After seeing so many great ideas that have transformed the traditional Guest Book, I just really wanted to share some fun ideas that may be able to help you get the creative juices flowing for your own wedding!

The Guest Book has been a wedding staple for decades but many modern brides are hesitant to simply place out a signature book that they know will be placed in a box later and possibly forgotten about in the process. Your guests are a HUGE part of your wedding, you have invited each of these family members and friends to be a part of your love story and the guest book is a great way to remember all of the wonderful support and love you both have from them.

The good news is, if the traditional signature guest book is not for you, many creative minds have been at work and new, fun, inventive keepsakes are slowly taking its place. At a wedding I went to in June, the bride and groom had chosen a guest interactive approach and given each guest a fun page to fill out with wishes, your own drawing of the bride and groom and special memories you had of them! After the wedding, she was able to put each of them in a beautiful scrapbook and they were able to share some fun laughs as a couple reading over them weeks later! Last week, Sarah and Ron chose to have their guests sign decorative plates that can be mounted on the wall or displayed somewhere in their home with well wishes and encouragement that will remind them of that special day they shared with all of their loved ones!

The guest book can be as traditional or as creative as you would like, but I encourage you to look into other ideas and find the one that best fits your personalities. Find something you can have for years to come that won’t just sit in a box, but will be a daily reminder of the love and support your friends and family have for the two of you during this next journey in your lives together!!!

Happy Planning!

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It’s finally here!!! Simply Love Studio is holding its Fall 2011 Extreme Venue Hop NEXT Sunday, October 16th!! The Venue Hop will take place from 1pm to 6pm and will begin at The Carrick House.

Venue Hop is the perfect event for Brides, Grooms, Friends and Family to come and see some of Lexington’s most beautiful venue’s in all of their Wedding Glory! We have some fabulous vendors taking part this year including Gold Shield Transportation who will be providing fabulous transportation for you and your guests! Don’t forget the scrumptious food and drinks provided by these wonderful vendors at each venue!

Follow the link here and sign up for the Venue Hop! Early Registration is $15 per person but as a special limited time offer, if you use the discount code: BBS you will receive $10 off each ticket which means it’s only $5 DOLLARS A PERSON right now!!!

Email us or give us a call at 859.317.9023 if you have any questions!

Have a beautiful day & Happy Planning!

 

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Happy Tuesday Everyone!!!

I couldn’t wait to pass along this AWESOME deal today for one of our favorite products here in the office!!! We all know that the LAST thing you want to be worrying about on your wedding day is your smile and Kiss My Face Products are the perfect solution to get you ready for your big day!!! For over 30 years, this incredible company has been creating Natural Products that make you “feel great… on the INSIDE and OUT!!!”

Right now they are offering a huge promotion on their website when you buy A Value Pack of their Kiss My Face Toothpaste and Mouthwash!! You save over 33% on a Value Pack of their Toothpaste and 50% on their Spearmint Breathblast!!

This company really is ALL about you and making sure that you are Happy, Healthy and feel beautiful on the inside and out!!!

Check out their website at www.KissMyFace.com for a full listing of all of their products! I haven’t seen one that I’m not dying to try if I haven’t already! I can’t wait to order their lip gloss too! They just have EVERYTHING! Love them!!!

 

Happy Planning! & Enjoy your new Smile!!!

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There are many traditions in the wedding world that are changing and being updated as each decade passes, but there is one that seems to remain true to form: The time honored tradition of that Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed and Something Blue!! Today I thought I would share a few of my favorite things that would be excellent representations of this special tradition and what I found out each item symbolizes in the process! I have heard of this many times but never knew the true significance of each piece!

The meaning of the Tradition:

Something Old: This is meant to represent the link between the bride and her family!!

Something New: Represents good luck and success and hopes for a bright and beautiful future!!

Something Borrowed: This piece is to remind the bride that her friends and family will be there for her in the future and on her special day!

Something Blue: In ancient times, this represented the symbol of Faithfulness, Purity and Loyalty!

I hope some of these cute ideas will help inspire you to find the little things that mean the most to you! This tradition is meant to wish you luck, remind you that your family (Past, Present and Future) is holding you up and guiding you through this next Beautiful Chapter of your life!

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So – every girl wants to be able to say that her fiancé is going to be super involved in every aspect of the wedding planning process, but let’s be real here girls, that just ain’t gonna happen.

But it is y’alls wedding, right? I mean, the BOTH of you are getting married, aren’t you? Therefore, I think it is exceedingly important that he has some kind of role in the planning process, whether he is really interested in the Purple Mountain Majesty’s swatch for your bridesmaids’ dresses, or not.

