Elements of Elegance ~ Wedding Consulting & Floral Design ~ Making Moments into Memories

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Introducing the Clarks!

Tuesday, April 27th, 2010

Ceremony::: St. Paul’s Episcopal Church

Reception and Caterer::: Frederik Meijer Gardens

Day of Coordination::: Elements of Elegance Event Planning and Floral

Florist::: Elements of Elegance Event Planning and Floral

Photography::: Katie Morrow Photography

Wedding Cupcakes::: Alicia Giles Cakes

Linens::: Special Occasions

Limo Service::: Dadds Limo

Make Up::: Lindsey Smith Make Up

Overnight Accommodations for couple::: JW Marriot

We had the honor of being part of Sean and Dana’s wedding and what a wedding it was! It was filled with so much love and special touches that it really was a great event to start off our season with. When I met with Dana for the first time last year I fell in love with her style! And I have to say she was my bride that had some of the sweetest DIY projects.

On a sunny Saturday morning we started our day off at Dana’s mom’s house helping the guys finish getting ready and all pinned up with their personal flowers, all being captured by the wonderful Katie and her second shooter Theresa. Then we were off to the JW to check on the girls and deliver their personal flowers. Walking into the girls’ suite, you could just feel the excitement and love radiating from the room. And our bride was amazingly calm as she was having her makeup finished. Then it was time to slip Dana into her beautiful dress and let her see her groom for the first time on the stunning staircase.

Then our wonderful couple and their bridal party were off to pictures in downtown Grand Rapids. My assistant Patti tagged along to help with any needs the bridal party might have had. As for me, I was off to the Palm Room at Frederik Meijer Gardens to set up for reception with the help of my dear friend Allison Bower! I arrived to a room filled with activity! Penny from Special Occasions was busy putting on the chair covers and table linens. Alicia was busy setting up the yummy cupcakes and placing the most interesting cake topper I have ever seen! The couple has a love for video games and had a custom made topper of their favorite character from Esty. Alli and I were busy placing the reception flowers and the bride’s beautifully made Menu Cards, Favor Boxes, and Escort Cards who by the way were all created by her. Once the room was close to being finished, I was off again to meet up with Patti and the bridal party at their home church in Greenville for the ceremony.

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church was so quaint and the ceremony was quite moving with a Shakespeare reading and the Bride’s aunt signing the most beautiful song. After the ceremony, the bride and groom chose to release their guest themselves so they could take a moment thank each one of them for coming.

After the wedding the bridal couple and their party were off in the Limo for some fun photos around the area and our team was off to do finishing touches Palms Room for the couple’s dinner reception. The brides choose an ivory, dusty pink, chocolate brown, with a touch of green apple for their color palette. Once all the table settings were placed, the room truly looked amazing!

Once the finishing touches were done, the doors were opened for cocktail hour where guests were served a chill glass of Champagne and along with Butler service of hors d’oeuvres as they walked in. As the guest mingled, the couple and their bridal party arrived and were ready to be announced. Our fun filled evening began with “Grampy” giving a heartfelt prayer blessing both the meal and the couple followed by some fun and lighthearted toasts to the couple. Then one of the best meals I have had at a wedding was served to everyone! Frederik Meijer’s caterer group did an amazing job! After the dinner was served the guest enjoyed an evening of great music and dancing!

Congrats again Dana and Sean!

Posted in 2010 Weddings, Floral, Planning, Vendors, Venues | No Comments »

Going Green for your wedding!

Tuesday, April 20th, 2010

Being that it’s Earth Week, this morning on the Today Show there was a clip about “Going Green” in your everyday life. But it really doesn’t stop there; many of today’s brides are “Going Green” for their wedding. But what does that really mean? Well here are three examples of what some of our clients are doing to make their wedding more environmentally friendly.

One of the most popular eco-friendly ideas is choosing flowers that we can purchase locally. The lovely bouquet above was designed by us last year for one of our June brides, Jan. It was a beautiful lush bouquet of peonies surrounded with variegated hosta leaves. And all these flowers were grown locally at Ponderosa Nursery located in Hamilton Michigan. In the summer months, we utilize as many local growers as possible because we then are able to help support our local economy and help give our brides more blooms for their budget.

