Engaged: Janelle and Brett

Oh man do we love this couple! You got a sneak at their design plan already but here is a good look at their adorable faces!! Holy cuteness am I right!?! Great work as always by Benfield Photography.

How did the two of you meet?

Brett and I met at Sams Club, where we both worked in January of 2011. It was nice to get to know each other by working together before we began dating.

Tell us about one of your favorite dates!

Janelle- Brett surprised me on Valentine ’s Day with 3 dozen roses and a night out. I didn’t know where we were going, but I knew I was supposed to get dressed up. Half of the fun was the element of surprise! We went to Touch for dinner which was wonderful because neither of us had ever been. We loved it so much we are using Touch to cater the wedding and rehearsal dinner!

Brett- Janelle surprised me for my birthday with Royals tickets. It was fun for us to explore Kansas City together. We enjoyed shopping at the plaza and eating good food. Kansas City is now one of our favorite places to go.

When did you know it was the real thing?

Janelle- When Brett took me to meet his family after a month of dating. That showed me that he already cared about me as much as I cared about him. I just remember instantly feeling like I fit in with them and knew I would love to call them family one day.

Brett- I knew early on that it was the real thing because we both wanted the same things out of life.

Was the proposal a surprise? How did it happen?

We looked at rings and talked about marriage quite a bit so it was hard for Brett to pull off a surprise. On Friday, April 25^th Brett asked if he could take me out on a date. Little did I know, he had been trying to propose for weeks but with our hectic schedules, nothing worked out.  As we were walking out of the house to head to our favorite sushi place, Brett got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife. We celebrated with a sushi dinner, just the two of us, before heading downtown to celebrate with all of our closest friends. It was a night neither of us will forget.

How do you envision your wedding day?

We envision our wedding day to be filled with love, family, friends, and centered on God.

Janelle, what are you most looking forward to on your big day?

I’m looking forward to every part of the day! I can’t wait to spend time getting ready with my very best friends. Being a daddy’s girl, I can’t wait for my father daughter dance.  I can’t wait to walk down the aisle to Brett and say my vows. And I really can’t wait for the moment I get to put on my amazing wedding dress!

Brett, what are you most looking forward to on the big day?

I’m looking forward to the actual wedding ceremony. I’m excited to say my vows and begin the rest of my life with Janelle. I’m also excited to spend the day with family and friends.

Real Wedding: Iceley and Kelby's Ceremony

Introducing Mr. and Mrs. Kelby and Iceley Parks on the blog this week! There is not enough I can say about this wonderful couple! Iceley and Kelby's wedding day was intimate, heartfelt, and absolutely joyous. It is not hard to see in their photos how in love they are, or how well they fit each other. It is also obvisous how happy their friends and family are for them by the way they celebrated together. Enjoy these beautiful pictures by Meg White Photography!

 Did you choose to do any memorable events or traditions within your ceremony?

We choose to keep everything pretty traditional with our ceremony. We had very old traditional vows and Unity Candle. We also added our own songs during the Unity Candle and the Exit that fit to us.

 Why did you choose the ceremony space that you did?

We chose The Round Barn, for its beautiful uniqueness! We love the location and how everything was set up. We felt like it was the perfect setting for the ceremony we wanted.  The owners were also so amazing to work with and it made our day so special! 

What was the most sentimental part of your ceremony?

We think the most sentimental part of our ceremony was when we were lighting our Unity Candle, and at the end when our Preacher (Iceley's uncle) was saying the prayer to bless our marriage.

Bridal Gown: Gracie's Bridal

Bridesmaid Dresses: Gracie's Bridal

Cake: Style By The Slice

Coordinator: Jane from Abby Mitchell Events

Flowers: Teters Florist

Groomsmen Attire: Norma's Inline Fashions

Hair Stylist: Lindsi Thompson at Razors Edge

Invitations: Wedding Paper Divas

Make-Up Artist: Laura Garside at Karma Salon

Officiate: Kip Baker, Bride's Uncle

Photographer: Meg White Photography

Venue: The Round Barn

Budget Breakdown: Bouquets

Let’s talk about flowers ladies! Since I've been working on this post, I realized I don't know as much as I should about flowers. With the help of Charity from He Loves Me Flowers and my good ol' mama, who actually used to be a florist (I know you would think I would be better at this), I've come up with a lovely and informative post about selecting the perfect bouquet for your wedding day.

