Archive for September, 2010

Behind the Scenes of Matt & Sara’s Photo Shoot

Thursday, September 30th, 2010

This Sunday was the shoot with Prashant from MFL Photography and our winning couple from our contest.  It was a lovely Sunday afternoon and our couple did a great job – they should quit their day jobs and become models!  Here are just a few behind-the-scenes shots that I took.  I will be sharing Prashant’s photos soon.  I can’t wait for you to see his work – it’s exquisite!  But for now you’ll have to settle for mine.

Along with Prashant, our lovely intern Ciara and my husband Brian came along to help out.  We were armed with vintage train cases, an old map, a vintage radio and a few hats.  I had talked to Sara a few weeks ago with my idea for doing a 1940’s style shoot and asked her if she had a pencil skirt and if Matt had suspenders – luckily for us, Sara adores pencil skirts and doesn’t Matt look cute in suspenders?

Prashant and I each chose a location to shoot.  The location I chose was Kemah, TX, and Prashant’s location was Galveston, TX.  I will explain more about the details and themes behind the shoot when I post up Prashant’s gorgeous photos soon.

It was a fun afternoon (despite an attack of mosquito monsters!), and I can’t wait to show you Prashant’s gorgeous pictures and explain to you more about the shoot.  Details to come!

True Love Tuesday: Monica & Landon

Tuesday, September 28th, 2010

Happy Tuesday, everyone!  You know what Tuesday means, right?  That love is in the air!

This Tuesday we are featuring one of our favorite couples – Landon and Monica Nemoto.  Their wedding was absolutely lovely, like an English Garden oasis in the middle of Houston.  Here’s their True Love story.

1.How did you meet?
I’m an interior designer and had started a new job at an architecture firm in 2006. Landon worked in the same building. He says he checked me out at every chance! But he was polite and friendly and bided his time (since I was dating someone then). When I left in 2007, he was disappointed & hoped to run into me again. I was oblivious to his interest, but don’t get me wrong, I was fully aware that a handsome guy worked upstairs… :)
At an industry-related event in Galveston 2009, we were both single & available. We noticed each other from afar on the beach, pretending not to. In fact, I had courage for a few steps then quickly pivoted around thinking, “I’m not sure I want him to see me in a bikini with a beer after all this time!”. It didn’t take long for Landon to contact me for a date. Maybe the bikini was a good thing after all!
Our first date was a night in Kemah, a fun-filled event that had a little bit of everything including a trip around the ferris wheel, fireworks, and pictures in the photo booth. We didn’t know it until later, but we both told friends it was truly “the best date ever” when they pressed us for details.

2.What were your first impressions of each other?
Landon’s first thought was “Whoa – who’s the new girl?!” He’s also said his first impression was that I was “grace defined”. My first impression was that he was extremely handsome & had a magnetic personality, but I couldn’t look too closely since I was taken. I thought he was for sure dating the Marketing girl. Little did I know he was trying to get information out of her about me! We had a karaoke work function one night and I think my heart skipped a beat when I heard him sing. From that point on he made a special impact on me….

3.What are your favorite things about each other now?
Monica: I really love how Landon is so unassuming and unique. He is unique in his personality because he is a strategic-minded engineer yet holds many artistic talents like singing & writing. He is also unique in his cultural background, which I think contributes to a set of gorgeous physical traits. I have discovered all these exciting layers of his persona that he so nonchalantly owns. Most of all, I love how he keeps in step with me; walking beside me as they say. We’ve always had matching energies. And yet somehow he still manages to put me on a pedestal!

Landon: The best part of my day is when I come home to Monica. I’m enjoying new discoveries of my wife every day–what never ceases to amaze me is her indomitable loving nature. Couple that with her desire to constantly better herself–whether it’s reading up on a subject of interest, concocting new dishes in the kitchen, or trying out a new design on our guinea pig of a home–and it’s easy to see why I fell in love with this girl. Our personalities mesh, our chemistry is unparalleled, and our love shines through (much to the chagrin of surrounding couples).

Oh, and she’s incredibly hot…so that helps.

