beautiful brides
father of the bride’s…are the best
I’ve been a wedding planner for 7 years and it’s so cool how we get to get a glimpse into people’s families and interact with them on such a highly emotional and personal day.
Some of my most memorable weddings comes from my interactions with the Father of the Bride. It’s a tough day for them. Watching their baby girl walk down the aisle and turning his most precious possession over to another man….yeah, if you know ANYTHING about men, it’s a really, tough day for them.
So today, for a very personal reason, I’d like to pay a little homage to past Father of the Brides (or affectionately called The FOB) who personally made a big impact with me. There are many more than just featured here…
photo credit: studio b
2007 FOB, Steve Burris
What I loved about Steve he was a total business man with a great attitude. He actually interviewed me while his daughter and Mom sat quietly. Steve would chuckle about the expense of “flour and water” for a wedding cake and roll his eyes at his wife’s obsession for the perfect floral or gown to wear. But secretly, he loves his family and would do anything for them. Our team worked extra hard to WOW him at his daughter’s wedding and we met his high standards. He also let me know at the end of the reception that he would of spent TWICE the amount that he did for his little girl. Steve, thanks for letting me know that AFTER the event….
photo credit: jordan barclay
2008 FOB, Doug Little
Sometimes Dad’s are chosen. That was Doug Little, technically a step dad but in every important way, a real dad to his daughter. He’s pretty quiet, but has a sense of humor and a great laugh. He was a little overwhelmed by all the wedding planning. Not sure what to make of all the decoration selections or the food tasting. He would of been happy with a beer and a burger, probably. But the way he looked at his (step) daughter; pure joy would shine through his face. He couldn’t be more proud of his little girl. He even played along with the Jewish tradition of putting on the kippa for the ceremony (which he forgot to take off until WAY into the reception).
photo credit: jordan barclay
2009 FOB, Glen Sturm
Actually I met Glen for the first time the Friday before the wedding. You can see what an impression he made on me to make this short list on the blog. First, he’s a jokester and a prankster. I figured that out real quick. But he is also a planner. Actually all the Sturms meticulously plan out details. From taking dance lessons and practicing the day before with his daughter AT the reception hall for their Father/Daughter dance to writing his Welcome Speech about a year in advance, (which by the way, major props…that speech was awesome), to the high stool chairs that you brought from home so the bride and groom could sit while you made all the guests laugh.
photo credit: equinox photography
2010 FOB, Michael Espenlaub
Some Dads are rock solid, some are rockstars. Enter Michael Espenlaub. To begin with, his lovely daughter just wanted the planning…forever events team for design and decor for her wedding. But when Michael learned more about our Wedding Day Management service, he was sold and hired us. He came to EVERY planning meeting, even when we tried to “lose him” by going to sushi for a meeting (just kidding). He called me, “HIS wedding planner”. I won’t lie, a personal first. Favorite part of the day, we were walking his daughter outside to the front of the church minutes away from getting married, he hung back on the side watching her. He thought we didn’t notice, but we did. He loves his daughter very much and would do anything for her. And as a selfish bonus, has another daughter. Michael…….call me.
photo: my daddy and me in 1969
Why all this talk about Daddies today? Because this morning at 6:45am marked the one year anniversary when my own Dad, passed away. Instead of being sad, I want to remember good times and celebrate the living.
Being a Daddy’s Girl, I’ve always been acutely aware of the Father of the Bride and what he must be feeling on his daughter’s wedding day. But now since my Dad is gone, I seem to be drawn to watching them, watch their little girls.
So even though it is not “Father’s Day”, do me a favor. If your Dad is still living…..please call him, email him, text him or better, hug him and tell you that you love him.
wedding dress emergencies
You spend months finding your perfect dress to wear and on your wedding day catastrophe happens. Red wine is spilled down the front of your dress..
Here are some tips to keep a level head to “fix” your dress.
