Pews for your Outdoor Ceremony

What an absolutely darling idea! Bring the country chapel charm outdoors and use wooden pews for your ceremony instead of the traditional (or plastic) white chairs. It adds so much character and personality! I love the pillows and other touches that can be added as well! These photos are from Pews in the Garden, (located in Dallas, TX) and they provide white or natural wood pews for your outdoor ceremony.

 Photos from PewsintheGarden.com

You can see Pews in the Garden at our upcoming bridal show "The Wedding Reception" at the Dallas Arboretum on Oct 21st! Brides can pre-register at our website www.idobridalsoiree.com and vendors can register by calling (214) 218-2525.

5 Ways to Save on Your Wedding Budget

5 Ways to Save on your Wedding Budget!

 Wedding Ceremony at Severance Hall in Cleveland, Ohio

Photo by EM's Event Photography

Everyone's on a tight budget these days, but skimping in the wrong places could lead to bigger problems in the long run! Take our advice and use these tips to save on 5 areas of your wedding:

1. Choose and use flowers wisely - Peonies may be your absolute favorite, but they're not available all year and very expensive to get at certain times. Consult with your florist on making less costly replacements for flowers that may not be in season. Another great idea to stretch your flower budget that we often suggest to our floral clients is re-using ceremony flowers at the reception. Your pew bows can decorate the buffet table, your alter arrangements can decorate the entrance to the reception or highlight your head table, and your bouquets can double as head table centerpieces or cake table decor. Your florist should even be able to move these for you (there may be a small added expense for the move, but it will still be less than ordering all those extra flowers!)

2. Choose a venue where you can have your ceremony and reception - By having all of your festivities for the day in one location, you can cut down drastically on the cost of transportation for you and your wedding party. No shuttles, no round trips, no waiting in the parking lot....this will add quite a handful back into your budget!

3. Choose a favor that doubles as entertainment or decor - I'm a big fan of killing two birds with one stone, and this is the perfect opportunity. A photo booth with a take home photo for the guests, or a caricature artist to draw the guests are both great options. A candy station (or cookie station, or mini dessert station) with take-home bags for your guests acts as an interactive entertainment feature, plus it gives them a sweet treat they can take home!

4. Choose DIY projects wisely - If you're a crafty type of bride, there are a few things you may be able to DIY to save yourself some money. If you're not, don't try! It can end up costing more and causing more headaches than it's worth! Hand made invitations always add a sweet touch of your own personality, and when done correctly they can cost much less that professionally printed invites with all the required inclusions. Favors are another thing you can DIY. Your guests will love a personal gift from you, like home baked cookies wrapped in pretty fabric and tied with a bow, or

5. Cut down on the guest list - This may be the hardest to do, but it will save you the most money in the long run. For every name you cross of the list you're saving a meal, a seat, a favor, a place card. Remove 8-10 names and you cut out an entire table of meals and beverages, a centerpiece, a linen, 8-10 favors, 8-10 escort and/or place cards, plus other items associated with each guest. In short, trimming some names from the guest list will save you in ALL areas of your wedding at once. It may be the most painful cut to make, but it will be the biggest budget saver of all!

Congrats Heather & Alex!

Heather & Alex had a gorgeous color combo of eggplant and burnt orange, and we had a great time designing the decor!

 

Congrats to Heather & Alex!
November 5, 2011


Church: Holy Redeemer Catholic Church
Reception Venue: Pine Ridge Country Club
DJ & Uplighting: Selective Sound Entertainment
Flowers, Decor & Linens: Amy Nixon Events

Congrats Alexis & John!

Finally, a weekend without rain! I think it's because this is my wedding anniversary weekend....and we always have good weather that weekend! :) But, my anniversary aside.....today was Alexis & John's big day, and they had a beautiful fall themed ceremony and reception at La Malfa in Mentor. I have been so excited about these centerpieces for months! Fall is my favorite time of year, and I absolutely love everything about the details they chose....especially the fall colors! Everything was beautiful! Congrats to Alexis & John!

 

 

 

 I *loove* the mini pumpkin escort cards!

 

Ceremony & Reception Venue: La Malfa

Flowers & Candles: Amy Nixon Events

Congrats Jessica & Chris!

Jessica & Chris had a stunning evening wedding at Severance Hall yesterday! Guests were seated in gold Chiavari chairs for the ceremony, and the wedding party lined the staircase where the ceremony took place in the Grand Foyer. The bride was nothing less than stunning in one of my favorite dresses of the year, flawless makeup, and a side swept long curly hair style. Absolutely gorgeous! Their youngest son, Shane, stole the show as the ring bearer. He made it all the way down the aisle perfectly!

