Elegance & Simplicity - Engaged & Green Blog » Katie Martin

Mary Kate’s Wedding at Thorpewood – Part I

Chris Easter — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 15:00:00 +0000

I know that this wedding is going to have a few posts on it…

So I decided to start with the most unusual part of this wedding. Never mind the fact that the beautiful bride in the photo is cutie patootie photographer Mary Kate McKenna – this wedding had some serious flair!

Her wedding was at the beautiful Thorpewood and her wedding planner – Laura Auer of Wish Special Events made it incredible and easy for Mary Kate! Of course – we love working with other wedding planners!

I wanted to focus on this very special arch we made for Mary Kate. She let us get creative but using hearty branches, a bit of curly willow, and grapevine to create this quirky (and I think adorable) arch for their altar. Being outside and in a very woody area – it made the perfect setting for a very cute couple! So many of our couples this year have let us get creative and use the talents of my amazing husband – who is a master carpenter! We donated the arch to the property as the branches will biodegrade over the next few months! Click on the photo to enlarge it!

Stay tuned for more photos!

Thanks to Jaime from The Blonde Photographer for the image above!

Kendall & Mo’s Wedding Part II: ETSY LOVE

Chris Easter — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 19:43:39 +0000

Ahh – we just can’t say enough about Kendall & Mo’s wedding! So I decided to break it up into 4 posts! Yes! I thought I was just going to do 3 posts – but there was so much going on at this wedding – I just can’t get enough of it. The 1st post was just a teaser last week with their chalkboard!

Today – it’s all about the wonderful and creative Etsy Designers that they used!

All stationary (save the dates, invites, custom cardstock, escort cards, thank you notes, etc.) were done by Magnolia Papier. Taylor was AWESOME with all of Kendall’s special requests!

These flowers were attached to her escort card table – which I show the entire table in tomorrow’s yummy post!

You will see the two love birds below – that were everywhere at the wedding!

Her stationery items were also inspiration for her cake – which will be in a another post this week!

Their Fingerprint tree by Sweet Carolina Design

Her beautiful crystal headband was by LELETNY (as seen above in their portait – which I love with her amazing eyes flashin’!)

Kendall gave me and the bridesmaids beautiful vintage crystal brooches from Aged and Opulent (which I adore since her colors were also the colors of my wedding – yum!) and from Vintage and Victorian!

And these freakin’ adorable fairy wings for the cutie pie flower girl by attiTUTUde!

Stay tuned tomorrow for all the decor we provided that day!

A big hug and thanks to Jennifer Hughes for these magnificent photos!

2nd Anniversary!

Chris Easter — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 15:30:21 +0000

Today is my anniversary and since I have never really blogged my wedding photos (above photo taken by Love Life Images) – I was told by my industry friends that I better do it this year! So I have a special anniversary weekend on the Eco-Beautiful Weddings Blog this weekend. Since we had two weddings – one here and one in the Dominican Republic – I have our DC wedding recap today (Saturday) and our Dominican wedding on Sunday!

Cheers!

Washingtonian Feature

Chris Easter — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 03:21:14 +0000

We are very excited to be in the new issue of the Washingtonian Bride & Groom Magazine again as one of the best wedding planners in the DC area! Such a cute cover and the issue is chock full of great ideas!

We are especially excited about our featured wedding with Anna & Denis at the Dumbarton House! Click on the image (provided by the Washingtonian Bride & Groom) below to get a better view:

Thanks Washingtonian and Cheers to Anna & Denis!

Celebrate Green with Katie today!

Chris Easter — Wed, 26 May 2010 16:09:29 +0000

Katie Martin will be interviewed today on live blog radio with the authors of Celebrate Green – a great book that we just gave away on the Eco-Beautiful Weddings Blog from the Spring Edition of the magazine!

Tune in at 10:15 PST/1:15 EST by clicking on the Celebrate Green photo above!

Happy Green Planning!

Katie in Georgetown with Aveda & Adele Wechsler!

