the beautiful presentation of the love that can exist between husband and wife, but also indulge in the warmth of a personal love relationship with Christ. Read it to your beloved, I certainly did and we "rejoiced" the night away.
CALLING ALL BRIDES-TO-BE
No matter what stage your wedding planning is in - from not-quite-engaged to about-to-walk-down-the-aisle - we need you!
Contact us at beth@clarksvillebrides.com to volunteer to blog about your wedding planning.
Contact us at beth@clarksvillebrides.com to volunteer to blog about your wedding planning.
Blaire & Chris - The Cakes
When we began planning for our wedding, one of the first vendors that we booked was our cake artist. Heather Noble is based out of Hendersonville, TN and was recommended to me by a fellow teacher at school that was using Heather to create her wedding cake this past summer. After deciding that we would have a black and white wedding, I had the brilliant idea of incorporating one of my favorite things - zebra print. Chris and I talked about it and we decided to go all the way with it and have a zebra print wedding cake! There were a few people that told me we were crazy - but Heather was on board. When we met with her, she had several ideas and showed me a few pictures - we picked one out with a few simple changes and our zebra wedding cake was born. I did, however, change my mind for a bit at the urging of family and friends. When I told Heather that we were thinking we would do a more traditional wedding cake, she was fine with our changes but did urge me to do what I wanted to do. About 3 months before the wedding, I decided I had to have my original and fantastic zebra print wedding cake - and Heather was thrilled with my change of heart.
Chris' cake never changed - he always knew he wanted a sushi inspired groom's cake. Heather went above and beyond when she made the actual sushi pieces out of modeling chocolate instead of fondant. They were so good! When we saw our cakes at our reception, we were floored! They exceeded our expectations! Looking back, I am so glad that we went with our first choice. It was different and certainly memorable - and delicious!
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