Elizabeth and Trent – A Truly Beautiful Spring Garden Wedding

There isn’t much more you can say about Elizabeth and Trent’s May wedding other than PERFECT.  Although there was a bit of rain that came thru right before the ceremony the skies cleared up and made for a great setting for a morning May wedding. We had the pleasure to handle the planning, the flowers and the decor. Elizabeth picked great colors, a great dress, and great locations.

On to the pictures courtesy of Ramblin Rose Photography, hope you enjoy and happy planning!

Angela Dacus, Memphis Wedding Planner                                                                                                                                               Southern Event Planners

A little spring bling!

Lauren and her Mom came to us about 2 months ago and they were looking for a little something different. She had everything done but the decor and flowers. Her colors and location were inspiration enough for us. Below is what we came up with for her spring wedding. We are so glad Lauren and her family decided to share her special day with us.

 

Enjoy and Happy Planning,

Angela

Amy and Chris’ Spring Brunch Wedding

I know I haven’t been posting much this month, but hey what can I say, if you didn’t already know…IT IS WEDDING SEASON. What a way to swing into the season than with a spring brunch wedding. This past weekend, I had the pleasure of spending my Saturday morning with a great couple, Amy and Chris. Although the morning started off overcast and rainy, the sun quickly came out and kissed the day for them. Annabella with Asian Bees Photography took some amazing pictures and made the most of the misty morning.

Amy and Chris wanted a beautiful, laid back, intimate, yet elegant brunch reception. Without a wedding party, Amy was open to colors and flowers. She pretty much let me take the lead in suggesting room layout and decor. Their one big huge thing that was hands down from the start mega important…FOOD. After interviewing just 3 caterers I knew we had a winner when during the tasting Amy told me it was “lights out good”. That is exactly what I needed to hear. With that we reserved Wade and Company and worked with them to create a menu that provided the guests with many choices to fill their bellies.

Almost as important as the food was the fashion. Amy had impeccable taste and it showed not just in her dress but particularly with her sassy bronze Jimmy Choo’s to her custom made bronze leather and pearl wrap bracelet and smoky quartz earrings.  She also choose the fabric for the suit and tie Chris had made. Hands down one of the most dashing dressed couples ever.

Hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I enjoyed the wedding.

New Mother/Son Song – My Little Boy

Nashville songwriters Jan Linville and Dave Tough wrote a wonderful song that can be played during the Mother/Son dance at your wedding. It’s called My Little Boy.

They sent us an .mp3 of the song to pass along to those who are interested. Contact us at weddings@southerneventplanners.com if you would like a copy of the song.

Here are the lyrics:

My Little Boy                   © 2008

Tough/Linville

 

The moment he was born

I held him in my arms

And fell in love when he looked up at me

Barely three years old

He’d crawl into my bed

And I’d dry his tears from a scary dream    

 

Lunch box in hand, he climbed up on that bus

Heading off to first grade, looking so grown up

The day had finally come 

To send him on his way

Tears of sadness – tears of joy

No words can describe

The way I felt inside

He’ll always be

My little boy

 

In sixth grade he got glasses

And braces on his teeth

Saved up for his first guitar and pitched for little league

He passed driver’s ed

And when he turned 16 

Worked hard at his first job and aced his ACTs

 

When I took him to college, he hugged me ‘goodbye’

I saw the last eighteen years, flash before my eyes

 

The day had finally come 

To send him on his way

Tears of sadness – tears of joy

No words can describe

The way I felt inside

He’ll always be

My little boy

 

Dressed in black ‘n white

A tall and handsome man

Our family and our friends are gathered ’round

He kisses the bride

They cut the cake, we throw the rice

Their lives have just begun

I’m so proud that he’s my son

 

The day has finally come

To send him on his way

Tears of sadness – tears of joy

No words can describe

The way I feel inside

He’ll always be

My little boy

Sarah and John’s Winter Wedding

Sarah and John’s wedding was really special and intimate for them and their guests. After a touching ceremony at Hope Presbyterian Church guests enjoyed the frosty winter reception (even though it got up to 76 degrees that day) at Just Catering’s location inside Chickasaw Oaks Village. The space really transforms at night with all the twinkle lights. Just Catering did a great job on creating a menu that used organic winter vegetables and farm raised cornish game hens. 

The space was decorated with heavy silver beaded hand painted organza table linens. The centerpieces stood tall and proudly displayed snowflake swarovski crystals springing out as if they were frozen in place. The menu and placecards where designed with the tiffany blue color that had been selected for the bridemaids dress and the bride’s cake.

Sarah and John are avid horse fans both riding and competing since they were children. The crystal horse reflected their equestrian love as the sugar crystals glistened off of the Tiffany blue fondant covered cake. What winter wedding would be complete without a penguin on an iceberg serving host to the groom’s cake.

