A sneak peak at our Figure 8 Island wedding...

This past weekend Samantha, Katherine and I had the pleasure of working on a wedding at Figure 8 Island in Wilmington, North Carolina that I had been planning for about 8 months or so.  The couple was absolutely adorable and so in love and everything about the day from the weather to the decor, food, music and guests, was absolutely picture perfect.

Here are a few photos for a sneak peak and what the day was like.  The black and white shot was taken by Katherine on her phone, and I think it's absolutely beautiful.  The others were taken by my phone and aren't great, but they give you a sense for the style and colors and let you see the gorgeous bride!!

XOXO
grace

Andi and Mike Tie The Knot

On Saturday, we had the great opportunity of helping coordinate the wedding "day of" for Andi Kravitz and Mike Weiss.  The wedding ceremony and reception took place at the beautiful Marriott North Hills in Raleigh, where they do a spectacular job!  Thanks to Ann and Christy and all of the hard working people in the catering department there.

Shane Snider took amazing photos, as always, as you can see in the slide show below.  Blair from Reel Life Productions shot video, while the fabulous band 10 Spot got people to dance the night away.  Cupcakes from The Cupcake Shoppe in Raleigh were a huge hit, and Andi's Vera Wang gown from Alexia's Bridal in Cary was absolutely stunning.  Thank you to all of those who were involved and helped to make Andi and Mike's Big Day such a smooth and fun celebration!

www.shanesnider.com/slideshows/andimike

XOXO,
grace

Simply Eyelet

I have a beautiful bride friend who is getting married on a prairie next summer and is looking for

a simple, lovely, eyelet wedding gown.  I did some research and found this gown, among others,

but am wondering if any of you have any ideas for my friend of gown designers who've recently made an eyelet gown?  If so, please post your ideas!

XOXO

grace

California Dreaming (and Visiting)

 I just returned from a brief but LOVELY trip to a gorgeous place called Stinson Beach.  It's just 20 miles
North of San Francisco (up a very long, winding road...) but feels a world away from the city.

                   Here are some photos of the coastline and the water taken from our Cali convertible...

                                                                      The beach.

                                                              And the magnificent sunset.

Also a beautiful, domestic idea for a honeymoon!  We rented amazing houses and cooked every night,
which was cozy and delicious and gave us all a really good opportunity to spend time with one another.
I hope you have a vacation in your future sometime soon, too.

Just a reminder to us all that it's important to take a break every now and again and to make time for yourself, your family, and the ones you love.

XOXO
grace

Wish Upon A Wedding

A good friend of Grace Leisure Events, Ivy Robinson is also the President of the inaugural board for the Carolinas' Chapter of a wonderful organization called Wish Upon A Wedding, that creates weddings for people who otherwise would not be able to afford them.

Please read below for more information and to attend this great event on November 12th!

Hi Friends, Family, Clients and Industry Neighbors!

Today I am  emailing about an important cause. I serve as the President on the inaugural board for the Carolinas' Chapter of Wish Upon a Wedding. (www.wishuponawedding.org)  Personally seeing family and friends who have  been directly connected with terminal diseases, this is a cause in which I  am quite passionate.

We would like to formally invite YOU and ALL of your friends and family to attend the 1st annual
Fundraising Gala at the Ritz Carlton on Friday, November 12th in Charlotte.

Tickets can be purchased here: http://wishuponaweddingcarolinas.eventbrite.com/

In order to attend or participate with WUW, you do NOT have to be connected in any way with the wedding industry.
You just need to be a caring person who loves a charitable cause and wants to give back.

What is WUW?

Wish Upon a Wedding is the world’s first nonprofit wish granting organization providing weddings and vow renewals for couples facing terminal illness and serious life-altering circumstances regardless of sexual orientation. Our organization offers couples a chance to enjoy a very special day, without any thoughts of existing health or other serious issues, while surrounded by their closest family and friends.  By celebrating the courage & spirit of these couples, we help create lasting memories that will be cherished for years to come. It is our hope that others facing similar situations will find hope, strength, and the promise of eternal love.  Officially launched in January of 2010, Wish Upon a Wedding currently has over a dozen chapters to serve Wish Applicants. We service couples residing in or wishing to get married within 300 miles of any one of our chapter locations.

Ticket Information:

Tickets for the gala are $100 and include the following: entry ticket, cocktail hour, plated dinner, wine service with dinner (full bar avail), swag bag, & silent auction.  We also have a discounted rate with the Ritz Carlton and only $179/night. Wow.  Also, $37 of the ticket are tax deductible.

P L E A S E consider attending this year's gala. Many companies are considering having this gala be their Holiday Party, and are sponsoring a table. Please email me at ivy@ivyrobinson.com if you are interested in buying a table sponsorship.

We also are thrilled that Sasha Souza, WUW national President and event planner Extraordinaire   will be attending our Gala! There are 10 seats at her table for $150 a seat AND includes an autographed copy of her new book!  Email me for details on sitting with Sasha!

THANKS!!!!

Duke University Wedding

Thanks to Danielle Freedman and her District Weddings Blog for posting a great piece about one of our favorite couples from last year, Caitlin and Kevin.  They are Duke graduates who met in undergrad and as you'll see in the post, had a beautiful ceremony reception at their alma mater.  Thanks again to Rachel Garrison of Tamara Lackey Photography for the stunning photos!  We hope you can't help but be inspired by this.

http://www.districtweddings.com/back-to-school-duke-university-wedding/

XOXO
grace

Simply Silhouettes

I know I may be late to the party on this one, but I am currently obsessed with silhouettes!

They are so fresh and chic right now, 

and such an innovative and cool thing to add to your wedding look.  See the photo above

by Hannah Suh of an artist cutting out silhouettes of wedding guests.  How fun!  What a great

souvenir for them to take home from your wedding and save forever.

Here's a great idea: add silhouettes to your cake!  Here they've used a chandelier motif along

with a couple dancing, but you could do your two faces looking at one another, or the outline

of your entire bodies holding hands.  So cute and different.

Here's a gorgeous wedding invitation that has incorporated silhouettes.  Why not begin the theme with your invitations and carry it all the way throughout your event, to your cake and your favors?  I love the idea of threading a concept all the way through the wedding and a silhouette theme is a perfect choice for this.  Get inspired!  Look for silhouette artists in your neighborhood.

Happy Weekend!

XOXO
grace