The city of Jacksonville will be bathed in teal tonight as our Jacksonville Jaguars take on the Indianapolis Colts. And since I have teal on the brain, I thought I would share some pretty inspiration boards from around the web:
From Lucky In Love Wedding Blog
This post is a shameless plug for two of my favorite people: Kimtasha Armstrong and Casey Powell. These two lovely ladies are always my first two calls when a bride is looking for a hair stylist and a makeup artist. They show up on time and make our brides look AMAZING - and they were both just named to Jacksonville Magazine's Best of 2009.
Even more exciting is that these incredible ladies now share a studio space - Loft 9 in San Marco. If you haven't seen The Lofts San Marco, it's the former South Jacksonville Grammar School built in 1916. The building is gorgeous, and it's event list on the National Register of Historic Places. The large windows let in tons of light, perfect for a salon! (Of course, I'm even more excited because Casey happens to be my personal hair stylist as well as a great wedding industry friend!)
One of our beautiful brides, Lauren, made even more stunning by Casey and Kimtasha!
This video is good for a chuckle!
Heather and I recently attended the Association of Bridal Consultants’ annual conference in Indianapolis. We met a lot of great people, and attended some very informative classes. One of the highlights of the conference for me was meeting Peggy Post. That’s right, Peggy Post, the great-granddaughter-in-law of Emily Post – etiquette guru!
I attended two of Peggy’s sessions at the conference, and learned some really interesting things about etiquette and how it changes between cultures and over time.
One thing that really stuck out to me was that the giving of a thank you gift can differ between cultures. The type of gift, when to give it, when to open it, and the appropriate way to reciprocate the gift can all vary depending on the culture. For instance, be cautious if giving flowers as a gift. Different colors or types of flowers have various meanings depending on the culture; some even symbolizing death. What I found even more interesting (and not surprising) is that chocolates are the universal thank you.
My favorite part of Peggy’s presentation, (besides her calling wedding coordinators saints) was her showing how the principles of etiquette have changed over time.
In 1922: A bride-to-be could not accept apparel, a house, or a car from her fiancé. A wedding in the evening would never take place in New York. A sit-down breakfast reception was the norm. Southern weddings took place in the evenings (because the weather was typically cooler).
In 1980: Female guests should never wear white or black to a wedding. A woman who is re-marrying should never wear white. A bridal gift registry could only consist of crystal, silver, china, and linen – that’s all! The bridal party could only consist of men standing with the groom and women standing with the bride.
Now in 2009, we have honor attendants or even pets as participants in the bridal party. It is acceptable for female guests to wear black; sometimes even the bridesmaids' dresses are black. And bridal registries often consist of just about any household item, even camping gear and flat screen TVs. Not to mention the option of having a honeymoon registry, or requests for charity donations in lieu of gifts.
I also found it interesting that the one rule of etiquette that has not changed in over 80 years is the sending of a hand written thank you note after receiving a gift.
How do you think the rules of etiquette will change over the next 20 years? Will evites be acceptable as wedding invitations? Will social or eco-responsibility be more of a rule instead of an option?
One week from today, we will be announcing the winner of Peek Romance Photography giveaway! Check out the post about the contest here: http://www.firstcoastweddings.com/wordpress/2009/11/were-back-with-prizes/
We've had some great entries but it's not too late! Get your entry in soon.
We're working on some changes to our blog! Please excuse the dust as we tweak our new design.
We just saw the adorable video highlights from Jennifer and Karl's wedding at the Sawgrass Marriott Resort and Spa! Thanks so much to Together Studios! Click the photo below to view the video:
Melanie and I are getting ready to attend the annual Association of Bridal Consultants' International Conference, and we are so excited! I've always been a believer in continuing education and feel that our clients benefit greatly. Next week, we'll be learning from keynote speakers Sylvia Weinstock ("The Leonardo Da Vinci of Cakes") and Peggy Post (THE wedding etiquette expert), as well as two of the industry's top pros, Rebecca Grinnals and Frank Andonoplas.
Each breakfast, lunch and evening event is themed, with events at the Indianapolis Museum of Art and the famous members-only Columbia Club.
We're sure to come back with notebooks and Blackberries and cameras full of great ideas! I'm looking forward to telling you all about it when we return.
(Please note, our office will be closed Saturday, November 7th through Wednesday, November 11th)
I love getting mail, especially when it is a comment card from a wedding! I received this lovely feedback from the mother of the bride following Lindsay and Erik's October 10th wedding:
Coordinating plans between Chicago and Jacksonville really required anticipatory guidance, etiquette guidelines, advice and recommendations to keep us on course. Heather did a FANTASTIC job! The best help was the wedding day - we could leave everything to her and her assistant Emma. I didn't relax until then. I will highly recommend her.
Heather responded promptly and professionally to all our phone calls and emails. She was pleasant, calm, and helpful, and very accommodating My daughter and I are very detail oriented and Heather was knowledgeable about all the specifics during our discussions. That was very reassuring!
I have to preface this post by saying I did not coordinate this wedding. I was instructed to be a guest, and I tried my hardest! Celeste is my oldest cousin, and couldn't have been happier that she chose our hometown of Orlando for her wedding. But when she announced it would be at Walt Disney World, it was even better! Mike and Celeste both have a long history with the mouse, and since they were engaged at Disneyland it was only fitting that they say "I Do" at Disney's Wedding Pavilion. After a perfect ceremony with the Florida sun gleaming off Cinderella's Castle, we boarded buses to the reception at EPCOT.
