Monday and Tuesday of this week we joined in with the 15th Annual Kappa Kappa Gamma Tablescapes at the San Antonio Country Club. It was so much fun and really exciting to see some of the creative designs from some of our peers in the industry. Proceeds from this year's event will benefit Seton Home, a residential faciality that provides shelter and support services for homeless pregnant or parenting teens and their children.

We called our table Simple Abundance. The design was unique but still attainable... Let us know what you think of our table!
Pictures below

Ropin Dreams!

We are thrilled to have participated with last weekends event for Ropin Dreams. For those of you who have not heard of this organization please check out their website. www.RopinDreams.com

For their silent auction we donated a basket full of items we contributed along with items donated by some our generous vendors.

Our basket raised $210 for this organization that is dedicated to bringing a day of smiles to the child who faces daily challenges due to serious illness or injury.

We want to give a special THANK YOU to the following vendors who contributed to the basket:
-Don Strange Catering
-You've Got Paper
-Alamo City Liquor
-Page Barteau Catering

Ashley and Bryan: A True San Antonio Wedding

Ashley House and Bryan Jones were married September 24, 2011 at the beautiful Margarite B. Parker Chapel at Trinity University.





For their reception they chose Pearl Stable. This was the perfect location because guests were able to go upstairs to the lounge area and also outside on the balcony. The weather was so perfect that day that many guests chose to spend time outside.







The best part of the wedding was all the creative freedom we had. The bride gave us some ideas and let us design everything! And with the help of Pizzini Design's colorful floral, we were able to bring the event to life!



In honor of the bride's new last name, the guests were given Jones Soda as wedding favors. They were able to choose from 3 different flavors, with 3 different pictures on them. This was a hit with party guests because of how unique it was!


The guests were so pleased! Everyone kept saying how the wedding was so "them".

Nancy and Andrew Taft

Nancy Bustamante and Andrew Taft were married August 6, 2011 in the stunning Chapel of the Incarnate Word. Their reception was held at JW Marriott.
They had a string quartet for the ceremony and the Groove City Band for the recption, all provided by Allegretto Music.
The bride and groom, along with family and bridal party, arrived in style thanks to Star Shuttle and Charter, and Rolls Royce Limo.

The elegant floral was provided by Castle Hills Floral

This life-like Barcelona Jersey groom's cake was done by Ultimate Cheesecake Bakery

The couple and their guests ended the night being serenaded by mariachis.

All photos by: Gary Gibson

Who Pays For What - Tips from eleGALA.com

Wedding Budget Etiquette - Who Pays for What?

tips from eleGALA.com
photos by: Perez Photography

Learn which side of the family is typically responsible for which wedding costs and the tradtional wedding budget etiquette.
Tradition states that the bride’s parents are responsible for fronting the bill for the wedding reception; these days, the bride’s parents, groom’s parents, and the couple themselves all contribute to the wedding pool.

That said, it helps to come to the budgeting table prepped with the traditional list of which side pays for what. These conventional “rules” can then be adjusted according to your financial situations:

Wedding Costs Paid by the Bride and/or Bride’s Parents:
Ceremony rental fee
Bride’s dress and accessories
Ceremony flowers and décor
Bouquets for bridesmaids and flower girl

Photography and videography
Engagement party
Bridesmaids’ luncheon
All vendor services for reception, including food, beverages, décor, and entertainment
Groom’s ring
Invitations and stationery
Transportation for bridal party to and from ceremony and reception

Wedding Costs Paid by the Groom and/or Groom’s Parents:
Marriage license and officiant’s fee
Groom’s attire
Bride’s bouquet, boutonnieres for ushers, and corsages for mothers and grandmothers
Honeymoon travel
Rehearsal dinner
Bachelors’ dinner
Both of the bride’s rings

Costs Incurred by the Wedding Attendants:
Their own attire, including shoes and accessories
Bridal party hosts bridal shower and bachelorette party
Groom’s party hosts the bachelor party

Wedding Planning

I have been planning weddings for over 10 years now. Helping couples and their families through the maze of checklists, vendors, budgets, etiquette guidance, to have a theme or not to, designing the day, flowers, linens, photography tips, I have fired a maid of honor for a bride, played mediator between many mothers and daughters and fought countless battles with on behalf my dear clients. And now I am a bride to be!

Nope I have never been married!

I will be marrying the sweetest man next April.

Planning my own wedding has really made me be able to see what my brides feel and expect of their planner. Sitting on the other side of my desk as my assistant/planner goes through my checklist and reminds me of all the things I need to work on and the things we have left makes me think THIS IS SO WORTH IT!

Going through this process is exciting. I can't wait to marry this man! We decided to give ourselves a year to plan our wedding. I am thankful for every second of time we have. Not only does it give us more time to save, it also allows me more time to plan and personalize my day.

I always said I wanted to get married on a beach but once I became engaged having a beach wedding no longer felt like us. It was definitely me but not US. We decided we would have a day that is rich with family and friends. Relaxed and not overly fussy. Let's see if I can manage not to go overboard by the time the wedding gets here!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Plaza Lecea- Dancing the Night Away

Natalie and Kenton were married on a sunny day in June. After beautiful ceremony was held at University United Methodist Church, the guests headed to Plaza Lecea for a fun reception. Everyone had a blast with the dress-up photobooth and danced the night away. They even had a limbo competition to top off the night! Check out some of the pictures by The French Connection:

8 Complaints that Irk guests by eleGALA.com

Check out this insightful article from eleGALA.com
Mind your guests and avoid these major oversights so your wedding celebration is one that everyone can enjoy.
Chances are, you’ll be the only one to notice if a flower is out of place or the best man dons the wrong shoes, but wedding guests everywhere agree that the following blunders make for a painful wedding experience…
8 Wedding Guest Complaints

1) Bad Timing – Long pauses between the ceremony and reception are generally a bummer. If you cannot book the ballroom immediately following the ceremony, arrange for cocktails and hors d’oeuvres at an adjacent space.

