I want to tell you a little about me. I love good manners, writing thank you notes on elegant, personal stationery (no, not a thank you note emailed to someone), using my silver and china everyday not just for special occasions, fresh flowers on my desk, always dressing up, giving cocktail & dinner parties with interesting people and most of all, working with my brides! I know, I know ~ we live in a digital age and technology has become a way of life. I can’t help but think we are isolating ourselves to a certain degree. For...
read moreI just had a beautiful wedding at the lovely Umstead Hotel. We scheduled the ceremony for 6:00 PM so that the sun was lower in the sky and the lawn area where the ceremony took place was completely shaded. As we all know, North Carolina in August can be very hot and uncomfortable. After the ceremony, we had a bagpiper in full dress, lead the guests through the walkway by the lake up to the terrace for cocktails while the bride and groom stayed behind for photos. Once the photos were done, they joined the festivities. The bride was truly...
read moreOnce again I have had the pleasure of talking to the Wake Tech adult education course in “Wedding Event Planning” taught by my dear friend, Barbara Whitecross. Barbara was a highly regarded wedding planner in Bermuda and continues to do destination weddings to Bermuda from her Raleigh location. In addition, she is an accomplished interior designer. As always I was impressed by the quality of students in the course. These are women who have been successful in their careers but who are looking to start their own businesses. They...
read moreGetting ready for your wedding can be an emotionally draining time. With all that stress, I find that brides experience skin breakouts. With all the planning involved in their wedding day, the brides needs to focus on themselves too. I suggest a program of skin care that they can follow leading up to their wedding. Because no matter how good a make-up artist is, if your skin is not hydrated and cared for, no amount of make-up can cover that up. To that end, I recommend Arbonne, a Swiss skin care and make-up line that is pure, botanical,...
read moreWe are very fortunate to live in the USA. When I read all the events happening in other countries, it gives me a good appreciation for what we have and what we often take for granted. I wish all of you a safe and happy weekend.
read moreSummer is always a popular time for weddings. Here in the South, it can be very hot and humid making guests uncomfortable. Here are a few tips to help keep your guests cool. First, start on time. There is nothing worse than having guests baking in the sun waiting for the wedding to start. Offer cool water or lemonade for the guests as they arrive. You want to keep everyone hydrated (no alcohol before the wedding). You can offer fans to guests or parasols for the ladies. When the ceremony ends, have butlered champagne, wine and water...
read moreI had a wonderful wedding this past weekend for an adorable couple! They were the sweetest bride and groom I have worked with in quite a while. The ceremony was at the Edenton Street United Methodist Church a beautiful church built in the mid-1800′s with beautiful stain glass windows and fabulous carved naive. The Stockroom is only 2 minutes away on Fayetteville Street. It is a urban loft type of space with exposed brick walls and windows at one end of the space. All 150 of the guests, were wowed by it and by the decor that my bride...
read moreWith Memorial Day yesterday, it made me stop and think about all the veterans who gave their lives so we can have the many freedoms that we have in America. I couldn’t help but think that the brides who obsess over just the right shade of flower or linen, should step back and remember what is truly important. A wedding is a celebration of two families coming together. It is more than the sum of its parts. Worrying about the tiniest detail to the point of destroying the day, is foolish. Remember the Big picture and remember the men...
read moreWedding season is in full swing. I love this time of year. My adrenaline is pumping and my brides are excited, inspired and creative! My goal is always to give them what they want. The key is to interpret accurately their “vision”. All my brides are unique and one of a kind, that is what I love about this business. No two brides are alike. Each is marching to their own drum. The grooms are on board and want the wedding to reflect both of their sensibilities. I do lots of listening and ask lots of questions so I can...
read moreAn Elegant Affair has been chosen by the readers of Durham Magazine as the Best Event Planner in the area! We are so honored to have achieved this award and thank all of the readers of Durham Magazine for making this happen.
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