As the bride and groom exited the reception guests doused them with snow. Not the fake plastic snow…no this was wet and cold snow. Sarah got a head, and dress full, of snow as her father decided to take the entire bucket of snow and throw at them. Everyone died laughing, I had never seen such a drump of snow in my life. It was great fun ….. something that everyone will remember about Sarah and John’s winter wedding.

Enjoy the pictures!

Secrets to a Successful Wedding

 

All brides, regardless of your current planning stage. This seminar is designed to help with every aspect of planning a wedding: budgeting, hiring vendors, design, etiquette, menu selection, timelines, guidelines, and Do It Yourself projects. We know that wedding details are stressful, and sometimes you have more questions than answers. 

 

 

This is an open forum designed to educate brides so the wedding planning experience is a positive one. You can meet other local brides, discuss plans, share stories, and of course, ask questions. It will be a few hours of fabulous girly fun!

 

 

A 2 hour question and answer session, a 30 minute personal consultation to ask any questions you may have with one of our planners, a bridal swag bag, cake, food, drinks, a wedding checklist/timeline, and planning questions to ask your vendors. You also have the chance to win one of the 15 amazing prizes listed below. This is a $450 value, not including the prizes!

 

 

Several of the lucky brides that attend the Secrets to a Successful Wedding seminar will have a chance to win big!!! Because of the great relationships we have with our vendors, we were able to secure some amazing prizes. We will draw a winner for each prize. Some of them include:

 

• An engagement session from Ramblin’ Rose. This includes online proofing and two 5×7 photo printsof your choice. Altogether, this is a $150 value.
• A wedding cake made by Peggy Montgomerythat serves up to 150 guests. At $3 per slice, this is a $450 value!
• A gift certificate from Just Catering to be applied towards a rehearsal dinner, wedding reception, or bridesmaids luncheon.
• 50% offDJ services for your reception from DJs Etc. This is a $500 value for only $250!

The seminar will be held inside the Chickasaw Oaks Village shopping center on March 8, 2009 from 1:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M. Registration and sign-in for the seminar will be at Southern Event Planners , Suite 18 from 12:30 P.M. to 1:00 P.M.

To ensure that each bride receives personalized attention, space is limited to 30 brides. This seminar is for brides that are serious about receiving wedding planning advice from a professional wedding planner. This is not a meet and greet open house with vendors trying to sell you their services. You will not be pressured in any way.

 If you would like to attend the Secrets to a Successful Wedding Seminar, you can call us at (901) 757-9339, email us at: weddings@southerneventplanners.com or stop by our store in Chickasaw Oaks Village at 3092 Poplar Avenue, Memphis, TN 38111.

 The cost of the seminar is $100. A 50% deposit of $50 will be due by March 4, 2009. Once we receive your deposit, you will be sent a receipt via email or fax, whichever you prefer. This will ensure that your space is reserved.

 

Southern Event Planners has been in the wedding industry for over 10 years. We have planned weddings of all sizes, budgets, and themes.  Angela Dacus, owner and wedding planner, is considered an expert in her field. She has been interviewed by every media outlet and has written several articles on hiring vendors, wedding budgets, and wedding design and decor.

 In addition, Southern Event Planners has had 4 cover weddings and 21 featured weddings in local and national bridal publications.  We are considered the premier wedding planning firm in Memphis.

Our brides are the most important element of our business. We do what’s best for the bride and for the budget, and we understand how overwhelming planning a wedding can be.

 It’s nice to know that you can spend a few hours with other brides, be entertained and educated, and then walk away with the feeling of having a wedding planner without actually having to hire one.

 If you would like to find out more about our company, visit www.southerneventplanners.com for information on our staff, our portfolio, and our featured weddings and articles.

So You Want to be a Wedding Planner?

It’s amazing to hear that over $120 billion per year is spent in the wedding industry. That is a significant share of the market in this economy. When Southern Event Planners first went into business, over $20 billion made up the wedding industry. The past decade has seen a significant increase in revenue as well as an influx of wedding planners. It seems like everyone is calling themselves a “coordinator.”

When Jennifer Lopez starred in The Wedding Planner, she made the job look glamorous and fun. But in reality, being a wedding planner is a lot of  hard work, long hours, and not to mention the job of owning your own business!

Every week, Southern Event Planners receives numerous inquiries and resumes from people wanting to enter the wedding planning field. We want everyone to follow their dreams, and if your true passion is to own your own wedding planning business, as a wedding professional, we want to provide you with the proper tools that are needed.

We have developed a series of seminars that will educate and inform you of all of the areas of being a wedding planner. These seminars will cover every aspect of wedding planning, from the definition of a wedding planner to actually directing the wedding day events. If you are serious about starting a new career as a wedding planner/consultant, then these seminars are a must!

 The first two seminars in our series will be about starting your business and how to direct a wedding ceremony and reception.

