Selecting the right number of Bridesmaids for your Wedding Party

How big is too big for a wedding party? We discuss it in today's video blog.

We hope to help shed some light on the topic of large wedding parties from a wedding planners perspective.

Selecting Your Reception Venue

Today we give you some tips in selecting the perfect reception venue.

Thanks to everyone who is tuning in, and keep your questions coming!

On the video blog... the "B" word... Budget

Today we are discussing how to establish your wedding budget.



If you have any topics you would like to hear about be sure to let us know. Stay tuned for the next installment on Wednesday!

Planetarium...Hot Pink, and Green Wedding but funky?

Hard to believe that it has been almost SIX months, since Sarah & Colin's wedding. We truly enjoy all of our clients, and their weddings. But we had an extra dose of enjoyment while designing this one!

The couple was a riot, the bride in particular. She kept us laughing, and was truly a girl after our own heart. From start to finish, she wanted larger than life, and bold and blingy! She had one requirement.. a strolling table had to be serving appetizers at her reception. We told her, NO problem. The rest is history.

The ceremony was held at the Jewel Box in Forest Park. The reception at the Planetarium. Our largest challenge for this wedding was the guest count, and how it kept creeping up. The fact was, that both venue's could handle the original guest list but was about to burst at the seams. Sarah and her mom Jane (one of the sweetest mothers we have ever had the pleasure of working with) got it under control, so crisis averted.

Ok, let's talk details! Sarah had dreamed about her wedding being pink and green since she was a little child. So we began designing around those colors, quickly I learned that the groom Colin was part of a band and was planning to wear Converse with his tux. Immediately, it was clear, pink and green, for this couple was far to preppy. I took a deep breath and suggested bringing black into the equation to offset and make it seem a bit more modern. The couple LOVED the idea and so began the design.

Next, it was discovered that Sarah totally was into chandeliers. PERFECT! The chandelier (black at that) was used in lieu of a monogram, it became the symbol of their wedding. On the stationery, from save the dates to invites, on the aisle arrangements, on the wedding canopy, and at the reception.




Three heights of centerpieces were used to create interest. Our friends at Parties & Props, Ltd. created the strolling table that entertained the guests during the cocktail hour. They also created a lounge fit for a princess and a rocker! The lounge was green and black and full of crystal.

One of our favorite parts was the one of a kind cake we helped design. The stripes on the cake mimic the stripes on the save the date cards! The cake sat atop a pink metallic shag linen, with a completely blinged out pink swarovski "A" cake topper, perfect for the bride.

The guests danced the night away to the music of Groove Thang!

Thank you Sarah and Colin, and Jane for reminding us how much fun we get to have doing this job. You will forever be in our hearts!

Here is a picture of our team and of Lacy goofing around


The Dream Team that made it possible:Event Stylist: Lacy Branch Events
Cake: The Cakery
Catering: Patty Long
Ceremony: Jewel Box
Ceremony Music: Rosewood Ensemble
Floral Design: Sisters Flowers
Makeup & Hair: Tami Scott Studio
Lounge Decor & Ceremony Canopy: Parties & Props, Ltd.
Photography: Kelly Park Photography
Rentals & Lighting: The Aries Co
Reception: James S McDonnell Planetarium
Stationery: Two Blue Doors, Inc.
Transportation: JED Limousine
Videography: I Do Films

Video Blog 4 - more questions about what you can and can't do on your wedding day

Thanks to viewers feedback and questions, today we address the following:

Do I have to have a receiving line?
What about a ring bearer or flower girl? Do I need them?
I feel awkward making my friends catch the bouquet, do we have to do it?

Find out in this installment of our video blog!



Keep the questions coming! Next on the blog, establishing the "B" word..BUDGET

Till next time...

xoxo
Lacy

Video Blog .. What can I wear on my wedding day?

We definitely felt the love after our first two installments of our video blog!
Thank you to everyone who sent us your questions. We are going to just scratch the surface in this video surrounding what is acceptable and not acceptable for today's weddings. The questions we got were surrounding attire and traditions. So that our video blog doesn't become a movie, we will just discuss attire today.

So once again... THANK YOU all for your support.

Video Blog Installment 2

We hope you enjoyed our first installment of our video blog, but that was just an introduction. Here is the first tip! Hope you enjoy

PS...remember if there is anything you want us to discuss comment and let us know

Our first shot at Video Blogging

... so after many months of people asking if we would do a video blog we have decided to jump in! We are not videographers,or cinematographers so bare with us. We hope you enjoy our tips and insight.

