Real Summer Wedding - Molly & Kevin

Molly & Kevin's was one of the most exciting, fun weddings of the summer. It was such a pleasure to work with Angela and John Deaver from Main Street Productions, Wes and Tera Wages from Armosa Studios, Jamey Hightower from Dorothy McDaniel's Flower Shop, Diane Olexa from Olexa's Bakery and Allison Cambre from The Club.

Molly and her Mother, Margaret, knew exactly what they wanted and we made sure everything was in place when the day arrived. Being the engineer that she is, Margaret let no detail get past her on this project. Her utmost goal was to make Molly & Kevin happy on their special day, and indeed she succeeded. She was so much fun to get to know and work with that I know we will remain friends forever. It's families like the Forsythes that make my job the best job in the world.

Take a look at the following video from Main Street to get an idea of the magnificent day it was for everyone. We wish Molly & Kevin all the happiness in the world.

http://www.mainstreetav.com/blog/2010/6/23/molly-kevin-highlands-umcthe-club.html

Real Weddings - Rowell Events

Don't Rain On My Parade

Jenny and Mike will remain one of my favorite couples. Jenny was a delight from day one. I actually met her mother first since Jenny lived in St. Louis and was planning her wedding long distance. When we finally met face-to-face for the first time, it was just as though we were old friends reuniting. And, with Jenny, there's never a dull moment -- a sense of humor and positive attitude that brightened up my day every time I saw her.

When I met Mike, I could see the attraction. Studying for his doctorate in St. Louis, I expected to have to put on my intellectual face and get on his level. NOT!! He was one of the kindest, down-to-earth, most gentle giants I've ever known. It was obvious he adored Jenny; ready to do whatever it took to make her wedding day perfect for her.

Needles to say, coordinating their wedding was delightful. The ceremony and a portion of the reception were planned for outdoors, and as time got closer the weather was not looking real cooperative. Those afternoon June showers were quite predictable and on time just about every day. We made the decision to have a tent over the ceremony area, rain or shine. It was looking pretty positive, but late afternoon, we stood up on Red Mountain and watched the storm clouds roll in after the band, caterer and florist had been given the go ahead to set up in the outdoor areas.

The storm came. . . and went . . . and came. With minimal damage, the ceremony was ready to begin. The guests had been seated under the tent, the musician was playing, and the heavens opened up, again. There was much hustling around among the guests to stay dry in the blowing rain, and the attendants were able to get under cover and down the aisle.

But, the beauty of the entire evening occurred just as the bride and her father started down the aisle to the tent. The rain stopped, the sun came out and she never felt a drop. She was indeed the star of the show; it was perfect! The ceremony continued, they kissed and the party began--with many of the guests never going inside except for food. The band kept everyone on their feet and it was an evening to be remembered by many people for a long, long time.

May the sun continue to shine on their new life together!!

Today's Post by Colin Cowie www.colincowie.com

Your wedding day is one of life's sacred moments, surrounded by people you love and who love you. It's also an opportunity to honor women in your life who have meant the most to you. One way to show your affection and appreciation is to honor your closest girlfriend, by making her your maid or matron of honor (the former is single and the latter is married). Consider what your needs are and whether she could meet your expectations. Ask yourself if she will have the time or temperament to help. A friend or relative who has children of her own, or who lives far away, may not be able to assist with everything you require. If your needs are small and you are organized and self-sufficient, the role is more honorary than responsibility-related.

Often the choice is a sister or cousin to whom you feel close. Whether she is a devoted relative or a special girlfriend, an ability to offer advice without ever strong-arming you is one of the qualities you should look for.

Your maid of honor is there not only for advice and support, but to help with whatever tasks and details you need accomplished. This could be shopping for your wedding dress, hosting a bridal shower, organizing your guest list, addressing envelopes, arranging a bachelorette party, and even taking your dress to the cleaners after the wedding. She is your "best friend," with an open ear to listen to you and offer the smarts to guide you. That in itself is a wonderful comfort.

Most importantly, she's there by your side on your wedding day! She'll adjust your train and veil at the altar, hold the ring to be given to the groom until it is time to be exchanged during the ceremony, hold your bouquet while the rings are exchanged, and—as a great honor—sign your wedding certificate as a witness to the wedding. If need be, she can assist the photographer by ensuring everyone who needs to be photographed has his or her picture taken.

When it's time to make your speech and thank those who helped make your wedding dream a reality, be sure to thank her as well, with personal and heartfelt words.

