Summerscape – a winner in spirit :)

I must say that our table didn’t win the Red Cross’ summerscape contest. I’m very sad. Although, there were some very good tables there. Now, I will admit that if I had to have dinner at any of them, I would choose our table, but I digress.

However, it was announced that they will be re-visiting the tablescape contest/fundraiser in the late fall and will have a winterscape theme. I am announcing it now that Nancy and I will be victorious! Design thoughts are already in motion for our winter themed table! So, be prepared for a super cool table with (sneak peek alert!!!) fur tablecloths!

You HAVE to stay tuned!

Summerscapes with the Red Cross!

The Lee County Red Cross is hosting the Summerscapes fundraiser July 1-July 9. Businesses and individuals submitted their best take on a summer themed tablescape to be voted on by the public at large. The whole event is a fundraiser for the Red Cross as each table submitted made a donation and each vote is a $5 donation. The tables are set up for viewing at Flip Flop Foto’s studio. On July 9, they will be holding a wine tasting (sponsored by Flip Flop) with final voting and winner announcement at the end of the night.

When I saw this posted on Flip Flop’s website, I had to get in on it! So, I called my friend Nancy with Classic Party Rentals and we sponsored a table together. She was nice enough to let me go where ever I wanted with the summer theme. So, I got to brainstorming. Where would I want to be and what would I want to do if I could choose anything at all for a summer night’s entertainment? Hands down, it would be to go to Spain and enjoy tapas and great wine and completely eat up the culture! I would just have to translate that little excursion onto a local tabletop .

When I started putting the design together in my mind, I found that I kept thinking of red as the base color in the table. So, I did some searching and found this fantastic vintage tablecloth:

Don't you love the red poppies around the center?

From there, I put the rest of the table together. I wanted to bring in some wood tones. So, I had Nancy bring some wood chargers for the top of the table and fruitwood folding chairs:

I also wanted to bring in lots of other colors for the table. To do that, I found some great pillows at Pier 1. Here a few of the ones I found:

I love the colors in these! I used the pillows to inspire a menu that I wrote up and designed for each place setting. I thought a menu would really pull together the theme and help people understand the table as a whole (as most menus should do for a table). So, here’s a look at the menu:

As for flowers, I had hoped to have fresh flowers, but that just wasn’t very realistic. I would have to refresh them through out the week+ length that the tables are on display. So, I went to my local Hobby Lobby and bought all their best looking poppies, sunflowers and black eyed susans. I loved the way the yellows popped off the red tablecloth. I put them in white porcelain containers to give a break in the color on the table. I don’t have photos of the actual flowers. I promise that it doesn’t look as good in the photos as it does in person. Mostly because these photos were taken from my phone. But, you will get the idea. Another thing I did was bring a little blue into the table by getting some blue glass candle holders. I think it helps!

I love the way it turned out! The only thing I wish is that I had done burlap instead of a white table cloth under the red. But, I think it is fine. It really makes me sad that I am not in Spain! I would love to live there for a spring/summer stint. If only I were in college again… .

At any rate, you know that this table is the best in the group so vote us number 1!!! Click here and vote!!!

Kara and Ian: all fun!

Kara and her dad seeing her cake for the first time.

Waiting for the ceremony to start.

Proud parents

The joyous couple! Newlyweds! Can I just say that this photo shows how wonderfully Kara's dress moved. That skirt is just great.

Kara and Ian danced a romba as their first dance to Michael Buble's Sway. It was really good!

This is a good wedding story. In case you hadn't guessed, a cake of this size usually isn't all cake. There were a few false layers. The reason to do that is so that you can have the size of cake you want without having too much cake left over. So, I had forgotten to have the cake maker remind me which layers were false and which were real. So, while Kara and Ian were doing their ceremonial first cut into the cake, this is what happened (see next photo)...

Yep, they sliced straight into a styrofoam layer! It was really funny because they had some trouble getting the knife to slice (go figure). And, when they pulled out a chunk of "cake", they realized what it was. Kara's face in this photo is so classic! It was a good moment .

Kara and Ian III: the details

We had a great program display. Here's a few shots of it. The arrangement on this table was so great!

Angle 2 on the program table

Ivy Davis created this wonderful and very tasty cake.

Kara's bouquet was made of peonies and orchids. A treat for me was that Kara asked me to hold her bouquet up until the moment she walked down the aisle. It was the most heavenly smelling bouquet! There is a reason for why peonies are the "it" wedding flower!

The jewelry on Kara's bouqet.

Part of the vine decor at the ceremony. So great. And this photo was perfectly done by Robert.

Centerpiece on the guest tables.

Second centerpiece used on the guest tables.

A fantastic shot of the wedding setting outside. This is looking at a high top table near the upper bar on the porch. Right behind it, on the lawn, is the ceremony site with all the chairs set up. Then, behind the pool deck, is a fantastic clear top tent. It gave such a great look to the reception. You'll see why in a second...

