Love from the Mother of the Bride | Austin Wedding Planner, Riverbend Smith Chapel, Austin Country Club

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I was thrilled to find this in my inbox this morning, from Saturday's wedding at  Riverbend's Smith Chapel and Austin Country Club. :) We have the best clients!

On Jun 28, 2012, at 10:45 AM, Carol Richards wrote:

Jessica, thank you so much for making the wedding a great success!!
we could not have done it without you and something to celebrate!!
I was able to relax and visit with my family and friends the days before the wedding , since I knew you
had everything covered.
many friends and family  commented before the wedding when we were visiting,  that I was the most relaxed mother of the bride they had ever seen.
that is a compliment to you!!
we really appreciate everything, all of the rooms were beautiful!!
I will recommend you to all of my friends for their daughter's weddings!!
thank you again!!
carol richards


Weddings to Celebrate: Emily & Bryan (the sneak peek video and boudoir) | Houston Wedding Planner

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Emily and Bryan got married at the end of May in the cutest little church inside the loop.  They had their reception at the always amazing Hotel Icon.  When I showed Emily the work 31 Films does, she fell in love for a 2nd time (Bryan being the first, of course) and immediately book them.  How could she not??  Videographer or Cinematographer will never fully describe what they do.  She chose their "same day" edit, which is a really cool option that is becoming increasingly popular.  Here is a link to the beautiful video her guests got to see after entering the ballroom (immediately before dinner).  The entire room was in tears ... including me! 

To See the Video, Please Click Here

Emily also gave Bryan the coolest gift:  An album of boudoir pictures - taken in the same suite they spent their wedding night.  It was UNBELIEVABLE, and Bryan loved it so much he even showed me!  Imagine Emily's suprise when she found out it was featured on Style Me Pretty!  Here is a teaser picture from that beautiful session.  If you are interested in doing something similar for your groom-to-be, you should definitely check out Koby & Terilyn Brown of Archetype Studio

.  :-)

I can't wait to show you the pictures Rachel Robison took!  Stay tuned for a post on that in a few weeks :-) 

xoxo,

Weddings to Celebrate: Emily & Bryan's Wedding At Hotel Icon | Houston Wedding Planner

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Emily and Bryan got married this evening (yes, you read that correctly) at St. John's Church in Heritage Park and had their reception at Hotel Icon.  Here is the UNBELIEVABLY amazing video that 31 Films did for them.  (Same day edit...it was shown right after they were announced into the ballroom tonight.)  If you don't already know about 31 Films ... you need to learn.  Fast.  Hands down one of the two best videographers in Texas.

Emily & Bryan - Same Day Edit // Houston from 31Films on Vimeo.

Same Day Highlight Video

I can't wait to show you more of the details from their special day, and tell you all about what a wonderful couple Emily & Bryan are.  Stay tuned!  (Same hint:  seersucker linens and hat boxes.  Oh my!  Okay, okay...here is a tiny teaser picture of the bride's bouquet (from my iphone).

Emily & Bryan - You know I adore you.  I wish you a lifetime of happiness!

Joey, Josh, Chris & Aaron (my 31 Films pals) - My hat's off to you.  Words will never be able to convey how much I think of you guys. 

xoxo,

Shamelessly Asking for Your Love...

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Dear Clients - past and current,
The Knot is hosting a sort of competition, comparing each city's vendors against each other in order to produce a "best of" list. Sure, we've won this "competition" four years now, but we're not
resting on our laurels. And, ok, we might be a bit competitive. ;) A bit.
The competition ends November 4th! They use the reviews posted on The Wedding Channel website to gauge the awesomeness of the competing vendors. If you've got a minute (and, really, it takes just a minute!), would you please post a review? The star rating is most important, then just add a line or two of comments (or more, if you'd like!).
We hope that you love working with us and that you're willing/wanting to tell the world! :) And if your mom wants to write a review to, we hope she will! And your dad, and your maid of honor, and your ushers, and.... there's no limit on who can love us. Haha!
Here are the links:
Thank you! GO STC, GO!!!

Events to Celebrate: Miller's 60th Birthday Party

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Helping couples plan their perfect wedding is fabulous. However, having the opportunity to work with them again and again is the bees knees. :-) I had a blast helping Maricela and Brooks with their big day, and was THRILLED with Brooks' mother contacted me to coordinate his dad's 60th Birthday Bash. It was an 8 hour long, 4-leg party complete with roasts, toasts, limos, laughter and loads of fun. Here are a few pictures of the first two stops taken by my dear friend, Kylene Sherer. Didn't she do an amazing job? I'll post pictures from the last two stops next month.






