Love is Sweet

Maddy & Caleb

2/6/16

In February I got to be a part of one of the sweetest of weddings for a dear from college. Maddy and I met freshman year and have been friends ever since so getting to help create the day she envisioned to marry William Caleb Parker was such a treat! There were the most darling personal touches in every detail from the people that helped set up to both of their fathers officiating the ceremony to the dessert that was made in Tennessee and flown to California.

Early in the morning several people, young and old, came to the reception to help set up tables and chairs for 250 guests and carefully place handmade centerpieces. As we pulled everything together it was a true picture of community coming together to show love to two people we are all lucky to know. With both of their dads being pastors, they each got to play a role in the ceremony and together they spoke words of wisdom and love as Maddy and Caleb exchanged vows and promises to serve and love together forever. There was not a dry eye in that church!

Probably my favorite detail from the wedding was the dessert! Caleb’s family has a secret cookie recipe that Maddy wasn’t allowed to have until they got married. Maddy swore she wasn’t just marrying him for the recipe but I know it was a huge perk for that sweets-loving lady;) For their wedding Caleb’s grandma and aunts baked dozens of these magic cookies and flew them to California for the reception. At the rehearsal dinner Maddy was given the recipe as she was welcomed in the Parker family. With these sweet, melt in your mouth, cookies, Maddy and Caleb served brownies (made by the famous Mrs. Clarke!) and had a Ben & Jerry’s ice cream cart! Maddy would eat ice cream for every meal if she could so it was perfect and guests loved it!

Maddy and Caleb are two of the sweetest people I know and it was such a blessing to get to be a part of making their vision for their day come to life!

xoxo,

Amanda Grace

Wedding Tip Wednesday: DIY Centerpieces

Pinterest has revolutionized wedding décor in today’s world. Lots of people have chosen to do DIY centerpieces to add a personal touch and also to save money. I think it’s a great idea and I love seeing brides and grooms and their families working on projects for the wedding together! If you choose to make your own centerpieces, they don’t have to be expensive, over the top or extravagant. Sometimes less is more! Ask your family and friends to start saving wine corks, bottles, jars, cans, frames, etc once you decide what you want to do. If you know someone who does beautiful woodwork or has great calligraphy skills, ask if they’d be willing to help! Having people you are close to be part of making your vision become a reality is so special.

Check out some of the DIY centerpieces from the sweet brides I’ve worked with in the past!

xoxo,

Amanda Grace

Wedding Tip Wednesday: Guest Seating

Creating a seating chart for your guests can be confusing and overwhelming in the final weeks leading up to your wedding as you collect RSVPs. But it doesn’t have to be! It can be fun to group people together who know each other well or friends you know will get along sitting at the same table. Making your escort cards can be a fun little project for you and your friends or family. Make sure when you decide what you want to use for your seating assignment, it’s something that is easy to change quickly as people add and drop last minute. And always make extra! Once your layout and table assignments are done, group your cards together in ziplock bags for your coordinator to easily display on your wedding day. If you are doing a choice-of dinner, it’s important to have an indicator on your escort cards for the catering staff to identify who is getting what entrée for dinner. This can be as simple as a colored ribbon or different colored marking that your guests will barely recognize but the staff will know.

Another idea is doubling your escort cards as your favors! For their desert wedding, Ashley and Drew used mini succulent plants as their escort cards for guests to find their tables and then had guests take them home to remember their wedding weekend in the desert. For Meagan and Cory’s wedding, Cory custom built a rack to hang all the escort cards on at cocktail hour that matched the venue perfectly. The possibilities are endless and it doesn’t have to be complicated!

Check out some of the cute escort cards brides have created below:)

xoxo,
Amanda Grace

Steve and Lindi Hit It Outta The Park!

Steve & Lindi

1/17/16

Steve and Lindi’s wedding at Angel’s Stadium was by far one of the most exciting venues I got to work at! They invited 200 of their closest friends to join them in the Diamond Club and celebrate God’s faithfulness in their relationship. It was an evening of laughter, good food and dancing, complete with the announcer from the stadium as the DJ!

After their ceremony at King of Glory Lutheran Church, where Steve and Lindi attend church, guests made their way to Angel’s Stadium to continue the celebration! As guests arrived they signed the calendar guest book filled with Lindi and Steve’s engagement pictures taken on the field by Antonio Espino Photography. It was a simple evening with BBQ sliders, toasts, a custom Steve and Lindi bobble-head cake topper, and peanuts and ballpark snacks for guests to enjoy! It was great to see a room filled with so much love and joy as we celebrated the union of Steve and Lindi!

Xo,

Amanda Grace

More pictures in the gallery of Steve and LIndi!

Wedding Tip Wednesday: Welcome Table

When guests arrive at your wedding, there is typically a guest book, place for gifts and cards and a sign or attendant directing guests where to go for the ceremony. You can check out my blog on guestbooks here but keep in mind when your guests arrive, the welcome area you create is the first impression you give your guests of your wedding day. This is a great place to incorporate some special elements, honor family members who can’t be in attendance, use custom created signs or beautiful vintage furniture. You can make this as extravagant or simple as you’d like! When we sit down and talk about your wedding, I’d love to help create a vision for a welcome table and area for your guests. And when you book with Grace in the Details, I will bring a pre-ceremony water station for your guests if it’s not included in your venue package! Contact me now about booking your consultation and getting your date secured on the calendar!

Check out these stunning welcome tables created by some of the brides I've worked with!

xoxo,

Amanda Grace

Oceanfront Bliss

Carrie & Travis

9/26/16

I met Carrie at the gym where we both do Crossfit in Mission Viejo. After our workouts she would tell me about school where she was a teacher and I would tell her about the events I would do. She knew Travis would be proposing soon and would need help pulling all the details together. Carrie had always dreamed of a wedding by the beach and the OC Sailing and Event Center overlooked Dana Point Harbor with a gorgeous view of the water. With an outdoor ceremony, taco man for dinner and Travis’s favorite donuts for dessert, their family and friends had a great time celebrating with perfect weather on an evening by the coast.

I loved that they had a rose ceremony honoring their moms, homemade centerpieces and a mason jar for each guest, making each detail of their wedding come together to make the day just what they had imagined. It was so sweet to see their friends and family come together to dance the night away as the sun set over the ocean. Carrie and Travis were so happy to be surrounded by loved ones as they began their new life together! I love how happy they make each other and can’t wait to see what the future holds for them!

xoxo,

Amanda Grace