Wednesday, May 11, 2022

Wedding Planning 101

 


Are you planning a wedding?
This mama is in full wedding mode over here!
Allow me to share a few tips I have learned from
assisting my daughter and daughter in law.

Set that date and start researching venues.
Venues are booked up due to covid pushing everything back so 

Think Outside The Box


Consider parks, vintage pavilions, backyards, farms,
destination weddings with VRBO rentals, Thursday, Friday or 
Sunday weddings, morning weddings with a brunch, 
elopement with a wedding reception later, a small intimate wedding,
your family home, your favorite hiking spot, a lakeside picnic, 
Disneyland, or a favorite restaurant. Get creative and don't think you 
have to follow the lead from friends/family who have tied
 the knot before you. Have fun and enjoy the process!

Don't Fret, Sweat or Regret 

Take it slow. Grab an armful of great bridal magazines and a good
bottle of wine or sweet tea with your tribe and play. Go to the nearest drugstore and 
pick out a poster board like you did in grade school. 
Throw in the baskets some glue sticks, markers and some scissors and 
start cutting and pasting your favorite pics from the magazines. 
Jot down notes next to the clippings, pick some shades of colors 
you love and just play and dream big. 

Research and Then Research Some More

When it comes to choosing a venue and deciding on vendors it can be quite
overwhelming if you allow it to suck you and gobble you up.
The vendors that will show up first in the search engines will be the most experienced
and most likely the most expensive. My best advice in this step is to.....

Divide and Conquer

All of those amazing friends and family who offered to help can be assigned a specific vendor to research. Share researching tips like scrolling Instagram, asking friends for referrals, asking other vendors for their referrals, scanning venue websites for their preferred vendors, looking at wedding photographers on Instagram and checking out the vendors they have tagged in photos. Call local universities and junior colleges to inquire on photography, graphic artwork for invitations, videography, musicians, vocalists, etc. Students are always looking for side work as well as building their portfolio. My daughter was able to find vendors who were fairly new to the business, within 1-3 years. This allowed for much better pricing as they build their portfolio. These vendors tend to be more excited and invested in their clients as well, which really makes it fun for the bride and the vendor. The same can be applied when it comes to finding a caterer. Contact culinary schools for referrals for catering as well as wedding cakes. My daughter in law took her time finding a caterer and she landed the most amazing vendor where the owners were all veterans and their food was literally incredible! And, more importantly they were some of the happiest and nicest folks who truly loved cooking for others and sharing their love of food. It was some of the very best "wedding food" I have ever had and she paid only a whopping $17 per guest! Crazy great price! You do not, I repeat,  you do not have to break the bank for excellent vendors. I will provide, at the end of this post, the links to all the vendors we have used for our Texas and Colorado weddings. Do the research, you will be happy you did. Grab a big 3 ring binder with pocket inserts and dividers so you can store collected business cards, flyers, notes and photos. Nothing fancy just a working binder so you don't loose anything and you can quickly grab what you need to make calls. Ask your helpers before sending you their research to call to verify that their specific vendors they have found for you to consider have an opening on your wedding date. No need to pass it along to you if they are not even available. This will save you time and stress. 

Behold Your Beauty 

Every single bride is beautiful. I mean every single one. Beauty is from within and then
it radiates out. A soul that is happy can not be anything but beautiful. While much attention, time and energy is surrounded around "The Dress", please remember that a dress will only serve as an accessory to the bride on her special day. For the bride herself is what is most beautiful 
and most important to her groom. This is yet another aspect of the wedding planning to play around with, enjoy the process and explore all options. Visit multiple shops, try on every style, and soon you will start 
to narrow down what you like and what you don't like. Look at Pinterest, Instagram, Etsy, Poshmark and bridal websites. Consider new, like new, vintage, borrowed and family heirlooms. Nothing should be off the table. My sister wore my veil. Another sister wore my mom's pillbox hat from her wedding. One friend found her dress at a vintage store and altered it to her liking. 
Another friend altered her mom's wedding dress. When it comes to hair and makeup, play around with hairstyles you like. Will it be an outdoor wedding? If so, what will the weather be like at that time of year? Consider your venue location and potential weather when deciding on wearing your hair up or down and deciding on sleeves or no sleeves for your dress.  You will want to be comfortable, cool and still fancy and gorgeous! Hiring a makeup artist isn't always necessary. Even Kate Middleton did her own makeup for her wedding day. Choose your shoes carefully. No need to spend a large chunk of change on your shoes especially as they will most likely be hard to see under that fancy dress. Consider the height of your groom and also comfort level. Maybe change shoes for the dance floor? Keep a small clutch with your lipstick, some mints and touch up makeup at your table so you can grab and go to the powder room mid dancing. Make a list of all of your glamour gadgets and accessories you will be bringing with 
you on your the wedding day so you won't forget a single item. 

Expand Your Expectations and Your Imagination

This is YOUR day. No one two weddings are the same nor should they be. Add your own twist and turns. 
Start new traditions and trends and make it your own. You be YOU! When the day is over and you kick off your shoes, let it be what you wanted and dreamed about. Live in that moment and not in someone else's. Eat the cake, drink the wine, dance with your grandpa and or grandma, let your hemline get dirty and kiss your groom a thousand times on the dance floor or under the moonlight. And after the party doors close if you are still hungry, have your groom drive you thru McDonald's like mine did to get a "Cheeseburger Happy Meal" because I was starving and why not? Have the most beautiful day full of blessings beyond your wildest dreams that will spill over into your marriage for years and years to come. 



Engagement Blessing

Dear Heavenly Father, Bless this couple as they begin
their preparation for the sacrament of marriage. Guide them
as they begin this beautiful journey of love and faith. 
Let their preparation lead them closer to you and to each other.
Through this special time of engagement allow this couple
to feel your divine love and grace present in their every day lives.
Allow them to see their beauty as individuals and what they will bring to
this marriage that will bless them going forward. May you grant them
health, safety and complete protection as they prepare for this holy covenant.
We ask this in your name, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen



Tried and True Vendors 

Chelsea Reece Photography 

Patriot Pig Smokehouse

Grand Ivory

Paper Tie Affair

Design Works

Moss and Maeve

Elite Entertainment

Rick's Chophouse

Edward's Floral Design

The Broadmoor

The Dress Theory




 





Tuesday, February 22, 2022

Wedding Season Brings Blessings Abound


 



We are coming up on a year since my son married his best friend, Micah Elaine!
She is the woman who will be by his side for eternity. 
She is amazing and is now my daughter.
Steve and I know how blessed we are and are constantly pinching ourselves praying it is not just a dream that all of our children find they soulmates. Truly we do not take this for granted at all. It is a privilege and honor to witness this journey. For our children are ours to hold for just a small window of time and then we must let go and watch them take flight in this crazy, sometimes cruel yet beautiful world. It is hard work raising babies. I mean really hard but oh my goodness it was and continues to be our greatest joy, honor and gift from God. A gift so extraordinary we could never be worthy of and yet we continuously attempt to reach worthiness. Fortunately, God does not expect perfection from us but only that we long to be more like Him and be with Him. Our growth as a family unit is monumental and all of our triumphs and hardships just keep inching us closer and closer to our eternal life together in heaven. In heaven we will be united with all of those who have gone before us and will come after our arrival. We join those before us who have helped to shape us to be who we are. We are all connected and intertwined. We lost my Dad, our Paw Paw during the pandemic. It has been difficult and he is missed so terribly yet our faith promises us that we will see him again. It is that promise that carries us through those painful seasons and we discover that even in great sadness we can celebrate and experience tremendous joy. 
My son had planned his proposal in advance and then the lockdowns came and so we encouraged him to proceed with his plan even when his plan had to be altered not allowing family to be present. All was in place and on Easter Sunday he proposed on one knee to his Micah. My Dad went to heaven hours before Jake proposed. In my mind, this allowed his Paw Paw to be present and witness the proposal even while other family members could not be present. Finding beauty and joy in one of our most painful days and knowing that we will be together again was a blessing and a testimony to our love for my Dad and most importantly God, our Father. As we come to a close on the first year of celebrating the newlyweds and our family growing, we find ourselves privileged to begin preparations to add another family member to our clan and witness our daughter marrying her best friend, Drew. Again we remain humbled and in awe of our abundance of blessings. I pray that we never forget to offer prayers of gratitude. That we always remember our perpetual blessings in this life and pray for those who sufferings and sacrifices are larger and more painful than ours at this present time. May we keep those less fortunate in our daily prayers in hopes to mitigate their suffering. 






Jake is already starting to cry.



Now I start to cry! I mean seriously it turned very quickly into an ugly cry face!
















                                          

Welcome to the family sweet Micah!




Our Mother/Son dance! 
Look at that sweet boy's face!










I am blessed, blessed and blessed!
Yes I am!


The BEST wedding photographer!!














Wednesday, January 19, 2022

Liv and Lou "Amazing You Giveaway"

 


to enter now! Giveaway closes Sunday, January 23, 2022!














Just who are Liv & Lou?

Olivia and Isabella Louise are Holli's daughters. These sisters both have a contagious yearning for adventure and a beautiful passion for service. Holli is their greatest and loudest cheerleader. And don't underestimate the LOUD part. This innovative online shopping experience was created with the idea that one could step out of their chaotic life for a few minutes and step into a joyful online "Home" where you can find a little treasure or two to either keep for yourself and or gift someone you love. These treasures are part of curated collections chosen by perky and hip buyers. Each treasure delivered will be tied up with a velvet bow of "Giving". With each purchase made, funds will be carefully tucked away for the special nonprofits we are presently serving. Once you have visited our "Home" for the first time, you are forever part of our Liv & Lou community. We invite you to come back with your filled to the brim cup in tow and read our blog posts about how this community is changing lives. This community is making little changes which will in turn make a big difference. We are honored and grateful you have found your way here. Pull up a chair and sit on the porch with us for awhile. The sweet tea is extra cold and Granny's oatmeal cookies are almost ready to come out of the oven. Just bring your smile and your conversation.

See you soon,

Liv & Lou













Wednesday, January 5, 2022

Barkitecture - A Luxury Dog Room

 Is you pet the King or Queen of the house? Gone are the days of Rover living out his lazy dog days outside in a nicely built dog house in a gated backyard. The pets of today are pampered beyond their wildest dreams. From fancy pet strollers to luxury rooms specifically designed for the furry family member these pets are living the life! My dear friend Nancy recently renovated her kitchen and she designed a special nook for her pups so they are never out of the action. How awesome is this!



Ready for the Christmas Party!










Here they are ready for their afternoon adventure!

See ya later pups!

Check out these darling pillows in my store!

HERE






Friday, December 17, 2021

Gracie's Senior Photo Shoot

 






My niece Gracie asked me to take her senior photos and I was so excited! We loaded the car with a few props and multiple outfits and headed out for adventure! First stop was the Hallettsville town square. We found a few spots on the courthouse steps. The same courthouse that my dad and his best friend, George, attempted to scale to the top one night as a teenager, dressed in black and rope in hand. They took off on their bikes as planned but chickened out when they saw "the law" in town and they were stopped and asked what they were doing out at night all dressed in black. My sisters and I love that story and each time I pass by the courthouse I smile thinking of him and his big scheme many years ago.

The photo shoot was a success and after we took photos in town we drove out to Rocky, my uncle and aunt's property that has been in our family for over 100 years. My Granny would take us to the Rocky Creek to play in the hot summer days to attempt to wear us out a little before supper.  She would perch high above on a quilt under a pecan tree while we splashed and used shovels to dig a swimming hole in the sand which proved to be impossible. We had fun with Gracie taking some dreamy photos at the creek and under pecan trees. Everyone needs a "Hallettsville". A place to call home and hold memories both good and not so good. It creates your life quilt. Patches of memories all sewn together to represent time, people, events, growth and well, just life. Enjoy these photos of my beautiful niece Gracie. She is beautiful inside and out. We can't wait to see how her future unfolds!