Hitched!!! Himes Wedding 10.3.10

There are certain times when all the stars align and everything comes together beautifully for a wonderful couple with amazing families.  The Himes wedding was exactly this.  Abby found me on Facebook (we had known each other since high school) and contacted me in July 2009 after seeing me post a lot about starting Felicity C Weddings.  Abby & Chris were college sweethearts at Virginia Tech and after graduation, Chris joined the Navy.  From there it was a bit of a whirlwind.  He proposed to Abby in December 2008, in May of 2009 he received orders to Guam, and they had a wedding ceremony at a courthouse with just immediate family before leaving for Guam that same month.  Abby & Chris had wanted a wedding reception stateside with all their friends and family and contacted me to help plan their big day.  I worked very closely with Abby's parents and Abby (a 14 hour time difference!) and I could not be more happy with the whole process and the wedding.

Abby had such a strong vision that it made my job very easy- Abby is a girl who loves being outdoors and loves everything that nature offers so it was a no-brainer that nature and being eco-friendly was the theme of the wedding.  After looking at a few venues online, Abby fell in love with Swan Harbor Farm in Havre de Grace, MD and after visiting the site with Abby's mother, we both knew it was the perfect place.  The venue is actually operated by  Harford county state park and offers 531 acres of beautiful scenery, a farmhouse, landscaped gardens, tented area, and gazebo overlooking the Bay.  I'm so lucky that Abby had such great instincts and was able to choose her vendors online from Guam since she only made one visit to the US during the planning process!  They both arrived about a month before the wedding to go over final details and it was fantastic being able to show her the almost finished product.  The ceremony was officiated by a family friend and neighbor of Abby's parents which made it that much more special.  The amazing venue along with the bridal party and guests were captured by Jacqueline Schlossman Photodocumentary who I cannot say enough good things about.  This wedding was full of great vendors which really makes my job easier.

The wedding was catered by Gourmet By The Bay who did a magnificent job of the setup and the presentation and of course the food & drink were amazing as were their entire staff.  The decor was complemented by the florists of Wicked Willow LLC, who worked a lot with Abby to get the details perfected from the centerpieces to the bridal party flowers, and the lanterns with white candles as guests entered the reception tent.  The ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception music was done by Frank of Friendly Entertainment LLC who was key in helping me to make the whole wedding be such a success.  Last but not least, the surprise groom's cake (a VA Tech lunchbox paying homage to their college days) and the beautiful wedding cake were crafted by Baltimore's own talented SugarBakers Cakes.  The happy couple left their reception in style thanks to A Platinum Plus Limousines Inc.

Eco Friendly Finds

Back in September I blogged about "green" being the new black and gave a few ideas on how to make your wedding more eco friendly.  Well I keep seeing posts and articles with new tips lately so I wanted to post again.  The idea of being "green" is pretty well known; reduce, recycle, and reuse to make a smaller negative impact on the environment.  But mixing eco friendly with weddings can be daunting.  The more research I do, the more I realize that there really isn't an area of a wedding that can't become "green" in some way.  Make a list of what aspects you want to be green in your wedding and make sure you are clear with your vendors on your expectations.  Most vendors have a few eco friendly options and there are some eco friendly only vendors too.  PapelVivo offers stationary using recycled post consumer fiber and they offer DIY kits!  I also found a post featuring eco friendly wedding rings.  And who can resist this post of an eco friendly wedding inspiration shoot including "green" dresses, decor, invites, and flowers!  Speaking of dresses, Terra Amore is another bridal designer with an eco friendly line.

Looking to spread the green love to your guests but not sure about giving them seeds, a plant or a tree?  Offer eco friendly favors, such as myEARTH360's water bottle, tote bags or bamboo coasters.  Or are you going to be a guest at an eco wedding?  A great gift would be produce bags or salad servers in addition to other home items from the couple's registry.  I even found a post featuring a CA photographer offering a 6 hour wedding package to a green wedding!  So, keep looking out for eco wedding finds and I will do my best to keep you updated.  Enjoy! 

 PapelVivo stationary. Source

Balsa Wood Flowers. Source

How'd You Get That Bling?