MOST IMPORANT: Know your fabric of your dress. Do not guess. Talk to the bridal shop and understand the best ways to care for it and what can or cannot be put on it. For instance, silk CANNOT take any water, liquid of any kind.
photo credit: citizen rob
- RIPS AND TEARS: In advance find thread that matches your wedding dress color perfectly. Go ahead and thread a needle with lots of thread in advance and put that in your emergency kit. Why thread in advance? Because you may not have much time and when people are nervous, threading a needle is difficult. Don’t forget thread to match your veil as well. Those little beads can come undone.
- STAINS: Some household items can work well. Tide pen, Shout wipes, chalk, baby powder, even Oxy in a spray bottle (thanks April Foster for that one, never thought of it). You may want to try it FIRST on an inside seam to see how the cleanser will act. Also, never wipe… always blot.
- BUSTLE FAILURE: This is so frustrating for a planner, as it almost never fails that a bustle gets stepped on during the reception and rips the dress or the bustle mechanisms. Before the wedding be sure to bring both your ceremony and reception shoes so your tailor will know the best finished length. The best quick fixes for fallen bustles are baby diaper pins. Large enough to do the job and can hold weight.
The best thing you can do for any of your wedding dress failures or mishaps is to keep on going and have a good time. Thank goodness photographers can remove any type of blemishes with photoshop! So dance the night away and enjoy your wedding day.
PS Catch the fun live version of this post on Fox 7 Wedding Planner.
pretty engagement photos
We believe it should be a priority to get to know your photographer by investing in the engagement photos. It helps all of you relax and get to know each other (especially when many people have anxiety about having a camera in their face). Once you trust each other, the wedding day is a breeze.
For your visual fun, check out our clients Whitney + Tyson who are tying the knot on August 7th later this year. We also are doing the design and decor and cannot wait for their wedding day.
incredible photographer: Equinox Photography
patriotic garters
Fourth of July is coming up soon! It’s my favorite holiday for many reasons, one of which it is also my wedding anniversary.
So I was intrigued when I stumbled across these beautiful Patriotic Garters designed by The Garter Girl (Julianne Smith). Her garters are so awesome, we featured her designs on Fox 7 Wedding Planner segment.
She makes the most incredible garters…quality, detailed and beautiful.
You MUST visit her etsy store …. It is full of garter goodness.
happy valentine’s month!
Today starts, the Month of Love … and humor (of course), in our world. I’d like to introduce my bride, Kerry Sturm Brames and her awesome bridal party in our new header for February. I’ve already mentioned her on the blog, with her incredible dress.
Kerry married the love of her life, Aaron, on October 31, 2009 and I spent 3 hours pouring over her wedding photos this weekend (thanks Jordan Barclay). I’ve never seen a bride smile so much!
Their wedding will be in a special feature gallery on the brand, spanking new company website that will hopefully be launched within days.
Thank you Kerry for showing your fun side (and your grace and poise on every other day).
…bringing sexy back
When brides go shopping for their wedding dress they will definitely look at ALL angles of their wedding dress, but usually a lot of attention to detail is focused on the front of their wedding dress.
What if though, the back of your dress was the THE focal point? We’ve had a couple of brides that pulled that look off beautifully!
photo: Straub Photography
Above is our bride, Kristin Gross Duke, she married Zach Duke who’s a pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates. She is a vivacious little thing with a terrific figure! The back of her dress, while gorgeous from the front, was definitely the show-stopper. If you wish to read about her wedding, we blogged the last few days.
Then there is our most recent bride, Kerry Strum Brames (we’ll be featuring her wedding shortly). Kerry is a very articulate and intelligent person who is not shy, but certainly holds herself with decorum and modest character.
Who better to pull off this incredibly, sexy dress? My jaw dropped when I saw it. So gorgeous and uber fabulous. The front was pretty…. but the back was INCREDIBLE.
(And you can see why I’m not a photographer, I stopped her in the hall of the church to take a photo really quick and didn’t notice the crock pot behind her. *sigh*)
Well done ladies….definitely unique!
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