Beautiful Bride!

Our gorgeous bride Lauren had her bridal portraits done recently in Dallas. She will be getting married later in the year outside of Austin.
Her photographer for her portraits was Kevin Patrick

2009 The Knot BEST OF Pick!!!

Check us out in The Knot's Best Of Weddings 2009 magazine on newsstands now.

We are thrilled to have been chosen by our brides as one the the best vendors for 2009!

Melissa & Jose May 30, 2009

Melissa and Jose were married at the Chapel of the Incarnate Word Chapel and had an evening reception at the AT&T Community Center.
The reception venue was beautiful. The flowers for this event, tall branch arrangements with Gerber daisy balls hanging, were unique and really made the room pop.
Turquoise, fuchsia, and green linens made for a bold and bright event. One theme throughout this special day was polka dots. They were on favors, cupcakes, programs, and menu signs. They also even appeared in the DJ’s lights that were used!
The bride made a stunning (and more comfortable) wardrobe change and looked beautiful for her special day!
One nice touch for the end of the reception was a late night pizza snack. Oh my gosh! Guests loved that. The servers couldn't make it all the way from the kitchen to the pizza table because guests stopped them along the way to grab a slice and then get back to dancing!
When the night was over, all we could hear were complements about how perfect everything was. We love hearing that from brides.

Great New Restaurant - Ciel/Ciao 2

We had a great site visit and lunch today at Ciel/Ciao 2. Ciel offers classic French dining and Ciao 2 offers contemporary Italian cuisine. They have a banquet room well as a beautiful patio that would be great for a rehearsal dinner or an initiate wedding reception.
Both restaurants are right next to each other and you can order from either menu at both locations. They are located at 20626 Stone Oak Parkway, San Antonio TX. 78258. http://www.plazaciel.com/

Paula and John May 24, 2009

Paula and John are from Houston and recently got married here at St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Church. The reception followed at the beautiful Witte Museum. Paula wanted to incorporate her love of the gorgeous Oak trees at the museum throughout her event. We added a tree design to her wedding invitations, menus and wedding favors. We had planned on an outdoor reception, but Mother Nature had different plans. Because of the rain we had to move inside, but still had a lovely cocktail hour outside. The bride and groom love Mojitos so of course we had them as their specialty drink perfectly named a "Marry Me Mojito"

This was my first Greek wedding and I just loved watching all the dancing!! It was so much fun to watch. I do not know where my bride got all her energy!

The guest favors were adorable. The bride and groom used their initials, PB&J to inspire the creative idea of giving the guests small jars of peanut butter and jelly.
It was a wonderful day!

I hope to post pictures soon!

Cassie and Brian

Here are some pictures of Cassie and Brian's wedding taken by their photographer Gary Gibson.
I just thought I would share!
This was a fun event at the Westin Riverwalk.

Kristin & David

We used a great videographer for this wedding!

Check out this clip.

http://vimeo.com/3220322

Video by: Mason Jar Productions
http://www.masonjarproductions.com

Seeking Interns!

We have a great intern program.

Contact our office if you are interested!
(210) 349-8301

Leslie and Matthew April 11, 2009

Will this rain ever stop?!

Ok I am beginning to worry about these outdoor events I am planning!!

I planned Leslie and Matt's wedding in 2 months.
I love when a bride truly utilizes my services to the fullest. They completely trusted me and took my advice and made the planning process go so smoothly.
Planning a wedding in 2 months requires a very decisive couple. They let me offer suggestions and they would provide their input and if they wanted to make modifications I was able to offer alternate suggestions but then they would make a decision. It was refreshing!!!!!
On the wedding day....yep! we had rain but all turned out very nicely.
We had the wedding and reception at the gorgeous Marquardt Ranch in Boerne, Texas.

Crystal & Matthew March 20, 2009

Crystal and Matthew had a very nice ceremony in LaCoste, Texas and their wedding reception at the historical St. Anthony hotel. 

At first we had a hard time find just the right location for Crystal's special day.  She really wanted a romantic setting.    Finally we sent her to the St. Anthony and she fell in love with it.  

It was the perfect backdrop for her special day. 

The wedding was done in shades of pale pink with touches of black.  It was a very elegant day. 

Kristin & Clay March 14, 2009

Oh my gosh!  I never thought this wedding would come together!!! 