This is what a clear top gives you at night. What a great look! Couldn't have been better! We couldn't have asked for better weather because it was about 65 degrees (in June!!!) and we had a full moon! The night was just incredible. I really can't say it any better.

A few more fun shots to come…

Kara and Ian II

More from Kara and Ian’s wedding:

Some of my favorite shots at weddings is when the bride and groom decided to see each other before the wedding. The "first meeting" of the bride and groom are the sweetest photos ever. This meeting was set up so well by Robert.

The look on Ian's face is so wonderful! That is why I love these sessions!

Some more couple time

Ian, the handsome groom.

A little detail shot of the ceremony set up. Chairs are from Classic Party Rentals in Atlanta.

Ceremony site utilized the back porch of Fountainview Mansion. The railing of the porch provided a perfect opportunity for Kim Nelson to work her magic.

A little more alone time before the ceremony.

Happily married!

I love this shot because it catches a purely happy groom. It's just so sweet! Love it!

Taking a break from the reception.

One of those purely happy moments from the bride.

More to come! Next up – wedding details.

A Wedding Review: Kara and Ian

I do realize that I have been more than bad about posting. But, I have a treat to make up for it. I have pictures from the wedding of some of my favorite clients, Kara and Ian. This wedding was meticulously planned with Kara and her mom Sherry and myself (obviously). As much as I am a designer, I can only do so much and only take so much credit for the style of a wedding. Most of my clients come to me with very specific designs and views for their wedding. My job is to make it happen. Kara and Ian’s wedding was no exception. They knew exactly what they wanted, they just didn’t quite know where to go to get it. Their taste was fantastic and their love of color was refreshing. It’s not that often that a plum-centered wedding is offered to me for June! What a treat for a designer!

I say all that to let you all know that I in no way take credit for every wonderful detail you see on my blog or website. I have always felt like a wedding is the ultimate team effort and that is never so true than in the design aspect. I have been blessed with great clients who have super taste and fantastic personalities to make the planning even better.

Before we get into the eye candy, I must give shout-outs to all my vendor friends who worked so hard on this wedding to make it come together perfectly. Of course, the backdrop of Fountainview Mansion in Auburn gave the basis of our wedding palette. Then, the wonderously talented Kimberly Nelson of Kimberly Nelson Floral Designs did a bang-up job on the florals. As a side note, plum doesn’t happen often in nature in terms of flowers, so she made the decor really fit our scheme without making it look too forced. That is a true testament to her skill. My friend, Nancy Erickson, with Classic Party Rentals in Atlanta provided all our rentals including the super cool clear-top tent for the reception. It gave such a different look to the reception than a traditional white one would have done. Many thanks to her, Arturo (her tent manager) and the rest of the Classic team for taking care of me and my clients so well. I couldn’t forget to mention Ivy Davis of Icing Illusions for the beautiful and very tasty (personal experience) cakes. And, I would be terrible if I didn’t mention Elizabeth of Paper Affair in East Cobb (Atlanta), Ga. She worked harder than anyone to make sure that we got all our printing done and shipped by the wedding. Invitations (pictures of those later), programs, koozies, napkins, etc. She is the picture of professionality and style. And, of course, one of my personal favorites is photographer Robert Smith of FlipFlopFoto.com. His wonderful eye and talent is easy to see. Quite honestly, there are few people that I would rather work a wedding with than him. His fun personality always keeps the wedding party at ease – which only helps the planner .

Now, on to the eye candy! I will probably have to do this in several posts. But, here we go!

Kara getting hair and make up done by Crystal of AP Pearson. Crystal is a hair genius.

The girls' suite at Fountainview. Kara's dress is a Rivini design from Bridals by Lori in Atlanta.

Kara wore these beautiful plum shoes to set off her dress.

A really cool angle on Kara ready and dressed.

The beautiful bride

The beautiful wedding party. I love this shot.

More to come in a bit!

Great time at the BAH!

I had a fabulous time hosting the business community of LaGrange at the Chamber’s Business After Hours. There was a great turn out and I got to meet a lot of really great people. I’m excited to start working with them all!

I have to send out a few thank-you’s first. First off, Wayne Abbott needs a big thank you for letting me show off his beautiful building. It looked great last night! Also, Tulla White of Tulla White Cuisine and Catering did a fantastic job with the food. I couldn’t ask for better friends in this industry! The food was delicious! Another thanks to Debbie Barrington at Cakes by Debbie. She gave me a huge platter of very tasty treats to round out the dinner. Yummy! I can personally attest for her talent with cheese straws – something I’m very picky about. Also, thanks to Pam Edwards (second mention here Pam!) at RSC in Columbus. She let me borrow a few tables to set up the night. So nice of her! And, of course, to the Chamber – Page, Mellody, Diane, Sheila and Valeri, thank you for all you did to help promote this!

