hello lions,

it’s fun to be creative with blank spaces! i empathize with marcy blum’s distaste for venue managers who tell me things like “this is what we usually do/ how we usually set up in this room”. we always want to do it differently.

so how do you create or transform a space or tent? we asked local nashville company blue nova designs for help. they are experts at creating a magical realm using drapery and/or props. they have a background in theater draping + stage design. so they have all sorts of tools to fabricate custom pieces that incorporate metal, fabric and lighting! they love custom pieces + would be glad to talk to you about your design ideas. the picasso pictured above was a client request- they liked it so much they made a few more + added it to their inventory!

each of these cubes are 2′ x2′ – so some of these colorful pillars are 8 feet tall!

they have a helpful, friendly + knowledgeable staff who work hard to make the most of your budget. they offer creative fabric solutions  + multi-purpose use of materials.

what do you think? what do you want the overall initial impact to feel like? do you intend to use drapery of any sort?

love to all,

lindsey

say hello: lindsey@dandylionevents.com

hello lions,

ongoing entertainment during parties + receptions is becoming more commonplace, and for good reason- it’s lots more fun! strolling tables of nashville can add an exciting & surprising element to your event with their glamorous tables decked out with live models!

(c) la photographie nashville

instead of having a waiter amble around with a tray or push a cart, your hors d’oeuvres or desserts can waltz around the room designed in a theme of your choice.

(c) la photographie nashville

the tables can hold food and/or beverages and promenade throughout the venue.  they’re also useful for name badges, candy, programs, party favors + gift bags. they can even stroll effortlessly throughout the room collecting bids on silent auction items for a charity event. the tables are fully mobile-allowing them to move to your guests. i would love to see these at the end of the night with candles, bells or other items for the sendoff.

they offer other performances for your event including burlesque/cabaret dancers, aerialists and variety acts. they have models for hire as greeters or roaming entertainment. so cool!

be sure to check out their video to see these gals in action! they glide so effortlessly. it sounds hilarious, but it looks really cool! you can contact them at info [at] strollingtablesofnashville [dot] com.

what theme would you want to see? and what would you put on the table?

love to all,

lindsey

say hello: lindsey@dandylionevents.com

hello lions!

if you want an eco-friendly option for your wedding or event be sure to check out iHOSPITALITY, a nashville company whose tableware helps you have a fun event and make the earth happy, too. ashley currie, the brains behind iHOSPITALITY, recognized the need for  a local supplier after client requests.

iHOSPITALITY can provide you with plates, serving platters and cutlery  made from plant-based sources such as bamboo, sugar, corn and grass. they also offer packaging like custom-sized boxes which you could use for favors and/or cake! they are 100% compostable + biodegradable. they look great too-here’s a closer look at the sugar plates:
ashley senses that there is a large level of interest in the nashville area for eco-conscious products and that the desire will continue to rise. she feels good about her products and supplying them in a timely manner through a local warehouse.

is reducing the impact of your event important to you? what other eco ideas do you have?

love to all,

lindsey

say hi: lindsey@dandylionevents.com

hello lions,

got a project? make it a party! at least that’s what we did on the evening of june 6th to complete this mobile for a december wedding. this is the full post from last week’s sneak peek. we worked really hard on this so i’m excited to share! it really pleased the bride-to-be, which is the most important part of the whole project. it fit her idea of how the whole event should look + feel. hooray!

we started with a frame…

then our spray paint gurus got to work…

then we began to hang items, chandelier style…

here’s the final product! the lanterns will be lit during the evening.

this project was several weeks in the making: we took time to create a stable design, researched cost and availability of materials, purchased the materials, built the frame and spent a few hours hanging 100+ objects from the various circles in a specific pattern. phew! it looks great though! many thanks to all who helped or watched. it was a party!

what feel are you envisioning for your event?

love to all,

lindsey

give us a roar: lindsey@dandylionevents.com

hello lions,

as you may already know, i have no knowledge of makeup whatsoever. i’m open to learning, though! lisa johnson, mua, has taken the time to tell us her current hair + makeup loves.

1. Ballerina Buns

It’s one of the biggest hair trends this spring. Buns were also one of my favorite looks at the LANVIN Spring 2010 show. It’s time to start investing in bobby pins!

2.  Lower Lash Lines

False lower lash lines trend is giving your eyes a new look for spring. The look can be very dramatic and bold. Is this trend a go or would you pass on this one? Shu Uemura Premium Radiant Blue False Eyelashes $50

3. Braids

I always loved the fish tail braids. It’s an easy and inexpensive way to add style to your look. The hair style can be messy but still chic.

4. Crimped Textured Hair

I remember watching the Diane Von Furstenberg Spring 2010 show and I was really excited to see crimped hair on the models. Crimped textured goddess hair is so in for spring!

5. Purple is Still On

Believe it or not, purple is still a favorite beauty trend rolling into spring.

6. Bright Lips

Bright lips at the Marc by Marc Jacobs Spring 2010 show was the look. Pink or Red Lips? Both are great colors for spring but remember to keep the eye makeup subtle.

7. Give Me Shimmer

Spring is all about the shimmer. Pair it with a pink lip gloss… ooh la la! NARS Orgasm Illuminator leaves your skin luminous and radiant. Remember, a complexion that glows…goes! $29

8. Pastel Eyes

The 80’s trend is in full effect and will surely give your eyes some pop with shades of purples, blues, and cotton candy shadows.

9. Peach Lips

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

hello, lions!
we would like to thank our talented participants + all the folks who voted! you are truly dandy!

now for the winner:

paco

it was a close race, but paco + his owners brian and savannah have won! they’ll receive planning from us for their december wedding as well as photography from kate crafton.

the happy dandycouple

angela + troy, in second place, will receive a copy of the anti-bride guide to encourage them to walk their own path!

many thanks to all contestants who entered and to the friends, family members + total strangers who voted for our dandycouples.

love to all,

lindsey

say hello: lindsey@dandylionevents.com

hello, lions!
today we reveal the top 3 entries to our contest. we’re delighted to introduce them and hope you’ll vote for your favorite wedding! one vote per person, please. voting will close thursday night at midnight central time! duplicates will not be counted.

angela + troy

angela + troy are planning a 1940s glamor wedding for July 24, 2010. their black, white, red and gold themed reception will take place at the hotel preston. they’re planning a cocktail party reception with a signature champagne cocktail- true to the era! angela’s attendants will wear cocktail dresses. angela is also planning a few diy projects including centerpieces of  picture frames, mirrors and candles for an intimate event.

natosha + stephen

natosha + stephen are getting married on october 10, 2010. they chose this date because it represents binary code, which then adds up to the ultimate answer to life, the universe and everything (according to the hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxy): 42. their agnostic ceremony and reception will take place at the rosemont mansion. natosha has chosen a palette of ivory, white, beige, cream and black. she plans to incorporate garden-style greenery and vintage buttons to her decor.

savannah + brian

savannah + brian are planning a 1940/1960 vintage + rock n roll theme wedding. they’re planning to wed on december 11, 2010 at one eleven in downtown nashville.  savannah loves design and printed her own save-the-dates. for her next project, she is planning to produce an entire invitational suite in ’storybook’ form. this is going to be a major diy undertaking considering she will create about 100! their color palette will consist of silver, mustard, cream and black. savannah’s attendants will wear vintage silver and brian’s attendants will wear black or mustard skinny ties.

paco, their pet hamster, will join them on their wedding day as well!

who is your favorite? let us know in the comments below!

love to all,

lindsey

say hello: lindsey@dandylionevents.com