Using Themes for Weddings

Several new trends have been emerging recently for themed weddings, rather than weddings based around a color scheme alone. Some of these themes include Alice in Wonderland (and other movie themes), carnival, antique-inspired (muted colors, lace, etc), holiday inspired, maps/travel inspired… and much, much more! Using a theme can be beneficial for a couple if they choose one that showcases their personalities and interests because it makes their event even more personal. Check out this adorable Alice in Wonderland themed cake by Cake Nouveau.

Some helpful tips when choosing to use a theme:

1. Start with something simple: What is different about you two as a couple that stands out from most others? Some examples:

• If the couple met on a plane, works for an airline, or enjoy flying… an airplane-inspired wedding would make sense!
• If the groom or bride (or both) have musical talent, a wedding centered on the musical aspects would be a great theme for that couple.

2. Make sure the theme matches the couple.

• This is very important! Your wedding should center on the marriage of the two of you, so make sure the theme you pick represents the two of you and your interests.
• It wouldn’t make a whole lot of sense to have a map/travel themed wedding if the couple hates traveling!

3. Try to keep a theme that can be transferred over to several different elements in the wedding. Ask yourselves questions like:

• Can this be transferred into the cake/ floral arrangement/ photographs?

When a couple chooses to use a theme inspired by their own personalities and interests, there is less risk of falling into an overused or cliché theme. They can look back on their wedding and be excited that their special day represented them well and was so personalized to them. Here's a really cute example of a travel-themed wedding found off of Green Wedding Shoes. The couple featured was actually going to travel the world right after their wedding, so this is a great example of how to use a theme to your advantage!

For other ideas, check out our post on our Wizard of Oz themed wedding. Very cute!

Ashley & Bryan Photos

Having so much fun working with Ashley and her mom to plan her wedding!

Ashley and Bryan just had their engagement photos taken with Bend The Light Photography.

I think the photos are super cute!

Grenada - West Indies

I had a wonderful time exploring the beautiful island of Grenada this week.

I found the island to be rich with culture and unspoiled by big chain resorts. The island is laid back and peaceful.

Couples planning a destination wedding or honeymoon will find this island fulfilling whether they prefer a remote quiet boutique style resort or larger full service spa style resort.

English is the primary language of Grenada. This makes a very appeal island to visit. Getting to Grenada was relatively easy but after a full day of travel you must have a nice frosty beverage at your hotel bar to celebrate your arrival to this charming location. My choice drink on the trip was a Blue Horizon....much like a Blue Hawaiian...very yummy!

I wouldn't really recommend driving in Grenada unless you have first taken a tour. They drive on the left side of the road which can be overcome but they do not have very many street signs so this makes driving very difficult. Many of their roads are one lane and on the edges of cliffs. So when traveling into the rain-forest it is best to take a tour. Taxi's are available on the island.

I had a wonderful time and I know you will too when visiting Grenada!

Check out this slideshow of pictures from some of the amazing properties in Grenada. Click here to view.

Contact us for wedding and honeymoon plans! We have some great specials we can share with you!

Kristina & Dave

Kristina and Dave were married at the groom’s family ranch in Medina, Texas. The couple felt the ranch would be a perfect location for the site of their wedding so once they were engaged the groom’s family immediately begun a huge renovation project at the ranch. A barn was constructed and the grounds around the 100 year old home were completely transformed. The ceremony took place in front of a lake that exists on the property. The family had a dock built specifically for the occasion. This wedding was a destination wedding for everyone involved. The couple wanted to treat their guests to a bit of Fiesta so we arranged for everyone attending to stay at the Marriott Plaza Hotel downtown. On wedding day we used motor coach buses to pick all of the guests and transport them the 90 miles to the ranch. The guests were greeted to gentlemen holding cowboy hats with the wedding programs.

Once the guests were seated the wedding began with the maid of honor playing the fiddle as she walked down the aisle.

It was amazing! The wedding party including the bride and groom all wore cowboy boots and we encouraged the guests to do so too!

We designed gorgeous invites that were perfect for this ranch wedding and added our suggestion on the invite so all guests would be prepared.

Following the ceremony the guests enjoyed cocktails around the home and then they all walked down to the barn for dinner.

The guests dined on some Texas flavors served from food stations. For dessert they were treated to Peach cobbler. The wedding cake was really a homemade pie made especially for the newlyweds by the bride’s mom.

The doors to the barn remained open and a large bonfire was set up outside.

