Jac & Houston 3/12/11

I must say that this couple just stole my heart. From the first meeting with Jac & Houston I knew that without a doubt they were completely in love and meant to be. Not that my previous couples I have helped were not, it's just sometimes it becomes more about the celebration than the actual marriage. My first contact with Jac was simply through a few email exchanges. This began August 12, 2010. Jac originally asked me if I could help her get everything together for October 2, 2010. If you do the math that is around 7 weeks. I wasn't worried and knew without a doubt I could help make that happen, a few days later Jac wanted to set up a meeting to interview me because she had spoken with another planner as well. I was completely alright with this. I feel as though every bride should feel they have options. I never want any of my brides to think there is only one option for any part of their wedding. I must say the meeting went amazing, we hit it off and I think I may have had more ideas about their "country chic rustic wedding"than she expected. I get very excited about new and different ideas.

A few days after our meeting she called me to tell me I got the job... I immediately got to work on what I thought was a really close date when she informed me that Houston had requested that they choose a date a little further out to make sure they were able to decide on things they really liked and could make sure all family and friends had time to plan to get there. The other request from Houston was that we worked around fishing and hunting seasons and that he did not have to come to many more meetings. We worked it all out. Everything went incredibly smooth through the 7 month time frame.

My number one goal in any wedding is to make sure the bride's vision comes to life. When she said country chic but also rustic my mind immediately thought of burlap and milk glass. She absolutely loved hydrangea and brought me a picture of her ideal bouquet. I had no doubt in my mind that Sango Village Florist would be able to handle the job for her simple, understated yet beautiful floral idea. Jac had been trying to work out arrangements with a photographer and was having trouble getting calls back and definite answers. After a few weeks of this I suggested that she and Houston just go and have a meeting with Joanie @ Joan of Art Photography. I knew she would wow them with her amazing personality and awesome pictures. So that was 2 things off the list.

But wait a minute, we still had not locked down a date..... Jac and I discussed The Cumberland Room and luckily I was working on a wedding there that same week. She, Houston, and Nita (Houston's mother) came out to check out the space. Of course it is hard to picture it decorated with their ideas and forget about some of the flaws that could be hidden in the room, but they were able to. We booked The Cumberland Room for March 12, 2011 and were on our way to getting everything in place. Jac had asked me if I knew of any churches that were close to the reception. I told her about this cute little country church that sat on top of a hill just right down the road. She and Houston took a drive out there and instantly knew that Antioch United Methodist Church was the place where the two of them would be married.

When it came to cakes, this was easy. One tasting with Heather of Covered with Icing, Jac booked her on the spot. Now on to finding a caterer. When trying to find a caterer I always like to call ahead and get prices, because while some may have amazing food sometimes it comes with out of budget prices. Budget is the second most important thing to me when planning a wedding. I had heard that Relish was getting into special event catering so I gave them a call along with 6 other caterers. Their prices blew the others out of the water. I set up a tasting for that same week. Upon tasting the food I had made my mind up, but wait, my mind doesn't matter. I had to wait for Jac and Houston to decide on whether or not they liked it our not. We tasted baked chicken breast with an option of 4 dipping sauces, loaded mashed potatoes, home style green beans and mac~n~cheese. Leisa also whipped up some flavored teas and spritzers. We left that night and the two were going to talk it over. First thing the next morning Jac called me to ask if I could get the contract and get them locked in for the date.

Now that we have come to the end of 2010 and were heading in to 2011, I sat Jac up a meeting with Jenifer Shaffer of You're Invited Invitations. We were just about 3 months away and the time to get invitations out was quickly coming. Jenifer was able to create a very personal invitation for Jac and Houston as well as address and mail the invites for them. This was such a relief for Jac. She did not have to worry one bit with any of it. Jac and I met up at the Clarksville Brides Bridal show in January and I introduced her to a few of my favorite vendors. First on the list was Danielle and Marshall of Clarksville Linen Rental. We sat at their booth and picked out the linen colors that would suit our overall idea. Next stop was to see DJ Folley of Big Fish Entertainment for DJ service and lighting. Last stop was to show Jac the new photo booth that Party Station Rentals had just received the week before the show.

Stay tuned for the next post where I show you all the pictures of how everything came together.