Monday, July 27, 2009

Delicious Inspiration by Amy Atlas!

Amy Atlas is incredible at what she does. Her dessert bars are absolutely stunning! I've blogged about them on MANY occasions before, but had to post this new one today.

This amazing Moroccan themed dessert bar (via Green Wedding Shoes) is a beautiful display of blues, oranges, and whites:
Amy is the best! And is terrific inspiration for your big day!! Are you going to attempt your own Amy Atlas inspired dessert bar?

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Amazing Project Runway Wedding Dress

If you've never looked at Leanne Marshall's Etsy shop you're missing out! There are fewer pieces on there now than there use to be, but each one is still absolutely amazing!
This wedding dress was created by the Project Runway winner and I absolutely adore it! The gown can be yours for $1,325.00

Affordable Vera Wang

Vera Wang has just become more accessible! She has created a new line - "Demi-Couture" - with gowns 30%-40% less than her more established collections.
This beautiful gown has a price tag under $3,000.

Thanks to Martha Stewart for posting this great new info!

Friday, July 24, 2009

Iphone Engagement Photo!

How fantastic is this photo?!
Elizabeth Anne Designs posted this image as part of a large Parisian inspired engagement session, but I thought this photo deserved its very own blog post! I absolutely love it for any Iphone crazy couple.

Most Fabulous Idea Ever!

This is quite possibly the most unique and most adorable wedding idea I've ever seen! I absolutely adore this photobooth wall - especially the use of the couple's parents', grand parents', and great grand parents' wedding photos as background for the photos!
The problem is, I have absolutely no idea how to recreate this idea. I definitely need my handyman husband to help out here!

Thanks to Vintage Glam Weddings for posting these photos.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

JCrew Jewels

As you know, I am crazy about JCrew. They have an amazing selection of gowns, dresses, suits, accessories, and nearly everything you need for your wedding look!

I especially love these as gift for the bridesmaids to wear on the wedding day.

Fabulous Favors: S'more Bar!

While setting up the candy buffet last weekend, a light bulb went off...
While I was putting out the Hershey's Bars, I started thinking about how adorable a S'more Bar would be for a winter wedding. Food favors are always best when they're homemade, and as fate would have it, I happened upon this delicious homemade marshmallow recipe from My DIY Wedding Day yesterday:
Materials
1/2 cup cold water
Electric mixer
3 envelopes of Knox gelatin, unflavored
9 x9 in. pan
Plastic wrap
2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cups light corn syrup
Saucepan
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Cornstarch
Confectioner’s sugar
Scissors

Step 1: Put 1/2 cup of cold water in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, slowly pour in all three packs of gelatin. Set the bowl aside.
Step 2: Line a 9 x 9-inch pan with plastic wrap and lightly oil it. Set aside.
Step 3: Combine sugar, corn syrup and 1/4 cup of water in a saucepan. Bring it to a quick boil, then llet boil for about a minute only. (You don't want to burn the sugar!)
Step 4: Pour the boiling syrup into the soaked gelatin and turn the mixer on high speed. (Add flavoring and colorants at about 12 minutes.) Add the salt and beat for 15 minutes.
Step 5: You’re halfway there! Oil your spatula, then scrape marshmallow into the pan you prepared and spread it evenly.
Step 6: Let the mixture sit for a few hours to set.
Step 7: Sift equal parts cornstarch and confectioners' sugar. Coat the top of the marshmallow loaf with the mixture, then tilt to remove any excess. Remove the marshmallow from the pan, flip it, and then use the mixture on this side too.
Step 8: Use scissors to cut into equal parts then dredge marshmallows in sugar.
detail of Black/Walburn candy bar

In my vision for this awesome favor, it would be set up in apothecary jars and bowls like a candy buffet, with Hershey's Bars, Graham Crackers, and these homemade Marshmallows. Guests take home a bag that they fill with each of the ingredients.

Take it to the next level: If your venue has a fire pit or will allow you to bring one in, set up a bonfire outdoors for your guests to roast the marshmallows and enjoy the treat on site!
*If you're not a Do-It-Yourself kind of bride, you can buy homemade marshmallows (they even have a chocolate version!) at Whimsy & Spice.

Monday, July 20, 2009

The Finishing Touch Team

So that everyone can put a face with the names, here is my amazing family without whom there would be no Finishing Touch Event Design:
clockwise from top left: Kimberly Cheshier (my mom), Jessica Kersey, Anna Pitts (my sister), Annaston Pitts (my oldest niece), and Lydia Belle Pitts (my youngest niece)

Annaston hard at work before Kelly & Waylon's big night! She always wants to be involved. Here she is tying the crayons together with ribbon for the children's table.

