Whitney & Kyle

Whitney & Kyle had a gorgeous backyard affair with a glamorous white tent that was transformed after sunset to get the dancing started. Their wedding was captured beautifully by Hampton Morrow Photography and was featured in the last issue of Brides of North Texas. We loved getting to work with an awesome team of vendors including Gil’s Elegant Catering, Frosted Art Bakery, Antebellum Designs, Inspired by Faith Weddings & Events, among others.

WhitneyBray-Work_HamptonMorrowPhotography_13-420x280WhitneyBray-Work_HamptonMorrowPhotography_21-420x280WhitneyBray-Work_HamptonMorrowPhotography_25-420x280WhitneyBray-Work_HamptonMorrowPhotography_29-420x630WhitneyBray-Work_HamptonMorrowPhotography_30-420x280WhitneyBray-Work_HamptonMorrowPhotography_44-420x630WhitneyBray-Work_HamptonMorrowPhotography_45-420x280WhitneyBray-Work_HamptonMorrowPhotography_48-420x280

Sarah & Kyle

You might have seen this gorgeous wedding featured in the latest edition of Brides of North Texas or on their blog. If you missed it, you can check out the feature here. Sarah and Kyle got married at The White Sparrow in Quinlan, TX with a fantastic team of vendors including Holly Viles Design, Grit + Gold, Dyan Kethley Photography, and Layered Bake Shop.

1923780_1245128082169418_2428789371078774053_n10570490_1245127768836116_4386521155162722585_n10574234_1245127752169451_6376758810554607056_n12400961_1245127878836105_5488540069676967577_n947076_1245128042169422_1190553939532970956_n10603598_1245128112169415_7560934229715158855_n1923251_1245128188836074_3217998229198488545_n

Amanda & Alex

Amanda and Alex got married at DeGolyer Loggia at the Dallas Arboretum on a beautiful Spring day. The newlyweds and their guests danced the night away to some uptown sounds under our café lights and a good time was had by all. Did we mention Amanda and her dad surprised their guests with a choreographed dance to Uptown Funk? You can check out their feature on Ruffled Blog here. Don’t miss these beautiful photos by Ben Q. Photography with florals by Holly Viles Design, cakes by Cakewalk Bake Shop, and paper goods by Socially Write.

11236150_10208026709890910_4399152219770046560_o12182760_10208026710250919_4744778126416828945_o12191084_10208026721651204_6326288455829062310_n12208754_10208026725811308_7515595261637674578_n11057946_10208026823173742_1796214296138981928_n12208348_10208026825213793_2515864876503834542_n12189848_10208026830773932_2536610328574443431_n12193369_10208026845454299_3151041100402047933_n11222369_10208026853094490_937236330122911398_o12189372_10208026865214793_9414818182954233_o12182867_10208026884575277_8498615070838621372_o12186651_10208026886095315_1319101459768646192_o11921617_10208026909055889_5548855708673047155_n11221640_10208026922136216_1768767783093535788_n11154992_10208026926696330_5884237668642762423_o12187967_10208026974657529_2632160636984689022_o

Wedding Planner Myths Debunked

Wedding planning can be fun but also really stressful. To help alleviate the stress, some couples turn to a planner for assistance. There are, however, two misconceptions that I hear most often as a planner, so I want to touch on them.

Misconception #1: “I won’t be involved with the planning if I hire a planner.”

That is not true in the least bit! In fact, often times you’ll find that planners’ packages vary widely so we can be as involved as much or as little as you want us to be. We know this is YOUR day and we simply act as an advocate for and assistant to you to make your dream wedding come to life.

Misconception #2: “My venue comes with a coordinator, so I don’t need an outside planner.”

A venue coordinator and a wedding planner or coordinator are not one and the same and do not have the same responsibilities. The venue coordinators handle things that have to do specifically with the venue. For example, they may manage the venue’s staff, ensure that all rules for the venue are being followed, and help guide vendor load-in and load-out.