Starting Your Own Wedding Planning Business

The first seminar will focus on the following:

• How to choose the name of your company
• Market Research: Your competition and target market
• Defining your niche
• Creating a fee schedule
• What services and/or products you will provide
• What legal forms, business records, and licenses you need to run a business

This seminar will be on March 5, 2009 from 6:00 P.M. to 8:30 P.M. Light snacks and drinks will be provided. Registration and sign-in will be from 5:30 P.M. to 6:00 P.M. before the seminar at Southern Event Planners inside the Chickasaw Oaks Village shopping center at 3092 Poplar Avenue, Memphis, TN 38111.

The cost of this seminar is $99 and it is limited to 15 people to ensure that each person gets the attention he or she needs. A non-refundable deposit of $49.50 is due by March 2, 2009 to reserve your space. The remaining balance of $49.50 is due the day of the seminar. We accept Visa, MasterCard, cash, or check.

 You Can be a Wedding Director

The second seminar will focus on the following:

• How to conduct an on-site check
• Creating a processional and recessional schedule
• Development of a timeline for the event day
• Handling hiccups on the event day
• What to include in an emergency kit
• How to direct a rehearsal
• What your job responsibilities are as a wedding director

This seminar will be held on March 7, 2009 from 8:30 A.M. to 2:30 P.M. Lunch is included, as well as an instructional book. Along with the knowledge of being a wedding director, you also have the opportunity to intern at an actual wedding, and upon completion of the seminar, you will receive a certificate.

Registration and sign-in will be from 8:00 A.M. to 8:30 A.M. before the seminar at Southern Event Planners inside the Chickasaw Oaks Village shopping center at 3092 Poplar Avenue, Memphis, TN 38111.

 The cost of this seminar is $249 and it is limited to 15 people to ensure that each person gets the attention he or she needs. A non-refundable deposit of $124.50 is due by March 4, 2009 to reserve your space. The remaining balance of $124.50 is due the day of the seminar. We accept Visa, MasterCard, cash, or check. 

You can call us at (901) 757-9339 for more information, email us at weddings@southerneventplanners.com, or stop by our store inside Chickasaw Oaks Village at 3092 Poplar Avenue, Memphis, TN 38111. If you would like to know more about our business or view our portfolio, visit www.southerneventplanners.com

Day of Director or Wedding Planner?

If you just started your own wedding planning then you may not have a clue how much help you will need from a wedding planner or maybe just a day of director. Wait, aren’t those the same thing? Actually most brides think that a day of director and a wedding planner are the same thing. On the contrary…they are two very different and very seperate jobs.

A wedding planner is involved from the beginning of the planning and leads you through to the wedding day. The planner creates budgets, recommends vendors, schedules and attends vendor meetings to interview, obtain contracts and negoiate fees for you.  For instance, if you have never hired a caterer before, and you don’t know the right questions to ask, it can be very intimidating and overwhelming. A wedding planner will make sure all aspects, even the smallest details, are addressed and planned for and have a backup plan for those hiccups in the process.

Some planners get involved in the overall design of the wedding: selecting linens, designing floorplans and traffic flow, creating signature cocktails, working with the caterer to design the buffet or tabletops, even selecting a trousseau of paper items to ensure your wedding has that cohesive look. The planner’s job doesn’t stop until she or he sends you down the aisle, coordinates your first dance, ensures your top tier of the cake and your special toasting glasses are all packed away in Mom and Dad’s car, and you and your new hubby are whisked away to your wedding night.  There are several planners that can offer you all these services or you can pick and choose which ones fit you best.

A day of director is hired strictly to direct the rehearsal and ceremony and to follow the timeline of the reception. Most directors arrive a couple of hours prior to the wedding to help pin the flowers on the bridal party and family, make sure the programs and guestbook are in place, cue the start of the music, and tell the bridal party when to walk. Of course, that’s not all that the director does. His or her job continues on to the reception as well. You don’t need to worry about your guestbook not getting to the reception, making sure you do your first dance and cut the cake before the photographer leaves, or that the catering staff is passing the champagne for the toasting, a day of director does that for you.

So when deciding how much help you need with your wedding, think about the different roles that a wedding professional has and that will help you on your search for finding a qualified director or planner that provides you with just the right amount of service.

Happy Planning,

Angela

MTV Casting Call

I was contacted by the MTV show True Life. They are casting for a new episode, True Life: I’m a Newlywed and are looking for young people to be on the show. True Life is MTV’s award winning documentary series has told remarkable real-life stories of young people and the unusual subcultures they inhabit.  Whether documenting the lives of gay marriage activists, individuals dealing with obesity,or teens in high school– the True Life series tells its stories solely from the varied voices and points-of-view of its characters–putting the series in the unique position of reflecting the state of youth culture at any given moment. 

