Rayna | Lexington, KY Wedding Planner and Event Designer - Always Planned

May

Biltmore Wedding?!

weddings // No Comments

If you are an avid reader of our blog then you realized that this past week it looks rather sparse. It is definitely wedding season and we are slammed! We love it! In addition, both Mallory and Kyle as well as Rayna and Andrew were married in May! Needless to say that we are trying to spend some of our limited free time with our darling husbands.

Andrew and I decided to whisk away to the romantic and lush mountains of North Carolina. We found ourselves in Asheville and every visit to Asheville requires a visit to America’s largest home, the fabulous and amazing Biltmore. With the royal wedding recently I know we are going to see a push for weddings to become more of a formal affair and I could not be more excited! The Biltmore is the ideal location for your wedding ceremony and celebration. Could you just imagine your guests arriving to this venue being personally greeted with Champagne!! There is a winery on property that makes it just like in France. Oh la la!

Are you interested in having your wedding at Biltmore Estate? I would love to talk to you! They do have catering minimums, but I have found they are very competitive to most hotels and ballrooms.

Do you need inspiration? Check out these drool worthy Biltmore weddings!

Style Me Pretty

Alisha Silver Photography

Hindsight Bride

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May

Cute Bouts!!

weddings // No Comments

I don’t know about you, but I am so over the traditional rose boutonniere! Of course they are still totally in style but I say we change things up a bit with a fun and non-traditional bout. Here are my favs of the moment – all from the oh so fabulous etsy.com of course! Those talented peeps are incredible and I could spend hours just looking at all of the unique crafty items.

This is the perfect pick for a destination wedding or to incorporate a special place into your decor – a fun and subtle touch! Only $15 by seller SurroundingsOnline.

Oh so vintage and blingy – these are a much for any vintage styled wedding. I know that we are seeing vintage as the new buzz word for 2011 – what do you think? Do you love them?! I do! Only $15 each by seller ericacavanagh.

I am having such a hard time deciding on my favorite – but these are definitely up there. Oh so earthy, vintage and unique, these swanky bouts are only $13 each from seller TheBoutonniery.

If you are looking to add something fun and unique to your dashing assembly of groomsmen be sure to check out etsy.com and the sellers mentioned for the perfect fit for your style and personality!

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Mar

2011 Brides Choice Award Winner!!

General, weddings // No Comments

We are pretty excited, honored and totally blushing over our recent awards! A HUGE, BIG THANK YOU – to all of you who voted for us!!

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Feb

Treats from Nate’s Candy Jar!

vendors // No Comments

I must admit that I have some of the best friends and colleagues around! I love that we support each other in our businesses and personal lives.

One of those fabulous ladies is Kim King Smith of Kim King Smith Events in Indianapolis. We met a couple of years ago and have been good friends ever since! Well I just received the sweetest treat from her in the mail! Yes – an assortment of yummy fudge from Nate’s Candy Jar! I cannot wait to dive into each flavor, especially the peanut butter – it’s my favorite!!!

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Feb

Inspired by Rebecca!

General, weddings // 2 Comments

So we have this amazing new bride with such a romantic love story. She tells it best, but each time we meet she has mentioned where her new Fiance proposed. She blushes and smiles and is utterly in love with him and their story – we adore her and each of those romantic moments. I know that she reads our blog and I wanted to let her know she inspired me. So this one is for Rebecca!

How awesome to have an intimate inside joke with your soon to be husband! Little touches of your special locations are just the way to personalize your wedding. Here are some fantastic finds from my favorite online resource Etsy.com. Enjoy!

Such a cool find! Subtle and totally a keepsake. From seller sherrytruitt these one of a kind cufflinks are sure to make your man smile. Only $52!

Seriously my husband would love something like this. If you actually know the GPS coordinates of where you got engaged or your eyes first met then really surprise your man with this totally unique gift! Etsy.com seller beargraphics. $39

This is by far my favorite find for showing off a very special place in the world. Keeping it close to your heart, this is definitely a conversation piece and you can even put a special picture inside – yes its also a locket! From Etsy.com seller vsc83. $39 each!

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Feb

Tweezerman – a bride’s must have!

Uncategorized // No Comments

Looking good while using products you love doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Tweezerman, the number one choice of make-up artists, models and celebrities brings you fun, “fashion meets function”, flirty & fabulous beauty tools you’ll love using and showing off at the same time!