Thanks again for letting me be a part of this awesome birthday bash. It was one for the books!

xoxo,


Cast of Vendors...
Coordinator: Something to Celebrate, Resha Zazueta
Photographer: Kylene Sherer
Videographer: Seale Adams
Catering: BBs Cafe
Cake: A Taste of Expression
Florist: Last Petal
Rentals: Elegant Beginnings
DJ: Rock N Robin
Limos: Galveston Limos

Couples to Celebrate: Meredith & Trent

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My adorable bride Meredith and her equally sweet groom Trent recently had their engagement shoot, and I couldn't help but share. Aren't these beyond fantastic? Rachel Robinson really outdid herself. Add me to her fan list :-P

I have the pleasure of coordinating their April wedding, and I can't WAIT to show you all of the amazing things we have in store. (Alas, you will have to wait though ... we have to show Meredith's guests first. lol) Until then, enjoy these images ...







For more picture fun, here is an article from Modern Luxury magazine featuring their cute session.

xoxo,

Engagement Session (featuring Lora and Derek, with Sweet Caroline Photo)

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Should you do an engagement session? Absolutely. Yes. Definitely.  :)

Here's why:
  • You get to know your photographer, and vice versa. I notice a discernible difference in my clients who have Engagement Sessions with their wedding photographers. On the wedding day, these clients are much more at ease with their photographer, which allows the photographer to capture more genuine and intimate emotions.
  • Engagement Sessions are a great way to see how you'll work with your photographer, before the wedding day. I have had one client who actually chose to go with a different photographer for their wedding, because the engagement session showed them that they didn't enjoy working with that particular photographer.
  • You're young, you're fabulous.... you need to capture this time of your life while wearing something other than formal wear or a bridal gown. Excellent photos that capture you as a couple, in the place(s) that are important to you.
  • Guestbooks that incorporate engagement pictures are awesome. The photographer provides an album of images from your Engagement Session, with lots of white/neutral space. Guests love flipping through the books, finding their favorite images to sign around. And the guestbook is then worthy of coffee table display, rather than being tucked on a bookshelf, rarely to be seen again.
  • Save-The-Dates are more personal when they incorporate a picture of you guys, and even better if it's a stunning, professional picture.
When considering your photographer budget and customizing your package, be sure to seriously consider adding an engagement session.

Check out these fun engagement shots of STC couple Lora and Derek, who will be getting married this October. They did their Engagement Session with their wedding photographer, Sweet Caroline Photo.

Happy planning!






















Vendors to Celebrate: Elegant Beginnings, Inc.

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Occasionally, a vendor comes around that is so amazing, so truly outstanding that he/she deserves a little special recognition. Jill Vidal, owner of Elegant Beginnings, Inc. is one of those rare finds. From the moment I met Jill, she captured my attention. She is incredibly easy to work with, always treats me with kindness, and exceeds my expectations at every event. She has been nothing short of extraordinary. I like working with good people who offer an exceptional product and/or service at a fair price. I believe how they treat me is a direct reflection on how they will treat my clients – and I am always confident that my clients are in VERY good hands with Jill and her team.

To learn more about Jill and Elegant Beginnings Inc., please read below…

photo credit: David Jones Photography

Resha: In your previous life, what was your career?

Jill: In my previous life I was a famous dancer. Tap and Hip Hop, Not pole dancing...that will be the next life.

R: Why did you open your rental business?

J: I originally opened EB to have a very small hobby/business to keep my excessive energy managed while being a stay-at-home mom. Little did I know, what a huge success it would become, thus postponing my family plans until 2004 in order to properly position the business and introduce warehouse and growth forecasts.

R: Why weddings?

J: Elegant Beginnings, Inc., provides linens and decor for any type of special event, however weddings are huge part of our design and production focus. Weddings are about the union of two people and reflect the bride and groom's history, spirit, and creative visions. I thoroughly enjoy getting to know my clients, their families, and their goals for the future and am literally fed by the excitement each bride has about her wedding.

R: What sets you apart from other Houston rental companies?

J: EB offers one of the largest selection of linens in the state. We mix no bones about our internal mission statement " If we don't have, we'll make it." What truly sets us apart is our customer service and our sincerest desire to provide a quality product for events of all kinds and budgets. Our positive attitude and quick response time has labeled us the "Linen 911'ers."

R: What's your number one rental-related tip for brides?

J: Get a Wedding Planner and enjoy the process

R: Funky chicken or Macarena?

