Gather Wedding: Lani and Jim

Who doesn't love a fun cocktail party? Lani and Jim Clayton decided they wanted a smaller wedding with close friends and family. Gather worked for 6 months planning the perfect "Southern Greek"reception to compliment the bride and groom's family backgrounds. Foremost, it was important to find a venue that would not only set the right tone for the event, but would allow an outside caterer (who happened to be the bride's aunt!). Architectural Heritage was the perfect fit for what we needed because it offered indoor and outdoor space, a lofty atmosphere, and was the right size to fit our 200 guests. All of the catering was provided by Lani's Aunt, Annette Weaver, who is a caterer with Magic Muffin here in town. Lani and Jim liked the idea of serving speciality drinks to their guests, so we created "Mr. Clanton's cocktail." This added a personal touch to the night, and not to mention the drink was a hit!! The flowers were done by the spectacular Kappi Naftel. We worked together to decide on tall cylinder vases with submerged flowers and floating candles to enhance to the lofty atmosphere. Will Dickey was there to capture every moment with his stunning photography! Razzle Dazzle Creative design created a beautiful logo, invitation and program for all the guests. I'm so happy the night came together perfectly, and Lani and Jim have wonderful memories to look back on.

It's a sign of success when a wedding planner has to push the guests out the door because the party's over. So I raise a glass to Lani and Jim... thanks for letting Gather be a part of your remarkable day!

Happy Planning!

-NB

A Sneak Peak.....

It has been a crazy May and first of June for Gather, LLC. Four weddings in four weekends have made me a very happy wedding planner. For a sneak peak for a future post, check out the link below that Jason Wallis put together. The link features a small, lake wedding that took place a few weeks ago.

Meg + Devon

(www.jasonwallisphotography.com/laney)

I am working on a post for the various weddings. Stay tuned!

Happy Planning!

-NB

An engagement to remember!

I was recently hired by a fun and creative couple to help plan their fall wedding. When the prospective groom began thinking about how he would propose to his high school sweetheart he knew he wanted it to be special and something that she would always remember. The groom enlisted his friend, Caleb Chancey an amazing local photographer, for help.

Once upon a time....
....there was a beautiful barn they called Swan Lake....




....a romantic breakfast set for two....



.....a boy and his one true love....

.....a question she had been longing to hear.....

....and an answer, he knew not to fear!

The ring was all she had dreamed.....

....which made him beam!

With a barn so unique and the land so perfect...

....the happy couple has decided they would visit Swan Lake again.....

....on October 9, 2010!

We have begun planning the "Anthropology" style wedding (yes, think the store). Stay tuned...it will be something you do not want to miss!

Besure to check out Caleb's website for more info on his work!

Happy Planning!

-NB

It is not about the wedding.....

I was slammed today working on several different wedding and in the mix of an email overload, Tom sent me something he found in The New York Times that made me take a deep breath and count my blessing.

"Marital happiness is far more important than anything else in determining personal well-being. If you have a successful marriage, it doesn’t matter how many professional setbacks you endure, you will be reasonably happy. If you have an unsuccessful marriage, it doesn’t matter how many career triumphs you record, you will remain significantly unfulfilled."

I am a wedding planner, not a marriage counselor...but this was too good not to share!

Happy Planning!

-NB

Invitation Design

I have been spending the last two weeks working on save-the-dates, invitations and wedding programs for a few different clients. Four out of the five brides are using a independent graphic designer, while one ordered everything she needed from The Scribbler in Crestline Village. With THOUSANDS (and I do mean thousands) of options, how do you know where to start this process? I thought it would be helpful to give you a few thoughts that will make this process a little easier for you.

Ask yourself the following questions:

1) How much time do you have before you need to send out save-the-date cards and/or invitations?

• Remember, save-the-dates are supposed to be sent out 4-6 months before the wedding date while invitations are supposed to be sent out 6-8 weeks before the wedding date.


• If you are pushed for time, you might want to take a look through the design books at your local invitation shop and order that day. It usually takes about two weeks for the invitations to come in.


• If you have the time, research different designers and find one that fits your style. DESIGNERS CANNOT READ YOUR MIND! You can send inspiration photos to give him/her an idea of what you are looking for.


• Do not give up or settle on something that you are not 100% happy with. However, if you are a picky, indecisive person, you may need to settle at some point. There is nothing worse than a bride who always finds something wrong with every draft. Give constructive guidance and you cannot go wrong.

2) Are you looking for a customized invitation design for all of your "paper" (save the dates, invitations, etc.) or are you going with the more traditional format?

• If you are envisioning a personal monogram or logo, typically you will need to work with a independent graphic designer.


