Help a senior citizen for the holidays

At the Walmart by my house, they have a tree decorated with names of seniors in nursing homes who would like a few things for Christmas. Most of them asked for things such as blankets, slipper socks. lotion, a toothbrush (yes, one needed a toothbrush). They need only the basics. What bothered me is that the tree still had 20 names left, and the sign said they'd start picking up the gifts to deliver in 2 days. Which means that some seniors may not get anything at all.

Please go get a name and buy some necessities to those nursing home seniors! I bought a very nice, soft blanket, two pairs of slipper socks, and lotion, and only paid $35.00. Surely some of you can do that. If you can't, please pass this on and hopefully all those names will get chosen and all the seniors will get something nice for Christmas.

Congratulations Handy and Donna

This elegant ceremony and reception took place at The Houstonian, and if you haven’t seen it decorated for Christmas, you really need to, it's gorgeous! The colors for this wedding were brown and gold with pink accents, and they looked so nice in the ballrooms. The Bride wore a gorgeous pale ivory strapless gown and sheer elbow length gloves, and carried a bouquet of ivory roses and hydrangeas with pink accents. The Bridesmaids wore floor length chocolate brown strapless gowns and carried pink bouquets with ivory accents. Handy was handsome in his black tux with white tie and ivory boutonniere. His Groomsmen wore the same but with pink boutonnieres. The ceremony had beautiful ivory floral arrangements with pink accents on the aisles as well as at the altar, and had candles in large vases.

The reception room was also beautiful, with floor-length brown pin tuck table cloths with ivory/gold colored chair covers. The tables had alternating center pieces of multi level candles or ivory floral arrangements. Each place setting had a long slim brown box tied with a gold ribbon. Each favor box held a pair of chopsticks and a thank you note from the families.

There were a lot of unique aspects to this reception, thanks to the hard work of many families and friends. First, Handy and Donna serenaded their guests with a duet after they were introduced into the room. Then, they had two friends act as MCs throughout the event. Special dedications and performances by friends to the Bride and Groom included singing to a keyboard and guitar, a surprise slide show, a duet with a guitar player, and another slide show. Later, some friends did a Salsa dance dedicated to the Newlyweds. I think there must have been at least 15 people involved in these dedications, in one way or another. And, people put in a great deal of work as far as the timeline, script, and order of events, which shows how much they care about the Bride and Groom. What a talented bunch, and a great group of friends!

After dinner, visiting tables, and the performances, it was time for the cake cutting. The three-tiered ivory cake was beautiful, with different designs on each layer, and an ivory fondant bow on top. Handy and Donna fed each other, and then each fed some cake to their parents as a symbol of gratitude and respect. It was such a nice honor. Then, it was on to the toasts and the first dance. At last, the dance floor was open and it was party time!

Following the bouquet and garter, and a few words from Donna and Handy, the Newlyweds left for their new and beautiful life together. Congratulations!

Congratulations Steven and Rebecca

This ceremony and reception were held the day after the “big” snow in Houston, so we had nice cold weather. It was perfect for this wedding with the colors of white, silver and black. The room had white table cloths with white chair covers and white napkins. The centerpiece on the head table had tall silver branches with crystals hanging from them. It looked like a winter wonderland. The other tables had white floating candles with white and silver sea shells. They looked like a Texas winter wonderland. It was all pretty and fit the weather to a T.

Rebecca looked so pretty in her white gown. It had a lace overlay, with lace tiers on the skirt. She carried a beautiful bouquet of white roses and stephanotis, tied with a white satin ribbon. The Bridesmaids wore cocktail length black gowns and carried white calla lilies tied with white ribbons. Steven looked so handsome in his black tux, grey vest, and white calla lily boutonniere. The Groomsmen all wore matching attire.

The ceremony was unique in that the Bride chose Native American flute music for the prelude to reflect her heritage. Then, more traditional music was played for the ceremony. The reception was a mix of all kinds of music, from oldies to current to everything in between. Something really fun we played during the dinner hour, per the Bride and Groom’s request, was music by Richard Cheese. He does lounge versions of popular songs such as Baby Got Back, Sunday Bloody Sunday, and Bust A Move. The music is really good and it takes you a minute to realize what song you’re listening to.