Another idea that my brides are doing is using is local stationary designer that use eco friendly paper lines such as Marsupial Paper Company. Again they are supporting a local business and but more importantly they are using paper that is safe for our landfills. My two favorite local designers are Sondra from Sondra Ink and Abbey from Syd Design. Both do an excellent job and understand today’s bride’s needs.

And finally some of my brides are forgoing buying a new wedding gown but instead buying used or even renting a gown. Companies such as Light in the Box provide brides choices of multiple styles and colors of both bridal and bridesmaids gowns. Another suggestion for a bride that is looking to purchase a previously worn gown is talking to other brides on forums that can be found on wedding planning sites such as The Knot and Wedding Wire.

The above are the most popular with our clients, but there are so many different ideas out there. Please share your ideas with us; we would love to hear them!

Posted in Ceremony ideas, Helpful Hints, Vendors | No Comments »

Vintage Glam!

Saturday, March 27th, 2010

Last Wednesday evening I had the pleasure to be part of the EightWest Wedding Event at Noto’s. My dear friend and the talented photographer Amy Carroll came to me a couple of weeks ago and asked me to help her design a vintage glam look for her space. Between our combined ideas and talents; items from our own homes and local antique shops; some simple but beautiful floral; and of course Amy’s gorgeous photo’s, we accomplished what we set out to do! What a fun evening and I feel so honored that Amy would think of me to help showcase her work. Thanks again Amy!

Posted in Floral, Vendors | 3 Comments »

Lizzie Photo

Thursday, February 11th, 2010

To know Lynell is to love Lynell and Lizzie Photo. I first worked with her over two years ago when she photographed Matt and Kimberly’s June wedding. From the first moment we met, we “clicked” both professionally and personally. I feel very blessed to know such amazing women and talented photographer. I feel very much honored today to share with you why she has chosen photography as her path in life.

About me

I find it amusing that people who knew me when I was growing up are the most likely to say “yeah, you being a photographer makes sense.” Apparently, I’ve always had this creative streak I avoided exploring. A few years ago I started exploring that again, and tried my and at a number of things that pretty much failed as soon as I got started. Or rather, I got bored (so if you want any counted cross stitch or jewelry making items, call me) as soon as I got started.

Then I got another, newer camera. Pictures quickly changed from snapshots to an attempt to manipulate the technology what I felt in my heart, and saw through my eyes. This meant an upgrade, because I was tapped out by the technology not keeping up with me.

I love photography simply because it feels so naturally ME. It is the one thing I’ve not tried to force to happen in my life. It just happens….it happened…its happening.

I love being able to show off a personality.

I love showing off the beauty of humanity.

I love capturing timeless moments.

I love sharing the amazing things in this great wide world with others and using this gift to help change the world for the better.

I’m not into photography to be the best photographer. I’m in it to be the best, most authentic me.

Posted in Vendors | No Comments »

What to look for in a DJ Company?

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010

Music plays an important part in any wedding because
traditionally it is used during both the ceremony and
reception. Most couples that I meet with choose music
that not only reflects them as a couple, but will also
beenjoyed by their guests. More couples choose to go
with a DJ service over a band.  Below I have outlined
what you should look for in a DJ service, and what
questions you will need answered, when interviewing
them for your upcoming wedding.

Personality is important! Make sure you "click" with
the DJ and feel that they will keep the guests dancing.
Do you have the confidence that they will be able to
read the crowd and pick thecorrect music throughout the
evening? That is an important question you will need to
ask yourself before hiring any DJ.

How many songs do they carry and do they have a database
to showyou the sort of music they carry to each event?
Make sure they have a size-able collection with a wide
variety of music for you and your guest to choose from.

What do past bridal couples have to say about the service
theyreceived for their wedding? Make sure you check reviews
on sites like Wedding Wire or chat with other local brides
on sites like "The Knot". If you have a planner, find out
if they have worked with them in the past and what their
feelings are on the service they provided.

Is their equipment professional grade and do they have back
up equipment in case they run into issues during the event?

If needed, are they able to support both the ceremony and
the reception? What will the additional cost be for added
services?

