Wedding Day Survival

I absolutely love these wedding survival kits by Ms. & Mrs. Of course, hopefully you've hired Finishing Touch for your wedding coordination so you won't have to worry about a thing --- we'll bring our emergency kits for everything you may need throughout the day! But if you're going it alone, you must get one or two or three of these adorable kits...

Bride's Wedding Day Survival Kit, $49.00

Groom's Survival Kit, $49.00

They also offer a bridesmaid's kit for $20.00, and a mother of the bride or mother of the groom's kit for just $25.00.
Here's to more than just surviving your wedding day! Enjoy it, revel in it, soak it all up...

Fall Wedding Inspiration

I love this wedding inspiration photo shoot from 100 Layer Cake. So many amazing ideas for a beautiful outdoor inspired wedding.

I love the pine cones sprinkled across the table! Go to your local park and pick them up to use for your fall wedding decor. Free and fabulous.

Beautiful, vintage buttons serve as place card holders. Perfection for any vintage inspired wedding.

And last but definitely not least, the gorgeous baby's breath bouquet tied in raw silk...

Does it look familiar to anyone??? As soon as I saw this, it made me think of Lauren's bouquet from her January wedding. We used gold raw silk and did the ruffle detail up into the bouquet...

This gorgeous bouquet is still one of my absolute favorite wedding details we've ever created. And apparently it is going to be a big fall trend if 100 Layer Cake has anything to say about it!

Meet Molly and Colby!

Molly and Colby are a sweet, sweet couple that we've been working with for several months. Their wedding is coming up soon, June 19th, and I'm so excited to share with you a few photos from their engagement session with Melissa Claborn Photography.
Beautiful, right?!

We've have come up with a fantastic rustic design for Molly & Colby's wedding and I can't wait to see it all come together this summer. It will be a beautiful southern soiree!

Ashley & Chad are married!

Congratulations to Ashley & Chad Goss! They were married Saturday in a beautiful ceremony at the Stone Chapel at Matt Lane Farm in Fayetteville. Although it was a damp and rainy day, that didn't dampen the bride & groom's spirits one bit! They had a wonderful day regardless of the weather!
Here are just a few of the photos I took throughout the day. Enjoy...

the gorgeous chapel.

centerpieces in birch bark containers by Jules Designs

left: wedding cake by Rick's bakery, flowers placed by Finishing Touch.
right: groom's cookie cake by the Great American Cookie Company with milk shots.

home made cookie favors

Congratulations again to Ashley & Chad! I hope you're enjoying your honeymoon to the fullest. And best of luck as you get settled into your new life together!

Vendor Love...
Venue: Stone Chapel at Matt Lane Farm, Fayetteville
Caterer/Bar: Event Group, Fayetteville
DJ: Groove Productions, Fayetteville
Florist: Jules Design, Fayetteville
Photographer: Jamie Clayton Photography, Nashville, TN
Rentals: Eventures, Fayetteville
Bakery: Rick's Bakery, Fayetteville
Bridesmaid Dresses: JCrew
Wedding Coordination: Finishing Touch Event Design, Little Rock

I'll be posting professional photos within a few weeks! Stay tuned.

New Gallery Added: Marion & Clark!

Obviously, I am in love with Marion & Clark's stunning wedding photos. I've had a hard time narrowing down my favorites, but have finally done it! Here's just a little sampling of what I think are some of the greats...

One of my absolute favorites! I think it's because they're walking into their new life together. Cheesy I know, but that's what I see when I look at this photo.

Gotta LOVE the bridesmaids getting down! Memphis Soul Revue can make a party like no one else!

Just after the Sigma Chi Sweetheart Song

There are so many other amazing images that you must go on over to our website and check out their gallery of 30 or so of my favorites now!
And for even more, head on over to the fabulous website that Benfield Photography created for Marion & Clark's wedding images to see every shot they snapped throughout the evening.

I want to say congratulations again to Marion & Clark Donat. You are such a special couple - so much in love and with wonderful examples of marriage in your families. I know you will be happy for years and years to come. Best wishes as you get settled into your new life as husband and wife!

Family Tradition...

I shared with you all last week about the amazing family traditions and heirlooms that Marion and Clark infused into their wedding. One of these traditions was that Marion would wear the same gown that both her grandmother (in 1950) and her mother (in 1978) wore on their wedding days. If you read that post, you'll remember their bridal portraits...

left: Marion's grandmother on her wedding day in 1950.
right: Marion's mother on her wedding day in 1978.