We all know flowers are a very important aspect of the wedding, and the price can be overlooked in the beginning. The truth of the matter is, flowers can be major part of the total budget. Of course, there are many aspects that can increase or decrease the cost of your floral arrangements, like type of flower, or season of the wedding. Today I'm breaking down the cost of bridal bouquets, and sharing some information I found along the way.

  $ = $70 - $110 

$$ = $110 - $180

 $$$ = $180+

1 | Succulents, dahlia, & carnation   2 | Succulents & peonies   3 | Red dahlias, wheat, hens and chicks, purple salvia & ranunculus

1 - $     2 - $$$      3 - $$

Quick note: you might recognize bouquet three if you've been with us for a while! It is the lovely arrangement from our styled shoot with Christine Bonnivier Photography and He Loves Me Flowers! Check it out!

It might have a funny long name, but a ranunculus is nothing short of gorgeous. The color range of a ranunculus makes it a great option for trying to work with a vivid color theme. The best time for ranunculus in your bouquet is between February and May. They are reasonably priced and work great by themselves or with other flowers.

1 | Milky Way Roses, hydrangea, seeded eucalyputs, & nigella  2 | Blue & green hydrangeas, blue delphinium, sea holly, lavender, dusty miller, hyacinth & berry  3 |  Blue delhinium, baby blue hydrangeas, ivory roses, freesia, & seeded eucalyptus foliage

1 - $     2 - $$     3 - $$$

If you are wanting to incorporate a more rustic look into your wedding, a variety of wild looking flowers can do just that. A very popular bouquet flower is hydrangea. Hydrangeas come in blue, burgundy, light pink, light blue, green, and white. The light blue and white versions are much cheaper than the others, but you can obtain the pricey colors if your florist is able to dye them. From spring to fall, these beautiful flowers can make or accentuate your bouquet for an excellent budget option. Another great perk - they take up a lot of space!

1 | Oceana, Sahara & Akito long-stem roses, football mums cremone, lisianthus, spray roses & camelias  2 | White peonies, white ranunculus, white freesia, sweet akito rose with white feathers & a broach  3 |  Astilbe, hydrangea, peony, garden rose, dusty miller & sweet pea vines

1 - $     2 - $$     3 - $$$

One of my favorite flowers is the peony! Peonies are great for bouquets, because they are full and lush, therefore you don't need as many to create a larger arrangement. However, they are pricey! As a budget breaker trick, we recommend using them in just your bouquet and keeping centerpieces, or wedding party bouquets slightly more basic. Peonies come in white, pale pink, magenta, and red. Their peak season is April through June, and can be harder to find in the off season. Truly a short period of availability, but completely worth it. They are fragrant and beautiful!

1 |  Football mums, pincushion protea, billy balls, & Dusty miller   2 | Yellow roses, billy balls, dusty miller   3 | Dahlias, china mums, white roses, billy balls & dusty miller

1 - $     2 - $$     3 - $$$

Well we can't talk about bouquets without talking about roses. In the language of flowers, a red rose means love, and that is what a wedding should be filled with. Roses! Oh, and love of course :). Obviously, the most well known wedding flower would have to be the rose. They are great because they come in an array of color and are available year round. They are easy to ship making them a great choice if your wedding is in a remote area or on a budget.

  

...

I hope you now have a better idea of what kind of bouquet will not only work great for your wedding but also your budget. Keep in mind that all of these examples are based on a BRIDAL BOUQUET which are usually at least double what wedding party bouquets tend to run. So don't panic! If you still are not sure what type of bouquet you really want, I found a great site with plenty of pictures of all different types of bouquets: Bollea. 

My last piece of advice when it comes to bouquets is to choose a great florist. Going with the cheapest florist might seem like a good idea, but you don't want to pay for it on your wedding day. Different florists use different levels of quality flowers, you really get what you pay for when it comes to flowers and design work. We have some wonderful florists that we highly recommend. Feel free to reach out to us for suggestions. 

Now if the thought of flowers has stressed you out to the max, take a deep breath and check out alternative options, Eccentric Bouquets. 

-Rochelle ;)

Behind the Scenes: Reception Layouts

Hi friends! Y'all love learning more about layouts! This post has been the most popular one we've had by far in the last 8 years. 

Our business has rebranded from Abby Mitchell Events to Hired Hostess Event Co. and we actually offer a stand alone package to create an event layout for any venue in any location. Feel free to peruse   our current website here or just send me an email at abby@hiredhostess.com for more info.