Make they understand that they are playing the roles of
Master of Ceremonies, Sound Technician, and Lighting
Technician.  They must be flexible enough to change when
needed throughout the night.

When asked who I recommend for a DJ service, I
instantly say Thunder Mountain DJ Service, based
in Holland Michigan. I've had the pleasure of working
with this company on multiple events and they're one
of the best in the area. When asked why they're so
passionate about their company, Dave and Deb very simply
said "Being a DJ is a fantastic job! It gives us the
opportunity to go new places and meet many people.
It is always an exciting and rewarding experience being
caught up in the joy and passion that is being expressed,
whether it is a small party, wedding reception or fund
raiser. We love to be part of thefun and memories of
a "special" occasion or event."

Happy Planning!

Posted in Helpful Hints, Vendors | No Comments »

Spirit Custom Make-up

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010

I’ve had the honor of working with the best of the best wedding make-up artistes and I’m a firm believer that we in West Michigan have the best in the Midwest. And today I would love to tell you more about Patti Nahikian who is one of the best I have worked with. She even did my make-up on my wedding day a year ago. What’s so special about her is that all her make-up is custom made to fit your skin needs. But today I am not highlighting her wedding packages but her everyday line of cosmetics.

Patricia is a licensed Aesthetician, Professional Makeup Artist and Certified Color Specialist. She owned and operated a full service beauty salon in South Florida for more than 10 years and has been published in several trade magazines and journals. She was also called upon to address groups of her peers and to review many trade publications including Milady’s Standard-Comprehensive Training for Aestheticians, which is used in most cosmetology schools today.

Currently, Patti is the owner of Spirit Custom Cosmetics by Rainbow Shades, a custom natural makeup and image consulting business. And I asked her today to share with us her passion and more about her new line.

Spirit is for the every day woman. It embodies each individual’s inner nature whether that be exciting and edgy or peaceful and tranquil or somewhere in between. Spirit is the last makeup you will ever need because it grows and changes as you grow and changes because it’s you!

Your face is your opportunity for expression. Define your look with here-and-now beauty. Spirit is an experience in real time for building your personal palette, perfectly matched to each memory, each moment, and each mood. Spirit is Perfectly matched to you.

Get the perfect lipstick made just for you in front of you. Our lipsticks are rich in botanicals: vitamin E, oils of jojoba, macadamia nut and grape seed, green tea extract, Shea butter, and aloe.

Create your foundation, bronzers, blushes and shadows of choice, (liquid or mineral powder), matched perfectly to your skin tone, right in front of you.

Mineral powder foundations are made of silky micronized minerals with natural healing properties that beautify and protect the skin. Our Active Powder Additives allow you to customize your foundation with treatments for your specific skin condition. Talc-free, fragrance-free, dye-free and non-comedogenic.

Liquid mineral foundations are infused with rich botanical of Calendula, Linden, Roman Chamomile, German Chamomile, Cornflower and St. John’s Wort, Lady’s Mantle, Horsetail, Pomegranate, Gingko Balboa, and Milk Thistl to nourish and fortify your skin.

Please visit Patti’s website to learn more about her new line of everyday wear and also about her great Wedding Packages!

Posted in Helpful Hints, Vendors | No Comments »

RMS Photography

Thursday, February 4th, 2010

As many of my couples will tell you, my philosophy about the photography is that’s where you spend the largest portion of your budget (even over the planner and floral). My reasoning behind this is because when the day flies by; the pictures are what you have to look back on. And every couple deserves perfect pictures! And I have been very lucky to work with some great photographers over the years. And my top five favorites are on my preferred vendor list. And today I like to highlight one of those top five.

RMS Photography is made up with the talented couple of Ryan and Nicole Start. I had the pleasure of working with them during this past summer at the Felt Mansion for Rachel and Drew’s wedding. This wedding was full of personal style and was over the top when it came to décor’. Ryan and Nicole were able to capture it all and still have a blast with the bridal couple and their bridal party! Their pictures capture the true emotion of the day and I know when Rachel and Drew look back at their pictures, they will always smile.

Ryan and Nicole wedding package is only $1500 for the entire day along with an engagement session. They offer online sneak peak slideshow within two days and full proof package back in a short four weeks. Make sure you check out these up & coming photographers!

