Destination Weddings & Honeymoons Magazine A-List Planners list!!!

I am thrilled to be considered one of Destination Weddings & Honeymoons magazine's A-List planners!  Click here to see the list. 

If you are considering a destination wedding I have many places for you to consider!   

I am headed to the Riviera Maya next month to scout out the perfect location for a bride.  This area is growing in popularity!  So many AMAZING resorts that it is going to be very hard to choose from! 

Part-Time Position has opened up!

Great news!  We have an opening for  a part-time office position.   We are looking for a highly motivated enthusiastic person to help out in the office.    

Computer Skills a must!
Previous office experience a must!
People Skills a must!
Love for all things weddings/events a must!
Desire to grow with a company a must!

Hours:  Tuesday - Friday 12:00 - 4:00 PM.   Event Day availability too

If you feel you may be a good fit for this position please email me your resume and a photo so we can get to know you.  info@thefrenchconnectionevents.com

We can't wait to meet you!

Things to make your day pretty...

As many of you know I got married in April 2012.  

I painstakingly looked for certain things to make my day pretty....

Well I want to share!!!

If you are looking for things to make your day pretty stop by my Etsy store.
Click here to view Etsy Store

Gabriella & Luis - Cathedral Wedding

Gabriella Rathmell and Luis Guevara were united in matrimony on July16 th at the breathtaking San Fernando Cathedral in downtown San Antonio. 

The Bride wore an amazing gown by Anne Barge and completed her look with a beautiful Monique Lhuillier belt. To top it off, she wore a bedazzled Vera Wang veil. She just looked beyond beautiful! 

The Bridesmaids wore Amsale gowns from Bella Bridesmaid and they had the most gorgeous tone of fuchsia I have ever seen! 

The reception was definitely a delight to the human eye. It took place at the Marriott Rivercenter Hotel and we focused on perfecting every little detail. What my brides want, my brides will get!!

The couple's personalities mostly shined through their cakes. The bride: beautiful and extravagant wanted her cake cascading in roses and the groom a die hard cowboys fan. 

Guests enjoyed a live band as well as classic music played by mariachis. The celebration continued until 1:00 in the morning! 

We loved working with this family to create their dream day.   It was truly an unforgettable evening. 

Photography by Miranda Laine Photography

Ceremony Location: San Fernando Cathedral 

Reception Location: Marriott Rivercenter Hotel

Photography: Miranda Laine Photography

Band: The Latin Connection

Invitations and other print work:  The French Connection 

Cynthia & Joe - Southwest School of Art

Cynthia and Joe came to us about 1 year before their big day. As busy professionals they decided to enlist the help of The French Connection to plan their special day. Most of our meetings took place over the phone since Cynthia was living in New York and Joe in London. Cynthia and Joe both knew what they wanted for their wedding day which made the planning process run smoothly. They wanted a unique Texas experience for their guests since a lot of them would be traveling from great distances. 

They were married at the beautiful Chapel of the Incarnate Word on April 14th. After the ceremony the wedding party hopped on one of San Antonio’s unique trolleys and took a ride to the Landa Library to capture some unique wedding photos. Guests headed back to their hotels to freshen up before the reception got started.

Southwest School of Art - Photography by Philip Thomas

The reception was at the Southwest School of Art. As guests arrived, they were greeted with a variety of hors d’ oeuvres and cocktails from the Don Strange Catering Team. Guest mingled in the Convent Garden awaiting the arrival of the wedding party. The wedding party arrived in style on a river barge. Guests were then escorted in the beautiful river garden for dinner under white lights strung through the trees. It was a beautiful evening!!! 

Since Cynthia and Joe wanted their guest to have a Texas experience they chose a menu of Texas BBQ catered by Don Strange.  The meal was served family style; Burnt Ends, sausage, BBQ chicken, fried okra and corn pudding. YUM!!!! 

After dinner the party moved into the chapel for cake and dancing. The Nightfire Band kept the party going and guests enjoyed the night. At the end of the evening the groom was in for a surprise. Not only was this his wedding day, it was also his surprise birthday party. The group headed over the Hard Rock Café to enjoy a late night snack, drinks and party late into the night. All in all it was a great day for a very special couple.

Ceremony Location: Chapel of the Incarnate word

Reception Location: Southwest School of Art

Floral: Uptown Flowers

Photographer: Philip Thomas Photography

Caterer: Don Strange Catering

Band: Nightfire Band

Cake: Cathy Young

Claudia & Andres - Historic Theatre Event!

Claudia and Andres came to us to help plan their wedding.  Claudia has known Tracy for years and when it came time to plan her wedding she called on Tracy for help.     As busy professionals, Claudia and Andres did not have the time to devote to planning their special day.  