And now Marion has a portrait to match theirs...

Above: Marion Curtner Donat on her wedding day, April 10, 2010.

Beautiful!

Love that Ring Shot!

Thanks to Benfield Photography getting Marion & Clark's images edited and in the mail to me in record time, I have more incredible images for you over the next couple of days!

Ring shots are tricky! They can easily look cheesy and boring, but they definitely got it right with Marion & Clark's ring shots. These images are especially important for this bride and groom because the rings have been passed down through both of their families! (For the whole story, you can check out my previous blog post here.)
And Dale and Meredith did such a great job capturing them in a unique way, I couldn't choose just one!

For this shot the rings were placed on a tree stump just outside the church doors.

And for this one, hung on a Japanese maple branch.

Tip: Encourage your photographer to try something new and different for your ring shot! You won't be disappointed.

Congratulations Kathy & Jeff!

Kathy & Jeff Farver were one of our very first weddings 3 years ago, and I couldn't be happier to send them a huge congratulations on the amazing news that they're expecting twins!! You two will be amazing parents. I can't wait to meet them!

Marion & Clark tie the knot!

And because they're so awesome, Benfield Photography already has more photos for us! Here are just a few of my favorites so far from Marion & Clark's wedding day...

The gorgeous church was the perfect backdrop for Marion & Clark's I Do's! The rock walls, beautiful stained glass, and amazing ceilings complimented their wedding flawlessly.

The beautiful bridesmaids wore orange, one shoulder gowns, each with a unique rhinestone brooch which was their gift from Marion for being such a special part of their wedding day. Here, they are looking at the heirloom wedding ring which was passed down from Marion's great grandmother and still bears the original inscription.

Dancing the night away...this wedding was so much fun!

Before making their get-away Marion changed into her mother's rehearsal dinner dress and looked stunning as they made their escape! On to St. Lucia to soak up the sun!!

And a quick shot of Meredith, myself, and Dale...

Thank you guys for an amazing job as always!!

They've just added some beautiful new shots to their blog, so don't forget to check it out!

Detail Teaser...

Marion knew exactly what she wanted for her wedding, so it was absolutely packed full of gorgeous, wow-worthy details! Two of my favorite details were the tablescapes and the lighting, both of which you can see in this great teaser shot from Benfield Photography...

Tablescape: Marion chose a beautiful, champagne satin, floor length table cloth and topped it with French blue silk shantung table runners criss-crossed to add interest. Centerpieces of light and dark blue hydrangeas with belles of Ireland and curly willow branches graced the tables. The tall cylinders with submerged calla lilies set atop an up-light to really highlight the floral designs. Votives add more light and the finishing touch is the gold Chiavari chairs with ivory cushions that really set off the entire design. It was absolutely stunning!
Lighting: The lighting concept for Marion's wedding was simple. We wanted to bring in the blue and orange color scheme in a modern way, so in order to do that we simply changed out the white flood lights that normally highlight the ceiling in the club and replaced them with blue. Then we brought in orange can lights to showcase the stunning rock columns around the room. As an added touch, we trimmed the room with white globe lights. The effect was gorgeous!

I'm sure there are lots of brides out there curious about Marion & Clark's amazing wedding vendors, so here it is....

Vendor Love
Photography: Benfield Photography, Fayetteville, AR
Ceremony Venue: St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Newport, AR
Reception Venue/Catering: Newport Country Club, Newport, AR
Band: Memphis Soul Revue, Memphis, TN
Florist: Daisies N Such, Newport, AR
Videographer: Matthew Robinson, Newport, AR
Rentals: Party Time Rental & Events, Little Rock, AR
Lighting: A/V Arkansas, Little Rock, AR
Photo Booth: Dancenhance Entertainment, Fayetteville, AR
Get Away Car: Family Friend
Wedding Coordinator: Finishing Touch Event Design

Don't forget to head on over to the Benfield Photography blog to see some great details from Marion & Clark's big day!

New Gallery Added: Ashley & John!

I've just added the amazing photos from Ashley & John's March wedding to our website!