There are 4 main ways that a guy chooses the engagement ring for his number one girl.  Which way is best?  That is personal to each couple.  The first option is the most traditional- the guy chooses the ring secretly, usually with help from her best friend/sister.  This does put a lot of pressure on the guy and while he may have access to his lady's current jewelry and style, guessing on an engagement ring is enough to make any guy anxious.  Beyond style, there are the 4 C's of diamonds (cut, carats, color, and clarity) not to mention price range.  Whew.  Talk about stress times 20!  But some couples are very traditional and wouldn't be happy any other way.

 

Is she laughing at the ring or is she thrilled? Source

The second option is probably the second most common- for the girl to show her man a few rings that she likes before a proposal.  She can leave wedding magazines open to ring ads, email him pictures or whatever crafty way she can think of.  This is great because it does eliminate the guess work for the guy, but the major downside would be ring hinting before the guy is ready may cause some relationship tension.  Ideally, if marriage has been discussed and even better, if the guy has brought up rings and engagement, feel free to send some pictures his way. Recently while on Ellen, Jennifer Love Hewitt spilled her ring thoughts.  She has 3 rings already picked out at Tiffany's for when she gets close to that question popping time.  J. Love feels like she is helping her future husband out by leading him down the right path but not every guy may take it that way.  Right or wrong, this is definitely going to differ from couple to couple.

The third option is for the couple to go ring shopping together, after a lot of marriage talk but before an actual proposal.  This works best for a couple who knows they want to get married and for a girl that doesn't need the surprise of the ring.  The proposal is still a huge surprise and knowing that she will love her ring when she gets that proposal is the perfect combination for some girls.  This also allows for the couple to discuss the ring budget together so everyone is on the same page. The fourth option is for the guy to propose without a ring and then for the couple to go ring shopping together after the proposal.   

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Each couple needs to think about what works best for them.  As every girl remembers, Carrie Bradshaw had quite the adverse reaction on 'Sex and the City' when she accidentally found the ring Aidan Shaw bought for her.  I've included not only a general idea of the ring she hated, but the SATC clip to refresh your memory (starts around 2:15).  Enjoy & good luck!

 

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The 411: Colored Engagement Rings

Most girls have an idea of what their dream engagement ring will look like by their early to mid twenties.  You have seen friends get engaged and checked out what they are rocking on their ring fingers, having picked apart what you like and what you don't.  Are you a classic solitaire kind of girl or are you open to more unique rings?  As we tend to do, let's take a look at celebrities colored engagement rings and maybe that will give you a better idea of what you like. 

The most memorable colored ring for me is that of Jennifer Lopez during her short engagement to Ben Affleck in 2002.  The 6 carat pink diamond was breathtaking, not only because of its size (it was reportedly worth $1.2 million) but it broke the classic engagement ring style yet seemed to fit her perfectly.  The most notable colored ring as of late is that of princess-to-be Kate Middleton.  Her sapphire stunner was the engagement ring of Prince William's mother, Princess Diana, which shows that colored rings have been in style for at least 30 years.  Jodi Sweetin of Full House fame recently got engaged and is rocking a sapphire ring as well.  Jessica Simpson's December engagement brought her a ruby ring complete with two white side diamonds.  Kristen Bell's fiancé certainly wanted her engagement ring to stand out, it is a yellow colored stone surrounded by white diamonds.  And sometimes it is nice to have a truly unique engagement ring paired with a classic wedding band, like Milla Jovovich has on her ring finger.

But colored stones aren't just for engagement rings, Zooey Deschanel has rubies alternating with diamonds on her wedding band.  Obviously celebrities have a much larger bank account with which to purchase these engagement rings.  But if you really like a certain gemstone, maybe your birth stone, don't be afraid to incorporate in the most important piece of jewelry you will ever own.  Enjoy!

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Source: Suzanne Plunkett/Reuters/Landov; A.G. Carrick/Camera Press/Getty

Source: Michael Bezjian/WireImage; Inset: Elisabeth Fried

Source: Courtesy Neil Lane; Inset: Chance Yeh/Sipa

 

Source: Courtesy Neil Lane; Lester Cohen/WireImage

 

Source: Courtesy Neil Lane, inset: Britney Joe/Startraks

 

Source: Startraks; Neil Lane(2)

What Booking Season Means for Brides

Can you believe that a week from today is FEBRUARY?!  Yeah, me either.  January has flown by for Felicity C Weddings and the fact that a lot of engagements happen over the holidays is probably a main component.  January-March is considered the typical "booking season" in the wedding industry, vendors are looking for new clients to set up their wedding season.  That is why there are a lot of bridal shows and a lot of vendors are offering deals.  As for the huge deals this time of year, I have posted a bunch on the Felicity C Weddings Facebook page as I see them.  Today I have a few more specials offers for you to take advantage of.

