Destination Wedding Dresses

We are currently working on another (out of the Country) destination wedding. Love those! One thing that always comes up for these particular brides is "What should I wear?" A majority of destination weddings take place in a Tropical, beach-like location which implies a more casual feel for the event. Of course, the attire should match the setting of the wedding. (Hey, that rhymes)! The weather, specifically the temperature, should also be considered when choosing a wedding gown style...especially if the festivities will be taking place outdoors. Some brides prefer a short gown whereas others prefer a long, yet light-weight gown. Both options are fine. It's all about what you (the bride) feels the most comfortable wearing.

Here are some great destination wedding gowns that are perfect for those warm-weather weddings:

Please let me know if you would like purchasing info for any of these gowns.

2012: What's "in" and what's "out"

With the arrival of the New Year comes the buzz of the latest wedding trends. Everyone wants to know what exactly will be "in" in 2012. One of my favorite celebrity wedding planners, Mindy Weiss (who I had the honor of meeting last year) has shared her forcast for what's going "in" and what's coming "out" for 2012's weddings. Here it is:



Coming "in"

Vintage Stamps

Sheer Sleeves

Hand Tie Bow Tie

Long Long Veils

Personalized Hankies

Unkept Garden Large Bouquets

Relaxed Hair-Braids

Lips

Dark Nail Polish

Elegant Heel

Family Style Food Service

TOAST- with delicious fresh organic toppings such as Ricotta Cheese

Donations in honor of your marriage and guests

Large Wedding Cakes

POP of color

Tangerine, and yes Mauve is back

Interesting Texture light Gobos

Classic Cinematography

Experienced-Quality Photographer

Class

Exotic Fruit fillings for the cake

Minimal Jewelry

Familiar Hometown Desserts

Dare to be Different

Going "out"

No Ties

Short Veils

Personalized undies

Tiny bouquets

Big Hair

Dark Smokey Eyes

Blue Nail Polish

Clunky Heel

Small Food Portions- Tapas

Bite size Crostini

Party Favors

Small wedding cake just for cutting

Monotone

Color is never out

Initial Monogram Gobos

3 Hour video

A friend who is a photographer

Crass

Overly sweet Birthday cake fillings

Chunky jewelry

Petit Fours

Worrying about what everyone else is doing

There you have it! Check out Mindy's full blog post HERE.

Newly Engaged?

The Holiday Season is a very popular time for engagements. If you are one of the lucky couples, CONGRATULATIONS! Wedding planning CAN really be a lot fun, especially if you have the tools to help you through it. Here is a list from The Woods on the top 10 things you should do FIRST. (In no particular Order)


1. Shout It from the Rooftops- Well, maybe not, due to safety reasons, but letting everyone know is the very first thing you’ll want to do! While you may feel like shouting it from the rooftops, there are other fun ways to let your friends and family know. Try a personal phone call, funny e-card, video on Facebook or better yet, in person!

2. Plan an Engagement Party- An engagement party is a great way to gather friends and family together to celebrate this exciting time. It’s also a great time to gather the troops and oftentimes friends and family will offer to help take care of specific duties or will volunteer to be on call for whatever you need! These parties can be as extravagant or as laid back as you like, the main goal should be just to gather together to celebrate this new chapter in your life.

3. Pick a Date- Whether you plan the wedding around your favorite time of year, after you finish another life accomplishment such as school or getting a new job, or when you feel you’ll be financially able to do so- picking the date will help get everything else in order.

4. Set Your Budget- Having an idea of your budget limit will help you set the rest of your budget. Oftentimes things will vary in the price you set in your budget, so be willing to be flexible and move things around as needed to stick within your budget.

5. Find a Reception Site- The reception site can set the tone for your entire wedding, so it’s important to find a place that you love and fits your style.

6. Get Professional Engagement Photos-Engagement photos are a great idea since you can use them for save the date’s, your wedding website, invitations and wedding guest book.

7. Find a Wedding Dress- This may not be as easy as it sounds, but it’s okay to be extra picky when it comes to your wedding dress! Your dress can act as a statement piece and is one thing guests are the most curious about when attending a wedding. This will be a great way to reflect your personality and tone.

8. Make a Wedding Website- Creating a wedding website is a creative way to keep your guests informed. All of your information about your wedding will be in one place, and since we’re an online society, it’s easy for everyone to access. Give directions, hotel accommodations, registry information, post your engagement photos and even give sneak peeks to your wedding style! Many wedding websites will help you create your guest list, allow guests to fill in their addresses and even RSVP. You’ll want to take advantage of this great tool!