Chris Easter — Tue, 18 May 2010 19:46:45 +0000

I will be at the Aveda in Georgetown talking to brides about how to go green on your wedding day along with Adele Wechsler and Aveda.

Get a signed copy of my book and check out Adele’s new line!

Persephone from Polished Image & Style will be there to help you find your perfect dress as well!

Check out the details below!

Happy Planning!

New York City, revisited

Katie Martin — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 17:00:31 +0000

Over the past 11 years that I have been part of the wedding industry, I have been painfully aware that Los Angeles and New York have been in direct competition with the types of weddings that we all do here in Washington, DC. However, New York City simply has the best shopping resources and some of the brightest and greatest minds in the wedding industry. I tried my best to blog about all of my adventures while I was here in New York back in October for Bridal Market. However – I took so many photos – there was no way I could have posted all of them. I wanted to save this post for now. I knew I would be back in New York often and meeting with all sorts of people. Here are few more photos!

Yes – that is Randy Fenoli and I from Say Yes to the Dress! I found him to be one of the most amazing people I have met in the wedding industry. Not because he has a TV show and not because he is a major player at Kleinfeld’s – but because of his open and warm personality. I think it is very easy for TV and wedding personalities to become full of themselves and act like they are better than others. I have had my share of people acting like they are better than me simply because of their position in a certain company (this pertains to any industry). However, we ran into each other at about 5 events that week and every time he gave me a warm hug, kiss on the cheek and had nothing but funny and interesting things to say. On top of it, he remembered my name. With all the crazy amounts of people that he has met – he still manages to take the time to remember the names of as many people as possible. This is not just representative of a kind man, but a fantastic business man who understands that relationships are important to growing a business. I can’t wait to hang out with him again and hopefully bring him more brides for their fantastic dresses at Kleinfeld’s!

I also had the chance to finally meet Carley Roney at one of the fashion shows during Bridal Market. Carley Roney from The Knot is obviously one of the wedding world’s most brilliant minds. If we are all honest and think back…The Knot really is the one that revolutionized the wedding search engine! We have this woman to thank for many innovations in the weddings industry. She was so sweet and I look forward to running in to her again!

There were people like Adele Wechsler and Lela Rose that I met, along with some other very influential people in the wedding industry. I can’t wait to get back to DC and write about all the fun things I am doing this week in New York!

I hope you were able to see the Launch Party live! If not – you should be able to check out the recording soon! I will be posting al about the launch party shortly!

Cheers!

~Katie Martin

Come by the Mandarin Oriental Today!

Katie Martin — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 05:01:36 +0000

Can’t wait to see you today at the Mandarin Oriental Today from 11:30 – 3. Click on the image above to learn more about the event. Yesterday was the last day to register online, but you can still come and register at the door!

A few of the prizes that we will be giving away:

One lucky winner will receive a coupon to receive a pre-launch and signed The Everything Mother of the Bride Book by Katie Martin!

We will also be giving away a bunch of books from Chronicle Books!

And now, if you click on their logo below, 20% of all the proceeds from the sale of books that you buy from their website between now and January 31st will be donated to the relief efforts in Haiti! Plan your wedding and your life while helping others!

Here are the books from Chronicle that we will be giving away:

We {heart} Carolyn’s Anti-Bride Book Series – to learn more about Carolyn – check out her twitter page – @antibride! She will be with us in New York for the launch party!

HILARIOUS!

Destination Wedding Planner – A Fantastic guide for all of you on your way to far off places to wed!

Fortune Telling Book for Brides – so much fun!

Sweetie Stats – cute little pocket guide for a happy marriage! ;-)

Thanks Chronicle! Check out their facebook page by clicking here. And of course – on twitter by clicking here!

Several other prizes like free bridal bouquets and discounts off our services will be given away as well! Don’t miss it!

If you are not able to make it today – come to the bridal show on 2/6 (psst….we will be giving more books away and some of the most amazing bloggers will be there!)

