Amber & Magnus at The Umstead

Below are some great images from a wedding that we did recently at the Umstead hotel (I always love going there - what a fabulous hotel).

We recently had the pleasure of working with Craig, owner of Luster Studios(www.lusterstudios.com), on this wedding and we want to thank him for letting us use his awesome images :).

The cake below was by Donna at Sweet Memories - her cakes always look incredible :)

NACE - top of the table

Every year NACE (the National Association of Catering Executives) hosts the Top of the Table Design challenge to raise money for the Food Shuttle. As members we team up and design a table to fit one of the year's categories. This year we partnered with Cleveland Plant and Flower and Grace Leisure Events, participating in the "Green with Envy" category! CE Rentals also provided the linens, chairs, plates, my most favorite gold stemmed glasses and Party Tables provided the awesome green overlay linen! THANKS team :)In the center of our table we spelled out the word ENVY with jade roses and green hypericum berries. This was Becky's fab idea and I think it is easily applied to a corporate event or wedding - spelling out the company name or the monogram of the bride and groom on their head table !!

Placed on gold napkins where our awesome menu cards created by Grace (perfectly bedazzled) and we accented them with a green cymbidium orchid!

At each corner of the space we had columns draped in green linens with an a very green arrangement on top!

We had a GREAT time and there were definitely some great tables this year! It is always fun to design outside of the box and create something over the top - it helps you come up with ideas for the next client :)

Welcome Gifts

Some of your guests may be traveling a long distance to your come to your wedding. It is always a really nice touch if you have "welcome" gifts waiting in their room when the arrive!

Welcome gifts are an opportunity to express your personality. A really great welcome basket will get you guests excited for what is yet to come the rest of the weekend!

This is also one part of your wedding that is easy to put together yourself if you need to cut some costs. Or if you don't have the time this is also something a wedding planner often offers or a local gift store or often florist will offer as a service.

Below is the following recipe for a great welcome gift:

1. maps and brochures - include things that you and your fiance enjoy doing in the town/city

2. snacks - everyone loves snacks! (I had one bride who had Krispy Kreme donuts with icing in her wedding colors waiting for her guests)

3. drinks - include a bottle of water or your favorite bottle soda (like an Izzy)

4. personal - include something that represents a quirky/fun part of your and your fiance's personality

5. A PERSONALIZED THANK YOU NOTE - this is a way to really thank each of your guests individually and an opportunity to let them know how much they mean to you
6. come up with a really cute package to put all of these items in - it is all in presentation! At a friends wedding they had customized eco-friendly totes made with a cartoon of both of them on the front - I still have and use mine :)

FINALLY, have fun with it and get creative!!!

A Truely Tre Bella Wedding

I am so excited to post these AWESOME images from a wedding that we did this summer at Brier Creek Country Club. This was one of those wedding that we were so lucky to love everyone involved in the process. The bride and her sister were so much fun to work with and they spoiled us - she not only used us for the wedding flowers but the bride also bought her veil and dress from our salon and had custom jewelery from Kate for both herself and her bridesmaids !!!

We also got to work with the incredible Rachel from Bliss by Sam and the fabulous Samantha Dockery - owner of Bliss by Sam. (www.blissbysam.com) Thanks for including us on this event ladies :)

AND of course I have to thank the super sweet and talented Kristin from KPO photography for the photos below! (www.kpophoto.com)

A Raleigh Wedding

Below are a couple of images from a wedding we did this past summer in Raleigh at the Marble's Kids Museum. It is a awesome place for a reception and actually ceremony too. It is definitely a unique location that will entertain your guests! Check out their website for more information: (www.marbleskidsmuseum.org).

Meredith Perdue sent us these awesome images - THANKS! She is actually a photography based out of New England who travels to North Carolina - check out her website for more gorgeous photos: (www.andunlimited.com)