Spring Sensation!

With the change in season from Winter to Spring approaching very fast, I thought I would put together an inspiration board harnessing the gorgeous pastel colours that can only mean SPRING! Some of the hot colours coming with the change in season include –  Pink, Tangerine, Lilac, Periwinkle, Hot Pink, Fuchsia, Lime, Yellow, Cream, Soft Violet and White. All of these tantalizing colours are easy on the eyes and most importantly can all be mixed and matched together without the need to avert your eyes!

Wedding Vendor Wednesday – Karen James – Pearson: Civil Marriage Celebrant

If you are after a modern, approachable and experienced civil marriage celebrant, then Karen James- Pearson is the civil marriage celebrant for you! It doesn’t matter if you are after a romantic ceremony with flowers, champagne and the full ‘red carpet’ treatment or a  simple, casual beach or garden ceremony, Karen will be able to cater to each couples individual needs. Karen is available for ceremonies in the Brisbane CBD area and all surrounding suburbs (North, West, South and East)

Karen will work with all of her couples to sculpt and build a ceremony which suits their personalities,  hopes and dreams for the future and reflects where they have come from and what they mean to each other. Karen understands that many couples like to add additional elements to their ceremony, which are often referred to as ‘rituals.’ Karen can include Candle Lighting ceremonies, Sand ceremonies, Flower ceremonies and also the unique concept of a “Treasure Chest”.

You can’t argue with the 100% positive feedback Karen receives from her clients! Stop looking for a civil marriage celebrant NOW and  give Karen a call – 0431 461 561 or shoot through an email kjamespearson1@yahoo.com . Spots for 2011 and 2012 are filling up fast! Don’t forget to mention that SMD Weddings Blog sent you – Karen has a special discount for SMD Weddings Blog Clients who mention this Wedding Vendor Wednesday feature!

Image from Karen James – Pearsons personal collection

A new concept…The Brisbane Wedding Wonderwall

Today I thought I would share with you a fantastic new concept  – The Brisbane Wedding Wonderwall. The Brisbane Wedding Wonderwall is an interactive planning and advice service for couples preparing for their wedding. The Wonderwall is designed to be an interactive, hands on & personal style affair for each of the couples who attend. If you want to attend a wedding expo, with 100’s of suppliers vying for your attention and on the spot sales, then The Brisbane Wedding Wonderwall is not for you!

Let’s face it, planning a wedding is not easy! If you want advice from some of Brisbane’s best wedding industry professionals than The Brisbane Wedding Wonderwall is for you! The unique thing that I love about the Wonderwall concept – each of the hand-picked exhibitors are actual business owners, with real experience and a high level of expertise in planning unique Brisbane weddings. If you want someone to talk to one on one, to actually listen to you and talk through your wedding planning ideas not matter how unique then you need to attend!

Each Bride and Groom to be who registers online will receive a gift pack each (finally the Grooms have not been forgotten!) The day will also include fashion parades, entertainment and hourly give aways – and most importantly for those budget conscious couples – it is free!

So make sure you register, you won’t want to miss this!! I know I will be there!

Real Wedding – Wedding Ideas Australia

I thought I would dedicate a whole blog post today to the wonderful job Steph, from Wedding Ideas Australia did on featuring our “Real Wedding”! Just about all of the details from our wedding can be found in the feature including most of our suppliers. If you have any questions or want to know any details just give me a yell. This is the only place that the details of our wedding can be found!

Sarah and Chris’ Rustic Brisbane Wedding

Wedding Ideas Australia  is such a fantastic website, it really is a Bride’s best friend! The new concept means that the website is a fully searchable, categorised compilation of real Australian weddings, which is just jam-packed of wedding inspiration! You can search by theme, colour, location and style – could it be any easier?!?!?

Wedding Ideas Australia  also features wedding tutorials for some of the handmade items featured in the weddings showcased on the website as well as an extensive page of Wedding Resources. Please do check it out!

Thanks again Steph for all of your hard work in putting this together!

Orange Crush!

I am absolutely loving the colour orange at the moment! Orange is the colour the combines the energy of red and the happiness of yellow! Orange represents enthusiasm, fascination, happiness, creativity, determination, attraction, success, encouragement, and stimulation. I love seeing orange incorporated into weddings, so below is an Inspiration Board I created for you all! Enjoy!!

A little bit about me….

Today I thought I would tell you all a little bit more about myself. On the 30th of April this year, I got married. My husband and I had been together for six years and engaged since November 2009, when he proposed to me at one of our favourite places. He had booked a long weekend away at Mooloolaba, on the Sunshine Coast, took me to an expensive Italian restaurant, and  popped the question overlooking the beach. To be honest, I was certainly not one of those girls who had been planning their wedding since the age of 3, but the thought of planning a wedding excited me.

