Lacy reflects on 2009.....

2009 has been an amazing year for us here at Lacy Branch Events! We have had the opportunity to work with the most adorable and unique couples and their families. As we take this time to reflect on each and every one of couples, we realize how lucky we are to be a part of one of the most remarkable days of their lives. There will be many "firsts" that the couple will experience together, but one they will not soon forget will be the "first day as husband and wife". This day is extra special. That "special day" never gets old to us. Even though we get to experience it weekend after weekend with each of our clients, it never ceases to make us smile. We smile that in this big world, those two people found each other, and are pledging their love and life to each other. Isn't that what life is all about? Love?

I am thankful for all of our past clients, our current clients, and the prospective clients that we will soon be meeting. Thank you for letting us be part of your vision, part of your family, and most importantly part of your heart.

As we say goodbye to 2009, I can look back through our gallery of images and smile knowing that our clients had an amazing "first" and we were lucky enough to be a small part of it.

It is not just our clients that we reflect on, but our vendors as well. It takes so many professionals to produce a wedding or event. We could not achieve the polished, successful weddings and events without all of them. This past year, I feel I won the jackpot in the vendor category! From fantabulous photographers, party starting dj's,yummy bakers, take your breath away floral designers, to make you look model fabulous makeup and hair stylists, I was so blessed to meet so many new vendors. You all are truly a cut above the rest!

So bring on 2010, we cannot wait for all the opportunities!

For the next few days, we are going to finish up some much needed R & R and will be back in the office Tuesday January 5, 2010.

In the giving spirit…

This time of the year when we are in the giving spirit we thought this would be as good a time as any to post.

Over and over again we have couples asking us for alternatives to giving “traditional favors.” Many of our clients have come to the decision that they would like to do something else. We revert to history to first explain to the clients where the tradition originated. Here is what we found.
According to history, the Aristocrats in Europe started the giving of wedding favors. The first wedding favors are called bonbonniere. Bonbonniere is made up of sugar that had the shape of a cube. It was placed in a small box that can be made from crystal and porcelain. At that time, sugar was the symbol of wealth and royalty. According to beliefs, sugar had a lot of health benefits. During that era, only the rich people were able to give bonbonnieres to their guests. But with the passage of time, the price of sugar decreased and become affordable for people from all walks of life. This started the tradition of giving away wedding favors.

These days, choosing wedding favors for the wedding day is not as difficult as it once was. From expensive wedding favors to the less costly ones, there’s always a choice for the couples. Many have opted out of leaving a tangible favor at each place setting but in turn look to other alternatives. An alternative that is gaining popularity are donations to charities in the couple’s names. The couples can put a card at each place setting or on the table informing guests that a donation was made in lieu of favors. An example is shown below.



A second option is a donation registry. This allows couples to take the giving one step further and offer guests an online alternative to the traditional gift registry. Here is a great website that we found that does just this JustGive.org.

So as we tell all of our clients… “Don’t just give favors because you think you have to.” We advise our clients to do what is right for them, whether that is a traditional favor, or another alternative!
Happy Giving!

Bridesmaid Dress Drama?

Are bridesmaid dresses making you feel like this?

How many times have we been asked this question… What do I do about my bridesmaids, they don't want to wear the dress I picked out. I think I lost count about 2 years ago. However, the question is no less relevant today then it was then. The benefit, is that now we have options! I was elated to find Coco Myles, which is an online provider of custom made dresses. THANK YOU!!! Not only are they custom, but they are relatively affordable.

I actually only stumbled onto Coco Myles when a friend was in a wedding and got a dress from Coco Myles which she totally loved. She said that she tried it on, it fit perfectly, and it was very flattering! She was so happy with the dress, when she tried it on and surprise…it fit perfectly! It should because it was custom made to her measurements! Very often after you purchase a bridesmaid dress from a store, even when they order it in your exact size based on measurements, it might require numerous alterations. At some places, those alterations can add up and become expensive, not to mention time consuming.

This picture captures, how easy it is for your bridal party and even your mom to design a custom dress.

Are you concerned about your ladies ordering them at different times, and possibly receiving slightly different shades? Have no fear, they even offer a "Fabric Reservation" option. This will allow you to ensure that your dresses are all cut from the same bolt of fabric, even if they order weeks or months apart!
If you are feeling overwhelmed with the bridesmaid dress challenge, I would recommend you take a few minutes to check out their website!

Happy Thanksgiving

We are thankful for so many things. We have wonderful families, great friends, and so many amazing clients (past and present). Our clients have selected us to be part of on of the biggest days of their lives. I cannot think of a bigger blessing. Thank you to all of you for letting us know you and for letting us help you.