Original post continued:
Oh man are layouts important! From someone who LOVES a good game-plan, I can barely function without having a layout of an event space. It is what I start each event with.

Here is a behind the scenes look at how we create a layout to coordinate with a wedding design and how we use them to communicate with venues, vendors, and our lovely brides! We start with a layout for each event for many reasons. The main reasons are to see what is possible in the space and what the best locations are for items to create a good flow. It is all about maximizing space. 

We often run into difficult space issues; having a layout is crucial to use to overcome the dilemma. For example, columns are tricky! These couple of layouts helped us know how to strategically place tables to fit the most guests in the space. The final results are possible because of the ability to create a game-plan with a layout!

We also use layouts to help with our design plan. Once we know what will fit in the space, we can assign table numbers and make sure our different centerpiece designs are accurately dispersed. These next two are color coded to help determine centerpiece locations and quantities.

This reception had some complicated centerpieces, so we labeled each table for the florist to know what was what. You can see the differences in the photos below. 

 The final two depict the different linen colors to be used for the rental vendors. For example, lilac on rectangle tables and violet on rounds. And then below, black on all service tables and grey on guest tables.

If you need help with a layout for your event, or have any other planning questions, please feel free to give us a shout! info@abbymitchellevents.com

Happy planning! - Abby

Engaged: Lauren and Chris

Meet Lauren and Chris! 

This beautiful couple will tie the knot this summer. Enjoy getting to know them a little bit better and their stunning engagement photos by Christine Bonnivier Photography. I love the sun soaked images she captured for them! 

How did the two of you meet and how long have you been together?

Chris and I met at Drury University during a greek life event. It was my freshman year and his sophomore year. I had just joined Delta Delta Delta and barely knew anyone. Both of us, being sort of shy, made our way to the sidelines and struck up a random conversation about his shoes. The conversation ended with him asking if I liked spaghetti. I said absolutely, I love Italian food. And then he asked if I could make it for him and that led for our first date. (I had my mom make the sauce beforehand, because I am a terrible cook and I really wanted to impress him). 

Tell us about one of your favorite dates!

My favorite date was one of our first. I have always had an obsession with Christmas lights. One day he asked if I would like to go out to dinner with him and I said of course. While on our way to the supposed dinner he said, “oh wait I forgot to get something at the fraternity house, would you mind coming in with me for a moment.” So we walk up to the steps and one of his brothers opens the door wearing a full-on-butler-style suit. I could definitely tell something was up at this point. So his brother tells us to follow him and he opens the door to their formal room-inside is a complete winter wonderland. All the walls are covered in Christmas lights with ivory sheets draped from ceiling to the floor, fake snow covered the ground, Frank Sinatra music gently playing in the background and in the center was a single table set for the two of us. We then spent the rest of the evening being served food (which he prepared earlier) by various pledges wearing tuxedo t-shirts. After the dinner was served (my favorite cheesecake) we danced and tracked fake snow through the rest of the house. 

When did you know it was the real thing?

I never really knew when it became the real thing. It wasn’t a singular incident that let me know he was the one, it’s just been day after day of little surprises and comfort and I grew to feel that I knew that he was the one. 

Was the proposal a surprise? How did it happen?

The proposal was after our 5 year anniversary we had went out to a fancy sushi dinner and then walked around a winter wonderland ( I really like Christmas lights if you can’t tell). According to the mayans it was the day the world was supposed to end 12-21-12. Then he plopped down on one knee and said that he wanted to spend the rest of his life no matter how short or long that may be with me. Then he asked if I would marry him. 

How do you envision your wedding day?

Throughout our relationship we have always had loads of fun and liveliness. I want my wedding to capture that spirit. We want our full-of-life energy to radiate for the entire night and share that with the ones we care for. 

Are there any fun family traditions or special details that you are planning to incorporate?

My parents have had a wonderful, happy marriage and I would like to pay homage to that. On my bouquet I will have a small charm that has a picture of them on their wedding day. Chris and I have never been big fans of wedding cake, we will be serving fresh apple-pie with ice cream instead.

Lauren, what are you most looking forward to on your big day?

I can’t wait to have all of my family (new and old) all in one place celebrating together

Chris, what are you most looking forward to on the big day?

Seeing her walk down the aisle. 

Lauren and Chris, we can't wait to celebrate with you this summer! 

Photos by Christine Bonnivier Photography.