Only 3 more 2015 dates left!

Hey everyone!

My goal as a wedding planner is to make life easier for you. In an effort to dedicate myself fully to each of my clients, I am limiting the number of weddings we take on each year. This allows me personally to do an excellent job for each and every bride because I am able to focus on you and your needs. This also ensures that you won't be passed off to someone else on the Finishing Touch team, but that it will be me who is by your side every step of the way along with the amazing support of all of the other members of our team!
Do you want this type of personal experience and dedication from your wedding planner? Let us help to make your day one of a kind. Call us soon for your free bridal consultation. We only have 3 remaining dates available for 2015! Snatch one up today.

Wren Wedding - October 2014 - Horton Farms. Photo by Miles Witt Boyer Photography.

Published in Arkansas Bride: Tea' & Cornelius

Hey guys!

Tea' & Cornelius were married in a super glamorous wedding in Little Rock in May. You may remember their wedding from our blog posts {HERE} {HERE} {HERE} and {HERE}. And we are so excited that their amazing wedding photos by Miles Witt Boyer Photography were featured in the newest edition of Arkansas Bride.

Congratulations on the publication of your stunning wedding, Tea' & Cornelius! Pick up your copy today for more gorgeous Arkansas weddings!

Best of the Best of 2014: The Little Things

Hey everyone!

Now we're ready for the fun little details that make weddings one of a kind!

1. Rachel & Blake - June 2014 - This place setting may be my favorite ever. We started with an incredible blush rosette linen from La Tavola. Then we added gold resin chargers and beautiful nude silk napkins in a cummerbund fold. On top of that each place setting held a sprig of fresh rosemary and a custom printed card from Shindig Paperie.

Napkin & Charger from Eventures. Photo by Stephanie Parsley Photography.

 2. Katelyn & Dale - November 2014 - This lovely monogram detail is perfect to wear while getting ready with your friends & family.

photo by Novo Studios. 

3. Kirsten & Jordan - August 2014 - This detail happened without any planning. We had 2 extra sequin table runners and decided during the flip {from ceremony to reception} to use them to attached the wooden "bride" and "groom" signs to their loveseat at the head table! It couldn't have turned out better and is one of my favorite details from their whole wedding. 

photo from my iPhone :)

4. Beth & Jacob - August 2014 - We tucked these little bulldog statues into the centerpieces to represent the couples dogs {who were in the ceremony, but were not invited to the reception!}. I love little touches like this that truly represent the bride & groom.

photo by Miles Witt Boyer Photography. Linens from BBJ. Flowers by Hudson Floral.

5. Tea' & Cornelius - May 2014 - This couple met in Law School, so instead of using typical table numbers we named the tables after Law Courses. These lovely custom table cards were created for us by the Social Type. 

photo by Miles Witt Boyer Photography.

6. Rachel & Graham - May 2014 - Finishing Touch made this custom "All You Need is Love" sign for Rachel & Graham to hang on the barn doors as guests arrived at their wedding. The top part is cut from wood and the bottom is made of feathers that we hand dipped in gold paint & glitter. This was a fun one!

photo by The Nichols

7. Caroline & Chris - June 2014 - Caroline's favorite color is glitter. So we went with it! And one of my favorite ways we incorporated her style was to custom line their envelopes with blush glitter liners. It gave the guests a peek into the design of the wedding without being too over the top! 

photo by Whitney Bower Imaging. 

8. Becca & Adam - March 2014 - Their custom invitations were finished with lovely hand made wax seals. I loved this detail so much we included it on the other paper items for the wedding day too! 

photos by Carper Creative Photography

9. Kelsey & Collin - August 2014 - We had local calligrapher, Kate Sbarra, hand letter these signs for the chair backs. We then framed them with a rough wood frame for him and a girly frame for hers that were painted to match. The signs were hung from their chairs using gorgeous silk ribbon in a variety of colors and sizes.

Photo by Max of Miles Witt Boyer Photography

10. Kirsten & Jordan - August 2014 - Does it get better than floral collars for the horses? I don't think it does! Pigmint did a beautiful job creating these for Kirsten & Jordan's wedding, even if the horses didn't cooperate for long!

photo by Benfield Photography

I just want to thank you all again for all of your support over the years. Clients, fellow wedding vendors, and Finishing Touch team members, none of this would be possible without you. I cannot tell you how much you all mean to me! I wish you all the best in 2015!
I can't wait to share all of the new and exciting things in store for us next year! Big things to come!!