On the other hand, wedding planners have a broader responsibility. Weeks and even months before the wedding, a planner may be involved with setting up a budget; organizing contracts and payments; and creating a master timeline for the rehearsal, the ceremony, and the reception, all which may be at different locations. During the ceremony and reception, a planner keeps vendors informed and on track with what’s coming next, and they handle any issue that arises. For example, a wedding planner may help pin the bustle of your dress back together if a guest steps on it or make sure your parents are present when the cake is being cut.

I’ve heard someone put it this way before: A venue coordinator’s priority is the venue (as it should be), and a wedding planner’s priority is the bride and groom.

Article by Amanda Davis, Owner & Lead Wedding Planner at Embrace the Day Events, a wedding & event planning company based in Dallas, TX. Embrace the Day Events knows first-hand how special and important your wedding day is, so we work hard to ensure that the planning process are not only stress-free, but fun so that you can embrace each and every moment!
Nicole_John_Paul_Wedding_0080

Photo by Allen Tsai Photography

Charli & Jeff

Jeff and Charli had a gorgeous wedding at the Mansion on Turtle Creek and we’re so excited it was featured on D Weddings! Below are some of our favorite images by Shaun Menary Photography. You can tell it was a fun evening with the newlyweds!

pels_4recept_2421_WEBpels_4recept_2422_WEBpels_4recept_2484_WEBpels_4recept_2486_WEBpels_4recept_2497_BW_WEBpels_4recept_2499_WEBpels_4recept_2514_WEBpels_4recept_2533_WEBpels_4recept_2586_WEBpels_4recept_2605_WEBpels_4recept_2679_WEBpels_4recept_2753_WEB

Megan & Brad

Megan & Brad got married at the Aldredge House in Dallas. Their wedding was a day full of love & joy which Sara & Rocky Photography captured so well. And you can’t miss the beautiful flowers by the Southern Table. Cheers to the new Mr & Mrs!
meganbrad0096meganbrad0179meganbrad0598meganbrad0629meganbrad0744meganbrad0777meganbrad0826meganbrad0825

Kristin & Blake

Kristin and Blake got married at Mitas Hill Vineyard in McKinney on March 14. We worked with a great team of vendors including Haute Floral, Each & Every Detail, Makeup by Wendy Zerrudo and Sweet Art Bakery. They are a fun couple who truly love each other, which is so evident in these awesome photos by Christina Truelove Photography.

1908168_10152637008066927_8780799422909284826_n11046781_10152637007936927_1417045379450573844_n10343651_10152637085646927_2109020730681791924_n10361974_10152637085896927_3780290742832777774_n11025743_10152637235411927_4072103794941967082_n10446019_10152637151066927_3459553372556191004_n10999256_10152637235781927_3192163948484977012_n

Joy & William

We always love working at Stonebridge Ranch Country Club and Joy & William’s special day was no exception. You can just tell by their photos, that the day was full of love and laughter and we are so thankful that we go to be a part of it! Shout out to the awesome vendors, Events by Kristin (planning), Dyan Kethley Photography (photos), Layered Bake Shop (cakes), and Holly Viles Design (floral).

Joy-and-Will-01-Details-0036-683x1024 Joy-and-Will-01-Details-0039-645x1024
Joy-and-Will-05-First-Moment-0002-1024x682
Joy-and-Will-06-Ceremony-Decor-0002-1024x683
Joy-and-Will-07-Ceremony-0121-1024x683
Joy-and-Will-07-Ceremony-0179-683x1024
Joy-and-Will-12-Reception-Decor-0011-1024x683
Joy-and-Will-15-Toasts-and-Cake-Cutting-0003-683x1024
Joy-and-Will-15-Toasts-and-Cake-Cutting-0010-1024x674
Joy-and-Will-15-Toasts-and-Cake-Cutting-0014-1024x683
Joy-and-Will-17-Private-Last-Dance-and-Exit-0012-1024x682

Wedding Slideshow Ideas & Tips

Slideshows can add a nice touch to your wedding, and there are several unique ways to present your photos. Keep reading for ideas, tips, and advice to get you started.