The guests meandered in and out listening to the live music inside and enjoying the bonfire outside. Inside the barn we decorated with a combination of round and long family style tables.

We covered the tables with simple burlap runners, galvanized pails filled with wildflowers and tree trunks with candles on them.

It was truly a Texas Wedding.

Photography: Peacock Photography

Floral: The French Connection

Hair/Makeup: The French Connection

Invitations and print work: The French Connection

Elva & Anthony

Elva and Anthony were married at Incarnate Word Chapel with their reception following at the Westin Riverwalk Hotel. This wedding was amazing. I had a blast working with this couple. It was so much fun combining their personal design styles. His style was modern and hers romantic. I think we achieved a perfect balance of both.

She wanted pink throughout her day. I loved the bridesmaid's dresses. Elva allowed each of her gals to choose their own dresses each in a different shade of PINK.

We had pink cocktails that greeted the guests as they arrived to the reception and the ballroom was beautifully lit in a wash of pink. The standard round tables were swapped out for wide and long tables. This created a more intimate atmosphere.
And the Spurs coyote made a special appearance as a surprise to the bride.
This was a wonderful event that turned out beautifully.

Check out this video clip . Click the bride and groom's names below to view the video clip of this wedding Thank you to Elite Video for sharing the below clip.

Elva& Anthony from elitevp.com on Vimeo.

Anne Marie & Dave April 10, 2010

Anne Marie and Dave are well traveled and their journey to meet each other took them literally around the world. That being said, we made this the theme for their save the date postcard. On the cards we designed a map that showed the journeys of each Anne Marie and Dave and then where they met.
The guests came from all over the world. This was was basically a destination wedding for most attending. For the invitation we incorporated the bride and groom's color scheme along with their current home town's skyline. The invites turned out really cute. They are fun and festive and I love seeing San Antonio's skyline incorporated.

The entire event took place at the beautiful Southwest School of Art and Craft. Having done many events at this venue we handled this one much the same as we have in the past. We love make use of all the gardens here and using the inside too. This wasn't a huge guest list so moving the guests around wasn't a problem at all. The ceremony was held at the gazebo, with dinner in the convent garden. Since the groom is originally from Australia we incorporated native Australian animals as table names and used them on the escort cards as well. The groom also treated the guests to sweets from Australia which served as favors.

After dinner guests were led in to the chapel by mariachis. Guest had a great time dancing the night away in the beautiful amber lit chapel. At the end of the evening the couple departed in a horse drawn carriage.

Erynn & Tim March 27, 2010

The theme… Wizard of Oz!!!! How cool is that?!

The bride wore ruby slippers and carried a bouquet of red poppies. The ceremony aisle was lined with yellow rose to mimic the yellow brick road. The ring bearer carried a large lollipop. The bride walked down the aisle to “Somewhere over the Rainbow”. At the end of the ceremony the wedding party exited to “We are Off to See the Wizard” from the soundtrack. Some of them even skipped! It was very cute.

Greeting the guests as they entered the reception room was a large tree with apples scattered around. We found this prop just days before the event at one of our vendors we work with and it looked exactly like the talking trees from the movie. A family member of the bride made the cake which was decorated with red poppies. We really loved the linens, they were blue and white gingham linens and the centerpieces piece were beautiful green candle scapes to emulate the Emerald City. Each guest received a lollipop or a tin of Wizard of Oz themed magnets to take home. The highlight of the evening was when the bride’s dad came out dressed like one of the flying monkeys and danced with his daughter. It was truly a magical evening.

Photography: The French Connection

Linens: BBJ

Floral: The French Connection

Invitations: The French Connection

Hair and Makeup: Folawns

Lauren & Joey March 13, 2010

Lauren and Joey were married on March 13, 2010 at the historic St. Anthony Hotel in downtown San Antonio. This site is where Joey proposed to Lauren over Valentine’s Day in 2009 so of course the St. Anthony has special meaning to them.

Lauren was a very busy bride who had very little time to plan her wedding, so she enlisted the help of her mom Judy. Judy then turned to us to help bring the event together. We worked with Judy to plan Lauren's wedding with the guidelines and inspiration Lauren provided us in her absence. Lauren wanted purples, blacks and ivory with hints of green. We brought in stunning eggplant linens and black Chiavari chairs to create an elegant classic look to the room.

Guests enjoyed cocktails and scrumptious hors’d oeuvres in the St. Anthony’s famous Peacock Alley while listening to a classical guitar duo provided by The French Connection.

