hello lions,

this is in response to the 14 stories take on gay weddings. bernadette has an extensive background in gay events- she was the first professional planner available when gay marriage was made legal in her home state of massachusetts. she has been kind enough to offer her wisdom and experience to dandyLion, and always gives me food for thought!

so, the question was: gay weddings- are they different?

my answer is, yes and no.

no – it is the same foundation of two people coming together to form one. it also stands to be a special opportunity for an epic party and gathering of friends, family and supporters.

yes – i agree with bernadette on this point-from a planner’s point of view, it is a different experience. there is more internal + external pressure for the couple. one of our services that helps to alleviate this pressure and keep couples excited is vendor screening. as we discussed in our queercamp last month, being gay in the south can be trying. we help our clients locate gay friendly and gay owned businesses so that on the big day, their minds are at ease. they know that all their vendors wish them a lovely start to their life together.

so, while we advocate that love is love is love we understand and recognize that it can be an overwhelming experience and impact several areas of their lives. we also revel in the fact that there are fewer rules and traditions! that makes it so much fun!

what do you think? are gay weddings different? will there always be a divide?

love to all,

lindsey

give us a roar: lindsey@dandylionevents.com

hello lions,
we love crazy fun weddings! but at the end of the day, what we support the most is connecting- with your family, your partner + your own heart. one of the simplest ways to bring a personal touch to your wedding is by using handmade objects- whether they’re made by you or someone else. etsy has a wide variety of handmade items for your wedding. they even have a wedding category + wedding email lists you can sign up for!

you can wear handmade:

(clockwise from left)

tell your intended how much they mean to you- i mean, what’s better than bacon? – from sweetmeats

sweet birdcage veil from one of our favorite creatives, onelittledove!

super- rad storm trooper cufflinks – from crimsonking

turquoise day of the dead earrings with red roses- from polishedtwo

and you can decorate with handmade:

(clockwise from left)

celebrate your steampunk love with this ‘two pipes make one handle’ mug – from iHRTart

put curious or precious objects under this hand blown glass bell jar – from thewallflowercompany

yarn poms are a fresh flower alternative + can be created in every color! – from murdockdesign

attach bright poms to the ceiling or the backs of chairs! – from fiestapompom

(ps- we at dL have the tools and know-how to make the tissue poms + the yarn poms! fun!)

what special touches are you adding to make your celebration unique?

love to all,
lindsey

give us a roar: lindsey@dandylionevents.com

Hello my darling lions!

It’s local feature Friday yet again, and I’m so excited to feature a business near and dear to my heart here in beautiful Asheville. Casey and Grace of Dang Salon are incredibly creative, cognizant, and cutting edge when it comes to your look.

Dang Salon is located in Asheville’s River Arts District (which, at its core, is one of the coolest places to hang out in the entire city) in the Phil the Mechanic building, which houses a multitude of artists from a wide range of disciplines.

I know…not where you think you could find the best place to get your hair transformed into something amazing, is it? Well, you step inside…

…and awaiting you is an oasis of hair care and style!

The girls at Dang only use Paul Mitchell products, especially since a wide range of their products are vegan and environmentally friendly. Not only does that benefit the environment, but for those of us who, ahem, encourage our hair to stay a certain shade, it doesn’t completely wreck and ravage your hair.

The decor in the shop is delightfully funky and fun. Instead of sitting in squeaky vinyl chairs under the dryer, they have a set of mustard yellow wing chairs straight out of the past that are extremely comfortable.

Beyond the furnishings, you have two talented stylists who really listen to what their clients want and need. Grace, the tamer of my tresses, is the only stylist I know of that makes my hair BEHAVE. See, I have very thick, very wavy, coarse hair that I keep auburn (which yes, is pretty close to my natural hair color…even though I haven’t seen it in 10 years) and love to have it voluminous. Most stylists thin it out, chop it off, flat iron it into submission, and try to give me blond highlights.

Grace listens to what I want, gives her own feedback, and I turn her loose on my head of hair. For example, it’s springtime here in the mountains, so I wanted to add some oomph to my dark auburn mane. We broke out the color book, found a couple shades we both loved (that would work with my redhead skin), and Grace went to town!

She glazed it (a semi-permanent color that washes out over 6-8 weeks that allows natural tones and shades to come through) with an intense cherry-bomb red that keeps it its “natural” auburn under the fluorescent lights of my office building, but becomes this gorgeous mass of nearly-fire-engine-red when I’m outside. She also trimmed up my top-most layer and neatened up my bangs, along with very loosely pin-curling my hair while it dried. The result?

Vavoom! Pure 70’s movie star magic! I love how it moves, feels, and the fact I can recreate this look at home! And yes, my darling lions, these two fierce ladies do some AMAZING bridal hair. They take your hair and, while staying true to your sense of style, transform it into the best it can be!

AND, as Asheville is an emerging city, Dang does NOT charge out the nose for their services. They are affordable but, honestly, I would recommend them solely on the basis of the quality of care.

So please, darling lions, consider giving Grace or Casey a call next time you’re having a hair emergency, a crisis of color, or want something truly dandy and unique for your wedding or special occasion. They rock!

(Grace, the guru of my hair!)

Contact Grace Tasedan or Casey McCuller @ 828.225.3225 and let them completely rejuvenate your hair!

