Intimate Weddings

Two weekends ago, Julie and Jeff were married at the Mansion on Forsyth Park.  An unusually warm and sunny day for mid-January, everything went smoothly and I was impressed by how calm, personal, and intimate their ceremony was.  Apart from the beautiful weather, the couple was surrounded by their closest friends and family, an intimate 25 guests, giving everyone the chance to be close to the bride and groom as they said their vows. Even before the ceremony, all attendees met for a group photo, with everyone fitting easily into a single frame, sharing laughs and hugs before the bride left to get ready for her walk down the aisle. 

The organization of this event made me appreciate and remember what I love about small, intimate weddings. Everyone attending has a chance to feel an involvement in the ceremony that you just can’t have when there are so many people. I’ve attended many beautiful weddings where the bride and groom spend the first couple of hours after their ceremony "making the rounds" through the room of guests in order to say hello to everyone. It seems challenging to enjoy yourself on what should be one of the happiest days of your life, and also give your thanks to a huge room full of guests for attending your wedding!

Intimate ceremonies give more creative power to the bride and groom, with more freedom to customize every aspect of the day.  A small guest list can also open up more potential small venues and of course save a few bucks. Many couples choose to have a small wedding in order to splurge on the things that really matter to them, like an open bar, unbelievable dinner, or special wedding favors.

Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Burson! 

Thanks for the photos from Matthew Kent! 

Dear Fellow Savannah Event Professionals...

Some of you have heard, but for those who have not, we want to pass along some news about one of our own. Ricky Moore, one of the Savannah Special Events delivery leads was in a terrible car accident over the weekend of June 18. So many of you have met him but may not actually know him. He is currently in the ICU and the doctors recently put him under a chemically induced coma to allow his brain time to heal along with his other injuries.

Ricky and his wife, seen below with their oldest son, had another baby just days before the accident, and this is an extremely hard time on their family. He is a gentle soul and in need of your thoughts and prayers to pull through this because it is going to be a long, long recovery.

Ricky and the delivery guys at Savannah Special Events do more than just deliver and setup their rentals - they help us unload our cars, show up early, and help us out when they really don't have to. Let's show our support and help Ricky and his family through this tough time.

An account has been setup at Wells Fargo Bank to collect donations - Charles Moore Donation Fund: Account # 7964140623. The Moore family needs our help now more than ever. Anything will help.

Real Savannah Wedding: Tricia & Danny

Yes, this is finally the post that I have been asked and asked to post of the pictures from my wedding last May. I have no good excuse, other than being busy and that my clients and their weddings come first!

I married the love of my life, Danny, on May 15, 2010. I could not have asked for a more amazing day - the weather was just perfect, and considering I planned an outdoor (not fully tented) reception, that was a good thing! Yes, I am a wedding planner and I planned a fully outdoor reception without a tent for my cocktail hour - and honestly, I just set my mind that it would not rain, and as luck would have it - it didn't! Amazing, since rain was predicted all week - whew!
I will say the hardest part about planning my own wedding was having to choose vendors. I am honored to know some of the best vendors in the wedding industry! How do you choose just one Florist, one Photographer, etc??

These amazing pictures are compliments of Donna Von Bruening with DVB Photography!

These cuties, Madeline and Mallory, are the daughters of Danny's oldest brother John and his wife Dee Dee. This was their first time as flower girls, and by the end of the year they were old pros - appearing in two family weddings in one year!

We had an afternoon ceremony at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in downtown Savannah. When I was a 10 year old Girl Scout visiting from Michigan - I went to mass at the Cathedral. I told my mom that I would get married in that church one day - little did I know, God heard me that day and I ended up living in Savannah and marrying a local boy! It has to be one of the most amazing and beautiful churches I have ever seen!

Heidi and Natalie, the owners of A to Zinnias florist, are not only amazing florists, but I am lucky to call them great friends! Having friends in good places allowed for me to have such beautiful details and flowers throughout my wedding.

Following the ceremony, the wedding party and guests hopped on a Trolley from SweptAway Tours and took our guests out to Danny's parents property overlooking the back river and marsh on Wilmington Island. While the wedding party stopped for pictures, guests enjoyed cocktail hour while listening to my favorite local singer, Trae Gurley!

