Wedding Dress Terms: Necklines

Here are some great terms regarding your wedding dress necklines to become familiar with:

High - collar just brushing the chin.

Sabrina - a high, slightly curved neck.

Queen Elizabeth - the high collar stands up in the back and comes to a closed V in the front.

Jewel - fabric encircles the natural neckline.

Square - neckline is shaped like half of a square in the front and may be the same in the back or high and straight.

Sweetheart - the front neckline is shaped like the top half of a heart with the back being higher and straight across from shoulder to shoulder.

Off the Shoulder - the neckline falls below the shoulders and hovers above the bustline (but the dress has sleeves).

Boat (or Bateau or Scoop) - the neckline gently follows the curve of the collarbone almost to the tip of the shoulders in the front and the same in the back.

Queen Anne - the neckline rises high at the nape (back) of the neck, then sculpts low in the front either in a sweetheart shape or to outline a bare yoke.

Beach Themed Invitations

Since my office is in a great beach town, I of course always get requests for beach themed classy wedding invitations. Here are some of my favorites from our Invitation Website:

Wedding Dress Terms: Fabrics

Here are just some of the terminology that is used when it comes to fabrics:

Photo by: Lauren Kinsey Photography

Channeuse - a lightweight, smooth, semilustrous silk or synthetic fabric.

Chiffon - a fabric with a simple weave often of silk or rayon with a soft or stiff finish that is delicately sheer.

Crepe de Chine - a soft, light, thin fabric of silk, rayon, or polyester. Used mostly for informal gowns in fall or winter.

Crinoline - an underskirt foundation used to extend the skirt of the wedding gown.

English Net - a fine, sheer cotton netting; a traditional but expensive fabric used in wedding gowns.

Eyelet - a silk, cotton, or cotton polyester open weave embroidery used mostly for decoration. It has small, round, holes finished at the edges with lace and/or embroidery.

Georgette - a silk or synthetic crepe with a dull texture.

Jersey - a soft, fluid material made of wool, silk, or rayon which usually has a satin or matte finish.

Lace - any open weave fabric used for trim or the entire piece of clothing; see specific kinds of lace.

Photo by: Jen Cody, Egomedia Photography

Linen - made from flax, this fiber has been used for clothing since the dawn of civilization. It is beautiful, durable and elegant, with a natural luster and is used for spring and summer weddings.

Moire - a silk taffeta that, when illuminated, glistens like water.

Organza - a sheer, crisply textured fabric which is almost transparent. It may be embroidered with patterns of flowers having rolled edges that are often lightly colored; it is then called embroidered organza.

Peau de Soie - winter dress material made of blended fabrics that has a light, silky texture and a dull, satin like finish.

Pique - a ribbed fabric known for its distinct texture and made of cotton, rayon, or silk.

Satin - a silk or synthetic material with a smooth, usually shiny, unbroken surface.

Silk - a beautiful, luxurious natural fabric available in a variety of weaves and weights which holds brilliant color. Silk chiffon is sheer and drapes well; silk brocade is stiff and elegant.

Shantung - a rough textured plain weave silk or man made fiber.

Silk Faced Satin - a full bodied satin with an antique sheen.

Photo by: Mary Beth Tyson

Slipper Satin - a lustrous, light, soft, more closely woven satin fabric made primarily of acetate.

Tafleta - a crisp, smooth, glossy fabric with a small crosswise web.

Photo by: Greg's Gallery

Tulle - a fine, sheer net fabric of cotton, nylon, rayon or silk.

Grouper Tournament Win

So as you all know Andy and I love fishing. Every Sunday we try to take the boat out off the west coast and try to see who can catch the most fish. Well while I was working at a wedding, Andy entered a fishing contest and won Biggest Grouper on the First Day of the Tournament. I am so PROUD (and still a little upset I wasn't there). Here's a picture of my little winner:

Wedding Cake Trends

A new trend is to break away from the traditional 3-tiered wedding cake and to create something with a little more edge. Here are some of my favorites:

Samantha and Matthew

I am so excited that Samantha and Matthew's wedding photos are finally up. The couple looks stunning and the pictures are breathtaking! Thanks to Greg from Greg's Gallery for capturing Samantha and Matt's most memorable day.

Here are a few of my favorite images, check out the rest under the Featured Couples section of our website:

Photos by: Greg's Gallery

Florals by: Marguerite's Florist

Wedding Planning by: celebrate!

Wedding Guest List

While planning your wedding, one aspect that may be difficult is deciding who and how many people to have on your wedding guest list. Whether you'd like to have a big wedding or a small one, here are a few tips to try and help you keep your guest list narrowed down to the numbers that you'd prefer.

1. Start with percentages: assign 50 percent of the guest list to the bride and groom, and then 25 percent to each set of parents.
2. Give parents their number early: before your parents start inviting friends & family members, create specific guidelines for them to follow.
3. Create tiers: place each guest into a relationship category with family members in the top tier, close friends in the second, and colleagues and other friends in the third. After creating this list, start cutting back from the bottom of the list up.
4. Do the one-year test: ask yourself if you've seen or spoken to this person within the last year. 
5. Selectively offer invites with guests: try to only give "plus guest" on the invitation only if you have socialized with the couple.
6. Consider having a small wedding: consider having a wedding with only family members and close friends, and then having a cocktail party after the honeymoon with all of your friends and colleagues. 