Weddings On The Go

Your week is full of work, perhaps traveling, client meetings or just putting in those extra hours. You and your fiance are able to find only a few hours here and there to be together. How in the world will you find the time to plan that wedding you've been talking about?

If these thoughts are creating some anxiety and stress when you try to pin down a date or talk about a venue for your wedding, I have the stress-relieving solution for you. A group of creative vendors in town have come up with a solution called "Weddings On The Go." We can put everything at your fingertips and take care of all the arrangements for you.

We sit down with you, listen to the descriptions of your vision for your wedding, go over all the magazine photos you have collected to get an idea of what you are expecting, and come up with the package that best fits your needs. You can be involved as much or as little as you like. Just remember that every vendor we have on board is licensed and experienced in his or her profession. You will get as much as, if not more than, you would get if you hurriedly tried to put it together yourself. You will be pleasantly surprised at how much you will get and stay within your budget. LET THE PROFESSIONALS DO IT FOR YOU.

We offer one-stop, hassle-free wedding planning where you can decide the look you want and how much you want to spend, then leave the rest to us. Our goal with this venture is to offer the bride and groom on a budget, with little time to find the best deals, a way to get the most for their money.

For details, go to www.yourpbj.com and click "weddings." You will find all the information at the end of the wedding page.

A New Age of Videography

Whether you are planning a wedding or other special event, as you work down your list of necessary elements, how far down your list is videography? I'm sure it comes after decor, catering, entertainment and even photography. True, all these elements are important in the making of a successful event, but what comes to your mind when you think "video"?

Recently, I heard and watched a presentation by John Deaver, from MainStreet Productions, where he discussed and showed examples of wedding videos from just ten years ago and today's video -- night and day. No more scenes rolling along with friends waving or holding a microphone to wish you well. John pointed out that a client should never expect the film quality of yesterday when, with the technology available today, a professional can produce a keepsake that will be around for generations to come. I would never get into the technology part of video production, but have you seen (and heard) MainStreet's videos (www.mainstreetav.com)?

Another unique service that filmmaker Nick Weeks, with SnapLife Studios (www.snaplifestudios.com), is offering in addition to his fully edited films is a Same-Day Edit. For the SDE, Nick takes what he had filmed throughout the day of preparation for the wedding or other event up until a point somewhere into the evening and edits it on the spot. He will continue to have a second camera rolling to capture the remaining portion and end of the event. But, Nick takes what he has filmed, edits it, puts it to music, so your guests can view it near the end of the event. How's this for service? Your guests will love it as they witness your day as it progressed. They even get excited if they are captured in the scene. It's such a special way to end the evening.

My point here is to stress just how important an event or wedding filmmaker can be on your list of necessary event professionals. As you watch your film through the years, you will continue to see things and people that you did not actually witness during the evening. Remember, those cameras are capturing scenes that you were not a part of, and including people that you were not able to spend very much time with.

You should take a look at that list of priorities and consider moving your videography up several spaces. It's a move you will never regret.

What's The Difference?

In my Interviews with brides every week, I'm forever hearing the terms, wedding planner, wedding coordinator, wedding director and wedding designer. Granted, "wedding planner" is the one most recognizable among the newly engaged couples, their parents and friends. However, a "planner" may not be what some brides and grooms are looking for.

I recently had a bride call me and ask if I could coordinate her wedding. "Of course," was my reply. She indicated that she had been in a friend's wedding recently and things were pure chaos because no one was in charge and none of the attendants knew where to be or when to be there. As I described my day-of coordination package, we both began to realize that a wedding coordinator was not what she wanted. She was looking for someone to "direct" her ceremony. . . a wedding director.

This case of mistaken identity is not unusual. Some wedding planners do just what the term implies: they assist the bride and groom in planning the details of their wedding; i.e. booking venue, vendors, transportation, lodging, etc. This can be done from start to finish or on a consultation basis, whatever the couple needs. The planner is not coordinating at this time, she is not designing at this time, nor is she directing at this stage of the game.

However, as that anticipated day draws near, the planner becomes a coordinator too, under most circumstances. She must now coordinate the plans of all vendors, out-of-town guests, transportation to coincide with those of the bride, groom and their parties. This is where all those hours spent planning pay off. Timelines must be developed, schedules for all those involved must be organized and communicated, and all details gone over dozens of times. The wedding week-end cannot be over coordinated. The planning stage is over!

