From my family to yours

Merry Christmas!  May your holiday events be joyous, peaceful and fun!

Special thanks to Cami Calnan Photography

Em and Will's Wedding

Emily and Will's wedding was a beautiful celebration of two wonderful, intelligent, thoughtful, kind, gentle(need I go on?) people being joined together.  Their attention to detail shows in every aspect of this destination wedding.  First, I have to give credit to Brian Tropiano, the photographer.  His photos are beautiful and his manner sets everyone at ease.  Please take a minute to look up his portfolio online or on facebook--you'll enjoy!

The ceremony took place at the stately First Presbyterian Church of Asheville.  Ambiance, ambiance, ambiance--look at these beautiful light fixtures!

The bridesmaids' rosy dresses were the perfect compliment to Stacey Brown's (the Bloom Room) warm, autumn-y floral arrangements (or maybe the flowers complimented the dresses...can't tell because they're both stunning).  The antique gold bow tied on Emily's bouquet is so simple yet so sophisticated!

Emily is gorgeous!  She is the poster child for "blushing bride" in this photo.

And another fabulous detail shot.

Asheville Historic Trolley tour is FUN transportation and makes for great photographs!

And the Grove Park Inn ...  Always beautiful, but I especially love these shots with the lights.

Etiquette for Real Brides

At the ABC Business of Brides conference, I had the tremendous opportunity to hear Peggy Post (great, great granddaughter in law of Emily Post) speak.  She was great!  Her relaxed approach makes the guidelines of etiquette completely doable.  I have to repeat this fabulous quote Peggy shared:

“It really doesn’t matter what fork you use.  What really matters is being interested in the people you’re having a meal with.”  --Emily Post

As all my clients know, I am a huge promoter of this concept of etiquette.  One of the first things I often  tell my clients is that etiquette exists to make us feel comfortable and to resolve awkward situations in a non-offensive way.

Peggy says etiquette is the fuel that helps us build relationships.  Here are her three principles:

*Consideration--thinking before acting

*Respect--interest in others as they are (empathy)

*Honesty:  being sincere, truthful, tactful

Peggy believes that those who follow etiquette, in essence, abide by the Golden Rule which transcends culture, tradition, race, education, or marital status.

How does this apply to your wedding?  Your wedding is about you and the groom, but it also involves your family and guests.  You are building the relationships for your future from your past and present.  Each of these relationships can only be made stronger when you treat others with consideration, respect and honesty at all times--even on your own special day.

On a note about the future, Cindy Post Senning (great, great granddaughter of Emily Post) writes books for children and parents about manners based on the principles of etiquette and different developmental abilities.  I can’t wait to get the illustrated books for three year olds based on a little girl named, what else but, Emily!  Peggy and Cindy's books are available online of course, but I also recently saw one of Cindy's at the Baggie Goose in Biltmore Village.

So by now you may have guessed part of my inspiration behind a wedding planning career.  Call (828.808.8888) or email me today to talk about how the three principles of etiquette can help you through the sensitive moments of your wedding.  I look forward to hearing from you!

Emily and Cindy Post Senning

Camilla Calnan Photography

Cami and I have worked at weddings together over the years--her sense of humor and calm is priceless. And of course her photography is beautiful!  I had the chance to bring my girls to her for a portrait session at the Botanical Gardens.  Of course I'm completely biased, but I think these are GREAT!

Give me a call (828.808.8888) if you'd like to know more about Cami's packages for your wedding or other special event.

ABC Business of Brides Conference

I just returned from Indianapolis where I attended the annual Business of Brides conference sponsored by the international Association of Bridal Consultants. I met so many wonderful and talented people in the industry. There were gala events showcasing the latest trends in weddings (these photos are from my personal camera) and classes upon classes taught by industry leaders on how to provide more and better services to our clients. The Association of Bridal Consultants strives to take each member to the next step as a professional by providing and rewarding continuing education, community and industry participation so that when brides contract with an Association consultant or vendor, they know they can trust that company to be top in the field. I am so excited to be a member of an Association that sets the bar for excellence in wedding planning and design!

