My new favorite things!

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Below is a collection of my new favorite wedding trends! I hope they inspire you to add some unique and creative touches to your events as they have mine!














Why not dress up your table with a scalloped table runner?















I love the idea of having your floral centerpieces in bowls, especially Anthropologie bowls!















A cute idea for place cards for your spring wedding!















These matchbooks double as favors and escort cards!















A nice departure from the traditional floral boutonniere!


Happy Creating!




All pictures from marthastewartweddings.com

Whimsical Countryside Wedding

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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,

Lounge Mr. & Mrs.

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When planning a reception thinking of new and exciting ways to arrange the tables and chairs can be limited, so why not add some flare with a lounge area! It will make for a great cocktail hour location and place for your guests to mingle throughout the night.



Cancer Research

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So I wanted to take a break from weddings (for one quick second) to mention a cause that is dear to my heart. Team in Training is an organization that raises money for Blood Cancer research while preparing people to train for an endurance event. I did my first triathlon almost two years ago with Team in Training and completed my first Olympic distance triathlon here in Austin, Texas. I raised $3,800.00 dollars for blood cancer research.

Well I am back for more, and am once again training for another triathlon, except this time I am racing in Maui, Hawaii on June 12th! I have pledged to raise almost $6,000.00 dollars and can't do this alone. I am asking that you guys PLEASE check out my fundraising page and donate 10, 20, 30 dollars? Every little bit helps! For one night of staying in with your honey instead of dinner you can put that money towards something wonderful! NOTE: ALL donations are tax deductible. The receipt you get after making an online donation can be used for your tax deduction.

Also, if anyone has been wanting to try out an endurance event but has never found the time, are too nervous, or just unsure. I HIGHLY recommend doing your first event with Team In Training. It is a life changing experience! Thank you to all our wonderful readers for your support!

Lorena Alexandria Molina

You're Engaged!!! Now what...?

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First, allow me to say CONGRATULATIONS!!!  It is so exciting to be newly engaged! And I read somewhere that 60% of American proposals happen between Thanksgiving and Valentine's Day. So a heartfelt welcome and congratulations to all of the newly engaged. :) Hold on to your seats - you're in for an adventure!



So the question has been popped, the ring is fitted and the news is being spread. What's the first thing you do when it comes to wedding planning? Find the perfect dress? Decide on the exact date? You're ready to get this ball rolling! Here's my advice for stress-free wedding planning, step by step:

  1. Enjoy this moment. Take a deep breath to just live in the "I'm engaged!" excitement. Don't let the pressure of wedding planning hit just yet. Enjoy the bliss, then start tackling the many decisions you'll need to make.
  2. Where will your wedding be? Talk with your fiance (*squee!!* fiance!) about where in the world you want to host the celebration of your upcoming lifelong marriage. Austin? Houston? Turks and Caicos? Disney World? We've done it all. :)
  3. Figure out a rough budget. Mainly, who's contributing what? It's a tough talk to have, but things are so much smoother once everyone is on the same page.
  4. Hire your wedding coordinator. Before you pick your venue or select a date or assign dollar amounts to each item in your wedding budget, be sure to hire your wedding planner. Don't try to go this on your own - you've never done this before. You need an expert on your side, keeping you well-advised, and the wedding planning process manageable. 
  5. Once hired, your wedding planner will help you create your detailed budget.
  6. After your budget is established, you're ready to look for your venue. It's good to have a general idea of when you'd like to get married, but avoid setting your heart on a specific date. There are few things more frustrating than to find the perfect venue for your wedding only to then find out that they no longer have your date available.
  7. Budget and venue done, you now have your date! From here, your wedding coordinator will guide you through the selection of each vendor, starting with caterer (if needed) and then photographer. You also get to do the fun stuff like dresses and showers.
  8. As you continue planning, remember the point of all of this time and money - you're planning an amazing celebration where the people who mean the most to you will get to witness and celebrate the beginning of your marriage. You have something to celebrate, don't let it become something you dread. Much joy to you. :)
Happy planning!

