November 24, 2012
Selected Photos by K and K Photography ***
Christina and her mom, Anne, were such special clients. Hailing from South Carolina, their southern charm set the tone for a very eloquent celebration at Karnes Stables last November.
Believe me when I say the approach from a seasoned southern family is much different than from a northerner trying to capture the same sense of style.
From their initial engagement pictures captured locally by photographer, Jeff Kathrein, to every spectacular detail of the wedding itself, Christina and Anne were devoted to proper southern etiquette which included attention to guest comfort and convenience.
***
Nice and Easy is how I describe the planning process in working with these two lovely ladies. Both always had groom, Eric's back, when it came to things like the comfortable surroundings of the "groom's room" the day of the wedding. While not every wedding planning project is perfect, the willingness of Anne to stay in touch with us whenever a question or issue manifested itself, made the day itself perfect.
***
***
***
Casualness is awesomeness. It means putting those in the pictures at ease so the results truly capture the true overall feeling of the celebration. We applaud Jeff for doing this with the couple during select private moments during their wedding. His organizational skills were paramount when it came to timing. Everything stayed according to schedule.
Our florist colleague, Pam Verschuere, provided an array of fresh florals for the wedding and reception. Anne and Christina were very pleased with her eagerness to incorporate a natural, yet polished look to our abor and aisle way lanterns under the oaks.
Refreshing bottled waters awaited guests as they entered the ceremony area aligned with moss-covered initials of the bride and groom.
Anne also ordered initialed hand-towels for the restroom!
Guests had no problem finding the smoker's area with signage provided by the family.
Behind the scenes, we were busy putting the finishing touches on the bar, located in the barn area for both the social hour and main reception. Cranberry, burnt orange, chocolate brown, deep purple, and rust were the main colors incorporated into the celebration environment.
***
The farm's famed "white dresser" was set in the center entry area to the social hour complete with Pam's mason jar blooms, favor bin, and sign in album.
***
A classical string trio was hired to play for the ceremony as the bride and her dad made their way to the wedding setting.
***
Immediately following the ceremony the bridal party made their way throughout the grounds for Jeff's hand-picked locations. Guests were directed by our staff to enjoy cocktails and hors d'oeuvres in the barn area. Other staff members transferred farm benches to awaiting wood guest tables in the Stable Lawn area.
***
***
Freshly made hand-passed hors d'oeuvres were offered to guests and bridal party members no matter their location. These included a special pork slider with a favorite bottled Carolina barbecue sauce provided by the family.
Guests found their way to the traditional long wood tables via vintage luggage tags hung on a burlap covered board with couple/individual names. The family pinned each on clothesline rope in alphabetical order.
***
Anne and Christina provided framed table numbers so guests could easily find their placements. Our black lanterns and mason jar glasses were all a part of our basic event package. Pam incorporated burlap runners, smaller brown lanterns and wild greens down the centers of each table.
***
***
The family was all about the food. So much so they added a huge chalk board with the complete menu at the start of buffet.
***
***
Sweet Tweets Cakery provided a simple two layer cake for formal purposes and an assortment of mini cupcakes for guests to enjoy.
***
The cake was elevated up behind the sweetheart table in front center of the Stable Lawn. Vintage chairs provided by Karnes Stables and various table elements were incorporated from our inventory and selected personalized block elements from the family.
***
***
Back inside the barn after dinner, the couple enjoyed their first dance. The partying continued until "shut down time" here with music being provided by our colleague, Eladio of DeLite Entertainment.
***
***
As nighttime drew near, the café lights, lanterns and sunset provided a majestic ending to a day filled with emotion and tradition.
***
***
Susan J. Stalnaker, event designer
No comments:
Post a Comment