Defeat

Yesterday was not a good day. I will spare you the whiny details, but miscommunications led to unfair assumptions which led to an unhappy client, which had me feeling something between anger and guilt. Anger over the undefined, yet unattainable expectations people have, and guilt over that ever-lurking-feeling of "could I have done more to make them happy?"

Time to Chill

Three weekends, three weddings. Cheers to that!

// Image via Bloom //

Over & Out

Today is my last day at my part time job!! It's bittersweet for sure...mostly sweet...but I am truly amazed by the encouragement and support from my coworkers for this decision and next step in life. It's weird to think how much has changed in a matter of a year.

Updates and Such

Blogging has felt more few and far between this May since after a month off, I was back at my part-time job most mornings from about 7 to 11. Well, that's all about to change since I actually put my two-weeks notice in yesterday and will be done on May 30th.

Resembling Normalcy

After 3 back-to-back events this weekend I am aching for a more routine schedule with work and taking care of things around the house. I especially want to make sure T feels loved this week! He helped so much over the weekend - and not just by lifting heavy things, but by encouraging me and relieving any of the stress I felt with positive affirmation.

We kept our Easter Sunday pretty low key with brunch at Last Resort Grill and a trip to the park with the pups. Who's ready to tackle the new week with me?!

xo

Work & Play

I had to take a few days this week to get fully caught up with work- especially since 3 out of the last 5 days included time in Atlanta. No complaints here though! I feel like I'm finding my groove in juggling a great event next week, a couple day-of-coordination weddings this fall and getting ready for large full-planning weddings next spring.

Sometimes I can get so caught up in the thrill of design inspiration and loving what I do that I forget to turn around from my desk and take care of the chaos that is my house :) Thankfully Taylor is super patient with me as I figure out the best balance for life and working from home (or a coffee shop). Besides work, I feel so excited by so many new friendships in my life and God filling my time with great girls to reach out to. Even though there are still many aspects to my future that feel so unclear, I am soaking in this time of refreshing when everything just seems to be going really well!

xo

// Image via Prepaganda //

Loving What I Do

This weekend was a wonderful reminder of why I LOVE event planning. When everything falls together perfectly, when vendors are professional and helpful, and most importantly when the client is overwhelmingly happy- that is when I feel so grateful for my career and passionate about what I do.

When people first find out I'm a wedding planner they usually respond with an assumption depicted by what is glamorized in movies to which I quickly say I'm more of a "crisis-manager". Don't get me wrong, I lourve the dreamy details, elaborate lighting, unique linens, and customized menus. I just typically go into every event knowing something stressful will come up, and I have to stay as calm as possible while fixing the problem as quickly as possible.

This past weekend I had a wedding in town at a chapel with the reception at the Georgia Theater (again!). With 275 guests it's easy to get a little overwhelmed, but the weekend could not have gone smoother. I tend to dread rehearsals because they require me to be a little more bossy than I prefer, not to mention everyone is just getting in town and want to catch up! The rehearsal was short and sweet and the bridal party was able to move right along to their anticipated dinner and after party.

Everything fell into place during the day of the wedding with set ups, deliveries and transportation. I almost ran out of things to do ha! It was a huge relief that everything started and stayed on time as well. To an organizational freak like myself, those are the little things that get me through :)

The reception was exactly what you would want a party to encompass- delicious food, great drinks, and a band that kept everyone on their feet. The father of the bride surprised guests with a rap to this song and I could not get over how perfectly fun everything was. Convincing a couple hundred people to go line up outside to throw confetti was about as hard as you would assume, but it made for hilarious conversations outside and a great getaway for the bride and groom.

I love that I get to help couples have the stress-free wedding day they dream of and it's like an extra kiss from God when I get to take away a great experience as well.

xoxo

P.S. I can't wait to share the actual wedding pictures taken by the ever-amazing-and-talented Caroline Fontenot.

Weekend Wrap Up

This weekend was a whirlwind to say the least. My body is still trying to recover from the non-stop fun and my feet are in desperate need of a deep tissue massage. Friday night was the intimate wedding ceremony and reception at Madison Oaks Inn! The couple had been together for 16 years so it was such an honor to be a part of their special day. With the help of Candice, the night ran smoothly even though I broke both of my shoes! Now these are on my wish list :)

On Saturday we headed up to Tennessee for an afternoon rafting on the Ocoee River. We rafted the same river a few years back but I was still nervous as heck! We loved our guide who reminded me of Uncle Si from Duck Dynasty. The good conversation with our friends Brianne and Mike on the way there and back was really refreshing. More on that later.

On Sunday we went to Atlanta for a friend's wedding and reception at Roswell Mill. I loved getting to see old roommates and best friends from all over. And of course the dance party was hilarious and sweaty.

I am hoping to catch myself up on a lot of work today and tomorrow for clients. Taylor and I are going back to Marietta tonight for a quick family dinner since my grandpa is in town from Florida.

I hope everyone has a productive Monday!

wedding wednesday

I am so excited to finally share some personal news in the job department (and I promise it relates to weddings :) After months of prayer, consideration and wisdom seeking, I decided to step away from my first "real world" job and accept a position with Chancey Charm Weddings!