First up is the Ming Wang Mother of the Bride Makeover contest.  Definitely a great way to make mom feel special and let her know that you both are thinking of her with all the bridal excitement in your life.  Next up is the annual David's Bridal $99 bridal sale where you can find $50 to $300 off bridal dresses including new arrivals and designer collections!  They also offer online exclusives that allow you to save up to $300 by ordering online. 

Subscribing to different bridal blogs will also score you some great deals.  The larger known the blog is, the better deals you will find such as Style Me Pretty's Paperless Post giveaway.  SMP is definitely the mecca for all things bridal blogging and I would recommend any bride-to-be subscribing asap.  The larger bridal blogs will also keep you up to date on national bridal shows so you can find one close to you.  I found out about the Unveiled bridal show in DC this past Sunday from Atrendy Wedding Blog.

In addition to bridal dresses and shows, there are a lot of other vendors that are offering deals across the internet.  Wedloft posted the $350 EmersonMade Shopping Spree Giveaway on Jan 19th and Snippet & Ink posted 10 discounts & giveaways in this one post on Jan 14th!  These are just a few deals and I'm really just scratching the surface here.  Keep an alert eye out for any vendor promotions between now & March and definitely don't be afraid to ask vendors if they have any deals going on.  Good luck!

David's Bridal $139.00

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A New Take On: The Victorian Era

The saying goes that fashion is always recycling itself in new ways.  I love the history of fashion and recently I have really gotten into the history of all things wedding- attire, decor, traditions, and details.  While marriage has been around since the beginning in one form or another, a lot of wedding traditions that we still have today started in the late 19th century.  "White did not become a popular option until 1840, after the marriage of Queen Victoria to Albert of Saxe-Coburg. Victoria had worn a white gown for the event so as to incorporate some lace she owned. The official wedding portrait photograph was widely published, and many other brides opted for a similar dress in honor of the Queen's choice.  Prior to the Victorian era, a bride was married in any color, black being especially popular in Scandinavia" (source).

I thought it would be fun to create an inspiration board paying homage to the Victorian era.   Thanks to Queen Victoria, her namesake era was a time of opulence and great attention to luxurious details.  Not only are there a lot of pictures to use as a reference, but the ravishing Emily Blunt portrayed the infamous royal in "Young Victoria" and every detail in the movie was so gorgeous.  The main influences are lace, rich golds, blues, and reds, lots of florals, and opulent patterns.  While incorporating every Victorian detail would create a costume-party feel for a modern wedding, I like the idea of picking and choosing a few aspects to feature. Not sure where to start?  Here is an article on the modern take on Victorian wedding dresses.  For more ideas, hope you enjoy the Victorian wedding inspiration board!

Row One: source, source, source

Row Two: source, source, source

Row Three: source, source, source

What Brides Can Learn From Award Shows

The 68th Annual Golden Globes ceremony was last night in Beverly Hills, CA and as someone who has been watching since I was a little girl, last night did not disappoint.  The Golden Globes is the love child of the Emmys and Oscars, celebrating the best actors in both television and cinema, so the star power in the Beverly Hills Hotel on Sunday evening was quite electric.  Like most award show revelers, I know that the red carpet is a huge part of the appeal and I love to play critic to all the fashion since celebrities set the gold standard.  They have infinitely more experience with grand events than us mere mortals so there is a lot that brides can learn from the red carpet, both good & bad.  I'm about to give you my two cents for the top 5 red carpet rules that can be applied to weddings.

#1. Wear what fits you, always.  The biggest celebrity fashion mistakes are not due to fabric or accessory choice, they are always due to selection of attire.  Knowing your body measurements and shape is the best tool for normal clothes and for your wedding day.  Basically, your wedding day is NOT the day to pretend you don't have the hips/arms/legs/chest/etc that you really do have.  Per always, Eva Longoria makes the most of what she has and wears her beautiful gown with confidence.