Where should I show my slideshow?

On your wedding weekend, there will probably be a few different opportunities to share your favorite photos, such as:
- at the rehearsal dinner
- during the reception cocktail hour (looped)
- during dinner (played once)
- during your special dances

A few side notes: Showing it at the rehearsal dinner is nice; however, keep in mind that many restaurants may not have a screen and projector available (or sound equipment). Also, if you have a lot of pictures to show (more than 25-50), you will probably want to consider letting the slideshow play in the background while people are mingling and having cocktails. I’ll talk about this more later.

What about a slideshow to go with my first dance?

This is a great idea, and it also works for other special dances, too, like a father/daughter dance. What’s nice about these is that you only need 2-3 dozen pictures to accompany your song, and you don’t need to include the music with the slideshow. Your DJ can play the song from his sound system while the slideshow plays, which is much easier than trying to connect the video player to the sound system.

How long should my slideshow be?

Keep it short! If you’ve ever had to sit through a very long slideshow, I’m sure you found yourself getting bored after the first few minutes. As a guideline, try to go no longer than 3-5 minutes to keep people’s attention. If the slideshow will be playing in the background during cocktails or dinner, the length isn’t as important, since you aren’t trying to get everyone to watch it from start to finish.

How many pictures will I need?

On average, you’ll probably want to keep each picture on the screen for about five seconds, which means you can show 12 pictures each minute. Windows Movie Maker, for example, by default will display a photo for five seconds after dragging it onto your video timeline.

How do I create a slideshow?

If you don’t have someone creating it for you, I have posted links to some simple tutorials for both Windows and Mac users on this page.

Get started on yours today!

Slideshows can really add a lot to the enjoyment of your rehearsal dinner or reception, yet often times they are the last thing on the “to do” list. If you keep it simple and short (as you should), creating one shouldn’t be too difficult or time consuming. But don’t leave it until the very end, because I’ve often times seen them get “scrapped.”

Get started by making a folder on your computer labeled “Wedding Slideshow,” and start copying your special pictures into the folder today. In fact, you probably already have a bunch on your hard drive right now. Then when you are ready to put it together, your photos will all be in one place, making it easy and fast to create the perfect slideshow.

Jason & Meredith - September 3, 2011

The Venue: Heard Craig Hall in McKinney

McKinney has some great, historical spots for weddings, and this was the first time I had played at Heard Craig Hall. One of my favorite features is the large white pillars around the room, which looked incredible with uplighting. Austin wedding photographer Geoff Duncan did an outstanding job with the photos!

mckinney-wedding-dj-uplighting dallas-wedding-dj-uplighting

Jason & Meredith had originally planned on having their reception outdoors at Chestnut Square, which is also a really neat spot; however, their guest count had gotten larger than they anticipated, and the weather was forecasted to be pretty warm. They still had the ceremony in the chapel at Chestnut Square, but then everyone headed to Heard Craig for the party!

Another unique feature of the hall is the large stage, which is what they usually use for the dance floor. In one of our early meetings, Meredith had reservations about whether people would want to walk up the steps and onto the stage for dancing, and admittedly, I did, too. Thankfully her friends and family were not shy at all, and they had no problem making their way onto the large stage, which is where I set up the speakers and dance floor lighting, as well as a few uplights along the back curtains. The rest of the DJ equipment was set up on the main floor next to the stage.

The Music

Musically, Jason & Meredith asked me to mix in some of their favorite indie pop & rock, along with some mainstream favorites and classics. Below is their wedding playlist, which includes several requests from their guests, too. Please note that this is what was actually played at their wedding.