2) Cash Bars – Sorry, a cash bar is never an acceptable money-saving solution. Swallow that expensive pill by thinking about this: You would never ask guests to pay for a cocktail in your own home; your wedding should be the same. Consider simply serving wine, beer, and a signature cocktail to cut costs. If you’re on a budget, a full bar isn’t necessary.

3) Stranded Dates – Don’t create a painful experience for your attendants’ dates. Speed up the marathon photo sessions and seat dates together with the wedding party at the reception.

4) Stranded Guests – If your wedding reception and ceremony locations are far apart or far from accommodations, you should provide guest transportation. Besides the obvious safety concerns of drinking and driving, your guests should remember what a lovely time they had at your wedding – not what a pain it was to get there.

5) Unaccommodating Accommodations – Failing to provide information for convenient and affordable accommodations for long distance guests never goes over well. Don’t force guests to be their own travel agents, and don’t secure the only room block at a five-star hotel unless all of your guests have five-star budgets.

6) Silent or Tardy Dinner Bell – If your four hour reception falls during meal time, understand that your guests will be expecting just that – a meal. And they’ll expect that meal during normal lunch or dinner hours, so don’t wait until 10 pm to serve dinner.

7) Ungracious Hosts – Failing to acknowledge any gift or thoughtful gesture with handwritten, personalized thank-you notes is always an etiquette faux pas and never a breech that goes unnoticed. Suffering from writer’s block? These useful thank-you note examples will help you get started.

8) Just Plain Tacky – Ok, let’s get it out: When it comes to money dances, novelty songs (hokey pokey comes to mind), or singles dances, most guests are in agreement that it’s a little out of date. Of course, there will always be those who find these acts acceptable and those who don’t – but as host/hostess, your job is to make guests feel at ease and comfortable, so consider your audience as you decide on the evening’s events.

McNay Art Museum - All in Pink

Raquel Linares and Robert Orozco were married at the beautiful historic San Fernando Cathedral, here in San Antonio. Their reception was held at the McNay Art Museum. Mariachis played during dinner and for the reception The Latin Connection took the stage. The guests had a great time dancing the night away in the custom-lit room. Take a look at some of the photography by Anahi Navarro.



This gorgeous cake actually has the words from 1 Corinthians 13 written around the different layers. This verse, which speaks of the true meaning of love, was also read during their ceremony.
The adorable lifelike grooms cake ws custom made to look just like the couple's dog. TOO CUTE!!!!
We just loved designing her invites for her. The image of the cathedral was a touch that finished off her invite and I think is what she really fell in love with about our design.

I adored Raquel's color choices. The bridesmaids dresses really set the tone of our design. The French Connection designed the flowers to help turn the bride's vision into reality.

Boulder Springs, New Braunfels- June 2011

Lauren and Carl were united in Holy Matrimony at St.Peter/St.Paul Church in New Braunfels Texas. The bride looked regal as she walked down the isle to her First Lieutenant.

The couple had a Silver Shadow Rolls Royce, from Rolls Royce limos, transport them from the ceremony to the reception. At the end of the night they had a beautiful Corniche Convertible Rolls Royce take them away after the reception.

The reception was held at Boulder Springs. The bride and groom along with their guests enjoyed hors d' oeuvres and the couple's signature drink - a fruity sangria. A delicious, cold choice for a bright summer day! The French Connection designed the tables and flowers. A dynamic look was created throughout the room by using both short and tall centerpieces.

Since Carl and Lauren have such a special connection to the Marine Corps, they incorporated many special Marine personal touches to their wedding.

One of which was a "Missing Man Table". A Missing Man Table is a table specifically for those who couldn't make it to the wedding; whether it was because they were deployed to another country, or no longer with us. We set a table with simple dish setting, and added a beer and shot glass. It was such a great way to remember all their loved ones.
Secondly, Marine sword bearers created a sword arch for the bride and groom to enter the reception area. There were six uniformed sword bearers. Before being allowed to pass under each arch, the happy couple had to kiss. It was such a unique entrance!

The delicious groom's cake was in the shape of the Marine Corps seal. It was a wonderful way to commemorate both the groom and the father of the bride.

It was such a magical event, I'm glad we could be apart of it!

Witte Museum, San Antonio- April 2011

Krisse and Joshua were married on April 2011 at the beautiful Witte Museum in San Antonio, Texas. It was a gorgeous day as the couple said their vows in the Prassel Backyard, underneath a Bizan Huppah with pink floral, designed by The French Connection.

The day started with hair and make-up for the bride and her bridesmaids at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, done by The French Connection. The bride gave her bridesmaids the option to wear mismatching dresses to suit everyone. The only rule was to us the same fabric. The result was a picture perfect bridal party.

The bride and groom shared their first dance to "I Only Have Eyes for You" by The Flamingos. After that the guests enjoyed dancing the night away to a mixture of 90's R&B, rock, and Texas swing; all supplied by The French Connection's popular DJ.

At the end of the night, the bride and groom made their departed to the song "Rockin' the Suburbs" by Ben Golds Five as they left in a 1975 Rolls Royce Silver Shadow.

Check out a few of the amazing pictures below, taken by our very own photographers at The French Connection!

These beautiful programs were designed to match the invitations and menus! All of which were designed and printed by The French Connection.

These shepherds hooks with laterns and flowers were the perfect choice for pew decorations to accent the setting and feel of the entire event.

This cake was baked by The Elm's Bake Shoppe. The fresh flowers were provided by The French Connection.