Best of the Best of 2014: Wedding Cakes

Hi guys!

I'm back today with my favorite wedding cakes from the past year. This year, our clients chose a wide variety of styles and I absolutely love it! Doing something different each week is so much fun. Now here are my favorite cakes from 2014:

1. Beth & Jacob - August 2014 - I will never get tired of dessert bars featuring a small wedding cake and lots of delicious goodies, and we designed this one perfectly! Sitting on top of a lovely blush sequin linen from BBJ, all of the beautiful desserts by Rick's Bakery were displayed on vintage serving pieces belonging to the bride's family. The tiny, 2 tiered cake accented with fresh flowers by Hudson Floral sits delicately on a glass pedestal. It is surrounded by a wide variety of treats for the guests including doughnuts, cookies, chocolate dipped rice krispie treats, baklava, and much more.

Photo by Miles Witt Boyer Photography.

2. Caroline & Chris - June 2014 - This glamorous cake was the centerpiece of the design for Caroline & Chris's Crystal Bridges wedding. Rick's Bakery did a beautiful job bringing the design to life and every little detail on this cake was edible from the rhinestones to the sugar flowers. The crystal cake stand was the perfect way to display this beauty. Stunning!

Photo by Whitney Bower Imaging.

 3. Kirsten & Jordan - August 2014 - This may be the opposite of the above cake! The naked cake was huge this year, but this isn't just any old naked cake. This naked cake from Briar Rose Bakery was adorned with a HUGE cascade of flowers by Pigmint and topped with a custom cake topper. Not to mention the vintage table and sequin backdrop that perfectly finished the cake display and created the eclectic vibe that epitomizes this bride.

Photo by Benfield Photography.

4. Rachel & Blake - June 2014 - This 5 tiered gilded gold beauty was designed by Shelby Lynn's Cake Shoppe. Jules Design added the fresh flowers, and the Finishing Touch team designed and created the fresh garland cake stand. All this beauty is displayed on top of a stunning specialty linen from La Tavola.

photo by Stephanie Parsley Photography

Bonus: Katelyn & Dale's November wedding cake wins best cake table of 2014! The 5 tiered white cake was set atop a floral table. Jules Design filled the table top with gorgeous purple, green, and white blooms {hydrangeas, roses & more}. We then placed the cake on top of a traditional silver plateau to give it even more height and more drama. It was beyond stunning!

photo taken by my iPhone :) 

Now I'm hungry! Come back tomorrow for more loveliness! We'll be featuring our favorite portraits.

Best of the Best of 2014: Bouquets

Hey everyone!!

We're ringing in the New Year and reflecting on the beauty we were a part of during 2014. What a blessing to be able to work with such amazing, creative, and kind clients! Thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

Now for our best of the best! We'll begin today with my favorite bouquets in no particular order:

1. Rachel & Blake - June 2014 - Textural, southern bouquets by Jules Design. These beauties consist of Peonies, Garden Roses, Dahlias, Queen Anne's Lace, Viburnum, and more. These bouquets couldn't be more perfect with the bridesmaids gowns from Two Birds Bridesmaids (available locally at Tesori Bridal & Formal in Fayetteville)

Photo by Stephanie Parsley Photography

2. Rachel & Graham - May 2014 - Loosely gathered bridesmaid bouquets by Flora were each different and were the perfect fit for this Horton Farms barn wedding. The ivory and gold tones beautifully complimented the varying shades of blue worn by the bridesmaids. These bouquets consisted of roses, peonies, sweet peas, and greenery.

Photo by the Nichols Photography

3. Becca & Adam - March 2014 - This bouquet by Hudson Floral is the most structured on our list, but it still has some personality! I love the use of the more modern orchid and the modified round shape. Alex, the fabulous floral designer, created gorgeous texture using orchids, roses, tulips, sweet peas, ranunculus, hyacinth, garden roses, and greenery.

Photo by Carper Creative Photography.

4. Kirsten & Jordan - August 2014 - This list wouldn't be complete without the work of art that was Kirsten's bouquet. This cascading masterpiece was created by Pigmint using garden roses, peonies, ranunculus, dahlias, and loads of greenery. The lovely bridesmaid bouquets used the same blooms but in a more traditional, round shape. The extra long trailing ribbons accenting the bridesmaid bouquets were a beautiful compliment to the shape of the bridal bouquet.

Bridal gown from Tesori Bridal & Formal. Photo by Benfield Photography.