We hope that you all are enjoying time with your family, friends, and loved ones.

Happy Thanksgiving from the Lacy Branch Events family to yours.

Fabulous Hot Pink and Black Wedding Inspiration

We love to design fantabulous events for our clients. At times, I think we have more creativity then we know what to do with. So during this slower time of the year, we will be creating one or two "digital inspiration boards" each week.

Many of you reading this blog are either past, current, or hopefully future clients. If you are our client, and have selected us to help you design your big day, you know that all things decor is our speciality. These boards, are simply inspiration at this point and are images found independently or might be part of weddings we have done in the past. As we find an image that inspires us we begin to create these boards. These types of boards have been used for years and years by fashion and interior designers. They help the designer convey what is in his/her head in a way that the client can see. They say a picture is worth a 1,000 words right? We agree…



This particular board was formed out of two of my favorite things… Christian Louboutin shoes, and hot pink anemones! From there we threw some other fabulous images together that we found. I think this board speaks to a fashion forward client who is not afraid to go bold and make a statement. The black keeps it contemporary, and the fuschia keeps it from being too cutesy. The use of a black chandelier is another one of our favorites things to use for reception décor. It is a new modern twist on the traditional ballroom chandeliers found at many venues.

Another area often overlooked, which is such a shame is the stationery. In this board, we showed how just by using bold prints or color it really ties the entire design together. From the moment the guests open the invitation, they know they are going to be in for a real treat.

We hope you like our inspirations boards too, if so leave a comment. If you want to see a particular design or palette thrown together for our blog, give us a call or email us!

So what can an Event Designer do for you??

Now that the wedding season is starting to wind down, we thought we would highlight a few events we have done. We get a lot of questions from clients, or potential clients, that ask.. what can design for me?

This wedding was Amy & Andy from 8/1/09. The bride and her mother were from Michigan but planning the wedding in Warrenton, MO. They quickly realized that they could use the help of a coordinator. Enter, Lisa Zweifel from EventZ Planning, a fellow ABC Wedding Consultant in the St Louis Area. Amy (the Bride) and Brenda (Mother of the Bride) signed with Lisa and began finalizing the planning. Not too far in the planning, I got a call from Lisa that they would like to contract us at Lacy Branch Events to transform the reception venue into exactly what Amy had dreamed of.

I met with Amy & Brenda once and we walked through the space. It was bare, and somewhat blah, but I saw the potential. Amy was concerned with some of the fixtures of the walls, etc. I began brainstorming and created a design that would fit within their budget and hopefully be exactly what they wanted. We did the "leg" work on our end here in St. Louis and put together a wonderful design. The family got to relax as Lisa took care of the planning and wrapping up loose ends, and we took care of all of the visual décor etc. Then the day came and the transformation occurred. Amy's family couldn't believe it was the same space….. we are so proud of this wedding! It just goes to show, how we can help our clients achieve their visions.

Below you will find the "Before & After" images of the same room!





Thanks again, Amy & Brenda for being such great clients!!

Repost: An amazing tool for decor..

I liked this post so much from back in May I am going to repost...

I am super super excited about this find... My two passions in life.. wedding decor and technology combined.. Oh my! This site Bridal Canvas is so cool. If you have been sending pictures back and forth over email to friends and family. Or if you have been cutting pictures out of magazines and scanning them in and putting them on your Facebok page to try and explain your ideas..look no further. You have to check it out...
You can even put music on it, and then post it right to your page. It's amazing..Here are just a couple examples.. You can build your own too

Bird Theme Wedding by birdbride

Passion for Purple by sweetheart

Sylvia Weinstock... she is amazing!

This week I attended the Annual Association of Bridal Consultants conference. This year it was held in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was 4 days of non-stop events, classes, and all around great fun. I caught up with so many talented consultants from around the world, many of whom I haven’t seen since last year.

Gosh there were so many good speakers/presenters this year it was hard to pick my favorite. However, the one that resonated with me the most had to be Sylvia Weinstock. If you don’t know her by name, take a look at the picture with me below. She is legendary for her cakes. Sylvia has been called the “Leonardo De Vinci of Cakes”, which is very fitting.


Recognize her now?

She spoke to us for about an hour about her career and showed us picture after picture of her cakes. Throughout her presentation all you heard throughout the room was ooooohhhh, ahhhhh, in amazement! Now for us in the industry that see cakes on a daily basis, that is really saying something.