After dinner, the special dances, and the toasts, it was time for the cake cutting. The Bride’s cake was so unique I don’t know if I can describe it, but it was really pretty! It had four, white, stacked tiers, with silver dots, and a silver ribbon at the base of each. The shape is what made it unusual. It wasn’t oval, but like an oval with curves on each side. That didn’t make any sense, but it was so elegant. The rhinestone initial on the top was the perfect accent for this pretty cake. The Groom’s cake was also unique. I don’t know if I can describe the cake shape either, but it was six-sided (a hexagon?) and it was taller at the back and shorter at the front. It was cool. And it was all smooth chocolate, with on the word “Keepsies” on the top in lighter chocolate fondant. Apparently, that’s a word Steven often says to Rebecca. How sweet!

After the bouquet and garter, and plenty more dancing (including a guy who was a great dancer and entertained the crowd, and a boy break dancing and standing on his head), it was finally time for these really fun Newlyweds to make their exit. Off in the elevator they went, to their new life together. Congratulations and enjoy your honeymoon in Jamaica!

Congratulations Jason and Virginia

The colors for this fall/winter wedding were ruby red, chocolate brown and champagne. They looked so elegant and were perfect for the cool weather. And they looked so pretty in the ballroom of the Petroleum Club. The tables were topped with dark red rose centerpieces with candles scattered around. The head table had no flowers, just candles galore. It was so pretty! To add to the look we had two red uplights highlighting the head table and that really made the room look gorgeous!

Other details I noticed were the photos and the favors. Normally you see a few photos on the sign in table, but this couple did it differently. They had about 25 photos of them at all ages, and they were displayed on two long tables covered in candles. It looked so pretty and actually added an accent to the room. There were custom made magnets at each place setting with the Newlywed’s picture on a black scroll background. They even matched the design on the Bride’s cake.

Virginia looked so beautiful in her white strapless gown with full, tulle-topped skirt. The bodice had beading and embellishments and featured a tulle band at the top, and the skirt had a bit of beading to match. With her up-do and thin headband tiara, she looked so elegant. Virginia’s bouquet had dark red roses with white rose accents. The Bridesmaids wore brown floor length dresses and carried dark red bouquets with white and brown ribbon accents. Jason looked handsome in his tux with white vest and tie. His Groomsmen wore tuxes to match, with brown vests and dark red boutonnieres. Jason had two women standing up on his side, which is becoming more common, and they wore taupe cocktail length dresses that matched the wedding colors, with dark red rose corsages. It all came together nicely!

After dinner, the dancing started out with the Grand March (see post below to learn about it). That lead into the First Dance and Father/Daughter/Mother/Son dance, and party time began! This was another great crowd that loved to dance and have fun. They danced to everything from Country to Polka to Hip Hop to everything in between.

After a bit of dancing, it was time for the cake cutting. The Bride’s cake had four white stacked tiers with chocolate scrolls on each. It was topped by red roses. Jason’s cake was two stacked books and they almost looked real! The top one was Atlas Shrugged (I admit it, I never did make it through that whole book, kudos to anyone who did!) and the bottom one said Quantum Physics. That cake was awesome! The toasts followed, and the Anniversary Dance started the dancing again. The longest married couple was married 51 years, and after they shared some words of advice to the Newlyweds, it was back to the party.

Following the bouquet and garter and more dancing fun (including overtime, this crowd didn’t want to stop!) it was finally time for Virginia and Jason to make their exit. They ran through a shower of rose petals and ringing bells, and headed off to their new life together. Congratulations Jason and Virginia!

What is the Grand March?

The Grand March is not the introduction of the Bridal Party into the room. That’s the entrance. The Grand March is a tradition in Czech, Polish, German, and other cultures. There is a particular Polka song played and a couple leads the guests through the dance. They dancers are in two lines, one of men and one of women, and they are lead around the room, sometimes crossing each other, sometimes coming alongside each other, and sometimes on opposite sides of the room. At one point, the two lines end up next to each other, making an arch for the following people to walk through. It’s a really cool thing to watch! At the end of the Grand March, all the guests are in circles on the dance floor and the Bride and Groom are inside the innermost circle. Then, they begin their first dance. The Grand March is really fun to watch or participate in!