	*Connect The Dots: Introducing the NEW Special Edition Hot For Dots Matchbox Itty Bitty Files* The Hot for Dots Matchbox Itty Bitty Files – adorably portable, practical, and playful – walk the line between super-stylish and hassle-free usability. Designed to fit easily into the palm of your hand and stored in any size purse, pocket or travel bag, the compact case conveniently houses a dozen durable, disposable mini files. Rough emery grains on one side tackle tough nails while a fine grade of emery on the other smoothly file. Price: $4.00 (each) / Availability: www.tweezerman.com
	*Zip It: Zip File* Keep nails neat with the new Zip Files — it’s so easy to use! Slide out a lot or a little of this dual sided tool for quick nail fixes on the go. So portable and cute, it’s the only file of its kind. Pop it into any pocket or purse before leaving the house — fun to show off or fix chips discreetly. Available in 3 fun and cool pattern colors: Pink, Coral and Blue. Each file comes with a colorful case to keep it clean and protected. Two extra files are included. Perfect for purse and travel. Price: $5.50 / Availability: Sephora
	*Folding Ilashcomb: Lovely Lashes* The perfectly spaced, gold plated metal teeth glide through lashes to remove excess mascara, leaving your lashes looking long, lovely and clump-free. Comb cleverly folds in to protect teeth when not in use. Tips & Tricks While still wet with mascara, comb your lashes (moving up, out and away from eyes). If applying more than one coat, comb lashes after each additional application. Make sure to look in a mirror when using this precision tool. Price: $9 / Availability: www.tweezerman.com
	Tweezermate 10X Lighted Mirror: See the light! Isolate even the finest hair for precise, easy tweezing with our optically correct and lighted 10X magnifying mirror. Clear from edge-to-edge with no distortion — you won’t miss a hair. Price: $15 / Availability: www.tweezerman.com
	*The New Cult Classic For Curler Connoisseurs: ProCurl Curler* Ultimate Precision, High-Intensity Lashes After years in the making, the ‘curler to end all curlers’ has arrived! Batting beautifully groomed lashes is the oldesttrick of the flirting trade and Tweezerman is helping to raise the stakes. High-impact lashes are a curl away with the new ProCurl Curler. With its beautiful and distinctive rose gold design and ergonomically crafted, pinch-proof precision, this contoured curler is an industry first and the staple to any beauty arsenal. Perfectly designed to fit all eye shapes, the Pro-Curl Curler is guaranteed to be the next award-winning beauty tool! Price: $20 / Availability: www.tweezerman.com
	Introducing the NEW Night Shade Slant Tweezer Bold. Stark. Fashionable. Fashionably bold and stark Tweezerman’s new Night Shade Slant Tweezer is an elegant response to the dominant colors favored by 2011’s top fashion choices applauded on the runways. Decidedly on-trend like any good fashion disciple, the darkly beautiful, mysterious color of the Night Shade Slant Tweezer proves itself as the unflinchingly strong base for any color palette. A must-have beauty tool, the award winning, stainless steel Slant Tweezer features a hand-filed tip perfectly aligned to grab every hair every time with the smoothest precision. Price: $20 / Availability: www.tweezerman.com
	*Sole Mates Foot File & Smoother: A First For Feet* Two expert tools fit together perfectly for clean compact storage. Each side provides a specialized tool experience for expert pedicure maintenance. A stainless steel Micro-File effortlessly removes dead skin & reduces calluses and the equally high quality, nickel Finishing File buffs skin to touchably soft smoothness. Sleek, high-quality magnetic design seamlessly stores tools together making it ideal for home & travel. “No mess” compartment catches shavings and empties easily. Price: $20.00 / Availability: www.tweezerman.com
	*Mini Brow Rescue Kit: The Perfect Pocket Sized Pluck* Keep your brows looking perfect any time, any where with this convenient, travel sized brow essentials kit. Fits in any makeup bag or purse for quick touch ups on the go. Kit Includes: Mini Slant Tweezer Mini Browmousse™ Mini Brow Brush Mini eyenhance Brow Highlighter Stylish Travel Case Price: $25.00 / Availability: www.tweezerman.com

These products can be found at local beauty stores such as Sephora.

Both the mini slant tweezers and the mini brow rescue kit would be a perfect addition to your wedding day emergency kit and would ensure that you were looking your best all day I am so excited to try mine out.

You should totally check them out too!

