Why should the Bride have all the fun?

Boutonnieres do not have to be boring! Why not show off the groom's personality? I love these home made boutonnieres.
They are so easy to DIY! All you need is fabric to create the leaf, ribbon to wrap it all up, and your choice of leaf or dried flowers. Fun, Fabulous, and Unique!

Congratulations Kari & Greyson!

Kari & Greyson have just booked their wedding for June 2, 2009. We're hard at work coming up with a fabulous Midsummer Night's Dream wedding. It's going to be absolutely stunning!

Photography by Melissa Claborn of McAlestar, Oklahoma

A Beautiful Splurge...Jennifer Behr hair accessories

These stunning hair accessories by Jennifer Behr are the perfect finishing touch to any bridal look. Her creations are luxurious, modern, and fresh!

this beautiful jewel encrusted headband is the perfect replacement for the tiara

Though they come with a hefty price tag, they're worth every penny!

Happy Fat Tuesday!

To celebrate Fat Tuesday, I've created a Mardi Gras inspired inspiration board. Ok, so it's really just inspired by the colors of Mardi Gras. Enjoy!
wedding gown & bridesmaid: JCrew
purple satin pumps: Christian Louboutin

Finishing Touch Loves "I Do Originals"!

It is the personal touches that give your wedding a one-of-a-kind feeling. I do Originals is a fabulous place to get all of your personalized items! Choose from a variety of pre-made monograms or if you cannot find what you're looking for, they'll create one especially for you!

Aisle Runners in a variety of lengths. Start at $40.00

Banners begin at $30.00

Parasols begin at $7.00

My favorite! This makes the perfect Thank You cards!

2009 Oscars Wedding Gown Inspiration

With all of the gorgeous gowns in different shades of white, I couldn't help but post a few of my favorites. I can see these coming down the aisle! Simply stunning.

Engagement Party Etiquette Question....

I recently received this question, "We are going to an engagement party next weekend. Are we supposed to bring a gift?"
This is a question that I get a lot. Etiquette says that you are not required to take a gift to an engagement party. The parents of the couple usually will, and a few guests will bring something small. But you should never feel obligated to give a gift.Engagement parties are thrown to celebrate the couple and should not revolve around presents. The gifts that are given should be taken to a back room, not displayed for all to see, and they should never be opened during the party. The couple should open the gifts at a later time and send thank you notes within 2 weeks.

Stylish Solution to the Casual Groom...

I've had many brides with this dilemma. You're having a casual wedding and a tux just won't work. The perfect solution: dress pants, a button up shirt, and a vest. Roll up the sleeves or leave them down. You can even add a tie. It's a casual but stylish look for your groom!These absolutely stunning photos are from Atlanta based photographer Kyle Hale. He specializes in these unbelievably chic rustic weddings and his prices are fantastic. Check out his website for more photos of this groom style trend!

Fort Smith Bridal Extravaganza Sunday!

Reminding all brides....the Bridal Extravaganza is this Sunday, February 15 from 1:00 until 4:00pm at the Holiday Inn City Center downtown. Bring your mothers, your bridesmaids, and your groom if you can get him there! We'd love to meet you all!!We will be giving away one $100.00 gift certificate for a wedding coordination package and two $50.00 gift certificates. Stop by our booth and sign up to win!

the always inspiring Paul Johnson Photography

Shannon and Eric were married February 7th in Winter Park, FL. This stunning real wedding was photographed by the always amazing Paul Johnson Photography (who I am partial to because they photographed my own wedding in 2006). These images are sure to inspire you!

Ahh...anemones! I'm obsessed with this delicate flower.

absolutely adorable kids' table!

The new trend in cakes: Multiples! Instead of layers, have 3 separate cakes.

Yum!

Paul & Mecheal Johnson's specialty is catching those perfect details and moments that help you remember your wedding day forever!

Parisian Floral Trends

If you're like me, you wonder what are the wedding trends in other countries. Are they the same as they are here? Parisian floral trends this season are absolutely stunning. They're more free form and organic than most of the arrangements you see at American weddings and I am in love with the look.
These bold, artistic arrangements are amazing and would be perfect for a garden wedding.

The Parisian trend in bouquets is intricately wrapping the stems with fabric rather than ribbon. It's a difficult look to pull off and I don't see it catching on here quickly, but it is beautiful and a refreshing approach to bouquets that hasn't been seen before. I love it!