Have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!

Congratulations Jeff and Celeste

This reception took place at the Historic Magnolia Ballroom downtown, which is so pretty! And, the Bride and Groom chose colors that matched the room beautifully. The colors of the day were light sage green and gold, which made the reception even prettier. Celeste wore a gorgeous, elegant gown with a lace overlay and a light taupe sash, and she carried flowers in assorted fall colors such as yellow, orange, and dark red. The Bridesmaids wore strapless cocktail length gowns of sage green with lighter sage green sashes, and they carried bouquets of yellow flowers. The little Flower Girls were adorable in their matching dresses (and they were on the dance floor all night long!) The Groomsmen matched the wedding colors by wearing sage ties and yellow boutonnieres.

The tables had gold floor length tablecloths topped with floral centerpieces surrounded by candles. There were even gold chivari chairs to pull it all together. The really cool thing was the favors at each place setting: individually wrapped candy apples, with a personalized ribbon tied on the stick. They were so cool!

After mariachis, dinner, and the special dances, it was time for dancing to begin. This crowd was fun: dancing from the very first song! They liked everything from pop to country to oldies to hip hop to Motown to Spanish. At one point, a guy did the Snake on the dance floor, which is always a big hit. What a great crowd!

The Bride’s white three tiered cake was so pretty, with white scroll designs and sage colored fondant ‘ribbons’ at the bottom of each tier. Jeff’s cake let us all know his hobby: it was a pair of golf shoes. It was so well done that from a distance, you would think they were real (but very, very big!). They did the cake feeding nicely, no smashed cake here. After a very sweet toast and a few words from Jeff, it was back to dancing time.

After the bouquet toss (no garter for this couple), and more dancing, it was time for the evening to end. Celeste and Jeff ran through a shower of bubbles and headed off to their new life together, in a horse drawn carriage. Congratulations to the Newlyweds!

Happy Halloween!!

Have a safe and fun halloween!!

Thank you for the compliments!

We just received the following letter from a recent Bride and Groom. It always means so much to us. Thank you!

Absolutely, hands down, one of the best wedding decisions I made, if not the best, was to have y’all as our DJs. I got so many compliments after seeing how professional you were and how you directed everything so smoothly. The only bad thing now is that everyone in my family compares how great you were with other cousins’ weddings. I was very pleased with how Wendy made everything coordinate perfectly with the restaurant. Ferdy was amazing spinning very appropriate and fun tunes that everybody danced to. I cannot say enough to describe how great you are. Thank you and God bless.

Congratulations Justin and Loren

This reception was absolutely gorgeous! From the eggplant (dark purple) tablecloths to the purple uplights to the amazing cake to the ice sculpture to the flowers to the ballroom to the Bride and Groom to everything! The reception was held in a church hall, but not the old style hall you normally think of, with an open kitchen, brown paneling, and brown brick walls. Not this room. It had beautiful solid wood floors, high ceilings with gorgeous open beams, and a curved staircase in the front entry.

Loren was stunning. She wore an off white strapless gown that was breathtaking. I can’t describe how beautiful it was, but the bodice was embellished with beading and rhinestones, as was the under layer of the skirt. The skirt had pleating on the bottom that ended in a ruffle. There was pleating on the top of the bodice as well. The details on the skirt really showed when it was bustled. Her Bridesmaids wore eggplant long gowns, and they all had rhinestones in their hair to match Loren’s. Justin and his men looked so handsome in their tuxes. While he wore a white vest and tie, the guys all wore eggplant vests and ties. They all looked great!

As mentioned, the color of this wedding was eggplant, and it was so elegant. Actually, elegant could describe the whole reception. The tables had eggplant tablecloths with pick ups held by pretty rhinestone clips. The chairs were a sight to behold! They had white covers, with eggplant toppers. The toppers had scalloped edges and beautiful rhinestone pins holding draped rhinestone ‘chains’. The bottom of the white chair covers had splits which opened to reveal eggplant fabric underneath. We’ve never seen anything like it.