J: Macarena

R: Have you had a defining moment?

J: Professional - Premiering on Platinum Weddings for two different incredible weddings in Houston. Personal - Giving birth to my beautiful children. Grace and Jack

R: If you have "down" time, how do you spend it?

J: Playing with my kids, cooking with my husband, and hanging out with my awesome friends and family.

R: Why do you prefer that your clients hire a wedding coordinator?

J: It helps keep the detail organized. A bride should be focussed on projecting her creativity to have her most perfect day, not keeping binders, contracts and timelines.

Jill - Every time I talk to you, I walk away from the conversation with a smile on my face. I look forward to our next 1000 events together :-)

Much love,

Couples to Celebrate: Lindsey & Rick

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When I met Lindsey and her amazing mother, I felt an instant connection. She has one of those smiles that just makes you want to smile back. She's warm, funny, friendly and classic. I have no doubt her wedding will be the same. I can't wait to help her bring everything together. Read more about her and her adorable groom below...


photo courtesy of E Sullivan Photography
Name: Rick Sweatt and Lindsey Davis

Wedding Website: www.mywedding.com/lindseyandrick/

Where's Home? We both were born and raised in Houston and are currently living in Sugar Land.

Why a Houston Wedding? We are both from here and wanted a wedding that all of our family and friends could be a part of.

Length of engagement? When the big day finally arrives we will have been engaged for a little over 10 months.

How long until the wedding? 145 days..but whose counting? ;)

Who did you first tell you were engaged? We both had to call our parents first and share the good news and then the rest of our family and friends quickly after that.

If you had to start over in your wedding planning, what one thing would you do differently? Honestly, we have had a blast planning what will
be the most amazing day of our lives and wouldn't change a thing. Yes, there have been stressful times and I'm sure there are with every wedding but we have had so much fun and everything has worked out the way it is supposed to. We are just ready for the day to be here!

During the ceremony, who will be the first to cry? Lindsey: I know that I will cry when I am walking with my dad. I feel so honored that he will be walking me down the aisle. Rick: I will be able to hold them back until I see her and then I will loose it.

What are your three favorite blogs/websites (besides STC's)? Lindsey: Love them all but I look at this one fairly often - www.stylemepretty.com/


Why did you hire a wedding coordinator? OR When selecting someone to entrust with your wedding day, why did you choose STC? We decided to go with STC because the moment I (Lindsey) met Resha I knew she would help make our wedding fantastic! She has already provided so much guidance and Rick and I know that she will help make our wedding all that we have dreamt it to be.

Guys - I've said it before, and I'm sure I will say it 100 times over - but I seriously can not wait for your wedding day. You are an adorable couple (the kind of couple that made us all want to be a part of the wedding industry) with a rock-star list of wedding vendors. It will be one for the books!

xoxo,

Love from a Bride & Groom

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In December I had the pleasure of coordinating Sandra & Oliver's beautiful wedding. I can't wait to show you pictures! Until then, here is the sweet thank you note they sent me. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I love what I do. And this is why.
Guys, I had so much fun helping you plan your AMAZING day. And I'm so glad we became friends along the way :-)

Much love,

Love from a Mother of the Bride

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This weekend I received the sweetest thank you email from a Mother-of-the-Bride (Morgan's mother - from Morgan & Chris' wonderful wedding over Halloween weekend). It made my day, and I wanted to share it with all of you. This is why I love doing what I do.

Resha,


I just wanted to tell you how very much our family appreciated all your help during Chris and Morgan's wedding in October. Truly we can all say that we could not have done it without you. During the entire process you had everything under control and made Morgan and Chris feel that they didn't have to stress over so many details. Your
experience and confidence were very calming and assuring and I could tell that from the beginning Morgan really trusted your judgement. You offered Morgan and Chris suggestions and opinions, without trying to "run the show." They were able to bounce ideas off of you and your advice was always just what they needed to hear. At the wedding you and the other sweet young lady (I am sorry because I have forgotten her name.) were making sure that everything ran smoothly and were very discreet in the way that you did so. You kept a very low profile, "working the room" and keeping everyone on task. Thanks so much for being very instrumental in making this day so special for all of our family.


Many thanks and God bless you in your "new territory" - H-town.




Terry


xoxo, Resha

Shamelessly asking for your love

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Dear Clients - past and current,

The Knot is hosting a sort of competition, comparing each city's vendors against each other in order to produce a "best of" list. Sure, we've won this "competition" three consecutive years, but we're not resting on our laurels. And, ok, we might be a bit competitive. ;) A bit.

