The day started off well with a call from the groom saying that their DJ was bailing out and sending someone else in his place for the ceremony; the regularly scheduled DJ was supposed to still show up at the reception. I talked to the new DJ and made sure he knew what time to be at the ceremony location so that I could go over the cues that we had agreed upon with the previous DJ the day before at the rehearsal.

Luckily, this was the only issue the entire day. While we were all half worried that he wasn’t going to show either, he did. The ceremony prelude music wasn’t exactly what they had planned, but luckily I had a copy of the rest of their music to give to the new guy. The ceremony on the plaza started right on time, just as the bells begin to ring downtown to indicate the new hour.

The original DJ never did show, even for the reception like he said he would, but luckily his replacement stepped up to the plate and no one ever knew the difference. All the dances at the reception went off without a hitch, and you can see me here in the background (on the right) trying not to cry as I watch the newlyweds. I’m such a sap at weddings.

Dawn and Joey, I’m so glad I could be a part of your wedding day!

You can check out more of Dove’s photos of their wedding here.

I helped my future mother-in-law plan a shower for Ellen, the bride. She took care of the food (minus the cupcakes) and I took care of the decorations and the games.

I made a few of those Martha Stewart tissue paper pom-poms.

We put together some flower arrangements as well that the bride ended up using the next day for her bouquet!

Here you can see the recipe box I put together. I instructed all the guests to share some of their favorite recipes to put in the box.

As for games, we played the clothespin game (we couldn’t say the bride or groom’s names or the word ‘wedding’) and “How Well Does the Bride Know the Groom?”, which was a lot of fun.

Check out some of the delicious food. The cupcakes were from the Hermitage Publix, which I picked up right before I left town.

Now, onto the wedding. I didn’t have any part in the planning of the wedding, but I did act as a pseudo day-of coordinator and also their photographer! (Note: This is not a service I offer; I only have a little point and shoot, but they were having a very tiny wedding and just wanted someone to document.) Here are some of the pictures from their day.

Congrats to the newlyweds! I can’t wait till next year when I join the family.

Top: Centerpiece from My Cleveland Wedding; gown by Jim Hjelm; bouquet from yoraflee on The Knot
Middle: Topiaries from The Knot; cake by Pink Cake Box; bouquet from Love and Splendor
Bottom: Drinks from Martha Stewart; bridesmaid dress from Alfred Angelo

I put together a guestbook that he could look at when he gets older. Each guest filled out a page with stuff like what he will be when he grows up, where they traveled from, any advice they have for him, and then they could draw a picture of him. For the book itself, I bought a plain blue 8×8 scrapbook with a slot for a picture, then stuck a metal “happy birthday” sticker on the front and printed out a black and white picture of Alex. It turned out so cute! Here’s a picture of the blank pages and the book itself.

The theme was Winne the Pooh with blue and yellow as the colors. I got some cheap vases at Joann’s, spray-painted them a light yellow, and turned them into honey jars to use for the floral centerpieces.

My dad made some of his awesome barbecue.

His Nana set up this super cute cupcake tree.

And here’s the birthday boy!

I’ll talk more about their details when the photos are up, so I’ll just do a quick run-down of their vendors for now. I want to say “thank you” to all of them for making the day as wonderful as it was!

Ceremony Venue: War Memorial/Legislative Plaza
Reception Venue and Catering: Uptown 162
Photography: Dove Wedding Photography
Florist: Dick’s Flowers
Cake: family friend
Rentals: Mid-South Tent Rentals
Trolley: FADDs Entertainment

Photo by Dove Wedding Photography.

Top: table from Toast and Tables; pie from Jehovah Jireh’s Bakery; drink dispensers from Pottery Barn
Middle: bridesmaid dress from Alfred Angelo; invitation from Relish; photo of Oakland Manor from One Source Weddings
Bottom: bouquet by The Bellevue Florist; Coca-Cola photo from Flickr; guitar photo from Kate Crafton

Top: Invitations made by Miss Flamingo on Weddingbee; parasols by Bella Umbrella; dress by Joan Shum on Etsy.
Middle: Flowers by Michelle Nonis, photography by Jessica Johnston; thank you postcard by Red Leaf Studios; cake topper from Fancy Flours.
Bottom: Tag by Blue Bird Lane on Etsy; telegram program by VintageGlam on The Knot; shoe clips from Absolutely Audrey.

I had the honor of attending their official launch party this afternoon and got to meet and chat with the creators, Stephanie Resch and Rebecca Vajdos. They are super nice, so if you have any special requests for your invitations, just ask them! For those of you with international friends and families, their website states that they can print your invitations in other languages, as well as printing a specific number in English and a specific number in another language. Also, contact me to find out how to receive free shipping on your order.