Matt and Brittney's Wedding at Camp Lucy

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I was so excited to work on Brittney and Matt's Wedding this past Decemeber! They are such a wonderful couple with amazing friends and family! Thank you to Scott Wade photography for the wonderful photos! Take a look!
Venue: Camp Lucy
Planner: Lorena-Something To Celebrate
Florist/Lighting: Melanie Last Petal
Makeup/Hair: Erica Gray

























































































































































Weddings to Celebrate: Sneak Peek from My California Couple

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In January I had the pleasure of coordinating a destination wedding for an adorable couple. Aside from the sheer beauty of the event, they had a couple of uber-fun touches - including a flash mob dance that interrupted the bride & groom's first dance. Here is a sneak peak from their amazingly talented videographer, Isabel Gonzalez:

J + A | Trailer from Isabel Gonzalez on Vimeo.

http://vimeo.com/lifeasiz/jayaamit

I can't wait to show you pictures! Stayed tuned :-)

Much love,

Feelin' the Love this Month

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My sweet bride, Veena, just got married this past weekend. I can't wait to share the pictures with you! They had a fantastic group of vendors, and the evening couldn't have gone more smoothly.

Until then, here is the thank you note I found tucked into my emergency kit from her equally adorable mother. I'm truly going to miss them!



Ladies - you are the reason most of us got into this business. It was an honor to help you plan your big day!

xoxo,

Love From the Mother of the Bride

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I absolutely love wedding coordinating. I feel so lucky that I get to wake-up every day and do something I am so incredibly passionate about. It is emails like the one below that make me fall that much more in love with my job :)

Lauren,
I know I said it many times last night I just want you to know that you were the best part of the wedding other than the bride and groom of course! I don't know what I would have done without you. My husband runs a very large company and he told me he wishes he had employees that were exactly like you. I didn't have to worry about a thing which let me enjoy every minute of the night. My husband had to leave the country today for a week but upon returning he wanted to send a letter to the head of your company letting them know what a fantastic job you did. I will miss seeing and talking to you because you've become a good friend to April and I in a very few short months. God has blessed you with a genuine true loving heart and it shows through all your hard work. Thanks again for making the wedding a true success. I will definitely be recommending you to everyone I know. Thanks again for everything!

Love,

Kim Edwards

It was such a pleasure working with Kim & April on this beautiful wedding! Pictures to come soon!

Love,

Rated as Top Five Percent

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Just received the below email. Woohoo!!



Dear Jessica,

Congratulations! We are excited to announce Something To Celebrate has been chosen to receive the Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011. This award recognizes the top 5 percent of local wedding professionals from the WeddingWire Network who demonstrate quality and service excellence in the wedding industry.

WeddingWire would like to commend you for your excellent service and dedication to the wedding industry over the past year!

Best,

The WeddingWire Team

More Love from a Previous Bride

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Two weekends ago I coordinated a destination wedding for an adorable couple. I can't WAIT to share the pictures Craig with Studio 563 captured. It was BEAUTIFUL. Until then though, here is an uber-sweet email from the bride. Adore her. (And because I don't like posts without pictures, here is one of her adorable little cake - taken by one of the wedding guests.)




And here is her sweet thank-you email...


Hi Resha,

We are in Fiji loving it, but of course I am taking a break from the stunning ocean and sunshine to get online for wedding photos! Anyhoo, seeing some of these made me realize again how grateful we are to you... I can't believe how perfectly everything worked out and mostly how much fun we had. It was more perfect than I could have ever imagined and you made sure that every little thing we wanted from the gazillion photos, to family flash mob, bollywood dance, etc...etc... happened seamlessly. We love you and I miss you! Hope you are recovered and all is well with the kiddos/Gabe.