• The books at your local invitation store will have invitations that are unique and different, so do not feel like you have to hire a designer to get anything other than the traditional ecru card stock. To sum it up...the books are typically a "get what you see" deal, but you can still find some unique designs.

3) Do you know the look/design/feel you want for your "paper"?

• If you have no idea of what you want your design to be, I would recommend starting with your local invitation store. How will a personal designer know what direction to go in if you don't know!


• Start looking in magazines and online. Pull anything you like and send it to the designer and tell him/her what you like about each one. Nine out of ten times, the designer will be able to pull it all together and create something you really like.
  

A happy medium is definitely a new invitation vendor I met a few weeks ago.....A+Z Ink. They offer an amazing variety of high quality/uniquely designed invitations. The below pictures are from their collection.

The other outstanding graphic designers I love to work with also include Rice Designs, Catherine Currie Designs and Razzle Dazzel Creative Design. Each of them are a pleasure to work with and do a great job.

Happpy Planning!

-NB

Groomsmen Gift Ideas

I am working with a precious bride and groom who would like my help in selecting the perfect gift for their groomsmen. After all the expenses of putting on a rehearsal dinner and treating his soon-to-be wife to a romantic honeymoon, the groom has asked to keep the price down without taking away from the quality of the gift.

If you have been looking for groomsmen gifts yourself, you are well aware of the enormous selections you have in the bar category. While most groomsmen do enjoy a good drink, there are some guys out there that would rather have something else. It is usually pretty easy when all the groomsmen are into hunting or sports, but when you have a group of guys who are all truly different, it gets a little tricky!!

Below are a few gifts I found that could make just about any guy happy.

The L.L. Bean Travel Messenger Bag for $24.95 would be a great gift. It might even come in handy the weekend of your wedding!

A traditional money clip is always a nice gift. This one can be purchased and personalized at Red Envelope for $14.95.






Slice of Bread Notebook

"You are the greatest thing since sliced bread"...isn't that how all grooms feel about their groomsmen...maybe??

I know this is something very unique and it might not go over as well with the guys as it did with me....but it was too cute to pass up!!



This is package contains 12 single notebooks that are all in the shape of a slice of bread. Each notebook is numbered 1-12 so that you can have one for each month of the year.

Maybe the groom was a journalism major and all of the groomsmen are deep thinkers that need a place to catch their thoughts....Unlikely I know, but still clever!


A leather catchall tray is something a guy might not know he needs, but the minute he tosses it onto his dresser it will begin to change his life (or maybe his wife's life).

This little tray will be the new home for keys, loose change, collar stays, golf tees (hair rubber bands and fingernail clippers at my house) and much more.

This personalized leather catchall can be ordered from Red Envelope for $29.95.

These 2oz double wall thermo glasses are a lot cooler when you see them in person. Tom and I were having brunch at Avo with his parents a few weeks ago and his step-mother was served coffee in one of these. It was so neat that the conversation stopped in mid-story and all attention was devoted to how unique the glass was.

This gift is unique, while also useful! It can be found at Amazon.com for $11.89.

Every guy needs a weekend tote or gym bag. These bags can be found just about anywhere at any price point. I found this one while cruising around Mygroomsmangifts.com. What a great gift for only $24.95.

We have this coffee cup at our house and I secretly hurry to the kitchen each morning to make sure that I get this mug before walking out the door. (Editor's Notes: Do not let her fool you, I fix the coffee every morning and know not to think about using this mug)

For all coffee lovers, this is the PERFECT to-go mug! I am not sure why I love this mug so much, but I do. For a simple, yet unsalable, groomsmen gift....visit Amazon.com for your

"I am not a paper cup..."
(only $12.50)

Happy Planning!

-NB

Brunch with Bromberg's

I attended The Perfect Wedding Guide's Bridal Market two weeks ago to check out different wedding vendors while also enjoying a wonderful brunch put on by Brombergs. During the brunch we heard from Melissa Rycroff from The Bachelor and Dancing With The Stars about her wedding planning experience. Her one recommendation was to hire a wedding planner!!!

(I promise, I had nothing to do with what she said!!)

BTW, we all need to go on Dancing With The Stars! Melissa has the best looking legs I have ever seen!

This is Melissa's groom Tye Strickland. He didn't have much to say about the wedding planning process, but is 100% supportive of his new wife.

If you or any of your girlfriends are engaged, be sure to register at Brombergs. They are giving away a weekend trip to Watercolor to one lucky bride who registers in the next few weeks. The trip also includes a spa visit and dinner at Fish Out of Water.

Brombergs is also hosting a Diamond Dash! If you are interested in winning a $15,000 engagement ring, check out www.brombergsdiamonddash.com.

I will blog about the different vendors I found at the bridal market, stay tuned!

Happy Planning!

-NB