Couple's Room Reveal Captured...

We love to see our clients reactions to the finished product for their weddings. Yesterday we were pleasantly surprised with our friends at Millennium Productions sent us this video from our clients Katie & Todd's wedding. This video is a great representation of what we see with our clients each weekend. We get to see the bride's eyes light up when the room is all put together. We got to relive Katie, Todd, and her mom Rhonda's excitement.

We like our clients to get this special time together to appreciate all of the hard work and months of planning that was done to make the room come to life. We also strongly encourage our clients to hire a professional videographer for their day. We love our photographers, but the videographers just add an additional element to the day that can be heard and watched over and over.

Thanks Millennium for putting this together, and helping both us and our clients relive the day.

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE

You can also see the recap of event, and the allstar team that made it happen on our blog .
Part 1
Part 2

Bridesmaid dresses..

I love when from time to time personal and professional lives come together. I absolutely love The Limited for clothing. Recently The Limited tossed their hat in the bridal attire ring. I have browsed through their bridesmaids selections, and have to say "wow". The dresses are so cute, modern, and fresh. I would highly recommend checking the site out if you are looking for dresses.
Bow One Shoulder Dress ITEM #3219676



Mia Strapless Dress ITEM #3216717

Click here to check it out Heck I would recommend looking at their site, if you are in the market for a stylish special occasion dress that is easy on the wallet. Happy Shopping!

Jacelyn & Colin's Vintage Vineyard Wedding

It was such a thrill to work with Jacelyn and Colin on their wedding. They had a large portion of the planning done when they came to us. However, Jacelyn had hoped we could further assist her with putting it all together. As soon, as we found out that both the ceremony and reception would be at Chaumette, we were sold.

Chaumette is a beautiful winery a little over a 1 hour drive from St. Louis in Ste Genevieve, MO. The drive alone is breathtaking, but the winery is every more gorgeous. The couple and their 150+ guests would have to travel, in essence making this a destination wedding, and we were up to the task! The couple knew relatively quickly in their planning that they would want to entertain all of their guests, and not be figuring out logisitics of vendor deliveries.

The ceremony was held in the most adorable chapel that is on the grounds at Chaumette. It is in pristine condition, and was actually moved from the St Louis area! Following the ceremony, the couple was whisked away by an antique car, complete with cans trailing behind, and all.

For the design elements, our beautiful bride wanted to encorporate vintage items like pearls and old picture frames. She wanted a romantic reception, and wanted to down play the wall to wall french doors that allowed dramatic views of the wine country. Normally these views would be priceless, but because it would not be dark until late in the evening, the decision was made to pipe and drape the entire room and use uplighting to ensure drama and romance.


We utilized high, medium, and low centerpieces on different table linens, to further the intrigue. In these centerpieces, we used antique picture frames, pearls, and other eclectic items the bride had on hand. This decor really complimented the already eclectic and vintage decor of Chaumette.

The bride and groom and all of their guests were smiling ear to ear that day. The weather was PHENOMENAL, and everyone was able to take advantage of all that Chaumette had to offer.


Congrats Jacelyn & Colin, and thank you for letting us be part of your big day!

Dream Team:
Event Stylist & Coordination: Lacy Branch Events
Ceremony: Chaumette Vineyards & Winery Chapel
Reception:Chaumette Vineyards & Winery
Photography: Vaeth Photography
Floral Design: Belli Fiori
Stationery: Two Blue Doors, Inc.
Entertainment: Spectrum Band
Rentals & Lighting: The Aries Company
Linens: BBJ Linen

Designer Spotlight.. Jenny Lee

Every so often I come across a dress or a designer that really inspires me. Although in St Louis not all designers can be found, I still enjoy researching designers globally. This has been helpful a few times where our clients asked if we had an opinion on a designer that they are in love with.

Jenny Lee first came on my radar a couple of years ago on a trip to LA. Jenny Lee has not disappointed me yet, and the design this season are no exception.
Love this dress is from Jenny Lee’s Spring 2011 collection, which is fabulous by the way. The style number is 1101



Here are some excerpts from their site, that speak to why I love them and how unique it is.

Design Aesthetic
"The fit and construction of Jenny Lee's gowns have always been comparable to Parisian haute couture. Each gown is handcrafted by a single person, from the very first stitch to the last. These elements coupled with the highest quality fabrics and superb pattern cutting skills come together to create the most sought after effect. A luxury brand carrying beautiful, sophisticated wedding gowns that always ensure a flattering and feminine silhouette; Jenny Lee has always made sure that each gown brings out the beauty of who is wearing it."
Quality Fit
"Here at Jenny Lee, we do not produce wedding dresses to standard set size specifications. We appreciate that the perfect fit of a gown is one of the most important elements, and we strive for perfection when we make all of our dresses.

