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

Venue Spotlight: Quail Haven Farm

Quail Haven Farm is one of my favorite venues to work at! Not only is it adorable, the staff is amazing, the owner is the sweetest and the space is perfect! My very first wedding in 2014 was there and ever since I’ve been in love. The owner of the property, Lindy, is great and we hit it off right away! I love working with her and getting to do weddings on her farm. The first wedding I did there it was pouring rain but with the help of Lindy and her staff, we were able to keep everyone dry! (read more about that wedding here) A year later I had the privilege of working with Lindy again for Meagan and Cory’s wedding and it was perfection!

If you’re looking for a quaint, rustic, down to earth atmosphere, look no farther! Quail Haven Farm has everything you’re looking for with an antique barn in the backdrop, bridal cottage for you to get ready in, outdoor ceremony, a newly built cocktail terrace and covered reception space. You work directly with Lindy and she helps you with layout, rentals and all the details for your wedding day on the farm. Lindy and I are in touch too to make sure we are all on the same page and your wedding day is seamless! She books quickly so reach out to her today if you are interested in a tour and a date for 2016 or 2017!

Below are some pictures from the weddings I’ve done on the farm!

Sunny San Diego Afternoon

Jamie & Mark

9/20/15

Jamie and I were friends in college and I remember spending hours upon hours studying on her couch late into the night. When Jamie told me she was getting married and friends would be flying in from all over the country, I instantly marked my calendar! It was so fun working with Jamie because she was so easy-going and organized. After dinner one night (before she even got officially engaged!), we spent months going through details and thinking about the best way to make her vision come to life.

Her wedding day was nothing short of stunning. Jamie and Mark tied the knot at Carmel Mountain Ranch Golf Course on a beautiful afternoon in Sunny San Diego. Jamie looked gorgeous and every detail had an elegant touch of Jamie and Mark. Her sweet nature is one that is so inviting and warm and when I met Mark, he was the same way! The way they make each other smile and when they laugh together, it’s infectious. It was such a joy to work with Jamie and get to know Mark and see friends from college come to town to celebrate such a sweet couple!

xoxo,

Amanda Grace

Wedding Tip Wednesday: Photographers

Choosing a photographer within your budget and with a style you love to capture the most exciting day of your life isn’t always easy. Once you decide who to work with, communicating with them exactly what you want from them can sometimes be a challenge. I recommend keeping a running list as you plan of moments or details you want to make sure to remember have them shoot. When we sit down to start talking about your wedding, I’ll give you a list of shots you’re sure to want to capture that you can customize and give to your photographer. This makes family photos, detail pictures and bridal party shots go a lot faster so you can get to celebrating with your guests!

Here’s my top 3 tips for choosing a photographer:

1.       Make sure you look at the style of their work. Everyone is a little different. Explore their website and blog. Are they used to do weddings? Shooting a wedding day is a lot different than a normal photoshoot. Make sure they are familiar with all it will entail.

2.       Thoroughly look over the contract they give you and make sure you understand every little piece. Some people only agree to be at your wedding for a few hours, if you want getting ready photos and pictures of the sendoff, make sure you account for all the hours! Remember you only get married once so make sure they give you what you are looking for!

3.       Are they going to bring a second shooter? Having a second shoot on site at your wedding is always helpful to capture the groom’s face when he first sees the bride and the bride as she walks down the aisle. One photographer can be taking pictures of guests at cocktail hour while the other does family pictures following the ceremony. If at all possible, having one male and one female photographer is ideal so you can get pictures of the guys and gals getting ready at the same time!

xoxo,
Amanda Grace

Showered in Blessings

Will & Grace

11/1/14

Grace and I went to high school together and became good friends our senior year on Homecoming Court. We went our separate ways for college but kind of stayed in contact over the years. When Grace got engaged to this mystery man from college I had to reconnect with her! We talked wedding details and that’s when the dream of starting a small business coordinating events for people I love was born!

Family was always the most important thing to Grace and her family. Growing up everyone knew the Hobgood kids had each other’s backs and nothing was more important to them than each other. When I met Will’s family, it was obvious this was true for him and his family too and it made perfect sense why they were perfect together. I immediately fell in love with the Potts who traveled from Florida to California for their sweet wedding. I got to spend the whole morning setting up and getting to know them as they shared stories about Will and Grace.

The Potts tied the knot at Quail Haven Farm in Vista, CA. It was my first time working with Lindy Waldman, the owner, and she was the best! With an all outdoor venue and rain in the forecast ALL DAY, we knew we were going to face some challenges. The cocktail area and parking arenas had flooding but Lindi’s team rented shuttles and brought guests up to the ceremony safely as I worked to move cocktail hour to the covered reception space. Despite the rain, the whole day was showered in blessings!

Just in time for the ceremony, the rain let up and the sun came out! It wasn’t long after the ceremony concluded and they were done taking pictures that the rain began again. Despite the cold and the rain, guests enjoyed dancing, celebrating, and the mini dessert bar from the bakery Grace used to work at. Right after they got married, Will and Grace moved to Florida and just recently had their first little girl Kinley, who is adorable as can be!

xoxo,

Amanda Grace