My full-time day job includes  high levels of event management in the public sector, so I was not new to planning large events. If you were to use 3 words to describe me, at least two of them would be, anal (retentive!) and perfectionist! I may or may not have also been referred to as the “Energizer Bunny”! People who know me could also come up with a gazillion possibilities for the 3rd!

I loved every minute of planning my wedding and wouldn’t change anything about the day, even if I could! Actually scratch that….I wish I could have included my 3 cats in my wedding ceremony….JUST KIDDING! My wedding day went so fast, and before I knew it, we were home from our honeymoon and my husband was back to work. Most aspects of my wedding planning were captured in my previous blog, Real Life Bride and I suddenly found that I had nothing to plan anymore, and nothing to blog about. My work colleagues had been onto me for months about one day becoming a wedding planner, and I blew off the idea.

I have no formal qualifications in event/wedding planning just 4.5 years in an event management role and planning my own wedding. I sometimes feel  I am quite limited to what I can achieve in life without magic bits of paper, but the more I think about it, the more I just say screw it! Life is just far too short! There are so many other amazing people out there who have achieved their goals,  who haven’t held back just because they don’t have a degree!

So as I write this, I am just taking things as they come. I have a real passion for all things wedding. One day I may have the opportunity to turn my passion into a business, but for now, if I can just provide one “Gem” to another bride to be, I will be more than satisfied!

Images Courtesy of Ross Duffy 

Giveaway!

I am very excited to announce that I will be giving away a $20 FlyBuys Gift Card to one very lucky person! In order to win, here’s what you need to do:

1. Go to https://www.facebook.com/smdweddings

2. “Like”  the SMD Weddings Blog page

3. Click on the “SMD Weddings Blog Giveaway Promotion!” album.

4. By commenting on the picture, share with us your top piece of advice for brides to be!

The most creative/unique answer will WIN! Entries close on the 31st of July 2011, and is only available to Australia Residents.

Wedding Vendor Wednesday – Oliver Kuo Photography

With 8 years experience in the photography industry, Oliver Kuo’s images speak for themselves. The multi – award winning photographer has a passion for capturing those intimate, special moments couples only dream of when seeing their wedding photos for the first time.

Oliver brings a fresh and genuine perspective to the industry, using the most advanced technology to ensure that nothing is missed on your big day!

We highly recommend that you consider Oliver Kuo Photography for your upcoming wedding, you won’t be disappointed! All wedding packages are fully customised to suit each individual couples needs and includes a free consultation. The studio is available by appointment, during and after usual business hours, 7 days per week – how convenient!

You can also catch Oliver Kuo Photography at the upcoming Queensland Brides Wedding and Honeymoon Expo from the 7th-9th of October! Stay tuned because Olive Kuo Photography will be announcing their Queensland Brides Wedding Expo special offers in the months leading up to October!

Contact Oliver Kuo Photography now: www.oliverkuo.com.au or alternatively email info@oliverkuo.com.au – don’t forget to tell them that I sent you!

Images Courtesy of Oliver Kuo Photography

De la France avec l’Amour!

After a proposal at High Tea, Emma has begun her journey to wedded bliss. For most of us a romantic french wedding is merely a dream, but for Emma it is becoming a reality.

The wedding will be taking place at the picturesque  Chateau de Dampierre in north-central France. The reception will boast crisp white decor with vine leaves and candlelight, with the couple playing up the ” Perfect Pair” theme. With Emma’s fiance’ from the cider making region of France, personalised bottles of  Poire (pear cider) will be the perfect gift for the wedding guests, which will double as both place cards and favours all in one.

With a lot of great cheeses coming from Normandy in France, it was only fitting that the couple would choose to have a Cheesecake as their wedding cake… now this no ordinary cake, this is  literally a stack of different cheeses!! I don’t know about all of you, but I am literally in cheese heaven at the thought of this!

With the wedding set to take place on the Easter weekend, what would a spring french wedding be without an Easter Egg Hunt??? The couple have chosen to incorporate an Easter Egg hunt in between the ceremony and reception to keep the guests entertained!

With Poire, cheese, chocolate and no doubt some amazing french champagne, Emma, we wish you all the best for your wedding next year! I honestly cannot wait to see the photos!

Images courtesy of Chateau de Dampierre

Wedding Vendor Wednesday

I am very excited to announce “Wedding Vendor Wednesday”!! Each and every Wednesday, I will pick a wedding vendor to feature on my blog! Each feature will include a recommendation from me, contact details, a place in my wedding directory and any special offers you wish to include for one Wednesday only!

If you wish to be our very first feature wedding vendor this coming Wednesday, please contact me.