New Cake Obsession: Ombre

I've always loved Ombre clothing, especially beautiful gowns.

Givenchy haute couture

This fabulous design element that has graced numerous runways (and Gwen Stefani for her wedding!) has officially made its way into the wedding cake world...

by Maggie Austin, designer of my favorite ruffle cake ever!

Are you as crazy about this new wedding cake trend as I am? For more beautiful Ombre cakes, head on over to Postcards and Pretties.

Congratulations Ashley & David Buyse!

Congratulations to Ashley & David Buyse! This wonderful couple was married in a spectacular ceremony on Saturday at Immanuel Baptist Church in Little Rock. I can't wait for the professional photos from Carper Creative Photography, so I thought I'd share a few of the iPhone photos we snapped throughout the evening. Please forgive the poor quality :)

The altar was lined with 14 foot tall birch trees filled with hanging orchids and votives.

The winter trees acted as the backdrop for their sweet ceremony, and set the stage for their stunning reception at Chenal Country Club.

The Chenal Ballroom was lit with sapphire blue and tree branch gobos. The tables were topped with lush, beautiful linens and adorned with incredible floral arrangements by Distinctive Designs by Tanarah.

 

detail of florals at the base of tree centerpieces

candelabras from Party Time Rentals

Lisa's Cake Boutique created an awe-worthy cake that was admired by guests all night long! And Donatello's Bakery was behind the the groom's dessert display filled with an assortment of Belgian chocolates as a nod to the groom's Belgian heritage.

detail of cake topper

Ashley and David made a grand exit in a beautiful vintage car from Vintage Motor Cars as fireworks went off around them!

Overall, the wedding perfectly represented this fantastic couple! I am so happy for you both. Enjoy the Caribbean!! And please keep in touch.

A big thanks to the phenomenal Finishing Touch team for knocking it out of the park on this one!

Anna, Jessica, and Kimberly

2 days until Ashley & David's wedding!

Ashley and David are getting married this Saturday! And I've just received a few images from their calligrapher, The Left Handed Calligrapher, of Dallas Texas. Here are some photos of their custom calligraphy invitation suite that I thought I'd share...

 

Just wait until you see the gorgeousness that is to come! Beautiful floral designs, a forest of trees, beautiful lighting, and much more...

For a refresher, check out Ashley & David's engagement pics here.

Ashley & John's Wedding Video

Ashley & John Rausch were married in March in the biggest wedding we've ever done! As a very Happy Valentine's Day surprise, Nic of NILO Productions has just shared with us a couple of clips of their amazing wedding video!

The first is an overview clip of some of the sweetest moments of their day as they were getting ready, as they said their vows in a stunning candlelit ceremony, and dancing at their reception. It was truly amazing and here's a little taste of their day...
Ashley and John from NiLo Production Co. on Vimeo.

And this next clip is of their amazing reception! A few of  my favorite elements:
The big reveal! We had the bride & groom on the other side of a curtain wall which was raised as they began their first dance. The newly weds were revealed as they did their first dance. Guests also saw the band, the lounge, the light up bars, and photo booth for the first time of the evening.
I also LOVED the accent lighting we chose for their reception area. The floral gobos highlighted the back wall and added fabulous texture to the space.
And as you can see in the video, the band - The Rockets - kept the dance floor packed all night long!
Ashley and John's Reception from NiLo Production Co. on Vimeo.

This reception was absolutely fabulous! And it is a wonderful treat to get to relive it all over again through these videos. Thank you NILO Productions!

BHLDN unveiled!

As everyone in the wedding world is, I'm now obsessed with Anthropologie's new wedding line, BHLDN. It's everything you would imagine from Anthropologie: whimsical, ethereal, a little quirky, and completely beautiful!

I actually asked my husband yesterday if we can get married again so that I can wear an Anthropologie wedding gown...he said no :) So, I'll have to live through all of you!

I've been trying and trying to narrow down the items I wanted to share with you today, and had a hugely difficult time! So, instead, I thought I'd put together a stunning wedding ensemble with everything the fashionable bride needs for her big day. And here are my favorite pieces from the new BHLDN collection all put together...

The gown:

pleated fantasy gown: $3,600.00

The accessories:

bow-topped slingbacks: $310.00

graupel necklace: $750.00

smoke crystal head wrap: $290.00

The bridesmaids:

rivulet dress: $1,600.00

I know! It's really pricey for a bridesmaid, but it's my fantasy pairing, so sue me! The Rivulet dress also comes in ivory and is a stunning wedding gown!

This amazing pleated wedding gown with the blush shoes to soften it and the gorgeous statement jewelry are perfectly complimented by the sage green bridesmaid gown with pleating of its own! What a beautiful color scheme! I am already imagining the blush, sage, and silver wedding with gorgeous sage & silver linens, blush flowers overflowing the tables, and gorgeous candle light. LOVE!

And a few other great items that I just had to share from their new collection...

The perfect short dress:

origami pleated dress: $260.00

 A sapphire bolero? Yes please!

bow topped bolero: $120.00

 Beautiful lingerie:

vanity table peignoir: $250.00

And more gorgeous dresses for bridesmaids and wedding guests:

starburst pleated shift: $200.00

savoy dress: $220.00

Now go immediately and look through each and every items in their new line! BHLDN is heaven!

Ribbons Galore!

