Friday, October 29, 2010

Happy Halloween

Since this is the time for goblins and bats, Halloween spirits and spooks and cats,
Weird happenings and witches brew, these are the things that we wish for you...

May the only ghost that comes to stay be the Holy Ghost to guide your way.

May the only spirit you chance to meet, Be the spirit of love and friendship sweet.

As we start this festive time of year, we hope that you feel the spirit and love, that can only come from our Father above. These are our Halloween wishes to you and may God bless you in all that you do.

Happy Halloween from the Bride Associates Team!

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

The Best Wedding Planners!

Bride Associates have been nominated as WFAA List Best Wedding Planner!
We are thrilled with this great honor and NEED your vote!
 Please take a minute to vote for us at:

We hope you can help us promote this great honor amongst all your friends and colleagues!

Thank you for your support!

Monday, October 18, 2010

Wedding Planning

Bride Associates wanted to share a recent blog post by our owner Chelsey Dane on her personal wedding planning blog Wedding Daze. We know that wedding planning can be stressful and we love this post about her recent planning experiences! As a Bride we know you an relate! Here is just a sneak peak:

Clayton and I are thrilled about getting married, but the wedding planning has been another story. For the past three months we have been on a roller coaster of emotions. On some days, planning the wedding actually feels like torture, self inflicted pain that is undesirable and yet somehow necessary. Here is a sneak peak into the chronicle of our quest with my unique prospective of being a wedding planner thrown in the mix. We hope it is entertaining to people other than ourselves and that we don’t end up eloping or killing each other in the process.

To read more click here at Wedding Daze. From Wedding Planner to Bride.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

We're Getting Married!

As wedding planners we have a fun job that can at times be extremely difficult and also very interesting. On top of our daily craziness, there are three of us at the Bride Associates office that are getting married! My wedding planning journey so far has been a roller coaster ride. In an attempt to relieve some of my amazing staff and friends from having to deal with probably the worst bride ever (yes! I admit it) and in an effort to share the wedding details with my brides, friends and family I have started a blog.

Wedding Daze is a blog about a wedding planner’s journey as a bride. Join me and a few of the other Bride Associates wedding planners as we venture into the ever glamorous, extremely important, detail oriented process of planning ‘the big day’ all while attempting to maintain our sanity, have a blast and marry the man of dreams!

Friday, July 30, 2010

Bridal Show Tips, Do’s and Don’ts

Bridal shows can be stressful, intimidating, and overwhelming. Who needs that when you’re already planning one of the most important days you’ll ever experience?! Well, we are here to tell you that with a little help and preparation, it can also be fun, exciting, and enjoyable. YEAH! Just what a bride needs in her life. Follow these tips, and you’ll be well on your way to having a great experience all the while finding one or all of your vendors for your special day!

Set Up a Wedding Email Account- In the early stages of wedding planning, consider setting up a wedding email account through a free online email service, such as Gmail, Yahoo, or Hotmail. Not only will it be convenient to receive all wedding-related communication through one account, but it will be helpful in keeping your regular email free of unsolicited email.

Print Address Labels At Home- Most vendors at bridal shows want to collect your information. Save yourself time and writer's cramp by printing up address labels at home prior to arriving. Some wedding expos offer this service when you arrive, but coming prepared will save you money, too. Each label should have the names of both the bride and groom; the preferred mailing address information should be sent to, the wedding email account, phone number, and your wedding date.

DO wear comfortable shoes- Bridal shows are normally all day and run one day or over a weekend. You’d want to be comfortable so you can focus more on those you are meeting rather than your feet that are screaming at you. This will help you move quickly and easily from booth to booth!

DO make a list of what you are looking for- Are you in need of a florist? Do you need a cake? How about linens? Going into the bridal show with a game plan eliminates wasted time with vendors that you are not in need of. You’re also able to spend more quality time with those vendors that you do need.

DO take notes and business cards – By doing this, you can match business cards with notes that you took from their booth. Organization is key and it’ll help you determine which vendor are right for you.

DON’T forget to bring people with you- Bring your mom, your fiancĂ© if he’s willing, your BFF or all three! Having people with you gives you a support system and it also helps you with decisions that you might not be able to make on your own.

DO set up appointments and consolations – If you click with a vendor immediately upon meeting, that’s a good thing! Set up a meeting with them so you can have more one on one time with them to see if they can meet your needs regarding your wedding. Bring your appointment book so you can stay organized and on top of the appointments.

Bridal shows are there to give you resources and give you insight on your ideals. Use them to your advantage and have a blast doing so!

Monday, July 5, 2010

To Veil or NOT to Veil…..