Before you throw all of your plans for damask linens and cute little pomanders all over him, let’s take a step back and do some evaluating:

i) As aforementioned, leave the hip wedding lingo to conversations with your planner, mother, MOH, etc. Throw a couple of those words at him and he’ll give you that confused look your daddy gave you when you mentioned you spent $4,000… on flowers.

ii) Make a list. Sit down with your soon-to-be hubby and talk about what you think he would be really good at being in charge of. (Be sure to add lots of “well, you’re so talented with this,” or “babe, you would be so much better at that than me”). Let him know how much you would appreciate his help, even if you only need him to do a few things here and there.

iii) If you ask for his opinion, be ready to actually take it into account. And I know most girls will read this and be like, well duh? But really, if you are already leaning heavily toward an option, and you think he may not agree with you, it may be best not to ask him (chances are he won’t notice on your big day).

 

So, now that we’ve gotten all of THAT out of the way, how about we talk about some ways that your Boo-Boo can help you out with all of this stressful (I mean, uh – wonderful) wedding planning business. I’ve thought of a few things that I would definitely feel comfortable leaving up to my fiancé. Now, feel free to leave comments and tell me about your experiences!

  • Have him type up his half (or less-than-half) side of the guest list, and you two can grab a glass of wine for a pre screening of your wedding guests.
  • If your betrothed is super creative, ask him to help you choose your invitations, after all – your invitations should tell a story of your relationship, so input from both sides of that relationship should be helpful.
  • Put him in charge of selecting the drinks to be served at your reception, maybe have him attend a wine tasting with a few of his buddies to get a better idea of what he likes.
  • If you share a common taste in music with your beau, think about letting him choose the music to be played at your reception – but be prepared to tweak his list a bit to add a few more “romantic” songs in there.
  • Should you choose to forgo the limo and if your guy were anything like mine, he would LOVE the chance to choose the getaway car. Let him choose the car you all use to make your “great escape”. Make sure you stress to him the importance of HAVING a way to leave your wedding, also.
  • While it may be tradition for the groom to plan the honeymoon, I know many brides aren’t 100% comfortable with that, so maybe put him in charge of finding the best deals for hotels near your wedding venue for your out-of-town guests to stay at. He may be able to find some good bargains and also make sure your guests are taken care of.

 

Now, with all of that being said, if you ask for his help, make sure you’re willing to let go of those responsibilities yourself. I know that I am QUITE the control freak and I want to oversee absolutely everything, but if I were to nitpick Wes’ way of doing things I know that it would really upset him. Remember that you trust this man and realize that he is going to take this seriously because he wants to make YOU happy.

Also, don’t forget that everyone needs a break from their own wedding. Don’t be afraid to take some time away from the planning and the stressing for the two of you to be engaged, your budget sheets and linen swatches will be there for you when you return. Enjoy your time with your fiancé, your wedding day will come soon enough – followed by the rest of your lives.

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19

Sep

A Week in the Life!

General, vendors // No Comments

Happy Monday Everyone!

We had such a blast this weekend getting to visit with so many brides and some of our amazing vendors: Dei Gratia Photography, Tinkers Cake Shop, Gourmet Goodies and The Ashley Inn just to name a few! The Diamond Rings and Pretty Things Fall Bridal Show was wonderful and we loved getting to meet new brides and hopefully new friends!

This week is a busy one at the studio and we are so excited. For those of you who came out last week or even if you didn’t get to make it out, we are hosting our Second week of Simply Love Studio’s Bridal Benchmark Series! This week, we will be visited by Tiger’s DJ Services, The Ashley Inn B&B, Gold Shield Transportation and Gourmet Goodies! Thelma at Gourmet Goodies will be providing absolutely scrumptious treats for everyone who comes out! Sarah and the girls at Simply Love have come up with yet another simply adorable DIY craft that you won’t want to miss! Come out Wednesday night and join in the fun!

The fun doesn’t stop there, because Thursday night Always Planned and AP Luxury Travel are hosting our Sandals Night! If you are still looking for a fabulous Honeymoon or just an All-Inclusive luxury getaway, come out for some free food, drinks and information on these amazing packages! Rayna and Mallory both chose Sandals resorts for their honeymoons and now can’t imagine taking a vacation of any kind without Sandals!

This weekend was truly wonderful, and we hope to see you all out at some of our fabulous events this week!! Look out for info coming soon about our New Studio Open House next week!!!

Happy Planning!

