A Delightful Day - Event Planning - Blog

A Delightful Day Couple Featured in The Tennessean

We were so delighted that Chris and Tekuila, our Memorial Day weekend couple, were the featured couple in Nashville's main newspaper, The Tennessean just last Sunday!

Click Here to Read the full Tennessean article available online.

Mary Alice assisted Tekuila and Chris from start to finish in their wedding planning. Here is a recap of the wedding (with a few details corrected from the original printing).  

The locale: The wedding ceremony took place at Riverside Chapel Seventh-day Adventist Church in Nashville. The reception was in the expansive lobby of the Country Music Hall of Fame.

The bride wore: A strapless ivory mermaid-style gown from Priscilla of Boston's Vineyard collection, purchased at The Bride Room in Green Hills. She wore a train-length veil with the pearl-and-sequin-encrusted dress.

The attendants wore: Raspberry-colored gowns from The White Room in Lebanon. Each of the 12 attendants wore a different coordinating top with the same floor-length skirt.

The flowers: Freelance florist Rhonda Patton of Rhonda Patton Designs created the bride's all-white peony bouquet and the attendants' white-and-pink rose bouquets.

The menu: Country Music Hall of Fame caterers served a meal of chicken, asparagus, roasted potatoes and rolls to the 300 guests.

The cake: The Bake Shoppe of Nashville baked the four-tiered white buttercream cake decorated with fresh pale pink roses. Cake flavors alternated between strawberry, chocolate Kahlua and vanilla.

The music: Several soloists performed with a piano, saxophone and violin trio before and during the ceremony. Naked Soul played a variety of '70s rhythm and blues tunes during the reception. The newlyweds started off the dancing with Lauryn Hill's "Nothing Even Matters."

The footage: David LaBrec of Nashville Wedding Video served as videographer.

The after-party: Some of the wedding guests headed to Bar 23 after the reception, where Tekuila and Chris met them for more dancing and celebrating.

The honeymoon: The couple enjoyed a seven-day cruise around the Mediterranean, stopping in Barcelona, Spain, and the Italian cities of Rome, Florence, Napoli and the island of Capri.

The wedding planner: Mary Alice Sublett, A Delightful Day Event Planning

The photographer: Sonrise Photography

Full recap to come soon!

~Amber

Vendor Spotlight- Mary Claire Crow Photography

Mary Claire Crow is a wonderfully talented photographer that I had the privilege to work with back in December and I hope to work with again very soon! Enjoy her vendor spotlight as she shows you some of her favorite pictures and answers some fun questions about herself.

Name:      Mary Claire Crow 

 

Business:     Mary Claire Crow Photography  (soon to be Mary Claire Studio)

 

Your Site Address and/or Blog Address:   www.maryclairecrow.com   and (blog)www.maryclairecrow.squarespace.com 

 

How would you describe your style or work:   Classic, photojournalistic, fine art....mary style.  

 

Favorite Thing About Your Job?  Getting paid for doing what I love!!  And of course the wonderful people I get to work with. 

 

Magazine Must Have…  Cottage Living and Cooking Light.

 

 

Guilty Pleasure…  Organic chocolate bars that are sold at Orbit, the local health food store here in Old Hickory.  They have a fabulous milk chocolate bar called Latte which has espresso and cinnamin and another dark chocolate with chili that is fantastic with a glass of red wine. 

 

 

What Do You Do When You First Wake Up?  Feed the cats and then brew a cup of coffee.  I have discovered the press coffee method... the best!! 

When It Rains…  I wear rain boots.  I am dying to get some Hunter boots. 

MAC or PC…  Mac

What’s on your iPod?  Cake, Gwen Stefani, Jackie Green, Talking Heads.

Travel Dreams…  Go back to Italy for a year.

One piece of advice for Brides-to-be...  Hire a fabulous photographer and do not skimp on your bridal book.

Thanks Mary Claire for letting us peek into your life as a photographer! Keep bringing us breathtaking photos!

~ Mary Alice

Signature Drinks: Part 4

To round out our fun series on signature drinks, my last two colors are Yellow and Pink. Enjoy!

Yellow Drink:

Pacifico, Fruity and tangy summer party drink:

    1 1/2 oz. tequila

    1/2 oz. of passion fruit syrup

    2 tsp. lemon juice

    Garnish optional, could use a slice of lemon

 

Pink Drink:

Sofia Coppola's Summertime, a rose champagne in a fun pink container! Serve these with a fun pink straw or in a champagne glass garnished with a strawberry!

I hope you've enjoyed these different drinks, sampling them, and seeing if any fit your reception colors and style. I love personalization, and these drinks scream that theme. Enjoy a delightful signature drink!