The guests were then invited into the ballroom for dinner. There was an array of food stations for the guest to enjoy. After cake and the toasts came the first dances. The bride surprised her mom and dad by selecting the same song her parents first danced to at their wedding as her dance with her dad. Halfway through the song her mom Judy was invited on to the dance floor to dance with her husband. It was a beautiful moment of the evening. We brought in a photo booth for all of the guests to enjoy during the evening. Everyone had so much fun. This was a wonderful event and we truly enjoyed working with this family to create the perfect event for them.

Photography: The French Connection

Hair and Makeup: The French Connection

DJ: The French Connection

Floral: The French Connection

Cake: Cathy Young

Kristin and Clay Feature Wedding Magazine Article

Check out the feature that was done on our wedding at the Witte Museum. This was featured in San Antonio Wedding's Magazine

Eight Reasons to Hire a Wedding Planner

This is an awesome article from Elegala.com! I couldn't have said it better myself! Eight Reasons to Hire a Wedding Planner An etiquette and protocol expert explains why hiring a wedding planner will help you avoid some dreadful mishaps… Article contributed by Luxurious Wedding Etiquette & Protocol Expert, Claudia Lutman Congratulations! You are engaged and you are elated. Your wedding day is going to be the most important day of your life and you envision everything is going to be perfect. You want to be involved. You have planned parties that have wowed your friends. You want to take a hands-on approach to the planning of your wedding and the prospect excites you.Yes, the thought of planning a wedding is very exhilarating. But in reality, it is like solving a Rubik’s Cube. Getting all the pieces to work together and fit together precisely to complete the design is the objective. It may look like a seamless process but it is not easy. A wedding requires Synergy – the interaction of two or more agents or forces so that their combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual effects. Much like a movie, a wedding has to be produced, scripted, edited, and directed. As a visual feast for the eyes, a wedding has to have a flow and a tempo. It needs to be as pleasing for your guests as it is for you. As the star of your movie, can you envision yourself being the central character, producer, editor, director, and run interference for all minor details on your wedding day? If you are having more than 25 guests, the idea of working with a wedding planner should appeal to you. As the creative director for the most important day of your life, your wedding planner will help you avoid some dreadful mishaps that could ruin your day. Reason # 1: A Theme Is More Than A Hodgepodge of Great IdeasYour ideas are fabulous. But they are only the foundation of your theme. Remember: They are only ideas and pictures ripped out of magazines. Brides have ended up blowing their budget on one item to the detriment of the whole wedding. This is where your wedding planner becomes your magician. Knowing all the tricks and resources, your wedding planner can create a theme that runs through the whole event. They see the whole picture. If budget is a constraint, they will advise you how to economize and still achieve a similar look. Reason #2: Is Your Budget A Guideline Or A Blueprint For Bankruptcy? A budget is an essential part of your wedding planning. Even a million-dollar wedding has a budget. A budget will give you perspective and it will center you. It will be a great comfort to you when you want to know where you stand financially. Expenses tend to mount up quickly, and your budget will always give your a realistic assessment. I have witnessed brides being so out of control that they end up randomly buying items that have no rhyme or reason. That money could have been spent elsewhere to make the wedding a better experience for the guests. Being realistic about your budget is essential. Don’t fool yourself with a figure knowing you can go over it. You will only be hurting your chances of selecting the best possible vendors. Your wedding planner is your accountant and will believe the budget you give them. They honestly try to work within your parameters. Therefore, decide on a realistic figure so your wedding planner can recommend the vendors who will deliver the best work within your budget. Reason #3: The Venue Event Manager When the event manager from your venue tells you they can do your wedding planning, they are not lying. They will do everything under the sun to oversee everything they are responsible for; however, they are not responsible for 90 percent of the details that go into your wedding. Some brides are shocked when things go wrong. They thought their venue person would be on top of things. Not necessarily. If they have several events that day, they can’t be held responsible for letting you know your flowers haven’t arrived or your best man is held up in traffic. Imagine walking into a bald room instead of the floral intensive ballroom you paid for. Your wedding planner is your overseer. Their job is to make sure everything arrives on time and complete. If you have 15 tables, 13 centerpieces just won’t do. They will get the florist to fix it. If the videographer does not show up, they should be able to find a replacement for you. Things happen, but it is your wedding planner’s job to see that things are fixed and end up perfect. Your wedding planner is your fairy godmother. Reason #4 Timelines And Other Annoying DetailsChecklists. Do we know anyone who likes them? And timelines. “Who has time to think of these boring things? I’m getting married!” I recall one bride saying. Actually, you might not be getting married after all if the minister does not show up. Timelines are critical. Timelines are necessary. And timelines keep your wedding planner sane. They thrive on them. You, however, should never be subjected to them. These are the things a bubbling bride should be kept far away from. They will certainly kill the excitement. Reason #5 Synergy Applies To Vendors TooThere are vendors who work so well together you almost get double your monies worth. Having a vendor with an attitude can affect everyone. Your wedding planner knows these things and will steer you in the right direction. By involving your wedding planner in the selection of vendors from the invitations on, you will be guided down the path of success. After all, synergy is what we are striving for! Reason #6 What Are The Rules?Brides need a go-to person for etiquette, wedding-related questions, and to keep the planning timeline moving forward. All brides need a liaison to help keep emotions and relationships from straining during planning. Your wedding planner is a combination of Martha Stewart and Emily Post. Do you really have the time and inclination to research, answer, and solve the problem yourself? Reason #7 Overtime Charges Accrue Faster Than Champagne PoursOne hour of overtime with a location site or photographer can cost you plenty! Everyone is on the clock and so is your wedding planner. The difference is your wedding planner is on your clock. They keep everything in motion so extra costs are avoided. In the end, your wedding planner is the most cost effective choice you can make. Reason #8 Frazzled Is Not FabulousWedding planning and the events that lead up to your day will be stressful. You should have one job only. Keeping yourself relaxed and living in the moment. You need time to take in and enjoy this special day. Be with your loved ones. Be happy. Be kind. And mostly, be assured that your wedding is going to be the most fabulous day of your life.Yes, all weddings have glitches. And yours will, too. But your wedding planner will make sure you never have to deal with or see them. You may never even know anything out of the ordinary happened. And that is the sign that you are a genius at wedding planning. You started out with great ideas, hired a wedding planner to bring them to life, and sat back like a pampered princess on your wedding day accepting all the accolades that you deserve.