Thank you to my incredible family for helping to make all of our brides' dreams come true! I truly couldn't do it without you. And to my husband, Logan, thank you for all of your unconditional support in this crazy business venture! I love you!

K & W - Details Sneak Peak

The stunning "finishing touches" that made the wedding one of a kind...
Bride & Groom chair tags created by Finishing Touch.

The beautiful 5 tiered cake was created by Shelby Lynn's Cake Shoppe of Springdale. It was absolutely beautiful and delicious as always! The monogram cake topper was purchased on Etsy and the gorgeous garden roses were added by Finishing Touch.

The bride bought black flip flops in a variety of sizes. We placed them in a basket in the women's restroom with a sign that said "Dancing Shoes." The ladies slipped them on when their feet started aching in heels!

The beautiful escort card display (see description in previous post) was created using acrylic boxes filled with sand. We designed modern escort cards with the couple's logo. These simple boxes were accented with stunning submerge arrangements and floating candles.

The candy bar was a hit, as always! This one was particularly adorable, because the couple chose to use "classic candies" instead of using a color scheme. Containers were filled with hershey's bars, gumballs, salt water taffy, and much much more. The Hershey's bars were included in honor of Kelly's grandfather who loved this chocolate bar! We created labels for each treat with the couples logo.

The children's table was topped with crayons, coloring books, and artist paper for the kids to enjoy!

The couple was sent off with bubbles in the foyer of the hotel. The bubbles were tied with black and ivory ribbon and set atop a tray with a sign that ready "Love is in the Air".

Remember, I am a sad excuse for a photographer! Please forgive the poor quality of these images.

Kelly & Waylon's Floral Sneak Peak

Kelly & Waylon's wedding was absolutely beautiful! Here are just a few of the photos that we took throughout the weekend...
Beautiful Garden Rose centerpieces all lined up

The centerpieces were designed and created by Finishing Touch. They consisted of a large cube vase detailed in black satin ribbon and finished with the couples logo. It was filled with 18 stunning pink garden roses. Surrounding this center vase were 4 small cylinders filled with hydrangeas and also finished with black satin ribbon. These beautiful arrangements were highlighted with votives to give the whole room a beautiful glow.

A striking submerge arrangement set on the guestbook table. This beautiful & modern piece consisted of a cylinder vase filled with hydrangea stems and topped with a floating candle. The effect was absolutely gorgeous!

This huge arrangement set atop the photobooth table and was created using a VERY large cylinder vase filled with white hydrangeas, roses, and calalillies. Hydrangeas also filled the inside of the vase which was finished with a black satin ribbon.

Stunning pink Prince Jardinier Garden Roses graced the cake table.

This modern arrangement (one of my favorites of the evening) for the escort card tables was perfection! Each table consisted of 9 submerged arrangements in cylinders of different sizes. The cylinders contained calalillies, garden roses, hydrangeas, and floating candles. This arrangement set the tone for the evening and was incredible!

Keep in mind, we took these images ourselves. Professional photos will be up in a month.

More details to come...

All floral arrangements were designed and created by Finishing Touch Event Design.

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Kelly & Waylon are Married!

Congratulations to Mr. & Mrs. Walburn! They were married yesterday evening in an intimate ceremony at the Chapel on the Creeks in Rogers, Arkansas. The bride wore a beautiful strapless lace gown and carried a stunning bouquet of pink and white garden roses wrapped in satin with the couple's monogram.

After the ceremony, the guests enjoyed a fabulous cocktail hour. Decor for the cocktail hour included beautiful modern cylinder arrangements filled with calalillies, hydrangeas, and garden roses all submerged with floating candles. The reception at the Doubletree Hotel Ballroom in Bentonville, Arkansas was absolutely stunning! Incredible candle lit centerpieces - cube vases filled with pink garden roses surrounded by small cylinders of hydrangeas - were created by Finishing Touch. The bride & groom were toasted by the groom's younger brother before Groove Productions packed the dancefloor. As always, the photobooth by Dancenhance Entertainment was packed all night long!

It was a beautiful evening for this incredible couple! You guys deserve every happiness. Congratulations and best of luck in your new life together! Keep in touch.
logo designed by Finishing Touch

I will be posting a sneak peak of some of my own photos soon with professional photos to follow. Check back soon!

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

The Little Things: Wedding Fragrance

Are you looking for that perfect perfume to wear on your wedding day? Chances are, whatever you choose will become a signature scent for you. I love all of Creed's fragrances (my personal favorite, which I wore for my wedding, is Spring Flowers. It comes in a fabulous bright pink bottle), but Love In White is made for weddings! It is classic, elegant, and the scent is wonderful.
Good luck finding your wedding fragrance! Check out the full Creed collection: find it at Neiman Marcus and many other retailers across the country and online.