Get ready to see ribbons everywhere in weddings this coming year! I, for one, am so excited about this fabulously fun new trend!

from a 2010 Nashville, TN wedding

beautiful ribbon detail on chiavari ceremony chairs

from a recently featured wedding on Grey Likes Weddings

ribbon wands for get away, available from Mary Dann

And last, you might remember this Texas wedding by David Tutera from his WE TV show, My Fair Wedding. It's full of fantastic ribbon details...

ribbons hold their placecards

ribbons acted as the backdrop for their wedding ceremony

And ribbons hung from their live chandeliers over each table at the reception. Photos courtesy of Snapshots Photography.

This is a fun, perfectly southern, new trend that I'm looking forward to in 2011!

Beautifully Rustic Flowers

Amazing floral designs with a rustic flair...

This bouquet and boutonniere are perfection:

I also adore this rustic tablescape & centerpiece:

When you've seen rustic done so many times, it's nice to see a refreshing design brought to life through flowers! Absolutely gorgeous.

The element of this Style Me Pretty wedding that struck me was the gorgeous floral designs, but there's much more to see! Head over to Style me Pretty for more...

Fun Floral Wedding Cake

This cake from One Lovely Day is the perfect wedding cake!

Make it larger by adding tiers, or keep it small and include it in a dessert bar. I love the stripped cake that makes it fun even after it's cut!

Color Palette Inspiration: Deep, Rich Tones

Beautifully inspiring color palette from Flights of Fancy...

I love the deep jewel tones mixed with gold. This would be a stunning color palette for a fall or winter wedding!

Finishing Touch Event Design is awarded the Brides Choice Award for 2011!

Finishing Touch Event Design is awarded the Brides Choice Award for 2011!

WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, is thrilled to announce Finishing Touch Event Design has been selected to receive the prestigious annual WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011 for Wedding Planning and Design!

Recognition for the Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011 is determined by recent reviews and extensive surveys from over 750,000 WeddingWire newlyweds. Our past clients are among those that shared their experiences on WeddingWire, the largest wedding review site in the nation.

Finishing Touch stands among the top five percent of wedding professionals in the WeddingWire community, representing quality and service excellence within the wedding industry. Awards were given to the top wedding professionals across 20 service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers, and were based on the overall professional achievements throughout the past year.

“WeddingWire is honored to celebrate the success of the top-rated wedding professionals within the WeddingWire community,” said Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “With the annual Bride’s Choice Awards™ program, WeddingWire has the unique opportunity to recognize the best wedding professionals across the US and Canada. We applaud Finishing Touch for their professionalism and dedication to enhancing the wedding planning experience last year.”

We are happy to announce that Finishing Touch is among the very best Finishing Touch within the WeddingWire Network, which includes leading wedding planning sites WeddingWire, Martha Stewart Weddings, Project Wedding and Weddingbee. We would like to thank our past clients for nominating us to receive the Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011.

For more information, please visit the Finishing Touch WeddingWire Storefront today. And for more information on the Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011, please visit www.WeddingWire.com.

2011 Trend Watch

Merci New York has been recapping their recent Wedding Event which included some amazing trends for 2011! Here are just a few of my personal favorites...

1. Cakes dripping with stunning sugar flowers!

White on White by Sylvia Weinstock

Saturated colors by Sugar Flower Cake Shop

The key to keeping this look updated for the new year, is to make sure your flowers are each unique and made by hand. Gone are the days of perfectly identical flowers. You want them to look natural, and to make that happen, they must each be different. 

2. Dessert bars overflowing with delicious sugary confections...

by One Girl Cookies

The key to updating the dessert bar is to choose this over a wedding cake. Go all out with it!

3. Bright blooms

Don't be afraid of color! Mix and match, and use them in a beautifully modern way.

4. Use natural elements in your floral designs...

Succulents add a beautiful touch to the place settings

Oranges cascading across the table really make the few orange flowers pop! And the white containers keep it utterly modern.

To use fruit & naturals in a modern way this year, place them on the tabletop itself rather than as filler in the floral containers. It gives your table the look of a farmers market!

For more inspiration for your 2011 wedding, head on over to Merci.

Dripping in Gold...

I'm a little crazy about this gorgeous gold wedding cake from This is Glamorous...

How stunning would this be as the centerpiece to a gold wedding?! LOVE it.

Ceremony Venue Envy...

Over a year ago, Bored Panda posted the top 50 most extraordinary churches in the world. They include everything from traditional cathedrals to underground chapels and even one church in a shell station in California! Just to give you a little venue envy, I thought I'd share a few of my favorites...

#1. Church of Halgramur in Reykjavak, Iceland

#4. Chapel of St. Gildas in Brittany, France

I want to marry my husband all over again in this chapel right out of a fairytale!

#15 Paraportiani Church in Mykonos, Greece

#33. Salt Cathedral of Zipaquira in Cundinamarca, Columbia

Built in underground Salt Caves, this makes for a unique and beautiful venue!

#8. Jubilee Church in Rome, Italy

A great modern alternative to the gorgeous traditional cathedrals of Italy

And my favorite...

#24. San Francisco de Asis Church in Taos, New Mexico

I love the unique structure and the organic, natural quality of this beautiful church. I also think I'm partial to it because in college, as an arty history major I studied the painting of this church by Georgia O'Keeffe....

Do you have venue envy yet? If anyone wants to have a destination wedding at any of these amazing churches, I travel :) 

You should all check out the full list on Bored Panda for much more awe-worthy architecture! 

One of my favorite brides sent me this link months ago! She was married last fall at #49 on this list, the Thorncrown Chapel in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Thanks Alli!