 

Credit: Lionel Hahn/ABACA

#2. Stand up straight and smile, smile, smile.  I think we can all agree that Sandra Bullock is gorgeous but without a smile she does not shine the way she normally does.  And neither will you if you aren't smiling on your big day.  I know it seems a daunting task to smile for a full day but these pictures will last forever and you want your grandkids to see you enjoying your wedding day!

 

Credit: Steve Granitz/WireImage

#3. Pick either statement earrings OR a necklace to focus on, don't clutter your yourself.  If you have a high neckline, wear the statement earrings and if you have a lot of decolletage showing (in a tastful way), showcase a great necklace.  The only way to do both is making sure there is a delicate balance, say diamond solitare earrings with the matching necklace or even a pearl set.  If you are not sure, ask your bridesmaids- they will tell you the truth.  Catherine Zeta Jones is always flawless and chose to showcase speactaular earrings with her amazing dress at the Globes.   

Credit: Jeff Vespa/WireImage

Ole For Hispanic Influences!

Hello.  My name is Felicity and I am an official wedding blog junkie.  The first step is admitting that you have a problem.  So I've heard.  I honestly get such a rush when I go through my Google reader scanning hundreds of exciting and creative wedding ideas daily.  Every now and again something catches my eye and I have to share it on Every Last Stylish Detail. 

TodayI actually have 2 posts I'm happy to share.  The first amazing post is a wedding inspiration shoot with a Mexican/ Frida Kahlo/ Hispanic theme.  One of my very first posts was celebrating my Colombian heritage with a look into Colombia's wedding traditions.  I love seeing wedding inspiration shoots because they are so practical- trying out attire and decor details for the big day in a shoot that makes it all feel so real.  Even if a full-on Mexican theme is not your style, you can still find a few small details from this inspiration shoot that may work for you.  I was super excited when I  found a real wedding with a Mexican theme done so beautifully that I had to share it as well.  Both posts are from Style Me Pretty (please check out each link for the full galleries).  So without further ado, please enjoy my latest favorite posts:

Palm Springs Wedding Inspiration Shoot:

 

 

The Long & Short Of It

Tradition schma-dition.  Knee length wedding dresses are all the rage in the bridal industry right now.  Lots of designers are featuring shorter, non-traditional dresses to cater to a wider client base.  This is really a fashion choice that each bride needs to make for herself.  Are you not a long dress type of girl?  Are you having an informal, outdoor wedding?  Do you want a second dress to be fun & flirty?  This trend might be for you.   

 Photo credit: blisseventgroup.net

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Although many designers are jumping on this trend, one of my favorite new designers are Ivy & Aster.  Highlights of this new collaboration include short gowns range from $600–$900, tea-length and long gowns range from $1200–$3000 and all bridesmaid dresses are less than $300! 

Celebrity Weddings: The Iconic One

Even if this wedding is before your time (like me), the images of the late Princess Diana's wedding to Prince Charles are now iconic.  Although many royals have wed over the years, the wedding of Lady Diana Frances Spencer to Charles, Prince of Wales, is known as the "wedding of the century".  The wedding took place on July 29, 1981, at St. Paul's Cathedral In London, England.  Many people may not know the engagement details: "Diana was 20 years old, Charles 32 years old. Diana and Charles had been seeing each other for about six months when he proposed on February 3, 1981 at a dinner for two at Buckingham Palace."(Source)

Just looking at the pictures it is clear that no expense was sparred for each detail small to large.  From her dress with a 25 foot train to the magnificent headpiece that she wore, everything was extravagant.  I was interested to find out some little known details while researching this wedding and I hope you find them as interesting as I did.  There are no pictures from the reception due to the intense privacy of the event but I did find a bunch of ceremony and official portraits.  Enjoy!