The tables were topped by alternating high/low centerpieces of assorted flowers in glass vases. The flowers included hydrangea, dark purple flowers (sorry, I don’t know my flowers), and gold/orange colored roses. They looked gorgeous together! The shorter vases had a white ribbon around them with a rhinestone pin on the front.

Once again I must mention uplights. At this reception, there were 3 uplights along each side wall, and 2 uplights on the wall behind the dance floor. They really accent a room by pulling in the wedding colors, and they make it look so pretty and upscale. As a bonus, you can dim the house lights more, and the uplights give the whole room a more elegant feel.

The Bride’s cake was gorgeous! It had 4 stacked tiers, all in different shapes. All were white with assorted designs, and each featured silver accents. The second to top tier had a rhinestone fleur-de-lis brooch on the front and the top tier featured a silver rhinestone initial. The Groom’s cake was chocolate with a fleur-de-lis on top which matched the fleur-de-lis ice sculpture. I thought, “Surely these cakes made by one of the top bakeries in Houston” because they were so beautiful. It turns out, the groom’s sister made them. And no, she doesn’t own a bakery. Amazing! Before the cake cutting, there was a cake pull. There were 12 ladies involved and each pulled a charm which foretold their future, from wealth to career success to love.

After dinner and the special dances, it was time for dancing. Following that was the Money Dance, which got a big response. Then, on to the bouquet and garter. The single ladies danced through the whole thing! The garter removal was hilarious when Justin went under Loren’s gown and pulled out a huge pair of granny panties. (They weren’t hers: Loren is tiny!)

Finally, it was time for the Newlyweds to leave. They ran through sparklers and headed off to their new life together. Congratulations Justin and Loren!

Congratulations Steve and Delores

What a perfect fall reception! What made it even better was that the first cold front of the year blew in the day before, so there was nice, cool fall weather. The colors were truffle (chocolate brown), burnt orange, and golden yellow. They were perfect for the fall season. If you are ever on the fence about having a fall colored wedding, this one would make you say, “I love it!!”

Delores looked beautiful in her white off the shoulder gown. She carried a bouquet of mixed fall flowers tied with a brown satin ribbon. The Bridesmaids wore brown satin floor length gowns in various styles and also carried fall floral bouquets. Steve wore a black suit with a fall floral boutonniere and his Groomsmen matched. The flower girls wore white gowns with brown sashes. Everyone matched perfectly and looked great!

Let me talk about all the accents of color throughout the reception. The tables were topped with little tin pails wrapped in a lone brown satin ribbon, filled with flowers of assorted fall colors. Surrounding each were small candles and miniature pumpkins. The chairs had brown chair ties over the covers. There were also pumpkins here and there for décor as well as pumpkins and flowers on the stage. They even had a pumpkin custom-carved with the newlywed’s silhouette surrounded by hearts and vines. There was also a candy buffet with assorted candies in brown woven baskets. The candy even matched the fall colors with M&Ms, candy corn, and others.

One really fun thing at this reception was a photo booth. With this photo booth, the guests immediately got their photos, and another copy went onto a page of scrapbook paper for an album later. Each guest got to write their wishes for the newlyweds on the page next to their photos. The guests loved it and it surely will be treasured by the Newlyweds for years to come.

After dinner and the toast, it was time to move on to the cake cutting. The Bride’s cake was beautiful: five white stacked tiers with edible flowers on each. It was so pretty and elegant! Atop the cake was a miniature edible fondant Bride and Groom. One was a donkey and one was an elephant. It turns out that Delores and Steve met at a political function and Democrat/Republican love followed. To top that, the Groom’s cake was awesome! It was a donkey and elephant facing each other, both in red, white and blue.

After bouquet toss (Delores has quite a throwing arm!) and more fun dancing, it was time to go. The Newlyweds stayed until the end of the reception to spend time with their guests, but finally climbed in their car and drove off to their new life together. Congratulations Steve and Delores!!