The one thing Sylvia said that I truly deep down agree with is, “cutting of the cake, is the first thing the couple does together, and is the first thing they share with their guests, it’s special and not an after thought.” Wow, that is so true. When you think about it, many people just rush the cake cutting, and don’t always pay it its due. From now on, I will be sure to let our couple’s know what Sylvia told us and hopefully they will agree.

She also went on to explain that she is not the cheapest, but that she will not sacrifice quality, and that they only use the best of the best ingredients. I shook my head because that is how I feel about our company. Sylvia also does not mince words and is not afraid to say it like it is, which is a such a wonderful trait to have. It was such a pleasure to meet Sylvia, she is witty, funny, and so full of life.

In the next week or so, I will be posting more from the conference

It's that time of year again...

Hard to believe it is already November again. Well with November comes the Association of Bridal Consultants annual conference. This year it is being held in Indianapolis, Indiana. Whohoo for the midwest! Planners come from all of the country. We learn all about the latest trends in Weddings. I cannot wait to see all of the amazing and talented Planners I have met and look forward to meeting even more. Two years ago I met David Tutera, and Mary Dann. Last year I met Colin Cowie! We will be sure to share all of the great details of this years conference when we return next week.

Who doesn't like new things?

It is always so exciting when new things happen. I love to post about things that are exciting not only to our clients, but to us as well! A little over a year ago I was at conference in Southern California. This conference is always great for seeing what is hot and new in the wedding industry. At the time, I saw a really cool chair. I know you are probably saying "big deal" a chair, what is so exciting about that?" Well this particular chair was very modern, and edgey, and just all around gorgeous. The best part is that it was completely customizable. The look could change entirely from event to event. These chairs were called Chameleon Chairs.. how fitting right? Just like the little lizard they are named after, they allow for flexibility and change. They even have covers that look like dresses.(see this picture of me that was taken with them covered)Aren't they so cute?


The ability to change appearance in this industry is so important! No bride or groom want the exact same thing as all of the others we have worked with. Well I did some research on these chairs, and sure enough Chicago was the only place close that offered them for rent. My hope of seeing these chairs in St Louis anytime soon was quickly fading. Then a couple of months ago, during an ISES (International Special Events Society) trolley touring new venues, when we stopped at Palladium Saint Louis. This amazing brand new venue is located on Park Place inLafeyette Square in St Louis. This place is owned and operated by Butler's Pantry, and it is HUGE and so gorgeous!

After the tour, we came back to the front entry where I ran into their Sales Director, Elizabeth Hawkey. She told me they were working on final details, place settings, chairs, etc before their opening in November. I could not resist telling her about the Chamelon Chairs that I was so in love with. She told me to send her the information, so I did. Then several weeks later I got an email from Elizabeth letting me know that Palladium had decided to purchase the Fanfare collection of the Chameleon chairs! Who hoo, I was so excited you would have thought it was my birthday. I am truly thrilled when new things that excite me come to St. Louis.

Palladium Saint Lous is a marvelous new venue, and a welcome addition to our industry! I cannot wait to do an event there. Thank you for humoring me with the chairs Butlers Pantry & Palladium staff, they are fab!!

Stella & Kevin 9-26-09

Stella & Kevin were married on Saturday 9/25/09 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel St. Louis in Clayton, MO. It was an extremely rainy day, but the weather held off long enough for the couple to get some great outdoor shots.

This wedding overall was so much fun to be a part of. The Groom Kevin was friends with Lacy in High School. After losing touch for many many years, they had reconnected recently over Facebook. When Lacy realized that Kevin lived in St Louis now, and was engaged, she advised them to look into using our services. At that point, Kevin and Stella decided to continue their planning on their own. Approximately one month before their wedding, Lacy sat down with Kevin and Stella, and it was clear they wanted to enjoy their day and not have to worry about all of the details. So they asked Lacy to draw up a contract, and fortunately for all of us were available.

The couple was surrounded by many family and friends. The rehearsal was a huge success, as was the ceremony. Kim with Creative Visions Photography was on hand to capture all of the fun and the shots. We look forward to posting more pics once we get them.

The couple made a grand exit showered in rose petals to a waiting classic Bentley. The guests returned for a cocktail hour, and the couple dodged rain drops to get some shots outside. The dinner portion was delicious, and dancing and fun soon began. This wedding party was a lot of fun. The colors were lovely shades of orange and green. The groom and his men wore rich chocolate brown pin stripe tuxes.
Lacy with the groom Kevin, Best Man, and Groomsman.


