Namita & Max's RT Lodge Wedding Weekend Trailer by Waldof Cinema

Namita and Max | Waldorf Cinema from Waldorf Cinema on Vimeo.

Vintage Camp Inspired Bachelorette Party

Throw a vintage camp themed bachelorette party.  Rent a lakehouse for the weekend and send out rustic invites to all the bride's best girlfriends.  Have each guest sign up for activites like canoeing, hiking, arts & crafts, or even shopping!  For cocktail hour serve drinks in mason jars and make yummy s'mores inspired desserts!   Have all the guests write sweet words of encouragement and funny stories from the weekend in the Field Note journals.  At the end of the weekend the bride can take them home!

1. Makes s'mores inspired dessert like this s'more brownie recipe 2. Field note journals 

3. River Island aztec knit sweater 4. Timex Traveler Watch 5. Minnetonka pull-on fringe booties

6. Distressed denim shorts 7. Serve drinks in mason jars & use colorful striped straws

8. Madewell long tee dress 9. Hunter watling lace up gloss boots 10. Newstand tote 

11. Vintage inspired pajama set 12. Michael Kors tortoise bracelet 13. These rustic tubs make great ice buckets. Use them for the weekend & send them home with the bride!   

-a.e.h. 

Who Pays For What? Part 2

-a.e.h. 

Who Pays For What? Part 1

Want to learn more about trading in your bridesmaid dress?  Take a look at Newly Maid. 

Hope this was helpful!  Keep checking back for more bridesmaid Q & A!

-a.e.h.

Fall Wedding Inspiration Board

I wanted to share a fall inspiration board I have been working on for one of our October 2012 brides.  Hope you enjoy!





all images via pinterest



-a.e.h.

Inspiration Board: Red White & Blue

With the July 4th holiday this weekend, I thought it would be the perfect time to put together a red, white and blue inspiration board.  I hope you all enjoy this all American soiree!

From left to right: Martha Stewart Weddings, Elizabeth Anne Designs, Google Images, Jones Design Company, The Knot, Martha Stewart Weddings




What do you think about saying "I do" over July 4th weekend?


-a.e.h.

Event Decor Idea: Bike Basket + Flowers

Like I have said so many times, it is the small details at your event that people really remember. Using unique floral arrangements is a great way to make an impact. We recently had an outdoor dinner event at RT Lodge and our florist, Jama, used a retro bike for a beautiful floral display.  All you need is a bike with a basket, floral foam or plastic container that fits inside the basket, and flowers of your choice.  This is a super easy idea that you can try at your next event!  





Jama, our florist at RT Lodge, did this arrangement for an outdoor dinner event we recently had

Close up of Jama's arrangement- isn't it cute?!



Via Elizabeth Anne Designs 







Via Pinterest

Enjoy!


-a.e.h.

Creative Seating Cards

It really is the little details that make a big difference.  That is why we wanted to share some of the most creative seating cards and displays we have seen.  

1. Butterflies from MarthaStewartWeddings: A fresh lawn of wheatgrass makes a glorious field for butterflies to flutter about. Banners bearing guests' calligraphed names seem to billow in a gentle breeze. The butterfly wires are attached to skewers covered with floral tape. Feather butterflies, from BJ's Craft Supplies.

2. Shell Cards from Martha Stewart Weddings: Instead of numbers to assign guests their tables, use names of seashells. Each type of shell represents a different table.

3. Magnolia leaves make great southern seating cards.  Simply use a metallic paint marker to write each guests name, along with the table number on each leaf.  Via Pinterest

4. Plant markers make the perfect seating cards for an outdoor event.  Display them in a wooden box topped with moss to make a beautiful display.  Via Style Me Pretty 

5. Display tent cards on top of a beautiful carnation covered box for a big impact!  Via Martha Stewart Weddings

6. Fall leaves from Martha Stewart Weddings: The rich colors of autumn are echoed in this forest set amid rolling hills of moss. Craft-punched bright paper leaves bearing guests' names transform bare branches into majestic trees; we cut slits into the branches with a craft knife and then slid in the leaves. Mega giant oak leaf, maple leaf, and birch leaf punches, by The Punch Bunch, from Scrappily Ever After, scrappilyeverafter.com.

Hope this gives you some great inspiration!

-a.e.h.