9. Consider a Consultant-You may feel that having a wedding consultant is an “extra” that you don’ t want to spend money on, but they can help smooth out the planning process and offer suggestions you might not have considered. Even if it’s just on the day of your wedding, having a wedding consultant could be just the thing to ensure a stress free wedding day.

10. Start Your Guest List- While you don’t have to decide on your exact guest list right away, it’s a good idea to at least get a rough draft. Gather you and your groom’s potential lists, as well as your parents lists if they have close friends they want to invite. They may even help you remember those family members you haven’t seen in a while! Forgetting a guest can be an embarrassing situation, so you’d rather have lists overlap then forget a loved one.

(See Full Article Here)

Real Wedding: Courtney & Jason wed in Winter Haven, FL

Wedding Coordinator AND Maid-of-Honor? YEP, that was me! I cannot begin to express how honored I was to have played both roles in such a beautiful celebration. Courtney and I were roommates for over 4 years while studying at The University of South Florida and have remained best friends ever since. I couldn't have asked for a better man to have come into my best friends life, than Jason. Like Courtney, Jason had a 5 year old child from a previous relationship. It was definitely meant to be! I am so excited to share with you some of the highlights from their BIG DAY:

The fabulous team of vendors:
Church: First Baptist Church
String Quartet: Imperial Symphony
Reception venue: Lake Ashton Country Club
Florist: The Wild Hare Florist
Rentals: Signature Events
Invitations: Meg Made
Wedding Day stationery: Not from a Box
Linens: Connie Duglin Linens
DJ: A Premier Entertainment
Photography: Brewer Photo & Video, Julie Brewer

What to wear this Holiday Season

Greetings! I hope that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. It's hard to believe that the Holiday Season is upon us. If you are anything like me, you are already starting to worry about what you're going to wear to all of the events, parties, and get-togethers that you will be attending in the upcoming weeks. Here are some "Holiday Looks" to get you inspired:

All dresses that are shown can be found at ShopStyle.com. Please feel free to contact me for any further product information. Happy Shopping!

Wedding Videography: Same-Day Edit

Something new and exciting in the world of wedding videography is a Same-Day Edit. This is something that one of my favorite videographers, Voila Cinematic, will now be offering to their clients. Here's what a same day edit from Voila Cinematic entails- the videographers shoot as normal all day on the day of the wedding. As they shoot, the footage is passed to an on-site editor and edited into a highlight film that is played for the entire wedding reception immediately following dinner. They bring everything including the HD Screen and projector. Just before the film is shown, the screen is seamlessly moved in and taken away immediately following the showing- so there are no decor eye sores through the entire reception! A same day edit is an extremely difficult project and one that truly requires a professional team!

Here is a glimpse of one of Voila Cinematic's Same-Day Edits with the Bride and Groom's reaction in a smaller window. Enjoy!

Same Day Excitement! from Voila Cinematic on Vimeo.

The Wedding Showcase: The Hilton Orlando

Recently, I had the pleasure of attended The Wedding Showcase, hosted by The Hilton Orlando. I, along with a select group of local wedding planners, was treated to a weekend of pure relaxation and indulgence. Aside from touring the property which has recently gone through a $385 million dollar renovation, we were able to witness (first hand) the level of service that each guest experiences when having an event or staying at the Hilton Orlando. Their brilliant team of chefs thoroughly planned and executed each meal that was provided for us throughout the weekend. Everything was so unique....DELICIOUS....and definitely not your typical "hotel cuisine." (I think I gained 3 pounds in 2 days, just in case you were wondering). You can see from the photos below how much effort was put into this fabulous event. It was such a rare treat to be spoiled like this, especially at the start of the busy wedding season. Thank you so much to the Hilton Orlando!

Photography by Amish Thakkar of Fine Art Productions

Not your average rose...

Believe it or not, these are all ROSES. Crazy, right? The "Green Eye" rose is one of the most beautiful and unique flowers that I have ever seen! The David Austin roses have a soft, plush look and come in a wide variety of colors. I have heard that these are amongst Oprah's "favorite things." I love that!

Pinterest, the virtual pinboard

Believe it or not, there are SOME people out there who have not yet heard of or experienced Pinterest! This incredible website is filled with TONS of inspirational images to browse through. Once you pin the images you like, you can organize them into categories and even create inspiration boards like this one from Wedding Chicks. What a perfect tool for wedding planning!

Home Weddings and Events can be Expensive

Recently, I read an article on one of my favorite wedding blogs, Preston's Blog (by Preston Bailey) and knew that I had to share it with my readers. Since I have coordinated many home weddings, some of which have been published, I have many couples who come to me seeking help with planning their at-home wedding. Although I LOVE to do them, I always make sure that the couple is aware of what it will take to pull this off.