When a bride selects a dress we work with the salon to get all of the bride's exact measurements, which we then incorporate into our specialized sizing specifications to create a one-of-a-kind fit. This is the closest to a "couture" experience a bride can get and ultimately shows in the finished product.

Our gowns are renowned for their fit and support. They are fully constructed both inside and out. Additionally, the gowns are fully lined with silk, so the bride will look and feel exceptional in a Jenny Lee dress."


This is especially exciting for people like many of us that are not blessed to be born 5'10 and a size 4. If you are looking for a great looking and perfect fitting dress, you should definitely check out Jenny Lee!

Real Wedding #2 Featured in Saint Louis Bride

We are over the moon excited, that Saint Louis Bride Magazine featured not 1 but 2 of our weddings in the Spring/Summer 2011 issue on sale now.

This wedding of Amina and Phillip was fun and delightful from the very beginning. We planned it mostly over the phone, with very very few in person meetings. Both the couple and Amina's mother lived out of state. From the first conversation we had, I knew they were a great fit for our company. Amina was sweet, funny, and loved all things blingy. Phillip was quiet but quite the funny man. We had such fun with them whenever they came in town.


The design was created around the color orange in the bridesmaid dresses. After we took a trip to the BBJ Linen Showroom, we ironed out which orange the groom was thinking and which shade of orange the bride was thinking they were. Mission accomplished and the design was born.

We designed three distinct tablescapes, that we achieved with different linens and floral centerpieces. On each table, we used custom made menu's and table numbers by Two Blue Doors, Inc. The table numbers are pictures of family members with the number of years they had been married listed. The menu's which were made to fit perfectly in the gold charger plates. Each entree selection was signified by the color of the menu.

For the table floral, we had three centerpieces to correspond with the linens. There was a lower, medium, and tall centerpiece. The tallest centerpiece consisted of branches, orchids, and lots of crystals to continue the glam factor.

In the main ballroom, we had a very warm and inviting lounge setup in the corner. This allowed guests who didn't want to dance, to escape from their dinner table and relax and have a conversation. Both the bride and her mom wanted to be surprised and entrusted us to come up with something "fabulous". I believe we succeeded, as during the room reveal Amina and Phillip loved it. We added a crystal beaded curtain to continue on the bling. thanks to Parties & Props, Ltd. We also placed lounge furniture and a firepit out on the terrace overlooking the St Louis arch and the Mississippi Riverfront. Guests were able to enjoy the outside while still being warm.

Thanks to our friends at Sisters Flowers, the bouquets were vivid and beautiful calla lilies. The bouquets contrasted perfectly to the bridesmaids orange dresses. The grooms party wore clean and crisp white tuxes, which also offered a beautiful contrast to the floral.

Thank you to Amina & Phillip for letting us be part of your big day!

Dream Team:
Event Stylist & Coordination: Lacy Branch Events
Ceremony: Christ Church Cathedral
Reception: Four Seasons Hotel St Louis
Cake: Four Seasons
Photography: Bobbi Brinkman Photography
Floral Design: Sisters Flowers
Stationery: Two Blue Doors, Inc.
Linens: BBJ Linen
Misc Decor Rental: Parties & Props, Ltd.

Real Wedding #1 Featured in Saint Louis Bride ..

It is always an honor when our clients love what we do. It is equally an honor when others in the industry like what we do. We just received word that in the Spring/Summer issue of Saint Louis Bride Magazine, they are featuring not 1 but 2 of our weddings from this past fall!

We want to post both of them, and will do them independently since there are so many talented vendors, and we don't want to confuse them. This wedding turned out amazing on so many levels!



I knew before we started that day, that this wedding was print worthy. Our team, and Katie and her mom Rhonda, had worked tirelessly on the details. The team of vendors from stationery, lighting,floral,linens, rentals, and the crew of Ameristar were ALL STAR all the way. Not to mention, Katie & Todd are a beautiful couple, and they had the amazingly talented Gina Kelly from Lace Photography behind the lense. We were destined to get great shots.

Feel free to check out our blog post from September that shows more details of Katie & Todd's wedding.

Thank you Katie & Todd for choosing us to be your designers, and thank you Saint Louis Bride Magazine for running this wedding!

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.