this wedding was so.much.fun. and it really came through in the photos! kate crafton took about a thousand, so it was very difficult to choose just a few to share. here are some of my favorites:

the ceremony and reception were both held in the same venue in downtown nashville.

the ceremony set up- same area for dancing later!

beve coffee is a mobile coffee bar serving the nashville area. they set up this little barista stand right next to the dessert tables! delicious!

this ribbon wall was my gift to brian and savannah.

first time brian saw savannah:

wedding party looking serious!

love this shot of brian and his boys goofing off – much more descriptive of the day!

since the ceremony started at 8pm, the couple opted to take pictures before everyone arrived. in between pictures and the ceremony, there was a little snack break on a different floor so the guests wouldn’t encounter the bride beforehand.

brian and savannah included their attendants and family in blessing their rings, also known as a ring warming. the symbols were passed through the entire wedding party-

and through the first row of guests, which was comprised entirely of immediate family.

we strongly encourage couples to take a moment just to themselves sometime during the day. so much love.

being announced at the reception! look at those cool cats.

dancing in the area where the ceremony was held-

guests on the observation deck during the reception-

brian and savannah leaving for the evening.

it’s pretty emotional going back through these. savannah, brian and families: thank you for trusting us, allowing us into your lives and sharing such wonderful day.

to meredith, jesse and anna- it was an amazing day, and none of it would’ve happened without your enormous effort.

i love you all so much.

with love,

lindsey

lindsey@dandylionevents.com

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you all have loved seeing pics of our december 11 wedding and truly, it was so much fun!

the most frequent question has been: where is that venue? while our sweet bride savannah did a great job choosing a space with a great view + complemented her color scheme,  i’m here to make the case for lighting with some before + after pics:

ceremony/dance space before:

(c) meredith norwood

after:

(c) kate crafton photography

see what i mean? tim and his staff at 2 sound productions did an incredible job of making the space come alive. highly recommend for an event in tn or atl!

also, you may think this space looks awesome, but think about the feelings and overall impact you want to create before signing a contract with any venue. it is expensive and labor-intensive to fight your surroundings. this space would not have been ideal for a fluffy, soft, peony-infested affair. it was perfect for a night of rock n roll!

what do you think? what sort of venues interest you?

love to all,

lindsey

i’d love to hear from you! lindsey@dandylionevents.com

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today i’m wondering- why a dress? why not a suit?

i had the opportunity to speak to a nashville custom dress maker olia zavozina this month + her passion for making people feel good in their skin (and clothes) on their wedding day.

first of all, you know olia is a pro because she makes amazing custom dresses for people of all shapes and sizes. and if a dress isn’t your style, she also makes custom fitted suits and tuxes for men + women.

i was super excited to share this information with a lesbian couple who are looking for beautiful suits for their wedding day. following ariel from offbeat bride’s advice: you want to look like the best version of you, not someone else entirely. so for gals who don’t fancy a dress- how about an incredibly well made, sumptious suit that fits you perfectly?

olia loves chatting with + working with everyone! if you’d like to start talking to her about your design ideas, you should definitely send her an email at olia@oliazavozina.com!

what do you think? what do you want to wear? what do you not want to wear?

love to all,

lindsey

i’d love to hear your thoughts! lindsey@dandylionevents.com

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choosing someone to guide your ceremony is a very personal choice. it is also a struggle many of our lions face. how do you find someone who is tolerant? who can you confide in? do they understand your love? are there professionals who perform nonreligious and/or lgbt weddings?

yes!

please meet rabbi rami. in short, he is amazing. here are his thoughts on love + marriage:

“i think love should be based on shared values rather than shared
histories. what matters is who you are, rather than the religious
faith of your parents.

it is very challenging to make a marriage work. it requires great
compassion and deep humility. this is not necessarily something one
has before a marriage, it is something that must be cultivated as a
couple in marriage. love is not “never having to say “i’m sorry;” love
is always having to say “i’m sorry.”

as important as saying “i love you” is to a marriage, saying “thank
you” is even more important. a marriage works best when partners
realize how much the other gifts them every day.

i think gays and lesbians should have the same human rights as
everyone else, and that includes the right to marry.

while i understand why parents may prefer their children marry within
their own race, religion, and socio-economic class, i only care about
the quality of the love shared between the people who plan to marry.”

wow, talk about understanding. rami can be contacted at rabbirami@gmail.com and you can check out his lectures, books and learn more about him here.

what elements do you want in your ceremony?

love to all,

lindsey

i’d love to hear from you: lindsey@dandylionevents.com

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please meet the lovely artistic amanda! she has worked in print, graphic and web design for several companies and now for herself! she says that most clients who are drawn to her for invitations or announcements want something innovative and personal.

check out these illustrated save the dates! this client liked the design so much, amanda turned it into an interactive website homepage that would take you to different parts of the site depending on which graphic you clicked.

how much do you love this hatch-style announcement? hello, awesome nashville skyline! plus minimalist color scheme + funky font? yes please! we love to see people turn their wedding or event into a production- because it’s truly fun, and your guests want to celebrate with you!

amanda hopes to keep growing + spreading the love, professionally and personally, in nashville. you can check out more of her work on her website, or catch a glimpse of her crazy + happy personality on facebook or twitter. you can start a conversation of your own, too: artisticamanda@gmail.com

i can’t wait for our next opportunity to make hatch posters or include custom maps with invitations. there is so much here: custom invitations, custom logos + total branding. what custom design touches do you dream about having for your next event?

love to all,

lindsey

give us a roar: lindsey@dandylionevents.com

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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