Events and Design by Ashley introduce our guest blogger...Katrina Larcade!

We have a Guest Blogger this month! 

Meet Katrina Larcade our High School Intern! 

Here are her thoughts about wedding trends for 2016...

As we roll into 2016, we will begin to see the most beautiful wedding trends of all time. This is the year we bring out the sparkle and glam with a unique touch. From the wedding dress all the way down to the color scheme, it all ties down to your special moment that you will remember for the rest of your life. Here are many loved details that you can expect for our 2016 weddings trends!

• The long sleeved wedding gowns are finally in! With the lace arms topping off these beautiful dresses, it gives you the romantic and vintage vibe that you have always been searching for.

• Cream-colored bridesmaid dresses are a go-to for many elegant weddings. This trend puts forward subtle beauty and adds great texture to the wedding party!

• Some brides are tossing the traditional veil and adding a floral headpiece to their look. It adds a perfect piece of natural beauty and is a huge trend for outdoor or rustic weddings! This piece will look stunning with any type of hair design you may be craving!

• Monochromatic color schemes are one of the biggest trends in 2016. Brides are finding that less is more- and all you need is one color- in a variety of shades! Try mixing up the centerpieces with a tone-on-tone explosion. Having a few different shades will create a gorgeous ombre effect at every angle.

• Ambience is the key to setting a romantic and intimate environment for your wedding. Both vintage and modern chandeliers with Edison bulbs will make this the perfect feeling that you have wished for.
• Fondness for fonts is your way to go! Having a delicate variety of fonts on your invitations will send out a fresh personality! Warm tones like rose gold and copper are the highest hit right now for 2016. From a simple stamp on the wedding invitation to a polished centerpiece, they have a unique way of expressing a feeling of comfort!

This is our time to express beauty and art into a visual effect for everyone to absorb. 2016 brides want the glitter, sparkle and glam to show off their beautiful glow on their wedding day! This is the year we want to make the best for you and the love of your life!

Photo Credits:

color: https://www.elegantweddinginvites.com/wedding-colors-2016-perfect-10-color-combination-ideas-to-love/

dress: http://www.stylemepretty.com/2015/08/01/21-elegant-sexy-wedding-dresses-that-will-make-his-jaw-drop/

bridesmaid: http://letsgetweddy.com/beautiful-bridesmaids-2/

headband: http://ruffledblog.com/century-house-wedding

What Wedding Planners Wish Vendors Knew

In an industry full of high stress, constant emails, phone calls, timelines, packing, unpacking, scheduling, rescheduling, crazy hours, 24 hours a day, vendor pleasing, client pleasing, constant marketing....a wedding planner truly has a lot on their plate. In resent weeks we have encountered a few instances with vendors that I thought I would address to help others understand the craziness a bit better with hopes that there would be more GRACE.

1. If we don't get back to you right away, please know that we have lots of events, vendors, and clients we are managing. We have most likely read the email or listened to the message, but are trying to prioritize replies to make it a bit more manageable.

2. If you are not a part of every event, it is not because we do not want to work with you. Our clients have different budgets and we help them choose the best vendor for their budget. If we could use you all at one event, we would do it. IT'S NOT POSSIBLE.

3. If we do not refer you at all, please understand there is a reason for this. This is not to say that we do not give second chances. We are not always perfect and make mistakes as well, so we get it. Some circumstances or experiences may have have left us unable to give a second chance to protect our clients and our own business integrity.

4. If you are not tagged in every post we share, please know that there are so many vendors involved and we are NOT ever intentionally leaving you out of the post. We value the work that our vendors do for us and our clients and would not maliciously leave you out. We give a lot too that goes unrecognized.

5. Our lives do not revolve around our business, even though we work crazy hours. Some of us have young families we are trying to love and care for. If we are not working, we are home with our families, fighting the urge to answer phone calls and emails.

6. We are not PERFECT and make mistakes just like that rest of you. We do our best to cover the details, to get the job done. We ask for GRACE, just like we extend to you.

7. If you are not reaching out to us to build a relationship, we are not responsible. We would LOVE to go to coffee with all the new and fab vendors in town, but our time is limited. We would love for you to reach out to us via email and tell us about your business and how you feel we could work together to better our client experiences.

8. Most of us speak on behalf of our clients. Do not go behind our backs to communicate with the client, unless they reach out to you first.

9. As vendors we ALL have a preferred vendor list. Again, it was those people that were intentional about building a relationship, that you have things in common with, or perhaps the product or service is out of this world awesome....do not be offended if you are not on that list. We are not everyone's favorite planner...we get it.

10. Most of us genuinely love our clients and are doing our best to please them, while trying to keep our vendors happy too. We are in the middle and we ask for a little more understanding.

I am sure there are more, but these are the major ones we encounter. As for me, I know that I am not liked by everyone, not everyone agrees with what I do, who I work with or my approach, but I am just fine with that. I can't please everyone, all I can do is my best. That is all any of us can do. I challenge all of us to extend more GRACE this year. I think it will help build stronger relationships and better service for our clients.