With guests coming from Southeast Texas and Louisiana I knew this party would be full of life and laughs, and let me tell you, they did not disappoint. During the planning it was always important to Jennifer that she and Jarred were both represented in their wedding day. She knew she wanted pinks and feminine touches, but at the same time she wanted it to be obvious that this was also Jarred’s wedding. They paid special attention to designing a menu that encompassed all of their loves in food, he had a cake that screamed his name and she allowed “That Butt Thang” to be the song played for garter removal. What a good woman!

They did party the night away with those who were celebrating with them, but most importantly of all they made time that day to truly enjoy their loved ones who were around them. Family and friends are always first in their books and the wedding day was no different.

As of yesterday, we wish Jennifer & Jarred Horn a very happy four month anniversary!

The day would not have been complete without spending some one on one time with her "daughter" Bella.

Gig 'Em, with some bling!

Dress fit for a princess!

Walk down the aisle with Dad.

First Presbyterian Church Bryan

The wedding party ready for the celebration to kick off!

Pam's eyes would light up anytime the chocolate founatin was mentioned in meetings. It was just as good as she thought it would be! That made a happy mom!

This ruffle cake always steals the show. Rustic yet elegant, very much like the bride!

Super cute idea for a cake, and delicious too!

Delicious cookies made with love from Jarred's side of the family.

Soft pinks and ivories with pops of purple…all accented beautifully by the lighting.

I think it might have been planned for sister of the bride/MOH to catch the bouquet! Hint, hint, Amy!

The guys were not quite as enthusiastic.

Last dance of the night.

Sparkler goodnight.

Jennifer and Jarred had a great group of vendors working behind the scenes to make sure all went smoothly and as planned.

Coordination/Linens: Ashley & Co. (www.ashleyandcompany.com)
Photography: Amy McCormick, Picture Perfect Images (www.pictureperfectimages.net)
Floral: Nita’s Flowers (www.nitasflowers.com)
Church: First Presbyterian Church, Bryan (www.fpcbryan.org)
Reception/Bar/Food: Hilton Hotel College Station (www.hiltoncs.com)
Entertainment: Livewire Productions (www.livewirepro.com)
Lighting: Events Lighting (www.eventslighting.com)
Bride’s Cake: Cinderella’s Cakes (www.cinderellascakes.com)
Make-Up: MediSpa (www.makeupincollegestation.com)

As I was answering these this morning I thought it might interest a few others, either looking to get into the industry, or already here. I know some of you might have some opinions of your own, and want to share experiences….comment away if you feel the desire!

Q: What made you want to get into wedding planning?

A: I started in sports and corporate planning during an internship in San Francisco with a sports PR/planning firm. I was moved from PR to event planning within the first week and worked for them for about 6 months. I basically got thrown into wedding planning with the venue I was working for in 2004. I was actually very leery about it because, at the time, I knew nothing about weddings!

Q: What combination of education, experiences and skills did you need to get your job?

A: I have a bachelor’s in Ag Journalism with a PR emphasis, so this was not my plan during school! I have my professional wedding planning certification, but the experience I had before was much more pertinent. I have worked in the event industry for about 13 years and have been wedding focused for eight. I worked for a local venue for four years before starting my own company, An Affair to Remember. I have been an independent wedding planner for four years now and in April will open a showroom which will expand my business to include linens and boutique event rentals, Ashley & Co. I will have a team of coordinators who will continue the planning portion of my business and I will also coordinate for certain packages. Skill absolutely comes in, but follows experience I think. You need to have a sense of design but often that comes after getting comfortable with the situation first.

Q: Of those (education, experiences and skills), what do you rely on most often?

A: Experience by far out weighs education in this business because you can’t be taught how to deal with most situations. You have to be flexible, professional, compassionate and direct. You learn with each client and continue to broaden your knowledge with style, trends, details and design.

Q: How important are professional/personal connections?

A: Professional and personal connections are incredibly important in this business. Both relationships create great word of mouth referrals and help your business grow. Wedding planning is a very personal time for your clients, so you become more similar to part of the family than a business connection. Professionally you need to know different styles and personalities of those in your industry to better help your clients and help those vendors build their business.

Q: What are the upsides to a job like this?  Downsides?

A: When you are in this industry you love it. You know immediately if it’s not for you, so those who stay have a true passion. I love being the guidance that makes the wedding come together and the calm behind the scenes that keeps things in track. One of the best things about what I do on a wedding day is that I get to watch the bride, groom and families relax and enjoy their guests. They are never working on their wedding day.