• David and Elizabeth Emanuel, the designers of the wedding dress helped Diana to get dressed on her wedding day.  It cost £9,000 (Source)
• Unfortunately the dress designers had not made allowances for the lack of space in the glass coach that should bring Diana and her father to St. Paul's Cathedral. When the bride alighted from the coach the dress was crumpled and full of creases, not that any of the thousands of spectators minded (Source)
• When saying her vows, Diana changed the order of Charles' forenames, calling him Phillip Charles Arthur George which led Prince Charles to the joke: "Diana, you have actually married my father" (Source)
• After Charles finished the vows he forgot to kiss Diana (Source)
• Numbers: 3,500 people in the congregation at St. Paul's Cathedral, 750 million people watched the ceremony worldwide, yet a billion is the official number when the radio audience is added in. Two million spectators lined the route of Diana's procession from Clarence House, with 4,000 police and 2,200 military officers to manage the crowds (Source)
• After the ceremony, the couple went to Buckingham palace for a small dinner for 120 (Source)
• Diana was the first British citizen to marry an heir to the British throne in 300 years (Source)

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Warm weather, sun, light breeze, and go!

If "location, location, location" is the real estate agent's mantra, then "weather, weather, weather" is the wedding planner's mantra for outdoor weddings.  Actually, even if the ceremony & reception are indoors, couples will still be outside for pictures and possibly transportation.  No bride wishes for rain, wind, or cold weather obviously, but if you are a bride who has her heart set on an outdoor wedding, weather is going to be a huge factor.  Enter WeatherUnderground.com, which is a weather website that allows you to see the weather history for locations.  It goes back to 2008 but I have already used it for my 2011 wedding clients to check on 2010 weather to get an idea of the weather for their big day.

Another great tip is to talk to your venue about the weather for your date the year before.  The site coordinators who work weddings year round have a pretty good memory of weather month to month.  Certain months can be predictable but it is always good to have rain plan with your site and your planner.  As I've heard from all of my brides, once you get close to your wedding, it is pretty impossible not to check the 10 day forecast.  But even if the forecast is calling for less than ideal weather, hold off the panic.  Weather is constantly changing and you really should only take the forecast 2-3 days seriously.  If it is going to be hot, hot, hot make sure you can rent air conditioning machines for your outdoor tent, the ceremony site is air conditioned, and that there is water on hand for guests as well as the wedding party.

Lastly, if you do end up with some heat, rain or wind, all you can do is embrace it.  For the Diamond wedding on May 22, 2010, leading up to the wedding and the whole morning it was forecasted to start raining at 4pm, the start time of their outdoor ceremony.  Jen was such a cool bride and left it up to me to make the call since we had a rain plan set.  Luckily the sun came out and the rain held off for their beautiful ceremony.  Funny enough, the rain held out right until the couple had finished the cocktail hour photos and I was ready to introduce the wedding party to the reception.  Literally as the last person stepped inside the reception building it started to pour.  Hope this has eased your mind brides!  Enjoy!

  Diamond wedding- we got some amazing pictures before the rain set in!

Credit: Lindsay MacDonald Weddings

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Congrats Is Always The Right Thing To Say

It is officially 2011.  There are a lot of people getting married every year and while most are traditional, some are not.  As a planner I take on many roles including family mediator at times and I realize that there are many people who not ready for a break from tradition.  So I gathered some articles to shed some light on adjusting to the different weddings you may be invited to in the near future.  Because no matter what the situation is, congrats really is always the right thing to say.

1. Civil Hall Ceremonies.  There are many reasons couples choose this option but two main types come immediately mind; couples wanting a very small wedding and gay couples.  Both groups deserve the excitement and support that all "traditional" weddings get and should certainly not feel like their wedding is being compared.  For small wedding budgets, guests are limited so instead of thinking about what is missing, think about how lucky you have been considered important enough to be invited!  As for gay marriages, no matter what your personal feelings are on the issue, this wedding is not an "issue".  Being invited to a wedding is a sacred honor from the couple who loves you and wants you to celebrate with them on their biggest day.  If you have any concerns about what to say, check out this post on what NOT to say to gay couples getting married.  Or this post from a gay blogger discussing the pressures of planning a gay wedding. 

2. Pregnant Bride or Couple With Kids.  While I think most brides will agree that being pregnant on your big day is not ideal, if you are invited to a wedding with a pregnant bride, please do not make anyone feel guilty.  This may sound obvious, but any comments could be taken the wrong way and especially once the alcohol starts flowing, that could present a problem (remember that a pregnant bride is a sober bride and WILL remember every detail of her big day).  The same goes for a couple that already has a child.   Having a guest state that "its about time" will only take away from the special day.  Things happen and now the lovely couple is now taking the next big step and has invited you to their wedded union.  All is well that ends well!