Monday, July 13, 2009

Lindsey & Bryan are married!

Congratulations to Mr. & Mrs. Williams! Lindsey and Bryan were married on the beach last week in Cancun, Mexico in front of their closest family & friends. The smart couple hired Benfield Photography from Fayetteville, Arkansas to come along with them and Dale & Meredith did an amazing job capturing the day!
Finishing Touch will be coordinating their hometown reception next month at Weiderkehr Vineyard in Altus, Arkansas. Stay tuned for photos of the reception by Benfield Photography.

See more photos from Lindsey & Brian's big day on the Benfield Photography blog or on Benfield Photography on Facebook.

Friday, July 10, 2009

Congratulations to 2 New Finishing Touch Couples!

Marion & Clark just booked their wedding for April 10, 2010 in Newport, Arkansas. It will be a beautiful country club affair for 500 guests. The fabulous evening will be full of great friends, FANTASTIC music, and tons of fun!

Tyler & Kevin just booked their wedding for May 22, 2010 in Greenwood, Arkansas. This hometown wedding for 400 guests will be absolutely stunning with the ceremony in the Methodist Church and the reception at the Chateau! The outdoor views are incredible and will make a fantastic backdrop for the reception.

I cannot wait to get started on both of these incredible events. Congratulations to you both!!

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Crazy about Silkscreen Posters!

I'm completely smitten! He & She Photography of Orange County, California creates these fabulous one of a kind silkscreen posters for their Brides and Grooms. I can picture one now hanging on a photobooth at my next wedding.
If something like this interests you, don't hesitate to talk with your photographer about it. Who knows what they can do for you?!

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Come One, Come All to Annaston's Birthday Party!

The best carnival birthday party ever...
Signs throughout the back yard said "Popcorn, Get Your Popcorn" and "Hot Dogs, Get Your Hot Dogs" or "Step Right Up" for each of the games.

We purchased vintage popcorn bags from Hey Yo Yo's Etsy Shop and filled them each with regular microwave popcorn & a handful of M&Ms

In addition to the pop corn and M&Ms, the kids snacked on Hot Dogs served from a carnival style hot dog stand and Cotton Candy made on site with a rented cotton candy machine.

My husband (the birthday girl's uncle) enjoyed the cotton candy too!

The colorful pennants throughout the party were cut from paper bought at Hobby Lobby and strung on cheap balloon ribbons.

I saw this recipe for Rainbow Cake on the Hostess with the Mostess blog months earlier and thought it was perfect for this birthday party! The birthday girl, her little sister, and their mama and kiki (grandma) made this cake and cupcakes themselves the day before the big party. It turned out perfectly!
The beautiful cake was displayed on white square cake pedestals from Organize.com and the table was covered in graphic, orange and white circus fabric from Owl Bot Again's Etsy Shop.

The cupcakes were topped with custom mini pinwheels from Crossroads Cottage on Etsy. The kids all took these home as favors. With over 200 papers to choose from, they can create the perfect pinwheels for any party!

The birthday girl! Are we sure she's only 5?! She's already acting like a teenager.


See more photos on our website.

More Party Details:
1. The kids were given cotton tote bags with their names on them when they arrived. They spent a few minutes decorating the bags with feathers, circus animal stickers, pom poms, sequins, and much much more.
2. While their bags dried, they played on the jungle gym and see saw.
3. There were 3 different carnival games to play: the fish bowl game (toss a ping pong bowl in a fish bowl), ring toss, and a bean bag toss. After each turn they won little prizes like punching bags, bubbles, and friendship bracelets which they put in their bags.
4. Swimming - we had a hard time getting them out of the pool to sing happy birthday!

Finishing Touch is Crazy about Zinnias!

So, I couldn't leave Tipton & Hurst this afternoon without getting a little something for myself...
Zinnias make me happy! They just screams summer with their purples, oranges, pinks, and yellows. Mix them all together for a gorgeous bouquet that's sure to make you smile.
These were $4.99/bunch which amounted to about $0.50/stem! A steal!!! And that is the regular prices. These beautiful blooms weren't on sale.

The perfect splash of color on my fabulous white desk:

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Circus Birthday Party Sneak Peak

Annaston (my niece and favorite person) turned 5 on June 15th. To celebrate, we put our heads together to throw a fabulously fun Circus Birthday Party for her. Everyone had a great time with all of the games, carnival food, and rainbow cake! More to come tomorrow...
photo by my wonderfully talented husband, Logan.