Congratulations Josh and Brandy

This afternoon reception was so sunny and pretty! It was held at a venue with a wall of windows overlooking the water, and on a gorgeous day. The colors were white and turquoise, which brought the feel of the water into the ballroom. The flowers were so gorgeous! Each table had a tall arrangement of white hydrangeas, white calla lilies, and curly willow. Surrounding each were pink roses in small vases and white candles. The tables had white table cloths with turquoise runners, and the chairs had white covers with turquoise ties. There were even matching, white personalized boxes of mints at each place setting.

Brandy looked so gorgeous in her white, strapless gown. It had a simple satin bodice with heavy beading at the top edge. The skirt was full with pretty pick-ups. What really made the whole outfit was the beautiful necklace Brandy was wearing. It had white pearls looping twice around the neck, and the two ends hang down her back, almost touching her gown. The ends were accented in pearls and sparkling rhinestones. Since Brandy wore her hair up, the necklace really showed off the back of the gown, which also had beading at the top. Brandy carried a pretty bouquet of white roses and stephanotis. Her bridesmaids wore pretty, summery tea-length turquoise gowns with soft chiffon skirts. They all looked great in the strapless style. They carried white calla lilies that were hand tied with white and turquoise ribbon. Not to be outdone, Josh and his groomsmen looked quite handsome in their black tuxes, turquoise vests and ties, and white boutonnieres.

And now for the first dance. You can tell that Josh and Brandy spent some time practicing for that! They made a mix of songs, starting with a slow one “Me and You”, and then it sounded like it skipped, then on to the song “Jump on It” (Apache), then “Ice Ice Baby”, then “Thriller” then many more. It was great and the guests loved it!! After that show stopper, it was on to the Father/Daughter dance, the Mother/Son dance, the Money Dance, then party time!

After a bit of dancing, it was time for the cake cutting. The Bride’s white cake was so pretty, with five stacked tiers featuring white floral gum paste accents on each. Josh’s cake was awesome! It had three tiers of chocolate cake stacked up to look like a mountain covered in rocks, and there was a Jeep climbing up it. The Jeep’s license plate said, “Just Married.” That cake rocked! (ha ha get it?)

When it came time for the bouquet and garter, Brandy did something a bit different. After tossing her bouquet to the single women, she then did a teddy bear toss for the younger girls. They loved it!

Finally, after lots of partying, shots, and fun, it was time for the exit. Josh and Brandy ran through a cloud of bubbles, jumped into their limo, and took off for their honeymoon. Congratulations to this fun and really nice couple!!

Letters... we get letters

This week we received two more thank you cards in the mail from recent Brides and Grooms. We want to thank all of you who take your time to send them to us. It means more than you can possibly imagine!

Dear Ferdinand and Wendy,
Thank you so much for your blessing and your wonderful services! We can't express enough how grateful we are to have had you perform the ceremony and DJ at the reception for us with such professionalism and personality! Thank you for making our special day that much more special!
Andrea and Cody

Dear Ferdy and Wendy,
Thank you for your encouragement and support. You both made such a wonderful team, and we felt very blessed to have you as our DJs. Wendy, the reception progressed so smoothly with your announcements, and Ferdy, we loved the music being fun and yet still with a touch of elegance. Thank you both for your time and efforts in making our wedding day memorable.
All our love,
Brandon and Krystle

Closing Ceremony

Last night we had the privilege of providing the microphones and sound for the Closing Ceremony of St. Peter the Apostle Church in Galveston. The church took on more than 4 feet of water during Hurricane Ike, and it was sadly determined that it had to close. The church had been there for 45 years and was a fixture in the Galveston Catholic community. It was nice to see so many parishoners attend the outdoor service. Luckily, the weather was perfect and a kind neighbor ran an extension cord across the street to provide electricity for the service. St. Peter the Apostle Church will be missed.

Congratulations Will and Alicia

Such an elegant and romantic wedding! The ceremony took place in the room where we performed for the reception, and it was so pretty. The colors were ivory and mocha (a dark taupe color). The tables had white pin tuck overlays over white floor length linens, topped by 2 simple, elegant ivory flowers in a vase. The chairs had white chair covers with mocha sashes. There were ivory menus at each place setting, tucked in a specially folded napkin. As I said, it was very elegant.

