Embellished Weddings

Why do the Embellished Weddings ladies look forward to Halloween? All of us LOVE sweets and never miss an excuse to dig into some candy Whether your having a big Halloween bash or it’s just you or your family spending time together, I always say that presentation is everything. From window displays and centerpieces to cocktails to sweet treats, we love putting festive touches on everything. Just like weddings, it’s the little personal details that make any event into a special experience. So, I want to share you a few of my Halloween Pinterest favorites!

Sugar flowers, ribbon, fondant design, crystal bling and even peaches! Love how creative brides can be with their cakes!

Fill regular candle holders with candy for guests! Paper star banners are so easy your kids can do this project for you, and of course, it wouldn’t be a holiday without a festive wreath!

I am always a huge fan of favors. Sending something home with your part guests is a nice gesture, and lets them know that you really valued time spent with them.

All photos credited to Pinterest.

The Embellished Weddings planners are huge fans of specialty lighting. It not only adds to the look and ambiance of the ceremony or reception, but it is also one part of a wedding that we recommend brides splurge on. Check out some Embellished weddings that have included spectacular specialty lighting!

Half Orange Photography

Deborah and Stephen were married in Austin, Texas. Their wedding is a perfect example that just because you have an outdoor wedding doesn’t mean lighting can’t be included. Hanging lights from the trees adds so much to an outdoor, rustic-chic wedding. Chinese lanterns, mason jars with LED lights and bistro lighting are great options for outdoor ceremonies and/or receptions.

Holli B Photography

Jacqueline and Keystone opted for the initial lighting on the door to spotlight her bouquet toss. Drop lighting and signature monogram lighting are spectacular for doorways and dance floors.

Holli B Photography

Kateri and Adam’s wedding was so unique. Their pink and soft yellow uplighting added so much to the feel of their reception.

Holli B Photography

Holli B Photography

Kristin and Matt’s teal uplighting created a warm atmosphere for their large reception. The spotlighting on their cakes created a focal point in the venue. After all, if you’re going to spend time, money and energy on your cakes, you might as well spotlight them!

www.carlzoch.com

Because Lacie and Jordan’s ceremony and reception venue was so spacious, they decided to fill that extra space with sphere lanterns and bistros. If  you stick with a simple white, the mix of cafe lights and lanterns looks crisp and clean. What a great way to create intimacy in such a large space!

Prints Charming Photography

Another great image of bistro lighting! Such a fun way to enhance a reception space, especially a dance floor or walkway!

Shelby and Cody executed their initial lighting exquisitely by spotlighting the dance floor.

Amy Rae Photography

This photo is from a photo shoot that Amanda Taylor designed for Southern Wedding Magazine. As you can tell, we are huge fans of draping! Add lights behind your white or ivory draping for a romantic look.

Amy Rae Photography

For more lighting inspiration, follow the Embellished Weddings Facebook page, or visit the Embellished Weddings website.

Lover.ly

When I decided that it was time for Embellished Weddings to get a new look, I did not think that it was going to be as hard as it has been. I have come across a lot of hurdles that have made this extremely difficult. But, we are almost done and everything should be fully loaded and transferred and look amazing in no time!

We got a new logo, new website, new blog and more! You will notice that the majority of the pictures are not showing up on the blog and that is due to me transferring website hosting companies. The old company has not been as diligent as the new company in making sure everything transferred properly. Please forgive me as I am doing everything in my power to get the images back on the blog soon! I hope by next week, every image is transferred and I can begin adding new blog posts with images!

Thank you for your patience during this time of transfer! Hope to everything fully done soon!

There are tons and tons of awesome wedding websites and inspiration blogs out there.. we could spend hours and hours at our computers just looking through all the websites. If you are looking to find more wedding inspirations and love to find, collect, and share you ideas- Wedding Gawker is a great place to do that! It is a website that provides a photo gallery and allows you to visually search and discover all kinds of ideas to help you become inspired and plan your wedding. Finding other wedding images of dresses, decor, details, etc., is a great way to get ideas for your own wedding..and this website is very helpful in doing that.

The photos are uploaded by photographers, brides, and other bloggers, and the Wedding Gawker team picks out the best ones. If you like one of the images, you click on it to see more. I think it’s such a great idea to help you pick out your style with out overwhelming  you with too much at once. So, if you are looking for a great website to help with your wedding inspiration and planning, check out this one, and good luck gawking!

A great photographer is one of the top priorities for a brides to do list when it comes to planning her big day. They want someone that will capture all of her big moments and who will produce pictures that will last her a lifetime. There are definitely plenty of fabulous photographers in the OKC area but however great they are, they just cannot be everywhere at once. There is a simple solution to this pesky problem! Place a few disposable cameras at each guest table with a note explaining that it is the guests’ duty to take pictures of each other at their tables, on the dance floor and just goofin’ around at the party. When they are done with the cameras, they are to leave them at the table for the bride and groom to collect so they not only have all the pictures of them two that they want (courtesy of the paid photographer) they now have pictures of all their guests! This is a great way for the bride and groom to reminisce on their special day and also to see how their guests enjoyed it! It is inexpensive and innovative that will add a great detail to your reception!

