Inspiration Board: Orange Citrus

Creating this board made me realize just how many shades of orange there are and how difficult of a color it is. You see, in searching for it online when you type "orange" you have both the words "orange" as in the color orange and "orange" as in the citrus, which, conveniently is also orange. Phew. 

Anyway, I realized how versatile a color orange really can be. Mix it with dark colors like browns and burgundies and you have a rich warm Fall palette. Mix it with bright hues like hot pink or kelly green and you have a very poppy bright Summer palette. Or, do as I did here and mix it with soft whites and creams to create a subdued look and orange will stand all on it's own.

What do you think?

{invitation, cupcakes, suits, oranges, centerpiece, flowers, mimosas}

Inspiration Board: Orange Citrus

Creating this board made me realize just how many shades of orange there are and how difficult of a color it is. You see, in searching for it online when you type "orange" you have both the words "orange" as in the color orange and "orange" as in the citrus, which, conveniently is also orange. Phew. 

Anyway, I realized how versatile a color orange really can be. Mix it with dark colors like browns and burgundies and you have a rich warm Fall palette. Mix it with bright hues like hot pink or kelly green and you have a very poppy bright Summer palette. Or, do as I did here and mix it with soft whites and creams to create a subdued look and orange will stand all on it's own.

What do you think?

{invitation, cupcakes, suits, oranges, centerpiece, flowers, mimosas}

Milk & Honey's Recap of our Brooklyn Wedding -- Cool!!!

Brooklyn's Pop Up Invitation

The final piece of our Brooklyn wedding was this amazing invitation designed by the ladies at Ice Cream Social. It was sent out via Pingg, a new evite-type invitation service with prettier graphics and lots of functionality. Check it out!

Inspiration Board: Lemon

Something very fun and exciting for you all; this week we've declared it FRUIT WEEK! We will post an inspiration board everyday based around a different type of fruit. So, to start us off, we have lemon with a lovely yellow and white collection of images.

Don't you love the fun, light, and summery yellow palette? So bright and cheery!

Thanks for another beautiful board, Ashley!

{lemonade, cake, invitation, shoes, lemons in vase, yellow dress, flowers via Eventfully Yours, tablescape via SD Wedding Insider, bridal dress via Kelly Oshiro Events, clutch, lemons}

So, what do you think?

Inspiration Board: Lemon

Something very fun and exciting for you all; this week we've declared it FRUIT WEEK! We will post an inspiration board everyday based around a different type of fruit. So, to start us off, we have lemon with a lovely yellow and white collection of images.

Don't you love the fun, light, and summery yellow palette? So bright and cheery!

Thanks for another beautiful board, Ashley!

{lemonade, cake, invitation, shoes, lemons in vase, yellow dress, flowers via Eventfully Yours, tablescape via SD Wedding Insider, bridal dress via Kelly Oshiro Events, clutch, lemons}

So, what do you think?

Our Real Pop Up Wedding

WOW! Last night was our first Pop Up wedding. Leah and Michael looked fantastic and had an amazing turnout of friends, press and supporters participating in the celebration. What a lucky couple they are. Amongst other services, the couple received matching diamond rings (via the Wedding Library) with over 230 diamonds. Martha Stewart Weddings Darcy Miller and her stellar team styling the event. Mel Barlow donated her priceless photographic services and boundless positive energy. Milk & Honey's video skills on hand to preserve the moment. We loved Glazier Group's delicious hors d'oeuvres, servers and spiked lemonade. And of course, Pommery Pops provided the pink (of course!) champagne.

The bride wore Amsale's "Ally" dress made just for her and generously donated by the company. Her "Elena" birdcage veil is by Bride's Head Revisited. Hair and makeup were by Butterfly Salon -- Leah looked beautiful! Katie Berry of Martha Stewart Weddings labored over the intricate paper bouquet and boutonniere. Lela Rose provided the "something blue" shoes.A close-up of the bouquet.

Darcy showing off the latest issue of her magazine, on newstands soon -- our chapel is her Pop Up wedding story come to life.The cake, made by Cheryl Kleinman, and decorated by Shira Savada of Martha Stewart Weddings. Cheryl made red velvet cupcakes for the guests to eat -- this cake will be on view at the Chapel for the rest of the week.

Bryn of Paperfinger created the sweet signage, the Pommery Pops matched the decor perfectly!

A very special Llubav ring pillow gifted to the bride and groom.

The groom looking sharp.

Heather from Gifts for the Good Life created these chocolate lollipop "trees".

The lollipops matched the invitation and was inspired by the magazine spread.

The Martha Stewart team filled these branded boxes with pink and white gumballs. Available at Michael's craft stores.

Nina and Kenji of Nina's Music Book provided lovely and relaxing "getting ready" music.

The Martha Stewart, Wedding Library and 303 Grand team with the lucky bride and groom.

The diamond rings -- subtle and beautiful!

A note from the Wedding Library and a bit of personal art by Darcy in the Martha Stewart guest book.