Alicia was so beautiful in her white strapless gown. It had gorgeous embellishments on the front, with a French bustled back. Her veil matched with its embellishments. She carried an ivory bouquet of hydrangeas and roses. The Bridesmaids wore floor-length mocha gowns with champagne colored sashes. They carried smaller versions of Alicia’s bouquets, and they were all wrapped with ivory satin ribbon. Will and his Groomsmen looked so handsome in their taupe suits with ivory boutonnieres.

After a few words from the Bride and Groom and toasts, it was time for dinner. The guests loved the buffet stations! Then it was on to the cake cutting. Alicia’s cake was so elegant. It featured 4 stacked ivory tiers with ivory designs on each. The bottom of each tier was wrapped in a mocha ribbon. The top tier featured Alicia and Will’s last initial and a topper of hydrangeas. Will’s cake was perfect for the couple, as it was designed around the couple’s university, the University of Alabama. It had a large crimson A and said “Crimson Tide.”

After the cake cutting, it was on to the first dance and a family dance. Will and Alicia opted to do the family dance dedicated to their parents, grandparents, and close family members. So they briefly danced with all of them before it was party time.

This group partied from the first song to the last. From Hip Hop to slow to Spanish, they were on the floor all night. Favorites included Suavamente, Yeah, Don’t Stop Believin’ (everyone sang along on that one!), La Vida es un Carnival, Baby Got Back, Tu Sonrisa, Chicken Dance, Calle Ocho, Cha Cha Slide, Boot Scoot Boogie, Cupid Shuffle, Low, and many more. This group was fun!! Sweet Home Alabama was a big hit, as it’s the song of the Newlyweds’ alma mater. So, all the Crimson Tide students and alumni were on the dance floor having a blast, waving pom poms and singing along. At one point, the dancers spontaneously broke into a Conga line, which circled the room. At another time, they ended up with couples doing a ‘tunnel’, in which each couple went under the arms of the others and ended up at the end of the tunnel (kind of like a Grand March). Then there was the Thriller dance, and I can’t forget it when some of the male guests (I assume they were in a college fraternity), got out on the dance floor and did step moves while everyone gathered around. They were fantastic! Didn’t I say they this group was fun!?!

Finally, the night came to a close and the Newlyweds made their exit through cloud of bubbles, jumped in their Party Bus, and headed off to their honeymoon. Congratulations Will and Alicia!

Congratulations Robert and Lori

This wedding featured the colors of berry/purple and ivory. Lori wore a beautiful V-necked gown with beaded accents on the bodice, with a satin sash on the waist and matching trim on the skirt. The Bridesmaids wore a variety of floor-length berry colored gowns and they all looked beautiful. Robert wore a black tux with tails (very handsome!), with an ivory vest and tie. The Groomsmen wore white shirts with berry vests, and dark red rose boutonnieres. Lori’s flowers were ivory roses with dark red rose accents and the Bridesmaids carried dark red roses with ivory rose accents. As a special accent, there was a white dove at the reception, in a cage decorated with matching ribbon. It was at the ceremony also, and was there to represent marriage (because doves mate for life).

After a delicious dinner, it was time for the Special Dances. The Newlyweds danced while a friend sung “Bless the Broken Road.” Then, Lori danced with her brother (and they were very, very good!) while Robert danced with his mother. And then, party time! It was so funny when the dancing started. The Bride and Groom were immediately on the dance floor, along with two Groomsmen. The Groomsmen were doing the Running Man and the Robot, and Robert and Lori were dancing along. The Groom was quite a dancer and his Groomsmen were hysterical!! Then they got crazy with the Chicken Dance (I think over ½ of the guests were in that one), and it got crazier with YMCA. I have to say major props again to the Groom, Robert. He is so funny and hilariously entertaining on the dance floor. At one point, Lori did a Polka with a family member, and they rocked the Polka! I tell you, this group was F-U-N!!! (And once again, they show that you don’t need alcohol to have a great time!) Other hot songs for the night were The Twist, Macarena, Cha Cha Slide, Cupid Shuffle, Shout, and more.

