Katherine and Chris’ Wedding: Fantastic Southern Weddings 101

I am so excited to start sharing Katherine and Chris’ wedding photos with you! I say start, because I don’t have photos of all the parts of their wedding quite yet. But, I do have some of the really fabulous parts of the reception that I can show you. Pictures from the ceremony will have to wait just a little. Today, I will start with a little background and a few shout outs.

First and foremost, I have to say that I wish I could be adopted by the Taylor family (Katherine’s family). I loved working with them all (yes, I got to know them all – her mom, dad, sister and two brothers)! I actually never felt like I was at work when I was with them. That’s how welcoming and great they are. And, it’s that quality of hospitality and graciousness that made this wedding so great. Yes, they have really great taste and everything in the wedding was gorgeous. Anyone can have a gorgeous wedding. But, not everyone has a gracious wedding. And, that’s what the pictures can’t show. So, I had to just tell you about it and let you take my word for it .

OK – now onto the things I can show pictures of. Katherine wanted to have her wedding reception at the Taylor home in Andalusia, AL. With about 5 acres, including a tennis court, the actual house was not needed or used for any wedding activities. They did have cocktail hour around their pool area. But, after that, the reception was kept on the tennis court which had been tented. With a large guest list, there were overflow tables and seating areas outside the tent throughout the yard.

The design of the wedding came from Beth (Katherine’s mom). She envisioned a timeless and classic wedding. Almost something you would see in the 1950’s. Formal, but not stuffy. Roses. White lights. Candles. What a treat for me to work on that!

Like I said, I don’t have all the wedding photos just yet. These are some that I asked Duane and Ashley Loux of Digital Motion Films (wedding videographer) to take while they were on-site. The official photographs from Vaughn Bowers of Garden Gates Photography aren’t quite ready yet. But, I couldn’t stand it to not share something! Other shout outs have to go to rentals guru and friend Nancy Erickson with Classic Party Rentals. Nancy, Arturo (tent manager) and the rest of the Classic staff went far above and beyond to make sure that this event went off perfectly. Love working with them! Also, Amber Searcy of Naman’s Catering in Mobile, Ala. deserves a major thanks for her hard work and professionalism. The whole Naman’s staff was fantastic. Can’t wait to work with them again. I also had the great pleasure of being introduced to Andalusia-native florist Alan Cotton. Alan is one of the most wonderful florists and all around good person I’ve ever had the great fortune to work with. I can guarantee that there are major hidden gems of vendors in these small towns. I’m considering kidnapping him to be my personal florist in Auburn. There are other vendors involved with this wedding, but none that are in these photos. I’ll shout out to them when their photos get here. Just wait until you see photos of their amazing invitations…

So, please enjoy! I will have many more to come!!!

A look into the tent before things got started. The tent was placed over their tennis court. The court was at the bottom of their 5-acre sloping property. Using a clear top tent let guests watch the action going on inside the tent from nearly anywhere on the property.

Alan Cotton hung 3 enormous arrangements inside the tent to bring the whole look together.

How a clear top tent transitions from day to night. Fabulous!

Alan's use of simplicity in the table designs. Came off perfectly.

More fantastic simplicity on the guest tables.

The shrimp and grits bar set up.

Katherine - a self proclaimed candy addict - ordered all her favorites for her candy bar.

Grooms cake featuring the University of Alabama script "A" logo for Chris' alma mater.

Katherine's cake served as the centerpiece of the cocktail hour. The pleated look of the cake mimicked the pleats on Katherine's dress. The cake topper is a family heirloom from Katherine's grandparents.

Back to the rain plan…

I know it’s been a while since I’ve posted true wedding planning advice. But, I think this will cover me for a while. I think I’ve mentioned planning outdoor events before. Well, after this weekend’s wedding, I was reminded of just how important a rain plan is. Not because it rained and they had to resort to their rain plan. It’s because it stormed and the couple had no rain plan.

So, here’s the low down on this past weekend’s wedding. It wasn’t actually a wedding that I had planned. I wasn’t even directing. This time, I was part of the fantastic team that makes up Tulla White Cuisine and Catering. Tulla has contracted with Invision to design and execute his major catering displays. This wedding would qualify as major. Long buffet, cocktail hour, milk and cookie send off for 200+ guests. Lots of stuff. Anywho, I was there overseeing just the catering aspect of it. Meaning, I only had limited contact with the planner of the wedding and I never met the bride (Heidi Jones was the catering sales rep and she did work with the bride). It soon became clear that something wasn’t quite right in this wedding.