* from Jason & Meredith’s request list
** requested by one of their guests

Cocktail Hour
Norah Jones - Come Away With Me [2002]
Dave Matthews Band - You And Me (Radio Edit) [2010]
Weepies - Somebody Loved [2003]
Ray LaMontagne - You Are The Best Thing [2008]
David Gray - This Years Love (Strings Remix) [2001]
Goo Goo Dolls - Iris (Edit) [1998]
John Mayer - 3x5 [2003]
Ingrid Michaelson - The Way I Am [2007]
Coldplay - Clocks (Edit) [2003]
Lifehouse - You And Me [2005]
Norah Jones - Don't Know Why [2002]
Jason Mraz & Colbie Caillat - Lucky [2009]
Feist - Mushaboom [2009]*
Beatles - All You Need Is Love (mono single version) [1967]
Fisher - L-O-V-E [2002]
Coldplay - Til Kingdom Come [2005]
Cat Power - Sea of Love [2000]*

Grand Entrance
Barry Louis Polisar - All I Want Is You (from “Juno”) [1977]*

Dinner
Mae - The Ocean [2005]*
Amy Winehouse - Someone to Watch Over [2008]*
Death Cab For Cutie - I Will Follow You Into The Dark [2005]*
Ella Fitzgerald - Blue Skies [1958]*
Passion Pit - Sleepyhead [2010]*
Goo Goo Dolls - Black Balloon (Radio Remix) [1999]*
Black Keys - You’re the One [2006]*
Billie Holiday - Blue Moon [1950]*
Imogen Heap - Can’t Take It In [2006]*
Feist - 1234 (Radio Version) [2007]
Spill Canvas - Valiant [2002]*
Copeland - Priceless [2003]*
Ella Fitzgerald - Tea For Two [1963]*
Mae - Somewhere [2008]*
Iron & Wine - Such Great Heights [2003]*
David Gray - Babylon (Radio Mix) [2000]

First Dance
Beatles - In My Life (first dance edit) [1966]*

Father/Daughter
Norah Jones - Seven Years (father-daughter edit) [2002]*

Open Dancing Begins
Etta James - At Last [1961]**
Louis Armstrong - What A Wonderful World [1968]
Mr C The Slide Man - Cha Cha Slide (Radio Edit) [2000]**
Temptations - Ain't Too Proud To Beg (mono) [1966]
Beatles - Twist And Shout (mono) [1964]
Michael Jackson - Thriller (promo single version) [1984]**
Bob Kames - The Chicken Dance [1981]*
(I don’t normally play this song, but there was a special story behind it for Meredith and her parents.)
Frankie Yankovic & His Yanks - Beer Barrel Polka**
George Strait - Amarillo By Morning [1983]
Why Don't We Just Dance - Josh Turner [2009]

Just for Fun
Texas Tech - Fight Raiders, Fight (groom’s school)
The University of Texas Longhorn Band - The Eyes of Texas (bride’s school)
(There were two groom’s cakes: one with the Texas Tech logo and one with the UT logo.)

Cake Cutting
James Taylor - How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) [1975]*
Average White Band - Cut The Cake (single version) [1975]**

George Strait - I Cross My Heart [1992]
Cupid - Cupid Shuffle (extended) [2007]**
Van Morrison - Brown Eyed Girl [1967]**
LMFAO - Party Rock Anthem (Updated Radio Edit) [2011]
Flo Rida - Low (New Radio Mix) [2008]

Bouquet Toss
Dixie Cups - Chapel Of Love (mono) [1964]*

Garter Toss
Flo Rida - Right Round (Single Version) [2009]*

Eric Clapton - Wonderful Tonight (single version) [1978]
Michael Jackson - Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough (promo single version) [1979]
Tone Loc - Wild Thing [1989]
Black Eyed Peas - I Gotta Feeling (Radio Edit) [2009]**
Neil Diamond - Sweet Caroline [1969]**
Randy Travis - Forever And Ever, Amen [1987]
Roy Orbison - Oh, Pretty Woman (mono single version) [1964]
KC & The Sunshine Band - Boogie Shoes [1978]**
Run-DMC - It’s Tricky [1987]
Taio Cruz - Dynamite [2010]
Natalie Cole with Nat King Cole - Unforgettable [1991]**

Exit Music
Imogen Heap - Goodnight and Go [2005]*