Wedding Dress Terms: Silhouettes

Here is some terminology to know when you go wedding dress shopping.

A Line - tapered or tight fitting bodice, with a close fitting waist that slowly tapers to a flared hem.

Antebellum - dress with a tight fitting bodice, with a natural waistline that dips two inches to a point in the center front.

Asymmetrical - fabric falls to one side from the natural waistline.
Ballgown - an off the shoulder bodice accented by a natural waistline with a lavish, full skirt.

Blouson - drooping fullness in the fabric from the bodice to the waist, gathered at or below the waist.

Bustle Back - a gown with an exaggerated fullness in the rear of the skirt, built with a pad or frame. This is often done with a bridal train for easier movement at the reception.

Drop Waist - the bodice may be loose, tapered, or tightly fitted, with the waistline of the dress dropping several inches below the natural waist.
Empire - small, scooped bodice gathering at a high waist with a slim yet full skirt. (A raised waist is a waistline that is about one inch above the natural waistline, which may or may not be an empire waist.)

Princess - slim fitting bodice and skirt with vertical seams flowing from the shoulder to the hem of the skirt; accentuates the waist but does not hug the body.

Sheath - narrow, body hugging style without a waist.

Romantic Quotes

If you are in need of some inspiration for your wedding programs or vows, here are some quotes that might help you to better put into words the feelings that you and your loved one share. Real Simple Magazine picked these quotes to be there top ten favorites. Enjoy!

"Once in a young lifetime one should be allowed to have as much sweetness as one can possibly want and hold." - Judith Olney

"To love abundantly is to live abundantly, and to love forever is to live forever."- Henry Drummond

"To love deeply in one direction makes us more loving in all others."- Anne-Sophie Swetchine

"Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for a while, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never, ever the same."- Flavia Weedn

"You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give."- Kahlil Gibran

"Love doesn't make the world go 'round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile."- Franklin P. Jones

"We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures."- Thornton Wilder

"In the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, for in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed."- Kahlil Gibran

"Have a heart that never hardens, a temper that never tires, a touch that never hurts."- Charles Dickens

"To love and be loved is to feel the sun from both sides."- David Viscott

Wedding Dress Terms

This week we are going to explore all those terms professionals use when it comes to your wedding dress to help you understand this crazy wedding planning world. This week we will learn about wedding dress fabrics, silhouettes, and necklines.

Invite Your Guests With Style

Your first impression of your wedding to your wedding guests is your wedding invitation. Your invitation should not only let them know all your wedding details but should let them know the style, theme, and whether or not this is a formal wedding. Here are some of my favorite invitations from our Invitation Website:

A fun idea!

A different and unique way to add some fun to your wedding reception is to incorporate a candy buffet. Candy buffets can be a great way to add some color to your room. You can match the buffet with the theme of your wedding or go for the funky style with lots of colors. I love candy buffets when all of the jars are different sizes and shapes. This makes for a true modern theme that is a great conversation piece as well as a deliciously fun wedding favor!

This was one of my favorite candy buffets that we have had at our weddings so far. It had such a variety of colors, flavors, shapes and sizes. It was so unique and the guest had a great time with it!

Amanda's Inspiration Board

Don't you just love the natural vibe this wedding is going to have? Jen, Stephanie and I cannot wait for this beautiful day in January.

Wedding Color Combos

The wedding colors that you choose reflect your own personal style, which is why it is important to select a color combination and style that is representative of you. Below are a few of my favorite combinations, so take a look and hopefully these will help to inspire you for your own wedding.

Happy Planning!

Jumping of the Broom

A really neat wedding tradition is the "Jumping of the Broom," which represents a formal and public declaration of a couple's commitment to each other. Here is a little how-to:

• Select a time to perform this tradition. Either at the very end of the ceremony or during the reception would be appropriate.
• Call your guests to gather around you and your new spouse.
• Place the broom on the floor and stand in front of it.
• Ask a family member or friend to narrate the history of this custom.
• Suggest that the narrator explain to guests that you are re-creating the ceremony as a way to represent the joining together of two lives and the need for support of the marriage from the entire community.
• Hold the broom with your spouse as the narrator shares this important information.
• Sweep the broom in a circle together until the story is finished.
• Place the broom on the floor and hold hands with your spouse.
• Ask the guests to count out loud to three.
• Jump over the broom together.

Welcome Hillery and Ricky

Welcome Hillery and Ricky to our celebrate! family!!!!

I am so thrilled to work with this amazing couple. They are dreaming of a burnt orange, brown, and cream colored fun wedding at the Oakleaf Plantation in Orange Park, Florida. I cannot wait to start designing all their wedding details.

Helpful hints from a brides standpoint...