A couple weeks before the wedding, Heidi was having the final tasting on the menu with the bride and her planner and she asked what the rain plan was (ceremony outside, cocktail hour under tent and on covered patio, buffet on covered patio and reception inside). While most things were being held under cover, if the ceremony had to move it could create a problem for the buffet placement. Well, the planner told Heidi that it wasn’t going to rain and that was their plan. Let me say right now that if you ever hear that out of your planner’s mouth, fire them! That is a huge red flag that they do not know what they are doing! It does rain and it definitely did rain on their wedding. It rained all day as a matter of fact and it was storming during their cocktail hour.

So, what ended up happening is a last minute rain call (and by that I mean 15 minutes before the ceremony, the venue director made the decision to pull the ceremony into the reception hall and have guests seated at the tables) where not everyone could see the ceremony and noise from catering prep was overheard in the background. I will say that we tried to keep the noise down, but we were under severe limitations at that point and cocktail hour would be starting immediately after the ceremony ended – meaning food had to be out.

Now, here’s my lessons for everyone.

#1 – Obviously, if you plan an outdoor event, you have to have a rain plan! It seems crazy to have to say that, but apparently some folks just aren’t that smart.

#2 – Hire the right people. I hate to bash anyone on my blog as that is not its purpose, but this planner just wasn’t fit for the job. She was unprofessional, unorganized, unprepared and incapable of adapting to the situation. I know it’s hard to find the right people to plan your wedding, but please do your homework! Don’t ask for references from the planner. They will only give you their good references. Ask around in the professional arena and see what other vendors have to say about them. Believe me, it’s worth the time.

#3 – Take your rain plan to the next level. Make your rain option part of your plan. That way, if you do have to fall back on that plan, your event won’t look like a backup plan. It will just look like you planned to have it that way. Case in point – This weekend, the florist spent hours setting up the outdoor ceremony area with beautiful designs in rose petals at the alter and an elaborate backdrop under the gazebo. Nobody even thought to put anything at the spot where they actually got married inside. All that work was a total loss.

So, there is my rant for the week. If you would like to see a successful rain plan, please see the photos of Kara and Ian’s wedding here in this post (yep, that’s their tent) and at these other posts: Gallery 1, Gallery 2, Gallery 3, Gallery 4. This wedding used the tent as their rain plan. It was gorgeous and if we needed to hold their ceremony under cover, the tent would have done that and would have still been beautiful. It didn’t rain, but the tent was still used and gave an unbelievable look to the wedding. So, please. Learn lessons from others. Rain plans are a must!!!

The Mansion on Peachtree

This has to be the most beautiful hotel that I have ever been in. I have been so treated in the past few weeks to see such amazing venues that I didn’t think that they could just keep getting better! I met Mark Wilbanks, director of events at The Mansion on Peachtree, for a fabulous look into what I can only think is the most gorgeous hotel in Atlanta. The rooms are to die for and the decor is as classic as you can get. My first thought when I walked in was first class, European style. Seriously, you can’t help but feel like you are in the height of luxury at this place. When you see the pictures, you’ll get it. But, I recommend that you take a personal tour yourself.

As far as weddings go, this is your formal spot. I’m talking black tie, classically engraved invitations, a crisp color palette and a gourmet dinner. Wouldn’t you want to be a guest at that party? Or, the guests of honor? Anyway, here’s some photos of what I’m talking about. P.S. – Along with the wonderful NEO restaurant that the Mansion has on site, the hotel itself is directly behind Tom Colicchio’s restaurant Craft. Being a huge Top Chef fan (and Tom fan), Craft is top on my list to visit. Anyone up for a trip to Craft for a Restaurant review?

The view as you drive up. Fantastic, no?

Lobby view. Gorgeous!

Guest room. So spacious, so comfy!

A bathroom to die for. I can tell you that this bathroom would sell this room to any woman I know.

The bar at NEO. So sophisticated.

Restaurant view at NEO. Really, I could live here!

The pool at Spa 29 on site. Ahhh, relaxation!

Hotel Palomar – too cool

I have visited so many event spots recently, I can’t keep up with the blogging! However, when I visited Hotel Palomar on Peachtree in Atlanta, I knew that I had to share the coolness of it. Sorry to sound like a nerd, but cool is the word that keeps coming to mind when I think about it. When I say cool, I mean upscale, artistically designed, stimulating and yet down to earth. Actually, the show Mad Men kept coming to mind (one of my absolute favorite shows). It kind of has that 60’s cool vibe to it, but in a very up-to-date way.

