Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Congratulations Mark and Jackie

Saturday night’s wedding was so elegant! It started later than most, at 8:30, and the candlelight reflecting off the windows made for a beautiful reception. The colors were black and white with red roses, which was gorgeous. The floor-length black table cloths were so dramatic: you just can’t beat them for a formal evening event. At this point I just must say something about the cake, as it was so beautiful! It was white and three tiered, with black ribbons at the bottom of each layer. But it was the details that made the cake so amazing: black scroll designs running up each tier, starting at the ribbon. It’s hard to explain but it was stunning.

We played Sweet Caroline during dinner and it was fun watching the guests at the tables sing along. At that point, we knew which table would be the party table for the night! (Funny, but at each wedding, there always seems to be one party table.) It turns out that Saturday night’s party group was from New Jersey. Gotta love hearing people say “youse” instead of “y’all”! There were dance floor sing-alongs to Living On A Prayer, and Don’t Stop Believing, which was the last dance.

A few other details about the day: Jackie, the Bride, was so beautiful. She has a smile that just lights up the room. Mark, the Groom, was so nice and really took an active role with us planning the reception. The toast by the Best Man was one of the best and most hilarious we’ve ever heard. He told us how a text message resulted in Jackie and Mark’s marriage. I’d love to hear that whole story. And, a separate embarrassing text message from the Groom, intended for the Bride only, was accidentally sent to the Best Man and ended up being read during the toast. It was so funny and so sweet.

After a night of eating, drinking, dancing, and fun, and Mark’s fraternity brothers gathering in a circle to sing, the newlyweds ran through a line of sparklers and into their limousine. So, to the Newlyweds, congratulations “tons and bunches”!!

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Congratulations Jonathan and Elizabeth

We’re so happy that this couple finally had their wedding. It was originally scheduled to take place the weekend that Hurricane Ike hit. Can you imagine what Jonathan and Elizabeth had to go through to reschedule, trying to work with the church, the vendors, and their family members and friends? Yikes! But they did it and their beautiful wedding finally became a reality.

Elizabeth and Jonathan had a unique item on their sign in table. There were cards that the guests could fill out with what they predicted the Bride and Groom would be doing in 1 year, 25 years, how many kids they would have, etc. I bet they had a lot of fun filling those out. And once again, this was a wedding that was full of gorgeous kids. There were so many adorable little ones!

The colors were black and white with red floral accents, which was very elegant. The tables had white tablecloths with black runners, with red petals around the centerpieces. The guest favors were small red tea light candles. The other red decor was our uplights. We had them accenting the head table, the cake table, and the gift table. Uplights are such a pretty way to bring more of your colors to your wedding, and are an elegant look as well. At this reception we saw something that we’ve never seen before: chair covers that were half black and half white. I don’t mean alternating colors. I mean each chair cover was made of both colors. They looked great and really tied in the color scheme well.

So, the afternoon finally came to a close after the special dances, toasts, cake cutting, and bouquet and garter. The newlyweds ran through a shower of bubbles into their well decorated car, and then drove off into their new life together. Congratulations!

Monday, November 3, 2008

Congratulations Chase and Caryn

This reception was held at the Silver Sycamore in Pasadena. The hall has been there for at least 3 years and it still looks brand new! It’s so pretty inside that the word “hall” doesn’t really describe it well. There are chandeliers, a beautiful scrollwork door, gorgeous tile on the floor, and windows on 3 sides. The colors of the day were brown and ivory, with dark red floral accents. They were very pretty, especially for a fall wedding, and they looked very nice in the room. If you are still looking for a ceremony or reception venue, make sure to check out the Silver Sycamore. It’s gorgeous! And, don’t forget to talk to Jackie, the owner. She’s a great lady who always does a good job for her brides.

This reception was a bit different in that it was a delayed reception. (I’ve noticed that we’re starting to do these more often.) Chase and Caryn were married a few weeks ago in another state but held this reception to celebrate their marriage with all their Texas family and friends. (One nice aspect of delayed receptions is that the bride and groom are usually at the door welcoming their guests as they enter. They get to spend much more time with their guests, as they aren’t rushing from the ceremony to the reception or constantly being pulled aside for pictures.) To get back to the details, there was a digital photo frame on the sign-in table so the guests could see pictures of the out-of-state wedding and reception. After dinner, there was a slide show that also had pictures of the original wedding along with growing up pictures. It was a great way for the guests to be a part of the couple’s marriage.

At one point, Caryn’s parents made a special presentation to the newlyweds, and it was something we hadn’t seen before. They had a basket filled with meaningful items and scripture to accompany each. For example, an eraser meant that once the couple came to a compromise, they should erase the issues of the past. Toothpicks were a reminder to not pick at each other. The newlyweds were also presented with their first bible as a married couple. The presentation and basket of items was a touching gift to celebrate the marriage of Caryn and Chase.

After an evening of good food, great cake, music and fun, the guests bid the newlyweds farewell. Congratulations to Chase and Caryn!