On August 29th, I had the pleasure of coordinating the beautiful wedding of Justine & Steele.  Justine contacted me just two months prior to the wedding date, so most details were taken care of – she was just looking for somebody to handle last minute details (as she and Steele live in Denver, so were planning long distance) and make sure everything went smoothly on the wedding day.  I was more than happy to do this, and make all of her ideas come to life.

Justine was one of the calmest brides I have ever worked with, and Steele was definitely the most excited groom.  Neither of them were nervous, just anxious to walk down the aisle and become husband and wife.  Taking place in the backyard of the brides parents New Hope estate, the setting was simply gorgeous.  Steele proposed to Justine in the backyard of her parents home, so it seemed perfectly fitting that the ceremony should take place there as well.  Justine’s brother had built an arbor for the ceremony, which was decorated with white silk fabric and had gorgeous flowers growing around it.  A harpist provided the music, and escorted by her mother and father, Justine walked up the aisle, looking absolutely gorgeous, to “Once Upon A Dream” from Snow White.  This set the tone for the whole evening – it truly was a night where dreams came true.  As soon as Steele saw his bride, his face broke out in a huge smile, and the emotions began for both of them.

About 30 seconds after Justine & Steele were pronounced husband and wife, a helicopter piloted by one of their neighbors flew over the ceremony area (this was arranged by Justine’s mother, though was a complete surprised to Justine & Steele!).  It was FANTASTIC.  They got some amazing shots from the sky! (Attached below)

After that excitement, guests moved into the reception tent for an absolutely spectacular dinner.  Joseph Garvey, chef of Joseph’s  Grille in Langhorne, as well as The Liberty Belle of Philadelphia, provided the catering, and all guests feasted on crab cakes, filet, and amazing salads and sides.  Opting out of a traditional wedding cake, Justine and Steele had a cake dessert bar instead, comprised of seven different cakes (which disappeared in less than 20 minutes; they were GOOD!). 

 What I remember most is the fun energy of the entire celebration.  Justine & Steele had known each other since their teenage years, had fallen in love later on in their friendship, and were so excited to be getting married.  Their families were so excited for them, and shared in six different toasts throughout the evening.  Guests ate, drank, danced, and enjoyed every single minute.

Special thanks to Stellar Hair & Make-up for providing styling services to Justine and her girls; they looked amazing all night which is not an easy feat in 97 degree heat!  And special thanks to Justine & Steele, for allowing me to be a part of your wedding day.  I hope your honeymoon in Italy is the trip of a lifetime, and that you share a lifetime of love and happiness.  Take good care of each other.

Where did August go?!  It went by in a blink, and was one of the busiest August’s Create The Moment has ever had.  We coordinated three gorgeous weddings, all so different – Molly & Doug on August 8th, Elizabeth & Matt on August 14th, and Justine and Steele on August 28th.  As soon as I get photos from their photographers I will post about each one.  They were all so incredibly special and unique to each couple. 

September is looking busy for us as well, and 2011 is filling up!  Everybody have a great labor day weekend!!

Stacey

On July 17, 2010, the wedding of Erika and Brent, a day almost two years in the making, went off without a hitch!  I had been looking forward to this day for so long, for so many reasons.  I met Erika and Brent in February 2008 at Brent’s sisters wedding, a wedding I also had the pleasure of coordinating,  (the fabulous wedding of MariBeth and Trip!).  They were so much fun then, and I was so thrilled when they called me and asked me to help with the planning of their wedding too.   To get to share in two events for the same family is such an honor, and it is part of what makes my job so special.

The day started at Brent’s parents house, with a non-traditional ‘everybody getting ready at the same place.’  This actually worked beautifully – especially for me!  Everybody I needed was right there!  Erika stayed upstairs and Brent stayed downstairs, and everybody picked a place to get dressed and primp.  The limo made two trips the the church, Brent and his boys leaving first, Erika and her attendants leaving second, keeping the bride in hiding from her groom until the ceremony.