Posted in 2009 Weddings, Vendors | No Comments »

Septembers Bride Winter Photo shoot

Thursday, December 10th, 2009

This past November, I had the pleasure of being part of a photo shoot highlighting Septembers Bride in downtown Holland. Tami, the owner of Septembers Bride, picked out some stunning gowns and accessories for four beautiful models. With Allison Bower doing the make-up, Elements of Elegance providing the personal flowers, and Amy Boeve behind the camera, it turned into an amazing shoot. What I loved most about this particular shoot is that our models look like today’s “real” brides. More stunning shots of this shoot coming soon!!

September Bride 2

september 3

Posted in Floral, Vendors | No Comments »

Vendor LOVE

Wednesday, December 9th, 2009

Over the next few weeks I have decided to highlight all the vendors on my vendor list. As many know I don’t add people onto my vendor list unless I have either personally worked with them or I met them and they blew me away with their talent. So with this being said, I have asked the vendors to write a little something about themselves, their business, and of course some helpful hits for our upcoming bridal couples. My hope in doing this is with the upcoming planning season approaching us, this will be a great way for newly engaged brides to learn about some GREAT vendors. I don’t have a set of standard questions for them to answer, I have asked them to write from their heart and let my readers know who they really are!

Happy Planning and I hope you enjoy our first vendor

Allison Bower

I met Allison a little less than a year ago at a photo shoot at September Brides in Holland Michigan. From the first moment I met her I have fell in love with her work. She is the most high energy person I know and she is great at what she does! Plus she has the sweetest personality and puts her clients at ease from the moment she walks in the room.

I love makeup and making people feel good about themselves. Everyone has good features that can be highlighted. A lot of my clients come to me and ask what colors look good on them. They are often surprised when they discover a different color that looks great on them. I find it exciting when I show them how they can enhance their features by simple techniques and colors. Makeup is so personal and ranges from natural looking to glamorous. It is supposed to be fun!

For bridal makeup, most of my brides tend to go with more natural or romantic colors. Last summer, I used a lot of taupes, champaynes, and lavenders on the eyes. Soft pinks and plums were popular for lips. I tend to encourage false lashes, because they make your eyes “pop” in photographs.

I believe in using the best products that I know very well. Most of my makeup cases have these products: Laura Mercier, Artistry, Chanel, Nars, Smashbox, Merle Norman and MAC. I have my favorites!

Favorite Eye Liner: Merle Norman Soft Touch pencils (waterproof, too)

Favorite Lipstick: MAC

Mascara: Chanel and Artistry

Eye Shadow: Laura Mercier and MAC

Foundation/Powder: Laura Mercier

Blush: MAC

Posted in Helpful Hints, Vendors | No Comments »

Mr. and Mrs. Travis Gurd!

Tuesday, December 1st, 2009

Full Event Planning:: Elements of Elegance

Floral:: Elements of Elegance

Photography:: Lizzie’s Photo’s

Stationary and Invites:: Sondra’s Ink

DJ Service:: Thunder Mountain DJ Service

Ceremony and Reception:: Castle Farms

Linens:: Special Occasions

Bridal Gown:: Bridal Lane

Bridesmaids and Bridal Accessories:: September Brides

Make- up Artist:: Rainbow Shades

Hair:: Body Perfection

Lodging:: Grey Gables Bed and Breakfast

The EOE team this year has been very fortunate to have planned three full planning weddings along with our partial planning packages and our DAY OF Services. But I have to say this particular wedding was a favorite of mine. Dana and Travis were and still is a very special couple to the EOE team to say the least. I can still remember Dana’s mom called me the first time to talk about her daughter’s wedding and the excitement in her voice. The couple was so excited to get married that they decided they didn’t want a long engagement. So with the help of the EOE team we pulled off a beautiful UP North wedding in a short 12 weeks. Below are the details of Dana and Travis day…

This wedding was amazing in some many ways. From the great couple to the touching vows that left everyone in tears. No detail was forgotten and I loved Dana’s vision of her wedding day. Deep Chocolate Espresso, Mango Tango, and Ivory were the color scheme. She really had an eye for details and like me, loves things to flow. So from her personal flowers, stationary, to the ceremony reception flowers, and linens, everything fit together perfectly!