I worked with Kristin for months planning a gorgeous outdoor wedding and reception.  We planned the entire event to take place at the Witte Museum.  Kristin wanted her event to be entirely outside.  We planned on creating different spaces throughout the Witte property.    

The week of the wedding a terrible cold front and rain was predicted to ruin the event we had worked so hard to plan.  

On Wednesday before the wedding it was decided that we were going to be forced to move the entire event inside.   

This meant accommodating 320 guests inside. 

It was a very tight squeeze and a VERY limited set up time but with all of my lists and planning it came together without a hitch!  

I transformed the Witte's main ballroom and hung paper lanterns from the ceiling for a dramatic affect. 

The band we hired was AMAZING!  

We had a photo booth for guests to take snapshots in.  This acted as on of the favors.  

For the kiddos I had a balloon artist come in. 

We had Izze cocktails for the specialty drink.  Yum!!!  I am craving one right now!

Look for this wedding to be featured in the next issue of San Antonio Weddings Magazine!

I hope to post pictures soon!!!!

Jennifer & Matthew February 28, 2009

Jennifer and Matthew were married recently at the gorgeous Westin Riverwalk Hotel.  

I had a great time working with Jennifer and her mom to plan this wedding.   We planned things rather quickly as Jennifer wanted to be able to enjoy her honeymoon over her Spring Break from school.  

The best part of my day was when I took Jennifer in the ballroom to have a sneak peek of the finished room and she was speechless.   I have never had a bride moved to tears before but Jennifer was so moved by the way the room came together she had to hold back the tears.  

This is why I work so hard to make my bride's day perfect!  To see a HAPPY BRIDE on her wedding day makes all the hard work worth it!

I hope to be able to post pictures soon. 

Part-Time Position Available

We have a great opportunity for the right individual!

We are in the need for someone to work 20 hours a week. This person would work in our office and helping with events.

This is an entry level position. It is perfect for someone who wants to explore the field of event planning.

If you feel you are the right person for this please email me at: info@thefrenchconnectionevents.com

Whose Wedding Is It Anyway Give Away!

WEDDING GIVEAWAY FROM THE STYLE NETWORK!!!

Are you an engaged couple who truly wants a one-of-a-kind wedding, but you're finding it next to impossible in the face of an economic crisis? Then this is your opportunity to have the wedding of your dreams!

The Style Network is celebrating the 100th episode of "Whose Wedding is it Anyway?" We are searching for ONE LUCKY COUPLE who is ready to scrap their plans and go on a wild ride with one of our featured "Whose Wedding" planners, as we GIVE them the most unforgettable wedding adventure!

Please send your contact info, love story and photos to: tracy@thefrenchconnectionevents.com

New Year New Ideas!

2009 is all about color!

Bold Colors!!

I am finding that my clients for 2009 want vibrant linens and pops of color throughout their weddings.    I am having so much fun helping my brides achieve their wedding looks. 

Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico here we come!

I love doing destination weddings and I am very excited to be planning a wedding in Puerto Rico.

Happy New Year!

2009 is off to a busy start!  

The wedding fair on January 4th kicked off the new year and bride's came out by the hundreds to begin their wedding planning.  I love being at the wedding fairs.  It is a great opportunity to meet so many of you!!  

Wedding fairs off brides the opportunity of meeting potential vendors and take advantage of special discounts.   

I look forward to the next wedding fair scheduled for February 8, 2009.  See you there!

Sandra and Donald November 22, 2008

Sandra and Donald had their fall wedding at Texas Old Town.
This was my first event at this location and I loved it. It was a charming day.
The couple originally wanted to have their wedding and reception at The Dominion Country Club but decided they wanted to invite ALL of their friends and family which meant they needed more space!

We then considered the couple's home as the setting for the wedding and reception. They have a wonderful home with plenty of room but with the weather being so unpredictable in November it would have meant spending much more money just to insure we had a back up plan if the weather was poor. So 2 months before their wedding it was decide the wedding would be moved to Texas Old Town.

I think it was a perfect choice!
Danny is the person that manages the venue and he is wonderful! So helpful and accommodating. I highly recommend this location.
Because the guest count grew we cut back on some decor but I think the look that was achieved was still very nice. Simple and elegant. Just want the bride wanted.
The bride made the wedding favors and her sister helped her with the ceremony programs.
I always say that if you need to cut back on your budget enlisting the help of family and friends is a great way to save $.



The groom's cake was a surprise. I think Donald loved it.
As always, my wonderful DJ kept the crowd dancing until the very end!

