A Delightful Day - Event Planning - Blog

Nashville Wedding Vendors

Brides are always looking for a way to make their event fun for their guests. One of my favorite ways to make your wedding reception a blast, and takes people back to their childhood, is renting a old fashioned photobooth from PhotoBooth Nashville. Meet Amy, the owner, and see fun pictures of the photobooth in action! 


Name:  Amy Lysyczyn

Business:     Photo Booth Nashville
 
This adorable picture taken by Mary Claire Crow, was a wedding of ours from December '07 that you can see here.

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

How would you describe your style or work:    We bring the FUN to your events!

Favorite Thing About Your Job?     I love the fact that I am now running a company that has the sole purpose of helping people to have FUN, be happy and to celebrate!

Magazine Must Have…     Honestly, totally not “wedding industry related,” but Country Weekly.

Guilty Pleasure…      Candy

 What Do You Do When You First Wake Up?   Listen to sweet sounds of chatter from my little girl on the monitor.

When It Rains…     I love to cuddle up and watch movies.

MAC or PC…       PC

What’s on your iPod?  Country and Christian Music….okay….and some of the Pop music that’s hot.

 Travel Dreams…   I dream of going to Australia and New Zealand.  Most days I am just dreaming of the beach though.  I LOVE the ocean.

One piece of advice for Brides-to-be...   Never forget or lose focus in the planning stages, that the marriage is much more important than the chaos of the wedding.  Also, pick stuff that’s FUN.  I say that not because that is what we do, but really because it’s a celebration and that is the most important thing to do!

~ Mary Alice, Nashville Wedding Planner
A Delightful Day

Lack of blogging...

I apologize for the last few days and not having the plan a wedding in 30 days up... will post updates tomorrow! More planning to come!

~ Mary Alice, Nashville Wedding Planner
A Delightful Day

Nashville Wedding Vendors

Your florals that you choose from your bridal bouquet, to ceremony arrangements, to reception decor truly speak about your style and can transform a space. Having a great, and creative, florist is worth every penny in my opinion and one of my favorites in Nashville is Chase Rivers of Eye Design Floral. Get to know who he is and see some of his gorgeous work!

Name:  Chase Rivers

 

Business: Eye Design Floral/Chase Rivers “flair”

Your Site Address and/or Blog Address:   www.eyedesignfloral.com/chaserivers.com

How would you describe your style or work: outside the box

Favorite Thing About Your Job?  Meeting new people

Magazine Must Have… Chase Rivers “flair”

Guilty Pleasure…  Raspberry margarita (Yummm!)

What Do You Do When You First Wake Up?  Check Facebook  and/or make coffee.

When It Rains… I love the rain

MAC or PC…   PC 

What’s on your iPod?  Lots of karaoke

Travel Dreams…  Italy soon

One piece of advice for Brides-to-be...   marriages—even those made in heaven—are not perfect (Totally agree, and that even applies to weddings, each wedding is perfect in its own way!)

~ Mary Alice, Nashville Wedding Planner
A Delightful Day

Vote A Delightful Day as Music City's Best Blog!

We are honored to be nominated as one of Nashville's Best Blog by www.ToastofMusicCity.com!
You can vote for A Delightful Day by selecting the check mark next to our name at the following link:

http://toastofmusiccity.com/category/169/default.aspx

1 Month to Plan a Wedding- Photographer

 

Photo curteosy of Inara Studios.

As a bride, this is the most beautiful day of your life. You will never look more glamorous than you do in the wedding dress of your dreams, hair styled, makeup done, you're posed and ready to be in every shot possible. After the many years of marriage, and all the money, what is left for you to remember your wedding day: your pictures. One of the questions that I ask planning clients is what are your top 3 priorities. So many times photography is one of the those top three priorities and finding the right photographer for you and your fiance' is a task in itself. Most of the time brides don't necessarily find the perfect photographer in the first glance... they take time, interview, look at albums and photos, and then decide. Here are some suggestions in finding the right photographer to shoot your one and only wedding day:

• Begin looking any many different types of photographers to find the right ones for you to interview. What's the most important elements/style that you want your photographer to carry? Do you want mostly photojournalistic? Do you want traditional, posed shots? Do you want all candids? What type of editing style do you like? Think and research the different types of photographers in your area.
• When narrowing down your choices, make sure that you're looking at photographers within your budget. You may have your photographer as a high priority, so you may be willing to sacrifice other areas of your budget to have the photographer that you highly desire. Look at the benefits of the packages that the photographers offer. Do you receive tangible items with the photographers packages? Can you create your own custom package to fit your needs? How many hours of service does each package include, and how many hours would you want your photographer to be present to document?
• Compare packages and compare images. Take a look at blogs to see the most up to date work that they offer, as well as seeing complete works or events so that you can see an entire story documented.
• When interviewing photographers think about asking these questions to find out their credientials, but also how they function as a business: How long is your editing time and when would you expect to see your images? If I receive the disc of images from our wedding, what are my rights for printing? Do you bring back up equipment to your events in case an accident occurs? Are you a member of a photographers association? Do you offer extra sessions such as engagement, bridal, day after sessions, etc.? Talk with them about their typical day of and what their timeline usually looks like.
• Think about their personalities and how you get along. You'll be with them a lot on the day of and you want to make sure that it is someone you can tollerate for lengthy periods of time. You want to be comfortable with them because if you're not comfortable, you won't look comfortable in your pictures.
• Talk about the details of your wedding day with them: will you be seeing each other before the ceremony? Do they plan a time for just the two of you together, a private moment? Are there a lot of shots with just the two of you? Your wedding is the day that the two of you will look your best and will get the best shots of you two together.

Remember, when the flowers are dead, the guests are all gone, the honeymoon is over, your photographs are what you have to look back on. Make sure that your photographer captures the moments that you love and every time you look at them you'll get chills to remember what that day was all about!

~ Mary Alice, Nashville Wedding Planner
A Delightful Day

Nashville Wedding Vendors

The wedding cake is seen as the first ceremonial "teamwork" that a new married couple will take part in and it is always the focal point of any reception. There are so many styles and every cake designer has their own look and technique. Enjoy the work of Nashville's Shara Lunn of Cakes by Shara!

Photo Credit to Myrick Studios

Name: Shara Lunn

Business: Cakes By Shara

Your Site Address and/or Blog Address:   www.cakesbyshara.net & www.cakesbysharalunn.blogspot.com

How would you describe your style or work: I love to take cake and make it into works of art.
We use recipes that maintain a moist cake, we have different icings for each budget from Swiss meringue, or old fashioned buttercream, confectioner buttercream, premium rolled fondants, from scratch fillings that would make your mouth water from "in season fruits". We can make anything some request have been Xbox, jeeps, monkeys, air Jordan shoe boxes, custom cake toppers and madhatter cakes. Every bride deserves the best her budget will allow. We have cakes in every budget including rental cakes.
 
Favorite Thing About Your Job? I get to make people happy by creating artistic cakes.

Magazine Must Have… All bridal magazines and American Cake.


Guilty Pleasure…I love Chocolate ganache and anything that is well prepared in a classical fashion.

What Do You Do When You First Wake Up? Think. I think a lot when I wake up about what all needs to be done, then I pray.

When It Rains: I like to watch the rain, I do not like it on cake days as much. Naps during rain rock my world.

MAC or PC…   PC forever, I am afraid.

What’s on your iPod?  Hmm I wish I had a iPod as I love music, but my children have them and I am glad they do as I do not like all music. My favorite song right now is Revelation Song by Gateway Worship.
 
Travel Dreams…   I need to tag along with Vicki as I would LOVE to go to Paris, Greece, and Rome, and Florida it seems we are behind on travel in this house.

One piece of advice for Brides-to-be...   Make a budget outline by what is most important to you then stick to what you can afford in that budget but always make room for a wedding planner if you can!

~ Mary Alice, Nashville Wedding Planner
A Delightful Day

1 Month to Plan a Wedding - Hiring a Planner

Having a Professional Wedding Consultant or Planner can be one of the greatest things that you spend money from your budget on. Of course me being a Planner I am a bit of a fan of having a Planner, but from so many of my brides I have heard, "What would I have done without you?". We've had many referrals from past Mothers of the Brides who have said that their friend raved over how much having a wedding planner saved them in both sanity and time! Our Mantra with A Delightful Day is "Be a Guest at Your Own Wedding." We want you to be able to relax and enjoy your event that you have put together. You don't need to be the bride laying linens or putting together bouquets or making sure that your vendors arrive on time and prepared.