~ Mary Alice

Outdoor Weddings- Pros and Cons

It's that time of year where brides are in the process of planning their spring and summer weddings. So many brides have that fantasy of an outdoor wedding, under the stars, with a tent draped in fabric and beautiful light, dancing the night away. The Wedding Report has estimated that 2.3 million weddings are going to be planned for outside this year alone.

However, there are many things to consider when planning an outdoor wedding. Sometimes that fantasy becomes rainy, with a muddy ground, and unhappy guests with dirty shoes. I don't at all want to discourage a beautiful outdoor wedding, but definitely take all issues into account, and always, always, always, have a Plan B! Here are some things to consider when looking at the outdoor wedding option:

• Being outside you have such a natural backdrop for your event. Decor should be minimal to play up what is around you. Choosing an outdoor location with beautiful surroundings will be decor enough. Having a focal point for your ceremony, such as a large oak tree, or a natural arch created by trees is going to provide the natural beauty that outdoor brides are looking for.
• Check the weather! This isn't something that you can predict, especially months ahead of time as most brides are planning. But take into account the times of year that you have the best luck for great weather. Take into account the area that you live in and how your region's climate changes each season. The Weather Channel's online wedding planner can help when considering weather in areas all over the world you aren't familiar with; www.weather.com/activities/events/weddings.

• Survey the area that you're going to be holding your event in. Does it have the potential for bugs? Is it near water? Do your guests suffer from allergies that are going to inhibit their enjoyment? Does the area have shade in case of the hot sun, or do you need to provide parasols or umbrellas? Does the area have an even ground to prevent any twisted ankles during dancing or lopsided tables? Are their noise disturbances in the area like water, an airport, or a high traffic area? These are questions to ask yourself to determine if this area is going to be the best, or if you need to be doing some other searching.
• Do you need professional help? Hiring a wedding planner will truly relieve the headaches and the questions behind an outdoor wedding. They will have resources that you will need and have dealt with these types of issues before, so you really want to consider hiring someone who'll handle all the details on the day of so that you can enjoy your beautiful wedding day! While you're getting dressed, you don't want to be making decisions about an uneven dance floor, making sure all your vendors have electricity, etc.
• Get ready to spend! There are a lot of items to think of as you're starting with a blank slate. First think about the size tent you're going to need for the number of people you're going to have. You want your guests to be comfortable and free to move about and have plenty of dancing room. Also flooring, air conditioning for heat, heaters for a chilly evening, embellishments like draping and lighting, on top of all your other rentals such as tables, chairs, linens, china, glassware, flatware, etc. Your budget is really going to guide you as to how elaborate you can get.  
• Put your guests first! Think of their needs and as the host, you want them to feel comfortable and enjoy your big day! If it's a warm and sunny venue, think about sunscreen being provided. If it's a beach, have a shoe check in and provide your guests with flip flops. If it's a fall wedding, provide space heaters to keep your guests cozy. Make sure to let you guests know it is an outdoor wedding with information on your personal website or on the invitation. Also, think about your vendors and provide them seating and water if it is a hot day and they will be setting up for an extensive period.

• Choose a menu that is going to work for the setting. Talk with your caterer about the setting and what types of foods would be a do and a don't for being outside. Also, your cake and it's frosting is going to be a huge factor with wind and heat. Also, definitely pay attention to the weather and the foods you choose. For warm weather, choose fun, cool foods that people are going to want to eat. They're already hot, so they won't necessarily want hot foods. Same for cooler weather, choose warm comforting foods.
• In choosing your blossoms, make sure you coordinate with your florist on flowers that won't wilt with warm or cold weather. Always make sure that your florist will have spare flowers on hand in case of drooping flowers. Some suggestions per Mark Held from Mark's Garden says that roses and small cala lillies hold well in warm weather. As well as green hydrangea, but more risky choices would be tulips and lily of the valley. Flowers on the cake most definitely will wilt in warm weather, so if florals are a must, go with sugar flowers created by your cake designer.

• One last note, always, always, always have a Plan B, C, and D! There are a lot of things that can occur, so hire a planner than can carry out as many plans as needed to have the most wonderful event for you and your new husband!

~ Mary Alice

Signature Drinks: Part 3

Are you tired of mixing yet?? One of my favorite new color combinations is Orange and Blue. So, in the spirit of this, let's mix in honor!