Whose Wedding Is It Anyway? - Casting Again!

If you think your wedding is perfect for TV contact me!

Amanda and Steven September 13, 2008

Not even a hurricane could stop this wedding!
Amanda and Steven were married on top of the Bushnell.
Beautiful location but not were you want to be in a hurricane!!

Many guests were not able to make the wedding because of the evacuations of Galveston and Houston. We weren't even sure if we were going to be able to have the wedding at all.

Luckily on Friday before the wedding the forecast indicated the storm would stay East of us. So we hoped for dry skies!
The wedding was an intimate gathering of the couple's closest friends and family. The sky held but the rain until just after the cocktail hour.
Following the wedding and cocktails we moved the guests downstairs for dinner.
As usual we had one of my favorite caterers handle this event. Page Barteau. The food was delicious.
We had a simply black and white theme with a pop of color with the flowers.
Very pretty look.
This worked nicely in this space.
Following dinner and a few showers the guests were able to move back upstairs for dancing.
We hired the Chris Story band and they were a HIT!
At the end of the evening the guests were sent home with sweets. The couple selected several of their favorite candy to share on a candy bar.

San Antonio Business Journal

Check out my article in the San Antonio Business Journal:

Click here to view article:

Bride's Television Interview

Hey Everyone!

Check out my interview with Bride's Television. http://www.bridestelevision.com/

It was so much fun speaking to them.

Let me know if you can't find it. I had a problem logging on the other day but I think it is fixed now.

Have fun!!!

Whose Wedding Is It Anyway? Filming Again!

We are in our 8th season!

We featured my adorable couple Erin and Sam.

Note from the couple:

From: Erin
Sent: Monday, August 11, 2008 7:31 PM
To: Tracy French
Subject: Fwd: Erin's Proofs

Sorry for the lateness of my thank you.... I was hoping it wouldn't take so long for these proof because I'd wanted to send the note with a photo. Here they are just the same - please let me know if you want any I'd love to make a present of them to you.Seriously, thank you so much for all the hard work put in by you and your team. I (and Sam) appreciate it more than you will ever know -- we're STILL getting compliments from both sides of the family. The flowers look absolutely gorgeous in these photos - like a magazine. I love my hair and makeup too - could you pass this link along to Misha too? I'd love to share this with him.I'm afraid in my sudden camera-shyness I didn't tell you how much you blessed me, and I'm sorry for that. I don't have enough words to tell you what you and your team mean to me so but I can say that will certainly recommend you to everybody!!! Thanks again, all our best wishes for more beautiful weddings!Love,The Garcias

Jenia & Arnold July 12, 2008

Two events in one day. No problem!

Jenia and Arnold are a couple with modern taste. They wanted a non-traditional wedding. So when I referred them to The Hotel Valencia they felt is was the perfect site for their special day.




The French Connection offers unique line of stationary and Jenia was able to find a Save The Date announcement along with an invitation that fit perfectly with the wedding she and Arne were to have at Hotel Valencia.




Jenia and Arne were great. They entrusted me to create the day they had envisioned. When it came time to pick her floral and design she picked out one picture of flowers that she liked. She told me to create the rest. It was very nice to have her trust and the freedom to pull together the wedding for her.

We made their escort cards, menus and table numbers to match her invitations. The Citrus restaurant was a glow of candles and punches of color from her floral choice were splashed around. It was fun to use to strong colors in this space.





On the wedding day the bride, her daughters along with both mothers of the bride and groom had their hair and makeup done by The French Connection team of artists. After slipping into her gown Jenia was able to sneak downstairs so our photographer could get a few shots of her. She looked so gorgeous in this gown! I had so much fun shopping with her to pick it out. I think it fit her perfectly.



The ceremony was held on the 3rd floor courtyard at the hotel. Since it is pretty warm in July we placed paper fans on each of the guests chairs.



The bridal party consisted of the bride and groom's children. It was a very nice intimate ceremony.

Following the ceremony the guest were directed to the 2nd floor outside of the Citrus Restaurant where they enjoyed passed hor'd and cocktails. The bride and groom quickly finished their pictures and joined their guests. After cocktails the guests were allowed to enter the restaurant to find their seats.

The wedding favors were Truffles for a Cause. A portion of the cost for each truffle went to Samm Ministries. This such a great service. The boxed chocolates were not only good it was nice to know that a portion of the money spent was given to charity.