The wedding took place at the Emanual Lutheran Church in Souderton, one of the oldest churches in the area.  The stained glass is breathtaking, and made for a gorgeous ceremony.  Erika was an absolutely stunning bride, dressed in a Maggie Sottero gown that was simply gorgeous.  She skipped a tiara and instead wore a veil accented with flowers in her hair, which fit her fun loving personality perfectly.  Brent was a very handsome groom, and I will always remember the huge smile that crossed his face the second he saw his bride walking up the aisle.  After the ceremony the bridal party made a quick stop at Upper Gwynedd Park for some fun photos before heading to the reception took place at the William Penn Inn, which is always spectacular.  Erika, Brent, their family and guests enjoyed a reception of great food, great family, great friends, and great music courtesy of Bigg Romeo (the floor was full ALL NIGHT!). The evening ended with a fabulous candy ‘bar’, full of goodies for their guests to fill up their favor boxes with, to end the night on a ’sweet’ note.  Thank you to BG Productions for capturing their day so perfectly!

Erika and Brent – thank you for trusting me with your day.  I had such a great time planning your wedding with you, and am so glad you enjoyed your wedding day.  I wish you a lifetime of love and happiness.  Take good care of each other, and keep in touch!

(Photos courtesy of BG Productions and Bigg Romeo)

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On June 12, I had the pleasure of coordinating the wedding of Brian and Kristie.  There is so much to say about this day, I don’t even know where to begin!  The wedding was held in Kristie’s parents backyard – a gorgeous piece of land complete with gardens and a pond.  While weddings that take place at a person’s home can mean many many more details to coordinate, they also can be the most personal, and have the most personality.  This wedding did not disappoint!

The ceremony was officiated by Kristie’s Aunt Marcia, who made the ceremony so personal; it completely reflected the kind of couple Brian and Kristie are – fun, caring, and yes, completely in love.  The bridesmaids wore fun blue tea-length strapless dresses, and Kristie was an absolutely beautiful bride – she paired a J. Crew sheath style wedding gown with a bird cage veil, and looked like 1940’s glamour with a modern twist.  Brian was a very handsome groom in his khaki suit (a smart choice for an outdoor wedding – black tuxes in 90 degree heat are a BIG no no!).  My favorite part of the ceremony was when Brian was told he could kiss his bride, and he was so anxious to kiss his new wife he almost didn’t bother to lift her veil.  It was classic, and showed just how much he had been looking forward to this day.

The reception was held in the neighbors backyard, which was the home that Kristie’s mother had grown up in.  It was a BLAST – great music, great friends, touching toasts, and great food.  Kristie had arranged a surprise for Brian; an opera singer to sing their first song, Celine Dion’s A Mothers Prayer, and I was able to keep her hidden until their first dance.  There wasn’t a dry eye in the place.  This crowd was ready to PARTY too – halfway through the night I darted to the nearest state store to buy a little back up wine, as this crowd enjoyed wine!  They were all so happy to celebrate this day.  And while it was threatening rain, it held off all night, allowing people to dance under the tent or walk the grounds. 

I’m still waiting for photos from the photographer, but here are a few I took myself that day, and one that I snagged from a facebook posting -

Brian and Kristie – thank you for trusting me with your wedding day; it was an honor to be a part of it.  Also, thank you for having such a great bridal party – I think they were the most fun and cooperative crew I have ever had!  Take good care of each other, and keep in touch.

I am asked all the time how to find a wedding gown in the right size.  It is somewhat cruel, but wedding gowns tend to run one to two sizes too small (bridesmaids are not exempt from this either – those gowns can run one size small as well…).  There are many reasons for this – European sizing does not translate and different designers have different standards for sizing, so don’t go on a crash diet – just go up a size and ignore that tag!!  Also, when you are shopping for your gown, (if the shop allows), take pictures of yourself in the dresses you really like.  This way you can compare them later; I suggest waiting a few days and looking at them all again – see which ones really stand out.   Another tip – let a salesperson show you a gown.  A wedding gown is like nothing you have ever worn before, and they have seen these gowns on many brides – they know who looks best in what.  You may have something in mind, and they show you something you never thought you would like. 

Last tip - always try on a veil when you are trying on gowns!  Veils make the entire ensemble, so you want to make sure you see it all together.

Happy Shopping!!

Earlier this week I saw a posting on craigslist, looking for formal gowns for a new consignment shop.  Always one to seek out a bargain, I answered the ad, asking for more information on the shop and what kind of clothing it carried.  I got a reply from Donna D’Angiolini, one of the co-owners of this new shop, Elegante Affairs, who told me this shop is a high end bridal consignment shop, less than a month old.  I had to go check it out!!!