Yes, the chocolate really was as good as it looks!

This sign inspired me every morning

From the skywalk on the way

to the Circle City Mall.

Casey and Aaron's Wedding

Casey and Aaron are two wonderful people and their wedding brought tears to my eyes. They adore each other and have so much fun together! Their love and happiness was so obvious in their wedding. One of my favorite elements was the entire color scheme based on their favorite sports teams: Duke and the Indianapolis Colts. Steve from Merrimon Florist did a great job making the deep blue center stage.

I told you the bride is fun!!!

Don't let the serious faces fool you. These guys were some of the most easygoing groomsmen I've ever met. And they can dance!

Casey and Aaron, along with their families, share a beautiful faith that was celebrated in the ceremony (Pastor Jimmy Dykes and North Asheville Baptist Church). I love the deep blue background that matched the colors all throughout the day.

Delicious cake by Callie's Confections. Don't you love the blown glass topper? Before college, Casey worked for a blown glass company in Indiana--they loved her (just like the rest of us) and gave her this amazing piece and the accompanying champagne glasses.

A beautiful photo of the bride and her father's dance.

The Crowne Plaza served a delicious Italian buffet. I loved the cannoli and the tiramisu. In fact, this picture is dangerous--makes me wish for more!

Is a wedding official without a getaway car? I think Casey and Aaron are covered!

Thanks to Jeff Blake of Columbia Wedding Photos for these great pictures!

Teresa and Phil

I'm so excited to post these pictures from Teresa and Phil's wedding on July 4th. They married at a private lodge next to a fresh, clear mountain river. They are a sweet, sweet couple with really fun family and friends! Color was one of the highlights of the day for me. Teresa incorporated vibrant shades into her florals, shoes, and of course the fabulous fuschia lipstick on all the women of the wedding party.

Fresh lemonade! Teresa and Phil had a lemonade welcome table for their guests. What could be better on a hot Fourth of July?

Gorgeous details in the cake by Asheville Cake Company. My first ever "log" cake stand and I'm LOVING it! Teresa and her girls put together all the centerpieces and other small arrangements like you see in this picture.
The hanging twine balls with twinkle lights from Classic Event Rental gave an elegant, yet outdoorsy ambiance to the tent. And I wish you could hear DJ Dylan Skidmore of Blazin Sounds who provided great entertainment for HOURS of dancing.
Excellent (and very attractive) food from 28806. Kudos to Stacey and crew.

This photo is beautiful, classic Angela Stott Photography. You don't even have to know these people to wish you could have a copy hanging in your living room!

Teresa asked for something creative from Steve at Merrimon Florist and he totally caught her vision. Long grasses, bells of ireland, a seed pod (!) and pops of fuschia and yellow.

Southern Weddings

Southern Weddings is a super-chic blog that publishes beautiful, creative weddings from our very own region. Last week they published Brian and Marcy's Biltmore wedding complete with their story, peacock feather details and a great photo of Marcy's make-up being applied by the expert, Scott Thompson. Check the link for more fun details about this wedding and to admire more of Angela Stott's photography.
http://www.swsmag.net/blog/2009/8/18/real-north-carolina-wedding-marcy-brian.html

Emily and Josh

This wedding was so beautiful! We started at the Blanton Family's home church--Latttimore Baptist in Lattimore, NC. Josh was the third generation of Blantons to be married there. The reception was at Lioncrest on the Biltmore Estate. The guests enjoyed a delicious buffet of shrimp and grits, quesadillas, roast beef, gourmet cheeses, and oh so much more! Floral design by Flower Gallery. Photography by the ever-talented Audrey Goforth. If you'd like to see more pictures from this wedding, look for 'Occasions by Emily' on facebook.

Emily Lamm's Bridal Portraits

Here are a few of my favorite bridal portraits of Emily at the Biltmore Estate. It was so hard to choose! Photographer Audrey Goforth perfectly captured Emily's natural elegance and serenity. I love her smile.