Preston Bailey explains it perfectly:

I’m always excited when clients want to have their wedding or event at their house. Using a private home for an event is often a dream come true: it’s unique, personal, and often rich with family history. However, many clients assume that hosting an event at home will save them money. The reality, unfortunately, is that home events can actually be more expensive than events at traditional venues. Why? Because, in most cases, you have to create everything from the ground up. A private home is not designed to be an event space.

For example, most venues already have tables, chairs, linens, cutlery, lights, etc…; all of which you need for big events. Private homes don’t have these items on hand, and that means everything has to be purchased or rented. So, the next time clients ask about having an event at their home, remind them about the costs of doing so. I still love home events, but I’m always sorry when clients are disappointed, because they were under the impression they were going to be saving money.

Click HERE to check out the full article on Preston's Blog.

Colorful Wedding Shoes

A great way for brides to incorporate their wedding colors into their bridal attire is through their shoes. What a perfect way to show your style and personality! Here are some of our favorites:

On that note....

I've blogged it once and I'll blog it again, I LOVE THANK YOU NOTES. I really do. I don't think clients (Brides, Grooms, Parents of Either) know how much it really means to us wedding professionals to get feedback after the wedding or event is over. It reconfirms that we achieved what we were hired to do, plus gives us an invisible little gold star that we can wear around for a while. I can honestly say that I have kept every single "Thank you note" since starting Olivier Events. They are my treasures.....that's what the box I keep them in says anyways.

I just had to share the "Thank yous" that I received from Adam and Lindsay's wedding (the most recent one on our blog). Here is what Amy, the fabulous Mother-of-the-Bride wrote:

Ashly, I'm going to miss your emails! ......I wasn't sure about hiring a wedding coordinator; I thought I could do it myself. And I could have, BUT I would have been up tight and nervous and probably would not have enjoyed myself 1/2 as much. Nor would I have found such wonderful vendors. You worked tirelessly and never ran out of patience with either of us. You offered calm, and professionalism, and fun......from our first drink at Rumba's. Thank you so much for everything. I can't wait to see us published on your blog! Feel free to use me as a reference.

From Lindsay, the BEAUTIFUL bride:

What a wedding! I could not have asked for a more perfect day. I have never felt more beautiful or lucky in my life. Thank you so much for everything you did to make it all happen. Everything came together perfectly, and absolutely exceeded my expectations. The ceremony was flawless. That reception room was like nothing I had ever seen. It was more beautiful than any editorial spread in a magazine. And we did what we wanted to do--throw a killer fun, simply gorgeous wedding.

Thank you for all of your help with every vendor, your patience with my neurotic (if funny) emails, and your ideas all along the way. Thank you for coordinating all of the last-minute details, which I know my mom would agree, was undeniably priceless. I truly enjoyed working with you. May all of your brides be as happy and as fortunate as I have been.

I can't tell you how much I appreciate the kind words from both of you!!



And of course I had to add a little animation to this post! I absolutely love this shot of Lindsay as she entered the reception space for the "big reveal." I'm pretty sure she liked it!

Would you wear color on your wedding day?

This is a question that VERA WANG recently asked via Twitter. As soon as I saw this dress I instantly knew the answer.....HECK YEAH! Honestly, this may be one of the most amazing wedding gowns that I have seen. The style, the textures, the color combination- to die for. Home run, Vera Wang!

Of course this is just MY preference.....I want to know what YOU think. Would you wear color on your wedding day?

Lindsay & Adam: The Sandpearl Resort

Lindsay and Adam were recently married at The Sandpearl Resort in Clearwater Beach, FL. What a fabulous wedding this was! From the beginning, Lindsay knew that she wanted to use the bright color scheme of Chartreuse and Coral, which worked so well with this particular venue. The white decor elements that were used throughout the wedding added the perfect POP to these fun & fresh colors. Ian Prosser, of Botanica International Design Studio, completely delivered with the overall design of this wedding. Absolutely brilliant, as usual! In the end, Lindsay and Adam had the FUN wedding weekend that they hoped for (and deserved).

A HUGE Thank You to all of the vendors who contributed to this special day:

Venue- The Sandpearl Resort
Photography- Julie Brewer, Brewer Photography
Florals, Decor, and Lighting- Botanica International Design Studio
Full Wedding Coordination- Olivier Events
Invitations and stationery items- Not from a Box
Vinyl Dance Floor Wrap- Showorks
Cake- Chocolate Pi
Linens- Connie Duglin
Rentals- US Tents
String Quartet- Dillingham Strings
Band- Private Stock
Photo booth- Shutterbooth
Hair and Make-up- Allison Figueroa