In the past year, we've been diligently working on renovating our home. It was the home my parents bought 15 years ago and when they both passed away, we felt moved to buy it and make it special for us. Adam especially has put so much thought and effort into our home and he just impresses me more and more everyday. With lots of sweat, saw dust, blood and one ER trip, we are close to complete! (There's one more room under construction you'll see towards the end of this post.) This entire Whitten Place Project has meant so much to us, and I'd like to think my parents would be proud as well. Thankfully we have sweet friends like Charla Storey Photography to capture these photos for us. 

This used to be my Daddy's desk. It was one of those 80's tan metal desks we turned into something more modern. My dad was a big entrepreneur himself, so it's special for me to get to use this for my own entrepreneurial work!  

And finally, our last room still "under construction"! ;)

It seems unreal to be posting this, but here it is: We're going to parents to a tiny human coming in February 2016! 

The thrills and joys of this journey we're about to take is just a mound of blessings we can't even begin to soak in. I have always loved babies and children, I find them to be such joys in the wake of any moment and now we get to prepare ourselves for our very own. We feel honored to be charged with this task of raising a child in this world from our Creator and we do not plan to take this lightly. We can't wait to meet you, sweet Little One, you're so loved already! 

Sometimes creatives in the wedding industry get to come together and let their minds become inspired and run with it. A few months ago, we teamed up some incredibly talented businesses to create this romantic, summery wedding inspiration shoot and it was featured on one of out favorite wedding blogs, Wedding Chicks! Putting this together and creating the florals for this was so filling for my creative soul. Enjoy some of my favorite images from this shoot :)

Photography- Courtnee Murphy Photography | Styling & Florals- Wedfully Yours | Venue- Aristide Events | Hair & Makeup- Beauty & the Blush | Cake- Jar Cakery | China- Pretty Little Plate | Gown- Modern Trousseau from Patsy's Bridal Boutique |  Calligraphy- XO Ginny

In May we put together a big, bohemian, farm-to-table backyard bash for Alex and Anna. This time of year is typically a very mild-weathered climate in Texas, but our unpredictable weather decided it was going to be monsoon season. On the day of the wedding, God decided to shine some sun on us and let us enjoy a beautiful evening as these two lovebirds got hitched.  Anna has to be one of my favorite brides of all time. She trusted my design vision and was truly a relaxed bride no matter what was thrown her way. She knew she wanted to marry the man of her dreams and kept that as her focus, as every bride should! It was an honor to be a part of this sweet couple's special day and the images from Charla Storey Photography do it every bit of justice! 

Venue- Bride's Childhood Home | Planning + Design- Wedfully Yours Events | Florals- Wedfully Yours Events | Photography- Charla Storey Photography | Makeup- Something You Makeup Artistry | Hair- Tiffany Carvajal | Catering- Spoons Cafe | Cake and Desserts- Layered Bake Shop | Tent- Dallas Party Tent & Event | Ceremony and Reception Rentals- Shag Carpet | Paper- Smitten on Paper | Calligraphy- XO Ginny | Typewriter Poet- Dylan Nvarro | Music- Stephen Arnold Music | China- Posh Couture 

Around these parts of town a classic southern bride is somewhat of a standard, but this particular bride is quite the stunner. Kacy had a clear vision of what she wanted in her floral design- whites, ivories, creams and lots of texture. We absolutely loved putting together the florals for this Texas wedding at the charming Rustic Grace Estate Venue in Van Alstyne! 

I said she was stunning, didn't I? 

Photography by Emily Davis Photography | Hair + Make up by Makeup by Wendy Zerrudo 

How is everyone doing since we last connected last week? Still on survival mode, but maybe with a little more rejuvenation with the long weekend? Hope so! And for my super hustling friends that worked the holiday, cheers to you for working so hard! I feel like this is the season in our industry that any kind of encouragement- cheesy or not, is welcomed :) 

I realize this today's post may or may not be my most popular one, but I feel there are some things that need to be said as I'm sure many other planners may feel the same way. Something that has come to my attention as we've been in full swing this spring and summer wedding season has been the opportunity to work with so many great vendors, and as we all know how I like to keep it honest here, some not so great. This has nothing to do with the talent or services offered. I strongly believe every single one of our businesses fits a certain bride's taste and needs, so we all are very valuable. It's the ability to work together with another vendor to make a wedding the most memorable event for the couple that sets you above the others. 

Let's break this down. There are several components to make a wedding truly successful: the venue, the planner, the photographer, the beauty team, the florist, the caterer, the DJ or band, the rental companies, and the list goes on depending on the extent of the event. Each of these components are moving parts on the Big Day and someone has to manage it all. Strongly hoping it isn't the bride herself, she has hired a planner or coordinator to make sure this all runs smoothly while she gets to relax. If the planner hasn't sent you a timeline of the day the week before the wedding, it might be a good idea to reach out to her and see if she has one. This is a good opportunity for you to connect as well. If she has, it is very important you do read this and make sure things match up on your end. Many times when couples meet with their vendors, different things can be said which is only natural since they probably have all sorts of things running in their minds. The main goal and point of this is to get on the same page so that when it is showtime, everyone is clear on what to do. The worst thing in my opinion that can happen at a wedding is when vendors don't work together. That is a controllable factor that the couple has paid us to do! 

Sometimes, you're not going to get to work with your other vendor friends- sorry. The couple themselves or along with their planner have done their research and hired vendors that fit their style and budget. Although I do think it is beneficial to go along with a vendor's preferred list because of the existing chemistry and trust, this is not always going to happen. This does not excuse you to only communicate with the vendors you do know and dismiss the ones you don't. Use this as an opportunity to network! There is so much value to gaining more business on the job as there are so many potential clients attending a wedding. I feel like we are all professional enough to handle this, but take this as a friendly reminder :)

An image Courtnee Murphy Photography snapped of me styling our recent shoot together. Can't wait to share the pretty! See what beauty teamwork can create? 

I think it's easy as small business owners to get comfortable in what we know and not want to venture out of our zones, (being creatives only add to the stigma!), but we have to understand that a wedding can be a huge production. It requires so many hands on deck and lots of teamwork. Keep in mind we have the same objective: to serve and deliver for our couples!