We know that weddings can become a huge expense.. and we really love to help out brides try to save as much money/stress as possible by helping them budget and providing some ways to help them cut back on budget. We want to see our bride and grooms enjoy a very beautiful day, with out having to worry about how much money they are having to spend!

Here are just a few basic tips that we have come up with that may help you save some money for the big day:

1. Venues

Part of our job is helping brides find the best possible venue for their budget.. and it’s important to pick a venue that is in your budget! Some venues provide more than others (food, tables, chairs, linens etc.) so we always want to do our research and know what you will be getting for your money.

2. Vintage Wedding

I love that the vintage/retro/eclectic trend is so popular right now. Such a great way to cut back on spending money for centerpieces and other decor by using old vintage items that you have, borrow, or get from family or friends. This can also be something really special and meaningful at your wedding.. we enjoy seeing brides using items that were their grandmother’s or have been passed down from other generations.

3. Non traditional flowers

Brooch bouquets, fabric bouquets, and tissue bouquets are all very cost effective alternatives to real flowers.. current trends, and cute ideas!

(image found here)

4. Simple food and alcohol

Instead of doing a full bar- offer just beer and wine/cash bar or other possible options. It seems like the cake is always getting bigger and more elaborate.. but the options are also increasing! Doing cupcakes and other desserts is always a great option and can be displayed in cute ways so that you and your guest can get more bang for your buck! Also choosing more basic foods that most guest would enjoy is a much better choice than picking out elaborate foods that only a handful of guest may like!

5. DIY Projects

This can be anything from doing your own save the dates to making your own decorations for your wedding day. There are always so many great DIY projects that are simple, easy, fun, and cheap! We love checking out the new trends and helping out brides stay up to date on all of the DIY projects that are popular!

One of our brides made this handmade sign for her vintage summer wedding a few weeks ago..

Lately we have been inspired by this cute photo prop idea: picture frames! We think that this could be a cute idea for any wedding. Not only is it original but it is also fun! Your guest will love being able to make unique memories. This idea is also relatively inexpensive. Old frames could be found at garage sales or even at one of our favorite vintage places to shop called the Rink in Oklahoma City!

(image found here)

Your wedding is one of the most special days of your life. Naturally, you are going to want to share it with all of your friends and family, even the ones that are from out of town. A great way to welcome them to your wedding weekend is to use welcome bags to put in the hotel that your guests will be staying at! A lot of our brides have done this generous act and the guests have really appreciated it. They don’t have to be a lot of work, maybe just a water bottle, some candy and a bag of chips! The choice is yours. The guests will feel at home and pleased that you went through more trouble just to welcome them!

These cute and personalized welcome bags can be found at Etsy.com! This gesture is simple, fun and meaningful and will go a long way with your guests!

As I was looking back through some reception pictures from a recent wedding, I noticed that all of the dancing pictures really seemed to stick out to me- and put a huge smile on my face. It made me realize how big of a role that dancing plays at wedding receptions. The first dance, father-daughter, mother-son, last dance… are all so special, but it’s also something that everyone can be a part of! One of my favorite parts of receptions is just getting to watch this, and watch all of the guest surround themselves with happiness and have fun on the dance floor! After all.. it wouldn’t be a celebration with out dancing! So here is to dancing!! It makes every wedding day even better!

All pictures are from Chris and Carey’s wedding by Prints Charming Photography

One of the best parts of a wedding is when the bride and groom make their grand exit! Their smiles take up their whole faces as they run through the crowd into their getaway car. Traditionally, guests will throw rice on the couple for good luck but over the years that has changed into bubbles or rose petals. My favorite “toy” for the guests to use during the exit is the sparklers! They make it seem much more magical and fun! Have a peek at what I’m talking about…

Guests LOVE using sparklers as shown from above!

These photos come from Aaron Snow Photography!

Cute and creative ways to incorporate your “something blue” on your wedding day…

His and her blue glittery shoe stickers.

Something blue personalized hanger.

Blue garters

Blue bobby pins and jewelry

Ring bear pillow

All pictures are from Etsy.

Recently we came across some photo’s taken by Oklahoman photography Kevin Paul that we adore and thought we would share! Although guest books are a common occurrence at every wedding, we love this couples idea to turn a chair into a special wedding keepsake and thought we would pass it along. Enjoy!

Recently we have been inspired by these gorgeous twine chandeliers & think that they could be a beautiful accessory to hang over any table top. Not only are these lanterns adorable but they are actually quite easy to make. Using balloons, glue, twine and some creativity these can be made for your wedding! And then bring it home after your wedding festivities and use it as your very own modern lampshade. We even think repeating this creation process but with lace doilies would be cute! Pictures credited to  Shannon South & Crafted Love.

