Katie & Todd 9-18-10.. Disco ball inspired..Post 1 of 2

Photography Credit: Lace Photography

When we first met Katie and her mom Rhonda, they had just begun the planning process. They quickly realized that the date they had selected, September 18th was extremely popular. They also realized that they had differing views on the style and decor of the wedding. In January they selected us and we hit the ground running.

Immediately, we secured Ameristar as the both the ceremony location as well as the reception. The couple wanted a small outdoor ceremony, so the event lawn was the perfect location. The discovery ballroom was the perfect reception venue.

There are so many amazing vendors and elements that went into this wedding. During our first design/styling meeting, Katie told us about her gorgeous Christian Louboutin shoes, she called them disco balls! She had not seemed that excited about anything (besides marrying Todd) up until that point. I knew right then.. that was our inspiration. Disco balls it was!!! After that we solidified the color palette, and designed three separate tablescapes for the reception.


Our friends at Two Blue Doors, Inc created a custom pattern that we used on all the stationery from save the dates, to invites, to day of stationery. They even took it one step further and did the design for this GORGEOUS runner.




Gorgeous flowers done by Sisters Flowers.

You can see the beautiful lighting around the perimeter done by Millennium Productions. Note, on the left the projection of the custom artwork pattern that we used in the stationery.

Katie originally wanted to have a photobooth for their guests in lieu of favors. However, we suggested stepping a little further "out of the box" and have a caricature artist provide renderings. Both Katie and her mom were excited, and boy was it a HIT!! Guests loved it.



Katie's hair and makeup done by the fabulous Tami Scott

Thank you Katie & Todd for letting us be part of your big day! A special thanks to Ameristar for being so flexible!

Stay tuned for post 2 with tablescape details showcasing the "disco balls"!

Dream Team:
Event Stylist & Coordination: Lacy Branch Events
Ceremony: Event Lawn - Ameristar Casino Resort Spa St Charles
Reception: Discovery Ballroom-Ameristar Casino Resort Spa St Charles
Photography: Lace Photography
Floral Design: Sisters Flowers
Stationery: Two Blue Doors, Inc.
Lighting & Videography: Millennium Productions
DJ: CJ's Disc Jockey Service
Officiant: Lamira Martin
Rentals: The Aries Company
Linens: BBJ Linen
Hair & Makeup: Tami Scott Cosmetics Salon: Acadamie
Transportation: JED Limousine
Misc Decor Rental: Parties & Props, Ltd.

Rochelle & Jeff 06/26/2010

We met Rochelle and Jeff in January of this year. They are quite a unique couple, both are avid fitness buffs. During the planning of the wedding they took on another BIG task of opening a Cross Fit Gym. Needless, to say planning a wedding can be stressful enough but add opening a gym to the list and that's down right taxing. Lucky for the couple they decided early on that they needed assistance, and reached out to us.

They had already selected a reception venue in St Charles, and a photographer. However, shortly after we signed the couple we found out they had decided not to use their current photographer. In addition, the new reception venue would not be complete in time for the invites, etc. So we knowing their style we quickly put them in contact with our friends Coby & Diane at CMAX Photography who we could not believe were available, and the couple was extatic.

Next task, find them a venue, no easy task due to them insisting on staying in St Charles, and their wedding date was less then 3 months away. After interviewing them further we realized they had gotten engaged earlier that year at Ameristar! Ding, ding...I knew just who to call. Contacted Jodie at Ameristar and quickly the couple had a venue...but not just any venue..HOME Nightclub which is where they had gotten engaged! Can you say divine intervention? We can..

This story is a great example of why having a professional Wedding Coordinator on your team is key. We helped Rochelle & Jeff overcome what could have been a disasterous situation. But instead they were able to enjoy the benefits. Their guests were then able to continue to party down after the reception when HOME Nightclub opened to the public. (Special Thanks to Jodie & Jamie at Ameristar)



In the next few months we finalized the details, and got Sisters Flowers onboard to help the bride create her vintage yellow and black wedding.

Thanks to all of our vendors who sustained the 100+ degree heat to make this wedding a huge success.

