The Office Wedding

If you're an office fan like me, then this was the wedding of the year for you! But what a terrible weekend it was: tacky guests, spilled secrets to the conservative grandmother, divorced parents squawking, and a ripped veil. But take a lesson from Jim and Pam: the most important thing is your commitment to one another. They did what they had to do to make the day their own, and my number one tip to all bride's and groom's is at the end of the day, it's the two of you. If the problem isn't between the two of you, then it's not a problem at all. Just all part of the experience. Plan for the best, but keep your eye on the prize. A marriage to the one you love most. And that is a precious gift to be cherished...

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A Magical Evening in Austin: Ashley + Justin

I'm so excited to share these beautiful pictures from  husband and wife team, Gordon & Lara, of Red Letter Photography! My good friend, Ashley, and her husband, Justin, were just married July 25th at Villa Antonia in Austin, Texas.
As a guest, I was thrilled for the bride and groom and so delighted with all the lovely details.

An intimate ceremony for 120 guests was set with simple white chairs against a panoramic Hill Country sky. Guests were welcomed at their seats with a chic-woven hand fan and ceremony program. Bouquets of bright yellow popped cheerfully against the elegant blue (a deep shade of cornflower) of the bridesmaids. I loved the men all in tan tuxedos with crisp white shirts and coordinating blue ties. The bride looked stunning in a fitted, sweetheart silouette with just a touch of a train. As the two wed under a pergola laced with yellow blooms and fresh greens, I remember my favorite moment when the bride's veil flew straight across her face and into the groom's. She tried to play it straight and ignore it at first, but then she just laughed, gathering it in her hands and replacing it behind herself. It was so wonderfully real, and I was touched with the sincerity of their ceremony.

 Dinner was a real treat, set outside to breathe in more Texas beauty from this amazing hill top. A delicious three-course meal was served as twilight set in.

With champagne and spirits flowing, dancing soon followed in an adjacent hall, rich in medieval elegance, with stone walls and handsome iron chandeliers. Here, the couple shared their first dance as husband and wife, sweetly exchanged tastes of their chocolate wedding cake, and were filled with blessings and wishes from all. All good things come to an end, but I shared in the cheer as guests tossed rose petals on the Bride and Groom as they exited.

So proud to add a little extra green-bit that the couple designed all wedding stationary on recycled paper and the guest's place cards were displayed on re-used corks from wine bottles. A little eco-thought here and there goes a long way! :)

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Spanish Lace

Eye candy! I just swoon over these beautiful creations from my favorite Pronovias designer, Manuel Moto. His 2010 collection features stunning silhouettes in a variety of fabrics to suite all tastes. But the ones with lace are my favorite! So feast your eyes on these spanish-laced gowns:

Tunez. I see this working for so many contemporary romantic brides. I love the extra fabric draping in the back for added drama!

Tamara: a stunning choice for the elegant, sophisticated bride. Love the silhouette from the back

Tetuan: Ok, this one's not lace but how fabulous! Talk about drama, I see this bride at a historic venue with a grand scape. Ooo, i wanna try it on!!!

Trento: Sexy and sophisticated can be hard to pull off, but this gets it. I see a metropolitan bride in this one!

And last but not least, Opera:  Gorgeous! Any brides getting married in December or January? This would be perfect for a winter wedding by candlelight.

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Puppy Love

Your wedding day should be shared with your closest loved ones. For more and more couples, that's including their canine companions. If you love your dog like they're your baby, and they are relatively well behaved, you shouldn't hesitate to include them in your special day. For an outdoor wedding you can dress your dog in a special collar of fresh flowers or a bow tie and have them walk down the aisle as a part of the ceremony. If you're having a church wedding, have your pup on a leash with a greeter outside the chapel doors as a welcome service.

Check out these happy couples who used collar ties and bow-ties from Designer Duds for Dogs to dress up their best friends for their big day.  Check out all the other cute accessories they have for your pup at www.designerdudsfordogs.com

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Finishing Touches

I love online shopping, and I have the greatest website for brides to pick up the perfect accessories for the big day. Regina B of New York makes the most exquisite pieces using Swarovski Crystals and fresh water pearls. Not all of us have the budget to blow thousands on wedding jewelry or the good fortune of family heirloom pieces. But the last thing you want is to look cheap in poorly constructed costume pieces on your most special day. Regina B specializes in hand-crafted tiaras, combs, feathers, hairpins, necklaces, earrings, broaches, bracelets, and handbags. There is a fabulous amount of inventory to check out on the website, but you can place a custom order if nothing suites your liking. Plus, the price is right with pieces mostly in the $75-$250 range. 