4.How did he propose?
Landon proposed only about 4 months after our first date. We hit it off in Kemah and we always joke that the love train just plowed full steam ahead! I was supposed to go with him to Miami, but ended up getting very sick and had to cancel. We tried again the following month, a few weeks before Halloween. Landon had somewhat targeted Halloween for a proposal since we had really neat costumes planned & a party to attend. But, as we walked alone on the shores of South Beach in Miami, it was like the moment was perfectly carved out for us. The sun was setting & the water was unusually still. You could have heard a pin drop. He threw out any plans he may have had and decided to bend down on one knee right then and there. When I heard the words “I love you so much…” I knew what was coming! He fashioned a homemade ring for me out of wire, but it was too big–so we bought a ring at a souvenir store to keep my finger warm until we could get back to Houston & pick out one together. His cousin joked that if I said “yes” to a piece of wire, it must indeed be true love. Yes, it is!

Thanks for sharing your story with us!  We were honored to be part of your wedding!

Themed-up Thursdays: Apple Orchard Wedding

Thursday, September 23rd, 2010

It’s offically Fall.  Pies, apples, it’s definitely that time of year – and would make a lovely theme for a wedding.  When I think of Apple Orchards, I think of Granny Smith greens, delicious apple reds, deep greens and pops of yellow and orange.

The great thing about an Apple Orchard theme wedding is that apples are in abundance and work well for decor, favors, AND elements in your catering.

Begin guests on their journey to the Apple Orchard with gorgeous Orchard invitations like these from Lucky Luxe Couture Correspondence.  I love the deep impression of the letterpress and rich colors – it immediately reminds me of crisp apples and that rustic fall air.

Candy Apple favors make the perfect parting gift for guests.  Something that they can enjoy on the ride home or save for the next day would be a welcomed gift, like the ones by Brocade Design Arts.

Apples can also be echoed for placecards – I really love the one that I’ve included above, photographed by Charlotte Geary.  Simple, yet classy, they are an easy to put together placecard holder.

Trips to the apple orchard aren’t complete without baskets.  Pottery Barn sells lovely ones here that would be perfect to fill with apples and have dotted around the reception at your cake table, or sign-in table.

Last but not least is this fantastic apple bouquet centerpiece designed by Meeta Khurana.  She even generously has DIY instructions on how to make your own right here.

So have I gotten you hungry for apples?  I certainly am!

True Love Tuesdays: Reunited after 60 years.

Tuesday, September 21st, 2010

I can’t imagine what it would be like to be separated from my husband for a whole year, let alone sixty years!  Well that’s what happened to this lovely Russian couple.  This happened back in February, but I only just heard about it this week and had to share!

Read here for this amazing story of true love and seemingly impossible timing!

We have a Winner!

Tuesday, September 14th, 2010

Congratulations go to Matthew and Sara Parrish, the winners of our MFL Photoshoot Giveaway.  It was a close contest for a while, but in the last few days, the Parrish duo took the lead to win it by 30 votes.

We are looking forward to putting this together along with the talented Prashant from MFL Photography.  Matthew and Sara are hoping for a vintage-themed shoot, so watch this space for a gorgeous vintage shoot in the weeks to come!

Themed-up Thursday: Woodland themed Wedding

Thursday, September 9th, 2010

The days are getting a little cooler, meaning that fall is on it’s way.  The perfect time of year for a lovely woodland themed wedding.

The great thing about a Woodland themed wedding is that there are several ways you can go about it.  You can either go with a really natural, earthy vibe, or you can go with a whimsical, enchanted forest feel – either way would make for a lovely event.

For your color scheme, think of the rich, lush greens of the forest floor and the woodsy browns of century-old tree trunks.  To brighten up your palette a little, imagine bursts of purple flowers and pretty creams for a nice contrast.

There are so many ways that you can dress up a Woodland themed wedding.  To set the tone for your day, make sure to send invitations that depict that woodsy feel, like the gorgeous letterpress invitations by Typepcast Press.

For lovely woodland-nymph hair, Mignonne carries a whimsical selection of woodland-inspired hair accessories.  This same whimsicality can be tied in with the gents too, with woodland berry boutonnieres by Emily K Botanic Studio.

A lovely detail would be to replace the traditional ring bearer pillow with a gorgeous woodland nest, like those at Dear Jes; and you can even carry your theme through to your cake topper.  Check out the gorgeous selection of woodland cake toppers at Sweet Pixie Pie.