Dream Team:
Photography: CMAX Photography
Floral Design: Sisters Flowers
Cake: The Cakery
DJ: Millennium Music
Reception Venue: HOME Nightclub at Ameristar Casino Resort Spa St Charles
Ceremony venue: The Chapel at New Town

Chrissy & Dave 11/14/2009

This image courtesy of Mirage Photo, LLC.

Gosh it's hard to believe we are just getting around to posting this wedding. The couple was such a pleasure to work with. They are the type of couple who just exude love for each other. We met Chrissy in January of 2009 at the PWG Bridal Show, with her mom. Quickly after the show, Chrissy was so eager to meet with us, she even came to the meeting on crutches! She teaches dance class and had hurt her ankle, but was so excited to begin the planning & design she refused to reschedule!

One of Chrissy's list of concerns was the venue itself. Her husband is a proud Union Electrican here in St.Louis and could thing of nowhere else he would like to have his reception. Chrissy agreed, but was not thrilled with it cosmetically. The hall is used mostly for union meetings, and lacks bridal elegance. We assured her (repeatedly) that it would be ok. That we could make it beautiful. I think that was achieved!

In the pictures you find below, you will see the transformation of the hall. When we designed her color palette, we had fun. Chrissy was not afraid of color, infact she "loves it". We used intense monochromatic colors of purples, and reds to draw attention to the tables and away from the hall itself. Tone on tone is always very dramatic, and that suited this bride.


AFTER


The first challenge we ran into was the extremely large guest count the families had. We had to create a floor plan that would be unique, and still flow, but accomodate all of the bodies. The hall provided 6' banquet tables, and it was not in the budget to bring in other tables. So we created long tables that continued to create drama.
This image courtesy of Mirage Photo, LLC.

At the last minute, the couple found additional money and we added uplighting, fabric on the stage, and a monogram. This really helped warm up the room and mask the murals, and wall hangings. Pin spotting of the tables also showcased the beautiful centerpieces. This was key, as the hall had a strict "no candles" rule. The battery operated tealights just do not create the same light as candles, so thank goodness we had the pin spotting! Thanks to Millennium Productions for the lighting

The floral design was super fun! During our first sit down with the designers at Sisters Flowers, Chrissy's mom Nancy indicated how important having red carnations were to her. This was something that had been done for generations in their family. TERRIFIC!! Carnations are very bold color, very full, and much more inexpensive then many flowers. So we played on that tradition and Sisters created amazing bold floral.


As you can see from the images, the room was completely transformed the couple and their family was elated! We love when our clients have a little faith in us, and our vendors, because in the end they are the ones that reap the benefits. This wedding was a glowing success!




This is one of my favorites, as Chrissy is seeing her room for the first time she was overwhelmed and burst into tears. That tells me we did our job and gave her everything she hoped for.



Congrats Chrissy & Dave, we love you and thank you for letting us be a part of it!


These 4 images above courtesy of Mirage Photo, LLC.

Dream Team for this Event:
Wedding Coordinators and Event Designer: Lacy Branch Events
Floral Designers: Sisters Flowers
Lighting Designers: Millennium Design
Menus: Two Blue Doors,Inc.
Photo Credits: Von DeVore Photography Mirage Photo, LLC.

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.

Check us out on Great Day St. Louis...

We at Lacy Branch Events were so thrilled to be featured on Great Day St.Louis. Today kicked off "Wedding Week" for the show. We showcased a beautiful yellow and turquoise tablescape. I have to give a shout out to some of my wonderful fantabulous vendors that helped me put my vision together.

If you notice the gorgeous yellow flowers, those were provided by my dear friends at Sisters Flowers. They really outdid themselves and helped me bring my "lemon" vision to life. Many of you know I really love all one color flowers. They are so powerful and make such a statement!




The linen was a gorgeous pintuck turquoise compliments of BBJ Linen.

If you look closely at the place cards, they are SOOO adorable and were created and provided by Two Blue Doors.


The Aries Company for the very cool place setting.

Thank you to all of my vendors which truly without you, I could not do what I do!!!!!!!!!

For you brides and potential brides, I hope you enjoy the video and the tablescape that I created. It was so fun putting it all together, and I look forward to hearing your feedback.