Benfield Photography did an incredible job capturing the unbelievably gorgeous ceremony, the joyful bride, and all of the details. Here are just a few of my favorites from their gallery...
I've already gushed about the details in blog posts, so click here, here, here, and here to read all about it!

To see 30 of my favorite images from their day, visit their gallery on the Finishing Touch website!

One beautiful bride and a 200 year old veil!

Marion & Clark's wedding on Saturday was absolutely amazing, and I am so excited to share with you a first look at the gorgeous bride!
This is one of my favorite bridal portraits of all time! I love everything about it: the beautiful bride of course, the way it shows off her amazing heirloom veil, the soft quality, and the eye of the photographers. It is absolutely stunning!

For a more detailed look at the veil that dates back to the Napoleonic Era and other family heirlooms from Marion & Clark's wedding, check out my earlier post here.
If you'd like to see a little more from Marion's Bridal Portrait shoot, visit Benfield Photography's blog here, and for the first look at the wedding day photos, check out their blog here.

Stay tuned to see more from the amazing Benfield Photography as this week goes on! I can't wait!!

3 Days until Marion & Clark tie the knot!

Marion & Clark will be married on Saturday in a beautiful ceremony saturated with family history in Newport, Arkansas. Just to tease you a little, I wanted to share some of the amazing family heirlooms that will be a part of their special day.

Marion's veil is one of my favorite aspects of the wedding! And if you love history, you'll find this fascinating too....It was brought to America in 1848 from Germany by Marion's Great Great Great Grandfather. The veil actually dates back to the Napoleonic Era, when it was worn by the bride of the Prussian General von Blucher (who was involved in the Battle of Waterloo) for their wedding and later passed down through the bride's family. The date of construction is uncertain but it is estimated between 1800 and 1815. The fact that they can trace their ancestry that far is amazing enough, and to actually have an heirloom from that period blows me away! Pretty amazing right?!

Marion will wear the very same wedding gown that both her mother and grandmother wore for their weddings:

Elisabeth Curtner, mother of the bride, on her wedding day in 1978.

Marion Maury, grandmother of the bride, on her wedding day in 1950.

Marion's engagement ring was designed by Clark using the stunning diamond that once belonged to Marion's Great Grandmother. It was given to her by Marion's great grand father in the early 1900's and was then passed down to her Grandmother & Mother.

Both Marion & Clark's wedding bands were passed down to them from great grand parents, grand parents, and parents. They still bear the original engravings.

I cannot wait to see these amazing testaments of love and marriage that have been passed down through both of their families! It is truly unique to find a young couple as dedicated to family and tradition as Marion & Clark. I believe it is this dedication that will make their marriage strong and keep the incredible traditions alive! Congratulations to you both. Your wedding will be spectacular!

Here's to 60 years of marriage!

My husband's grandparents will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary this summer and I am simply amazed that in this day and age there are couples out there who are strong enough to make it a lifetime together!
Seeing this photo shoot from Jose Villa of a couple celebrating their 60th anniversary literally brought tears to my eyes...
This is what it's all about folks! It puts it all in perspective. This is why I do what I do, what I want for my own marriage, and what I hope for for all of you.

The amazing Finishing Touch team!

Thanks to the uber-talented, Melissa McCrotty Photography of Russelville, I have some wonderful new photos of our team!

I scouted out some locations in downtown Little Rock early last week and found a great alley that I fell in love with! It was the perfect blend of that urban backdrop I wanted with a little bit of a vintage vibe too.

Here are a few of my favorites captured by the incredible eye of Melissa McCrotty...

Jessica Kersey, owner/event coordinator

Left: Kimberly Cheshier, my wonderful mother/assistant coordinator/artist on call
Center: Jessica Kersey, owner/event coordinator
Right: Anna Pitts, my beautiful sister/assistant coordinator/floral design perfectionist/and bride to be!

Logan Kersey, Finishing Touch's biggest fan/my amazing husband.

My nieces and worker bees...

Annaston (5 years old), our in house wedding cake designer!

Lydia Belle (3 years old), florist in training!

My favorite shot of the Finishing Touch wedding coordinators....

left: Anna, center: Jessica, right: Kimberly

For more great photos from our shoot last week, check out Melissa's blog.

As you can see, Melissa is extremely talented! If you are engaged and looking for an amazing photographer at an incredible price, she's the perfect fit! Check out Melissa McCrotty Photography's website for more information.