Also – follow me on twitter (@greenwed) as I will try to tweet the details of our booth!

Happy Planning!

~Katie Martin

Washingtonian Real Wedding Feature!

Katie Martin — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 04:25:47 +0000

As promised, here are more photos from the real wedding that was featured in the most recent Washingtonian magazine. We are super excited about Kate and Mark’s wedding and I will do a follow-up post sometime in the new year about their engagement photos which were even cuter! Another eco-friendly wedding shot by Tom Van Veen & Ashlee Wilcox of Documentary Associates with our floral designs! Such a fun wedding!

Kate had her chivari chairs custom painted with the help of her sister Arney who used to work for one of the best wedding caterers in the DC area. We were so happy that Kate let us have free reign over making her floral designs to match their vintage and whimsical style wedding. The lapel flowers were finished with hemp twine and the bride’s dress was by Lela Rose (manufactured and designed in New York City!)

The programs were beribboned with various shades of raffia and ribbon by the bride and her sister.

Every single detail of this wedding was well thought out – down to the vintage typewriter as the “guest book”.

Congratulations Kate & Mark!!

(and to our wonderful friend Arney too – sister of the bride!)

~Katie Martin

Lasso’d Moon Designs

Katie Martin — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 05:01:37 +0000

There are so many wonderful invitation designers all over the states. However, we strive to show smaller designers here and those that are doing some amazing eco-friendly things! We found this amazing designer on Twitter and we adore everything she does. Here are few of her samples that are specifically eco-friendly!

Carey, the owner, does a great job of explaining eco-friendly options for her clients. For example, to save paper in addition to having PCW papers, she makes these fun and original postcards for Save-the-Dates and respond cards.

I love her map options. I love the look of a classy map! Some of our clients have done hand-painted maps (which can take FOREVER) or have scanned a map from the venue where the reception will take place. Doing a combo of the two is the most elegant way to do it in my mind. Most hand-drawn/painted maps are not drawn to scale and tend to be, well, just cute (meaning not very helpful as far as a map is concerned). If you are having a lot of out-of-town guests, a map drawn to scale is imperative if you are not providing transportation for them. Here Carey has a real map and has infused a small element of whimsy along with detailed written out driving instructions.

An invitation designer will do all they can to ensure that every element of your invitation is edited and easy to read. Carey does a fantastic job and it shows in her examples online and in her communication with me. Click on any of the photos above to get to her website and start planning your stationery journey today!

Happy Planning!

~Katie Martin

SugarB Studio

Katie Martin — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 04:01:15 +0000

If you are looking for a wedding website design or fantastic invitation (or a combination of both) – Kari Becker Beard of SugarB Studio can make it happen.

On top of the exquisite beauty and simplicity of her work – she is also local!

I met Kari at Ben’s Next Door in Washington, DC and got a chance to see a wide range and variety of her work! She can even do business collateral! Invitations are art and should be made that way – Kari definitely has the flair!

Happy Planning!

~Katie Martin

My First Book – WIN $250!

Katie Martin — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:08:24 +0000

I just got the jpeg from my publisher today for my first book cover! The Everything Mother of the Bride Book, 2nd Edition! I am thrilled to share the cover with my avid blog readers first! Well, my publicist did tweet about it first – sorry! She’s my publicist – what can I say? We are pretty excited over here!

Your emails have been so supportive. I just wanted to to send a big thanks to all of you!

So…I thought I would announce my first blog contest with this book cover announcement!!!!!!

Make a comment here about why your mom is the best mother of the bride. The best comment (judging based on what my mom and I think) will get the following:

A signed copy of my book
$250 to go towards to your wedding budget

We have some time before my book gets here – so I am going to leave the contest open until March 15th. Spread the word and start making comments. Good Luck!

When you leave a comment, I automatically have access to your email address – so be careful to write the right email address when asked so I can contact you if you win.