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Feb

WeddingWire.com – Bride’s Choice!!

weddings // No Comments

Check it out!! We are blushing and so excited to announce….. We are a WeddingWire.com Bride’s Choice for 2011! YAY!!

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Jan

Sandals Regency La Toc – Teaser Review

General, honeymoons // No Comments

Since Always Planned formed our travel division, AP Luxury Travel - we have been afforded many perks of the trade. We call it product knowledge or client experience security, it just means that we go that extra mile to make sure your entire travel experience is beyond your every expectation.

Part of our ongoing training is visiting all of the properties you are interested in. We have sent many happy honeymooners and couples to the beautiful island of St. Lucia and we thought it was time to check it out for ourselves. Andrew and I decided on the beautiful property of Sandals Regency La Toc.

We arrived in St. Lucia on Saturday, January 15th and after a 90 minute journey through the island we arrived at the Sandals Regency La Toc. Greeted with a nice refreshing cold towel and our choice of alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverage – we began our check-in with the Concierge Team (a nice perk!). We arrived to our room (# 326 – Grande Luxe with Oceanview) and automatically went straight to the window! This Kentucky girl needed to see the water!

Here are a few suggestions for your arrival into St. Lucia – when staying at a Sandals Property.

1. The guy helping you with your luggage at the airport does not work for Sandals. Please Tip him! $2-3, depending on the amount of luggage you have. We did $3 and had 2 bags.

2. Your transfer driver does not work for Sandals. Please Tip him! $5-10 is a nice amount. If he was informative about the Island, then tip accordingly.

Once you arrive on property you will not need to tip the general service staff. Tipping is only permitted for the following staff:

Butler - While not required, suggested $10-20 per day. Wait until the end of the week and tip according to service provided.
SPA - Yes ladies you can tip generously depending on how relaxed you are when you leave. 10-15% is suggested.
Tours – Your tour guides and drivers are usually tipped $2-3 each. Of course, you can tip additional if you feel necessary.

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Jan

Real Wedding! Brittney & Patrick at Talon

vendors, weddings // No Comments

The very first time I talked to Brittney, I knew she was going to be a lot of fun! She had so many ideas and thoughts and she definitely needed someone to take all of her wonderful ideas and create the wedding day of her dreams. I believe we did just that!

Brittney and Patrick have such a romantic love story – they met in the Lexington, KY airport! While she called Kentucky her home, he was just traveling through. Their eyes met and sparks flew! This just makes me smile! (I romanticize everything and especially airports. I think back to the days when you actually got dressed up to fly and it was magical.)

Brittney and Patrick live in New York City and we began their planning over the phone. A few quick trips to Lexington and their wedding day was here before we knew it. It’s funny to look back on all of my notes from the many times we met and chatted over the phone and see how everything grew into the perfect celebration.

The Amazing List of Wedding Professionals Used for Brittney and Patrick’s Wedding Day!

Wedding Venue: Talon Winery
Planner: Always Planned
Wedding Décor/Flowers/Linens: Always Planned-A Perfect Posy
Photographer: Todd Nichols
Hair and Makeup: Ana Crane Simpson
Caterer: South Van Catering
Cupcakes: Babycakes
DJ: Bluegrass Beat
Videographer: March Media
Band: Girls, Guns and Glory
Transportation: Wombles Charters
Transportation: Gold Shield

I could go on and on, but instead I want to actually show you some of the beautiful images that the talented Todd Nichols captured! Enjoy!

Could Brittney be any more gorgeous in this photo?! She is totally feeling this whole white dress thing! I love it, you rock it Brit!

I love this image! I think Brittney looks so confident and by showing a little leg under all of that tulle – totally a sexy bride!

This last image is my favorite! I love that the bow shows their mutual respect for each other. It feels like we are looking into someone’s most perfect moment. I hope that Brittney and Patrick enjoyed their wedding as much as we enjoyed planning it and making it all happen. Cheers to a happily ever after!

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Jan

Travel Must Have

General, honeymoons // 1 Comment

There are a few things that relax me and get me excited all at the same time – shopping, shoes and travel! This post is about all three.

I have a true love and admiration for shoes and my all-time favorite brand is Havaianas. These flip-flops are the most comfortable shoe ever and they come in stylish colors and designs. The photo below is of the collection I am packing for our romantic St Lucia vacay to Sandals Regency La Toc. Stay tuned next week as I blog from the property for a real time review!

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