Helllooooo blogger friends! I can't believe my last post was at the end of June. Hopefully you can tell that it's been a super busy remainder of the summer for us. I just wanted to do a quick summer re-cap of all of the FAB J.Bailey Occasions weddings that have turned into exciting new marriages for our couples.
I like to think that our summer season starts in May, so here we go....my top 3 favorite things from each of our summer clients:
May 2nd: Jeff & Erin
1. Their sweet, teary eyed vows to each other in St.Catherine's at Bell Gable. AKA the sweetest, most whimsical place in NWA.
2. The musician groom's cake, which was a gigantic guitar made by Rick's bakery.
3. The bluegrass music that took over the reception later in the evening. This was a perfect fit for the crowd, as the dancing instantly began! The bride & groom even sang a sweet, funny duet for everyone!
May 10th: Chesna & Matt
1. The bride's relentless pursuit to get married outside, even if it meant standing in the rain in the open air.
2. The way she carried her vintage Hollywood design all the way through to the music she chose, which completed the whole vibe.
3. The trail mix buffet, rather than the candy buffet. A great twist on a crowd favorite!
May 16th: Stephanie & Tom (
Check out some pics here!)
1. I love that this was the first wedding in my home church's new Worship Center (which my parents worked ENDLESSLY on!) and that the groom's dad performed a beautiful ceremony for them.
2. The crazy congo line that wrapped its way around the entire reception!
3. Working with Kristi Matthews, a floral designer in NWA, who builds as she goes and allowed my team to think creatively with her to complete the look of the reception.
May 23rd: MEMORIAL WEEKEND BREAK! I had a great time with my husband and family enjoying this relaxing weekend.
May 30th: Sara & Tyler
Photo by
Ray Peoples1. I love the incredible look we pulled off on a pretty tight budget.I love the reactions of the wedding guests as they entered the reception and saw the transformation of the space. Probably the best reactions we've ever gotten!
2. I loved Sara's cake! It was awesome!
3. I loved that with Sara and Tyler it was about the marriage, not necessarily the wedding. They wanted a great one where everyone would have fun, but they kept the focus on the important stuff!
June 6th was a 2-wedding weekend for us.
First, I worked with Roxi & Ryan in Fayetteville.
{
Photo by Benfield Photography.}
1. I loved their groom's cake. You can't go wrong in Arkansas with Razorbacks made of icing!
2. I loved the groom's garter performance. HA!
3. I loved that the bride's twin sister walked her down the aisle.
Ki and Gina were in Hot Springs working with Ashley & Ben. I think I could communicate 3 really great things from the wedding for them:
Photo by Will Flowers of
Flowers Photography.
1. Their cake table was super fun with a monogrammed runner with their new married initials.
2. Ashley had 2 separate reception spaces, and utilized them in different ways. She kept a cohesive look but had one act as the dressier space and one a bit more fun.
3. Ashley brought a Fayetteville fave to Hot Springs...Rick's Bakery!
June 13th: Lauren & Matt
Photo by
Sarah Bussey1. I loved the look of their simple Old Main Lawn ceremony, with white paper lanterns hanging in the trees behind them.
2. I loved the fan programs to keep the guests cool on the muggy evening.
3. I loved the midnight pizza snack, which like I said before, brought me about 100 new best friends! :)
June 20th was another 2-wedding weekend for us.
I worked with Whitney & Aaron in Joplin, Missouri...
Photos by Lauren & Jessica from
Benfield Photography1. Whitney & Aaron's cakes were so cool! The bride's cake was funky & fun and the groom's cake was also fun to look at and a special tribute to his relationship with his late father.
2. Their ceremony is one of my very favorites. They wrote their own vows and they were precious. We also incorporated some pretty non-traditional music in a very traditional way. Can you say Coldplay on a string quartet?
3. I loved that we were very creative with their budget and made the money count where it needed to, allowing the important things to shine through on the wedding day.
Ki & Haleigh were in Little Rock with Megan & Clark...
1. I hear the band was rockin'!
2. I know Megan had a Pi Phi circle, which is near & dear to my heart.
3. The fact that I have such an amazing staff with Ki as my right hand that can pull of such large weddings in other parts of the state while I am in another state. And I don't even worry a bit or think about it while I am working on my wedding. Girls, YOU ROCK!
June 26th was my mini-trip and my favorite thing about this trip was that my Pi Phi girls won the prestigious Balfour Cup for the 3rd year in a row, which is practically unheard of! The Balfour Cup is awarded to the #1 Pi Beta Phi sorority chapter internationally, and the girls at the University of Arkansas have been in that position for 3 years now. WAY TO GO ARKANSAS ALPHA! I couldn't be prouder! (If you follow me on Twitter, you probably saw the pic of me kissing the cup. HA!) I also got to continue this trip into the 4th of July weekend with my extended family. Thank you again for the much needed break!
And that leads us to this past weekend...July 11th: Felicia & Casey
Photo by
Benfield Photography1. I loved the way the vendors in our area pulled off one of the best weddings of the year despite difficult circumstances.
2. I loved the "big reveal" we did to kick off the dancing! More to come on that...
3. I loved that the bride & groom got to preview the reception prior to the guests' arrival. Oh, and if I can add one more favorite thing...I loved the wedding party entrance into the reception.
I will blog more about Felicia & Casey's big day soon, once I have recovered! :)
So, this is the summer in review. It was our busiest, but best summer yet and we are so thankful for our wonderful clients and the opportunity to serve you all. We are looking forward to the remainder of 2009 with some really fantastic, creative, exciting weddings just weeks away!