One of my absolute favorite Woodland finds was a custom bouquet designed by the talented Francois Weeks.  He captured the woodland feel so beautifully by incorporating magnolias and mushrooms and lots of greenery into the bouquet.  A really gorgeous arrangement indeed!

What other elements would you add to a Woodland themed wedding?  I’d love to hear your ideas!

True Love Tuesday: Fred & Precious

Tuesday, September 7th, 2010

For our second installment in our “True Love Tuesday” series, we have the story of Precious and Fred.  I love how natural and laid-back their story is, and I really love the part about their first date!  :)   God definitely knew what He was doing when He put these two together – what a great duo!

1. How did you meet?

In my previous life of retail management, my employer transferred me to help grow the Houston market.  Fred (my husband) was Jason’s (my cousin, Heronica’s boyfriend at that time) roommate. My cousin and I are like sisters.  We did everything together.  It was a natural assumption that I should meet Fred.  Very early on, we were informally introduced.  I can remember feeling shy and out of my element. Although he was easy to look at, I was at not at the point in my life to be ready to embrace dating.  I was trying to become acclimated to my new position and new home.  Jason had been hinting that Fred had been asking about me.  I dismissed it.  On New Year’s Eve (1994), Jason called.  Fred had had a few drinks (NOT true) and couldn’t drive his truck.  My family urged me to be his designated driver.  After hours of declining and hours of Heronica urging me to go, I decided that I should not let Fred drive his truck after having drinks.  I chauffeured him around and this turned out to be our first official date.  As it turned out, we had a blast!

2. What were your first impressions of one another?

Cliche, but true, I thought he was tall, dark and handsome. *blush*  I honestly didn’t think any further and never, ever saw us as a couple.  Fred on the other hand said he immediately turned his sights on getting to know me better.  He says I was cute, innocent and a challenge.  He says I knew how to complicate things and look at angles he hadn’t.  I must admit, I did put up a fight.  I can remember him parking outside my aunts house, playing his music and expecting me to answer to the beat of his bass.  Nope… not I.  Ladies do not answer to the beat of bass and horns.  If he wanted me that bad, he could come to the door and ring the bell.  Right?  Right!  With all that fuss I put up, he had me the minute he held my hand.  I felt something in my heart that I had never felt before.  As hard as he was (image), there was a softness that I loved about him.  I guess he felt the same, because he ex’d the nurse he was seeing and we became exclusive.

3. How did he propose?

I’m a planner.  It’s only natural to attempt to plan “my happily ever after” too!  Every decision we made, we made together.  I love that about us.  There is not a romantic tear jerking story to define the elements of our proposal.  It was quite simple, but genuinely us.  We previously talked about what it would be like to spend the rest of our lives together.  I guess Fred is right.  He just told me how I always wanted to talk about things in depth.  “We shouldn’t do this… We should do this because of this… Think about it this way…”  That is so me.  I’m always exploring all the avenues.  The proposal should be no different.  At this point, we’d been through life’s bumps and always held on to each other.  He was my balance… my rock!  We depended on each other and wouldn’t have life any other way.  After our conversation, one Sunday afternoon over lunch, he nervously said, “I’ve been thinking about what we talked about and I want to know if you would spend the rest of your life with me.  I want you to be my wife.”  I looked in his eyes and said, “Of course!”

4. What is your favorite thing about your story?

Life happens the way its meant to happen.  There was no grand plan for Fred and I.  Real love has no plan.  It just happens and we happened just how God intended for us to happen.  At just the right time in my life, my heart opened up and God allowed Fred to walk in.  He shaped us as a couple and prepared us for this journey.  The journey:  I’m loving every minute of it!  Our journey is the favorite thing about our story.  As we continue to write this journey, the key is:  when love is real, you just know it.  There’s no one thing that stands out.  It’s how is all comes together.  Life’s journey and cycle of coming together are all of the things that play a special part of our love story.  Fred is the yin to my yang.  We’re so different, but so much the same.  He’s the love of my life.  We balance each other out.  He completes me and I wouldn’t have it any other way!

Thanks Precious for sharing your sweet story with us!

