A Weekend in Chattanooga

If you're looking for the perfect weekend for your out-of-town guest to get a taste of the real Scenic City, look no further! We have put together the perfect 3-day weekend guide to make sure your guests see the best of the best!

Friday Afternoon:

After traveling to Chattanooga to celebrate your special day, your guests are sure to want to wind down, or should we say, "wine" down! Make reservations for your out-of-town guests to have a glass of wine at Tony's Pasta Shop & Trattoria in the Bluff View Art District. There, they can also enjoy historic Chattanooga, breathtaking views of the Tennessee River as well walk through the entire Bluff View Art District- the perfect spot for all ages. However, you can't go to Tony's Pasta without trying their hand cut pastas! After your rehearsal dinner, pop in to see your guests and let them know your must-have Tony's plate! 

But wait, there's more!  Tony's is not all the this area has to offer.  There are so many great restaurants in the area, such as, Back Inn Cafe, Rembrandts coffee shop.  The Bluff View Art District definitely fits its name featuring stores and galleries and offers an impressive, outdoor sculpture garden. It is also situated steps from the Hunter Museum.

Southside is another good option for dinner or play. The Flying Squirrel, FEED, STIR, Alleia and the Terminal are all some of Chattanooga's most favored restaurants and bars that are right next to the Chattanooga Choo Choo.  Southside has a great night life too, so your Friday night with your out-of-town guests does not have to come to a quick close.  Just don't make it too long of a night, because you've got a big day in the morning!

Click here to find directions and menus!

Saturday Morning:

While you're getting dolled up, it's a must for your guests to grab brunch at The Bitter Alibi on Houston Street! They'll be greeted with mouthfuls of southern flavor with a creative twist! Once they've filled their bellies to the brim and enjoyed a Mimosa (or two) they can spend an hour or two shopping just down the road on Warehouse Row.  Featuring stores like Anthropologie, J. Crew, and Yves Delorme, the Row has a great selection, but he building's historical architecture with modern touches make it a sight to see all in itself!

Click here to find a list of stores Warehouse Row features!

Saturday Afternoon:

While shopping in Warehouse Row can be exciting, make sure your guests know to save some time for the award winning Tennessee Aquarium! They'll see exhibits all the way from the mountains to the sea! The River Otter Falls, Penguins Rock, and Alligator Bayou won't disappoint! If you have a few guests that are more for the delicate side of wildlife, the Butterfly Garden exhibit filled with exotic flowers will be their favorite spot! Before they know it, it'll be time to put their dancing shoes on and head to the main event- your wedding!

Sunday Morning:

We are sure your guests will have had such a great, long Saturday night, they may want to skip breakfast and shoot for brunch! And we know just the place! Adelle's Creperie is a brunch must! Their savory crepes are made to order and extremely customizable. They also have a lean list of omelettes and a few southern favorites such as waffles!

Sunday Afternoon:

Before your guests head home, you must encourage them to head up the mountain to check out Rock City! It's a wonder of nature featuring large ancient rock formations, over 400 plant species, and a panoramic view where they can see 7 states! If walking around enjoying all Rock City has to offer makes them work up an appetite, no worries! They don't even have to leave the park because they can enjoy a hot lunch at the Big Rock Grille where hamburgers, sandwiches, and chicken fingers are the norm!

Consider creating a special RSVP card for each activity that way you'll know ahead of time who would like to attend so you can call ahead to get discounted group prices! Another fun treat for your guests is a weekend welcome letter that lists the itinerary of the eventful weekend to come.

If you have many out-of-town guests, consider joining them on a few of these Chattanooga adventures to get as much quality time in as possible and to let them know just how much you appreciate them making the trip!

Happy Planning!

Soirées

Vendor Spotlight: May Flowers

April showers bring May Flowers and this year it also brought a big move!

We set down with the owner of May Flowers, Christy Staven, to discuss the move, her goals, and who a May Flowers Bride is!

                                               Photo by: Bamber Photography

You can now find May Flowers at 800 N. Market St. in Chattanooga, TN and it couldn't be a more perfect spot to showcase their floral talent! The history of the building is a story all in itself! It was actually built in 1920 and served the community as a local market! Christy said she couldn't be more honored to carry on its story.

Christy told us she is also so excited about her new space because of the amazing, open floor plan. As soon as you open the doors, you are welcomed by tons of shelves full of gorgeous rentals May Flowers has to offer. Once you take a few steps in, you can see Christy's amazing team in the back designing away for your big day! You can also see a large cooler where the flowers are stored and a small desk where they get down to business! It all comes together to create magic!

Photo by: Amanda May Photography

Christy said that her main business goal is to add more weddings each year and to gain larger-scale events. Best news is, since she opened in 2013, she has hit her goal every year!