When you decide to hire a planner, do be mindful of who you're meeting with and treat this as you would any other decision in life. Here are a few pointers to remember when hiring someone:

• How well do you get along with them? Make sure you enjoy being around them and working with them because you will spend more time with them during your planning process than your fiance' more than likely. 
• Hire someone you can't live without... what do I mean? Read this article.
• Do they have the credentials to back up what they offer? Do they have references available if desired?
• Are they a part of any organizations that keep them accountable for good business?
• Do they continually work on their business attending conferences, learning the new tricks of the trade, and networking with new and viable vendors?
• Is this a hobby for them or a focused career? 
• How does she handle pressure? What types of situations has she/he been in and how did they handle them?

Many brides also think that having a site with a coordinator will suffice. Check out the blog posting I wrote here about this topic and evaluate for yourself.

Also, be aware if you're hiring a design firm or a wedding consultant. Some consultants, or planners, do not offer design services. (A Delightful Day does offer these services.) Here is an excellent article discussing the differences.

Please be aware of who you are hiring! A well trained, reputable planner will not promise you thousands of dollars saved, they will not promise you a perfect wedding, and they will not promise you planning for $200.00. We can't promise you that we'll save you thousands of dollars from your budget (we'll guide within your budget), we can't promise you a perfect wedding because there aren't any (things arise and a good planner can handle those), and a good planner doesn't work for nothing (it's many, many long hours and weekends). Many brides enter into the planning field with the desire to plan because they love weddings, but many of them burn out very quickly because this is a hard business to continue in and love what you're doing every day.

Not only is your planner going to be your confidant, your psychiatrist, your friend, your organizer, your sounding board, your relief, your sanity, and your guide, but they are also there to get you down the aisle and handle that gracefully. We love hearing brides say, "What would I have done without you?", and we would love to hear that from you! Happy Planning!

~ Mary Alice, Nashville Wedding Planner
A Delightful Day

Columbia Wedding- Elizabeth and Patrick

We are going to have such fun celebrating with Elizabeth and Patrick this weekend in Columbia at St. Peter's. Enjoy these adorable engagement shots taken by Shannon Jenkins and we can't wait to show you photos from their wedding soon!

 

Congratulations Elizabeth and Patrick!! We'll see you at the altar on Saturday!

~ Mary Alice, Nashville Wedding Planner
A Delightful Day

1 Month to Plan a Wedding

If you haven't noticed everything in your wedding goes back to budget, budget, and more budget. Budget should ultimately be the first thing that you discuss with your fiance' and parents to decide on how much you want to spend on the wedding, what's available, and who is going to contribute. More and more couples are choosing to pay for the weddings themselves, giving them the freedom to use their money how they would like. But there are some things to keep in mind when determining your budget.

• Don't get caught up in the emotions behind planning your wedding and your dreams, i.e. what Platinum Weddings shows, and base your budget on that. It's very easy when you first get engaged to watch all of the shows on t.v. and read all of the wedding magazines and get caught up in the glamorous details that a wedding can involve. Do keep in mind that all of those little details cost dollars and add up very quickly. Step back and think about what is most important to you and realize that this is one day and you don't want to break the bank and go into huge amounts of credit card debt. Keep this question in the back of your mind while planning, if you don't have the money within the budget to pay for it, do you really need it? 
• Have expectations, but realize that those cost money. Many people are very naive to the cost of weddings. I have had many brides who have come to me with a grand plan of a seated dinner for 150, chair covers, expensive linens, wanting lots of flowers, etc. but they have a $10,000 budget. You have to be realistic and know that these things cost money. 
• One thing to consider within your budget is a planner. Even if you can't afford to hire a planner for the entire process, do consider some consultation hours for her to help you get on the right track in setting up a realistic budget, vendor suggestions based on budget, etc. Many brides believe that a planner is an extravagant purchase, a luxury item, but in many cases planners can save you the money that you spend on them. Not always is this a guarantee, but they can also direct you to the best vendors within your budget, as well as help you with cost cutting ways that your guests will never notice.
• Don't get sucked into the media behind weddings. Shows like Platinum Weddings, Whose Wedding is it Anyways, Martha Stewart Weddings, etc., although they are fun to watch, are not realistic. If you have an oversize budget, wonderful for you and you'll be able to be extravagant with your choices, but if not don't use this as a guideline for your wedding. Your budget is your budget. Don't be ashamed if your budget doesn't have 6 zeros supporting it. Remember who you are and what your wedding is about, not about impressing the next bride.
• Don't be afraid of the dreaded "budget" conversation, but take time to have that relaxed conversation over dinner or wine with all of the parties involved and know up front what you have to work with.
• Talk with your friends who have gotten married, or join the many boards that are available at your fingertips with brides who are in the process or just finished the process and find out from them what their experience has been, how they saved, and what they spent. Do your homework, don't assume as to what wedding prices look like.
• Also, be savvy about your wedding. There may be some ways to cut corners, but don't become a DIY (do it yourself) bride and take on more than you can handle.