Planning!

Dana and Travis choose to hire the EOE team under our Full Planning Package. This package was great for the two of them considering they both have demanding careers. We set up their budget, picked out best vendors; set them up with a great location and all those detail; and even tracked all their RSVP’s and help them do their table assignments. With us doing all the big things and most of the little things, they were able to sit back and enjoy their engagement. But we did include them in the fun tasks like making up welcome bags and designing the program.

Where!

Dana and Travis really wanted their wedding to be something special and a place their guest could really enjoy. After hours of searching for different venues they came up with Castle Farms in Charlevoix Michigan! What an amazing spot within Michigan. The town is adorable and Castle Farms is beautiful space that really fit the feel of their wedding. What is wonderful about this space is that we are able to have both the wedding and the reception within the same location.

All about the paper!

When it comes to invitation and all stationary needs, there is only one place I send my clients, that’s to Sondra of Sondra’s Ink. She designed the most beautiful invite that I have ever had the pleasure of receiving! And then she followed up by designing to die for escort cards, menu cards, and table numbers for our couple. We also utilized her full service program which includes her designing, assembling, and even mailing out the invites. Dana choose a deep chocolate espresso pocket fold with stunning ivory paper placed on a dark rust backer. And then topped everything off with a stunning monogram that we carried across into our decor design.

Flowers and Décor::

The Bridal bouquet was so very important to Dana. She had been envisioning her bridal bouquet since she was just a little girl. So when that day finally came we presented her with her dream come true bouquet!! She carried 50 Flame Calla Lilies with a corset tied satin handle with a pearl accent. It truly reflected her style and feel for the entire wedding. We designed a beautiful hand tied bouquet of cream calla lilies and hydrangeas for her five bridesmaids to carry alongside her. We forgo the traditional corsages for the mothers of the couple and instead made up dainty nosegays of calla lilies and a rose for each mom to carry. And the boutonnieres were made up of Fiddle Ferns and berries for a more of a manly look for our gentleman of the party. They loved them and apparently they’re also tasty!!

For the décor of the ceremony, we choose to go with very simple but elegant designs. Dana and Travis were married in the beautiful Queen’s Tavern that was beautiful on its own. We only add some simple flowers for the chairs, two beautiful arrangements, and wreath for the Alter.

For the reception we dressed the tables in the Knights Castle with stunning Chocolate Espresso Pin Tuck linens matched with simple mango tango chair ties and specialty folded napkins that had a single bloom in each center. The centerpiece designs were just as elegant as the setting itself. Our first design was a cubed vase with three calla lilies submerged in water for a simple elegant look to the table. Our second design had wonderful tall candle stick with a monogram candle in the center and three vases of terracotta roses with glass holly/winter berries. These tables were my favorite of the year!

All those Great VENDORS!

What I loved most about this wedding is being with us some of the best vendors from West Michigan.

Our photographer Lynell was and is AMAZING!!! She captured such feeling in all her pictures… Plus she made everyone feel so comfortable and made sure everyone was having fun. Her talent is displayed below! I can’t wait see the rest of them!

Our Make Up Artist Patti was flawless! She made each and every person she touched that day feels beautiful and special!

Rachel and Stephanie our hair stylist were FAB! I was amazed on how the girls’ hair did not move all day and continued to look beautiful despite the rainy weather!

Thunder Mountain DJ service is one of the BEST in West Michigan. Dave and Deb have worked many weddings with the EOE team and as always their service was top notch! They had the dance floor packed all night!

All those special touches!!

Dana and Travis really went out of their way to make their guests feel loved. From the moment they arrived they were greeted with welcome bags filled with Taffy from Taffy Barrel based right there in Charlevoix and all kinds of information about the city and surrounding areas. But it didn’t stop there. They wanted to make this a weekend people would never forget. And I believe they achieved this goal. From vows written from the heart; a program that showered love to their bridal party; to their Signature drink “Kiss the Bride” martini; to the amazing candy and desert bar for their guest to snack on all night; and ending with a the most heartfelt toast to their guests that left me in tears. They truly were an amazing couple that I can call my friends now. Congrats Mr. & Mrs. Travis Gurd!