FLE Anniversary: Charles & Audra

Happy 1 Year Anniversary to Audra and Charles!!!  

Bungalow Photography

One year ago today this bubbly couple tied the knot and Four Leaf Events was lucky enough to be a part of their special day.  Their wedding details were nothing short of classic and traditional, every young girl's dream!  Brandon and Katie at Bungalow Photography were the perfect team to capture their classic style (Check out their blog HERE). 

  

Bungalow Photography

Bungalow Photography

Audra was simply stunning!

Bungalow Photography

 Bungalow Photography

Bungalow Photography

Bungalow Photography

Bungalow Photography

The reception boasted several food stations that included, yes, sushi!  And our favorite, of course, was the ice cream sundae bar.  I highly recommend this for any wedding!

Bungalow Photography

Bungalow Photography

Audra was so impressed with Charles' dance moves.  It was one of the best and smoothest choreographed first dances we have ever seen!

Bungalow Photography

So much fun seeing past clients at weddings!  (Lauren & Cory)

Bungalow Photography

Bungalow Photography

Loved working with this precious mother/daughter team!  If only there were more girls in the family so we could do it all over again.

 Bungalow Photography

Congratulations to Mr. & Mrs. Long!  You are such a kind and gracious couple and I could not have asked for better clients.  I wish you many blessings and many, MANY more anniversaries to come!

Wedding Planner  Four Leaf Events

Photographer   Bungalow Photography

Florist  Kathy's Kloset

Ceremony  First Baptist Church

Reception  Ritz Charles

DJ  Circle City Sound

Cake  Classic Cakes

Makeup  Erica Foit

Jen

July's Flower: Larkspur

July's flower is the larkspur, and unless you are familiar with flowers, this is probaly new to you. While they are typically used as beautiful accents in bouquets, they make gorgeous centerpieces all on their own. The meaning of the larkspur, according to meaning-of-flowers.com, is "open-heart," which, in my opinion, is a very beautiful sentiment for a wedding.  As you can see, depending on what they accompany, they can add completely different moods to arrangements ranging from opulant and regal to rustic and whimsical.  Enjoy some of the different ways they are used!

Joys Florist

Joys Florist

Backyard Huppah

The Bride's Cafe

Sloan Photographers via Style Me Pretty

So while planning your special day, make sure you do so with an open-heart and have fun!

Jaimee

June: Roses

The month of June is the most popular for weddings, so it stands to reason that this month's flower is the rose. Being such a common love flower, this is a perfect occassion to take the color into consideration as each color represents something specific. So I turned to the trusty meaning-of-flowers.com to see how the meanings differed in color. Take a look at what the colors mean and how you might incorporate the meaning into your own wedding scheme.

 

Light Pink: grace, gentility, perfect happiness

Photo by  Taylor Jackson Photography bouquet by  Stemz via Canadian Bride

Dark Pink: thank you or thankfulness

Bouquet Bridal

Pale Pink: admiration, grace, joy

Photo by Polly Alexandre via You and Your Wedding

Orange: Enthusiasm or Desire

Martha Stewart Weddings

White: Charm, wisdom, secrecy, silence, reverence, humility, youthfulness, innocence

Luster Studios

Yellow: infidelity, joy, gladness, friendship, jealousy, 

Photo by SugarLove Photography via Butterfly Philosophy

Peach: immortality, sincerity, gratitude

Photo by Ryan Price Photography via Wedding Chicks

My personal favorites are pale pink and peach. They add such a romantic, whimsical element and I love the idea of their meanings. Weddings are obviously supposed to be about love, but the added meanings of grace, joy, admiration, and sincerity seem just as appropriate. Have fun, and make your wedding day uniquely you!

Jaimee

May's Flower: Lilies of the Valley and Hawthorns

May flowers are here! And as they begin to usher in the warmth of summer, we have two special flowers that belong to the month of May. If we consider the old saying, "April showers bring May flowers," one might find it interesting that the two flowers unique to May are rarely seen in wedding schemes. First, we have the lily of the valley, which means purity, humility, and sweetness, according to meaning-of-flowers.com, and given the recent spotlight they were given by the Duchess, we will probably see much more of them in future. They create a regal and whimsical feeling with their draping flow. And let's face it. If Kate had them, I want them. The second flower is the hawthorne, which means strong and powerful. Seeing them in bouquets and centerpieces is even rarer, but the way I see it, all the more reason to choose them! Their presence in your wedding would make your day that much more unique!

Lily of the Valley

Photo by Marie Labbancz Photography Bouquet by Beautiful Bloom Events

Photo from Yours Moment

Hawthorn

Bouquet by Wedding Dream

Happy wedding planning!

Jaimee

April's Flowers: Sweet Peas and Daisies

April brings us two beautiful flowers that are especially fabulous in bouquets.  The sweet pea and the daisy both belong to April. These flowers create some of my personal favorite arrangements thus far even though they are very different from one another. Sweet peas are smaller and are used more as accent flowers and fillers but create such a romantic feel to whatever they adorn. Daisies are a bit more versatile and, depending on their color, can convey either a sense of happy cheerfulness or a romantic vintage feel. The sweet pea represents departure and blissful pleasure while the daisy symbolizes gentleness, innocence, and loyal love according to meaning-of-flowers.com. I also love the color possibilities with these flowers! 

