hello lions,
we’re excited to be hosting a queercamp unconference in nashville- at the outcentral cultural center on church street. it will take place on saturday, may 29th with presentations beginning at 10am.

the first queercamp was last year in milwaukee, and this year it has expanded to include nashville and chicago. you lions know that we promote equality and community- and that is what this event is about!

the unconference structure allows participants to present, so the more people who participate, the more fun it will be! you can register here, and the best part is that it’s totally free. yup! join us in creating this FIRST EVER opportunity for the nashville lgbt community to gather to learn together, grow together and shape the future.

some of you may not be familiar with the concept of an unconference but let me assure you it’s not as cofusing as it sounds. anyone can sign up to speak, and then other participants sign up for the classes they want to attend. if you get inspired during the day there will be an impromptu room set up for you to talk to a group on the spot! we do schedule the speeches in advance, so if you’re interested in talking about anything at all, please contact me at lindsey[at]dandylionevents.com or 615.439.0652 (texts are okay too). once we have a few topics solidified, we’ll post a schedule so those who wish to participate can plan their day. easy, right? community-focused and driven. did i mention how excited we are?

be sure to check out our ad in out & about nashville in may. many thanks to our wonderful sponsor, kevin at KLR Photography. be sure to show him some love!

*disclaimer: we do not intend for the word ‘queer’ to offend anyone. we are an offshoot of the original event and chose to maintain that connection. we love every lion and do not use it as a slur or in any way demeaning to the lgbtqti lions out there.

love to all,

lindsey

give us a roar and sign up to speak! lindsey@dandylionevents.com

hello lions,
looking for our giveaway info? tomorrow is the last day to enter-click here!

welcome to our local feature friday. i’m pleased to introduce kevin rogers of KLR Photographyand show some examples of his emotional work!

kevin’s passion for photography is his full-time occupation and you can tell he loves it! he’s available for engagements,  weddings + gay weddings, and parties.

kevin says his view of things is sometimes more skewed to detail and showing how the participants fit into the overall picture. he loves to shoot nature + architecture and his photos reflect those elements as well.

plus, how cool is this Scottish/Gaelic wedding that took place on Halloween/Samhein? This looks like it was a really fun wedding!

what do you think about getting married on or around a popular holiday?

love to all,

lindsey

say hello! lindsey@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,

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

hello lions,
for our local nashville feature, i’m happy to be sharing pictures and stories courtesy of stephanie at la photographie nashville. (she also provided the awesome images for our giveaway post.)

la photographie can travel through the entire planning process with you, from your engagement photos,

to boudoir shots,

to the big day itself!

plus, my personal favorite- their classic pin-up style!

whether your style is rockabilly, 1920s- 1940s glamour or timeless + classic, la photographie can provide a powerful set of clear + beautiful images. they’ll make your wedding photos pop! how do you want to remember this special time?

with love,

lindsey

say hello: lindsey@dandylionevents.com

Good morning lovely lions!

We had our first real cold snap over the weekend here in the mountains of Western North Carolina and honestly, I had to refrain from breaking out the multitudinous holiday decorations I have in my arsenal. I am a sucker for the holiday season, no matter what you celebrate (or don’t). Winter weddings have been stuck in a rut for a while, so I’m presenting three variations on a theme for a fabulous fete. I have a vintage Christmas playlist cued up on Pandora, so let’s tackle some color and décor ideas using texture to enhance your event!

Let’s start off with a classic Christmas color combination with a funky vintage flair:

I can already hear the chestnuts roasting on that open fire when I see this combination. It has that traditional red and green combination, but the color palette includes some rich woody brown and some tasty buttercream yellow for contrast. Imagine having your bridesmaids wearing chocolate brown matte satin gowns and carrying traditional kissing balls (aka pomanders) of boxwood, holly berries, and fragrant evergreens like fraser fir, Leland cypress, or juniper, hanging from a buttercream satin ribbon. Instead of Christmas trees or a large altar arrangement, consider having large evergreen topiaries studded with sugared berries and holly boughs.

