Wednesday

Nisan & Hanz - The Surprise of a Lifetime!

 

Imagine walking into your daughter’s hotel room, seeing her for the first time in her wedding gown and finding out that her wedding was actually taking place that day, not months from then.  That’s what happened to Nisan’s mom last week and the moment was everything.





Tuesday

Alexandra & Erfan!


Alexandra & Erfan were married at the beautiful Chateau Elan Resort in Braselton, Georgia. The couple lives in Charlotte, North Carolina so we conducted all of our planning meetings over the phone. One of my favorite things about Alexandra and Erfan was how they communicated with one another.  They consulted on every decision they made and always found a happy medium. To me, that's the sign of a solid marriage.
 
{Photo Magic by: Loyall Hart of Ross Oscar Knight Photography}


Thursday

Sneak Peek - Sarah & Will


I laugh a lot.  Like, all the time.  I laugh harder and a little longer than everyone else.  People always wonder why that is...I kind of squeeze every ounce of humor out of a joke.  It's just the way I am.  That's what happens when I see wedding photos...I kind of squeeze every emotion out of them that I can. 

You know when you step outside and the wind kind of hits you in the face and it takes your breath away for a minute?  That's how I pictured this moment with Sarah & Will but with the wind taking their breath away in a good way.  The best way, actually.  The way he's holding her, the movement of her veil and her hair dancing in the wind...I kind of can't get enough.


{Photo by: Michelle Scott Photography}

THE First Look


 
You, guys!!!! I totally get wanting to stick to tradition and not see your groom before walking down the aisle. I really do. Please listen to me when I say that it doesn't take away from the moment. 
 
Jeff & Adrienne were NOT trying to hear me with this first look idea but about 1 1/2 weeks before the wedding, they decided to do it. When Jeff turned around and saw his beautiful bride, his reaction was priceless. 
 
 
 
 

Alexandra & Erfan's First Look!


I love a good first look and Loyall Hart did not disappoint when it came to Alexandra & Erfan's!  The view of the winery from the vineyards, the detail in Alexandra's gown, Erfan waiting in anticipation and that sky...I couldn't ask for more.


Another shot from their first look...

{Photo Credit: Loyall Hart of Knight Weddings}

Engagement Love - Adrienne & Jeffery!


As a planner, I'm always observing my clients.  I'm always paying attention to how they interact with each other and one of my favorite things about Adrienne and Jeff is how they consult about every decision before they make it.  I've been working with them for a while now so I always know what decision they'll make but I love that they make each decision in unity. I can't wait to watch them walk down the aisle!
 


 
Adrienne & Jeff are big sports fans so they decided to head to the College Football Hall of Fame for some shots!
 


{Photo Credit: Catherine Ritchie Park of My Life Photography}
 

My Simply Perfect Kids!


Earlier this year I had the opportunity to plan the first birthday party for a special little girl.  During the planning, I realized that a lot children's parties are just miniature dinner parties for adults.  Follow me for a second: I wanted the party to be over-the-top but still fun for kids.  A floral centerpiece for a kid's party is a waste of flowers.  I decided to put goldfish crackers down the center of the table as the table runner.  While that was my favorite design element to-date, I wanted to switch it up a bit.

I thought about what my nieces, nephew and friend's children would like to do at a party and it was easy. Kid's want to have fun and dress up and have tea parties and be silly. We all know that the first birthday party is for the parents but what about all of the other birthdays?  There are so many little details involved with a kid's party that make them unique and fun so I dove right in!

From the first birthday to a Lego party all the way to a tea party, you just can't go wrong with My Simply Perfect Kids planning the party!  Take a look at some of our themed parties and try to melt from the overwhelming cuteness from these beauties!







 

Engagement Love - Brooke & Ryan!


I was referred to Brooke through one of my favorite brides, Misty.  She said that she thought Brooke might need some help and I was instantly excited because anyone who knows Misty is good with me! 
 
When I met Brooke in person, it was as if I already knew her.  Our emails and phone conversations were so easy relaxed, I felt like I was talking to a friend.  Whenever I meet a groom for the first time, I'm observing more than anything.  I watch how they interact with their fiancé...do they care at all?  Do they care too little? All of these things run through my mind.  Ryan was so sweet and loving with Brooke.  He cared about wedding details but not to the point that it was annoying (guys, it CAN get annoying...just let her do what she wants!).  I'm basically dying for their wedding next year!
 
 

{Photo Credit: Sarah Slavik Photography}
 

Wednesday

Engagement Love - Sarah & Will!

