for those who aren't married yet, one can only imagine. but when the day finally comes, all of your hardwork pays off and hot damn, it's a fun day!
i had the pleasure of working with Kellie, a true gem! together we found the perfect bridesmaid dress for her girls. her choice? Lynn Lugo's Crystal in dusk. kellie was kind enough to share her planning experiences with us, not to mention you future flair brides. thanks, kellie!
heart, d.
Kellie and Ben Samson (formerly Kellie James)May 16, 2009
style of wedding: charming and fun!
about one year to plan wedding
- Charming and fun!
Our ceremony was outside in a garden setting, and our reception was at a yacht club. We wanted everything to be relaxed and fun. We made our favors ourselves (little jars of peanut butter & jelly --"Ben's Peanut Butter" & "Kellie's Jelly") as well as our table name cards and place cards. Our tables were named for things that go together -- PB&J, Wine & Cheese, Monkeys & Bananas, Milk & Cookies...so that tied in with the favors. We used a lot of colored glass lanterns at the reception and our centerpiece flowers were in assorted galvanized tin buckets and watering cans. - For the bridesmaids I wanted... a dress that they felt comfortable and pretty in! I've been a bridesmaid myself 7 times (!!) so I know how important it is to feel good in your dress on the big day. I wanted them in a strapless dress about knee-length with a sash and with a bit of a swingy skirt, so they could dance a lot! I also knew that a few of the girls might want straps, so I wanted to have that option for the dress as well. I knew I wanted them in a pretty blue and I found the perfect dress at Flair :)
- The best part of planning was... when it was finished! Kidding, sort of. The best part of planning was in the last few months before the wedding, when all the decisions had been made and final appointments were under way to taste the food, the cake, see the flowers, etc. At that point all of the tiring research is over and you see your hard-working vendors in their full glory, doing their thing! Those last appointments made us really excited for the BIG day!
- What I liked best about Flair... was the excellent choice of dresses and how SUPER easy the process was from start to finish. It was such a smooth process, thanks to
Dorothea! - Special Vendors: Allyson Wiley (photographer: http://www.allysonwiley.com/), Jill Branch of Branching Out (cake: http://www.branchingoutcakes.com/), Grant Avenue Florist in Novato (http://www.grantaveflorist.com/), Corinthian Yacht Club in Tiburon (reception venue), Landmarks Art & Garden Center in Tiburon (ceremony venue), Audrey Crandell (makeup: http://www.glowingbridal.com/), SF Conservatory of Music (ceremony music), Thomas Hughes Videography (video: http://www.thomashughesvideo.com/) I LOVED all of these vendors! You really can't go wrong with them...
- Words of Wisdom.. Don't get too caught up in all of the advice in wedding magazines, etc. You don't HAVE to have all of the "stuff" to make it a special day, and it doesn't have to all cost a fortune. Think of ways to include meaningful touches in your wedding -- vows you've written to each other, a donation to a charity you love in lieu of favors, having your parents' and grandparents' wedding photos on display at the reception, etc. Also, make the day about you both as a couple[...]Your guests should come away from the wedding saying "That was sooooo them!" ... all of the hard work DOES pay off in the end. Just look at your guests' faces at the reception and you'll see that! And last but not least...truly enjoy every moment of your wedding day, truly enjoy every moment of your wedding day, from when you wake up to when you crash out at the end of the night. It only happens once, so don't panic! Surround yourself with your bridesmaids the day of and have some laughs (and champagne!), and relish each moment. It goes by very fast!
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