All in all, consider you and your fiance' and what you want your day to be. Think about your priorities and what's most important. Do you want that great band? Do you want over the top decor? Do you want excellent food and drink? Establish your priorites and your boundaries and the planning process will go much more smoothly! Happy Planning!

~ Mary Alice, Nashville Wedding Planner
A Delightful Day

Downtown Nashville Wedding

I couldn't wait to share the wedding of Sarah and Hunter Page, who were married on March 13th, on the blog because they were such a sweet couple. This was a whirlwind time, of just three months to plan. Sarah and Hunter reside in Cookeville where Hunter co-owns with his father Tasmanian Rain, a bottled water company. They had many guests who were flying thousands of miles from Australia to be a part of this wedding and wanted them to get a true personal experience of what Tennessee, and the south was all about. The Thursday of the wedding, we arranged for a line dance instructor from the Wildhorse Saloon to join the guests at Union Station Hotel for a private group lesson. They had a blast and the "Aussie's" got to have a true Nashville experience. Friday moved into the wedding rehearsal and fun mexican rehearsal dinner with lots of margaritas! Saturday's wedding took place at Scarritt Bennett's Wightman Chapel and 3rd aVenue South. Enjoy the beautiful pictures taken by the wonderfully talented, Cookeville based, Daniel Sutton of Creative Push!

Sarah and Hunter wanted to keep Scarritt simple, with its very understated romance. All florals were created by CarryAnn of Fresh Nashville.

Sarah decided that she did want to be pampered on the day of her wedding, so we contracted Amy Lynn Larwig for her bridal day makeup.



Hunter opted to have his groomsmen wear a traditional morning suit for their early afternoon wedding. This was an entertaining group of Aussie men I must say!


Sarah's gorgeously understated colors were gray and white with accents of pink. The bridesmaids wore a gray cocktail dress, with a pink pashmina to cover their shoulders from the brisk March air. Carry Ann created gorgeous pink bouquet's of hydrangea, ranunculas, and spray roses to perfectly complement the gray.

The girls that Sarah had as her bridesmaids were all adorable! Such a sweet group!

I loved Sarah's cowboy boots! These were brought out in their engagement session too! You can see that here.
   
The delicious catering was provided by Chef's Market and to the left is a bottle of the drink of the evening "Tasmanian Rain", along with a lot of champagne.

Sarah and Hunter chose 3rd aVenue South, not only for its location for their guests, but also its eclectic look. They choose to have their guests seated at long 8' tables and had their full bridal party seated on the stage. As a favor to each guest, a cowboy hat was at each place setting and those were used later on in the evening when the dancing began. Creatve Push created a guest book out of their engagement pictures, which I always love, for their guests to sign around. It's not only a memory, but a piece of art as well.

The Bake Shoppe created a deliciously tasting wedding cake for Sarah and Hunter to cut into for their guests. I wish I had a picture showing how into the cake cutting Sarah and Hunter got, meaning I had to wipe cake from her eye lashes!

The lighting of Chinese Lanterns, uplighting, and our mongrammed and pattern gobos was provided by the wonderful Nashville Event Lighting.

DJ Robert Luke had the guests dancing all afternoon, and evening, long. This is what the dancefloor looked like all night!

Congratulations Sarah and Hunter! We had a wonderful time working with you two and are so delighted to get to share your beautiful day with our readers! May you have many, many, many years of passionate love and we wish you both the best in life! Cheers!

~ Mary Alice, Nashville Wedding Planner
A Delightful Day