The couple had definite ideas for their day and we helped implement them.    They selected the historic Guadalupe Theatre as the site for their wedding reception.   It was such a cool venue!    They decided to have their dinner across the street from the theatre and then as we love to do, transitioned the guests to the theatre for cake and dancing!    We created a night club feeling with lounge furniture and small cocktail tables throughout.   We used jewel tones for the linens: Eggplant, Reds, Teals and Gold to compliment the theater's existing color scheme. 

The couple selected Limelight Photography and we can not wait to get more photos from them to post!     We do have this great video clip from their day.  Click here to see the video clip.    We love how it turned out!!!!  Congratulations Claudia and Andres!!!! 

Ceremony: Our Lady of Grace

Reception Location: Guadalupe Theatre

Photography and Video: Limelight San Antonio

Caterer: True Flavors Catering

Band: Hot Sauce

Invitations & Print work: The French Connection

  

Jacey & Tony - Garden Wedding

Southwest School of Art 

Garden Wedding

Our wonderful couple Jacey and Tony said “I Do” at the beautiful Southwest School of Art on March 3rd. Jacey was the one of the most TRUSTING clients....in turn making the planning of her wedding one our most favorite! Jacey gave us an outline of what she wanted for her wedding and then let The French Connection design it from there. She was so excited each time we presented an idea and she embraced everything with enthusiasm. For this stunning event, The French Connection partnered with Mandarin Flower Company to create an overall garden feel with one of a kind touches. The garden roses in the centerpieces and throughout the event were AMAZING!!! Guests arrived to pre ceremony Aqua Fresca & Prickly Pear Lemonade and then entered into the Gazebo area for a beautiful ceremony. The Gazebo was draped in fabric with a backdrop of cascading pink and white flowers. The aisle was lined with peach and pink petals. The bride wanted to keep her outdoor dinner area a SURPRISE for the guests. A secret garden wall was built to divide the Garden Gazebo area, where the ceremony took place, and the River Garden where dinner was to be. After the ceremony guests enjoyed hors d’oeuvres and cocktails while the wedding party took pictures. When it was time for dinner, the doors to the “Secret Garden” were open to reveal a beautiful setting. Hanging parasols were hung and lit from above creating garden setting of soft colors the guests dined under. The delicious meal was provided by Don Strange Catering. After dinner we led guests into the chapel for cake and dancing. This is a signature transitions for us. Tracy French always says she likes to keep the guests moving from space to space to create interest. At this venue she likes to change things up when moving guests in for dancing. For Jacey and Tony we created a more modern feeling while still tying in the colors from the overall palette. We LOVE the furniture we brought in for this event! The guests were entertained by one of our favorite band Ice House Band of Dallas. It was a beautiful evening for a beautiful couple.

Succulent and Garden Rose Bouquet

Ceremony & Reception Location: Southwest School of Art
Floral: Mandarin Flower Company
Photographer: Perez Photography
Caterer: Don Strange Catering
Band: Ice House Band
Cake: Cathy Young
Custom Invitations: Happy Menocal
Other Print work: The French Connection

Megan & Dean - Winter Wedding

Witte Museum

The Witte Museum was the setting for Megan and Dean's February 4th Winter Wedding.    As you know, we LOVE the Witte Museum! It offers so much versatility.    We worked with Megan and her mother to plan the wedding.  They were so much fun!   In the middle of planning the wedding Megan moved to Oklahoma to be closer to Dean.  This made the planning long distance but we were still able to create exactly what Megan had envisioned.    

Megan wanted a Winter Wonderland inspired wedding.    Navy, white and silver where the colors.    In the planning Megan informed she had some friends who were florists....This generally does not turn out good when a client says this...but this time it was a wonderful surprise that her friends truly were very talented florists.    We did not have a huge budget but Mandarin Flower Co. was able to create a simplistic design that made the style of the wedding look clean and modern instead of thrifty!        

Winter Wonderland - Photography Perez Weddings.com

Embracing the winter season, and working with a smaller budget, we were able to select a few items to make statements.  Illuminated columns for the ceremony with white branches created a simplistic, yet striking ceremony site. White chiavari chairs paired with slate colored linens translated an amazing winter wonderland inspired reception.   When watching your budget you want to want to pick a few things to make a statement with.  These touches will stand out and help make your event.    

Megan personalized their wedding by having her father make red and white wine in miniature bottles for guests to take home as a their wedding favor.   Megan and Dean also asked all of their guests to complete an Ad-lib about their wedding day and put it a box for the couple to keep as a reminder of the special family & friends that shared their day.  This was so much fun!!!

The guests danced the night away to the music played by the DJ of The French Connection.   This group loved to dance and they had a great time!