Photography: Creative Visions Photography
Floral: FLEURISH - the rebel florist
Bakery: J.Noto
Ceremony & Recetion Venue: Crowne Plaza Clayton
Transportation: Best Transportation
Seat Covers: Take A Seat

Thank you Stella & Kevin for letting us be part of your day!

Guest Interview- Week 5 Floral Design

Photo Credit: Von Devore Photography
This week we go back to floral design. This topic is so very near and dear to us. Without a GREAT floral designer our overall room and table designs could fall flat. That is why we LOVE working with Sisters Flowers. Time and time again, Sisters has made me say “wow”. For those of you that read this blog regularly know that I am not easily wowed. I know that when a new client tells me they have already signed Sisters Flowers, that we are sure to produce a fabulous event!

The pictures shown throughout this interview show some gorgeous centerpieces Sisters Flowers has produced for us at Lacy Branch Events!!


Below is the interview LBE = Lacy Branch Events and SF= Sisters Flowers

LB: What exactly do floral designers do?

SF: We meet with the client and their coordinator, gather information from them, and put together a design that is unique to their event.


LB: How would you describe your design style?

SF: We have four designers and we all have our own personal preferences (wildflower, contemporary, traditional, etc.), but each event is designed on the client's style, not ours.


LB: What is a common misconception Brides & Grooms have regarding flowers?

SF: One common misconception is that their flowers will be the exact color, shape, size, etc. as the picture in the magazine that they bring in to us. Emily's favorite saying is "Flowers aren't widgets."-meaning that flowers are an individual living thing, and one is never the exact same as another. Pictures should really be used as inspiration and not just to copy.


LB: Are there any hot, right now trends in bouquets such as color or flowers?

SF: It seems like yellow will be popular next year. The natural garden look is also coming back, where as contemporary modern has been popular for the past couple of wedding seasons.


LB: What about centerpieces?

SF: Bigger is better. Brides are really looking to make an impression on their guests when they walk into their reception room. Big centerpieces will do that.


LB: Do seasons really matter anymore? Or are flowers available at anytime regardless of season?

SF: Most flowers are available all year round. A few exceptions would be peonies, tulips, ranunculus, dahlias.


LB: If a Bride asked you whether they should use silk flowers or not to save money, what might you tell them?

SF: We would say good quality silks are not cheaper and that we really stress using fresh flowers. We feel they should always be fresh.


LB: Do you think flowers inspire wedding trends or vice versa?

SF: Garden flowers could definitely inspire a bride to be a little more casual or less structured, while callas and orchids could be considered more contemporary and inspire that trend/look.


LB: What do you love most about your job?

SF: Sweeping the floors, taking out the trash, and scrubbing buckets. :) No really, we do love our jobs, even the less glamorous parts. It's especially satisfying to have a bride and her family tell us that their flowers were even prettier than they imagined.


LB: If you had one piece of advice to give couples what would it be?

SF: We have two pieces of advice:

First, hire a wedding coordinator. This will keep you on budget and save you lots of time and frustration.

Second, no matter what, don't be afraid to tell your florist what your flower budget is- which should be 8-10% of your entire wedding budget. This will help your florist to give you the best options and designs for your budget instead of just pricing random things.


LB: What is your favorite flower combination and why?

SF: Our favorites depend on the occasion and the person it is designed for. Our favorite color combos include orange and hot pink, orange and bright green, orange and purple, green and yellow, classic white and ivory mix.

Thanks to our dear friends Emily & Shelly over at Sisters Flowers for taking time to answer our questions.

Guest Interview- Week 4 Photography

We took a couple of weeks off from Guest Interviews while we did The Knot party. We are back in the swing of things, and this week we feature Kelly Park, a photographer, and owner of Kelly Park Photography. I recently met Kelly at an industry networking event. It wasn't long before I realized how talented and how adorable Kelly is. She is not only a very gifted photographer but just a sweet person. I asked Kelly to help me with the Knot Industry Party and she agreed without hesitation. You can see how much Kelly loves what she does in all of her work. I find her style to be so fresh, modern,chic,and stylish. Now I know what makes her one of the most sought after photographers in the St.Louis Area and beyond.


Below is the interview LBE = Lacy Branch Events and KP= Kelly Park

LBE: Tell us a little bit about your style of photography?

KP: My approach to photography is to capture real emotion. Throughout our session I talk with my clients and in the process it enables them to relax, laugh and be themselves.

LBE: What do you feel are some important questions couples should ask when they meet with potential Photographers for their Wedding Day?