Dinner then cake and then it was back out to the dance floor for the toast and dancing. The French Connection DJ kept every one going until the end.

We finished off the evening with coffee and assorted biscotti.

The next day the couple left for a family cruise. I went back to the hotel and retrieved their tuxedo and wedding gown. The couple did not have to worry about a thing. I even wrapped and placed the top tier of their cake in their freezer.

Renee & Keith July 12, 2008

We plan party's too!

Renee and Keith wanted to throw an all out PARTY to celebrate their 40th birthdays. They wanted to use their lake house overlooking Canyon Lake as the site for this 120 guest celebration. We were more than happy to help them pull it off.

Live music, fajitas, margaritas, and fire works!!

Most of the guests were treated to motor coach transportation to the party. The guests met in San Antonio to board the bus. The party began as they board the bus, ice cold beer and wine was served to them as they got on.

When they guests arrived at the lake we had mariachis playing to greet them. Pappas did the catering for us. Following the tres leches birthday cake the band began playing. It was like a rock concert as they played from the top deck over looking the party.

This couple just wanted to relax and have a great time for their party. They did not want to have to worry about the usual host duties. The French Connection team was able to let them do just that! The party was a huge success.

Note from Renee:

I thought the party was a complete hit. It truly was all we had hoped it would be. There were a few people that couldn't make it that I wish had been there but other than that, it was a wonderful event and I wouldn't have changed a thing. Thanks so much for all you did to make it a success.

Canada here we come!!!

I am so excited to be flying off to Canada!!! to plan a wedding.

Brianne and Josh met while ice dancing for the US and Canada. Bri for the US and Josh for Canada.

They will be married at Josh's family farm just outside of Ottawa, Canada.

The wedding will be next June but we are heading there to take care of many details. We will be meeting with vendors and doing site reviews. It should be a busy week ahead of us.

Amber & David May 17, 2008

The wedding and reception were held at the Southwest School of Art and Craft. On the day of the wedding the bride called me several times asking if it were raining. I have to admit I lied. I told her there wasn't a cloud in the sky. The truth was I was really frantically pulling the linens off of the tables because huge drops of rain had begun to fall. I knew it would pass and I did not want her to worry about the behind the scene details. She just needed to get beautiful and show up. Leaving the worrying to us!
The guests arrived to a passed beverage and allowed to mingle while taking photographs for the couples guest book.

When it came time for the ceremony the guests were led into the chapel. The bride looked stunning as she waited outside to go down the aisle. Her bouquet was all white and her bridesmaids who wore green satin gowns had bouquets in plums and purple.

The contrast was really beautiful.

Following the ceremony the guests were led to the river garden where they were greeted by a mariachi trio who serenaded them for cocktails and dinner. The bride and groom joined their guests for cocktails and then they all moved over to the dinner area. They were served salads at their places and then allowed to have access to several food stations placed around the garden. The menu was a perfect mix of traditional wedding flavors and few unexpected items such as hand patted gorditas made on the spot. When it came time for cake, the Trio led the couple along with their guests back into the chapel that had been transformed by our staff. We had the walls dramatically up lit. The cake was placed in the center of the room. There were intimate conversation areas along with plenty of room to get out and dance. The DJ turned up the music and the dancing began. The guests had a great time mingling both inside and out while dancing in between.

We designed the event to flow from one space to another and the colors to flow each transition. Bronze taffeta linens draped the cocktail tables for the pre-ceremony cocktails and the cocktail hour following the ceremony. The dinner tables were covered in Olive green taffeta linens. The floral throughout was a mixture of purples and plums. When we moved the guests back inside the chapel we had taken the color scheme a bit darker but still in keeping with the rest of the look of the event. We had deep plum linens covering all of the tables and some of them we added a sheer green/blue/plum overlay. We wanted the feeling that they had entered an upscale lounge.

The food was prepared by Page Barteau.
Photography by Philip Thomas
DJ by The French Connection
Hair and Makeup by The French Connection
Floral by The French Connection with William Garza

Angela & Todd April 19, 2008

I know I say that all my clients are wonderful but I really mean it!! Angela and Todd along with Angela's mom were so much fun to work with! We would end up laughing throughout most of our meetings. Angela and Todd live outside of Dallas so when they would come to town we would have long power meetings. As with all of our clients we tackle the planning process step by step with meetings covering each detail that needs to be accomplished. Angela and her family followed my every recommendation.