Come back tomorrow to see our favorite wedding cakes!

I had a baby!

Hey everyone!

So I'm sure you're wondering where I have been these last couple of weeks. Our sweet baby boy, William "Liam" Logan Kersey was born on January 17th at 7:56pm. He was 10 days early, weighed 6lb 13oz, and was 19in long. It was the hardest, most incredible, proudest moment of my life. And I feel extremely blessed.

I'm taking a little time away from blogging to enjoy these early days with our new son...and to figure out how to function on very little sleep! :) Just in case you were wondering how adorable he is, here are a few images from his Newborn Session with Raye Law Photography...

Thank you all for understanding as I take a little time to figure out this whole mom thing! And thank you so much for the outpouring of love and support during this new adventure!

Maggie & Jacob's Winter Wedding: Happy Anniversary!

Hey everyone!

I love it when a bride and groom take a few moments out of their wedding day to honor someone else. In Maggie & Jacob's case, this was a pair of their friends! One of the groomsmen and his wife braved some crazy weather to make it to Little Rock for the wedding and were celebrating their anniversary on the same day that Jacob & Maggie said "I do". To show their dear friends how much they were appreciated, they presented them with a "Happy Anniversary" cake during the reception. Here's a couple of photos of this sweet moment...

We create lots of these moments for our couples! Many of our brides & groom's have given birthday cakes to family or friends during their reception, but this was the first Anniversary cake. Such a thoughtful way to acknowledge those closest to you!

Photos by Samantha Daniels Photography.

Sweet Sweet Words

Hey everyone!

We hope you've all been staying warm this week! I'm back today with a lovely review left by one of my October brides that I just had to share...

Jessica was not only an AMAZING event planner, but a wonderful support, friend and encouragement during our entire wedding process, and we are so grateful for her in every way. She is extremely talented, inventive in design and artistic expression, and really makes a couples vision come to life and takes all the stress away from planning and makes it fun and allows a couple to take in every moment of their big day before, during, and after. We can't thank her enough for all her time, effort, dedication, and patience through this planning process, and she has a so many gifts but is extremely proficient and professional and ALWAYS follows through, and that is so important to the success of any event. Our wedding weekend was PERFECT and totally us in every way, and Jessica played a vital role in making it the magical experience we wanted for our guests and ourselves, and we are so thankful. Any event or bride is extremely lucky to have an outstanding individual like Jessica to take their ideas and bring them to life, and do it in the most compassionate and kind manner with such artistry and attention to detail.
Jessica thank you for everything, we love you dearly!!

This is the kind of experience we strive for for each and every one of our clients. Thank you Susan for sharing!

Vendor Spotlight: Autumn and Grace Bridal

Hey everyone!

I have just discovered a wonderful new treasure in the Northwest Arkansas wedding vendor community: Autumn and Grace Bridal. Recently featured on the Today Show, this little company is quickly gaining a wonderful reputation.

In Autumn's own words: "My background is actually as a mixed-media painter and jewelry designer, and this definitely informs how I create!  I love to make pieces that are fun to wear or carry and that feature a variety of fabrics.  And I especially love to work heirloom pieces into my flowers--keepsake wedding-dress fabric, lace, handkerchiefs, brooches, you name it!  These pieces add such personal and meaningful touches to a bride's flowers."

Here are just a few of her beautiful pieces...

Autumn creates gorgeous, one of a kind works of art for you on your wedding day. Using high end fabrics mixed with vintage details Autumn and Grace Bridal gives you a true work of art! Whether it is an extravagant bouquet, a lovely hair piece, or a simple garter, at least one of their products appeals to every bride. She can even use fabric from your mother's wedding gown in your custom creation!

To see more, visit her website: Autumn and Grace Bridal.

Hannah & Justin: Thank you!

Hannah & Justin,

You were such a pleasure to work with. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute leading up to and during your wedding. I wish you nothing but the best in your marriage, and I'm so blessed to call you and your family friends. Congratulations again!

Website Updated! {New Pictures}

Hey everyone!!

I've been hard at work narrowing down the thousands of incredible images from weddings over the past few years to update our website. It's finally ready with some lovely brides and grooms that we've had the pleasure to work with recently and some of our very favorite designs!

Click here to check it out now and enjoy the new Slideshow and all of the new sidebar images! Thank you to all of the incredible photographers whose photos are featured!

Lydia & Caul: The Design Process

Hey everyone!