I met the super nice Kelly Treadway (director of catering sales) for a tour of the brand new hotel. I was completely thrilled. Kelly gave me a background on Kimpton Hotels (owner of all Palomar hotels). Kimpton is a San Francisco based hotel company – which explained the fantastic interior design. But, it also explains the other aspects built into the hotel – the fact that it is completely green (eco-conscious), and pet friendly. Now that last one is music to my ears! I’m proudly owned by two beautiful greyhounds and I love it when hotels cater to dogs – or cats, if you like. There are no extra fees for your pets and they even have staff that can pet sit while you are out. How cool!

So, those are nice perks, but their event space is really above and beyond. They have an enormous roof-top terrace. It is so gorgeous and gives a fantastic view of the Biltmore Building which is all lit up at night – see the Biltmore post from earlier. The terrace is complete with cabanas and an open air bar. And, with access to their restaurant, you can’t go wrong.

Now, on to the photos. But, I suggest that you check it out for yourself. I’m completely hooked and am dying for a chance to stay and vouch for their no-doubt stellar service as well!

The lobby of the Palomar. I love the fish tank! And, Kelly let me know that the animal print is a little something that Kimpton carries through in all their hotels.

Guest room

Banquets in the Palomar restaurant Pacci

Terrace at Palomar

The animal print robes that are in each guest room. Fun!

A warm welcome…bag!

A few days ago, I had a chance to grab a cup of coffee with Sarah Jennings. A recent transplant to the East Alabama area (thank you to Kia who is building a new plant in West Point, Ga.), Sarah has started a business of designing and packing welcome bags for an event’s out of town guests. These bags go above and beyond just giving out the information of the event, they truly serve as a welcome to the event.

Sarah takes each event individually and custom designs each bag (or box, if you would rather). She has all types of packages where she can do a very basic box with a welcome note and intinerary to a very elaborate box/bag that follows the event theme to a T. And, they are beautiful! Go figure – Sarah is also a marketing consultant. She knows how to put together an appealing package. Wouldn’t you love the first thing that your guests receive from your wedding to be a perfectly matched welcome?

The nice thing about what she does is that a welcome box tends to be one of those things that get thought of last in the wedding planning process. When that happens and you try to do it yourself, it doesn’t come together just right. But, Sarah is able to put her creative juices to work for you to make the perfect greeting for your guests.

Beyond being the diva of boxes, Sarah is just a fun chick. I had a great time grabbing coffee with her. She was nice enough to do some sample boxes for me and here’s what I have to share with you – yeah, you only get the pictures here. But, give Sarah a call at 828-553-4331 to get the real thing.

One of Sarah's basic bags. Even the basic bag looks fantastic!

A full box with all the fixin's. And, she will custom design a welcome note/itinerary for your guests.

One of the super cute boxes that Sarah did for her own wedding. Love it!

An old/new venue – The Reserve at Oak Bowery

I was lucky enough to tour The Reserve at Oak Bowery, outside of Opelika, today. It is really unique in terms of the types of venues that are in and around the Auburn/Opelika area.

The Reserve is an old farm/plantation house, originally built in 1845 (read more about the house history at their site The Reserve at Oak Bowery). To be that old, the house is in remarkably good condition. Obviously, it has it’s flaws (being over 150 years old), but that’s the charm of it. It’s not perfect and it’s not trying to be perfect. And that’s the way it should be. I don’t mean that it is in disrepair. Not by a long shot. But, it has that unmistakable feel of a historical house that has stayed true to its identity.

It has a beautiful pecan grove in the back of the house and it lends the perfect spot for wedding ceremonies. Beyond the house and the grove, they have a converted barn (the Party Barn, listed on their site) that offers indoor area for 100 people to sit, eat, party, etc. There are other barns on the property (original to the property during the cotton planting years) and give a feel to the property that time has stood still.

I have been familiar with this property for many years. The Patton family has owned the property for many years and now their son, Logan, and his wife Courtney are refurbishing the grounds to bring it back to full time event venue service. I’m so excited about it! This area needs some variety in the type of venues that people have at their disposal and I’m so happy to welcome The Reserve back into the mix!

The Biltmore Ballrooms

When I say that the Biltmore Ballrooms are classically beautiful, I mean it. I met Anna Purcell, the events sales manager, for a tour of their rooms and I was blown away. First off, let me say that I really enjoyed meeting Anna. She was so nice and very professional and I couldn’t think of anyone who would be better to work with on an event. Second, I was actually taken aback at the gorgeousness of their ballrooms. So many hotels and developers decide to style their event spaces as “neutral” or even worse “metro/modern”. The Biltmore rooms play up exactly what they are – classic southern formality and elegance.

