Would you wear a black wedding dress? What if it was designed by the one and only Vera?
Never say never!!
It’s been awhile since I’ve been home, so it was great to return to my lovely island of Jamaica for both business and pleasure. Dionne (my bride) is one of my closest cousins, and it was beautiful to see her wedding weekend unfold earlier this month. The entire wedding party wore shades of white and ivory, with accents of green showing up in the flowers, stationary and cake. This intimate affair was held at Annie Palmer’s Great House (Rose Hall) in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Legend has it that the house is haunted, as Annie is best known as the White Witch of Rose Hall- a name she earned after the mysterious deaths of her 3 husbands and numerous subsequent lovers. Haunted or not- the place was breathtaking!
Luckily for me, the venue and surroundings provided an unbelievable backdrop for the ceremony just before sunset. Guests dined and danced on the lawn of the Great House until the late hours of the night, savoring the very best catering that the Ritz Carlton Hotel & Spa had to offer before topping things off with the traditional Jamaican Rum & Fruit cake provided by none other than my mother 
. I’m already ready to go back, so feel free to book your destination wedding anytime.. !! ENJOY!
How do you top a party where the guests dance non-stop for 3 hours and a Leprechaun makes a cameo on his busiest day of the year???? You can’t!
Kristen and Marty said “I DO” on St. Patrick’s Day 2012 at the Heights Villa in front of 180 of their closest friends and family members. Guests were seated at tables all named “Love” – only each table was in a different language. While the food was great, the band was even better just as Kristen had promised. Live and direct from Baton Rouge, Stormy Band did not disappoint, and kept the dance floor full the entire night. Memorable and candid images were captured throughout the night by a team from Tony Houston Photography and the couple drove off into the moonlight in a vintage roadster. Thank you to Cathy and Brendan at the Heights Villa, as well as Chris from Café Natalie for being so awesome to work with.
One of our 2011 weddings was featured today on two awesome online publications. Take a moment to click on each image/link and visit Essence.com and The Bride’s Cafe to see for yourself! And thanks again to Jaylene Debenedictis for capturing these amazing images!
In January, I got a call from Lynda- an awesome gal who was about to take a trip down the aisle and realized she needed HELP! She had thrown a wedding together in less than 5 months and was starting to feel the nerves kick in. Referred by one of my FAVE vendors (PnP), I could not turn her down, even through the wedding was 3 weeks away. I immediately fell in love with her spirit- both in work and play. This is a woman who asked posed the question, “Lexi, don’t you wanna be a millionaire someday? Get on it!” Little did I know that she knew what she was talking about first hand. She and her beaux Bill are great people who have become even better role models, and I am so HAPPY that I was able to ensure that their big day was extra special… Congratulations Lynda and Bill!
Credits:
Flowers & Linens: Plants n Petals (www.forweddingflowers.com)
Cakes: Who Made the Cake (www.whomadethecake.com)
Venue: The Wynden (www.thewynden.com)
Photography: Still-Life Media (www.still-lifemedia.com)
So- if you live in Texas you know that you can NEVER count on the weather to do what you want it to do. Such was the case in January when Baby Liam’s 1st B-Day snow day almost melted before our eyes in 75 degree weather! LOL. Nevertheless, he and the other kiddos were great sports and the birthday boy had a rockin’ good time playing in the snow and on the Polar Express. It was so much fun!
In recognition of her majesty’s (Princess Brooklyn West) arrival last week, we are featuring her shower today on Oh So Savvy. Developing the theme was so much fun… there’s nothing like seeing all of the details come together. Happy 3 days old Brooklyn!!!! Congratulations to the happy parents!
Cake: Susie’s Cakes
Catering: Richard Allen, Chef (Sheraton Hotels) and Grandfather
Design, decor and photography: Savvy
Pink and Blue…. not 1980′s eye shadows, but one of my favorite fun color combos for spring weddings!
It’s been a little gloomy and grey around town (Houston) lately, so I wanted to give you guys something to smile about- some color to put you back in the wedding mood. Don’t be afraid to use these two powerful colors together. This month’s inspiration board is not for the bride likes to blend in. These hues will have your Bridesmaids standing out from the crowd- consider contrasting their dresses with their bouquets or even using non-traditional replacements for flowers- i.e. buttons, purses and feathers! Colored glass can add flare to a reception without breaking the bank and as always- consider LIGHTING! Don’t you feel better already???
11-11-11 was an unforgettable night for our bride Roxie and her groom Tomas! With family and friends looking on, this fun-loving couple was married at the Heights Villa, with her Uncle officiating. Though her ceremony was simple, the ballroom came alive for her reception, transformed to by vibrant florals, massive birch trees and jewel toned linens, vases and authentic Moroccan lamps. From start to finish, their reception was a celebration, complete with first dance that the newlyweds remixed and choreographed. Before the night ended, EVERYONE had broken a sweat. I had so much fun working with Roxie and Tomas, and I’d like to thank the Maid of Honor Krystal for recommending Savvy for their special day! As always folks… ENJOY!
VENDOR LOVE:
Flowers, Trees & Moroccan Lamps: Plants n’ Petals
Linens: Aztec Events & Tents, PnP
Cake: Alphorn Bakery
Venue: The Heights Villa
Catering: Café Natalie
DJ: LG Entertainment
Photography & Video: Khloe Madison
Hair & Make-up: Studio 9 Hair & Make-Up
We are sooo excited to see 2012! This year has already started off with a BANG and it’s only just the beginning. Look for more event updates, new inspiration boards, vendor highlights and more! Finally, we want to welcome the lovely bride we met at this month’s Weddings in Houston I Do! Bridal Soiree. Held at the Intercontinental Hotel in Houston, it was a magnificent gathering of Houston’s most prestigious wedding professionals. We were more than blessed to be a part of it. It was a long but worthwhile afternoon, as quite a few of you brides stopped by our booth and booked your weddings for this year and next! It is absolutely PLANNING season!
PURPLE, PLUSH, PAMPER… these were the themes for a small but fabulous slumber party I put together for Barbara Lewis’ daughter Jess in December. Officially transitioning from tween to teen, it was necessary to give her an experience she could share with her closest friends that celebrated this milestone in a mature yet age-appropriate way. A Spa Night was just the thing. Jess and her girls snacked on finger sandwiches and fruit while creating their own bath salts, giving each other chocolate facials and indulging in relaxing pedicures. Wearing personalized velour wraps in the birthday girls’ favorite color (purple), the girls enjoyed an evening of beauty regimens, dined on piping hot pizza (after all, they are teenagers) and finished the night out with back-to-back movies while munching on movie butter popcorn and movie theater candy. In addition to the spa wraps, each girl also went home with all of the tools necessary for their own at-home pedicure experience. It felt great to give Jesseca her Faboulous 14!
Personalized Velour Wraps: abrideseyeview.etsy.com (mention this blog post and receive a free gift with purchase!)
Photography: Savvy (yours truly) and cjphotostudios.com