I went by on Saturday and was DUMBSTRUCK by the selection they had.  Gorgeous gowns, 80% of them still with tags, due to either coming from other bridal shops that were switching inventory and simply needing to clear space, or brides who purchased the gown then changed their mind.  I met with Donna and her partner, Jann Tursi, who have been hard at work opening this shop – and it shows!  Walking in, you feel like you are walking into a high end boutique.  The shop is simply charming, with organized racks of bridal gowns, bridesmaid gowns, mothers gowns and evening/prom gowns.  Shopping here, you will not be sifting through disorganized dresses – you will be directed to the racks to look through, then shown to a dressing area and offered help in changing.  The best part?  These high end gowns (again, most of them new!!!) are priced between $200 – $900.  And should you need alterations, they know several good seamstresses to direct you too.

So, you are getting a high end gown, with high end service, in a charming shop, for a budget friendly price.  What more can you ask for?!  If you are looking for a great gown at an incredible price go check them out – Elegant Affaires, 308 N. Main Street, Chalfont, Pa.  I know I will be there with many of my brides!

As promised, here are photos from Kathleen & OK’s wedding (see prior post for details).  It was an absolutely magical day!!  Thanks again to Kath & OK, for having me as a part of you special celebration.

Hello everybody!

Just wanted to share an article just printed in County Line Magazine (PA).  Every year they do an article on all the upcoming wedding trends, and this year I was honored to be asked to give my two cents on everything I see happening in wedding world!  Much thanks to Laura Brennan for a great piece – http://countylinesmagazine.com/article.aspx?aid=460

Yesterday I had the pleasure of coordinating the wedding celebration of Kathleen and OK.  I met Kathleen and OK  through Cathie and Al of BG Productions, who were hired to do their photography and videography.  Kathleen was concerned about all of the events that were going to happen, and when she told Cathie she thought they may need a day-of coordinator, she gave them my name as we have worked together many many times (thanks Cat!).   I met with Kathleen and OK five weeks ago, and got to hear all about thier special day, which was going to incorporate a lot of traditions.

OK, the groom, (nick name for Oketchutwu) is Nigerian, and the culture has many wedding traditions.  We created a timeline that would give us time to incorporate everything they wanted – and it was a lot!  The timeline was tight, but I was determined to get my bride and groom everything they wished for.  The wedding took place at Ridley Methodist Church, one of the most charming churches I have ever had the pleasure to be in.  The ceremony was beautiful, with many songs and readings, and Kathleen was a stunning bride.  After the ceremony, there were a total of 27 photos that the couple wanted, but with a complete list and good direction, we got every single one (thank you again BG!) while staying on time.  The reception was a true celebration!!!  The hotel allowed an outside Nigerian caterer in, to add to the menu they were providing, so both American and Nigerian traditional fare were there, they had the blessing of the Kola nut (another beautiful tradition), their guests showered them with money during their money dance and wished them countless blessings during the ‘dance and toast’, and halfway through the night, Kathleen and OK changed out of their gown and tux and into traditional Nigerian wedding attire, made of beautiful material in green and gold hues.  They packed so much into their night!!  I hope they enjoyed every minute – their guests most certainly did!  I will post photos soon….

Kathleen and OK – I wish you a wonderful life together.  Thank you for trusting me with your day! Take good care of each other.

Though the weather definitely fought us, the Phoenixville Area Chamber of Commerce Charity Ball was a great success.  Our guests braved the wind, rain, and yes, some even overcame power outages to attend this wonderful event.  As I posted before, this year the beneficiary chosen was the Good Samaritan Shelter of Phoenixville.  Nate Hoffer, Director of Good Samaritan, addressed the crowd and thanked everybody there for contributing, and then introduced a resident of the shelter, who bravely told his story of how he fell on hard times and Good Samaritan was there to empower him to get back on track.  It was moving, to say the least. 

From there, the night was full of bidding on the live and silent auction items – people took home some great things (like weekend stays at the Loews in Philly, box seat tickets to an Eagles Game, and memberships to RiverCrest Country Club, who hosted the ball) and dancing to the tunes provided by the #1 Philly Party Band – Bigg Romeo!!  It was a great time.

I want to again thank the Chamber for hiring us to help coordinate this fantastic event, RiverCrest Country Club for being so accommodating to our scheduling needs, all of the businesses who donated items for the auction, and all of our guests who braved the elements to be a part of this special night.  We hope to see you all again next year!!!

I will post photos soon!!