Texas Beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

When some think of a Texas wedding they envision....Bails of hay, barbed wire, cactus centerpieces, and bandanna inspired linens....
Not with this wedding! When my bride came to us and said she wanted a Texas themed wedding we though Texas chic! The bride is originally from Minnesota and wanted to treat her friends and family who traveled to our beautiful city to a classy Texas themed event.

The bride selected the Buckhorn Museum as the venue for her reception with the ceremony at the Spire at St. Paul's Square.

Since both of these spaces are in the downtown area we arranged for the guests to stay at hotels along the Riverwalk.

The guests walked to the Buckhorn and then were transported via motor coach to the ceremony.

The bride was dressed in a GORGEOUS Vera Wang gown. Her bridesmaids were all in yellow and we kept the color palette simple by carrying the same color into her floral. Texas Yellow Rose were used throughout.

After the ceremony the guests were transported back to the Buckhorn where they entered to the sound of the old piano playing and were served passed Corona Beer and margaritas

To keep with our Texas theme we had the bartenders wear cowboy hats.

After the bride and groom arrived and mingled with their guests for awhile the bride rang the dinner bell and the guests were lead upstairs for good old Texas BBQ. Not cheap and tasteless...this meal was perfectly prepared by Don Strange Catering. Their presentation was amazing and so was the flavor.

I just loved our earthy decor! We had a heck of a time cutting these logs for the centerpieces but the results made it worth all the sweat equity. The bride was thrilled of how they turned out.

During the planning the bride struggled with coming up with a complimentary color to accent the yellow she loved. Finally we decided, who needs another color! We will go with all yellow and I think it turned out stunning!!!

Following dinner we got the guests up and dancing!!!! I hired a professional dance instructor to teach everyone some country dancing. It was loads of fun watching everyone participate.

The music was performed by the Chilton Vance Band. They were perfect! I felt like we were at concert. Not a typical wedding band at all! This band played country tunes all night long which was fitting for our themed day.

When it was all said and done the couple departed to their hotel in a horse and carriage.

I received the sweetest thank you card from Kathryn following her wedding. She was so thankful and it made me smile to read her thoughtful words. It really makes me love what I do knowing how happy my clients are when remembering their special day. I love being apart of it!

Photography by: The French Connection in house photographers

Floral design: Design by Tracy French and floral fulfilled by The French Connection floral designer

Hair and Makeup by: The French Connection in house stylists

Invitations and menus: The French Connection in house invitation design

Linens: BBJ Linens