Stay tuned for Wednesday’s post! If you haven’t heard or seen: Every Wednesday my mom (Claudia Van Veen) comes on my blog and has a weekly Mother of the Bride Guest Post! Super helpful for any mom prepping for a wedding.

Happy Planning!

~Katie Martin

UPDATE: Thank you for all your comments! We found our winner!

Design Inspiration – Start with Your Bedroom!

Katie Martin — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 08:39:56 +0000

If you are having a hard time trying to figure out what your wedding design & style will be? Then this post is for you!

Getting inspiration should always start with your personal style. So many couples come into my office with no clue as to where to start and always leave with a clearer picture. It is really simple…start in your bedroom or what you want your bedroom to look like.

Why your bedroom style? This is where you probably spend a lot of time! Most people love to decorate their bedrooms in their own personal style and then leave the rest of their home to more “mainstream’ decorating. (I said most people – not all!)

Are you a shabby chic or simply elegant kinda couple?

(above 2 photos from Atlanta Bartlett’s amazing website!)

Are you a Feng Shui “clean line” kinda couple?

Are you a practical kinda couple?

Or are you an artsy kinda a couple?

I am betting you will find certain elements in your bedroom that would translate well into your wedding design.

Do you tend to pick the same colors? Same designs? Same textures? Chances are those things will resonate with your wedding style.

This is not my room – but I might just make it mine as my wedding had similar style.

I used the same bright greens and blues with hints of browns with circles, polka dots, patterned papers and lanterns. We even had some daisies thrown in with our wedding in the Dominican Republic.

Decorating your wedding should be like decorating your new home together. Makes it much easier to dream! You might even be able to reuse some of your decor for your wedding into your home. This is a great green way to plan your wedding and nesting all at the same time!

Click on any of the photos above to find more inspiration from the websites I pulled them from.

Let me know what inspires you by leaving a comment or emailing me at katie {at} eleganceandsimplicity {dot} com

Happy Planning!

~Katie Martin

Invite Couture

Katie Martin — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 04:01:09 +0000

While I was in New York during Bridal Market, I had the pleasure of meeting Corrie Feld of Invite Couture! Her work is exquisite and hand-made!

For couples that are planning eco-friendly weddings, Invite Couture offers a variety of eco-friendly stock options including cotton papers made from 100% cotton linters leftover from textile processing, or several 100% FSC certified papers.

Your invitations set the tone for your wedding day! Make sure they represent you and your fiance!

Happy Planning!

~Katie Martin

Etsy Love

Katie Martin — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 05:01:14 +0000

Had a great week with Etsy. Take a look at the eco-friendly goodies I found!

Eco-Friendly Bookmarks!!! (I could not help myself…they practically belong on my blog with the colors!)

For a truly vintage and organic look to go with your gown – take a look at these beautiful organic linen Lariats on Magdalinen’s Etsy Site! GORGEOUS! I bought this green one (sorry folks, sold out) All of these are one of a kind: so HURRY! Click on any of these Lariats to get to her etsy page!:

Perfect for brides or bridesmaids:

Love these tags from Renee Anne (really could be used for weddings or Christmas!):

Have fun with all the Esty Shopping!

~Katie Martin

Andrea Jacobson – Cutie Patootie!

Katie Martin — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:01:04 +0000

This week’s Cutie Patootie is Andrea Jacobson of The Observatory!

We have gotten a few chances to work with her and her associates! I absolutely adore Andrea! Her innovative photography and friendly approach with clients are always a fantastic combination. She is also a member of the Washington DC Green Wedding Consortium as an eco-friendly photographer and she was selected to be on the Washington DC Couture Wedding Consortium!

Here are a few photos from a recent wedding in DC that Andrea took.

The couple…also cutie patooties! Married at the Tabard Inn and portraits in Senate Park! So wonderfully DC!

Check out the zipcar and her cute red shoes! I LOVE IT!

(bouquet by Phillippa Tarrant)

Congratulations to the couple and Andrea for being cutie patooties and having such a beautiful wedding day!