Wedding day accessories are a unique and fun way to express your own individual style and personality. The wedding veil has come a long way over the years and we are starting to see more and more Brides choose veils that are more their personality!

One Bride-friend made the statement: “I don’t like my veil…I wish I didn’t have to wear one but my friends and my mother all think I need to.” After some thought, she chose a vintage flower headpiece that fit her wedding and her personality and she was happy!

Choose a veil or go with some form of hair accessory, it’s totally up to you! Your choice should match your style, and the theme of your wedding. Are you a traditional bride having a traditional wedding or are you a modern Bride? Are you wanting drama and flare like Carrie Bradshaw from Sex in the City? These are important questions to ask yourself before you decide. Then go ahead and express yourself accordingly!




**photos were found on: theknot.com, etsy.com and the SITC pic of Carrie was found on Google images.**

Friday, May 21, 2010

Bride Associates Birthday


Do you like Kickball? How about Pink Lemonade? Hot dogs and Hamburgers!

Well, Bride Associates turned five years old and we are throwing the best birthday party a five year old could hope for! It wouldn’t be a party without all of you, so be sure to RSVP for a great afternoon together of games and surprises you won’t want to miss!

We want to thank our family, friends, and entire wedding industry for helping us grow, encouraging our talents, and making us family. We are grateful for your friendship, support and love and look forward to sharing many more expierences with you for years to come!

When: Sunday May 23, 2010
Time: 1PM to 4PM
Where: Kimzey Park (Click for directions here)
Questions:  Drop a note at chelsey@bride-associates.com
We hope to see you there and THANK YOU for your support!

 

Friday, May 7, 2010

Happy Mother's Day

Looking for the perfect gift for Mother's Day? If you are a Bride or a Groom, give your Mother the gift of joy on your wedding day by hiring Bride Associates! Are you the Mother of the Bride? If you are, we would like to extend a special Mother's Day Gift just for you! Schedule an appointment with one of our Certified Wedding Planners during the month of May or June and enjoy a DAY AT THE SPA on us! You deserve it! Plus enjoy a wedding day filled with no stress, no worries, and knowing all the details will be handled by the Bride Associates Team allowing you to fully enjoy this special day.

Top 5 Reasons We Believe the Mother of the Bride Should Hire a Wedding Planner

5. Because this is one of those moments in life where you are surrounded by the most important people in your life and the last thing you should be worrying about are if the vendors arrived on time, the favors were put on the table, and if all the details have been handled.

4. Because the end of the night comes too fast and the last thing you want to do at Midnight is to move gifts, put up vases, and supervise vendor cleanup. With those tired feet you want to be the one with your heels off sipping the last glass of champagne!

3. Because the term 'momzilla' actually exsists.
 
2. Because you still want a relationship with your daughter after the wedding.  

1. And the most important reason is that the only thing you should worry about is whether your makeup smears when you hug the bride!

Don't take our word for it! Here is letter from a special Mother of the Bride:

"There are no words adequate enough to frame the happiness and beauty and love expressed on Becky's special day. That glow on her whole person was an aspect of her I had never seen in her whole life. I want to thank you for what you did to accomplish such a wonderful day. It is your job to do all that, I know, but we both felt a much deeper emotion working with you than just business. So, with all my heart, I thank you for helping me expierence Becky as she was on that day. Tears of joy and laughter come every time I relive the moments. I shall pray God's blessing on you and your business. Thank you, Mrs. Rose"

Thursday, April 15, 2010

April Team Meeting

The Bride Associates Team is always excited about gaining more knowledge to better serve our brides. At our monthly staff meetings we invite a new vendor each month to educate us on their services and products. This month we were hosted by Out of the Garden and they treated us to an amazing evening at their shop! The entire staff at Out of the Garden welcomed us along with Lisa and Chef Andrew from Tastefully Yours, Ruben Reynoso, owner of El Wine Chateau, and Laura Kelsey with Celebration Event Rentals.

We started the evening with a tour of wines from Ruben with El Wine Chateau. He gave us a sampling of a variety of different wines and educated us on their region and how they paired with different foods.

Chef Andrew with Tastefully Yours created us an amazing display of melt in your mouth food. The ingredients he uses are all fresh and the quality is top notch. I think our favorite were the mango and brie quesadillas! Yummy!

Valarie and Donna plus the entire Out of the Garden crew gave us a full tour of their shop including their huge cooler filled with fresh flowers daily. You cant help but feel overwhelmed by the beauty and the aroma. They have a inventory of unique antiques and other creative props that allow brides create a unique setting for the wedding. They are truly a special find and the service they offer each bride is only one of the many reasons that you should bring a bride to them! They make each bride feel special and just like their brides they treated us to a fantatic evening and gave us fun spring goody bags to take home with us!