Are you a non-traditional, funky spouse-to-be who loves autumn colors, but wants to get married in the crisp winter time? Let me introduce you to the idea of combining a little winter cool with the warm of fall’s oranges:

Except for the hit of sky blue, your palette is straight autumn Tuscan sunset. I’ve seen a lot of chocolate browns and coppers being used in décor for this holiday season, which is a throwback to the mid 1970’s. I’d challenge you to use the warm clay color (far right) as your base color for dresses/linens and experiment with flowers in tones of golden yellow, rich orange, with hits of light blue. Confused as what to use? Imagine a over-the-arm arrangement of bella donna delphinium, terra cotta roses, red kangaroo paw, skeleton leaves, wheat, and some loops of sheer gold ribbon at the base for a textural contrast. Concentrate on the usage of dried materials in amongst fresh flowers to give a embodiment to the transition between autumn and winter.

Looking for something a little more 1950’s Audrey Hepburn glam? Cue Rosemary and Bing crooning to each other on “Count Your Blessings” and check out this Tiffany’s tribute:

You could have SO much fun with this combination, and it is very appropriate for a holiday fete. It reminds me of a Vermont winter…can you tell I’m a sucker for the move White Christmas?

Imagine that signature baby blue being used in the wired-posey bouquets of a troupe of black cocktail-dressed ladies (perhaps with blue sashes) in with hints of rich purple and luscious ice white flowers. You could even use white amaryllis for your focal flowers, along with little fluffs of purple allium, delphinium blooms strung on silver wire, and sprays of crystals to give your wedding a marvelous glam feel without being glittery and over the top. Instead of white mini Christmas lights, look outside of that and try the big C9 faceted bulbs strung on large evergreens in LED white or blue. You could use heavy purple linens topped with a blue-and-white runners with black china…such a beautiful contrast of colors.

Well lions, I hope I’ve given you some new ideas about holiday décor ideas, looking outside of the usual Christmas trees, dark red, and white mini lights strung up everywhere. Give your holiday wedding a makeover and think of the impression you’ll make. Until next time, dearest lions!

many thanks to amanda for this wonderful post! you can reach her at eustoma.grandiflora@gmail.com

love, lindsey

say hi: lindsey@dandylionevents.com

hello you lovely lions,
i know you’ve already read about my paper obsession. so now i want to encourage you to visit www.i-do-it-yourself.com for free paper printables to help you pull your event together with all your paper goods- invitations, programs, cards and labels. not just free, but beautiful and versatile products that you will actually like and want to use.

first, wedding invitations:
on their website they’re talking about french romantic era, but you can go back and look at previous posts and projects. i think these library invites for bookworms are parfait…

i like the “application” to attend the reception.

then there are the labels. oh, the labels. this is by far my favorite part! they tell you what type + size of label you can print them on and everything. how simple is that? i’ve only included my favorite two- they have every style + several color options for any kind of label you would want. use them on your envelopes for seals or return addresses,  personalize your thank-yous or (boring, i know) labels on favor boxes/bags/totes.

i really like the b+w ones. and just like your maids dresses and everything else, remember that not everything has to be matchy-matchy and perfect. i think style #3 would add to a kitschy wedding and it’s so easy!

these are multi-purpose and come in a variety of colors. simple! beautiful! done.

for the wood nymphs out there, and i know there are a few- you are going to adore these paper boxes. their shape is unusual too once assembled- narrow and tall compared to a traditional box. i like the green, but i think you could print in b+w too.

finally, a dandelion puff pattern with several options for usage- print on regular paper and enjoy. how would you put it to work?

special thanks to luzel at www.i-do-it-yourself.com for letting me talk about the great products they offer for free to creative brides. you gals are doing some amazing work!

with love,

lindsey

say hey: lindsey@dandylionevents.com