After the ceremony, guests were ushered to cocktail hour, where a guitar duo played inside and there was a patio available outside to enjoy the nice evening weather. After the ceremony seating was cleared and the band set up, the guests were brought back in for dinner and the reception.

It was a gorgeous wedding for an amazing couple. Jessica was such a sweetheart to work with, and Chris kept us laughing the whole time! They are a truly genuine and gracious couple. I'm sad my planning time with them has come to an end! We wish Jessica, Chris, Mason, Caleb & Shane all the best in the future, and many years of happiness to come!

Ceremony & Reception Venue: Severance Hall

Catering: Sammy's

Planning & Day-Of Coordination: Amy from Amy Nixon Events

Harpist & Band: Virginia Dickson / Jerry Bruno Productions / RadioActive

Photographer: EM's Event Photography

Cake: About the Cake

Flowers & Menu Cards: Amy Nixon Events

Photobooth: Photobooth Cleveland 

Limo: A-1 Mr. Limo

Favors: Catherine's Chocolates

Bride's Dress: A Bride's Design

Makeup: Flutter Cosmetics

Invitations: Paper Trails

Accommodations: Glidden House & Hotel Intercontinental

Congrats Brittany & Bryan!

Brittany & Bryan were married in an outdoor ceremony at The Bertram Inn in Aurora, Ohio on a beautiful sunny day! With all the rain we've had this summer, the outdoor weddings have made me a bit nervous! But the clouds stayed away for the afternoon and the sun was shining for their ceremony! I also must say, Brittany's lace gown was stunning!!

 

 

The cocktail hour was held inside in the foyer, where buffet displays lined the tables and twinkle lights trickled down from ceiling to floor against all the windows. It was a really beautiful touch!

Inside the banquet room, tables were set in two different styles. Deep red linens with sheer ivory overlays and tall centerpieces with clouds of baby's breath, and white linens with short baby's breath centerpieces. The solid baby's breath looked so elegant in the room, and the ceiling treatment with lighting added that finishing touch to the special celebration.

Congrats to the beautiful couple, Brittany & Bryan! Best wishes for a long and happy marriage! It was a true pleasure working such a sweet family!

Venue & Catering: The Bertram Inn

Lighting, Ceiling Treatment, Pipe & Drape, Flowers: Amy Nixon Events

Congrats Casey & Sean!

It was another gorgeous day in Sandusky for Casey & Sean's wedding! We were all absolutely in love with the dresses at this wedding! The bridesmaids wore the most beautiful shade of turquoise, and the bride's dress was breathtaking! There was a peacock theme that carried throughout the day (Casey even wore a bird cage veil!). It started at First Presbyterian Church with the unity candle, alter arrangements, boutonnieres and corsages all including peacock feathers. Then it carried over into the reception at Lyman Harbor with the bird cage card holder adorned with peacocks, peacock feathers incorporated into the centerpieces, and a peacock perched on the head table in front of the bride & groom. Each guest got a "koozie" favor with the bride & groom's names on the front and a peacock feather on the back.

This was such a wonderful couple and family to work with, so gracious and kind! They made us all feel like a part of their group for the day, and we had so much fun working with them. My only regret is that we didn't get to work together longer! But I'm sure this isn't the end...Casey has a wedding invitation business, and I'm sure we'll be working together in the future!

The bride's entrance was perfect!

 Moss 'H's adorned the church doors

Peacock feathers and moss on the unity candle

White petals and pew torches lined the church aisle

Panoramic view of the reception at Lyman Harbor

Moss ball centerpiece accented with peacock feathers

Archway at the entrance to the reception

Mismatched gold vases, moss and river rocks as a centerpiece

The first dance...

Completely in love with this dress! Can't wait to see the formal dress photos from the photographer!

Awesome idea! The bride painted a peacock painting, and all the guests dipped their fingers in paint and added their fingerprint as a "feather" on the painting.

Vanilla & Chocolate cupcakes!

Congrats to the happy couple! Casey

Ceremony: First Presbyterian Church in Sandusky

Reception & Catering: Lyman Harbor in Sandusky

Wedding Coordinator: Whitney from Amy Nixon Events

Decor Design & Setup: Amy from Amy Nixon Events

Photography: Ty Bolling Photography

Videography: Pixer Productions

Transportation: Limitless Transportation

DJ: The Incredible Music Machine

Cupcakes: I Do Cakes

Chiavari Chair Rental: Chiavari Chairs Weddings