Congratulations to Joe & Kerry (Part I)

I had the pleasure of working with the sweetest couple as they planned their elegant and modern Maryland wedding.  Saturday Joe and Kerry exchanged vows during a candlelight ceremony at the Grace United Methodist Church in Aberdeen.

The groom is an avid golfer so the couple wanted to host their wedding reception at a golf course. They chose beautiful Bulle Rock in Havre De Grace, Maryland to celebrate with 125 of their family and friends. The greens of the golf course were the perfect backdrop for their fall color scheme of green, chocolate and champagne.

Instead of table numbers, Joe and Kerry decided to use their engagement photos and incorporated names of various golf courses across the country such as Pebble Beach, Torrey Pines, Oakmont and of course Bulle Rock just to name a few.

Chris of DJ Specialists kept the dance floor packed all night. Guests also enjoyed the photo booth provided by Party Booths. A fun time was had by all!

Below are a few photos that my assistant was able to snap before the reception. I hope to post professional pictures soon so stay tuned.

The escort card “tree” created by the bride

Floral arrangements created by Flowers by Chris


Menu cards designed by the bride which included the couple’s “J+K” monogram

The delicious cake from Debi’s Cakes

Congratulations Joe & Kerry! We were so honored to share in your special day and we wish you all the best.

Don’t drink. Don’t smoke. What do you do?


Some of my older readers may remember the 80’s song “Goody Two Shoes” by Adam Ant. I thought it was the perfect title for this post. At one of my recent weddings the father of the groom asked me why I wasn’t dancing. I politely explained that I don’t dance while I’m working. He then asked if I’d at least had a drink since I’d been working so hard on his son & daughter-in-law’s wedding. Again, I politely explained that I don’t drink while I’m working.

His response: “You don’t drink. You don’t dance. What do you do?”
My response: “I work and I work hard!”

I hope my clients and their family and guests understand that it’s not personal. I’d love to join in the festivities and help celebrate their nuptials but that’s not what I was hired for. I was hired to make sure everything runs smoothly and timely and to put out any fires if they arise. I don’t feel that I can do that if a problem arises and I’m on the dance floor doing the latest line dance. I also don’t feel I can be fully aware and alert if I’m drinking. I treat my clients as if they were the most important boss I’ve ever had. So the same way you don’t dance and drink on your 9 to 5 job is the same reason I don’t on their wedding day. I want them to have my full attention.

Now it would be a different story if I’m invited to one of their events as a guest…then they might have to drag me off the dance floor…lol.

10 Reasons I Love Weddings!

After each wedding I usually take time to reflect on the whole day. What I’ve noticed is there are a few things that I always remember most about a couple’s wedding day.

1. Calling my brides on their wedding to say good morning and wishing them a Happy Wedding Day! They are always so happy and upbeat and EXCITED. I love that!

2. Seeing the bride in her wedding dress (with all the trimmings…veil, jewelry, etc.)

3. Seeing the proud face of the bride’s father (or escort) as he prepares to walk her down the aisle.

4. Opening the doors before the bride makes her grand entrance. For me it’s like opening the curtain at the beginning of a play. It deserves drama and grandeur.

5. Watching the groom’s face as he sees his bride for the first time.

6. Seeing the humongous smiles of the happy couple as they are pronounced husband and wife…and the even bigger smiles as they recess up the aisle hand in hand.

7. Seeing the look on the couple’s face when they see the décor and design of their wedding reception. Although they usually know all of the elements that will be included in the design, it’s another thing to see it all set-up.

8. Watching the couple dance their first dance. Love is always in the air and on their faces.

9. Saying goodbye to the happy couple (and their parents) at the end of their celebration. I usually get a BIG hug from them as thank you for helping them plan such an important day in their lives. It’s one of the best feelings!

10. Driving home excited about downloading any pictures I (or my staff) have taken during the day just so I can see things one more time.

11. Talking to my couples when they return from their honeymoon so I can hear all about their wedding day (from their point of view) as well as a few details of their honeymoon

12. Seeing the photographer’s photos and/or the videographer’s DVD and re-living the day all over again!

I know I said 10 reasons but I thought of two more. What can I say…I really love weddings! Maybe I should change the title…lol. Leave a comment and share your favorite thing about weddings.

Congratulations to April & Josh!

April and Josh became husband and wife on Saturday. Their ceremony was held at the Bride’s family’s church in Baltimore City. The newlyweds hosted their reception for 150 guests at Grey Rock Mansion in Baltimore County. The couple’s color scheme of chocolate and pink were used in every aspect of their wedding. Below are a few design photos from the reception.


Engagement photos were placed in the foyer for all their guests to see as soon as they entered the mansion. They also served as their guest book. Guests signed the mat.


There were a few tables setup in the ballroom for cocktail hour. There was also pink uplighting around the room.


The couple’s wedding cake.

Dinner was served in the tent. We alternated floral centerpieces and candle holders on the guest tables.

We also used lighting to wash the ceiling of the tent a soft pink.

I hope to share professional pictures soon.

The Wedding of Usher & Tameka Raymond

Although Usher and Tameka originally wed in his lawyer’s office, the two tied the knot again on September 1st. I guess they wanted to make sure it was official :-)

They hired the fabulous Diann Valentine to oversee their celebration and as always, it looks like she did a great job on the design. Below are pictures of their nuptials from Essence’s and People magazine’s websites. Enjoy!

Dana & Andre's Wedding

Originally, this couple wanted to do a destination wedding in St. Lucia but later decided to do their Maryland wedding locally to accommodate their families. They chose Herrington on the Bay because of its tropical feel and bayside views. They were married Sunday evening in front of 165 of their close family and friends.

The bride chose shades of orange for their color scheme. The Best Man and ushers wore tan suits with orange satin ties while the Maid of Honor wore a deep orange colored dress. The bride wore a cream sheath style wedding dress and the groom wore a tan suit with a cream satin tie. They even chose orange and tan sand for the sand pouring portion of the ceremony. This is the second couple I’ve had do sand pouring instead of a unity candle.

Although the weather reports called for thunderstorms on Sunday, the rain held out all day so that the couple could have their outdoor ceremony and reception overlooking the water. The humidity and heat, on the other hand, was a different story. Let’s just say I probably lost about 10 pounds…which isn’t a bad thing these days.

Everyone had a great time and most of the guests said they felt like they were on an island. So I guess couple’s mission was accomplished…besides actually getting married of course.


HGTV’s Design Star gets into the wedding business

Sunday night’s episode of Design Star on HGTV was all about designing a wedding reception. The remaining designers pitched ideas which had to include elements of Rock-n-Roll, Las Vegas, elegance and tradition while keeping to the couple’s red, black, silver, white and lavendar color scheme.
I know…that is an original color scheme but in the end the couple loved everything. See the pictures below (from HGTV’s website) and let me know what you think. Personally, I would have gone for an elegant and traditional look for the reception but saved the Rock-n-Roll and Las Vegas elements for a lounge/party area after dinner.