These trends were observed and photographed by Laura from Style Me Pretty - a fabulous blog about all things wedding related - during her trip to Paris in September.

Thoughtful gift for Mom

She does so much for you leading up to your wedding and will probably be the most emotional person on your big day. Why not give her a vintage handkerchief to carry during the wedding? top, left: Dashalee3, $4.50

top, right: Southern Lace, $5.00
bottom, right: Brass Paperclip, $15.00
bottom, left: Undone Eclectic, $10.00

Hey, at the prices you can find these for, why not buy them for all of your bridesmaids and one for yourself too! It's truly beautiful to wrap a delicate handkerchief around your bouquet.

Children or No Children at the Wedding?

While planning a wedding for this Spring a question came up of etiquette with regards to children. They will not be having children at the wedding and I began to wonder how many brides have no idea how to approach this situation. Here is my suggestion...
Emily Post says that if you do not wish children to attend the wedding, the appropriate way to convey this it to only include the parents names on both the outer envelope and the inner envelope. It is inappropriate to say "no children" on the invitation itself.
Most couples create a wedding website these days and if you wish to be more clear about it, it is entirely acceptable to mention your wish that no children attend the wedding on this site.

If you do wish to include children in your guest list, there are several ways to embrace them and keep them occupied throughout the day. One very popular way, is by creating a different, child-themed centerpiece on their table. Below are a few examples:

left: Cookies and Milk centerpiece created by Finishing Touch.
top, right: Edible Arrangements fruit centerpiece.
bottom, right: Centerpieces made of suckers and candy.

For other weddings, we have also included crayons and markers for the childrens' table and have encouraged them to create a sign or card for the bride and groom. For a wedding where the bride and groom had children, they actually created the "Just Married" sign for the getaway car during the reception. The cards and signs will be cherished by the bride and groom and will keep the children busy.
One of my favorite suggestions for an outdoor wedding is to set up some sort of game area with croquet, horseshoes, etc. Kids will love it and the adults are guaranteed to get involved too!

What are your thoughts on children at the wedding? Any more suggestions for making the day "kid friendly"?

Sweet Delicate Anemones

While planning a spring wedding, in which we will use this amazing bloom, I realized that many brides may be unaware of its existence. The anemone is a beautiful, delicate flower that is absolutely perfect for weddings. It is seldom used which makes it unique and dramatic. The black centers will give your wedding flowers a punch.

The many pink varieties.

top, left: white hydrangeas, bright pink anemone, purple sweet orchids, tied with white satin ribbon.
right: pale pink anemone, wrapped in pink ribbon with black bows.
bottom, left: deep pink anemone, pink sweet peas, tied with pink silk ribbon.

Red Anemone

top: red and pink anemone, tiered.
bottom: red anemone, red roses, red spray roses, and red berries.

Stunning black and white bouquets

left: white anemone, white rananculus, and white roses.
right: white anemone, white roses, and white rananculus.

2009 Bridal Extravaganza

Finishing Touch Event Design is participating in this years Bridal Extravaganza in Fort Smith, Arkansas on Sunday, February 15 at the Holiday Inn City Center downtown. Doors open to brides at 1:00pm and the Extravaganza will last until 4:00pm.
Get your planning done in one place! Come meet hundreds of vendors from the area: Photographers, Florists, Wedding Coordinators, and much much more.
There will be tons of prizes given away to help with your wedding budget! Including a $100.00 gift certificate for use towards either our Finishing Touch package or our Have Your Cake and Eat it Too package.
Come look through photos of our past weddings and discuss your wedding day details with one of 3 Finishing Touch Bridal Consultants who will be on hand to answer your questions.

Trash the Dress

This new trend may cause your mother to have a heart attack! Brides are going back to their photographers after the wedding to have a very high fashion photo shoot called "Trash the Dress". You choose the location: the ocean, a swamp, your farm...the only requirement - the dirtier the better!




Now you can rest a little easier. The dresses are not always trashed. In fact, more often than not, the gown will come out perfectly clean, but it is a risk you take.
You have to decide for yourself whether or not it is worth the risk for these unbelievable, artistic photos.

All photos from Paul Johnson Photography in Panama City, Florida