Now for the thank yous that aren’t as easy to see their input. First must go to my lovely husband Dallas, without whom I would be nowhere. While he technically doesn’t work for me (at least, he doesn’t get a pay check for anything he does for Invision), Invision wouldn’t exist without him. Also to Heidi, Tulla’s catering manager. She keeps many people on track and I love working with her. Also, my friend Nancy Ericson from Classic Party Rentals came down from Atlanta. I knew she would be able to make some good contacts. But, she was so sweet to first of all bring the speaker for my iPod (no tunes otherwise), she also came early and stayed late and helped us clean up. Definitely a treat since she has plenty of other things to do than to be at my events for too long (i.e. see her husband and daughter). I really just had a good time hanging out with her! Always fun to see her!

Lastly, I must also thank Dale Mallory. She is my mentor as an event planner. She has so sweetly and unexpectedly taken me under her wing. Her help last night was invaluable in so many ways that I can’t even explain. I truely appreciate everything she has done for me.

I promise to post some pictures ASAP. I have to track them down first. I wasn’t able to take pictures because it was my job to work the room last night. But, they will go up very soon.

Now, who would like to help me work through all the left over wine from last night?

Photos of Abbott, Jordan and Koon – and another photographer brag

As promised, I have photos of my office building in LaGrange. If you aren’t familiar, my office in LaGrange is in the beautiful Abbott, Jordan and Koon Building. This building was once a JC Penneys. I think it is near 100 years old. Wayne Abbott, the owner of the building, restored and remodeled it. It has a great central space that Wayne would like to rent out for events after hours.

It’s a gorgeous spot and is perfect for events up to 125. Being right on Main Street and a block down from LaFayette Square, you couldn’t ask for more. There is even a parking deck behind the building, so you are never in need of extra parking.

So, last week, I had one of my favorite people come out and photograph the building so that I could put together some marketing materials. The super-cool Robert Smith of FlipFlopFoto.com in Opelika came out and worked his magic. Robert has a very artful eye. And he and his wife Pam are extremely involved in the historical preservation of downtown Opelika, Ala. So, he is more than familiar with the character of a building like the AJK. I think he did a great job of letting the building shine. A few of my favorite shots are posted here. By the way, go visit his site – flipflopfoto.com and their blog.

If you would like more information on renting the Abbott, Jordan and Koon Building for an event, please contact me at (706) 407-0379 or info@invevents.com.

A shot of the storefront. Main Street stores behind it.

Front entry. I love the recessed entry of the building. You could do a lot with it for an event.

Inside the building. This angle is taken from the back of the main space looking towards the front door.

Same shot, different side of the building.

Wow.

That’s about all I can say. I feel like I’ve been running around in circles! So, beyond being busy with general life, here’s a quick update on what Invision is up to.

First, I am working extra hard on the Business After Hours for the LaGrange, GA Chamber of Commerce. It is being held next week in the Abbott, Jordan and Koon building – 133 Main Street, LaGrange – from 5 PM to 6:30 PM EST. Please come and see this awesome building and some of Invision’s stylings . Food, music, drinks – all of the above! If you’d like more info, email me at info@invevents.com.

One of the things that has kept me so busy is the multitude of projects I’m getting together for myself. Ordering linens, napkins, getting photos taken of the building (will post those soon), working up posters, printing pamphlets, etc. It’s near exhausting! But, it will all come together and I’m so excited to see the final result!

Other things on docket – several wedding bookings! Yay! Everytime I get a new client, it’s so exciting. Not just that I have booked more business (that’s always nice). But, it is a new opportunity for me to get to know a new couple and their story and what they dream of for their wedding day. That’s the difference between corporate events and weddings. With weddings, I get to be so personal with my clients. It’s so fun to see how their personalitites will come out in their wedding and getting to design for that as well. Most of my wedding clients I will keep in touch with long after the wedding is over.

Since I’ve been in design mode recently, I’ve been pulling pictures from just about everywhere. I have wedding magazines coming out my ears. Even though I go through them as soon as I get them, I will go through them again and again. Everytime I get a new client, I want to find something fresh and be inspired all over again. Here’s a few things that are inspiring me lately:

Found this photo on InStyleWeddings.com. It's from Ellen and Portia's wedding. I love the antique color palette.

From the genius herself - MarthaStewartWeddings.com. I am looking for fall inspiration that is just a little unexpected. I love this bouquet.

I love both these bouquets, but the one on the right is what has caught my eye. The color tones are just perfect. I think this bouquet could be seasonless. Martha really is the best.

For a while now, I've wanted to do a white wedding. Not modern white where everything in sight is white-on-white-on-white. But, white with variations of other things. I think this bouquet does that. The tones are set just perfectly.

While I was browsing Martha's site, I came across this picture and got nostalgic. This was the very photo that inspired my personal bouquet. White ranuculous with olive leaves and I used some berries in mine. So, this is just for me. The photo is probably nearly 6 years old, but still a classic.

This is just the tip of my recent inspiration. Most of what I have pulled lately is stuff that isn’t easily scanned and posted. But, web browsing can be productive too, so here’s what I can share. Let me know what inspires you!

A new gallery

Check out the gallery page that I added to the blog. There’s a tab at the top of the page and a link over to the right. It’s just a way to add photos quickly. Hope you enjoy!