The day has come!

Yesterday we had a long awaited event happen in our family. My sweet Aunt Therese was married in the Las Vegas LDS Temple to her sweetheart Brian Procell. It was wonderful and I cried of course.... I have cried at many weddings but didn't at mine.... go figure. So here are a few shots from yesterday. The reception is in 2 weeks so there is more to come!!

all the family (minus my parents)

The brides brothers and mom!

Her flowers turned out great. We used calla lilies, roses, tulips, dahlias, and snow berries. 

The bride's father died in April this year so I wanted to make sure he was close by on her special day!

my favorite picture of the day! Mother/daughter. These two are so sweet and such great friends.

From Australia to Las Vegas

I was thrilled the day I got an email from this sweet bride. She found my blog and was coming all the way to Vegas from Melbourne, Australia to get married and she wanted me to do her flowers! I was truly honored!

Stephanie and Micah "eloped" on August 21, 2013. We did a simple and lovely bouquet of daises to match her unique wedding dress! Are you not just in love with this dress?

Their photographer was the talented Gaby J with Gabyjphotography.

They stayed at the Encore so I took some photos at their beautiful hotel!

Thanks for letting me be a part of your big day!

Inspiration : Pink and Gray

Need some inspiration? Pink for a pop of color and gray as a base....

Photography Tips

Photography is a HUGE part of the wedding. I tell every couple this because i don't know one bride who doesn't regret getting photos of her big day.... Recently i talked to a handful of couples about their weddings. One Couple told me they just came to Vegas and eloped. Nothing special. No dress, bouquet or photos and the biggest thing the bride regrets is not one photo of them to remember that day. Another couple told me they were on a really tight budget so they let a "friend" take their photos for free..... And they got what they paid (or didn't pay) for. NO photos for 9 months. When they got the photos, they brides name was wrong on the photo release, the quality was bad, and the main family pictures were useless...

So here are my top ten tips when planning your photography...

1.Do your research and hire a Professional. There are so many styles of photography now that it is important to see MANY examples of a companies work. Make sure their work is consistent. Some websites will just post their favorite shots. Ask to see an entire wedding collection to make sure their work is true.

2. Hire your photographer first. They don't need to know where your wedding is, just the date. As soon as you know that, BOOK THEM! Photographers get booked up fast. To get the one you want, you need plenty of time. So make it a priority!

3. Take bridals/ formal pictures a week or 2 BEFORE the wedding. Do your first look then too! This will relieve half of the stress of your wedding. Get them out of the way so you can enjoy your day with family and friends. Also you can have your prints done early and use them for decor at the wedding! It will cost a little more for the extra hair / makeup, flowers and photographer time but it is worth it! This will also allow you to have plenty of time to go to several locations. Save the family photos for the day of.

4. Make sure your package includes a second shooter. A second shooter is there to capture candids.... Some of my most prized photos are candids of happy guests and us acting goofy. Your main photographer can be shooting the family and main shots while your second shooter catches the decor, guests arriving, and guests oogling your cake!

5. Take your wedding planner/ friend to your bridals. She/he can be a second pair of eyes to make sure you look your best. They will watch the clock and make sure you stay on time. They can also carry all your stuff!

6. Give your photographer a list of important photos to capture. This will keep you from missing any important shots like a 3/4 generation photo. Also give the list to a bridesmaid and grooms man and make them in charge of rounding up people for photos. They will know your family better then your photographer.

7. Stick to your budget. If you find a photographer who is more expensive but your in love with their work, just ask.... If your wedding is in the off season chances are they will put together a custom package in your price range.

8. ALWAYS get the print rights to your photos. Don't higher anyone if you have to pay per print every time you want a photo of your wedding. Buying prints 11x14 or larger should be done with your photographer cause It will be the best quality. But if you want a hand full of 5x7s or 4x6s, there is no reason you should pay 5$ a piece when you can get them at walmart for change.

9. Book your engagements with your wedding photographer. Usually you can get a smashing deal by booking both with the same photographer. Plus your styles will stay constant in your photos. The photographer will know you well and what you like. Getting to know your wedding photographer during engagements is great cause it will make your wedding photos go faster and more efficient.

10. Relax! You have hired a professional. They will take care of everything. If you are stressed, you will looked stressed. Have fun and smile!



Below is a list of some of my favorite local wedding photographers:

Vanessa Fulcher @ Visions By Vanessa
Joe Kenemore @  Once Source Photography
Kandylane Photography
Andrew Estey @ AE Photography
Trevon Angulo @ Canico Studios

More from Jessica's wedding

I wanted to share a few more photos from Mr. & Mrs. Catledge's wedding. Their fabulous photographer was Kandylane Photograph. Check out her fabulous work and think of her for your next photography needs!

Deams of Prom

May is full of teenagers prepping for prom!!! I always send out a text to my brother and sisters friends letting them know I do bouts and corsages. This year I posted one on Facebook and a great teacher in the valley messaged me saying that she was taking her autistic students to prom. She wondered if I would donate some for her kids and of course I was thrilled to do so. I had extra flowers after my prom and mothers day corsage orders and I was happy to put them to good use.

These kids had a great time! I got the sweetest thank you card from them today! Thanks Ellie for the opportunity to make their day that much more special!

Long Distance Planning

One day I got a call from a woman in Utah who was planning her sisters wedding. She found my blog and was looking for my floral services. We did all our planning through email and on the phone and everything turned out great! I finally met the sister and the brides mother the day of the wedding. The happy couple (whom I still have never met) was married May 2nd in the Las Vegas LDS Temple and then there was a reception at her parents house here in town afterwards.