Lauren Glassberg reported on the wedding for ABC's 5'oclock News.

Lots of press and friends trying to catch the bride's attention at the reception.

Mel brought the couple and their guests to the street for a group photo.

Inspiration Board: Mint Chocolate Chip

Here is another beautiful board Ashley made entitled "Mint Chocolate Chip." With the soft, light green color and warm chocolate tones, I think the title perfectly correlates to the board.

{cake, bride, save the date, present, dishes, bridal party, drapes, meringues, mint julep}

What do you think? Beautiful, no?

Be sure to come back next week for a week full of inspiration.

Inspiration Board: Mint Chocolate Chip

Here is another beautiful board Ashley made entitled "Mint Chocolate Chip." With the soft, light green color and warm chocolate tones, I think the title perfectly correlates to the board.

{cake, bride, save the date, present, dishes, bridal party, drapes, meringues, mint julep}

What do you think? Beautiful, no?

Be sure to come back next week for a week full of inspiration.

Wet DJ!

Once upon a time there was a beautiful bride and a fantastically handsome groom. They were to be wed right outside an amazingly glorious castle hotel on the lawn overlooking the ocean. All of the guests were watching as the bride and groom said those words to one another, promising to love each other until the end of times.

As the photographer looked over his shoulder he noticed these huge dark clouds that were heading towards our lovely bride and groom.

The DJ who had his expensive equiptment set up for the ceremony and cocktail hour had stepped inside, as his job was done for about 20 minutes, the rest of the ceremony.

The minister out of the corner of his eye saw the blackness that was invading our glorious nuptials, decided to hurry up the ceremony as to not leave the guests and our lovely bride in groom in the wetness that was about to occur.

The bride and groom kissed, they headed inside the castle hotel the guests followed. The skies opened up, the clouds parted, and a sea of water hit our beautiful ceremony location, just in time for hte guests to be safely inside.

Although our handsome DJ who was inside still thinking the ceremony was progressing, had no idea that his equiptment just recieved a bath.

UH- OH!

The DJ then had to call his company and get them to get him new equiptment... 45 minutes later... 45 minutes without music.

When hiring your vendors make sure they have equiptment available as a back up, make sure they could even have the ability to play music if something was to happen to their equiptment.

You have to be prepared for the worst of the worst at the very least!

Photo: Corbis

Wet DJ!

Once upon a time there was a beautiful bride and a fantastically handsome groom. They were to be wed right outside an amazingly glorious castle hotel on the lawn overlooking the ocean. All of the guests were watching as the bride and groom said those words to one another, promising to love each other until the end of times.

As the photographer looked over his shoulder he noticed these huge dark clouds that were heading towards our lovely bride and groom.

The DJ who had his expensive equiptment set up for the ceremony and cocktail hour had stepped inside, as his job was done for about 20 minutes, the rest of the ceremony.

The minister out of the corner of his eye saw the blackness that was invading our glorious nuptials, decided to hurry up the ceremony as to not leave the guests and our lovely bride in groom in the wetness that was about to occur.

The bride and groom kissed, they headed inside the castle hotel the guests followed. The skies opened up, the clouds parted, and a sea of water hit our beautiful ceremony location, just in time for hte guests to be safely inside.

Although our handsome DJ who was inside still thinking the ceremony was progressing, had no idea that his equiptment just recieved a bath.

UH- OH!

The DJ then had to call his company and get them to get him new equiptment... 45 minutes later... 45 minutes without music.

When hiring your vendors make sure they have equiptment available as a back up, make sure they could even have the ability to play music if something was to happen to their equiptment.

You have to be prepared for the worst of the worst at the very least!

Photo: Corbis

Martha Stewart's Pop Up Chapel

It's a tease. The window of the Martha Stewart Weddings Pop Up Chapel is just a taste of the treats inside. For the finished product you'll have to wait for photos of our real bride and groom. In the meantime, here are some working pictures of this week's activities.

The cover of the Summer Martha Stewart's Weddings and the inspiration for the pop up adorn the window.

Taylor Creative meticulously loading in, and loading out for the parties.

Meredith from the Wedding Library making Martha Stewart craft flowers for the brides' bouquets.

Paper flowers being assembled and sorted.

The large paper globes that hang in the front window.

A good "before" shot. Can't wait for the "after" pictures!

More crafting.

Dozens of paper streamers line the inside of the reception room.

A close up of the tools of the trade. Stay tuned, the wedding is tomorrow!

Be a Planner: Class Offering

Thrilled to announce that Be a Planner will be offering another certification class in July in Gainesville, Florida. The class will be held July 25-26, 2009 from 8AM-5PM both days at the beautiful Sweetwater Branch Inn. 

This class is a two day course, basically it is a very intense, but enjoyable, two days filled with everything you need to know about planning an event. It is like having a degree in event planning with a major in wedding planning. We feel that you could walk out of the class with enough knowledge to plan and direct a wedding on your own, or for a company without a second thought. And if you are already in the industry it will give you the credentials as well as some of the tricks to the trade including how to work with a difficult client and how to meet and exceed the needs of your current clients.

It is a fun weekend, filled with tons of information that will be super valuable to you whether or not you decide to pursue a career in this industry. We talk about how to handle those simple but unique details to suit even the most extravagant requests, the proper way to cut a wedding cake, how to dress a bride, working with vendors, how to acquire contacts, how to receive referrals, how to work with a client, how to acclimate to new location, how to start a business, and A LOT MORE! This course has been approved through the Department of Education, and we are very excited to bring it back to Gainesville.

So please don't hesitate to contact us at info {at} MasterPieceWeddings {dot} net for more information and to join us in the fun!

Be a Planner: Class Offering

Thrilled to announce that Be a Planner will be offering another certification class in July in Gainesville, Florida. The class will be held July 25-26, 2009 from 8AM-5PM both days at the beautiful Sweetwater Branch Inn. 

This class is a two day course, basically it is a very intense, but enjoyable, two days filled with everything you need to know about planning an event. It is like having a degree in event planning with a major in wedding planning. We feel that you could walk out of the class with enough knowledge to plan and direct a wedding on your own, or for a company without a second thought. And if you are already in the industry it will give you the credentials as well as some of the tricks to the trade including how to work with a difficult client and how to meet and exceed the needs of your current clients.

It is a fun weekend, filled with tons of information that will be super valuable to you whether or not you decide to pursue a career in this industry. We talk about how to handle those simple but unique details to suit even the most extravagant requests, the proper way to cut a wedding cake, how to dress a bride, working with vendors, how to acquire contacts, how to receive referrals, how to work with a client, how to acclimate to new location, how to start a business, and A LOT MORE! This course has been approved through the Department of Education, and we are very excited to bring it back to Gainesville.

So please don't hesitate to contact us at info {at} MasterPieceWeddings {dot} net for more information and to join us in the fun!

Dash for the Dress!

Just wanted to remind you that Gainesville's own Solutions Bridal is hosting their 1st annual Dash for the Dress, a charity bridal sample sale.



The event is to take place on June 27th from 8AM to 12PM and a portion of the proceeds are to benefit the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Designer Dresses will be priced anywhere from $99-$699 (dresses that are valued up to $5000)!



And they will also have some bridesmaids and mother of the bride dresses on sale. But the event will be cash only and they are encouraging brides to get there early because dressing rooms will be limited. In additon, there will be a large selection of veils, jewelery, and headpieces!





Brides, if you are still looking for that perfect dress, who knew you could have a designer one fit your budget!? Please contact Solutions Bridal in Gainesville at (352) 367-0070.

Dash for the Dress!

Just wanted to remind you that Gainesville's own Solutions Bridal is hosting their 1st annual Dash for the Dress, a charity bridal sample sale.



The event is to take place on June 27th from 8AM to 12PM and a portion of the proceeds are to benefit the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Designer Dresses will be priced anywhere from $99-$699 (dresses that are valued up to $5000)!



And they will also have some bridesmaids and mother of the bride dresses on sale. But the event will be cash only and they are encouraging brides to get there early because dressing rooms will be limited. In additon, there will be a large selection of veils, jewelery, and headpieces!





Brides, if you are still looking for that perfect dress, who knew you could have a designer one fit your budget!? Please contact Solutions Bridal in Gainesville at (352) 367-0070.

My Best Friend's Wedding!!!

My BFF got married last month!!! So, Lauri called me and said here's the deal, Will and I are getting married!!!!



We all kind of knew this was happening eventually, but to hear the words, made it all the more real.



Then reality kicked it, what's my role gonna be?



And then the answer became obvious:

• Wedding Planner (Duh!)


• Matron of Honor (aka, Best Woman)


• Officiant (aka, Hitcher)


• Hair Up-Do'er


• Controller of the Weather


• Cake Baker (although, I delgated this one)

It was so fun! I can't thank Leytham Photography enough, they were amazing to work with! We love you guys and can't wait to work together again soon! (or just hang out)!



Did I mention she got married Memorial Day weekend, the weather was terrible! Like terrible, awful, monsoon like. Luckily, I have a great connection with Mother Nature, and she parted the rain drops for 40 minutes, enough for the ceremony and some pictures afterwards. Perfect!!!



Meet Lauri, my very best friend.

Meet Lauri's new husband Will, and their son Jaxson:

Can't get enough of Jaxson:

Lauri and I, being, well Goofs...

The beach house was across the street from the beach, I love this image, it shows the "Hey, Don't hit us, we are about to be hitched" faces:

The the barefoot wedding:

Okay, but seriously, doesn't her hair look amazing!

Whoooo Hoooo! They are married, now we can play:

Ahhh, oops:

And take some really beautiful romantical pictures:

Then dinner and toasts:

And cake:

A special thanks to KB Kakes for making Lauri's wedding cake so perfect!!!