Barn Wedding: Katherine Lee and Donnie: Part 2

Guests enjoyed a fabulous array of hor d’oerves and cocktails from Mosaic Edibles during the cocktail reception, all set inside the barn.  Each stall was decorated with beautiful fall leaves and adorned with photos of our bride and groom from childhood to present day. The main entrance to the barn was decorated with hay bales, fall flowers, old wagon wheels, pumpkins and two photos of our wonderful couple from their engagement shoot at the farm by Deanna Casey of Deanna Casey Photography.  Guests were treated to a carmel apple martini, our couples signature drink, served in a mason jar that they were able to take home with them as a momento of the joyous occasion.

As guests entered the dinner tent, the simple but elegant theme continued.  Guests found their escort cards atop miniature pumpkins setting on hale bale tables.  Chocolate linens with terra cotta linen napkins added just the right touch to showcase the beautiful fresh flower arrangements inside pumpkin centerpieces created by Catherine’s Distinctive Floral Designs.  Dinner was served station style including martini potato bar that featured 3 different types of potato’s in stemless martini glasses and all the fixing’s!

Our couple quickly moved the party indoors once again with dancing inside the barn.  Guest enjoyed conversations in the barn where each stall was outfitted with tables and chairs.  Our center stall featured the beautiful 4 tiered ivory cake by Cake Delights.  It featured buttercream icing with ivory ribbon design and each tier was separated with ivory roses.  Before the evening was over, our bride had one last surprise for her new husband and her guests.  A fire-pit was placed just outside the barn where they featured s’mores for everyone.  Guests, no matter what their age, enjoyed this special treat!

November Barn Wedding

Next, part 3!  Hear from the bride!

Andrea/Cloud Nine Events

Smart Bride Blog’s Beauty Expert

I love this time of year.  I enjoy playing with color and trying new looks. All the parties give me lots of reasons to glam it up.  If you want to go for big impact make-up then an evening wedding is a good choice for you.

Evening weddings allow you to go for more dramatic color looks.

Since evening wedding photos will most likely be taken with flash everything should be more defined.

Bronzer for evening weddings is crucial to help contour and keep you from looking washed out.

Defined smoky eyes really stand out and photograph well.  False eyelashes are especially good for evening.  Shimmer eye shadow mixed with a matte work well but avoid frosted shadows.

If you are going for the smoky sophisticated look then don’t forget to soften up the lip color.  Be sure to use lip primer to keep lip color in place and help it to last longer.

What to do with your engagement images…

After your engagement session (if you choose to do one), you are left with tons of images to filter through.  Some clients like to make guest books out of their images for the big day.  However, I am seeing more and more at my clients receptions beautiful displays of framed canvases and framed prints from their engagement session.  Below is an example from a recent wedding I photographed.

Barn Wedding: Katherine Lee and Donnie: Part 1

November 7th, 2009:  With more than a year of planning and some pretty tough logistics, this wedding was a dream come true!  Mr. and Mrs. Donnie Coleman united as one in front of God, family and friends.  Their fun-loving personalities and love of the outdoors were showcased throughout the ceremony and reception. With so many details to share, we will be showcasing this wedding in 3 parts. Over a year ago, Andrea with Cloud Nine Events began planning and coordinating with Katherine Lee and Donnie on their dream wedding.  It was extremely important that every aspect be perfect of this wedding and so we knew only the best wedding professionals could pull this off, (and they did!).  Fair Winds Farm was chosen as both the ceremony and reception site.  The ceremony would take place close to dusk adding warmth while highlighting everything the couple loved about the outdoors.  As the sun set showcasing the brilliant sun setting over the water and landscape the specialty lighting, provided by Cloud Nine Events, began to glow showcasing our beautiful couple.  Dr. Hudgins, a long time friend of the bride, had the honor of officiating the union giving special memory to our bride and groom.  The beautiful photos captured throughout the evening were captured by Deanna Casey with Deanna Casey Photography showing the true love and romance that could be felt by all.  Milestone Cinema had the honor of capturing this memorable occasion on video in HD.  Katherine Lee entered the ceremony on horse showing us that fairytales can come true.  Each member of the bridal party was accented by autumn colored bouquets and boutonnieres provided by Catherine’s Distinctive Floral Design highlighting the chocolate-brown dresses and tuxedos.  Guests were given a special treat with transportation to the farm by Trolley, provided by Venture Tours.  After the ceremony, guests were invited to the barn for cocktails and hor d’oerves by Mosaic Edibles while enjoying music by Big Dawg DJ services.

November Barn Wedding

Check back for part 2 and part 3 which includes words from our bride.

Congrats Katherine Lee and Donnie!!!!

Andrea/Cloud Nine Events

Tips for choosing your wedding date

Choosing your wedding date can be a difficult decision.  There are so many things to consider and depending on your geographic location, there is even more to consider.  There are several ways to help you choose the right wedding date.  It will take some time, some understanding and a lot of compromise so take your time and consider everything before finalizing that important date!

You may decide that you wish to choose the date on or near a special event that previously took place within your life.  The day you first met, your parents anniversary, a grandparents birth, etc.  A romantic and memorable time that gives great meaning in your lives.  When deciding on your wedding date for this reason, it is important that you incorporate the meaning in some way during your ceremony and reception so that your guests will understand the importance of this day.

We see so many people decide to choose their date during a holiday.  Long weekends allow guests to travel and give them more time without requesting time off work.  This can also be a time when your guests have planned their family vacation or decided to stay off the congested roads and out of the busy airports.  During the holidays gas is more expensive, hotel rooms rates are raised and problems just getting to and from the wedding are more difficult.  Keep this in mind when choosing your wedding date during a holiday weekend.

If you live in a tourist area, there are so many things to consider that typically don’t cross your mind.  During summer months a tourist area can be expensive and difficult.  Parking becomes a very big issue and sometimes very costly for you or your guests.  If your planning on an outdoor wedding in a tourist area, it is important to understand that the tourists will still be there.  Hotel rooms are at a premium and often full.  Also, be aware of special activities that may be scheduled that could close down roads and block access for your guests.

Days of the week can be a way to reduce your overall costs.  Saturday is a premium day for weddings, while Sunday through Friday can offer some discounts with your vendors and catering.  If you have the ability, a week day can offer you the most flexibility in staying within your budget and receiving larger discounts.  Winter weddings and off peak season weddings can also offer you more for your money.  You can often get your rental location and caterer to offer you more for your money when choosing a month that typically aren’t busy.  Be careful though with this thought during November and December.  Your locations and caterers often cater to Corporate Companies Christmas parties during this time.

With so much to consider when choosing your date, it is something to sit down and really go over the details and your dreams prior to selecting the perfect date.  Take your time and create a list for each date to find the one that is meant to be.  Good luck!!!

Andrea/Cloud Nine Events