Sweet Peas

Martha Stewart Weddings via Gangsta Bride

Heart Love Weddings

purple sweet pea bouquet photo by Fleurs NYC via Botanical Brouhaha; sweet pea bouquets Martha Stewart via Elizabeth Anne Designs

Daisies

Taylor Jackson Photography

Bouquet Bridal

In the right setting, these wild daisies would be GORGEOUS!

Talia Events

Be unique and think outside the box! Your wedding is YOUR day, and it should be uniquely you. Happy planning!

Jaimee

Aisle Do

The simple, extra wide white aisle from the Clinton wedding has to be one of my all-time favorite aisle looks.  I love how there is nothing distracting from the bride who seems to be walking on clouds.  If you are looking to take a step away from the traditional, then we have found a few of our other favorite ways to add style to your aisle.

While most aisle runners are around 36" wide, Signature Wedding Aisle Runners has extra wide options that can be as large as 66"-72" in width.  This look is going to cost you quite a bit extra, however.  If a clean white aisle is what you are aiming for, then be sure to push the chairs right up to the edge of the runner to maximize the look.

Exclusive Elements                                        Allen + Roth Wallpaper

Add an unexpected pop with a patterned aisle runner.  Exclusive Elements has a wide range of patterned runners available in anything from a fancy damask to a funky chevron.  If your aisle's surface is hard, try a less expensive option by laying down a roll of wallpaper.  A heavier, washable wallpaper works best such as the Allen + Roth Wallpaper we found at Lowe's.

                    

  Exclusive Elements                                     Allen + Roth Wallpaper

  

The Knot

If you have a friend (or a planner) who can hem, then fabric can be a pretty option.  Start by searching sale and clearance rows of fabric for colors or patterns that match your wedding decor.  This can keep the cost down to under $50 for shorter aisles.  As with all runners, be sure to secure the fabric well to avoid any slipping and sliding.

Postcards and Pretties                                                      A Swanky Affair

Another one of our favorite aisle looks are rugs.  This look works well for the more laid-back affair and adds a welcoming vibe for your guests.  Buying lots of mismatched rugs can get extremely pricey, so we suggest borrowing rugs, scouring thrift stores, or simply buying one runner that can be found at places like Overstock.com for under $50.

Whether the look you choose is classic, funky, or relaxed, make sure your aisle reflect your style as a couple and you can't go wrong!

Jen

GO GREEK: Attire for Brides & Maids

Embrace the weather and go Greek at your wedding this summer with these sophisticated and romantic Grecian inspired gowns.  Dress up with gold embroidery or dress down with flowy pastels, either way, you're guests are sure to be wowed! 

celeb style

Marchesa Resort 2012

designer

Pronovias Manuel Mota 2012

etsy

Untamed Designs                                                        Katie Jean Designs

off-the-rack

Von Maur

summer lovin', 

Jen

DIY Vintage Matchbox Favors

While wedding favors are certainly not a must these days, it is always nice to send your guests home with a small thank you if the budget allows.  Our personal favorite wedding takeaways are the edible ones, but there are other cute options that can be enjoyed by all.  

We set out to find inexpensive and useful, yet personal and charming favor options for guests.  One idea that we came up with were these decorative matchboxes.  To open the box, the guests pull on the ribbon tab and out pops not only matches, but also a message of gratitude.

These matchboxes can be put together in an evening with the help of your craftiest friends and a favorite movie.  Select colors and patterns that reflect your personal couple style or wedding colors.  Make them even more personal by adding the guests' names and using them as place cards (the ribbon could be pulled to reveal the table number).

You will need:

-Matchboxes of your choice size (We used Coleman matches. Best deal was $1.88 for a 4 pack at Walmart)

-Lightweight card stock paper, contact paper, or paper bag

-Adhesive spray found at Michaels or any craft store

-Scissors and/or paper cutter

-Ribbon (polyester works best for stamping)

-Letter stamps and ink 

Step 1: Carefully open the outside sleeve of the matchbox so that it lays flat. 

Step 2: Use the flattened sleeve as a pattern to trace and cut your paper of choice to fit the size of the box. 

Step 3: Spray the back of the paper with adhesive spray, let set for 1 minute, and then apply to the flattened matchbox cover.  Be sure to leave one striker side uncovered. (If using contact paper, adhesive spray is not needed for this step) 


Step 4: Allow adhesive to set for at least another minute before folding the matchbox cover back to its original shape.  Use a small amount of adhesive to secure the shape. 

Step 5: Leaving half an inch of room on both ends of the ribbon, use letter stamps to spell "thank you" on the ribbon.

Step 6: Adhere one end of the ribbon to the inside of the matchbox.  Trim the raw edge.  Neatly fold the ribbon inside the matchbox, leaving the trimmed edge as a pull-tab.  (For another personal touch on your matchboxes, you can add your wedding monogram, logo, or we added a "You are striking!" message to the guests.)

Happy Crafting! 

Enjoy,

Jen