Today I’m so excited to share the first of what I hope will be a series of guest posts by my friend and ultra-talented colleague, Jennifer Carroll of Jennifer Carroll Designs & Papers. As if her magnificent papers, wedding consulting and design weren’t enough Jennifer also just launched an e-newsletter that is like nothing you have ever seen before… it’s really a magazine filled with all the lovely things Jennifer loves so much. So, without further delay… take it away, Jennifer…

Greetings! With Thanksgiving quickly approaching this week, it can be a welcomed distraction (if only briefly) from the millions of wedding planning details that you are absorbed in. It can also be a great opportunity to try out a few ideas for your wedding under the auspices of family and friends. In the November issue of Celebrating Everyday Life with Jennifer Carroll I share lots of tips and ideas on creating memorable details that can be easily adapted from a Thanksgiving table to a reception table. There are also lots of yummy recipes, wedding ideas and more. To view the issue click here

Like what you see? Visit my website and be sure to sign up for the monthly newsletter so you won’t miss a single issue of inspiration for your wedding and more of life’s moments to celebrate! Even sweeter – subscribers receive the issue a week earlier than the full release, along with special discounts.

I hope you are inspired with these ideas and that you and your loved ones have a very Happy Thanksgiving!!

Jennifer

Jessica Sheffield of  The Event Company kindly sent me one of their lovely weddings from the year past.  Matthew & Jennifer’s October wedding at  Ash Lawn-Highland is really lovely and one pretty cool note- Jenn’s dress was designed just for her by her friend, Christian Siriano, past winner of Project Runway… how cool is that!?!?!

From Jessica:  “We had a great time working with Matt & Jenn on their Technicolor Autumn themed Fall wedding. Jenn has great style and had a distinct vision of what the day would look like and brought us on board to help bring that vision to life. The mix of historic Ash Lawn & the vibrant colors & style of the day was completely unique and a lot of fun! Incredible florals by Pat’s Floral Designs, lighting by The AV Company and one of our favorite bands, The Dickens, made for a great night despite the chilly temperatures! Our favorite detail- Jenn collected cobalt glass & blue willow saucers for at least a year leading up to the wedding. They were used as décor and cake plates during the event and then were packaged and given to guests as favors to remember the day.

Check at the bottom of the post for links to all the vendors Jessica mentioned.  … enjoy!

Contact Information for Jessica Sheffield at the Event Company:
~ website: www.theeventco.net
~ blog: http://theeventcompany.wordpress.com
~ phone: 434-974-6500
~ e-mail: jsheffield@theeventco.net

Other Vendors:
~ Photos- Jen Curtis
~ Flowers- Pats Floral Design
~ Catering- Hot Cakes
~ Cake- Cakes Unlimited
~ Lighting & Sound- The AV Company
~ Band: The Dickens

Adding lighting and sound to your wedding design can add so much… and no one does it like the AV Company! I don’t really understand how they do what they do … to me it always just seems like magic… but these photos will give you a tiny glimpse into what is possible on the lighting side of things. Adding lighting to your reception design can add so much beauty and create a completely unique feeling to your event. I hope that these wonderful images will give you some inspiration for your own planning… enjoy!

photo credit: Jen Fariello

photo credit: Holland Photo Arts

photo credit: Holland Photo Arts

photo credit: Jen Fariello

photo credit: Allegra's Studio

photo credit: Holland Photo Arts

photo credit: Jen Fariello

photo credit: Sarah Cramer

photo credit: Sarah Cramer

Contact Information for the AV Company
website: www.theavcompany.net
phone: 434-977-8288
e-mail: info@theavcompany.net

Guest Post by Barb Lundgren

Today I’m happy to share a guest post from Barb Lundgren of Barb Wired, LLC, one of the Charlottesville Wedding Blog’s wonderful sponsors.  If you’re thinking of hiring a wedding coordinator be sure to read on!

Maureen and Geoff
April 18, 2009

At the beginning of the planning process, Geoff was opposed to hiring a wedding coordinator. He told his then-fiancée that they had plenty of time to plan, could do it themselves and, since he was a guy he admits, had a list of excuses.

Geoff wrote me to share his feelings after the wedding, and to make sure that others didn’t waste a lot of time contemplating this decision. Not only did they entrust me with their wedding planning and direction, we became the best of friends. This would be a first, and probably the only time, that I have had a groom recess the aisle saying to me “I love you Barb, I really do”, before he embraced his bride in the vestibule.

Maureen and Geoff were extremely decisive and organized from the beginning. However, this was a destination wedding with few familiar contacts in the area. There were many details to oversee, but they had chosen some of the best vendors around and I could see it was going to come together beautifully. The weather was picture perfect that day as we set the ceremony at the UVA Chapel. From the gorgeous vistas of King Family Vineyards; to the impeccable tastes and service of 20 South Catering; and the floral design of Amy Webb, the guests were more than impressed with the reception settings. What a treat when Cav Man arrived for a visit during cocktails!

The night got even better as one of our favorite wedding bands “The Dickens” played all of the favorites and everyone was on the dance floor. We sent the happy couple off with a “sparkling” tribute at the end of the evening.

There are many special couples in my life. Maureen and Geoff stay in touch whenever they come to Charlottesville and look forward to moving here some day. I look forward to that as well. And from Geoff — “It’s hard for me to say what I value more, the incredible job Barb did from start to finish – ensuring a flawlessly executed wedding from the rehearsal and dinner through the big day – or the fact that we found someone so incredibly special who we knew from the outset truly cared about not just what we wanted, but about us as people.”
PHOTO CREDIT: Jack Looney Photography

Contact Info. for Barb Wired, LLC Event Management
~ website: www.barbwiredllc.com
~ e-mail: barb@barbwiredllc.com
~ phone: 434-531-3247

If you’re planning a wedding in the Charlottesville area, the Charlottesville Wedding Directory will make your life so much easier… check it out… and happy wedding planning!

