Today's post was submitted by Bonnie Hodge, a Mother-of-the-Bride, looking back on her daughter's wedding in early November. We thank her very much for contributing her thoughts!

"After my daughter became engaged, we dove headfirst into planning her November wedding. Blaire had LOTS of good ideas and had researched each component of the wedding with meticulous detail. But, oh my, there were so many options and so many choices to be made! It was overwhelming.

When Blaire first mentioned the idea of having a wedding planner/coordinator, I was adamantly against it; I felt she and I could handle the ceremony and reception with ease. HA! When we began discussing the day before the wedding and the actual wedding day, I became overwhelmed with the amount of detail and coordination that was required. I was also painfully aware of my lack of training or expertise in any of the arenas in which we had been thrust. And, to my horror, the “to do” list was growing rapidly and, seemingly, exponentially.

When Blaire and I began talking about “the day of” in detail, I realized there was no way that I could be there for my daughter and get everything done for the ceremony and reception. At that point we asked Carly to let us know what she could do for us. OMG (I normally don’t use text lingo :]) – I was astounded at what Carly could and would do for us AND at the price she quoted ! It was seemingly too good to be true. However, true it was!

We had met Carly at the Bride’s Boutique when we purchased Blaire’s gown. She was so professional and so very knowledgeable. After about a 20 minute conversation, my daughter and I decided we must hire her. That was a GREAT decision! She was with Blaire and me every step of the way, and provided guidance. That is the KEY word – guidance. She didn’t tell us WHAT to do, but actually guided us into making our vision a reality. Without her services I know the ceremony and reception would not have moved forward as beautifully as they did. It was an absolutely wonderful day."

A thank you from Steve & Amy

Dear Carly,

Thank you so much for all your hard work in making our wedding as perfect as we hoped it would be. Your steady responsiveness to everyone of our questions and concerns made the entire process worry free.
Thanks again, Amy and Steve Hill

Steve and Amy Hill 12/12/2009

When Amy came to me for assistance in planning her wedding to Steve she had about 6 1/2 weeks to plan and not much planned other than her gown and the venue. I quickly got to work calling some of my close contacts who happen to be some of THE BEST wedding professionals Clarksville has to offer. I really only had about a week to help them find all they needed since Steve wanted to be part of the process and he was leaving for work in Alaska and would not arrive back to Clarksville until two days before the wedding. Within the first week we had locked down Sango Village Florist , Joan of Art Photography, and Cakes by Carrie. Catering proved to be the greatest challenge we faced with the date set just right before Christmas and one tasting that was just not what she was looking for. I mentioned to Amy that we had gone to an event that Jubilee Plantation had catered and it was amazing. She agreed to give them a shot and I went to work setting up a tasting date, which had to be very soon. I have to say, Jubilee Plantation set up a perfect presentation as well as delicious food for Amy and I to taste (by this point Steve had left for work). The final decision was made, Jubilee it was!

Here are a few images of Steve and Amy's BIG day. I hope you enjoy these beautiful images by Joan of Art Photography.

Trinity Episcopal Church

Flowers by Sango Village

Flowers By Sango Village

Catering by Jubilee Plantation

Steve (the groom) caught this Salmon in Alaska and it was one of the featured hors d'oeuvres.

Joanie's signature frame shot.

They met through eHarmony.

Carrie @ Cakes by Carrie made a delicious cake that reflected the couples vision perfectly.


Once again I was the designated cake cutter. Cutting cakes is not my strong point. Lets just say I am very generous.

I was in charge of decorating all the reception tables, something simple and no fru fru, was the guidelines given...ha ha.
All the family and friends that joined them for their special day.

A Letter from Blaire

Dear Carly,

I can't believe it's been almost a month since I've been married - and almost a year since I met you! I remember talking with you on the phone right before I began shopping for my wedding gown. You were so sweet and reassuring - a far cry from the "other" places I contacted. I'll never forget finding my perfect gown - you were so sweet and very professional. You listened to what I wanted without pushing me - even though we BOTH know I didn't have a clue what I was doing! After purchasing the wedding dress that exceeded my expectations, I honestly thought the next time I talked to you is when I picked out my bridesmaids' dresses. Man, was I wrong! When I ran into a snag finding invitations, I googled some options here in town and was surprised to see the Bride's Boutique pop up. You not only pointed me in the right direction to find the most gorgeous wedding invitations I've ever seen, you also let me know that you were a coordinator on the side. Once my mom met you, it took us about 20 minutes to decide to hire you. You were BY FAR the BEST money we spent on our wedding. Whenever I called or stopped by the store, you were professional and made me feel like I was the only bride you were dealing with. You always returned my phone calls, even when they were trivial things like fake tans and where to get good hair extensions! You made sure that my day went as smoothly as it possibly could. What I think I loved the most about you was the attention to detail - you truly had a vision for my wedding and you stuck to it! You found some of the most incredible vendors to work with and helped create some of the most special moments during our ceremony and reception. Chris and I have heard from so many people that ours was one of the best weddings they had ever been to - and that is LARGLY because of you!