Where does the wedding designer fit into this picture, you may ask. Well, not every wedding planner/coordinator is blessed with designer talents and skills. A good planner knows this and can enlist the services of a designer early on. If a bride and groom want a special theme or design to make their day reflect who they are or what their tastes are, a designer is the one to do this. Most times the floral designer possesses the ability and experience to do this. If the planner/coordinator has the vision of what the couple want, and can communicate this to other vendors, that works fine. It may be a case where the planner has the vision, calls in the floral designer who can put the elements in place, contracts a lighting designer to add effects, and orders the right linens to balance out the picture. But they will eventually have to put their heads together to get the desired results.

Now, the only question remaining is "where does the wedding director fit in?". If the ceremony takes place in a church or other house of worship, most of the time there is an in-house wedding director. If this is the case, the coordinator is at the church only to make sure the set-up is complete and for the moral support of the bride and groom. She may assist with getting the bride ready for pictures and assist the photographer with getting everyone in place, but that is pretty much the extent of her duties there. The church wedding director organizes the processional and recessional. However, if the ceremony is not in a church, this leaves the coordinator to direct the wedding, which any experienced coordinator is equipped to do. This just needs to be decided early in the planning process.

Whether you are hiring a planner, coordinator, designer or director, just be sure and communicate clearly what you expect. This needs to be spelled out in the contract so there are no last minute surprises between you and the one you hire. Some planners try to do it all, so be sure also that you know how she or he will be getting all this done. Does she have an in-house designer, will she be the one on site at the rehearsal, will you get a diagram or drawing of the venue as it will be set up? It takes a team of specialists working with the bride and groom to plan, coordinate, design and direct that special day. Nobody can do it alone.

Company Retreats (As published in The Pillars,LLC)

In these tough economic times, many companies are cutting corners and one of the first corners cut seems to be annual retreats. Instead of canceling the team building and critical planning that annual retreats foster, consider hosting your annual corporate retreat closer to home. One such location that caters to business travelers is Haywood County, North Carolina. You can drive to Haywood County in around five hours, approximately the same driving distance as a trip to the Gulf Coast.

Companies can count on numerous options for team building exercises, including horseback riding, white water rafting, fly fishing and hiking. Cataloochee Ranch offers guided group horse riding tours and team building exercises with mile high views of the surrounding Smoky Mountains. The ranch also offers guided hiking and lodging for up to sixty-five guests, with breakfast and dinner included. Fly fishing can be scheduled through your concierge or directly with the Waynesville Fly Shop, which provides equipment, training and guides so even first time fly fishers have the full experience.

Small groups should consider lodging at Andon Reid, an award winning bed and breakfast with five impeccable guest rooms and breathtaking views of the mountains. What sets Andon Reid apart for the business traveler is their full gym and personal trainer on staff. Hourly rates for the personal trainer are available upon request but the full gym, which includes a sauna, is available for all guests. Andon Reid also provides free WiFi, concierge service, and fax and copy machines. Another perk is Andon Reid's four course, made from scratch breakfast. If you're thinking a four course breakfast sounds too heavy for a full business day, think again. Andon Reid caters to special diets, including vegan and gluten free; and their vegan artichoke cakes are simply out of this world. If you prefer even lighter fare, Andon Reid will oblige with a smaller breakfast or even a breakfast to go. Moreover, Andon Reid's owner, personal trainer and chef, Rachel, will provide you the recipe for any dish of which you are particularly fond.

Larger groups can be accommodated at Maggie Valley's Boyd Log Cabins, home to seven authentic log cabins, each dating back 150 to 200 years. The Boyd Log Cabins offer the authenticity of centuries' old cabins - with all the amenities a modern traveler requires, including televisions, full kitchens, updated bathrooms and WiFi in certain areas. The 130 acre property, nestled into a cove overlooking the Smoky Mountains, doubles as a Christmas tree farm and offers stocked fishing ponds. Each of the seven cabins has a unique and beautiful view and are just minutes from downtown Waynesville, Asheville or the activities at Cataloochee Ranch.

If your retreat includes a free day, attendees can shop the local stores in downtown Waynesville or visit nearby Asheville or Highlands, North Carolina. Asheville, home to the Biltmore and a burgeoning organic/locavore food scene, and Highlands, an area that has established itself as a second home to many Birminghamians, are both a short drive from any of Haywood County's accommodations.

The bottom line is simply, whatever your company's bottom line this year, Birmingham is fortunate to be near numerous excellent options for business retreats. Therefore, before you make the decision to cancel the company retreat altogether, consider nearby options including mountainous Haywood County.

As seen in the online magazine, The Pillars, LLC http://www.thepillarsllc.com