Started by Sarah Chancey, CC is a southern wedding planning company that creates customized designs for clients to feel a true vision for their big day. Working with a unique team of talented women has always been a desire and passion of mine and I am so thrilled for this new adventure.

Although leaving the structured 9 to 5 schedule has left me feeling a little anxious about my time and productivity, I am loving the freedom of creating my schedule, setting meetings, and enjoying wife-hood. Working from home is definitely requiring the best of my self control and discipline. Do any of you work from home? I would love to hear how you set your schedules and if you have any tips for being disciplined!

Thanks for letting me share about my current career changes. I hope to use Wedding Wednesday as a way to share about my own clients in the near future too!

xoxo

P.S. you can see my bio here :)

// Top photo by Lauren Locher Carnes //

winter woes

Without fail this year is already moving right along and I am still trying to figure out how to catch up on work, blogging, grocery shopping, cleaning...the list goes on :) By not offering too many excuses, I will just say life has been busy (as we can all relate too) and I want this little blog to get back on my list of daily priorities.

wedding wednesday

For this week's Wedding Wednesday, I'm excited to feature the rehearsal dinner I helped plan at the Georgia Theatre last weekend! It was the first ever rehearsal dinner at the theatre and I feel pretty confident it won't be the last Epting Events-catered party there. To say the concert venue was transformed would be an understatement.

The new rooftop bar played host to cocktail hour and passed hors d'oeuvre. Since the groom is a professional golfer, our floral designer created a golf themed tablescape complete with pictures of the young golfer, a grass runner, golf balls, and tees. The bars offered "His & Hers" signature drinks as well as favors & monogrammed cocktail napkins.

Dinner took place inside the theatre on the main floor, with some guest tables on the balcony level as well. We carried the K monogram all the way from drink signage, to napkins, to a personalized gobo on the back wall of the stage.

The exposed brick offered the most stunning backdrop for decor and details. Grapevine balls strung with lights was actually an idea from the client! A red velvet groom's cake in the shape of a golf bag was another personalized touch to the night.

Before the dance party started, champagne was passed for toasts from friends and family.

I can't wait to see and hear about future events in this iconic venue, reborn in 2011. One of these days I'll share the details of my own rehearsal dinner, but until then...enjoy!

// Event Planning & Catering: Epting Events // Paper goods: Foglio Press // Gobo: Live Event Solutions //

xoxo

working girl

Over the past two weeks, I've seen and experienced much more of the stress that comes with event coordinating. Not that it's scaring me away from a career, I just didn't think I would feel it until I was planning my own parties.

over the weekend

Sorry for being MIA yesterday- I am still trying to recover from the weekend. Friday and Saturday were packed with set up and breakdown for the Gwinnett Medical Center Cornerstone Society Gala at the Georgia Jet Hanger in Lawrenceville. Those two days were long and grueling, but it was so enjoyable to see all the hours, days and months of planning pay off. Bethany (the event coordinator) did a fabulous job orchestrating the set ups and making the night memorable for every guest- which by the way, totaled over 600!

My hope is to share more details and photos from the gala later this week! I will let you in on one of the perks of being Bethany's assistant Saturday night- I had my own radio.

Sunday was filled with church and a trip to Madison for a bridal showcase. Bethany, Ashlynne and I went to a beautiful tea room owned by Kathi Russell. I'm hoping one of my friends will have a luncheon or bridal shower there in the future!

Overall this weekend was crazy busy and fun. I feel like I'm gaining a better understanding of what event coordinating encompasses and how important it is to have healthy outlets for stress (because something will always go wrong). 

I'm taking today off to rest up and fight off what feels like a cold/allergies/emotional exhaustion, etc :) Taylor has been so sweet in taking care of me and being patient as I get back to our normal routine.

Georgia

Print by Matthew Kaven Brooks. Found here.

I think this pretty much sums up the weather in the Peach State today...

In other news, work has been going really well. The new interns started yesterday and not that it was forever-ago, but I'm instantly reminded of my early days as an intern- constantly worried if I'm asking too many questions.

Today we had a meeting to discuss wedding trends and it's always inspiring to work with creative people driven to think beyond what is just cool right now. And in case you're interested in wedding trends, you should definitely read this article. Also, I am trilled to be a new contributor for this blog at work! Have a great Tuesday y'all!

xoxo

trying to catch-up

Have you ever had one of those weeks where as hard as you try, you just can't seem to catch up on everything? I have to be honest and say I am having one of those weeks. Luckily the house is somewhat clean, the pantry is full, and the laundry done, but I still get home and feel worn out. Perhaps because of traveling out of town and adjusting into my new role at work, I have had less time to sit and decompress.

Change and transitions always require a little fine tuning to the day-to-day schedule. Which leads me to my realization that I'm going to need some strict New Year's Resolutions. I'm talkin' 8 hours of sleep, no junk food, and more consistent work outs. And planned ME time :)

My hope is that I can have a relaxing, yet diligent Saturday morning at Big City Bread Cafe; reading this book and my Bible. I also have some exciting posts in the works for next week so stay tuned!