We wanted to know a bit more about who a May Flowers Bride is. Does she like traditional flowers or trendy, loose bouquets? Or is she somewhere in-between? Christy assured me she is all the above! With classic, traditional training from Mississippi State, but also an ability to follow trends and keep up with the latest, Christy and her team at May Flowers can do it all!

Christy said, "We like to look at nature as inspiration. With classical training, nature, and then following trends, I like to think we are a happy blend of all those things."

On a scale from 1 to 10, a May Flowers Bride would fall towards the 10 side of loving and appreciating flowers! A May Flowers Bride is also someone who is laid-back, fun, and able to trust the professionals.

Photo by: Jennie Andrews Photography

"I love to see someone who is so inspired by flowers and is able to come up with some ideas but allows us to actually take that and run, putting our own twists and our own suggestions on something specific. Someone that is open to our creative freedom is my ideal client."
                     -Christy Staven

            Photo by: Cinderella Photography

There is so much more that goes into floral design than what meets the eye. Christy said she receives the flowers at the beginning of the week and will prep them and place them in the cooler to keep them fresh. Then, beginning Thursday they will start designing for whatever event the weekend brings! And designing continues all the way up until hours before your event to ensure every last petal is in its place!

Event days are Christy's favorite part because everything they have worked so hard on all comes together to create their vision. You may have 2 staff members or as many as 5 or 6 to create the event space you have envisioned!

         Photo by: Lanie Kay Photography

Are you getting ready to meet with May Flowers for your upcoming event? Here's some things you may want to have picked out ahead of time:
-Style
-Theme
-Colors
-Inspiration Photos

But, if you're overwhelmed and unsure, not a problem! May Flowers will walk you through every step.

With these April showers coming to an end, we are full of excitement to see those sweet May Flowers at our upcoming events!

                                                Photo by: Bamber Photography

If you think you just may be a May Flowers Bride, you can check out some of their amazing designs on their social media pages:
Facebook: @MayFlowersChattanooga
Instagram: @mayflowerscha
Twitter: @MayFlowersCha
Pinterest: @mayflowerscha

Or you can email Christy directly at christy@mayflowerscha.com or call the office at (423) 486-5320.

Happy Planning!
Soirées

Spring Break Do’s and Don’t: Bachelorette Party Edition

 Dear Bride-To-Be,

Spring break… one of the best weeks of the year! It’s one of those “holidays” we like to write in our planner with a pretty color and follow it up with stickers, highlighter, and arrows pointing all around it! Planning a Bachelorette Party during Spring Break can be a lot of fun, but we’ve come up with a few do’s and don'ts you may want to keep in mind!

Do: Let your Maid of Honor and Bridesmaids

know a few things you expect for your 

Bachelorette Party. If a stripper is a no-go,

 let the girls know! If wine is a must, 

make sure your girls have plenty in stock!

Don’t: Your Bachelorette Party is meant

 to be a close-knit group of friends you 

feel comfortable enough to let loose with. 

Don’t feel like you have to invite every

 girlfriend you ever made in college!

Do: Capture everything on camera!

 This is your “last fling before the ring” 

so you want to remember every single detail!

Don’t: While the beach can be a super

 fun environment for a girls weekend, 

during Spring Break, you may want to

 shy away from spring break hot spots. 

A less crowded beach can make for a 

classy spot to relax with your girlfriends!

Do: Choosing at least one night to get

dressed up for dinner with the girls will

serve as a great night for lots of fancy drinks

and laughter but can also serve as a great 

photo-op! You can later use these photos as

adorable “thank-you’s” to your bridesmaids!

 

Don’t: A bachelorette party the night 

before your wedding is never a good idea. 

Grabbing a quick drink or snack after your

rehearsal with your bridesmaids can be lots

of fun, just make sure you get a good nights 

rests to avoid tired eyes on your big day!

Your Bachelorette party should be all about YOU!  Don’t be afraid to tell your girlfriends about your dream Bachelorette Party and all YOUR do’s and don’ts! Just make sure you allow them to celebrate you the way they see fit, as well! They may have a few tricks up their sleeves that will knock you off your feet! After all, you chose them as bridesmaids for a reason, so trust them to give you some of the best nights of your life!

Happy Planning!

Soirées

2015 Spring Wedding Trends

           April Showers bring May flowers. It also brings this years spring wedding trends. We have seen        

    five that you will be seeing throughout this season.