KP: I think it is important for the photographer and couple to share the same vision. Couples should verify that the photographer they are meeting with is the same photographer who will be shooting their wedding. Don’t be afraid to ask about the photographer’s equipment. I use a Canon Mark ii and prime lens and continue to upgrade. I love to chat about the technical side.


LBE: Have you seen any shift or trend changes in Wedding Photography as of late?

KP: It depends of the type of style of photography you are interested in. I love looking through fashion magazines and seeing what the latest trends are. I am inspired with people, for me, each wedding is unique and I love to see each couple create their own trend.


LBE: What are three points you would like people to know when shopping around for a Photographer? Are all Photographers created equal?

KP: No, I do not think all photographers are the same.

I think it is important to find the right fit for a bride and groom.
1. Style: Traditional or Photojournalism? What type of photographer is the bride and groom looking for?
2. Photo Image Consistency: Ask to see an entire wedding gallery from a wedding day, are the photos consistent?
3. Personality: Enjoy your photographer!

LBE: What is your favorite part of shooting the Wedding Day?

KP: I have several favorites, I’ll share three:

1. When the bride puts her wedding dress on. I love the excitement that lights up her eyes and I love to see the mother of the bride’s expression!
2. When the bride and groom walk down the aisle as a married couple and exit the ceremony site. I love to see their excitement as the groom gushes over his new bride.
3. When the father of the bride shares a speech at the reception. Tears always fill my eyes when I hear a dad talk about his daughter.

LBE: What would you say if someone told you that they were trying to save overall costs by letting "a family friend" shoot their Wedding?

KP: I would say save in another area. People always tell me, “I wish we had gotten a better photographer”. Photographs are priceless, capture it well!



Thanks for the great tips Kelly!!
www.kellyparkphotography.com

The Knot Industry Party Post 2 of 2

Here are some additional pictures showing more of the beautiful linens. (compliments of BBJ Linen) I was inspired by the metallic shag when I first saw it in their showroom. I could not think of a more fun and hip fabric for the ultra lounge area. We used cobalt blue, and fuschia pink metallic table linen. We then complimented the Chavari Barstool pads with lime green covers. Thanks to The Aries Company for providing the stools.

Photos of these tables by Von Devore Photography

On the cake table we used BBJ's Purple Dahlia sheer over a teal bengaline. It really popped!



Our friends at Two Blue Doors tied in the peacock theme all the way to the table top thank you signs. They were fab! Photo courtesy of 683 Photography



This is a picture of the very talented Tami Scott of Tami Scott Studios applying my makeup.

Last but certainly not least, had the spool wall. Compliments of The Aries Company. I loved this unique way to serve appetizers.

Thanks again to all of the very very generous companies who donated their time and their services to make this event a huge success!

The Knot STL Industry Event.. 8/12/09 Post 1 of 2

The Lacy Branch Events Team


We are back in the office today after a very busy but exciting week. We were preparing for The Knot STL Industry Event. Since most of you would not know what this means, it is simply a networking event hosted by The Knot for the best of the best in the Wedding industry to come out and network. We as industry professionals see each other in passing at your weddings or events but don't often get to hang out and enjoy the company. It felt a little like the All Star Game that was recently here in St Louis, because all of the top vendors came together to play together in one event.

The event was held at Mad Art Gallery in St. Louis. This venue was perfect for our party. It is restored 1930 police station that is now a art gallery and event venue.

The best of the best vendors worked with me to bring my vision of peacocks to life. All of the images provided on this blog are courtesy of the very talented Von Devore and Kelly Park. Tracy Lee from Six Eighty Three Photography was also there, and I will have her pics in the next post.



Kelly Park captured all of our design elements here (above)!


This cake was my inspiration for the entire event design. I saw this cake when I was at an event in California, and I took a picture. When I came back I sent the picture to Stephanie Welty from Stephanie's Bakery. She thought I was a little crazy, but she was up for the challenge. She changed the overall color and modified the design to her style and produced this amazing cake!




The flowers were over the top perfect! Lisa Gallagher of Belli Fiori





BBJ Linen just came out with this new Lime Twist linen and I had to use it for this event. It looked great. The bar stools were provided by The Aires Company



Some images of the gorgeous ultra lounge that Exclusive Events, Inc created on the patio.






Makeup and Hair Stylist extraordinare Tami Scott from Tami Scott Studio. She made all of my team ultra peacock glam.





Parties & Props, Ltd. went all out and created the peacock entrance way to die for. They also did all the crystal curtains on the stage and behind the cake.


Stay tuned to our next blog post for BBJ Linen, more Parties & Props, as well as The Aires Company, and more candid fun shots! Thanks again to all who made this possible.