Following cocktails and hor d'oeuvres on the lawn, guests were shown to the back of the house, where an amazing tent from Savannah Special Events overlooked the Marsh! It was a stunning site; even more than I could have imagined. My colors, Gray and Blue - with hints of Pink, were taken from the beautiful natural backdrop and was inspired by Oyster Shells and the stunning view.

I loved all the candles, flowers and oyster shell place cards (hand made by my mom). One of Danny's groomsmen and a great friend made beer for our wedding, it was delish! Chef Nick Mueller went above and beyond for our wedding...from the hors d'oeuvers to the Filet Mignon and Grouper served for dinner - we are still receiving compliments on our menu! Nick and I also collaborated to surprise Danny with a Banana Fosters station in lieu of a groom's cake. It was hidden until dusk, when Nick's team quickly moved into action bringing out a table draped in red linen and Danny's University of Georgia flag. This was a great surprise - it really got everyone's attention - and Danny just loved the banana's foster groom's cake!

My AMAZING cake was the creation of Minette Rushing's Custom Cakes! Lead designer, Kerry O'Conner, created this beautiful and stunning cake based off my request for a gray cake. She took inspiration from my invitations, and I could not have been happier. I have also never seen cake disappear so quickly! Not a slice was left! YUM!

As our evening ended, we sent the guests off with Krispy Kreme Doughnuts for "Breakfast in Bed" - it was a long day, and I knew that Danny and I would not be up for a brunch the next day.

I could not have pulled off my wedding without my wonderful team of planners! Genina, Jackie and Meredith worked hard on my wedding day to make sure it was perfect - and it was!! I have a wonderful team of girls that work with me, and though two of them were in the wedding - I know they worked that day as well!

Here is a list of my wonderful Friends and Vendors who helped pull my wedding off:

Dress: Monique Lhuillier Swan Lake
Hair: Tre Wyrosdick
Make-up: Genevieve Routon, Salon 2010
Photographer: DVB Photography
Florist: A to Zinnias
Videographer: Savannah Wedding Films
Ceremony Music: Violinist Ricardo Ochoa and Harpist Kristin King, New Arts Ensembles organist Patty Shreck and vocalist Andrea Dove
Cocktail Hour Music: Trae Gurley
Catering: Chef Nick Mueller
Bar Service: Whitemarsh Beverage
Cake: Minette Rushing Custom Cakes
Rentals: Savannah Special Events by Ranco
Transportation: SweptAway Tours
Rehearsal Dinner: The Olde Pink House

Tricia Huddas & Co Real Savannah Wedding: Emily and Justin

Emily and Justin were married this past July at the Telfair Museum of Arts Academy Building - WOW is all I can say! Emily was such a joy to work with. She is Southern to the core, polite and had a very specific vision for her wedding. We spent hours picking the perfect linens, discussing the exact layout to fit her vision and putting the finishing touches on the overall day. Well, those hours paid off in an absolutely stunning wedding that took my breath away.

Emily and Justin have been together for 8 years - a perfect couple who share a strong faith and love for their families. It is always so special to be a part of such an important day - and when you end with results like this - it is just an extra reward!!

AND Check out the dress - Vera Wang!! Stunning!! Thank you Ashley Brokop for sharing these images!




A clean, simple color palette and classic flowers from Garden on the Square complimented the space brilliantly, and that amazing cake was done by the one and only Minette Rushing of Savannah Custom Cakes!

Congratulations Emily and Justin - thank you for allowing me to share in your wedding day!

Tricia Huddas & Co. Real Savannah Wedding: Tricia & Danny

Yes, This is the first post on MY wedding - I was married this past May to my love, Danny! Many of my clients, friends and colleagues have been asking and asking when I am going to post about my wedding! Well, Ainsley gave you a sneak peak with her picture from the wedding, but I promise to share more pictures and details. I will give you this sneak peak today, but will leave you hanging while I fill you in on some of our weddings that we are behind on. Don't worry, I have a goal to get caught up soon, so I will show and share with you all the great details, vendors and pictures of my own wedding.

