Beautiful Gift Bags

Last weekend Marcy and Brian were married at the Conservatory on the Biltmore Estate. They planned a wonderful weekend for their guests starting with fabulous gift bags in each room at the Cedar Crest Inn and finishing with an elegant dinner reception in the Conservatory on the Biltmore Estate. The couple tied everything together with an exquisite art deco/art nouveau theme. The groom himself designed the save the date cards and invitations.

I will post more wedding pictures later, but for now, here are some pictures of the gift bags. The bags are stuffed full of fun Asheville Chamber items, snacks, the Festival of Flowers Rose wine from Biltmore and chocolate from Van's Chocolates in Hendersonville. One guest told me the truffles were so delicious that she hid her box away in a drawer. The bags (and boxes for the children) were assembled and made beautiful by Carolina Party and Paper. Heather is so talented--I can't wait for our next project together.

WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, just announced that Occasions by Emily has won the 2009 Bride’s Choice Awards™!

In its inaugural year, the Bride’s Choice Awards recognizes and honors vendors from the WeddingWire Network that demonstrate excellent quality of service, responsiveness, professionalism, value of cost and flexibility. This year’s recipients represent the top three percent of WeddingWire’s vendor community, which includes over 100,000 wedding vendors from across the US. That means Occasions by Emily is one of the very best wedding and event planning companies.

Unlike other awards in which winners are selected by the company, the Bride’s Choice Awards are determined exclusively by recent newlyweds through surveys and reviews.

“We are excited to launch this annual award program to honor high-performing vendors based solely on the experiences of our WeddingWire community,” according to Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “This year’s recipients have set the bar high, exhibiting excellent service and expertise in the wedding industry.”

Occasions by Emily would like to thank past clients for speaking on my behalf and helping me win the 2009 Bride’s Choice Award!

Emily and Victor

I so enjoyed working with Emily and Victor. Not only do the bride and I share a name and a passion for event planning--we love ice cream cake. What else is there?! Emily and her mom designed a beautiful winter ceremony and reception at On Broadway on a perfectly wintry afternoon. Celine and Company's food was fabulous as always and Emily's hand-made decor of candles, flowers and silver was gorgeous. The couple was fortunate to have California-based Taylor Abeel as their wedding photographer. Here are just a few of the beautiful moments he captured at Grove Park Inn and On Broadway.

The Beautiful Bride and Her Ladies

Such Handsome Men

Isn't she sweet?

A close friend sang a song for the bride and groom during the ceremony

Victor sang a love song to his new bride at the reception

The end of a day full of perfect moments!

Congratulations!

So, you're engaged...now what? Choosing a wedding planner is an excellent next step. A professional planner can guide you in all areas: budget, decor, design, etiquette, day of coordination and more. Not sure how to go about choosing a planner? Check out my article online with Sophie Magazine for tips on choosing the best planner for you. Of course I would love to be your planner...so let's talk about how I can best help you.

828.808.8888 emily@occasionsbyemily.com

Merry Christmas from My Family to Yours

May God's peace and love be yours this holiday season.

Thanks to a Portrait of You for the family picture.

Sheridan Cupp Photography

I had the privilege of meeting Sheridan with Sheridan Cupp photography when she took pictures of my girls recently. She captured such beautiful smiles in a studio atmosphere--just imagine what she could do at a wedding!

Kathleen's Tea Room

Have you been to Kathleen's Tea Room? It is a treasure find tucked away in Fletcher, just a few minutes from Hendersonville or Asheville, NC. The menu offers exquisite tea time, lunch and dinner choices--one of my favorites is the seafood quiche.

Kathleen's is located in a beautiful old house that is a great option for rehearsal dinners and bridal luncheons or showers. You might also order a catered tea sandwich tray for your bridal party on the wedding day for delicious treats that will get you through the festivity prep.

Reservations are recommended, so call soon to enjoy this treasure for yourself!