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This week has been a busy one at the studio!! Not only have we been getting ready for the Diamond Rings and Pretty Things Bridal Show this Sunday but Simply Love Studio held its first night of the Bridal Benchmark Series yesterday! For those of you who couldn’t make it out, there are still five more weeks left! We had an amazing turn out of beautiful brides and three wonderful vendor presentations including AP Luxury Travel!! While we were recovering from the sugar coma that Tinker’s Cake’s put us in, we started really kicking Bridal Show preparations into high gear! Burlap is cut, frames are painted and ready, gorgeous, luxurious linens are ready to be laid out and the girls of Always Planned are so excited to get to meet with you and share our love of weddings! The Bridal Show will take place at Embassy Suites off of Newtown Pike from 11am-5pm. There is NO admission charge for anyone!!  We would love to see everyone out there and get to spend time some time visiting with you all!  We (the interns!!) are just so excited for our first Bridal Show! Come out and stop by the booth to say hello and see yet another inspired design by Rayna and Mallory! Hope to see you all there!

Happy Planning!

 

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11

Sep

My First!!!

General, weddings // No Comments

It’s official! The “interns” have officially passed the first milestone, Our First Wedding!!! Thank you so much to Angela and Logan for letting us be a part of their beautiful day!

I was so excited to get up early and go visit with the girls while they got their hair done by Sarah at The Color Room. The girls each got to pick their own looks and they all looked so beautiful!! Getting to know the girls through inside jokes and sweet stories in the morning was the perfect way to start the day.

We were all ready to rock when we arrived at Headley Whitney for the ceremony and reception. I have never felt such a beautiful, crazy rush as when the clouds started to sprinkle on us right before the ceremony and we found out we had a few extra guests come then planned. But leave it to the “A(P) Team” to seamlessly glide through each little hiccup as if it never happened. Umbrellas were on hand until the clouds parted just as the grandparents took their seats and the extra tables and place settings were added with flawless execution! What else would you expect when you put two teams like Always Planned and South Van Events together! Sam and his crew are always exceptional and yesterday was no different!

I am so blessed to get to work with these Crazy, Amazingly Wonderful ladies: Rayna, Mallory and Shelby! This had to have been the best “first wedding” I could have ever imagined!

Thank you so much to Angela and Logan again and to everyone who participated and contributed to such a beautiful wedding!

Happy Planning! Love Always!

 

 

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Happy Wednesday Everyone!

Just wanted to update you all about Simply Love Studio’s Bridal Benchmark Series that is beginning NEXT WEEK, Wednesday, September 14th!!! Many of you already may know, but Simply Love Studio is an incredible complimentary resource for any bride who may need help finding a vendor, venue or just about anything else to make your wedding fabulous! Bridal Benchmark Series is a 6-Week Complimentary Educational Series for Brides! Each event will prep you for your upcoming day and give you a chance to meet vendors and find new resources for your big day! Many of our highly recommended, talented vendors will be here to answer questions for you and show you what they are made of!

Oh and did I mention there are PRIZES involved?!?

There will be weekly prizes at each individual event but for Brides who attend all 6 evenings, you will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a $1250 floral credit for your wedding from A Perfect Posy! How much better can it get?!

The girls here at Simply Love Studio and Always Planned would LOVE to invite you to come out, enjoy yourselves and hopefully find some great resources for your wedding!

Click on the Picture Above and it will take you straight to the Facebook Event Page where you can RSVP and contact us about the event!

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So you’ve found your dress; that beautiful, one of a kind, once in a lifetime dress and now you are given the task of choosing the fashion for your beautiful attendants.  This can be a daunting task going into it, but never fear. If you are anything like me, dressing just one person in the morning is stressful enough for many reasons, let alone multiple people! But don’t let this overwhelm you! As a rule, we girls tend to either have too many options we love, or sometimes you just can’t find that one thing that fits just right.

The last thing you want to do is put one of your amazing friends in the position of really disliking the dress or being uncomfortable in the dress she is wearing on your special day. As the recent trends in weddings have leaned towards personal touches, vintage affairs and eclectic style, new “rules” for bridesmaids’ dresses have followed suit. Consider choosing a color, fabric and length and giving the girls the option to choose their own style that they love. Brides have even gone as far as to pick a style and a few different colors or shades and let their friends choose a hue of their liking, (perfect for an outdoor vintage setting in pale pastels maybe?). Finding a dress that could be worn outside of the wedding would be an added bonus to any friend who is contributing financially to her own dress.

This day is about you and your honey, and your girls getting to stand beside you when you say “I do” is an added bonus and a special moment you will all share forever! Making sure they look AND feel great, while creating the “attitude” you want for your wedding will ensure that they are able to relax and enjoy those special moments with you!

Happy Planning!!

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