After two very nice toasts (one which ended with “…and keep dancing!” (I loved that), it was time for the cake cutting. The Bride’s cake was so pretty! It had 3 white, stacked tiers, with ‘painted’ designs on each. At the base of each tier was a rhinestone ‘ribbon', and it made the cake really sparkle! The top featured one lone stargazer lily. It made for a very elegant cake. Robert had a two-tiered chocolate cake with chocolate accents.

After the bouquet and garter, and changing in to going-away clothes, the Newlyweds made their exit. They walked through a very long ‘tunnel’ of friends and bubbles, and headed off to their Caribbean cruise. Congratulations Robert and Lori!!

Our condolences

Our heartfelt condolences go out to the family and friends of Robert Schaerer of CR Cakes. Chef Robert was a nice guy with an incredible talent for beautiful, delicious, and affordable cakes. He opened his bakery about a year ago, and was already becoming known for his amazing cakes. Our thoughts are with Chef Robert's family at this difficult time.

Galveston Bridal Show on Sunday

Here's one last reminder to come visit us at the Boutique Bridal Show of Galveston Island this Sunday, August 16th, from 12:00 - 4:00. For more information, go to www.bridalshowgalveston.com. We hope to see you there!

Congratulations Brandon and Krystle

Such a pretty reception for such a nice couple! The colors for this wedding were white, ivory and dark red, and they looked very elegant. The tables had white floor length table cloths with ivory overlays. Each centerpiece had dark red roses floating in a bowl, on a mirror. On the mirrors there were candles and scattered rose petals. The chairs had white chair covers with dark red organza sashes.

Krystle was stunning in her ivory gown with champagne accents. It had a halter neckline atop a beaded bodice and a gorgeous train with satin champagne trim. She carried white/ivory roses with dark red calla lilies. The Bridesmaids wore dark red cocktail length gowns (each got to pick her own style, which means they all looked great!). Brandon was handsome in his black tux and white vest, and his Groomsmen wore matching tuxes with darker taupe colored vests. It was all made for a very classic and elegant look.

Other touches included well wishes cards near the sign in table. The guests wrote some good wishes for the Bride and Groom on a small card and then dropped them in a vase. Those cards are a great item to put in a scrapbook later, or to read on each anniversary. As favors, the guests got to take home wedding pens, which had different phrases that alternated when you clicked them. The phrases included, “To have and to hold” and “Forever and ever” and others. I’ve never seen pens like those before and they were really cute. There were also little custom made heart-shaped soaps in little boxes, and wedding bell escort card holders on the tables. A lot of planning and time went into this wedding and it showed!

I must also mention the families. We loved them! All of the family members (as well as the guests) were so nice and so much fun. You can tell they all genuinely love each other and enjoy their time together, and are united in their faith. And then there’s Krystle’s mom: she’s awesome! She was very involved in the wedding process and really helped Krystle and Brandon with so much. She made the wedding planning go smoothly and you could tell it was a labor of love.

Instead of saving the bubbles for the exit, this couple had a bubble entrance. We had all the guests line up starting at the doorway, leading right up to the head table. Krystle and Brandon entered through the lines, were showered with bubbles, and went right to their seats. It was a fun and unique entrance.

The dancing started with the first dance, followed by the Father/Daughter dance. They had practice their dance and it was beautiful. Then the Mother/Son dance followed and it was so much fun! Brandon and his mom were grooving, doing the bump, and all kinds of fun dances. Everyone loved it and they were both great dancers! After the special dances, it was party time. The favorite song of the night was definitely the Cupid Shuffle, and the Cha Cha Slide was not far behind.

A perfect match to the wedding day colors, the Bride’s elegant cake featured four ivory stacked tiers, with a fondant drape running diagonally down the front, with red gum paste roses that looked like real roses. It was topped by two bejeweled, entwined hearts. The Groom’s cake was an ivory open bible with a dark red fondant ribbon, with scripture written on it. It was a nice way to recognize their faith on their wedding day.