Tomorrow is their online launch party, and they will be doing giveaways, so be sure to check it out.

Cool Spring Wines & Spirits is hosting a spring drink mixing class. It’s on May 17 from noon until 2:00 at Criallo’s Bistro & Bar, 1935 Mallory Lane. There is a $20 per person fee (plus tax & gratuity) that includes food and drink.

Email events@coolspringswines.com for more information or to reserve your spot.

Monogram toppers are a popular choice.

Or maybe you are an animal lover or want something cute.

If you are having your wedding at Nashville Shores or a destination wedding, there are several beach-themed toppers to choose from.

How about the classic bride and groom topper with a modern twist?

Want your guests to have a good laugh? Try these.

I love toppers that interact with the cake in some way.

Finally, they have a selection of mix & match bride and groom toppers to really let your personalities show.

Top: Bridesmaid dress from David’s Bridal; pumpkin centerpiece from iStockphoto; gossamer decorations for unknown source
Middle: Orange Asiatic lilies with red gerbera daisies from FTD.com; pumpkin centerpiece from The Knot; fall ribbon decor from Oh Happy Day
Bottom: Dyer Observatory; leaves and candles from Superweddings.com; orange lilies and roses from NCBuy

First, decide on the kind of drink you want. Is vodka a favorite of you and your fiance? Do you want a red cocktail to match your color scheme? You can get ideas on drinkalizer.com, where you can view drink recipes by liquor type or even color. Or work with your bartenders or a mixologist to prepare a unique drink just for you.

After you’ve chosen your drink, give it a name. Something that is memorable and, again, exhibits your personalities. Get creative! ]]> http://weddingsbyjess.com/blog/2008/03/03/what-is-a-signature-drink/feed/ http://weddingsbyjess.com/blog/2008/01/29/choosing-the-perfect-reception-location/ http://weddingsbyjess.com/blog/2008/01/29/choosing-the-perfect-reception-location/#comments Wed, 30 Jan 2008 04:29:01 +0000 Jess http://weddingsbyjess.com/blog/2008/01/29/choosing-the-perfect-reception-location/ Choosing a location is often the hardest part of the process. There are so many things to take into consideration. Before you start looking for a place, you need to have a budget in mind, an idea of what kind of reception you would like to have, and an estimate on how many guests will be there.

You need to have a budget for the following things: the actual rental rate of the room; the cost of tables and chairs; the cost of linens, china, and other rentals; the cost of food and alcohol; and the cost of service. Some locations will provide all of these things for you. Some will provide only the space. And some will fall somewhere in the middle. This is why it’s important to have separate budgets for these items. For example, if you have a budget of $1000 for a room rental, $3000 for food and alcohol, $500 for tables and chairs, and $500 for other rentals, then you can afford a place that provides everything for $5000. If they only provide the room and tables and chairs, then you can afford up to $1500. This makes it really easy to see if a place falls within your budget. Weddings by Jess will provide you with a budget spreadsheet with everything itemized, so you can also just plug the prices in to see if you will come out over or under budget.

The type of reception and the number of guests go together. These things will determine how much space you need. Let’s say you found a place you love that is 3000 square feet. For most people, it’s probably hard to estimate how much space that actually is! Here are some good guidelines:
For a cocktail reception (there’s not a seat for everyone, and there is a lot of mingling), you are going to want about 8 square feet per person. If you are having seats for everyone at round tables, estimate 12 square feet per person. At rectangular tables, estimate 10 square feet per person. The dance floor requires about 2 square feet per person. Estimate 100 square feet per buffet table or bar, and another 100 square feet for the band or DJ. After doing the math, we can determine that a 3000 square foot room with a band, dance floor, bar, and two buffet tables with people seated at round tables will seat about 185 people comfortably. On the other hand, for a cocktail reception with two buffet tables and a bar only, it can hold closer to 340 people. These numbers are just estimates, not a hard and fast rule. Other room features may allow for more or less people. Also, be sure to check with your venue, as fire codes could also limit the number of people allowed in the room. These tips also help in determining what size tent is needed for an outdoor reception.

David and Bari were married yesterday in Franklin. It was a lovely wedding! The colors they chose looked great in the setting of the Factory. They also had a large wedding party: nine bridesmaids, three junior bridesmaids, ten groomsmen, two flower girls, and one ring bearer! The Heritage Room is pretty skinny, so we formed two rows on each side to fit everyone up there. ]]> http://weddingsbyjess.com/blog/2007/09/16/congratulations-to-david-and-bari/feed/