The Biltmore building used to be a hotel when it was first built. As Anna told me, Novare Group (development company) bought the building and refurbished it to be office space. The ballrooms were also remodeled and are now rented as event space. The building is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

You can see from the photos that I’m not lying about the beauty of the rooms. Take a look at their website for more photos: Biltmore Ballrooms.

755 Club

Next up on my venue research is the really versatile 755 Club at Turner Field (home of the Atlanta Braves). Cynthia Phelps, events manager, was kind enough (and really fun) to show me around the club. It is quite obvious as to why the 755 Club is so appealing. If there were one sure-fire way to get a guy interested in attending an event, it is to tell them that it is being held at a professional sporting venue. And, when you name Turner Field, there is no way that a guy can turn it down.

Not only is it a seriously appealing spot for an event, the space itself is great. Where else do you get views of the immaculate field and stadium (even access to tour the dugouts and clubhouse) and the great Atlanta skyline in one spot? You give your guests a VIP feeling as soon as they step foot in the club. How nice is that? Another great thing is that the club is fantastically styled to where you feel like you are in an up-scale bar (which you are) while not feeling out of place at a sports arena. Great job! I’ve been to several events there already and each one was well done. Think of a formal casino night at the ballpark. Too fun!

Now, here’s the pictures. And, go to their website to see more: http://755club.com/index.htm.

Opera at Atlanta Event Center

I visited Opera last week and got a fantastic tour from Lindsey, the event coordinator on staff. Can I just say that I haven’t seen such a unique event facility in a long time? Fabulous. It’s kind of tucked out of the way in mid-town Atlanta, but it is so worth the look. This is the description from their website:

Built in the 1920’s, the Atlanta Event Center originally served as a performance theatre for the Atlanta Women’s Club. Located in the heart of Midtown Atlanta, this richly diverse space still retains the unique historical character and stunning architectural details of that period. With the recent renovation, it continues to be one of the most remarkable and stylish venues in the city.

It is all true. The architecture is fantastic. Historical and beautiful. On the weekends, it operates as a club featuring performances from all kinds of artists. I just fell in love. I’m a sucker for utilizing existing spaces in a new way. The contrast of a modern bar scene with the classic styling of the theatre is perfect. If I were to throw a fabulous birthday party or really any type of event (they have other rooms that can serve various types of events), I would book Opera first thing! Here’s a few shots of their incredible venue. See a lot more at their website www.atlantaeventcenter.com/main/index.php. I completely recommend that you check it out. I promise that you won’t be disappointed.

Main theatre

Invision’s Introduction to Atlanta

As many of you know, I have become a very regional event planner. I seem to be traveling all over. I kind of pride myself on it. Personally, I think that the more you see, the better you become. It makes me more well rounded. I have the opportunity to work with all kinds of people, all manner of venues, and all styles of events. I meet new vendors and get to know their background. I get to work with clients from all walks of life. I consider myself very lucky.

But, I do have my home base of Auburn, Alabama. The great thing about Auburn is that it has allowed this regional business to thrive. While I may not spend all my time doing events in Auburn, I can easily get to Atlanta, Birmingham and Montgomery. When I say easily, I mean that. Last week, I was in all 4 of those cities over a 48 hour time period. I just choose not to think about the amount of gas I used .

I say all that to preface my dive into the Atlanta market full scale. I have been working with Atlanta vendors for years now. I have great relationships with them and love to work with them anytime I can. I got to thinking that while they are great and travel anywhere I ask them to, it would make more sense for me to actually have an event in the Atlanta area so that logistics (and delivery charges) aren’t so bad. Thus, I have begun my journey – so to speak. *I’m not looking to officially move to Atlanta. Like I said, it’s easy for me to work anywhere.

I have to give major thanks to one Nancy Erickson of Classic Party Rentals. Nancy and I have become good friends despite me always throwing her (and the fantastic Classic staff) a curve ball with nearly every event I bring her. Nothing bad, but always a few interesting bumps. For some reason, she has become a loyal Invision supporter and cheerleader (which I’m totally fine with). She has gone above and beyond to help me create good contacts in Atlanta and learn the lay of the land in terms of the Atlanta events market. As in, she has set up appointments for me at various venues around the city to meet the venue’s event staff and to see the space, even let me crash at her beautiful house. Um, hello? Could anyone be nicer? Needless to say, I would be nowhere in the ATL market research without her.

So, last week and this week I have spent 2 days visiting different spots in town, touring their facilities, meeting their event staff, and dropping off my marketing materials. I’m sure I will be doing this same song and dance for the next several weeks as the fall wedding season has yet to start – giving me this down time.

Since I have seen too much to put into one post, I’ll spread out my findings over many posts and let you all know what I think of them. You are all invited on my venue introduction!