The bouquet toss was so funny! The ladies were ready, Krystle was ready, I counted 1…..2….3!... Krystle tossed the bouquet, and… nothing. Where did it go? Sure enough, it was 15 feet up, stuck in the chandelier. It was hilarious! (I wonder if it will end up on America’s Funniest Home Videos?) We all laughed and I handed Krystle another bouquet. With a warning to keep it low, the final throw and catch was a success. Brandon’s garter removal and toss went off without a hitch.

Near the end of the night, many of the guests left and the immediate family stayed to party. It was so much fun watching Krystle, Brandon, their parents, and their friends laughing and being goofy on the dance floor. It was a small group but they were getting crazy out there, having a blast! But, finally the evening came to a close, a waiter climbed up a ladder to retrieve the bouquet, and the Newlyweds headed out to a new and wonderful life together. Congratulations Brandon and Krystle!

Congratulations Jason and Jessica

This was a wedding done Texas style. From the colors to the décor to the food, it was Texas all the way. The guests were tipped off to the theme when they arrived at the ceremony. As they listened to slow country love songs during the prelude, they saw two large western boots filled with assorted yellow and blue flowers at the altar. They were the biggest boots I’ve ever seen!

The colors were light blue with dark blue accents. The tables had white table cloths with light blue toppers. The centerpieces had rope lassos around them, and lassos also decorated the sign-in table and special tables. On the gift table there was a large blue tub to hold cards. It had the word “Texas” on it, and was accented with bluebonnets. There were two arrangements on the bar that consisted of Texas wildflowers in western boots. The coolest thing of all the décor was the candle holders. They were small, sawed off logs, ranging from 6” to 8” high, and had small holes drilled in the center for tea lights. They were hand made and were the perfect touch for this elegant Lone Star Celebration!

Jessica looked gorgeous in her white, strapless gown. It had a beaded, wrap-style bodice with a satin train and a corset back. It really accented her tiny waist. She looked so pretty and her beautiful bead-edged veil completed the look. Her bouquet consisted of assorted ivory/yellow flowers, including roses and hydrangea, and it was tied with a light blue ribbon. The Bridesmaids wore light blue gowns and carried bouquets of light blue hydrangea with yellow roses. Jason and the guys wore black tuxes. He wore a white vest and tie while the guys wore light blue vest and ties. They all wore matching yellow rose boutonnieres. The two Flower Girls were so adorable! They wore white dresses with light blue sashes atop white western boots. They carried the yellow petals in small tin buckets that were painted with bluebonnets. It was so cute!

The Bride’s cake had four ivory tiers with different accents on each. It was accented with blue hydrangeas and yellow roses. The Groom’s cake was interesting. It was green, iced with white yard lines to look like a football field, and said “Go Gators” and “The Swamp.” On the top there was a flat Gator head that was entirely edible. The table itself was covered in a Florida Gators print cloth. The whole Groom’s cake table was awesome. (While the Bride is from Texas, obviously, the Groom is from Florida). But by the end of the night, Jason had changed into a Texas flag print vest, which showed that he’s seen the light and loves Texas! I’ll also give you one guess what they served the guests for dinner…… You guessed it. Bar-B-Q, of course!

The garter removal was a bit unusual in that the Jessica wore a rope tied around her leg. But the secret was that she couldn’t find her garter, so I (with her permission, of course), fashioned a garter out of one of the lassos I took off a cocktail table. It actually worked out very cute, as the garter matched the décor.

Just when we thought the reception was winding down for the night, Jason, Jessica, and a bunch of the kids (and a few adults) ended up doing what I’ll call the “Run and Slide”. I have no idea how it began, but suddenly, the Bride would line up with all the little girls, they’d race down the dance floor, throw themselves on the floor, and slide the rest of the way. (And yes, Jessica was still wearing her wedding gown. But now, with her boots, of course.) Then Jason and the boys took their turn. This went on for at least 10 minutes and it was so funny! Note for the tuxedo place: if you got a pair of pants returned Monday with the knees worn out, now you know why. LOL The photographer and I agreed that we’d never seen that at a wedding reception before, but it was so much fun to watch! Congrats Jessica and Jason, you’ve officially been one of our wedding firsts. :-)

As the night came to a close, the tired but happy Newlyweds jumped in their truck and headed out to their new life together. Congratulations Jason and Jessica, and yee haw!