I wore a pair of Regina B chandelier earrings on my wedding day and they were amazing to work with. The first pair I received just weren't quite right. I thought I'd like them but sometimes as a bride you can be picky and change your mind unexpectedly. Even though it was what I had ordered, Regina B took back my pair and quickly shipped me a second pair with no extra charges. And the second pair were just perfect!! All three items pictured here are from the website www.reginab.com

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Romantic Up-Do

This is my favorite up-do from this year's red carpet: Christina Applegate at the SAG awards. I think it translates to the perfect hairstyle for the romantic bride. You get all the whimsical aesthetic of a loose curl all-down style with the elegance of an up-do. This gorgeous up-do is classic and leaves your neckline exposed for showcasing chandelier earrings, an heirloom necklace, or that gorgeous neckline on your wedding gown. TIP: when taking pictures to a hairstylist, you will always get closer results to what you want if you bring a front, side, and back view of the style.

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Concord: not just a grape

No doubt, purple has stepped on the scene as the hot new wedding color. I've seen bridesmaids donning purple (and looking amazing) in the last two weddings I've been to. But not just any shade of purple. A very deep shade of purple more vibrant than aubergine and richer than violet. It's concord. I hate to get all picky on the details, but when it comes to the hot new color that everyone looks fabulously flattering in, it's not just purple. It's concord! I love visiting dessy.com: search concord, and see not only a fantastic array of bridesmaid dresses, but accessories for both men and women to have your whole wedding party looking deliciously coordinated.

This color has a royal connotation, so to run with the luxury of this shade have a classic wedding with mostly ivory details and just pops of purple. I have to insert a few pictures from my own wedding here. Yes, I am biased. I used concord and ivory for my own wedding colors. Write what you know, right? I humbly report that the effect was stunning. For an edgier look, pair concord with primary orange and yellow in graphic details. For a boho-chic affair, concord pairs romantically with lighter shades of lilac and violet. Shades of the same color always go well with one another and make a dynamic, gradient effect.

Props to my florist, Rebekah Graves from Dream Bouquet, for introducing me to an awesome calla lily called the Picasso: looks like a white calla lily from the outside, but is blushing the perfect shade of purple on the inside. A must-have for the purple-hazed bride. I prefer Picasso calla lilies to purple calla lilies, which can often be so dark they appear black.

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Love is Art

I love these modern engagement shots of Van and Denny, a Green Lily couple just one week away from their October 10th wedding. Photography by Clint Shuttlesworth of Clint Takes Photos. Yes he does! Only two years into his own business, Clint has a clear voice of industrial beauty. I like his juxtaposition of this romantic couple against an unlikely environment. The effect is artistic and memorable. See more of his work at www.clinttakesphotos.com.

Green Lily Events is so excited for Van and Denny's wedding next weekend! Can't wait to blog about Van's gorgeous bridal portraits, but can't just yet. Wouldn't wanna spoil anything...

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Night at the Museum: Christine + John Michael

It was a beautiful evening on August 29th for the wedding of Christine Rhodes and John Michael Raborn. Green Lily Events was happy to coordinate the weekend for the couple who wed at Holy Rosary Catholic Church. Christine was a contemporary bride who combined a traditional church service with a hot after-party at the Museum of Natural Science.

Guests found a romantic scene in the chapel at Holy Rosary, where large glass lanterns filled with white pillar candles lined the aisle with a soft glow. Stunning long-stemmed calla lilies on the front pews reserved special seating for family. Eight bridesmaids dressed in sweetheart framed evening gowns looked gorgeous in the deep shade of purple the bride had chosen. But not as gorgeous, of course, as the glamorous bride escorted by her father. Tears and words were shared, and Mr. & Mrs. Raborn strolled their way down the aisle and out into the night.