The competition ends TOMORROW! They use the reviews posted on the wedding channel website to gauge the awesomeness of the competing vendors. If you've got a minute (and, really, it takes just a minute!), would you please post a review? The star rating is most important, then just add a line or two of comments (or more, if you'd like!). We hope that you love working with us and that you're willing/wanting to tell the world! :) And if your mom wants to write a review to, we hope she will! And your dad, and your maid of honor, and your ushers, and.... there's no limit on who can love us. Haha!

Here are the links:
Austin - Something To Celebrate WeddingChannel.com online profile Austin
Houston - Something to Celebrate WeddingChannel.com online profile Houston

Thank you! GO STC, GO!!!

Vendor Spotlight: Studio 563, Craig Davis

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Central Texas is blessed with many excellent photographers. And one of the best in the business is Craig Davis and the Studio 563 team. Working with them is a like a paid vacation. Sharp, talented, creative and a-typical. The 563 crew is the perfect example of what wedding photography should be.


To learn a little more about Craig, please read below:


Resha: In your previous life, what was your career?

Craig: I was the Music Director/Band Leader at our church for six years

R: Why did you become a photographer?

C: I loved shooting and had experienced the ability to bring smiles to people's faces and when I found out that I could earn more than I was I thought it was worth the shot!

R: Why weddings?

C: Truthfully it is where I got my start. But now it is knowing that it takes a special person to provide the experience people need on that day and I feel it is something that comes natural to me.

R: What sets you apart from other houston wedding photographers?

C: You know once you reach a certain bar of talent in this world there is really only personality that makes the biggest difference in my opinion. I believe I am someone that people can trust and are comfortable with and that is crucial on these very special days.

R: What's your number one photography-related tip for brides?

C: Ahh. RELAX. Know what you want. Plan enough time and resources to get what you want, and enjoy your day. If pictures are "the most important thing", then plan your day with them i mind. Then... RELAX.

R: Funky chicken or Macarena?

C: HA! FUNKY CHICKEN!!!!

R: What's the most impressive thing you've done in post-production editing?

Learning that less is more. The worst thing that ever happened to photography in my opinion is when Photoshop became a verb. If a client wants the walls to have a color wash on them in the reception then hire a lighting guy. Post processing gets really bad really quick when you try and make an image something it was never captured to be. So I believe it is reaching the place where editing serves the image as it was intended to be.

R: If you have "down" time, how do you spend it?

C: Oh man do I love my down time. I like to spend time with my lovely wife. I also thoroughly enjoy being in the woods. Hunting and fishing is the best escape in the world for me.

R: Why do you prefer that your clients hire a wedding coordinator?

C: Are you kidding?!? Well lets see. There is actually a chance that the day will run smoothly. A timeline is followed. I do not have to tell grown adults how to cut a cake. But the most important thing is that there is someone there making sure that everyone has what they need to ensure the greatest opportunity for success in producing the client's dream wedding. The only discount that we constantly run is given to people who work with a coordinator. That is how important we believe it is to the success of the day.


Craig - You know I think the world of you and your team. I am blessed to be able to call you a friend, and many of my clients are blessed to call you their photographer. Cheers!


xoxo, Resha

Weddings to Celebrate: Georgia & Kevin (the sneak peak)

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This past weekend I had the privilege of coordinating Georgia & Kevin's wedding festivities (along with the help of Lauren C & Kristen - who did an amazing job overseeing set up while I was at the church).

Georgia hired me to create the decor / overall look of the day, and gave me a lot of creative leeway during the process. The result was one of my favorite linen / table set ups ever - a mixer of rectangles and rounds and three different styles of linens. Lauren snapped a few pictures during set up, and I couldn't wait to share. Please disregard the quality of the photos - we are coordinators, not photographers. lol And I'm pretty sure these were taken with her camera phone.




I had so much fun planning with Georgia, and I can't wait to share the professional pictures with all of you (hopefully very soon).

Special thanks to Jill Vidal and the crew at Elegant Beginnings, Inc. Working with their team is an absolute delight.

xoxo, Resha

Couples to Celebrate: My Sweet Destination Couple

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The best compliment anyone could give me is a referral. I met this sweet bride when she was the bridesmaid of one of my past clients. I had an amazing time planning that wedding, and this gorgeous bridesmaid has always stayed in my head. Imagine my excitement when she contacted me in July, announced that she was engaged, and asked me to coordinate her destination wedding. Honored doesn't even begin to describe it. (The wedding will be held in Los Angeles this coming winter.)