Ceremony and Reception Location: The Witte Museum 

Floral: Mandarin Flower Co.

Photography: Perez Photography

DJ: The French Connection

Ceremony & Cocktail Music: The French Connection

Invitations & Print work: The French Connection

Creative Wedding Gift Bag Ideas

Check out the latest article from Destination Weddings and Honeymoons magazine which features creative wedding gift bag.  We were thrilled to have our Texas themed bag included! 
http://www.destinationweddingmag.com/gallery/creative-welcome-bag-ideas

Invitations!!!

I think the little details are just as important as everything else. When planning your wedding do not forget that your invitations and the EXTRAS should all feel as though they are from the same event. Set the tone of your day with your invite and carry the design throughout...Do not skimp on wedding programs or other print work because they are all the little details that make up your perfect day!!! Here are some gorgeous wedding invitations and EXTRAS we have done for our clients. Let us know what you think!!
This first invite is Fiesta Inspired!

November Wedding invitations.....Proves you do not need brown when marrying in November!!!

Ranch Wedding

Argyle Wedding...the Extras... Event guide, Dinner Menu and Bar Menu

Beautiful color scheme!! Check out our very popular Reverse Pocket Invite! You can also see how we matched the Dinner Menu and Rehearsal Dinner Invitation.

Here are the Extras that we made for our client. The Extras...Table numbers, Escort Cards, Bar Menu and Dinner Menus...It was an AMAZING spring wedding!!!

Gift bags!!! We included a Map, Postcards, Bottled Water, Mexican Pralines, and the bride's favorite tortilla chips Julios with a jar of Hot Sauce.

Hot Pink and Black....Check out this Save The Date, Wedding Invite and Round Dinner Menu

Beach Wedding!!!! This boxed Invite was so fun to create!! Grand Cayman wedding and yes that is a wooden invite!!

Here is the Save The Date we did for this Destination Wedding to Grand Cayman

Grand Cayman Island Guest Bag Itinerary

Instead of a traditional guest book we made postcards that the guests filled out and we mailed to the couple before leaving Grand Cayman. The couple were greeted to postcards when they arrived home from their honeymoon.

Here is another example of our Reverse Pocket Invite.

We carried the design throughout...Wedding Programs

The Extras...Dinner Menus, Thank You cards and Reserved Table signs

Call us for an appointment so we can create your invites and extras for your Perfect Day!

Melissa & Ben - St. Anthony Hotel

St. Anthony Hotel - Photos by Dos Kiwis

Melissa and Ben hired us for our Day of Planning Services.  We had a great time working with this couple!  They chose to have their wedding on St. Patrick’s Day.   Melissa wanted an elegant event not over run with green. She chose cream and gold tones with touches of green. Melissa and Ben put lots of personal touches into their wedding. They had a custom made cake topper that resembled the happy couple, a different photo of the couple was at each table to mark the table number, & Melissa’s aunt made beautiful paper flower napkin rings for guests to take home. Guests got to see family photos from past generations at a custom built photograph wall. To bring in St. Patrick’s day, the couple provided themed props for their guests to use during the dancing. This group danced the night away! Fun & exciting!!

Ceremony: St. John Luthern Church 

Reception Location: St. Anthony Hotel

Photographer: Dos Kiwis

DJ: Holtz Entertainment

Cup Cakes: Cathy Young

Building our Street Team!!!

Wedding season is upon us and we are looking forward to some amazing events this year.

We have a great opportunity for college students wanting to gain experience in the event industry.

Email us at info@thefrenchconnectionevents.com or call us 210.349.8301 if you would like to be apart of our Street Team!

Wedding Shower - this time it's for me!!!!

Our wedding shower is today...I am so excited!! I have to force myself to not get up do a million things to prepare. I keep saying today is for you and Scott!! Difficult when you are the one used to organizing, planning and being in control of EVERYTHING!!!

6 of my friends and family have come together to spoil us with this shower and I have no idea what they have in store for us. The only detail I know is that it is New Orleans themed as it is a Honeymoon shower. Yep, we are headed to New Orleans for our honeymoon! But other than that I am clueless.

We decided to have the shower at our house because we feared we have too many people wanting to bring kiddos etc and didn't want them to feel unwelcome. Ha! It turns out no one is bring children!! The good thing about that decision was it forced us to push hard and get our back yard finished!! Our yard has been under construction since March 2010!! I need to post before and after pics...we went from a yard with lots of lawn area to one that has almost every inch of it covered or utilized. We added a pool, a pool house and a new basketball court/pad. Now when the grass turns green it is going to look amazing!! I can't wait. Scott put in a lot of hard work to get everything done for today. I love him!!

My dad passed away a little over two weeks ago. It has been a difficult time pushing through the flood of emotions but my wonderful friends and Scott have really helped me so much that I am feeling a lot better. Of course there are moments when I feel a bit sad but they are brief as I am forcing myself to focus on all the wonderful things that are going on in my life.

I have had so much fun planning weddings for 100's of brides over the years and now I am relishing in the process for myself!!

I will post pics soon and let you know how it all turns out! And hope the girls like the shower gifts I made them. They turned out super cute!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

San Antonio Weddings Fair

On January 8, we particiapated in the San Antonio Weddings Fair at the JW Marriot. It was a wonderful event for everyone involved. We had the opportunity to meet brides from all over Texas!

Half the fun was designing and putting up our wonderful booth!

We created beautiful paper flowers to decorate the space. There were these large flowers decorating our main table, interspersed with glowing candles. We also had small flowers in moss that gave off a wonderful, organic feeling.

We put together and designed these beautiful frames with pictures of our weddings. The individual pictures were framed with creative chalk designs!

How to Juggle Wedding Planning with Your Career - eleGALA.com

How to Juggle Wedding Planning with Your Career

by eleGALA.com Photograph by: The French Connection
Ensure your professional life doesn’t suffer while you’re in wedding-planning mode…
Planning a wedding is essentially a full-time job, and if you’re already a busy professional, guess what? Your workweek doubled the moment you said “yes,” and the delicate balance between your professional and personal lives is in danger of collapsing. So how can you juggle your career and your wedding without losing your sanity?
Your Daily Planner is Your Best Friend
Getting organized is the best way to avoid missteps and their accompanying headaches. Appointment books or electronic planners are literally the bottom line when it comes to organizing your work and personal life. There it is, right in front of you, a complete visualization of your day, week, or month. Use iCloud or your Google account to sync all your calendars so when you enter an appointment in your phone, it automatically shows up on your computer and tablet. You can also color code all of your entries so you can easily differentiate between work and wedding.
Stay Organized
If you have a method of organization that works at work, use it for your wedding. Take control of your all checklists with an organizational system you can stick to. Google Docs is great because you can access it from any computer, Smart Phone, of tablet, but if you aren’t a tablet toting, spreadsheet-loving bride then an old-fashioned three-ring binder will definitely work.
Divide and Conquer
Surfing the ’net for bouquet ideas while on the phone with an important client is generally a bad idea. Instead, segment your day into times when you are solely focused on work and solely focused on the wedding; letting one intrude on the other can slow you down. Designate your lunch hour for calling vendors or 30 minutes in the afternoon to look for dress ideas. If you’re taking time out of your workday, plan ahead to arrive early or stay late to make up for any lost time.
Maximize Free Time
You’ve got a lot on your plate, so what was once “free time” may now have to be used more productively. Try to swipe some items from your to-do list after hours. Instead of vegging on the couch during Grey’s Anatomy, use this time to multitask. An easy chore like addressing save-the-dates or organizing your Pinterest boards can be done in your pjs without missing any of the action on TV.
Don’t Be Afraid to Delegate
Your fiancé is your greatest untapped resource; divide wedding-planning tasks evenly between the two of you. (It’s his wedding, too, you know.) Then delegate even further. Accept help from anyone who offers, especially bridesmaids. Give small tasks to immediate family members or bridal attendants (key word is small – don’t turn former friends into resentful full-time wedding planners).
Hire a Wedding Planner
Sure, we know you can do it all on your own, but do you really want to? Lower your stress level by hiring a professional wedding planner. If you don’t want to give it all up, consider talking to a professional about how they can help with the parts that feel overwhelming. Most wedding planners offer a whole slue of services from décor design to simple day-of coordination, so you can pick and choose what services suit your needs.

Take a Break
Kicking up your heels as your task list exponentially expands may sound a tad indulgent, but allowing yourself some time to rejuvenate is essential to avoid burnout. Some downtime will even make you more efficient. Have you ever tried going for a morning run without a good night’s sleep the night before? The same applies here. What activities comprised your free time before the career versus wedding juggling act seized your soul? Reading? Hiking? Painting? Don’t let those activities slip; take that time to yourself and enjoy the relaxation that comes with doing something that you enjoy.

Don’t Be Afraid To Ask
So you’ve organized, compartmentalized, multitasked, delegated, and rejuvenated, but you still find that there just aren’t enough hours in the day, and your work is suffering. Don’t ignore the problem and hope it goes unnoticed. Schedule a meeting with your boss to discuss your situation. Avoid blanket complaints about being too busy and unfounded requests for time off. Instead, present the problem and possible solutions. Explain the job duties that are suffering, and share with your boss ideas for how you can accomplish them more efficiently.