They pretty much used all of our services and we heard many compliments on the wedding day. I am sorry in a way that we are all done planning. I will miss our power meetings!!!

The wedding was at The Chapel of the Incarnate Word. The reception at Holy Spirit.

The French Connection provided the floral, guitar for cocktails and dinner, DJ and photography.

Sandra & Peter April 5th

This was a blow out wedding that just kept going and going!! The couple and the guests did not want the evening to end.

The ceremony was held at the gorgeous Chapel of the Incarnate Word.

We sent the bride out with our signature bubbles on the steps of the chapel. I always love this shot.

It reminds me of the traditional wedding photographs.

Following the ceremony the guests had a break and then joined the reception for Dinner, Dancing and FUN! The reception was held in the ballroom at Holy Trinity.

The couple really wanted a venue that would give us lots of flexibility and accommodate all of their guests. Holy Trinity was perfect and so easy to work with.

We added up lighting to give the room a POP of color. The couple really wanted to have both a traditional Tejano band and to be able to enjoy some good old dance music so we had a DJ too.

We divided up the timeline so the guests and the couple were able to have a full evening of both. It really kept the event interesting. Page Barteau did the catering. I love them! After dinner we set up our candy bar and the guests just went crazy. They really loved being able to pick out exactly the candy they loved. I have to say few weddings ever go past midnight but this one really did. We ended the event at 1:00 AM with a late night snack of Bean and Cheese tacos from my FAVORITE taco place, Taco House on San Pedro. Yummmmmm!!!

This wedding was so much fun.

Talina & J March 29, 2008

This busy couple came to me to plan their wedding and reception with plans on having it at their home but they had no idea how to pull it off. With only a few months to plan we dove in and pulled it all together.

Talina was a great bride allowing me to be creative and design her day without constraint. She shared with me her desire to have a private ceremony and a larger reception for the rest of the guests.

Their backyard was the perfect backdrop! The home has many mature oak trees that made a great canopy for hanging paper lanterns. There is a tree house that gave the DJ a Birdseye view of the party.

But the DJ was not the only music. We had our fabulous guitar duo play during the cocktail hour and then we moved in to dancing with the Oh So Good band.

The food was delicious as always! We used one of my favorite caterers Page Barteau. We placed the food stations strategically around the lawn that kept the guests mingling around.

Lounge furniture with bright pillows matched the overall look the bride was going for.
Weddings at a home are not always easy to pull off as you do not have many of the built in amenities but with the proper planning it can be a more intimate and memorable day. I think we achieved a perfect day from beginning to end.

Jamie & Manuel March 8, 2008

Jamie and Manuel planned there small intimate destination wedding in San Antonio at the beautiful Westin La Cantera Resort.

The view from the ceremony location was one reason so many fall in love with this venue. The French Connection photographer captured the day while our guitarist played the music as the bride walked down the aisle. The floral design we did for her was simplistic with a touch of color she requested. We were pleased to be apart of this day.

Whose Wedding is it Anyway? Krystal & Kevin February 23, 2008

We just flew back in from Dallas where I was filming for the seventh season of Whose Wedding is it Anyway?

The wedding was a huge success. I could not have been more pleased with the way their special day turned out. The couple Krystal and Kevin were such a pleasure to work with. Their unique day was filled with support from all of their close family and friends. Having their involvement made the day all that more memorable.

The new season of Whose Wedding is it Anyway? will be kicking off on Tuesday March 4, 2008. The premiere of my episode will be airing at some point in April. I will post again with the exact date!

Meghan & Robert March 1, 2008

Meghan and Robert planned their wedding from North Carolina. This busy couple chose to take advantage of our many services to help pull off their special day. The couple and several of their guests stayed downtown at the historic Fairmount Hotel.

This made getting to the ceremony very convenient. Meghan and her bridesmaids had their hair and makeup done by our team of artists that came to them at the hotel. The quaint ceremony was at the Little Church of La Villita with the reception following at the Fort Sam Golf Club.

We surprised the guests and transported them all to the reception using San Antonio Trolleys.

We think everyone really enjoyed themselves! The French Connection photographers were on hand to capture all of the moments of their day.

The couple also used The French Connection's DJ who got everyone out on the dance floor following dinner and cake. Meghan and Robert rode off into the night in a Rolls Royce while

The French Connection team finished off their day by handling all of the little details.