I did a bridal bouquet, grooms bout, 5 bridesmaids, 4 groomsmen, 2 fathers, 2 grandfathers, 2 mothers, 3 grandmothers, and 15 centerpieces...... all while I had the stomach flu..... My sweet husband who has no idea what to do with flowers took the day off to take care of me and help me put this all together.

Her bridal bouquet consisted of lime green spider mums, dark purple carnations, purple tulips, purple freesia, and purple lysanthis. we wrapped it in a dark purple ribbon and adorned it with an antique, hand painted tulip broach I bought from a sweet older woman. 

The bridesmaids carried purple carnations and Italian ruscus wrapped in a beautiful purple ribbon.

The centerpieces were arranged in color blocks. I am really getting into this. It's a little more modern and gives the eye more to see. We tossed in the white roses we were going to use as petals on the table because it was a bit to windy for petals outside that day.

Willie Sproul's Funeral

So when I was in collage my degree started in business. Then i switched to floral design. I took one class and didnt get along with the instructor.... Unfortunately she taught half of the classes so i switched back to business. That one formal class I had was Sympathy Floral. This last week was the first i got to do REAL sympathy floral.

Willie & Toni Sproul have been my "adopted" grandparents since I was born. Never have I met a more amazing person then these two. All of the grandkids call them Grandmier and Grandpier. They came in to my dads life while he was in HS. Shortly after he turned 16 his dad passed away and Willie started to fill that father figure spot in his life more and more. 5 Years ago Willie's health started failing and for the last 4 years he has been in a wheel chair. He was born April 15, 1940 and died April 20, 2013 at the age of 73. Willie and Toni just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in September.

Sunday after he died the whole family was sitting around planning next weekends events when the topic of floral came up. I volunteered to do it. We found a quick photo of what Toni wanted and rolled with it. She wanted each family to have a dedicated color and each color be in his casket spray. They have 3 kids plus 3 "adopted" kids.

white - Toni

Blue - Lee & Jeanette

Red - Willie jr & Ali

Green -Therese

Purple - Brent & Erin

Yellow - Brad & Lilly (my Family)

Orange - Jeff & Kathy

left him some Horseshoes

The arrangement came out beautiful and I was so honored to do this! I knew I was going to have plenty of floral left over so I did a matching wreath as well. In both arrangement I put a horseshoe. My childhood was filled with bbq's, swimming, and hours and hours of watching my dad and grandpier play horseshoes. Even before the casket was closed A horseshoe was laid in his hands.

So yes, Not only do my services include wedding but I can also provide funeral arrangements as well.

Word of Mouth

I wanted first to thank all of my previous clients for the opportunity to contribute to their special day! Second... I wanted to say thank you for all your referrals  I don't advertise in bridal magazines, so my major way of advertising is by word of mouth. So thank you for sharing your great experiences with other brides!

My latest bride was a referral! Jessica Marshall called me looking for old Hollywood  I loved doing these flowers for her... I mean who wouldn't want pearls and feathers everywhere!?!

A few days after the wedding I got a quick text from her....

      "Thank you again. The flowers and centerpieces were EXACTLY what I wanted.
        You helped make my wedding perfect." - Jessica Catledge

Thanks Jessica for letting me be apart of your great day. Congrats on becoming the new Mrs. Catledge!

*I apologize for the terrible photos. I forgot my camera so I had to take them with my phone...

The centerpieces had white hydrangea, white roses and champagne roses in them with pearls strung around. In the vase I did white feathers. The kids table had flower petals and the adult tables had black plums and tea light candles down the center.

Grooms boutonierre was wrapped to match the bride. A little bit of freesia and feathers with a champagne rose!

The grooms daughters carried long stemmed 3 rose bouquets down the aisle.

Bridal bouquet was made with white callas, champagne roses, white freesia, white roses, light pink tulips and a feather collar. The bride wanted a special wrap on the stems so I found a great pearl/ribbon that was stunning with the 1920's broach I found. I also added a few pearls in with the floral for a little bling!

Wedding Planning WARNING

In my years of working weddings in Las Vegas I have worked with great vendors and vendors who should have never started business.... At one point I worked with Griffin Events and it pains me to see what the couples went through there. I was providing floral services for their weddings when they closed their company. I was told 4 days before the company officially closed and many couples found out their weddings were canceled by watching the news....

Planning a wedding is already stressful enough, can you imagine being told a month before your wedding that your wedding is canceled and your not getting your money back????

Here is my advice when it come to weddings..... no not advice... RULES!!!!!

1) If you plan on spending more than $5,000 buy wedding insurance. It ranges anywhere from $50-$500 and is more than worth it. It covers weather changes and much MUCH more!
2) when looking for vendors get PERSONAL recommendations. Don't just go to a bridal show and hire a DJ cause he had a nice booth.... he might be awful the day of.
3) Contracts..... Read them CAREFULLY.... Venues will have you sign a contract. if ANYTHING sends up a red flag, dont sign it. take it to a lawyer or talk to the venue director. Most places will change things in the contract if you ask.
4)If you are making advance payments, (anything that is more than a month before your event date) pay with a debit or credit card. If your vendor skips out you can go to the cc company and your bank to dispute charges. Paying cash is fine with in a month of your wedding. but MAKE SURE YOU GET A RECEIPT!!!
5) Always have a plan B. This mostly applies to your venue. If you are planning on an outdoor wedding, make sure you have an indoor backup.

Watch this video about the closure at Griffin Events (Venue closes, leaves brides in cold). This is not the first venue in Vegas to do this and the way they went about it was low and cowardly. Not only wee the couples severely hurt in this closing but us as vendors as well. At the time they were 70% of my business. I had contracts with them through 2014 and now I am out all that business.

Being prepared will only make your wedding day that much easier and more enjoyable!

Happy Planning!!!