Guests were then dazzled by an enchanting scene at the Museum of Natural Science for the reception. Accompanied by a string quartet, cocktail hour was held on the second floor in the gem room, a red carpeted hall displaying precious stones. The chiming of dinner bells ushered guests into the grand foyer to reveal the main reception hall, fabulously arranged by city kitchens, where stations of savory bites waited as a live band, the Pictures, announced the bride and groom for their first dance. Tables were draped in luxurious slate and aubergine colored fabrics and adorned with various arrangements of purple irises and roses and green dendrobium orchids and hydrangea.

The five-tiered cake was a pale shade of purple dressed with sugar lilies while the groom's cake was a hilarious, spot-on replica of a James Coney Island box of hot dogs! See previous "Hot Dog!" blog for details. Both creations from Cakes by Gina. Spirits flowed free all night as hundreds of guests danced until the band announced the grand exit.

Sparklers were handed out for guests, who lined a path from the museum doors to a classic red trolley car. Sparks flew, literally, as the bride and groom strolled hand in hand away from their wedding and toward their new life together. Green Lily Events wishes Christine and John all the best!

*pictures courtesy of Serendipity Photography, the fantastic team who shot both wedding and engagement photos for Christine and John. www.serendipity-photography.com

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Autumn Blooms

As of last week, autumn has fallen upon us! I know Houstonians don't experience as much of a season change as some other cities, but we do boast cooler nights and beautiful clear weather for fall weddings. A green tip for choosing flowers is to focus on seasonal buds for your big day. This way you avoid unfair trade on import flowers, that may not even last in our heat, and save some moo-lah. Flowers indigenous to the fall season are naturally rich in saturated hues of oranges, reds and yellows. Take a tip from nature to plan your fabulous fall affair!

My personal recommendations, and fall favorites, are alstromerias (available in so many beautiful colors), freesia (for their sweet scent) solidago (a wheat-like yellow bloom for it's earthy vibe) and ranunculus (for it's flaky, almost feathered looking petals, very romantic). Other popular autumn choices are sunflowers and gerbera daisies, and, the year-round greats like roses, lilies, and hydrangea. This is a great season to incorporate branches and berries into bouquets and floral arrangements. Try substituting twine and stems of wheat or bunches of fresh herbs in place of traditional ribbons and bows.

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Hot Dog!

Love this groom's cake from the Rhodes Wedding Green Lily coordinated in August. Everything you see in this picture is sugar work, 100% edible! There's an amazing James Coney Island logo on the backside of this cake I wish I could show you. A Cakes by Gina original, this red velvet cake not only looked good, but tasted amazing!

Novelty cakes have become a great way to incorporate a unique statement about the groom or the couple's personalities at a wedding reception. Some men don't like rich desserts, so a candy bar is a great alternative as well. Choose all his favorites and set out Chinese to-go boxes. It can double as the favors! Or if your man is missing a sweet tooth all together, you can set up a special display of anything near and dear to him. Why not order an ice bar with his favorite team logo and serve his favorite spirits off it? What are some of the best groom's cakes or alternatives you've seen?

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Green is the new black

When I lived in New York City, I worked as a cater waiter serving all sorts of fabulous parties around Manhattan. It was all so dazzling at first, and the best part was I got tons of free food! But with each event I became more disgusted with the ungodly amounts of waste. So many beautiful flowers, delicious foods, and small details, all leftover at the end of the night, all thrown into the trash. If you've never worked an event behind the scenes, you would die to see how much waste there is.

On your wedding day, you feel so much happiness and joy. But how amazingly fabulous would you feel if you knew all the beautiful arrangements you planned with such care did more than just get trashed at the end of the day? You would feel like a green goddess, I can assure you!

Green Lily Events practices eco-friendly methods as a standard for all their exquisite events. We offer extensive recycling programs for all disposable materials used, can arrange to have your flowers donated to a local senior center where the residents just love them, and box up leftover food for donation. We can also direct you to eco-friendly options in your planning, such as recycled paper stationary, organic linens, and other sustainable resources to lower your wedding's impact on the planet.

With so many weddings and so much waste, why be a number? Green Lily Brides stand out as exceptional women who make responsible choices to be gorgeously green on the most important day!

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