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

The Knot Best of Weddings 2011

A huge thank you to all of our current and past brides for voting us as The Knot's Best of Weddings for 2011!


As we close out another year, we take a look back on the past 12 months and realize how wonderful it is to work with not only the best brides and grooms but the very best Savannah has to offer in wedding vendors. Here's to another great year of beautiful weddings in 2011!

New Jewelry Line from Designer Liancarlo

Liancarlo designer Carlos Ramirez, and father of our own Genina Ramirez, has a new line of bridal jewelry that is just as beautiful as his gowns! Genina recently gave us a sneak peek of the first pieces and I think I can speak for the rest of us when I say, "I don't have to be a bride to wear these, right?!?"

Selecting just the right bridal jewelry to compliment your dress can be just as daunting of a task as choosing the dress itself. With this new jewelry line, Ramirez makes this decision much easier with such beautiful necklaces, headpieces and bracelets. In addition, these pieces will be ones you'll go back to long after the cake has been eaten and the guests have given their final "Congratulations!"

Necklaces

Headpiece

Bracelets

Cuff

We can't wait to see more from Liancarlo's jewelry line!

A Royal Engagement!

What a wonderful way to start a Tuesday with news that Prince William and Kate Middleton have made it official with the announcement of their much anticipated engagement! So many little girls spent their Saturday mornings dressed up in tiaras, pearls and white gloves attending a tea party surrounded by stuffed animals pretending to be a princess. To actually become a princess is quite an exciting prospect and it seems that Kate will transition beautifully into Princess Catherine! She certainly already looks the part in one of her many unique hats.

Photo Credit: Ian Jones/Telegraph UK/Zuma Press

After keeping the engagement a secret for nearly a month, the couple looked relaxed and happy to share the news with the press at St. James's Palace in London earlier this week.

Photo Credit: Ben Stansall/AFP/Getty Images

William presented Kate with his mother's stunning sapphire and diamond ring because he wanted to be sure that his mother was part of the engagement.

Photo Credit: Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP

BBC News journalist Tom Bradby was granted the only interview with the couple following their announcement, and it is one of only a few times in which the public had a chance to hear from Kate herself. The soft spoken couple talk about the development of their relationship from friends to fiances, the romantic proposal, and why William waited so long to propose.

Like many in the wedding industry, we are eagerly awaiting news of more details as they unfold. Martha Stewart Weddings recently interviewed Mark Niemierko, a top London wedding planner, about what to expect for a royal wedding. Check out the full interview Here.

We plan to tune in and see what this wedding looks like for ourselves, no matter what time we have to get up...will you?

Clever Ways to Personalize Your Wedding

I recently received an invitation to my cousin’s wedding in the mail and once I got past the absolutely impeccable calligraphy, I noticed something that I wish I thought to do for my wedding. In the upper right corner were two stamps with my cousin and her fiancé smiling at each other!

With so many invitations printed on heavier weight paper and in shapes needing more than your typical 44 cent stamp, this is a great way to showcase you and your fiancé even before your big day begins! Zazzle.com has tools to help you create a personalized stamp by uploading your own photo, or you can select from one of their many wedding themed designs.

Another great way to personalize your wedding is to design your own stationary as it sets the tone for what your guests can expect on the wedding day. Now, I know that many brides these days don’t even have enough time to plan a wedding, let alone design their stationary...but, with the help of online resources, designing your wedding stationary isn’t just for your amateur Martha Stewarts out there.

For those of you who are hesitant to embark on this potentially time consuming task, start with your Save the Dates. You may uncover a new talent you never thought you had!

The same cousin who put her face on a postage stamp used a great online resource for her Save the Dates called Premium Postcard. This website is a USPS Approved Postal Provider, so not only are you able to design a beautiful Save the Date card with just a few clicks of your mouse, but you can also upload your guest list to the website and they mail everything out for you...talk about a time saver!

To create a one of a kind post card, simply upload your favorite photos of you and your fiancé to the available spaces on the card and add the particulars using the site’s text editor. Now, I have to admit that my cousin is a professional graphic designer and the image on her card is her own design, but you don’t have to be a professional to create a lovely design using the website’s available tools.