At one of our post wedding lunches with our wonderful bride & her mother, we always try to converse with our clients about the pro's and con's of their wedding day. We also love to hear the small things that meant a lot to the couple or any words of wisdom they may have for future brides.

Our bride, Samantha, informed Jenna and I that she was so thankful for these two helpful hints before her wedding day:

1. During cocktail hour, take a breather, spend some time together as a newly married couple, nibble on some appetizers or have your meals prepared early so that you have a moment to relax and rejuvenate before mingling with all of the wedding guests.

2. When approaching and mingling with all of the guests during the dinner hour, keep each other close by, hold hands and introduce one another to any wedding guest that may not be well known to either the bride or the groom. This helps to feel the flow of the conversation going and allows the bride and groom to spend that time together.

Small intimate details like this can help to ease some of the wedding day stess. It's important to sit back and take it all in. It's a once in a life time experience, so smile & enjoy!

Stunning Tablescapes

Designing dramatic, personalized tablescapes is one of my favorite things to do as a wedding planner. I believe that each wedding should be uniquely personalized from the linens to florals to candles to stationary. Here are just some of my favorite tablescapes from celebrate!'s photo album. Photo by: Mary Beth Tyson

Photo by: Cooper Photography

Photo by: Ron B. Wilson Photography

Photo by: Ron B. Wilson Photography

Photo by: Leah Jean Photography

Become A Fan of celebrate! on FACEBOOK

I love facebook so naturally celebrate! now has its very own page. Become of fan of celebrate! by clicking on FACEBOOK.

Welcome Amanda and Jeremiah

We are soooo excited to welcome Amanda and Jeremiah to the celebrate! family. I met Amanda and her mom a few weeks ago and talked about her amazing wedding plans. This wedding is so unique and truly THEM!!

Amanda and Jeremiah's wedding will take place in Samsula, Florida. Their reception will look like an elegant forest with birch branches for centerpieces, hanging lanterns in trees, and moss and river rocks as accents around the room. Jen and I cannot wait for this amazing day in January.

I asked Amanda to write a little bit about the two of them and their engagement. Here's some of what she told me:

"My fiance first ask my fathers permission on Jan 7th, 2009 and then got on one knee and asked me. Of course I said yes, and he was more emotional than I was...."

"His parents have been married 35 years and he gave me his mothers first engagement ring but had a bigger diamond put on it and made it special for me."

"He is very special and I am so blessed that he is the one I am going to marry."

We will keep you up to date on their wedding plans as they unfold.

My Sister's Engaged!!!

Congratulations to my sister, Ali, and her fiance Tony! I was so thrilled to get this engagement news and cannot wait to help them plan their special day. Congrats to you both, love you tons!!

Samantha and Matthew

This past Saturday, Jen, Stephanie, and I had the pleasure to execute the breathtaking wedding of Samantha and Matthew. We feel so blessed to have been able to be part of one of the most memorable days of their lives.

Their wedding took place at the historical St. Mary's Church in Daytona Beach, Florida. This is the oldest church in the Daytona area. The upscale wedding reception shortly followed the ceremony and was held at the Mori Hosseini Center. The reception was dressed in hues of green and coral stunning their wedding guests. Marguerite's Florist impressed us all by their organic, over the top floral arrangements.

The night was full of beautiful music by the 10 piece band Soul Funktion. Samantha and Matt danced the night away with their closet friends and family. This truly will be a night everyone will remember.

Thanks again to Samantha and Matt and their families for allowing to be part of their wedding day!

COMING SOON: WEDDING PHOTOS by Greg's Gallery

Best Man Thank You

I just received this heartfelt thank you note from the Best Man from Samantha and Matt's wedding this past Saturday. I just couldn't wait to share it with all of you:

Jenna & Jen,

Thank you for your efforts in making Matthew and Samantha's wedding an incredible evening that truly blessed both our families and friends!Everything went perfectly! I can't tell you how many people commented on your work!

You both have great personalities and very positive attitudes, and you demonstrated strong organizational skills! It is very encouraging/moving to see people working in a field where they are able to bless others with the gifts God has given them. God has given the two of you an incredible gift and you are using it well! I have no doubt that your business will succeed! I pray that the Lord bless the two of you and your business!

Thanks,
Mark

Welcome Joyce and Kurt

Welcome Joyce and Kurt to the celebrate! family! We are so excited to help coordinate your July wedding. Joyce and Kurt are planning a green and pink wedding right here in Ormond Beach. Here is their inspiration board:

WE ARE ON TWITTER

Follow the latest going on with the planners from celebrate! on TWITTER. Get up to the minute updates on what wedding we are planning, whose budget we are working on, when our latest wedding photos are on our website, and so much more. Just click on CELEBRATE! and it will bring you right to our page.

Lynn and Robert

I had such a wonderful time designing Lynn and Robert's wedding on the Ginn Yacht. Lynn wanted an elegant black, white, and red wedding that would stun her wedding guests. Check out the pictures below by Wes from Ron B. Wilson Photography:

More photos will be posted on our website www.celebratetheevent.com shortly.