Cheers!

~Katie Martin

A Few Thoughts on Wedding Photography…

Katie Martin — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:12:52 +0000

photo by Documentary Associates

I took a look through my photo library today and decided to go back a couple of years to show you some of my favorite moments from a few of our fabulous weddings.

photo by The Observatory

I am in love with the moments that happen at a wedding. I think everyone knows that there is a certain kind of magic that a wedding weaves.

photo by Love Life Images

You can plan every last detail or have a wedding planner plan and design your day…but no plans can control the magic. A good photographer will capture these magical moments. Don’t cut corners in this department or your memories will be settled into mediocrity on a disc or online forever.

photo by Allison Britton

All of your wedding planning and excitement leads to one day. Typically your wedding will last 8 hours from start to finish (give or take 1 or 2 hours). The thousands of dollars you will spend are all about these 8 hours. Do you want to leave those 8 hours in the hands on an unseasoned wedding photographer?

photo by Rodney Bailey

These photos just reminded me again, how important photographers are to me as a wedding professional. At the end of this year, we would have done over 125 events (for both wedding planning and floral designs). As of today, I probably have less than 50 events that the photographers have actually sent me photos of (even after asking for them). Do you want a photographer that does not collaborate well with other event professionals?

photo by Documentary Associates

The above question is probably one that gets missed most often by couples when they are selecting their photographers. An additional question should be popping into your head. If a wedding photographer does not work well with a wedding planner, how will they cooperate with you after the wedding?

photo by Sota Dzine

These questions are of great importance if you are getting married. You will have a team of people putting your wedding together while you are getting ready on your wedding day. If just one vendor does not “play well” with others – how can your wedding day go smoothly?

photo by Love Life Images

Planning a wedding can seem like a complicated labyrinth of money, emotions and questions. It truly does not have to be if you just ask the right questions as you go! You should also know that there are a slew of other questions that you should be asking your wedding photographer before you hire them. If you have a particular question, post below in the comments section or email me directly at Katie {at} eleganceandsimplicity {dot} com!

Stay tuned for an upcoming similar post on videography!

Happy Planning!

~Katie Martin

(p.s. – This post by no means is a complete list of the photographers that have sent me images over the years. There is only so much room in one post for photos! I have a long list of fabulous photographers that I love working with!)

Lela New York

Katie Martin — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 04:01:03 +0000

I found Lela New York on Twitter last month and I am in love with her work! Now is the time to start looking for your stationery if you are getting married in the spring! Remember, it can take anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months to get your invitations from various stationers. Then, you have to address them! Why wait until the last minute!

Lela New York’s letterpress invites are printed on tree-free 100% cotton papers. Lela New York uses natural fibers such as silks and cotton rather than synthetic fabrics.

Happy Planning!

~Katie Martin

Blogging Live from Los Angeles

Katie Martin — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:36:36 +0000

Hello everyone, from lovely Los Angeles!

I had such a great day yesterday in Los Angeles. I am about to leave to go to the Green Bloggers Conference. Yesterday I had a chance to chat with Harmony Walton of the Bridal Bar after a very long morning of traveling to Los Angeles. I adore the Bridal Bar concept and hope it will make its way to the DC area as it will really save brides tons of time (not to mention gas). Take the time to peruse their website to see how amazing The Bridal Bar is!

Then, I met up with Amanda from 100 Layer Cake Blog & Website (coming soon). She is one of the three creators of 100 Layer Cake and we had a blast hanging out at Nic’s around the corner from my hotel. I absolutely adore 100 Layer Cake! Their most recent Real Wedding Post is just gorgeous. Click on the photos below to see the entire wedding!

Then Dana & Hunter from Broke Ass Bride joined us! We literally were up just talking until 12:30am this morning about all things wedding, blogs and Los Angeles (and a little DC was thrown in). If you have not been to their blog yet, you need to today! They are, in my book, the cutest and most creative people in the wedding blogosphere!