Cigar & Cordials Bar

This past week we set up a Cordials & Cigar Bar after dinner for a corporate group here at RT Lodge. It was a huge hit!  The Cordials & Cigar Bar is a great idea for a rehearsal dinner or even for part of a reception.  All you need are some cigars and some of your favorite cordials.  Make things more fun by shopping for some colorful cordial glasses to serve your guests!

You can get old cigar boxes at a cigar shop for very cheap.  I got tons of boxes for around $1 a piece.  They are great to decorate with!

Enjoy!

-a.e.h.

Catherine Middleton Bridal Fashion

Catherine Middleton has not disappointed! Fashion fans from around the world celebrated at the news that Sarah Burton (Creative Director for Alexander McQueen) was the designer of Catherine's gorgeous wedding gown.  Catherine's dress is very reminiscent of Grace Kelly's timeless gown. See below for all the details on Kate's wedding fashion!  Enjoy!

Picture from www.CelebBuzz.com

 Grace Kelly on her wedding day.  Picture from www.w-weddinggowns.com

Picture from www.Huffingtonpost.com

Catherine and her sister, Pippa.  Picture from www.CelebBuzz.com

This is the press release from the Official Royal Wedding Website: 
Miss Catherine Middleton's Wedding Dress has been designed by Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen.

Miss Middleton chose British brand Alexander McQueen for the beauty of its craftsmanship and its respect for traditional workmanship and the technical construction of clothing. Miss Middleton wished for her dress to combine tradition and modernity with the artistic vision that characterises Alexander McQueen's work. Miss Middleton worked closely with Sarah Burton in formulating the design of her dress.

The dress epitomises timeless British craftsmanship by drawing together talented and skilled workmanship from across the United Kingdom. The dress design pays tribute to the Arts and Crafts tradition, which advocated truth to materials and traditional craftsmanship using simple forms and often Romantic styles of decoration. Ms Burton's design draws on this heritage, additionally giving the cut and the intricate embellishment a distinctive, contemporary and feminine character.

The design

The lace appliqué for the bodice and skirt was hand-made by the Royal School of Needlework, based at Hampton Court Palace. The lace design was hand-engineered (appliquéd) using the Carrickmacross lace-making technique, which originated in Ireland in the 1820s. Individual flowers have been hand-cut from lace and hand-engineered onto ivory silk tulle to create a unique and organic design, which incorporates the rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock.

Hand-cut English lace and French Chantilly lace has been used throughout the bodice and skirt, and has been used for the underskirt trim. With laces coming from different sources, much care was taken to ensure that each flower was the same colour. The whole process was overseen and put together by hand by Ms Burton and her team.

The dress is made with ivory and white satin gazar. The skirt echoes an opening flower, with white satin gazar arches and pleats. The train measures two metres 70 centimetres. The ivory satin bodice, which is narrowed at the waist and padded at the hips, draws on the Victorian tradition of corsetry and is a hallmark of Alexander McQueen's designs. The back is finished with 58 gazar and organza covered buttons fastened by Rouleau loops. The underskirt is made of silk tulle trimmed with Cluny lace.

The Fabrics

French Chantilly lace was combined with English Cluny lace to be hand-worked in the Irish Carrickmacross needlework tradition.

All other fabrics used in the creation of the dress were sourced from and supplied by British companies. The choice of fabrics followed extensive research by Sarah Burton and her team.

The Royal School of Needlework

The Royal School of Needlework (RSN), based at Hampton Court Palace, assisted the Alexander McQueen team in accurately cutting out the delicate motifs from the lace fabrics and positioning the lace motifs with precision into the new design. The lace motifs were pinned, 'framed up' and applied with stab stitching every two to three millimetres around each lace motif. The workers washed their hands every thirty minutes to keep the lace and threads pristine, and the needles were renewed every three hours, to keep them sharp and clean.

The RSN workers included existing staff, former staff, tutors, graduates and students, with the youngest aged 19.

The RSN's work was used primarily for the train and skirt of the Bride's dress, the bodice and sleeves, the Bride's shoes and the Bride's veil.

Veil and Jewellery

The veil is made of layers of soft, ivory silk tulle with a trim of hand-embroidered flowers, which was embroidered by the Royal School of Needlework. The veil is held in place by a Cartier 'halo' tiara, lent to Miss Middleton by The Queen. The 'halo' tiara was made by Cartier in 1936 and was purchased by The Duke of York (later King George VI) for his Duchess (later Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother) three weeks before he succeeded his brother as King. The tiara was presented to Princess Elizabeth (now The Queen) by her mother on the occasion of her 18th birthday.

The Bride's earrings, by Robinson Pelham, are diamond-set stylised oak leaves with a pear shaped diamond set drop and a pavé set diamond acorn suspended in the centre. Inspiration for the design comes from the Middleton family's new coat of arms, which includes acorns and oak leaves. The earrings were made to echo the tiara. The earrings were a personal gift to the Bride from her parents for her Wedding Day.

Robinson Pelham have also designed and made a pair of diamond earrings for Miss Philippa Middleton. These earrings are more floral in nature to compliment the headpiece worn by Miss Philippa Middleton during the Service.

A tourmaline and diamond pendant and matching earrings have been designed and made for Mrs. Carole Middleton. Two gold stick pins, one with a single gold acorn at the head and the other with an oak leaf, are also worn respectively by the Father of the Bride, Mr. Michael Middleton, and the Bride's brother, Mr. James Middleton.

Wedding Shoes

The wedding shoes have made hand-made by the team at Alexander McQueen and are made of ivory duchesse satin with lace hand-embroidered by the Royal School of Needlework.

Inspiration Board: Spring Neutrals

Enjoy!


-a.e.h.

ShopBop Wedding Boutique

ShopBop.com (one of my personal favorites) just launched their Wedding Boutique today! These dresses are perfect for the fashion-forward bride, but the site also features some more classic styles.  The ShopBop Wedding Boutique also features some great options for second dresses for your reception so you can dance the night away!



This stunning one shoulder column gown keeps it simple, and the floral detail is perfect for spring! (Notte by Marchesa)





This fun and flirty ruffle dress by Halston Heritage is a great fit for a modern bride.  Not to mention Patricia Field, the stylist from Sex and the City, used several Halston Heritage dresses for SATC2!





The "Molly Dress" by Chris Benz is feminine and sophisticated!  You will definitely wear this again and again!

Enjoy!

-a.e.h.

Anthropologie Weddings are Finally Here!

Anthropologie's bridal line, BHLDN, has finally launched!  BHLDN has everything you need to look great on your wedding day.  From wedding gowns, bridesmaid dresses, shoes, jewelry, hair adornments, and even the perfect dress for a bridal shower or rehearsal dinner- BHLDN has it all!  You can even visit the site to discover What Kind of Bride You Are!  In true Anthro style, the gowns (and everything else on the site!) have a very vintage feel and are each very unique!  

What are your thoughts about Anthropologie's lastest venture?  Did you find a dress on BHLDN that you have to have?  We would love to hear your thoughts!




-a.e.h.

Emily & Josh's Winter Wedding: Part 2

Here are some more great shots from Emily & Josh's beautiful winter wedding at RT Lodge. Thank you  to Lindsay Jane Studios for letting us use these gorgeous images!  



Instead of a groom's cake our wonderful pastry chef, Jon, made these mini moonpies!









Chef Jon also made this amazing gingerbread house for the holidays!



I love these simple white cakes from Magpies

One of our seasonal salads by our Chef Rick Mace

Enjoy!


-a.e.h.

The Seating Chart Solution!

Martha Stewart Weddings

If you have ever made a seating chart for a large event you understand that last minute changes are almost inevitable.  In order to make your life easier, Martha Stewart Weddings suggests creating a flexible seating chart that can be easily rearranged.  Just write guests names on these thin adhesive strips by Muji or simply cut up sticky notes.  They also suggest another time saving tip, " create color-coded groups, such as bride's family, groom's family, friends, and kids". We will definitely by trying this trick for our next event!  

Enjoy!

-a.e.h.

A Winter Wedding at the Lodge

We were so excited about Emily and Josh's winter wedding, and we were even more thrilled with how everything turned out.  All of the details were perfect, and it was an amazing team we were working with!  Donna Jacob with The Wedding Planners did a wonderful job bringing Emily's vision of vintage decor to life. Carolyn Goff and Julie Wright (Florists) added some southern charm by using cotton in the flower arrangements- too cute!  Take a look at some of the wonderful photographs taken by Lindsay Jane Studios...

Her gorgeous lace dress was from Arzelle's Bridal in Nashville 

Their ceremony was held at West Emory Presbyterian Church in Knoxville 

Miss Tess and the Bon Ton Parade were  AMAZING

Thank you again to Lindsay Jane Studios for these great pictures!

Enjoy!

-a.e.h.