I wanted to share a little of our process with you today. Throughout planning for Lydia & Caul's wedding we did a series of sketches to either help Lydia see her choices all pulled together before things were finalized or to help the vendors capture our vision.

Here's our cake sketch that we took to Rick's Bakery during our consultation...

 And here's the finished product captured by Benfield Photography...

Great job Rick's!


Next up, here's our overview sketch of the reception space...

And here are a couple of overview shots of the room from Benfield Photography...

A few small changes were made {i.e. the placement of cocktail tables} but for the most part, it turned out exactly as we planned in the sketch!

I also have a sketch of the head table, but for some reason Blogger is flipping it on it's side and won't let me post it here correctly. Trust me, it turned out even better than we envisioned!

I hope you enjoyed this little peek inside the creative process!

Lydia & Caul: Vendor Love

Hey everyone!

My job would not be possible without the amazing team of vendors we work with for each wedding. After Lydia & Caul's spectacular wedding, it's only fitting to recognize everyone who was involved in making it absolutely perfect.

Here goes...

Benfield Photography
Nathan Willis Wedding Films
Central United Methodist Church
Arkansas Air Museum
Flora
Shindig Paperie
Brick House Kitchen Catering
Rick's Bakery
Eventures
Making Memories Photo Booth
Fayetteville Jazz Collective
Lightworks

Thank you all for your part in making this wedding perfect! You each did an incredible job!

Crescent Hotel {Eureka Springs} Wedding Showcase

Hello again!

I'm so excited to be collaborating on the design for the Crescent Hotel's wedding showcase, "Celebrating the Crescent Bride"! During this event they will unveil the new and improved Fountain Gardens, let newly engaged couples tour their many wedding locations on the historic hotel's property, and inspire you with new and exciting ideas for your upcoming wedding day!

If you are newly engaged {or soon to be engaged}, come explore the Crescent Hotel and get inspired for your big day! Eureka Springs is a wonderfully quaint town with amazing charm. The perfect location for your wedding!

Spring/Summer Interns Needed!

Hello everyone!

We have been working our tails off getting ready for some amazing Spring and Summer weddings, and we're ready to add to our incredible team again! Some of our interns from 2012 have stayed on board for the coming year, but we need another 2-4 interns who are interested in a hands-on learning experience in the wedding industry.

Photo by Benfield Photography. Reception at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.

If that's you, and you want to help create beautiful one of a kind weddings like the one above, please email your resume to jessica@finishingtoucheventdesign.net. I will review resumes next week and schedule phone interviews for the last week in March.

Month-Of Planning now available!

Hey everyone!

We've officially opened our February and March 2013 calendar for "month of" planning! If you are saying "I do" in the next few months and have everything planned but need someone to make sure everything is perfectly coordinated on the wedding day, this is the service for you!

Photo by Miles Witt Boyer Photography

We'll make sure everything is set up beautifully and everyone gets down the aisle on time! Call us today {479.414.4136} to set up your free bridal consultation.

There's An App For That: Wedding Crashing??

Hey everyone!

Beware brides...a wedding crasher app is coming VERY soon! It's called Crash Corsage and the tag line is "'Til Death Do Us Party!" While hilarious, it makes a game out of wedding crashing. It compiles all the weddings in the area using information found on wedding websites. Crashers select the weddings they will crash and must check in while there to get points. Crazy, right? Here's the details...

Crash Corsage from EricSchlakmanDotCom on Vimeo.

This obviously makes me laugh hysterically, but I do feel like I should warn brides that this is on it's way! Although it won't be as bad here as in large cities, it's still coming! We need to come up with some new ways to enforce the guest list so you don't pay for a swarm of {uninvited} fraternity brothers to eat and drink at your wedding!

The Appy Couple: the new wedding website!

Hey everyone!

I'm sorry for my long blog hiatus! I've been at conference, on holiday, and working to catch up from it all! But today I have something super fun to share with you all. This is something I discovered at a conference in Denver last month that I am absolutely crazy about.... The Appy Couple!

The Appy Couple is a fabulous tool to create your own Custom Wedding App that will reflect the style of your wedding. You can share information with your guests about the wedding locations, hotel discounts, travel details, and much more.

And one of the coolest features the Appy Couple provides is that it allows your guests to share photos from the wedding to collect them all in one place.

Our first Appy Wedding couple, Rachel & Doug, have just started the app for their April 2013 wedding and are loving it! Get started on your Wedding App today! Visit www.appycouple.com.