A tremendous THANK YOU to Out of the Garden, Tastefully Yours, El Chateau, and Celebration Event Rental for contributing to our team meeting and making it fun and memorable. We appreciate all you do for our brides and our team. Here are just a few photos from the meeting. More to come!



Monday, April 12, 2010

"Walk with Me"

There is an emotional moment that a father shares with his daughter during the father/ daughter dance at the wedding reception. It is inherently sweet, the love of a father as he gives "Daddy's Little Princess" to her new husband. Heart-warming and heart-breaking at the same time. Thats why you want the song to be representative of the relationship between you and your father. We recently came across "Walk With You" by Edwin McCain, and let me tell you.... this song will make you cry!

You can get your free download here.

"Walk With You "

I’ll take this slow sweet walk with you
You’ll let go of my hand to say “I do”
He will discover just how blessed a life can be
I know ‘cause all those years ago someone handed you to me
Every step that we take brings back the memories
Winter snows and horse shows and dancing on the beach
I can’t help thinking that I’m the lucky one
You’re still my baby daughter and now I’ve gained a son
I’ll take this slow sweet walk with you
You’ll let go of my hand to say “I do”
He will discover just how blessed a life can be
I know ‘cause all those years ago your mom handed you to me
Don’t miss a chance to put each other first
Now that you’ve vowed for better or for worse
Don’t let the beauty of this life pass you by
In the times of trouble you’ll stand side by side
I’ll take this slow sweet walk with you
You’ll let go of my hand to say ” I do”
I picture a slow sweet walk yet to be
When you’ll take my hand and say “Daddy come see”
Then you’ll know what it felt like
You won’t believe what it feels like
Then you’ll know what it felt like when she handed you to me.
She handed you to me

Backy and John

We were thrilled to work with Becky and John in planning their wedding! They truely are one of the cutest and happiest couples we've had the pleasure of working with!

The ceremony was held at the Marty Leonard Chapel in Fort Worth, while the reception took place later that evening at the Hyatt North Dallas. The couple wanted to take advantage of the beautiful weather- so they went to the Fort Worth Japanese Tea Gardens, as well as the Botantical Gardens for pictures between ceremony and reception.


















Coordinator: Christina Tran
Ceremony: Marty Leonard Chapel
Reception: Hyatt North Dallas
Hair/ Makeup: Hightower Salons
Photographer: Erin Kathleen Photography
DJ: Tommy Evans, Specialty Sound
Bride's Cake: Romano’s Bakery
Transportation: Platinum Motorcars

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Circle Park Bridal


Come join the Bride Associates Team this Saturday at the Circle Park Bridal Meet and Greet!
 Bride Associates will be giving away $100 Circle Park Bridal Gift Cards to lots of lucky Brides!
You do not want to miss this great event!


Saturday April 10, 2010 
12:30 to 3:30
15402 Addison Road Suite B
Addison, Texas 75001
972-503-9200
Call and Schedule your Appointment Today!
 
Circle Park Bridal is our favorite bride boutique! It was designed with the bride in mind and only caters to brides! The experience you will have shopping at Circle Park Bridal can not be beat! At Circle Park, shopping for your wedding dress does not feel "commercial", and is a lot less crazed than most shops! You will have your own private and beautiful dressing room, attentive and extremely sweet and knowledgeable staff to help you find the perfect gown. This day is supposed to be all about bride, so come enjoy the relaxed vibe and experience the thrill of taking home a great designer gown at an absolutely fabulous price!

Friday, March 19, 2010

Twilight Love

I have a confession. I am a hopeles romantic. I often use my profession as a wedding planner as my excuse to always be hopeless. I couldn't help but fall for the love story between Edward and Bella in the recent series Twilight. In celebration of the dvd release of the sequel New Moon today, I wanted to share with you a Twilight themed wedding that I found and adore from one of my favorite blogs Style Me Pretty. Even if you aren't a fan of vampires or you dont know what 'Team Edward' means, I promise you will still enjoy these delightful tablescapes and expression of eternal love. Enjoy! Love, Chelsey



Design by Lina Wallace and Heather Ham. Photography by Meg Perotti.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Happy St. Patricks Day

"St. Patrick's Day is an enchanted time. A day to begin transforming winter's dreams into summer's magic." - Adrienne Cook

"May the strength of God pilot us, may the wisdom of God instruct us, may the hand of God protect us, may the word of God direct us. Be always ours this day and for evermore." - St. Patrick

Happy St. Patricks Day from the Bride Associates Team!