This past month, she and her adorable groom have been in India enjoying the two formal engagement parties their families hosted. They sent me a few pictures from those events, and I just had to share.

I love the way they look at each other. They are smitten with one another, and it's written all over their faces.

Doesn't she look amazing? My mother always says, "You want to notice the girl in the dress." And this one is as beautiful inside as she is out.


And here is a great shot of one of the parties. Five hundred of their closest friends and family gathered to celebrate with them.  
Guys - As I've said before, honored doesn't even begin to describe how I feel about helping the two of you. You are an amazing couple - ying and yang, and I know your life will be blessed with barrels of joy.
xoxo, Resha

Hard at Work

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Very rarely do I post pictures of myself working. Let's face it ... it's not typically flattering. Most of the time, I'm in some odd position, I don't have "picture worthy" makeup on, and I've been running around like a mad woman all day. A couple of weeks ago the always amazing Stacy Cross captured a really cute picture of Lauren Carrillo and I working. I thought I would share, in case anyone was curious what we look like in action :-)


Thanks again Stacy for being you. Any bride would be lucky to have you photograph her big day.



Tune in on Tuesday for more pictures from Renee & Kirk's wedding. Party doesn't begin to describe it.



xoxo, Resha

Couples to Celebrate: Morgan & Chris

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Meet Morgan and Chris! When Morgan and I spoke, we clicked almost instantly. And once she told me where she was having her wedding...I was totally hooked. Their wedding is not going to be typical by any means, and I am so excited to help them pull everything together. Read more about them below...




Names: Chris Applegate and Morgan Medina


Wedding Website: ChristopherAndMorgan.com (still a work in progress ;) )


Where's Home? Originally Houston, but we now call Austin home!


Why a Houston Wedding? Most of our family and friends live in Houston, plus we were still living in Houston when we got engaged.


Length of engagement? We will have been engaged 10 months by the wedding… but it feels like forever!

How long until the wedding? 11 weeks, 5 days, 7 hours, 31 minutes, and 45 seconds…44…43…42…


Who did you first tell you were engaged? Well, Chris popped the question on Christmas Eve while opening gifts with Morgan’s family, so they all knew about it first. We kept it a secret from everyone else until the next evening when we told all of Chris’ family at Christmas dinner. We told a few friends in person over the next couple of days, but then, in a gracious nod to Mark Zuckerberg, we let Facebook do the rest…


If you had to start over in your wedding planning, what one thing would you do differently? Eloped! Just kidding. We probably would have gone to more bridal shows and open houses once we had a better idea of what we were looking for. If you are just getting started, the shows are a good help in getting lots of vendor contacts and ideas, but it can be overwhelming. I think we should have gone to a show, picked up a lot of cards, done some research at home, then gone to the next show or open house to see what kind of prices we could negotiate.


During the ceremony, who will be the first to cry? Chris. He’ll probably be in tears all day. Maybe even at the rehearsal the night before…


What are your three favorite blogs/websites (besides STC's)? 1. Offbeat Bride. Great for some not so traditional wedding ideas. 2. Etsy. Cake-toppers, jewelry, veils, invitations, dresses. A great source for all those tangible things you’ll need for the big day, traditional or not. 3. Google Image/Flickr. We highly recommend searching to the end of the internet for wedding images. Bookmark anything that jumps out at you so you have a sort of reference catalog to turn to when you’re eyeball deep in planning and losing track of your vision.


Why did you hire a wedding coordinator? OR When selecting someone to entrust with your wedding day, why did you choose STC? We fell in love with a venue that is an art gallery by day, so we have to handle the table and chair rental and set up, decorations, catering coordination, and so on ourselves. We really need a day-of coordinator to make sure all goes smoothly. We chose STC after talking with Resha over the phone. She was extremely nice and has been very helpful. We trust that with her help all will go well. :-)

Guys - I am really looking forward to your big day!
xoxo, Resha

Special note: The adorable furbaby in their picture is their ringbearer, Lola. :-)

Free Engagement or Bridal Photo Session!

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Scott Stater Photography is offering a free session to a lucky Something to Celebrate client. With no obligation or cost, you will receive:
  • Engagement or Bridal session (in Austin or Bay Area)
  • Online gallery of 20-30 images
  • Between 20-30 retouched, high-resolution images on CD (includes print release)
Scott is a Austin and Bay Area wedding photographer specializing in creating honest, unique and beautiful images. Please check out his website for more info.

To be considered for this awesome give-away, email weddings@somethingtocelebrate.com with your location and wedding date. Good luck!

Here's some of Scott's work: