Wedding Industry Love - Certified!

Welcome to Wednesday!

I am proud to announce that I have completed the Gay Wedding Institute certification course taught by Bernadette Coveney Smith, owner of 14 Stories in Boston. 14 Stories is America’s first gay wedding planning firm, and GWI is the first gay wedding planning certification course in the world. I participated with others in the wedding industry from across America and Canada and we learned about what makes gay wedding planning different than planning for straight couples. Same-sex couples have a few more issues to deal with (legally…), and planners need to know which vendors and venues are gay-friendly, plus, I needed to learn how to market and appeal to gay and lesbian couples.

I am sharing my journey into uncharted territory! At least for TDE and as a planner myself. I have yet to plan a wedding or party for a gay or lesbian couple, but now, I feel ready to dive right in! I’m excited to make some changes to our website and to make sure we use totally inclusive language in our forms and on the site. I am now prepared to help a gay or lesbian couple plan their event, but in some ways, I feel like I have always been ready for this job. My background, my family, my passions…everything leads to being a wedding planner and in some ways especially for gay couples. I love my job and I am very excited to be actively expanding my client base from a business standpoint and from a very personal place as well.

We believe in marriage equality for everyone!

xoxo
Christy

Wedding Decor - Anthropologie Home Design Studios

Happy Monday!! Did you know that one of my favorite retailers is adding a home design studio to 12 of it's stores? Anthropologie has had a huge year! First launching BHLDN and now design studios. Think of the fun this could mean for wedding decor! And lucky for us the Marin Store in The Village at Corte Madera will be one of the stores.


The Marin Anthro is actually my favorite store. Did you ever notice that there are "good" Anthros and some "not so good" Anthros. My favs are the Marin, Burlingame and Blackhawk ones. Great selection, great sale items and lots of sizes. I feel the same way about J.Crew. The Burlingame J.Crew is my go to store, with the Stanford and Marin ones not far behind.

But back to Anthro's new design studios...the concept will be a store within a store that showcases a mix of home decor items, with design experts waiting to answer questions, give tips and even offer classes.

I have always looked to Anthro for inspiration when designing my client's weddings. And I find myself often picking up key pieces to highlight on accent tables, or within the ceremony. They are such a fab place for wedding decor.


So head to Marin and check out the new store within a store - they launched March 24th!
xoxo
Trisha

Photo source: Anthropologie.com

Fav Finds + Flower Friday - Kristy Mitchell Photography

Happy Friday! We have some GORGEOUS images of flowers and people to share with you today. My momma found this photographer and sent her my way. Kristy Mitchell's style is so unique that I just could not wait to share with you! Check out the amazing creations of flowers and stunning women. And how incredible is this first dress?? Not to mention the umbrella of flowers! So pretty. Ok, let me be a bit more honest - I NEED that dress. No clue where or when I would wear it, but I need it. Bad. Like right now so I can put it on and spin in my living room. :)

Here are some of my fav finds for the week!

I fell in love with this simple stunning southern wedding.

The Knotty Bride

Purple Pasta

Design*Sponge

Oh shoes!!!

The Cinderella Project

A gorgeous mushroom wedding cake

Once Wed

Loving the orange of it all

Camille Styles

Have a great weekend!

xoxo

Trisha

Photo source: www.kristymitchellphotography.com

Wedding Style - The Pretty Pink Dress

Hello Wednesday! I thought that for today’s post, I would get personal. To let you in on a little secret…I have been heavily influenced throughout my life by a wonderful little film called Dirty Dancing. I know, I know. “I carried a watermelon?” I love it! I wanted to BE Baby. I know every word, the entire soundtrack, and Patrick Swayze will FOREVER be my first crush as Johnny Castle. I love everything about the movie and watching it as a 14 year old certainly skewed my expectations of family vacations for a decade. My poor parents. I was always disappointed when I didn’t meet a Johnny to teach me dance moves and fall madly in love with me for my bravery, my innocent good looks…my hutzpah!

And below are two BEAUTIFUL examples of a modern-day Baby wedding dress. Pale pink and begging to dance and sway like the dress Jennifer Grey wore in the last scene of the movie. So iconic. I’m not suggesting a Dirty Dancing themed wedding, but the dresses are inspired by the movie. And if you were a couple looking to incorporate the movie in another way, you would have to include “I’ve Had the Time of My Life” by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes, and “Love is Strange” by Mickey and Sylvia. You could also get married at a resort in the Catskills! Take your engagement pictures on a log over a creek! Okay, so maybe I have imagined my own Dirty Dancing themed wedding just a few times. Sue me.

Nobody puts Baby in the corner,
xoxo
Christy




Photo sources: coutureallure.com, bridalwave.tv

Dainty Details - Letterpress Lovelies

Well, as you can tell, we had some technical difficulties with both last Friday's and today's post. So, I promise that this upcoming Flower Friday and Fav Finds will be fantabulous and today's post will be just as amazing.

In high school, I was lucky enough to meet and befriend a very talented gal named Amber. And of course, I was then even more lucky to run into her one night at one of our favorite restaurants a few years ago and our friendship was reunited. I was also incredibly excited to learn that Amber and I were both graphic designers, and shared a love of designing pretty things, but she was cool enough to launch her own very successful graphic design studio and letterpress print shop called Flywheel Press. And so, today I share with you all the stunning wonderful things, including amazing wedding invitation suites, that Amber can design and print.

Oh and look out world because in May, Trisha Dean Events launches it's new look and feel and our business cards were designed and printed by the fabulous Amber! Yay! We can't unveil them just yet, but we will shout it from the rooftops when we do!








See? Aren't they amazing?! I can't get over how pretty the dainty pink Anemone card is! And I showed all of my favorites invites - the Fireworks one is especially fab! Check out her site for even more amazing things! And you can find her on Etsy too!

xoxo
Trisha

Photo source: www.flywheelpress.com

Dainty Details - Perfect Pinwheels

I’ve got summer on my mind! I’ve been doing research for one of our upcoming summer weddings and now I’m a little bit obsessed with pinwheels. Pinwheels aren’t an entirely new idea in weddings, but I’ve enjoyed the browsing and want to share my take!

I’ve collected many images for this post…there are plenty of ways to incorporate pinwheels into a wedding theme. I started to wonder though, if a pinwheel theme would come across too “cute” or “precious” for a wedding. But I really think that a summer wedding…think linen suits, crisp green lawns, lemonade cocktails, and bright wildflowers…could absolutely include pinwheels thematically from start to finish.

I’m imagining a picnic reception with a preppy look, maybe pinks and greens, with blankets on a lawn next to a croquet game...how perfect would pinwheels be at this country club affair? I can see them on ties or socks, cufflinks or boutonnieres, planted in the lawn and in a flower girl’s bouquet. The trick with themes is to pick and choose where you integrate, especially with a tangible single theme—like pinwheels or bicycles or snowflakes—as opposed to a more broad theme like “circus” or “Gatsby”.

Pinwheels could be a part of your invitations with a stamp or an illustrated image. Or, you could include a pinwheel pattern on the back of your invitation, and guests can fold their own if they want! From there, you might include pinwheels on signage at the ceremony and reception, lining the aisle, in centerpieces, or as large format lawn ornaments. You could have mini-wheels like flags in cocktails, or give them to guests as favors to spin for a big entrance, or even a colorful send-off. The possibilities are endless!

Here are some pics for more pinwheel fun! Etsy is a great place to start!

xoxo
Christy

Photo sources: 1&2 L. Sharp and Jackie Herb, 3 Big Star Photography, 4 The Knot - MadeinHeavenCakes.com, 5 Etsy - Pickled Parlor Shop

Dainty Details - Couture Pink Shoes

I am on the hunt of some pink satin shoes for a little black dress o'mine. In my search, I came across these couture pink Christian Louboutins that I just cried over - they were that gorgeous. Of course the photograph is pretty amazing too - it is from Kiss the Groom and the talented Elizabeth Messina.

Happy Monday!


xoxo
Trisha

Photo source: Elizabeth Messina via Kiss the Groom

Fav Finds + Flower Friday - Gray and Pops of Red

One of most favorite cyber-friends is Jennifer Medley Gillespie who has an amazing calligraphy company called Calligraphy by Jennifer. She is just the bestest and her calligraphy is jaw dropping pretty. She posts about some gorgeous things and she has a knack for finding amazing shoes!! So you need to check her out.

Today's Flower Friday was found via the lovely Jennifer's blog and you can see the entire post here. She found this stunning bouquet on the Hello Bella Events blog and I am loving how it pops against the gray dress.


Fav Finds for the Week:

Loving this Spring Fling Inspiration Board
The Inspired Bride

These are so dainty and teeny tiny!
Hello Lucky Blog

I am a bit of a design geek and I thought this was SO COOL!!
Design*Sponge

Birds of a feather
Rue Magazine

A hip black and white modern invite
Camille Styles

xoxo
Trisha

Dainty Details - Pretty Placesettings

Happy Monday! Welcome to a new week! I am loving this carnival themed wedding I found over on La Tavola's blog (which is a fantastic blog by the way!!) and I am especially loving the table - how fantastic is this place setting?! Loving the colors, the textures, and well, everything about it.





You can check out more of the wedding by clicking here. Photos were taken by Jeff Shipley who does some fab work I might add!
xoxo
Trisha

Photo source: Jeff Shipley

Fav Finds + Flower Friday - Brown Paper Design

Happy Friday! It has been a crazy week over here - in a good way crazy - but crazy nonetheless! I found Brown Paper Design through Jose Villa's amazing blog. The flowers from this wedding are slightly unreal and so unique! Loving them. It also doesn't hurt that Jose Villa is behind the camera. Seriously that man can do no wrong when it comes to shooting weddings. Each image is so darn dreamy.




Here are my fav finds for the week!

Yellow and gray perfection!
The Inspired Bride

A Tangled Wedding
The Wedding Chicks

A different kind of registry
100 Layer Cake

xoxo
Trisha

Photo source: Jose Villa

Wedding Industry Love - Gay Weddings Part 2!

Happy Wednesday, Adore-readers!

As many of you know, my brother is gay and I wrote a post last month about my personal plight to stand for gay marriage and to plan weddings for couples in the LGBT community. Today, I am excited to announce that I am enrolled in the first and only Gay Wedding Certification course, taught by Bernadette Coveney Smith of 14 Stories, owner of the first gay wedding planning company in America. I am taking the course in March and (barring any unforeseen circumstances), I will be certified by April! I am taking this step so that we can officially move forward in our support of marriage equality for everyone! Yes, this is absolutely personal to me, but it’s also about business. I am currently a certified wedding planner and feel that this will be a huge asset to my existing skill set.

Trisha and I are both attending Engage!11 in May and we are looking forward to learning even more about where the wedding industry overall is heading. I am proud to be a part of a company that supports gay marriage and I can’t wait to get certified and get started!

This is my little guy Joe, last May - he supports his gay uncle and so do we!

xoxo

Christy