Well – I am off to meet a whole host of other wonderful bloggers!

Live from LA,

~Katie Martin

Mother-of-the-Bride Weekly Guest Blogger!

Katie Martin — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:01:27 +0000

Announcing: The Weekly Mother-of-the-Bride (MOB) Guest Blogger!

Claudia Van Veen will be our weekly Guest Blogger! Claudia will be giving you great Mother-of-the-Bride hints and tips every week! If you are a mom, leave us a comment or a question! If you are a bride, tell your mom to check back every week!

My first book is coming out in March of 2010!

The Everything Mother of the Bride Book

As soon as I have the book cover back from the publisher , you will have the first look here on the blog! We love our MOBs!

Why is this Guest Blogger the cutest ever? She is my mom too! She had to get ready for my wedding and my brother’s wedding all within 18 months of each other! She is my inspiration and taught me the basics about throwing a fabulous affair! She is an amazing writer and the life of the party!

My mom and I will be coming to a city near you, starting in April. Pamper your mom with high tea at the Ritz Carlton and learn more about the book and ask questions about your wedding! Stay tuned for the tour schedule!

This blog post also doubles as this week’s Cutie Patootie: My Mom!

Cheers to all MOBs!

~Katie Martin

Elegance & Simplicity, Inc. on Carbonfund.org’s Blog!

Katie Martin — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 07:06:28 +0000

We are tickled GREEN! We just saw that Carbonfund.org just posted about us on their blog! We carbon-offset through them for our own company, but we also make carbon offsetting donations for couples as well with certain packages that we provide. Learn about carbon offsetting your wedding by taking a look at their handy-dandy carbon-offsetting wedding calculator! We also dig them as they are local! Right here in Silver Spring, MD!

Take a look at their blog post about us by clicking on the logo above! Thanks Carbonfund.org!

Happy Greening!

~Katie Martin

Etsy Love

Katie Martin — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 04:01:08 +0000

Here are some faves that I found on Etsy this week!

Great gift for bridesmaids (heck, I am thinking about buying this one myself!)

Brenda’s Bridal Veils – all of these are under $100!

How beautiful and feminine! I adore the details!

Be sure click on any of these images to go straight to Brenda’s store on Etsy!

Happy Planning!
~Katie Martin

Bella Figura

Katie Martin — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 04:01:55 +0000

There are so many options on the internet today to find exquisite and interesting stationery. However, not all have an extensive mission statement about the environment like Bella Figura does. Paper and stationery is inevitable when it comes to many social events and social graces. Why not choose a company that gives back to the environment?

Bella Figura has some of the most beautiful designs and interesting products.

Whether you want save-the-dates or interesting coasters, Bella Figura can weave an eco-friendly and custom designed stationery landscape for your wedding!

Happy Planning

~Katie Martin

Green & Glamorous! – Hotel Helix

Katie Martin — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 04:01:06 +0000

There are a number of interesting and swanky hotels in Washington, DC. I have loved Hotel Helix since it opened! They are also a “green” hotel.

Washington, DC is a destination wedding hotspot. If you have over 30% of your guests traveling from out of town, you really can consider your wedding a “destination wedding”. To reduce the carbon footprint of your wedding, choose to block your hotel rooms at a green hotel. Hotel Helix is affordable, sexy, charming, glamorous, accessible and green!

Click on the photo above to learn all about what they are doing for the environment!

(My favorite is that they offer recycling bins right in the room!)

Happy Planning!

~Katie Martin

Lela Rose: Innovative, Sophisticated & Stylish!

Katie Martin — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 01:19:44 +0000

While I was in New York City last week, I was able to meet with the wonderful Lela Rose! Many of the gown designers in New York had large runway shows, suites at Bridal Market or small private showings of their exclusive lines.

One of my favorite private showings was with Lela Rose! I had a chance to meet her and interview her as well:

What inspires you the most when making your couture Wedding Collection?