Guest Post #5 by Kathryn Kieffer of Festive Fare

More great tips from Kathryn… enjoy!

Thoughts of wedding flowers, table linens, and the menu are all huge parts of planning a reception. Another major consideration is planning a reception that will work in your space. If you plan to have a tent wedding, there are many things that you should consider regarding the size of tent and style of reception.

A 20′x30′ tent sounds big, but if you consider the square footage you only have room to seat 60 guests! And that does not give you space for a bar, dance floor, or even a cake table! The rule of thumb is you need 10 square feet per person seated. Festive Fare recently jumped the technology bandwagon and now has CAD drawing capabilities. I have done hand drawings forever, but the computer program is fun and illustrates my point.
By the same token, if you elect to have a wedding in a University Pavilion garden – if fair weather everything is good, but in the event of inclement weather it is nice to have a flexible menu and reception style to accommodate more guests in a smaller space. I love using smaller tables and stand up cocktail tables that are easy to move, easy to place in tight spaces (i.e. indoors). Smaller tables and a lower ratio of seating to number of guests encourages your guests to mingle and move about. They also take up less square footage!

The other thing I’m discovering about designing events on the computer…it let’s you change the feel of your event without using the eraser! It is also helpful for brides to plan seating charts as this client provided diagram points out! The bride provides a diagram so that when the caterer, rental company, or anyone else who has a role in the wedding knows exactly how the event should be set up.

Here are some helpful guidelines for planning for the space your reception will be held in…
6 square feet per person, cocktail buffet
10 square feet per person, seated dinner
3 square feet per person, dancing

Festive Fare
1745 Broadway St., Charlottesville, VA
phone: 434-296-5496
e-mail: kkieffer@festivefarerentals.com
website: http://charlottesville.classicpartyrentals.com

If you’re planning a wedding in the Charlottesville area, the Charlottesville Wedding Directory will make your life so much easier… check it out… and happy wedding planning!

As promised, here are another collection of beautiful wedding tents from Charlottesville’s Skyline Tent Company.  In addition to tents, Skyline offers custom lighting, tables & chairs, flooring and staging and more.  Thanks again, Liz, for the beautiful images!

↑ A Pimento; Beehive Events ↑↑ Clifton; Event Company ↑↑ Skyline Tent Company; Beehive Events; A Pimento ↑↑ Skyline Tent Company; Beehive Events ↑↑ Skyline Tent Company; Beehive Events; Keswick Hall ↑↑ Jennifer Carroll Events ↑↑ Skyline Tent Company ↑↑ Skyline Tent Company ↑↑ Skyline Tent Company ↑↑ Skyline Tent Company: Skyline Tent Lighting ↑

Contact Information for Skyline Tent Company
~ website: www.skylinetentcompany.com
~ phone: 434-977-TENT (8368)
~ e-mail: info@skylinetentcompany.com

If you’re planning a wedding in the Charlottesville area, the Charlottesville Wedding Directorywill make your life so much easier… check it out… and happy wedding planning

Liz Powers of Skyline Tent Company was kind enough to share this beautiful selection of photos that showcase some of the amazing array of possibilities that having a tent at your wedding offers. I have to admit I have a special fondness for tented events… there’s something lovely about being outdoors and yet protected from the elements while dining and dancing. As you will see from these images, Skyline Tent Co. teams up with lots of local vendors to create the look and feel that their couples want. I am so pleased to share these photos with you… thanks Liz!

↑ Skyline Tent Co.; Beehive Events; Festive Fare ↑

↑ Skyline Tent Co.; A Pimento Catering; Festive Fare; Beehive Events ↑↑ Skyline Tent Co.; A Pimento; Festive Fare; Beehive Events ↑↑ Skyline Tent Co. ↑↑ Skyline Tent Co.; A Pimento; Beehive Events ↑↑ Beehive Events ↑↑ Skyline Tent Co. ↑↑ Beehive Events, Keswick Hall ↑↑ Clifton Inn; Pat’s Floral Design ↑↑ Clifton Inn ↑

Be sure to check back in a day or two for lots more beautiful wedding tents!

Contact Information for Skyline Tent Company
~ website: www.skylinetentcompany.com
~ phone: 434-977-TENT (8368)
~ e-mail: info@skylinetentcompany.com

If you’re planning a wedding in the Charlottesville area, the Charlottesville Wedding Directorywill make your life so much easier… check it out… and happy wedding planning

Today’s featured Charlottesville business, Blue Ridge Light Forms, has been designing and producing premium – quality events since 2001.  Nothing can put the finishing touch on your wedding design like beautiful lighting and Blue Ridge Light Forms can do the most amazing things to dramatize the colors and textures you’ve chosen for your day.

As you can see in these fantastic images that Joe Kalkstein sent me, Blue Ridge Light Forms can take a couple’s vision and make it a reality, producing spectacular effects with lighting, audio, video, draping and décor.

Whether you’re planning an indoor or outdoor event give Joe a call and share your vision for your big day … I know you’ll be amazed at what he and his staff can create for you!  Visit Blue Ridge Light Forms website for lots more details and examples of how they can transform a venue beyond your wildest imagination… enjoy!

Dance floor at Farmington Country Club

Romantic wedding at Veritas Vineyards & Winery

Evening reception at Oak Ridge Estate

Asian-inspired wedding tent

Contact Information for Blue Ridge Light Forms:
~ webste: www.blueridgelightforms.com
~ phone: 434-975-3540
~ e-mail: info@blueridgelightforms.com