3. Young Love.  While the idea of young love is nice, a lot of people are skeptical of couples who are still in their teens or very early twenties heading into marriage (anyone remember the MTV show "Engaged & Underage"?).  I personally know two couples who were high school sweethearts, now married and have been together for 14 years and 15 years respectively.  But there are some people who do not know how to react or how to be excited for young couples.  Check out this post from a 19 year old bride who is continually being told that she is too young to get married.  Seeing the bride's perspective may put a different spin on things for you. 

4. Second Marriages.  Typically this is not too much of an issue because people going into second marriages take things a little slower.  But with the divorce rate as high as it is, there are more much second marriages just due to sheer odds.  If you are invited to a 'second marriage' wedding, please keep the "I guess you have some practice" comments out the door.  The couple has willfully entered into this commitment and that is the only reassurance you should need.  Finding love once is hard enough and if a loved one is lucky enough to find it twice, even more reason to celebrate! 

5. Elopements.  These are less common but still an option for some couples.  Whatever their reasons, they do not need to justify them to you.  Unless you are their parents and even then, the decision is still 100% the couple's decision.  If you feel left out of the celebration, invite the newlyweds over for dinner at your place and relish in the one on one time you would never get an a traditional reception!

6. Short Dating Relationship.  Hello Khloe Kardashian & Lamar Odom!  They were together for one month before they got married.  Yes, married, not engaged.  And they just celebrated their one year anniversary.  When you know, you just know and for some couples that realization doesn't take years.  Even if you can't help but be skeptical, treat it like a plate of food.  Fill up on excitement, love, and support and keep the skepticism to a "no thank you portion" off to the side.  If you can get your fill with all the good stuff, all the better. 

Intimate (and love-filled!) civil ceremony. Source

Love is love is love. Source

Thank You, 2010

This is the time of year that most people to reflect on the past year of their life.  After the amazing ride that 2010 gave Felicity C Weddings, I couldn't help but reflect on the first full year of my event & wedding planning company. Here are my reflections.

High's: I love, love, love that I was able to be a part of 8 weddings this year!  Eight couples that vowed to love, honor and cherish each other forever and they allowed me to plan one of the biggest days of their life!  I love that I found clients through wedding blogs, Facebook, friends, and advertising.  I love that every wedding I planned (day of coordination, partial planning or full planning) was different and I learned so much each time.  I met and worked with a lot of vendors and gained a deep appreciation for the ones that stood out as amazing vendors.  Among the planning that stands out, I planned a wedding for a couple living in Guam (a 14 hour time difference!) and the bride only visited the states one time in the 16 month planning period.  Also, I planned a September wedding in 8 weeks.  Over the year, I was able to get over my intimidation of blogging and began to post regularly (average 12 times/month) and even more amazing, when I posted the blogs to the Felicity C Weddings Facebook page, people actually read my posts!!  Speaking of the FCW page, as of today it is at 278 'fans' and growing which blows.my.mind. 

Low's: Unfortunately, with all the great high's of the year, there were a few lows.  Starting my own business from scratch has been a great learning process to say the least.  Trying to balance my personal time with my company has been a pendulum swinging in both directions but I think I do have a better hold on balance as 2010 came to a close.  I think the biggest low of 2010 was working with vendors who did not have my clients' best interests in mind.  I really learned this year that what vendors are really offering clients (myself included) is 50% actual service and 50% customer service.  Overall, every little obstacle that I came across taught me something new and I feel very ready to bring on a new year of weddings & events.

My goals for 2011 is to keep researching, blogging, expanding, and of course to continue planning- in short to keep learning.  Once again, thank you so much to all the family, friends, clients, vendors, and 'fans' that support Felicity C Weddings.  You have truly made my dreams come true.  I haven't gotten all the professional photos back yet but here are some of my fantastic 2010 clients.  I am posting ceremony pictures only because that is why I do what I do- love.  Enjoy!      

 

Diamond Wedding 5.22.10

Photo credit: Lindsay MacDonald Weddings

 

Fehnel Wedding 6.26.10

Photo credit: Clair Pruett Photography