LR: I am most inspired by the fabrics. I am always interested in using natural fiber textiles that are not necessarily considered “couture”. It is a fun challenge to make something beautiful and couture from something that people don’t already see that way.

What are 5 basic things that you and your staff try to employ to keep your office and studio eco-friendly?

LR: We are all conscious of being eco friendly. We make plenty or errors but definitely try. We bring our lunch to work (cuts down on plastic containers), recycle, and take the company bike on errands instead of taking cabs.

What is the best way a bride can reuse her Lela Rose gown?

LR: Hand it down to friends or family.

Brides are starting to love color for their wedding gowns and trousseau! Vintage style and casual luxury is the trend for 2010 weddings. How can a bride infuse your shoe, resort and spring collections into their wedding day and honeymoon (and beyond)?

LR: I have always been an advocate for wearing a fun colored wedding shoe. As most brides are in long gowns, you see the shoe for just a peep, so why not have fun with the color? In the Unforgettable Moments collection by Lela Rose, we offer beautiful classic shoes in 64 different custom colors. This is a fabulous way to have the color and style you want at a very affordable price.

What is your best advice for a bride searching for their wedding gown?

LR: Don’t have too many cooks in the kitchen. It is hard enough to choose what looks best on you and too many differing opinions just adds to the confusion.

Her dresses are sophisticated, innovative and stylish!

I was thrilled to meet Lela and her staff and I look forward to seeing more beautiful brides in her dresses!

Happy Gown Shopping!
~Katie Martin

Blog Love: Seven Spoons

Katie Martin — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 04:01:01 +0000

I have never been an expert on cooking, but I do know food. With all of the years of being at high-end weddings with rich foods, I was excited to find a blog that could actually teach me how to cook or bake similar items! This blog is a must for the aspiring cook and for the newlywed couple!

Happy Cooking!

~Katie Martin

Sweet Paul

Katie Martin — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 04:01:03 +0000

Met with one of my clients on Skype today as we were planning her wedding long-distance. The details of her wedding are extremely important! We have 300 guests guests coming to town for her wedding and we want to wow them!

So – we were on the subject of desserts and we searched the web for a few things together and fell in love with Sweet Paul’s blog! A lot of these dessert concepts can be made with local farm fresh ingredients – giving them an eco-friendly edge!

One thing that is always important to me as a wedding planner is the style and creativity of my vendors. We have a caterer that could master these dessert concepts – so I am excited. Yum!

We pretty much heart Sweet Paul and his food styling!

Happy Planning!

~Katie Martin

Black Wedding Dresses?

Katie Martin — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:41:21 +0000

Yes – it was all over bridal fashion runways this past week! Black wedding dresses with white veils!

I don’t mind color for bridal gowns as a statement, but I am not sure about the black wedding gown! Sara Jessica Parker wore black on her wedding day. Which she later regretted.

Let me know your thoughts!

~Katie Martin

New Gown Designer: Puridee

Katie Martin — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 03:58:59 +0000

While I was at Bridal Market in New York this past week, I was able to take the time to meet with Lindee Daniel and see her Puridee gown collection. Her beautiful and creative gowns are made with all natural and organic materials. She even has a bridal gown that is indigo blue made from pure indigo dye purchased from a women’s coop in El Salvador (see below). I have to say, out of all the designers I met in New York City this past week, she had to be one of the most innovative in her pursuit of combining beauty, sustainability and art. Although she is a new designer, she is one of the very few designers that are eco-friendly and couture! She is on the rise!

Here is the front of the dress with Lindee:

Cheers to Lindee and her amazing collection!

~Katie Martin

One of our new cupcake trees

Katie Martin — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 04:13:06 +0000

We have recently been contracted to make cupcake trees for a few of our clients. I finally have a semi-decent shot of the tree. Cupcakes by Cakes by Design.

We have made about 4 different ones and our couples have loved them so much – they have them as decor in their homes now! A great way to make your wedding decor part of your daily living! Reuse people!

Happy Planning

~Katie Martin