Cocktail hour was hosted at Italy's Isola, a small island overlooking the World Showcase Lagoon. The view at sunset was beautiful! And what entertainment - pop sensation Taylor Dane was performing next door.
We were escorted in to the American Adventure Rotunda for a scrumptious Southern-inspired dinner of pork medallions, mashed sweet potatoes, and green beans. Celeste and Michael had chosen an orange theme (the fruit, not the color) - each table was named with an orange-crate label, and the centerpieces were stunning glass vases filled with sliced oranges. Each lady received an orange pashmina on the back of her chair - which would come in handy shortly. Mickey, the "Mouse of Honor," even made an appearance and posed for photos with the guests.
After dinner, we went back outside to Isola for dessert - and to watch the Illuminations fireworks/laser show! What an amazing ending to the evening.
But the highlight for me was the incredible "first dance." You see, Michael has a broken foot. So since he wasn't able to "dance," the newlyweds came up with a great alternative:
(I'll probably get in trouble for posting this, but hey, that's what family is for)
Be sure to visit our Spotlight photo gallery on our website! We have just uploaded some gorgeous photos from Jennifer and Karl's September 26th wedding, courtesy of Oeil Photography.
We had an interesting discussion at The Wedding Party office today. A planning company called one of our vendors and actually asked her to raise her prices by 20% so that she can get that amount as a commission! Several of our wedding pros have been approached by this company and asked to pay a commission in exchange for a referral, although not always quite so blatantly.
There can be a blurry line between commissions, kick backs and referrals. Our company policy strictly prohibits the acceptance of kick backs or referral fees - we ask that our vendors pass that dollar amount along to our clients as a discount. But what about a little gift thanking someone for a referral? Is there a dollar amount that is too extravagant and the gift should be sent back? It's not always black and white.
The Association of Bridal Consultants (of which we are members, and the above-mentioned company is not) has a Code of Ethics:
Members will...
My question is whether or not the brides that hire this company know that not only are they paying them, but the vendors are also paying them. And moreover, is the bride getting the best vendors for her wedding, or anyone that will pay a commission?
Many of the most well-respected professionals in North Florida will refuse to pay these commissions and therefore will not get referred by this other company. Would you want to lose out on the best photographer or band in town simply because they will not pay your planner a commission?
I'd really love some feedback below, both from wedding pros and brides-to-be...What are your thoughts?
Jennifer and Karl were married on Saturday, September 26th in a beautiful ceremony at the Sawgrass Marriott Resort and Spa. I'll post more details later, but here is a sneak peak! Thanks to Michelle at Oeil Photography for getting these to me so quickly!
Beautiful centerpieces by Rose of Sharon
Amazing ceremony decor - uplights and draping by PRI Productions, ceiling treatment, florals and candles by Rose of Sharon
The bride's shoes, custom designed to match her gown
The stunning cake from Classic Cakes
Last night, we had the pleasure of attending the premiere of Rose of Sharon's recently remodeled studio. Amazing! The transformation makes me want to re-design our office.
The space formerly used for bridal consultations (and the accounting department!) now has a stunning “greenhouse” feel. The team actually demolished the paneling and found gorgeous brick walls. Add in some unique display shelves and the look is incredible.
And speaking of incredible, the new wedding section is fabulous. Not only is there a couch and a large computer monitor for viewing photos, but every type of vase, container, candelabra and column is right there to touch and feel. I feel like a kid in a candy store each time I walk in.
If you haven't selected a florist for your wedding, be sure to make an appointment with Lynette or Judy!
I was just notified that First Coast Weddings has been approved as a vendor on The Green Bride Guide!
Being green isn't hard; here are a few ways that we try to stay eco-friendly:
What are your favorite ways to go green? Is there anything you are planning for your wedding that is eco-friendly?
New York Fashion Week always makes me happy. No, I don't have the joy of actually attending, although maybe someday! {Fingers crossed!} Fashion Week means it's time for the next Pantone Color Report to make its debut. And OH, how I love some of these colors!
Although it's not too obvious since our website/blog re-design, our corporate color is turquoise. And there it is, at the top of the list for 2010 Spring Colors - Pantone 15-5519. My heart skipped a beat!
And who can help but love a color called Tomato Puree?! And Pink Champagne - my fave!
But even beyond the greatness of the Spring Color Report is the fun of a whole new concept from Pantone and The Dessy Group. Pantone Wedding is a way to create inspiration boards to share and order color swatches to go with them! So much fun to play with.
I hope so! And I hope you think so too. As you may have read in our post last week, we have been nominated for Best Wedding Blog in the 2009 EventProfs Blog Awards. We would really appreciate it if you would take a minute to vote for us! (Our blog title is "Something To Talk About")
Voting will close on September 21, 2009 @ 5:00 pm EDT. Only 1 vote can be cast per person. All duplicate votes will be disqualified.
Did you have a chance to visit The Wedding Party's booth at the bridal show on August 31? If not, here is a short highlight reel compliments of In Motion Video Productions!
Be sure to visit us this Sunday from 1:00 to 4:00 pm at the UNF University Center! Need more info? Check out http://www.jacksonvillebridalconnection.com.
We're honored to have been nominated for the Best Wedding Blog award in the 2009 EventProfs Blog Awards! Voting opens next week, we'd love for you to take a moment and vote for us!
Plus, we're in such amazing company! Other nominees include:
— EST. 2002 —
Wedding planning and day of coordination services offered throughout Northeast Florida, including Jacksonville, St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra Beach, Palm Coast, Orange Park, Green Cove Springs, Callahan and Amelia Island