Some aspects that are harder to learn to juggle with this business are 1) weekend work and 2) personal time. The weekends are your prime work time, so you do miss out on certain things that go on during the weekends with family and friends. It’s a commitment that you have to make without being resentful. There becomes a very fine line with your business hours and personal time as well. If you use your cell phone for business you are always available and need to set boundaries with when and how you will respond to calls, emails and texts.

Q: What are some of the popular misconceptions about this job?

A: Being an actual wedding planner is not like the movie! Your days are long but you have to remain fresh throughout, your feet hurt by the end of 15 hours, and you probably do more physical labor than you ever imagined possible. But, like I said previously, if you are doing this type of work, you love it.

Q: How did you go about starting your own business?

A: I used my previous experience with local venues and vendors to start my business. After a total of seven years experience in Bryan/College Station I felt I was ready to make that step. I obtained a DBA to operate under and joined local associations affiliated with my work.

Q: Did you work under a wedding planning business before starting your own? If so what was that experience like?

A: The venue that I worked for before was not purely wedding focused. We did a large array of events, but I was able to turn the wedding program into a full service option which gave me the opportunity to gain more experience. The other events that I operated probably gave me just as much experience as the weddings!

Q: What would be one thing you would have liked to know about being in the  wedding planning business that you did not know before?

A: Actually, nothing. It’s not my personality to need to know all about something before I begin. I would rather start and form my own opinions as I go, and I think that everyone in the industry has a different outlook. Like I said before, the experience you gain for working with each client and event will continue to be different and teach you something new!

Q: What do you consider the future of the profession—in five, ten, twenty years?

A: I see wedding planning continuing to grow and become more competitive. Couples getting married now are busy and need that extra help to make sure they enjoy their wedding day and process. As more people use wedding planners, more will aspire for that career.

Q: What advice would you give someone like me?

A: However you can, gain experience! You need to know that this is an industry you want to be in and the only way to do that is to personally experience it. The experience will also make you much more marketable in future jobs and with future clients.

Good luck Marissa, with this class and your future endeavors! We would love to have you join the wedding industry and learn the insides and outs for yourself!

xoxo

I’m sure you’ve heard that it is considered bad luck for the groom to see his bride before the wedding. Do you know the history of that? In the earlier days it was considered that the bride would become “impure” if she saw her groom OR herself in the mirror before that walk down the aisle. The wedding ceremony symbolized leaving the old and making new, therefore if a bride and groom came into each other’s presence before the actual ceremony the new had been tarnished.

This tradition has carried on for many years to follow and only been challenged by those brides on the cutting edge! (Or so think those tied to tradition!) It used to be that the only flow of your ceremony, pre and post, leading to the reception would go as such…pictures of each side finishing final touches and a few family/bridal party shots; ceremony; ALL pictures of family, bridal party, bride and groom; reception. Often now many pictures are taken before the ceremony of the bride/groom, family, bridal party, and even all together. In the case that the bride and groom make their reveal before the ceremony, it is called a First Look. Are you one torn between following tradition and seeing your counterpart before the wedding?

Here are a few positive points with a First Look:

• How are your nerves? If you are going to be a nervous wreck and know that the only person that can bring you back to reality and make you enjoy the day is your fiance, maybe you should see each other before the ceremony. Often an anxiety attach can come on just before the wedding if you have built up the anticipation and laying eyes on that person can eliminate all of that!
• Are you ready to join the party? One way to get to your reception earlier is to knock out so many of those post-ceremony shots. You can choose to do only pictures with your fiance, leaving family and bridal party after, or you can do ALL pictures pre-ceremony and walk straight down the aisle and to the party! If you are crunched for time, really want those romantic pictures that will be in the perfect sunlight after the ceremony, or simply are ready to enjoy your guests, this option might be right up your alley!
• What type of pictures do you want? Do you know that you actually get a better “reaction shot” from both sides when you do a First Look? You will be seeing each other in a much more intimate setting, not in front of 50, 150, 250 guests, and your photographer will be able to position him/herself in a way that can really capture all. This is especially true when your photographer works alone or the church has certain rules that can’t bend.

Don’t get me wrong, doing a First Look is not for all couples, but these are some perks that can created an added bonus by doing such. For those of you toying with the idea, but hearing a little chatter from family members (or your fiance) know that you are not the first, certainly not the last, and will not be tempting luck!

So, what type of bride are you?

xoxo

02.26.2012 ash & brad = forever

Four months ago today, October 28th, 2011, these two love birds met for the very first time. On Friday, February 10th, 2012 Brad surprised Ashley with the question she’s been waiting on since she met him, and some added bling to her her left ring finger. Two days ago, Sunday, February 26th, Ashley and Brad were united in marriage at the sweetest, most perfect ceremony at Christopher’s World Grille. When you know, you know, and these two never doubted.