I think it is great to have been a wedding planner for 5 years prior to getting married. I know what it is like to plan an event and be emotionally involved, but now I have such a deeper understanding and great respect for my brides. I don't think that my experience would have been the same had I been a "bride-turned-planner" either - there is just something about doing a job for so long and then to personally experience it, it just gives you such a greater understanding.

First, here is just a sneak peak at my wonderful husband and I on our wedding day - and stay posted... you WILL want to hear about our honeymoon...

Tricia Huddas & Co. Real Savannah Wedding: Cailey and Tyler

So it has been a while since we posted - and Cailey and Tyler have actually been married almost a year now and are expecting their first child. WOW, how time flies!! Between corporate events, weddings and my own wedding this past May we just had to focus on the task at hand and allowed ourselves to get behind on updating the blog - we do apologize and hope to get ourselves back on track to showcase our beautiful brides and work!

Back to the task at hand! Cailey and Tyler were an exceptional couple and they both held surprisingly refreshing values in todays world! Tyler and Cailey didn't just meet and start dating - it all started with Tyler asking to Court Cailey (date with the intent to marry) and a short time later they young couple became engaged and Mom was quickly planning a wedding!

Here's the catch - they had never kissed - they had decided to save that special moment for their wedding. Who does that now days!! It was wonderful to be a part of a couples wedding that had such values and faith, that they saved that moment for their wedding.

Cailey and Tyler, a beautiful couple from the inside out, were wed last August in a touching ceremony at Calvary Baptist followed by a colorful reception at The Mansion on Forsyth Park. The wedding colors were black, white, hot pink and lime green! Bold colors, but elegant in design!

They had an amazing group of wedding vendors to work with, including a very Special Thank you to Ainlinn Kate Photography for sharing your photography!

Tricia Huddas & Co. Real Savannah Wedding: Julie and Pat

I had the pleasure of spending a few days with this Wisconsin couple in August to pick out the low country venues for their destination wedding. They were interested in exploring both Hilton Head and Savannah. I am so happy they chose Savannah for the intimate affair because their Owens-Thomas House Garden wedding ceremony and Olde Pink House reception were beyond charming. Julie's whole look was so perfect for the historic venues - Tricia and I ogled over her whenever we had a free minute. There's just something extra-special about a bride whose dress and style completely fit the venue...

The beautiful flowers by A to Zinnias. Julie's favorite flower is the Gerbera Daisy, and I was so happy to see my first fluffy pink peonies of the season.

The Owens-Thomas House Garden is reason enough to have a small wedding!! It's so beautiful, but the space works best for an intimate affair.

Guests enjoyed cocktails during a trolley tour of historic Savannah, ending at yet another historic venue, the Olde Pink House. It is my favorite restaurant in Savannah and they really take care of wedding parties. Guests started in the Study and had dinner in the Master Bedroom.

Happy St. Patrick's Day - A Lucky, Green Wedding

St. Patrick's Day is a BIG DEAL in Savannah. And everyone jumps on the bandwagon of this festive, cultural celebration (it must be the booze). But there are some people who take their heritage pretty seriously, and a wedding is the perfect time to celebrate that heritage - national holiday or not. Here are some pretty, literal gems of green-spiration for the Irish ladies out there.

Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone!

Lucky Shamrock Bouquet and Boutonniere, Green Wedding Cake from Real Simple, Bridesmaids radiant in green, Moss and vintage milk glass, Guinness on the menu, And of course, Bagpipes

Tricia Huddas & Co. Real Savannah Wedding: Christina and Mika

Above all else, Christina knew she wanted to get married in her hometown of Savannah, GA. So she and Mika packed their bags and flew from the City of Angels to Savannah to celebrate their wedding with 125 of their close friends and family. And celebrate they did! Two weeks ago Christina and Mika tied the knot in the courtyard of the gorgeous Mansion on Forsyth Park. The courtyard looked incredible with beautiful flowers from Garden on the Square. I especially loved the fuchsia stock! But nothing could compare to the look on Mika's face when he saw Christina for the first time as she walked down the aisle. Congratulations Mr. & Mrs Fineo!

Savannah Wedding Photographer Katie McGee captured the couple's style so well, right?