They are looking for people between the ages of 18-28 who are soon to be married, or very recently married and have a good story to tell. So if you are interested or know someone that is please email me at weddings@southerneventplanners.com. I have a casting sheet that I will send to you.

Happy Planning,

Angela

Awhh No He Didn’!!!

So we got an email from one of our friends the other day with a video link. It was simply titled “Best Man Ruins Wedding…MUST SEE!!!!!” We watched it because, after all, we ARE wedding planners.

Several different scenarios went through our minds as we tried to figure out what would happen as the video started. We never would have guessed it would have been this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxGaxn_9fpI

After our initial “OMG!!!! OMG!!!!OMG!!!!!” moments had passed, we began to think about what happened afterwards. We would like to think that the the groom jumped  in with her and said “Let’s get married”!!!! Ahhhh that would have been so sweet. 

Being the optimist, hopefully the ceremony went on (not as planned – but did go on) and they dried off and had one hell of a reception. So the question is…what would you have done????

Oh yeah, if there was any doubt after seeing this clip, I think we all learned not to get married on the edge (of anything).

Angela

Congratulations, You’re Engaged….Now What?????

According to TheKnot.com, 40 percent of engagements occur between November and February. If you are reading this, then you might be included in that 40%.

Dream Ring courtesy of Van Atkins

 

 

Since engagement season is upon us, I thought I would share a series of postings on how to start the wedding planning process: What to do before the I do’s.

Congratulations, you’re ENGAGED!!!!  You have called and text everyone you know and shared your exciting news. I’m sure you are already out the door to buy a small library of wedding magazines and look for a wedding dress. But hold up…wait a minute…you are crazy excited and want to get going on the wedding planning. There are a few things to do first.

The big question is “now what do I do?”

My first piece of advice is to talk to your cute and lovable fiancee and decide what kind of wedding you would like, while keeping in mind what time of year is favorable and checking each other’s calenders for unavailable dates.

After you have decided if you want a church wedding or maybe a garden wedding, the next step would be to pick a time of year. With a few dates picked out, consult both sets of parents and family and make sure there are no other conflicts (your little brother’s high school graduation or your Alma Mata having a huge game that weekend and you know you can’t miss that either).

The next big task (and I do mean BIG) is to start compliling names of the potential guests. Doing this early will help you in determining what locations and the type of  budget you will need. While making the list, start the budget talk and include all of the financial contributors. Make sure everyone is being honest and up front about who they want to invite and how much you will have to spend.

Armed with this ammunition, get ready to hit the bridal shows. January is the start of bridal shows. There is one almost every weekend in the month of January and they all differ, so it would be wise to check out at least two shows. You get to sign up for free giveaways, eat yummy cake samples, visit with photographers, look at wedding videos, check out the latest in bridal fashion and get ideas from florists and other wedding designers. Take a sheet of address labels to the show so you can easily sign up for any giveaways.

When you get home with your bag full of goodies, start sorting out which vendors caught your eye (you should have made a few notes on their materials) and start making yourself a wedding notebook of vendor information and magazine clippings of decor and gowns  you love.

Check back often for the next “What to do before the I Do’s”!

Happy Planning,

Angela

Samantha and John’s Fall Wedding

Fall is my very favorite time of the year! I love the colors in nature, the crisp air and the thought that the holidays are just around the corner.

When Samantha and her Mom, Cathy, came to me and said they were having a hard time finding the perfect location for the wedding I knew I could help. She wanted to get married out in the woods but the weather in November is pretty wet and cold, so having an outdoor wedding in the midst of trees without a tent or heat was going to be tricky to pull off. Pinecrest immediately came to mind.

After visiting Pinecrest, Samantha called to say that she loved it and it was exactly what she had in mind. The venue is made out of a knotty pine and has soaring ceilings with glass all around. With it being nestled in the woods you really feel like you are in the middle of the it all, but without the elements.

Samantha and Cathy were really into the little details to help make a difference from other weddings that they had seen.  As the guests arrived they followed the hand made wood signs directing them “this way”, “goin to the chapel of love” and “we’re goin to get hitched”. The approach of the building was decorated with hay bales, mums, signs and a walkway of shepard’s hooks with hanging lanterns, flowers and raffia.

The ceremony took place under a burlap and grapevine covered ceremony canopy in front of candle lined windows.

The cocktail time was on the side patio complete with adnirondack chairs and swings, hanging lights and we even designed a bar made out of hay bales stacked up with wood across the top. Guests were treated to a great meal of Thanksgiving type of food – turkey, dressing, greens, sweet potato casserole and cranberries.

For the reception the wedding cake was moved under the ceremony canopy and the guests were seated all around at olive colored draped tables with several variations of centerpieces. 

 

It was a great wedding that celebrated the season and the couple in great fall style.

Happy Planning,

Angela