When I told Ashley back in October that we had a friend coming into town that I thought she should meet, she was secretly a little leery. Of course she was outwardly willing, all the while thinking she was tired of her friends doing this! Brad, on the other hand, was all about it and never thought twice. Knowing basically nothing about each other, they were introduced that Friday October night and after spending three days together, and with the rest of us, the chemistry was undeniable! That weekend was jam-packed with watching the Rangers game, tailgating and attending Aggie football, and tons of social time with great friends and family… even surrounded by so many, the two of them never took their eyes off each other.

After that weekend there were nightly phone conversations that lasted hours, trips to Midland for Ash, BCS for Brad and Sonora for both, and future plans being made. I have never seen these two happier and could not be more thrilled for them to be starting their life together! Sunday they were married, Monday they loaded Ashley’s boxes in the car and left for Midland. Brad and Dawson took Ashley those six hours to “bring her home” and make their house complete.

I, along with so many others, am sad to see Ash go, but thrilled to know what’s up ahead for her. It warms my heart to see the smiles reinstated on both of their faces. I can’t wait to see you both again, share laughs and make memories. You are so blessed with all you have and all that the future holds. Thank you for letting us share in your special day. We love you!

xoxo

These were the words that came out of my hubby’s mouth when I told him, in complete distress, that I had lost one of my diamond earrings a few weekends ago when we were at the building.

Why wouldn’t I wear diamonds at the construction site? I NEVER take them out! Let me just tell you what I’ve learned to accomplish while wearing my diamonds and pearls…:)

• Painting – oh how we’ve painted! Building, trim, porch, railing, lights, ceiling, walls, inside, outside, upstairs, downstairs. If it stays still, it gets painted.
• Sheetrocking – this was a learning experience. I must say, many things in the construction world I actually have a knack for, sheetrock not so much. Thank you to the professionals who swooped in to take care of the showroom!
• Grinding – after the fantastic rain we’ve been blessed with in the last few weeks, we’ve found a few leaks in the building. Easy fix, right? Well, after about three hours of me grinding down the slab with a battery operated grinder (technical name? hmmm), then blowing it out with an air hose, THEN caulking the 80+ feet with NP-1, it was fixed. Note to self – NP-1 in your hair does not come out easily. :/
• Operating Manlifts – I have done a little “getting to know my inner fears” lately while I’ve learned to operate a few different pieces of equipment. I will be the first to admit, I do not like heights. With that being said, after four full weeks of my wheels being 1) a 40′ manlift and 2) a 25′ scissor lift, I have gotten a little more comfortable above ground. Just a little.

In my opninio, the touch of diamonds and pearls have helped give me the edge over the other trades at the building.

The Spring Show was the perfect opportunity to get that informaiton out, all while doing it for a good cause. The Bridal Association of the Brazos Valley hosts two bridal shows each year. One in the fall at the College Station Hilton and one in the spring at the Brazos County Expo. The Association is a non-profit organization that donates the proceeds to a charity for each show. The Spring Show is proud to benefit the Red Cross and SEPA (student event planner’s association). These volunteers that help behind the scenes are wonderful and deserve a huge thank you! I’m excited to see what we are able to donate this year.

The Spring Show always sets the beginning of the wedding season of that year. It seems that January kicks off pretty strong each year, February is a little more calm coming through Valentine’s Day, and then after the show begins the whirlwind! We were excited this year to get to share some design secrets with future and current brides, and some that were just interested in some ideas.

Of course I left the camera at home, so all of these are from phones, but I think you can get an idea of our style.

Keep watching for doors opening and open house information!

xoxo

Ashley & Co. is not a new company, simply a new brand. I am taking my years of experience and development and rebranding it into a more personal delivery for all. With this comes more options for those planning weddings and all other events.

In December we made the step of purchasing our future showroom/warehouse/office/new love. A few short weeks later we began the construction phase and have seen a day to day transformation. I keep comparing this process to planning a wedding, probably because that is what is occupying in my mind at least 18 hours a day. Jeff is ready to see the doors open and start business. I’m trying to cherish each step of the way and document the changes. This vision that has existed only in my head is really coming to life, and now I get to share it with the world!

As I write this first post I can’t help but look into the months ahead. So much to look forward to. So many wonderful clients that I’m working with, so many weddings that we get to attend as guests! But the event closest is the bridal show. What a better way to make a debut than the Spring Bridal Show! I’m looking forward to seeing many of you there. After that we’ll get back to getting inventory ordered and in place, walls painted, floors complete and decor in place!

Stay tuned for our open house the first week of April!

xoxo