Jaya


xoxo,

Love from a Bride

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Emails like this just make my day. I love Erin. I would coordinate a wedding for her again any day.
Resha,

Just looked at your blog and wanted to thank you for the kind words about our wedding. My mom and I agree that you were the best decision we made during the entire process. Everyone is still talking about the wedding and how wonderful it was. One thing that was mentioned to my Mom by several of her friends was how relaxed we all were and how well the wedding flowed. That was absolutely because of you! My parents actually went to the bar with all of our friends after the wedding! So glad that they could enjoy themselves instead of being exhausted from runnning around trying to keep everything on time. You handled everything perfectly and were able to make 550 "country folk" actually sit down and have a nice meal! After it was over, I was hoping that you wouldn't think I was a "bridezilla"! I'm actually a very laid back person, but I didn't want that day to be chaotic! Dolly and Mary love you and said they wish they could work with you at every wedding they do! I will recommend you to anyone I know that is getting married. Thank you again for such a nice blog about us and our family and friends. Will be seeing you soon at Heather's wedding!

Love,
Erin


Much love,

Weddings to Celebrate: Sandra & Oliver

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At the risk of sounding like a broken record, the Lord blessed me with the BEST clients this past year. I had the pleasure of helping Sandra & Oliver plan their entire event (and even got to help with the proposal!), which meant I was able to get to know them on a more personal level. And, as I'm sure happens with anyone who gets to know them, we became friends. How could you not when two people are as sweet and fun to be around as these two??!! I am so excited to share these spectacular pictures taken by Craig Davis with Studio 563. When I first saw them, I was speechless. For those of you who know me ... that is not something that happens often.













Guys - thank you so much again for allowing me to help you throughout the planning process. It was a great adventure!

Much love,


The STELLER Cast of Vendors:

Coordinator: Something to Celebrate / Ceremony Venue: New Life Fellowship Church / Reception Venue: Chateau Polonez / Catering: Glorious Cuisine / Cake: Cakes by Gina
/ Photography: Studio 563 Photography, Craig Davis / Florist: Wedding Flowers by Lisa
/ Lighting: Bright Star Productions / Linens and other rentals: Elegant Beginnings / Chair cover rental: Over the Top Linens / Music: Divisi Strings - amp'd & collide / Photobooth: Say Cheese Photo Booth

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,

Weddings to Celebrate: Erin & Judd

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In May I coordinated Jenna & Dawid's unforgettable wedding in Columbus, Texas. A few weeks later, I got a call from Erin, one of Jenna's bridesmaids. Erin had made an impression on me that day, as did her mother (her mom was one of the nicest people I've ever met). I'm sure you can imagine my excitement when Erin asked me to act as her day-of coordinator. I was thrilled!

Fast forward to this past weekend, and their wedding (with 550 of their closest friends) did NOT disappoint. There is something about this group of people that just makes you want to be around them. From Erin - who is beautiful both inside and out, to Judd - whose presence is cool and caring, to the wedding party - who made me laugh numerous times, to the families - who were gracious and kind and had that small-town friendliness that I grew up loving ... this wedding was one for the books. Just like Jenna's wedding, party doesn't even begin to describe it.

Here are a few of the stunning pictures the incredibly talented Tyler Schmitt (of The Mill Photography Studio) captured. I love Tyler. Working with him is like a breath of fresh air on a hot Houston day.















Guys - thank you so much again for allowing me to be a part of your special day. You have one of the most welcoming group of family and friends I have ever encountered. It was an honor!
Much love,


And here is the cast of vendors who made it all possible....
Church: St. Mary's Catholic Church in Nada, Texas / Venue: El Campo Civic Center / Coordinator: Something to Celebrate / Photographer: Tyler Schmitt, The Mill Photography Studio / Caterer: Party Thyme Catering / Cake: Ms. Peggy Lundquist / Rentals & Decor: Weddings by Dolly & Mary / Florist: Kathleen's Florals / Lighting: Shelly Events
/ Band: Hot Cakes / DJ: Wild About Music