Orange Drinks:

Amaretto Flirt, Fruity reception cocktail for a Martini Glass:

    1/2 oz. amaretto

    1/2 oz. orange juice

    Top off with a dry sparkling champagne or wine

    Garnish with an orange slice

Bombay Punch, Fruity social drink:

    1 1/2 oz. of dark rum

    1 1/2 oz. orange juice

    1 1/2 oz. pineapple juice

    1/2 oz. lemon juice

    2 tsp. of orange flavored liqueur

    2 tsp. of grenadine

    Garnish with a maraschino cherry or pineapple

Blue Drinks:

Okennatt, a Refreshing, long drink for a party for a Tall Glass:

    1/2 oz. blue curacao

    1/2 oz. parfait amour

    1/2 oz. soda water

    Top off with a hint of lemon juice

    Garnish with an orange slice

Blue Day, A mild, fruity drink for evening for a Rocks Glass:

    1 1/2 oz. of vodka

    1/2 oz. blue curacao

    1 dash of orange bitters

    Garnish with an orange slice

Enjoy!

~ Mary Alice

Vendor Spotlight: Photobooth Nashville

It is was definitely time to do another vendor spotlight! One of my favorite fun things to do with a wedding is to have a PhotoBooth set up for guests to enjoy and give a fun picture and a joyous note to the bride and groom. Amy and Jeff Lysyczyn own the Photobooth Nashville and have some fun pics and questions to share with us! Enjoy getting to know the faces behind PhotoBooth Nashville.

 

Name: Amy Lysyczyn

Business:  Photo Booth Nashville LLC

Your Site Address and/or Blog Address:  www.photoboothnashville.com  www.myspace.com/photoboothnashville

How would you describe your style or work:  Fun, high quality, all digital photo booth rentals for wedding receptions, corporate events, tradeshows, holiday parties and bar/bat mitzvahs.  WE BRING THE FUN TO THE EVENT!

Favorite Thing About Your Job?  We get paid to bring a smile to people’s faces and help them to have fun!

Magazine Must Have… Right now Parenting Magazine.

Guilty Pleasure…  Candy of any kind.

What Do You Do When You First Wake Up?  Brush my teeth and put in my eyes (contacts).

When It Rains…  I love to sit outside under shelter, smell the beautiful scent of it and daydream.

MAC or PC… PC.

What’s on your iPod?  Reba’s Duets and pretty much anything country.

Travel Dreams…Anywhere that means I could get a vacation!

One piece of advice for Brides-to-be...  Plan on your big day not going exactly how you had it planned!  Take each moment as it comes, laugh, enjoy and oh yeah…..rent a photo booth so you have some fun!

I hope you enjoyed getting to know PhotoBooth Nashville! They're a wonderful team and I've never had a bride regret this purchase. It adds fun and personalizes your day. No only do you get a full guest book with prints and message from you guests, but your guest also gets to take home a picture of their own as their favor. Call Amy and Jeff for fun at your reception!

~ Mary Alice

Signature Drinks: Part 2

In the theme of drinks, day 2 is featuring the color, Red! Enjoy and keep mixing!

Red margarita, Fruity, delicately tangy drink for the evening:

    1 oz. tequila

    1 tbsp. grenadine

    2 tsp. raspberry flavored liqueur

    2 tsp. lemon juice

    Garnish with an orange peel twist

Monte Rosa, Light aperitif and this would be for a Martini Glass:

    1/2 oz. vodka

    2 tsp. triplesec

    2 tsp. campari

    2 tsp. orange juice

Vodka Cranberry, Social cocktail hour drink for a Rocks Glass:

    1/2 oz. vodka

    Fill with cranberry juice

Red Slip, Non alcoholic, sweet, fruity event drink for a Collins Glass:

    1 1/2 oz. of strawberry syrup

    1 1/2 oz. grapefruit juice

    Bitter grapefruit juice for topping off

    Garnish with a strawberry or lime

Keep mixing!

~ Mary Alice

Fresh Ideas for a First Dance

Every bride and groom wants to choose the best first dance song, one that's personal and fun! We all know the new trend of brides and grooms choosing a song to do a choreographed dance to, but many brides still love the elegance of a meaningful and traditional dance. Here are some fresh new options for your first dance with your new husband, the dance with your father and his mother, and also cake cutting! Hop onto iTunes and do some listening and find a song that you both love!

First Dance Songs:

Jason Mraz- I"m Yours

Colbie Caillat- Bubbly

Plain White T's- I'll Write You a Song

Justin Timberlake ft. Beyonce- Until the End of Time

Ryan Cabrera- True

Jesse McCartney- Beautiful Soul

Carrie Underwood- Inside Your Heaven

Jon McLaughlin- Perfect

Taylor Swift- Our Song

Natasha Bedingfield ft. Sean Kingston- Love Like This

Adam Sandler- Grow Old With You

The Pixies- La La Love You

Jack Johnson- Banana Pancakes

Bob Dylan- The Wedding Song

Van Morrison- Sweet Thing

Mother/Son Dance:

Sheryl Crow- Sweet Child of Mine

Suzanne Vega- Gypsy

Father/Daughter Dance:

Carrie Underwood- All American Girl

Paul Simon- Father and Daughter

Cake Cutting:

U2- The Sweetest Thing

Cake- Love you Madly

Sarah McLaughlin- Ice Cream

I hope these songs will inspire you and find the best songs for you to dance the night away!

~Mary Alice  

California Dreams!

I have returned from California and had a blast! I had so much fun getting to know Mary Dann, her team, and their wedding dreams they make reality. I wanted to share some pictures with you from my trip. I have never been to California, so LAX was scary, as was traveling over 1,000 miles by myself. It was a great experience getting to see a seasoned wedding planner in action and how she handles certain situations and her business. California does weddings somewhat different from here, but brides are the same, wanting their wedding dreams to come true.

This was the walk from my hotel room. I knew that I had to go to the beach, as I've never been to the Pacific side. I was two streets over from the beach and the weather in California was AMAZING! I wanted to package it up and bring it back to Tennessee with me.

I love palm trees! This was right outside my hotel room! Gotta bring one of those back for my yard. It screams paradise!

Manhattan Avenue... a place I'd love to have a beach front property! If only I was a millionaire! :)

My first glimpse of the Pacific Ocean! Very cold, very different from the Gulf and Atlantic.

Me sitting on Manhattan Beach, no sweating like being here in Nashville! The following pictures were taken at the event that I got to observe, as Mary Dann and her wonderful team created this brides dream day at the famous Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. This hotel is in the heart of Hollywood, just streets over from the Kodak Theater where the Oscars take place.

The bride's colors were purple and black and these fun cocktails were sitting outside the hotel, in the pool area for her guests to enjoy cocktails and passed appetizers as she and her new groom had their own cocktail hour to reflect on the ceremony. Also, the bride and groom got to take pictures on the rooftop of the hotel with their photographer.

These purple spotted vanda orchids were gorgeous! They were used in the centerpieces as well. Such a bold look.

 

These beautiful place settings were complete with favors of purple and white m&m's and menu and place cards created by Mimio Papers.

This is the beautiful set up in the Blossom Ballroom. It was complete by chairs from Chameleon Chairs in a chocolate brown. The beautiful florals were provided by The Hidden Garden.

 

The beautiful and ornate lobby of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel provided the perfect spot for the ceremony. This fountain was filled with hydrangea plants, rose petals, and candles.

The beautiful chuppah that The Hidden Garden created for the Jewish ceremony.

I love this whimsical escort card table centerpiece!

This was the wonderful team for the day! Kelly, from Disneyland Weddings observed for the day as well, Jenn, Mary Dann, myself, Leila, Holly, and Amber who is interning for the summer.  Constance, who works in the office 4 days a week and assists for events had already left for the evening. She and Amber took me to dinner on Wednesday night when I arrived and showed me around Manhattan Beach! It was so sweet!

Mary Dann and I!

Amber and I at the end of the night! California was a blast and I had the best time learning from Mary Dann and her team! Thanks so much for all of your welcoming faces and making it the best experience I could have had!~ Mary Alice

** All pictures are c/o Mary Dann Party Coordinator

Franklin Bridal Ball Recap

Thanks again to all who came out to visit us in Franklin a couple weeks ago. We were so excited to debut this color scheme of cerise and aqua! We personally designed all of the lush florals including the show-stopper: a wrought-iron branch centerpiece tree that feature cybidium orchids, hanging crystals and votives.

This would make a gorgeous place card or guestbook table centerpiece - a real "wow" piece to set the tone for your guests. Of course, many brides love to use this on dining tables too! We love alternating them on reception tables with shorter centerpieces on the others. We provide these as a rental item for our clients and are customized with florals to match your theme! 

Thanks to our friends at Nashville Event Lighting for their beautiful pin and up-lighting effects.

 

The table numbers and wedding invitation samples featured a magenta damask design and are from our very own, Sweet Life Designs.

Our signature beverage jars were on hand for our thirsty booth visitors.

Beautiful fuischa dahials and roses for cocktail centerpieces...

Our shabby chic centerpieces are also perfect for cocktail tables.

This beautiful cake comes courtesy of our friends at Maples Wedding Cakes. Stunning details!

Thanks for all who came out and we had the chance to meet! For those who stopped by or missed the opportunity, be sure to check out the special offers from our previous post that are only good for a couple more weeks!

http://adelightfulday.typepad.com/blog/2008/07/franklin-bridal-ball-show-offer.html

~Amber