Pushing boundaries as always, with love,

Amanda
give me a roar: amanda@dandylionevents.com

hello lions!
for our local friday feature, i want to talk about thistle farms. they have products handmade with love + a mission that will touch your heart.

the magdalene house is a place where women can recover from lives of prostitution, substance abuse, violence and imprisonment. the products of thistle farms- made by members of the magdalene house- help support their 2-year rehabilitation program.

we encourage you to be involved in their wednesday morning meditation and also to volunteer. there are other ways to help their program, too! you can purchase thistle farms products at several local stores, including the green wagon, the frothy monkey and on their website!

we believe in women’s rights- including a right to wholeness and happiness- so this is a cause we feel very strongly about. as such, we are proud to sponsor thistle farms product parties! you can arrange for a member of the magdalene house to speak at your bridal shower or bachelorette party, enjoy their products and have an at-home spa party! another bachelorette party idea: go as a group and volunteer to work in the thistle farms shop. it is the perfect way to do good and creates a wonderful bonding opportunity for you + your maids. you can also purchase gifts for your attendants – a luxurious product with a true message. it will be an indulgence your maids will love, with all proceeds going back into the program. they also offer small sachets of lovely lavender, which you could give to your guests to toss after the ceremony, scattered by a flower girl or tucked into your gown in a blue bag- a very meaningful ’something blue’! my favorite idea is to forgo favors- which i know many of you are doing already- and instead make a donation to the magdalene house project.

we love thistle farms and know you will, too! what creative ideas do you have for incorporating their products into your wedding?

love to all,

lindsey

say hello: lindsey@dandylionevents.com

hello lions,
for our local feature friday, i’m pleased to share some photos from the awesome and funky fresh sarah b. sarah is the photographer for angela and troy, the runner- up couple in our recent contest!

(c) sarah b gilliam photography

sarah shoots what inspires her: nature, people, architecture.

(c) sarah b gilliam photography

lucky for us this also includes weddings.

(c) sarah b gilliam photography

breathtaking, no? sarah is a fierce lover of all people and this passion extends into her photographs. check out more photos and get in touch with her kooky sense of humor here!

love to all,

lindsey

say hello: lindsey@dandylionevents.com

hello lions,
let’s talk today about a very common phenomena- planning burnout. this usually occurs a few months into the planning process for a couple of reasons:

- you have your priorities nailed down and now the rest feels like tedious details- taxes? legalities?

- you’re receiving pressure from external sources: parents, future in-laws, bridal magazines + tv shows, traditions that other people feel you should uphold, being offered a few ugly dresses with great pride, great aunt suzy who never married + is living vicariously through you. it happens.

- there’s internal pressure, too- desire to create a perfect and beautiful event, budget constraints, trying to keep everyone happy and avoid hurt feelings, and family dynamics are very stressed and painful-even things that are routine and now normal to your life, like an unsupportive parent, can be cast out into the glarish sunlight as you try to plan your stellar nupitals.

- you start to wonder if the expense is worth it? i mean, at the end of the day, you’re still married!

even though it feels like crap, take heart in the knowledge that it’s an experience everyone goes through.

now, here’s the silver lining- it can be used for good:
- it will help keep your expenditures, and the event as a whole, in perspective
- it will cause you to focus on what’s driving you to make a commitment in the first place- a kick-ass relationship!

easiest remedy: get away. no, seriously. if your future m-i-l is ringing the phone off the hook, turn it off.  leave the house without your cell. if you can physically get away together, then do so. if not, then schedule mandatory non-wedding time. play with your puppy or get out the nes. go for a hike. do something you really love to do, together, and reaffirm your purpose for all the stress- the celebration of your love for one another.

what do you think? what is your greatest stressor right now?

love to all,

amanda, lindsey + meredith

the lionesses

say hello: info@dandylionevents.com

want details for our giveaway? click here!

hello lions,

if you’re looking for an excellent baker + caterer, please meet laura of strawberry blondie!

i can personally attest to the wonder of her baked goods. from cupcakes to granola bars to cookies, laura has a gift of flavor and ingenuity!

these goji-cacao power granola bars pack a punch!

her menu revolves around local + seasonal items and offers organic and gluten-free options. all of her products are labeled so you know exactly what you’re putting in your body. she likes to plan dishes that are sophisticated, affordable, a little fun and a little southern!

just look at that frosting detail! delicious!

i saved my favorite for last- triple chocolate cupcakes. they taste even better than they look. check out all the goodies from strawberry blondie and start enjoying her treats today!

with love,

lindsey

say hello: lindsey@dandylionevents.com

hello lions,
we’ve joined forces with kate crafton photography to bring you an even better giveaway! she’s offering photography for your wedding! check out our updated post for more details.

with love,

lindsey

hello lions,

this little lioness is going to paint the jungle of nashville black + yellow!

logo + claw poster are the creative products of meredith our graphic design lioness

have you entered our contest yet?

with love,

lindsey

say hello: lindsey@dandylionevents.com

we’re doing a give-away. the details are super-secret right now but i’ll be sharing more info on friday. in the meantime, sign up for our rss feed in the top right corner or subscribe to our dandyMail so you don’t miss a thing!

whatever could it be?

with love,

lindsey

got something to say? give it to me straight: lindsey@dandylionevents.com