            Rose Gold

Move over blushing bride. Rose gold is here to bring the light pink hue to this years wedding. Not only is it a softer take on the bold gold, it pairs with almost all of this seasons color combinations. Think of it as the floral or pastel of metals. It is spring. “Florals for spring? Ground breaking”.  –Devil Wears Prada

Edible Favors

After a long night of dancing the night away, party guests might be ready for a late night snack or maybe something to nibble on while they travel back home the next day. Why not send them home with an edible favor? Maybe you and your significant other love Krispy Kreme donuts? Maybe Moon Pies are your thing? Maybe you really love moon shine and want your guests to have a good time after your wedding. What ever your palate may desire will be perfect take home gift for your guests.

Boho-Glamorous

Every bride should feel like a princess on her wedding day, but why feel like a princess when you can feel like a goddess? This isn’t a spin on your sororitys toga party. This is Aphrodite walking down the aisle to her wedding. There’s nothing simple about this trend as you become one with the earth and have flowers in your hair. It is an effortless looking trend. This trend also transcends outfits and has morphed into an atmosphere. You will see it take many forms from flower-crafted crowns to jewels adorning her fantastically unconventional outfit.

Crafted Drink Stations

These are becoming increasingly popular recently. Guests are now able to enjoy a variety of drink options and the set up of the drinks is usually its own decoration.  You can usually have a variation of teas or lemonade and even a variation of craft beers or the couple's favorite liquor for your guests to enjoy. Bourbon bars have become a trend in itself. Guests enjoy a signature drink or their own creations. 

Calligraphy

Calligraphy displays a sense of patience and style and is also beautiful. Whether its gold lettering on a colored card, black ink against a white paper, or even chalk on a chalkboard, we can’t get enough of calligraphy.  

How to Assemble a Wedding Invitation in 6 Easy Steps

Are you looking at those boxes of your wedding invitations and telling yourself that you need to send them out? You just don’t know where to start. Well here are the steps to assembling a proper wedding invitation:

Step 1: Lay your wedding invitation down with the wording facing up.

Step 2: Place your reception card or order of service card, wording side up, on top of the invitation. If you have a wrap included in the invitation, place under the wrap. 

Step 3: Tuck your response card, wording side up, under its envelope flap and place on top of the reception card.

Step 4: Repeat this process for all other enclosure cards like direction cards and accommodation cards.

Step 5: Place your invitation suite (all wording should face up) inside the inner envelope. Wondering what your inner envelope is for?

Step 6: Place your inner envelope inside the outer mailing envelope with the front of the inner envelope facing you.

Read how to address wedding invitations to learn how to properly address your mailing envelopes.

YOU'RE DONE! 

Just a little added tip for when you start the addressing process. Make a spreadsheet that includes all your guest list in alphabetical order. Also have slots for the following:

• Name
• Address
• Invitation 
• Addressed 
• Sent 
• RSVP
• Gift
• Thank You Note

This spreadsheet will help you before and after the wedding!

Garrett Nudd: How To Get The Perfect Shot on Your Wedding Day

Garrett Nudd is sharing his secrets and 5 top tips on how to get the picture perfect shot on your wedding day:

"Almost every couple that hires me to photograph their wedding tells me that photography is one of their biggest priorities. Of course I always consider that to be a compliment, as well as quite a responsibility.  

Occasionally they ask me what are some things that they can do to help me get the perfect shot. Below are my top five suggestions for getting the perfect shots at your wedding.

1. Schedule adequate time for pictures.  Yes, it is important to hire a photographer who can work quickly and churn out good quality shots in mere minutes and not hours, but work with him/her in advance to determine how much time you need to set aside for pictures. I usually request 60-90 minutes, figuring that if things are running behind, I've padded the schedule with enough time to still get the necessary shots without throwing off the schedule for the rest of the day. 

2. To see or not to see, that is the question. Gone are the days when it was taboo for brides and grooms to see each other before their wedding. If you are after the perfect picture there are few things more special and wrought with photographic opportunity than a private "first look" between the bride and groom. The emotions are real, the lighting can be ideal, and so is the opportunity to capture the perfect shot. 

3. If it's portraits that you are after and the weather doesn't cooperate, don't hesitate to ask your photographer to do a follow-up shoot after returning from your honeymoon. Sure, it's a little bit of effort to get your hair and make-up done again, but what girl doesn't love dressing up? And it'll give you a good excuse to get back into your dress.  

4. Trust your photographer. Select a photographer that you trust and then trust her/him to do the job you hired them to do. If you provide your photographer with a five-page shot list chances are he/she will spend more time looking at the list than he will capturing moments. The best moments come and go in a split second and a good photographer will be alert and attentive to everything that is going on, so that she/he can anticipate moments that are about to happen.  

5. Speaking of capturing moments, moments are something that you can't stage or re-create. I always recommend for my clients to really be present in the moment and consider the significance of their wedding day. Think about their family and everything that the wedding represents. And give your photographer an all-access pass. Trust him/her to capture the story-telling moments that you will be able to someday share with your children."