Bird cages are no longer just used for birds… and I am loving this wedding trend of bird cages as wedding decor. Who would have thought that a bird cage could be used in so many different ways? We are now seeing them used as card holders, centerpieces, lighting accessories, picture holders, or even flower vases!

(image found here)

(image found here)

For one of our vintage weddings coming up, the bride is using a rustic bird cage of her sisters as part of her wedding decor! Can’t to share how she used it after the wedding!

One month from today, Shelby will be walking down the aisle to marry the man of her dreams, Cody. We are so excited for every detail that will be making her wedding beyond perfect.

We wanted to show off a few of their amazing engagement pictures captured by the incredible Kevin Paul Photography.

We love the special role that Shelby’s son, Chandler is playing in the wedding. He is going to look so handsome in his tuxedo.

Shelby and Cody have chosen some of the best of the best vendors in Oklahoma. I am so excited to show off all of their talent after the wedding. This wedding is going to be elegant, sophisticated, and stunning. It is going to be so perfect and I can not wait for every detail to come together. Can not wait to celebrate them becoming husband and wife. What a joyous day June 25th will be!

Looking for wedding inspiration for your summer wedding? We just love this simple yet preppy look and have compiled a few of our favorite images. Think Ralph Lauren meets Martha’s Vineyard with this quaint coral, pale yellow and baby blue color scheme.

Bridesmaids could don stunning silk taffeta J Crew dresses with coral ear rings from Abelina’s Bridal as an accent. While groomsmen dress in classic two-button cotton blazers, seersucker pants and this adorable plaid Ben Silver bow tie that is sure to have your groomsmen channeling the late Charlie Chaplin. Chow down on delicate finger sandwiches like these photographed by Candi Coffman as well as other sophisticated foods such as cape cod inspired boiled lobster, scalloped potatoes and sautéed veggies while guests enjoy a game of croquet. Be sure to add a hint of glamour to your big day with these stunning Vera Wang pumps and be whisked away in this iconic Roles Royce photographed by Aaron Snow.

Inspired from the OKC Thunder play off game tonight against the Dallas Mavericks, we thought we would have a tribute to Rumble the Bison.

Named NBA Mascot of the year in 2009, Rumble is a must have for any die heart Thunder fans wedding. Not only will he be a hit with the kids but also the adults. If you would like this furry fellow at your big day you have to book early since his appearances are high in demand.  We just adore couples, like the one it this photograph taken by Josh McCullock, who show their spirit in creative ways and we know that an appearance from Rumble would leave any wedding party ready to ‘Thunder Up’.

Every bride needs a great photographer to capture all the moments that her special day will entail. Ely Fair Photography is a husband and wife team who is based in Oklahoma City but have been to all different types of locations for shoots. They specialize in weddings, engagements, bridals and receptions and have amazing work that I definitely thought was worth sharing. I’ve had the chance to work with Elyse on a family shoot already and it was so much fun. Her creativity shines through in every picture and her skill and expertise are undeniable once you seen the outcome.

I had to sneak the above picture in here…it’s my older brother and soon to be sister-in-law!

I could spend hours upon hours looking at Elyse’s pictures on her blog, but would never get anything done so check out the rest of her work out here! Ely Fair Photography

We are so excited to announce Embellished Wedding’s amazing intern: Kaitlin.

I, personally, am not a huge fan of the word intern, so we might as well just call her another wedding planner and designer that is working really hard for us this summer! Alex and I are so excited to have her join our team and be a part of a busy wedding season this summer.

She will be showing up to appointments with us, working rehearsals, weddings, and receptions with us, networking with other wedding professinals, and even blogging two times a week! She has already jumped in with both feet first and even showed up to a few wedding appointments in between her finals at OU last week. She is that incredible!

I am excited for all of our brides to get to meet Kaitlin and for other wedding professionals to get to meet her too. She is going to do great things this summer!

Here is a littlre more about Kaitlin in her own words:

“Kaitlin Dahlgren is practically an Oklahoma native (despite living in Wyoming and Texas for a year) and grew up in Edmond, Oklahoma and was a graduate of Edmond North High School. She will be a junior at the University of Oklahoma in the upcoming fall where she majors in Public Relations. She is a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority and serves as the Public Relations chair. Kaitlin also has a part-time job at Gap.

Kaitlin heard about Embellished Weddings through a friend and was incredibly blessed to be chosen as their intern. She always knew she wanted to have a job that wasn’t behind a desk and involved working with people.  She loves using her creative mind to come up with new ideas and projects.

When not working or taking class, Kaitlin loves to make crafts with friends, watch movies or go shopping. She is an eager learner and cannot wait to to be apart of the amazing Embellished Weddings team.”