 
As a planner, I see many different sides of a couple during our planning meetings and endless emails but it's always the engagement photos that show a side that I rarely see. Scrolling through Sarah & Will's engagement photos was absolutely magical! Will twirling Sarah in the middle of the street and her following his lead... I can't wait for to see their day unfold! 

Thank you Michelle Scott Photography for these beautiful photos!

 

Thursday

Nisan & Hanz's SURPRISE Wedding Sneak Peek!

 
You guys, I've been DYING to share Nisan & Hanz's surprise wedding with you!  Keeping this a secret for 7 months HAD to have been hard for the couple but it was so worth it.  Here is how it all went down with a little advice on how to pull off a surprise wedding:


“Surprise…” the word escaped the bride with childlike uncertainty.  The room was silent.  We were all waiting for her mom to respond but none of us knew what that response would look like.  You see, the bride’s mother had never seen her in her wedding dress.  She hadn’t even seen a picture of her in it.  When she walked in the door, there was her only daughter standing in her wedding gown.  She gasped and froze in place as the tears streamed down her face. Her mom nervously took a few steps closer, then the bride broke the news that the wedding was taking place later that day and not months from then. “Oh, is it?!”After about a minute, she walked over to the bride and hugged her as they both cried. Not only was her mom in shock, but I was too because I couldn’t believe how perfectly this moment played out.

 

The entire day was full of moments like this.  When her bridesmaids walked in the door, some of them gasped and cried because the bride was so beautiful. The groomsmen played it cool but they were all surprised. One of the greatest moments was when the traditional wedding march began to play and the groom walked in with his daughters. The guests all teared up. 

 

Surprise weddings are the new trend and here are some tips to make yours a success:

1.      Get your story together.  In order to keep the questions to a minimum and cut down the confusion, you and your fiancé have to be on the same page about your story.  Yes, there will be some lying that you’ll have to do but it’ll all be worth it in the end. This particular couple told all of their friends that they would be getting married in June. They invited everyone to an engagement party which was the actual wedding. When her bridesmaids asked questions, she gave a vague answer and eventually they stopped asking.
 

2.      Prepare your bridal party.  I told the bride to tell her bridesmaids that they’ll be having a photo shoot before the engagement party so that they would have their hair done.  This was key to the day because we didn’t have time for everyone to get their hair done after the surprise.  Personally, I would be upset if I showed up thinking that it was going to just be an engagement party but it was really a wedding that I was in.

Since all of the groomsmen were coming in from out of town, I had them order their suits from a store that had locations nationwide.  The groom explained that it would be easier to pick their suits up in town when they arrived instead of travelling with them. It all worked!
 

 
3.      Be prepared for some backlash.  Some people will feel left out. They will let you know how they felt as soon as the festivities are over. They’ll tell you that they should have been a bigger part of the day. Listen, people will feel this way whether your wedding is a surprise or not.  You just have to be ok with some hurt feelings.


4.      Hire a wedding planner.  I’ve given this advice many times before but I can’t stress how hiring a wedding planner is imperative to the success of your surprise wedding. I’ve had weddings that were so logistically taxing but this one took the cake. 
 

5.      Chose one friend to tell and one friend only.  During my first conversation with the bride, she said numerous times, “I’ve wanted to elope since I was in the 4th grade…” Meaning, “I really don’t care about having a wedding.”  Luckily, her groom wasn’t ok with eloping. I suggested that they have a surprise wedding because I wanted the bride to be excited about this day and by adding the extra element of the surprise, I figured that would be all that she needed.  I told her that she was allowed to tell one person only.  Keeping a secret for seven months from your closest girlfriends is pretty excruciating so I allowed her to tell her maid of honor.

Having the maid of honor in on the secret made handling the bridesmaids a piece of cake. I suggested that we collect the dresses and have them hanging in the hotel room when they arrived to maximize the surprise.  I was able to communicate with her and find out what the bridesmaids were saying behind the scenes and put out fires through her.

6.      Have fun with the idea.  My clients decided to film all of their vendor meetings so that they could have the whole experience on film. There are memories while planning that are often forgotten, which is unfortunate but this couple has them for a lifetime. 


 Listen up, guys, no matter how many weddings your guests will collectively attend throughout the years, yours will be the one that keeps them talking.
 
You can check out their wedding video trailer below!
 
 
Vendors:
 
Venue: Ventanas
Photography: Catherine Ritchie Park of My Life Photography
Videography: Eric Blanks Media
Chairs: Sweet Seats
Planning & Décor: My Simply Perfect Events