Photoshoot Giveaway Finalist #3: Yvonne & An

Thursday, September 2nd, 2010

Our third finalist couple is Yvonne & An.  There are three ways to vote for them – 1. “like” this post on the Precious Nuptials fan page.  2. “like” this post on the MFL Photography fan page.  3. Email me at dionne@preciousnuptials.com with the subject heading: “my vote is for Yvonne & An.”

Here’s their story in Yvonne’s words:

We met as friends through a mutual friend from our home church we have grown to dearly love.

Though our walks were not always easy, we continued to pursue a true relationship with God in our singleness, learning to trust Him with every aspect of our lives, including our love life. We met in August of 2009 as friends, and within two months, An knew deep in his heart that I was brought into his life on purpose, by God’s will. I WAS THE ONE.

Of course, when An confessed this to me in October, my reaction was typical of a woman with a guarded heart due to lessons from the past and wisdom from God. My immediate response was a rejection, and an offer to remain friends. He reluctantly, but respectfully, accepted my decision.

An not only continued to trust God and His promises, but he also continued to remain faithful to his own promises, and continued to quietly pursue me until God prepared us both to be ready for a relationship. He remained a true friend to me for seven months. In these seven months, God worked amazingly to transform both of us in ways we never expected. Prayers were answered and miracles took place. Little did we continue to know, God’s plan for us was only just beginning to unfold…

On the third of March, confirmed in the timing, he asked for my hand in courtship, and i happily and confidently accepted. Six months later, on the twenty-eighth day of August, surer than ever that i was his future wife given to him by God, he asked for my hand in marriage.

You have until Sunday, September 12th at midnight to get your vote in.  The winner will be announced Tuesday, September 14th.

Photoshoot Giveaway Finalist #2: Sara & Matthew

Thursday, September 2nd, 2010

Our second finalist couple is Sara & Matthew.  There are three ways to vote for them – 1. “like” this post on the Precious Nuptials fan page.  2. “like” this post on the MFL Photography fan page.  3. Email me at dionne@preciousnuptials.com with the subject heading: “my vote is for Sara & Matthew.”

Here’s their story in Sara’s words:

How he proposed:
After dating for 5 months, we knew that we were going to get married the next Spring after I graduated from college.  Being the impatient person that I am and being excited about finally meeting my lifelong soulmate, we often contemplated forgoing the wedding planning and just getting Matt’s best friend to marry us in his living room.  We never did go through with it, fearing what our friends and family would say.  In January, we took a rode trip from Houston to Chicago to visit some friends.  After 20 minutes on the road, Matt asked me if I wanted to throw caution to the wind and get married on our trip.  I thought about it for a half a second and said YES!  We agreed that wherever we were at 8:00 that morning, we would stop in that city/town and tie the knot.  The were officially wed in a martini bar in Naperville, IL. January 2, 2009.  We have been happily married for a year and half since and wouldn’t trade our story for the world!
You have until Sunday, September 12th at midnight to get your vote in.  The winner will be announced Tuesday, September 14th.

Photoshoot Giveaway Finalist #1: Heather & David

Thursday, September 2nd, 2010

We have our three finalists for the MFL Photography Photoshoot contest!

Our first finalist couple is Heather & David.  There are three ways to vote for them – 1. “like” this post on the Precious Nuptials fan page.  2. “like” this post on the MFL Photography fan page.  3. Email me at dionne@preciousnuptials.com with the subject heading: “my vote is for Heather & David.”

Here’s their story in Heather’s words:

David and I have been together 6 years and will be getting married this November.  Our proposal was absolutely perfect! The week leading up to the engagement David had been acting off.  He told me not to plan anything for Sunday because he had plans.  The Sunday we woke up and it was cold and windy.  I had no idea what we were doing.  We got in the car and he mentioned the first part of my surprise was a picnic at the park.  He had the car all packed and ready without me even knowing.  We had lunch in front of the colored wall at Discovery Green Park.  We were having such a good time despite the weather.  He asked if I wanted to go exploring the park and when I got up he had risen to his knee to ask me to marry him.  The funny thing is that he had managed to hide our digital camera to bring along.  What he did not realize was that I did not have the photo card in it, so we were not able to get any pictures.  After the proposal I called my parents and the exact thing out of both of their mouths was “It’s about time!”

You have until Sunday, September 12th at midnight to get your vote in.  The winner will be announced Tuesday, September 14th.