I loved working with you - and appreciate all of the incredible work you put into one of the most special days of my life. You are TRULY meant to be a wedding coordinator - don't ever quit your job!!!! Thank you for all that you did; we will be forever grateful and honored to know you.

Blessings and love,

Blaire and Chris Hughes

Amy & Mike Falvo 12/5/09

Her gown by none other than the fabulous Bride's Boutique.

Amy was such a beautiful bride.

First Presbyterian Church, Clarksville, TN

I loved all the orchids - and used in such creative ways!

The cake was absolutely stunning.

All floral arrangements and bouquets by Party Station Rentals.

Photography by Cozette Winters

Amy's dad Ed, painted this almost a year prior to the wedding to give to her as a wedding present.

Mike's groom's cake

A few snapshots from Chris and Blaire's big day.

Blaire and Chris' Big day coming SOON!

I can not tell you how excited I am for Blaire and Chris' big day this Saturday ( November 7th). There are so many special touches that have been carefully planned and orchestrated that I feel honored to be such an intricate part of such a special day. I am looking forward to seeing them featured on ClarksvilleBrides.com. They are such a loving couple with amazing personalities. From beginning to end I have loved every meeting and phone call I have received from Blaire and her mother Bonnie. I can't wait for everyone to see the "final product" of all our labors. This couple makes me love my job even more than I ever thought I could. Stay tuned for some beautiful and inspiring images.

Bride of the month

Another one of my brides made ClarksvilleBrides.com bride of the month. Check it out http://www.clarksvillebrides.com/featured%20bride.html

A letter from Magan...

Carly,

I am so glad that I came in The Bride’s Boutique on that cold day in January!! I never imagined that January day that I would find my dress, my girl’s dresses, a wedding coordinator but more importantly a great friend! You made sure that our wedding day perfect. It was so much better than we could have ever imagined, and I do not know what I would have done without you there helping me every step of the way, from picking out my dress and all the accessories to go with it ,all the wedding party’s attire, decorating for the reception, lacing my dress up the day of the wedding, and even calling to confirm our hotel reservations for after the wedding because I couldn’t remember where I made them. I remember a weekend that Ty and I had been at the mall for hours and he was so upset that we could not find anything for his guys to wear in the wedding, so I finally just said “let’s go see Carly” and sure enough I think it took a total of 8 minutes for you to have something picked out, showing it to us and of course we loved it! Thanks for all the reassurance about my dress toward the end because you told me I would love it after it was altered, and I did! I couldn’t have picked a more perfect dress. Having you as our coordinator was the best decision we made about our wedding! You were there to save the day more than once on May 30^th and we could never thank you enough for all the time and effort you put into making our wedding day so beautiful and perfect. I miss you!!!

Magan & Ty Mitchell

Magan & Ty May 30, 2009

Oh how I loved working on this wedding. I absolutely enjoyed every minute with Magan and her mom Jackie. I really miss not getting to talk to them all the time. I met Magan at The Bride's Boutique also. I really love the weddings that I get to assist in from the beginning to the end. I was there to help her find her dress and accessories as well as the bridesmaid gowns, flower girl gown, and the attire for the groomsmen. I designed the floor plan and helped arrange the decor as well as help find ceremony music. Magan's Aunt Michelle arranged the flowers and made the cake. The were a few kinks in the day but nothing I couldn't take care of. Photographers were late so I whipped out my camera and took pictures of Magan getting ready with her girls and her mother as well as Ty's mother. The limo's air conditioner broke and it almost broke down, but no one at the wedding new except for the bridesmaids. My main focus is to make the day stress free for the bride as well as her mother and those around. I strive to make everything flow smoothly and that the guests are enjoying themselves. It was a beautiful day and probably the hottest to date for the year at that point. I am quite sure that no one thinks of that now. Magan was a stunning bride and the ceremony was perfect. Just after the ceremony the guests headed on up to the reception hall there at Walker Farms. They were treated to a wonderful meal catered by Whitt's BBQ. There was plenty to drink from Sweet Tea to Margaritas flowing from a fountain. It took a little while but once the guests got in the mood to dance they didn't want to stop. I know Danielle at Turning Point Productions (www.turningpointproductions.com )was glad when they started, I know she got some great footage. I can't wait to see the video. The guests were still going when I left.

Magan and Ty, best wishes to the two of you. Thank you so much for having me be part of your day. I loved every minute I spent working with you guys.

Here are a few images from the day. (some images by m2wedd)

Mr. & Mrs. Mitchell

Magan is July's Clarksville Bride of the Month. Go check her out.... http://www.clarksvillebrides.com/featured%20bride.html