Upon meeting with R it was clear she new exactly what she wanted. Gorgeous, soft romantic flowers, touches of gold and marble, a little lace and a little rustic & modern thrown into the mix. There were so many custom touches in this wedding.
Hand lettered welcome mirror & marble table numbers. Custom designed stationery. Linens made just for R. A dessert table to die for - from the delectable desserts to her marble "love" sign to marble & gold cake stand and boxes to display her desserts in. Sip & Be Seated escort cards and lots of candlelight. Truly elegant!

Thinking of an open bar? Thinking of the expense? Here are a few ways to have an open bar and save too.
. Serve a signature cocktail along with beer and wine or just offer beer and wine.
. If you still want to offer cocktails, offer them during cocktail hour then switch to beer and wine for the rest of the evening.
. When looking at venues, ask about their open bar cost. You’d be surprised by the differences.

A little thing - your escort cards - but they are a detail that can make a big impact. Usually they are one of the first things your guests see when they enter your reception. Display them in a way that makes your guests want to see what is next. Design them so they reflect your theme. These were for a wedding that was very elegant with a touch of rustic. An elegant font, glittered paper, burlap flower and a twine bow. Get creative!

We take your vision and make it a reality. We sit with you and take the time to find out what you like. We ask a lot of questions. We love looking at your Pinterest page. We help you refine your ideas so that they all flow together. We create a written plan so you can see your vision unfolding. We are in touch with your vendors to ensure that every element of your design compliments each other. The day of - we execute your design allowing you to relax and enjoy your special day.
We have met with many brides at different stages of the planning process. Do you know what we hear most often? “I wish I had talked with you sooner.”
Schedule a consultation, because your happily ever after starts with Gatherings!

One of the words that we think creates the most anxiety is the word - budget.  Not only in everyday life, but when planning a wedding, a budget has caused lots of arguments and stress.

How do you deal with the budget issue?

As an event designers and coordinators we have had countless planning meetings and one of the first questions that we ask is "what is your budget?" Almost all of the time we see the Bride struggling to answer. Maybe it's because they really have not settled on a budget amount or they are afraid to state how much they want to spend. Trust us, it is so much better when we know that figure. It helps us to put together a design that fits your budget and with our experience we can help you save money. ( More on that in another post)

Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, while they are great places to search for inspiration, also tend to lead to unrealistic
expectations of what a wedding should be like. 

There are two things we always ask our Brides to do -

One, is to really think about what is important to you on your wedding day. Once you figure this out then you can use this as a guide in all your decision making.

Two, establish a budget and then sit down and write down everything you will be spending money on to create your wedding, and I mean everything. From tipping to invitations to getting your nails done to all the big expenses like venue, music, flowers, decor, stationery, linens and... everything in between.

Once you get that figure, and it could be one that is way over your budget, then really take a look at each "gotta have" idea.  Go back to back to what is really important to you and ask yourself if having a certain thing fits into that category. You might want all the chairs that you are using in your ceremony to have flowers and ribbon tied on them along with programs on every seat but find out that the cost is more than your budget. This is where you ask yourself what is really important to you. (You can also see if there is a more cost effective way to go about creating the ceremony chairs that you love.) Go through your "gotta have"  list and cross out what doesn't fit into the important category. You might be surprised at the end result.

Yes, you will have to say I don't really need this but YES I really want that. But in the end you will end up with a wedding that really reflects you and hopefully within your budget!

This wedding was held in the Bride & Groom's own yard. Under a tent and right on the water, it was a spectacular setting.  The weather was perfect and when we went to setup the morning of the wedding what did we see under the arch at the water's edge?  Two swans - how perfect was that!

There were so many little details that made this wedding special - from the wedding arch lovingly created by the groom to the nautical favors made by the bride. Interspersed throughout the decor were items that were important to the bride and groom and they added the perfect special, sentimental touch.

I loved the colors and the nod to nautical - using fish nets and rope - along with flowers. I don't think I have ever styled a wedding where the men guests remarked on the cake! Artisan Bake Shop outdid themselves as the cake was an exact replica of a local light house.

Outside weddings are one of my favorite and this one was truly magical.

I met with this bride about a year before her wedding was to take place. She is pretty, petite and definitely had given her special day a lot of thought. In our initial consultation I discovered her theme was glamour, sparkle and lots of bling.  The date for the big event was New Year's Eve and it was going to be held in a private home. This home is a gorgeous, restored Victorian and once I saw it I could just picture it styled with her theme. I was getting very excited to start the styling and planning process and was thrilled that Whitley Design was her choice for Day of Coordination and putting together a total design plan.

A little bit about the venue - being a restored Victorian it's beautiful inside and a home made for entertaining. The chandeliers are original to the house and fit the theme perfectly - absolutely gorgeous - real glass. But, there was a concern I had. The dominate colors in this home are maroon and navy blue and all the furnishings are Victorian which means dark, substantial furniture. Very strong, dark colors. The color palette my bride choose was silver, ivory, and a pale pink. Did I mention that the wall paper in one room was thick stripes of maroon & ivory and that of course this home was filled with many personal pictures and decorations, like anyone's home. How to make this work was my challenge.

Once the general design was in place I gave lots of thought to the challenge. Anything I did couldn't compete with this home's interior - it had to take over. With this theme of bling, bling, bling and more bling that made my job easier. The home owners were very accommodating and agreed with everything I suggested - from removing all pictures and many personal things. So we had a blank slate, sort of - the furniture and wallpaper were still there.  I decided that there would only be a few elements to this design but I would use them abundantly and in large doses.  They wouldn't be fussy or delicate but very elegant and simple. These elements were mercury glass, candlelight, bling and sequin linens. From there I added lots and lots of candlelight. Two bookcases were completely emptied and then we added lots of tealights on all the shelves. The flowers we used were only two types, pale pink roses and white hydrangeas. Vases were either mercury glass or embellished clear, of course with bling. The linens and fabrics were either silver or pale pink with sequins - they were to die for! And don't forget the bling - we used lots but not every surface - a few spots were all this home needed.

The ceremony was taking place here and it was decided to be held in front of a window. Again, the home owners took down their curtains so we could create a spectacular spot for the bride and groom to recite their vows. I had a vision for that window and I couldn't wait to implement it.

One of the things I love most about weddings is that they are very personal occasions. I encourage all my brides to make sure their wedding reflects their & their significant other personalities. This wedding was no exception - from the catered gourmet Chinese food, family photos, the very touching toasts, the glamorous evening dresses & tuxes, the sparkler sendoff, to the live piano music featuring show tunes. I forgot to mention that the bride and groom met at the theater, not as guests - he was the producer and she an actor - to this day they are still very active in theater so of course the bride & groom scripted their wedding like a theater production and it was fabulous!

A very special thank you to D'Paulo Design & Linens for the absolutely fabulous linens. From the sequined runners and tablecloths to the sheer panels used to create the stunning window, they help to make this wedding spectacular!

And a very, very special thank you to the bride and groom for trusting us with their special day. When the bride walked in and said we outdid ourselves I couldn't have been happier!
Here's to rhinestones, glitter, sequins, bling and happily everafter!