Here is a sample announcement post card I quickly created:


As an added bonus, using post cards instead of the traditional card and envelope cuts down on your paper consumption…and Mother Earth appreciates the gesture!

By designing your wedding stationary, programs, menu cards, etc., you can also tie together a common theme from start to finish. As you can see with these invitations, my cousin was able to carry the bird theme from the save the date to the invitations and through to the overall wedding design, and this gives her guests a little taste of what to expect on the day of your wedding.


However you choose to personalize your wedding, it should be a reflection of you and your fiancé and the love you share together.

Many thanks to my cousin, Beth, and her soon-to-be-husband, J.R., for allowing me to post their clever ideas, and to Jade McCully Photography for the announcement card photos.

Welcome Fall!

It is the first day of fall today...well, not officially until 11:09pm, but I am known to celebrate early! Like many past autumnal equinox in Savannah, it doesn’t necessarily begin to feel like fall until October and sometimes even into November. Even though the weather may not cooperate until later in the year, the change of seasons from summer to fall brings with it an excitement that radiates throughout the city. Kids return to school, another football season is well underway, and I don’t get heat stroke walking from the front door to the mailbox!

Here at TH&Co, fall means we kick it into high gear as the days of 95-degree weather turn into weekends filled with weddings! Rich, bold colors make their return to wedding design, and to help you get in the mood for fall, here are a few great ideas for autumn weddings.

An easy way to infuse fall themes into your wedding is through your floral design. Whether you opt for a bold mix of colors or select a single color in various shades, fall hues create a rich, warm atmosphere for celebrating during the cool months.




Many brides are opting to forgo a floral table design and autumn is the perfect season to do this. Fill your tables with fall favorites like pumpkins, squash, cranberries, and finish it off with lots and lots of candles. Pottery Barn has wonderful inspiration for non-floral designs.



Using wheat as an alternative to flowers is always a popular choice, especially for a casual, outdoor affair or at a location with a rustic ambiance. Wheat can be used in lieu of flowers for nearly any aspect of the wedding, including aisle decorations, bridal bouquet and boutonnieres.

I am a big fan of the not so “matchy matchy” look for wedding parties, especially when a bride is faced with the prospect of dressing women with varying hair colors and skin tones. One way to combat this is to dress each woman in a different shade of the same color, but I found another suggestion on Real Simple’s website that I loved, especially if you have a mixture of blonde, brunette and redheads…pick the same dress, just change up the colors! These beautiful fall colors look great individually while still providing a cohesive color palate for your photos.


Let’s not forget about the men! To give the groomsmen a sense of individuality, choose a range of colors like these from vibrant red to soft peach.

Food plays a huge part in many autumnal activities and what better way to incorporate the season into your wedding than with food and drinks! Cocktail hour is a great way to provide your guests with signature fall treats like these mini candied apples and caramel apple martinis.

These cakes exude the warmth of fall without being too overly themed. The brown orchids and bold reds and oranges provide a lovely contrast against a traditional white cake. I especially like the idea of using chocolate icing for fall bridal cakes.

Pecan and apple pies are staples of many a Thanksgiving table, so why not share these crowd pleasers with your guests and send them home with a miniature version!


Photos courtesy of: Martha Stewart Weddings, The Knot, Pottery Barn, Good Life in the City, Geoff White Photography, Melias Floral, Williams-Sonoma, Real Simple Weddings, Francoise Weeks , The Wedding Bee

Tricia Huddas & Co. Real Savannah Wedding: Claire and Joseph

Claire and Joseph were married under the beautiful chandelier and draped tent of The Mansion on Forsyth Park’s Marble Garden Courtyard this past August. The bride and groom were surrounded by friends and family as they exchanged vows under the lightest of rain showers. I think the sound of light rain on a tent provides a romantic backdrop to a ceremony, though most brides would choose to forgo the romantic atmosphere for a dry day! Claire and Joseph could not have been a more relaxed, easy going couple. Even the sudden arrival of rain did not phase these two.

Claire's father was bursting with pride the entire day!

A to Zinnias provided the colorful flowers and lined the pool behind the couple with candles and magnolia leaves to enhance the intimate ceremony as a string trio from New Arts Ensembles provided the music.


Many thanks to Memories n More for providing such beautiful photos from their special day. Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. McPhail!