It's Alive

I am so excited and happy to introduce the beautiful AnsleyEventDesign.com.

Check it out and let me know what you think!!!

Shout out to my wonderful designer and friend - Jamie. You have rocked it once again.

Not Just Any Lady

Don't just pick your latest clique of friends to be your bridesmaids as soon as you get engaged. Picking the ladies who will be your support system during the wedding planning process and who will be by your side during one of the biggest days of your lives is not a small, quick decision.

The last thing you need to be dealing with during your wedding is uncooperative bridesmaids who will just cause you stress and frustration. Here are some big things to think about when making this big decision:

• Who is going to be reliable? Your bridesmaids aren't just going to put on a dress and look pretty on your wedding day. They will help you with a lot of the things that lead up to that day as well. Unlike groomsmen, who really just show up, put on their tuxes and walk your ladies down the aisle, the bridesmaids have a lot bigger 'job' when they accept. The people you choose should be those you can count on and that you know will be willing and happy to help you with the little tasks you just can't get to, like running to the craft store, going to 3 different shoe stores to get the right sizes and spending many late evenings with you making your wedding favors.
  
• Who is going to be a lifelong friend and who is going to be a right now friend? Not all friendships are made for the long haul. When you pick your bridesmaids, make sure you pick people who have already been in your life for a long time or that you could never imagine life without. These ladies are going to be your support system not only through your wedding, but through your marriage. Don't just choose someone who is fun to go out with but that you've never had a meaningful conversation with because chances are that one year down the road you will be more of an acquaintance with her than a BFF.
  
• Who is going to be able to drop the cash? It's blunt, but it's true. Being a bridesmaid in your wedding isn't going to be one of the cheapest things your best friends ever do. In most cases, your ladies will need to buy their dresses, their shoes, their jewelry, possibly pay for a hotel. They may need to pitch in for your bridal shower, throw you a bachelorette party, possibly pay for a flight. Then, on top of it all, get you a wedding gift. I'm not saying you should rule out friends who don't have an extensive budget, just make sure you have a very open conversation with each of them so they are aware of the costs and are able to accept your invitation with this important detail in mind.
  
• Who likes your fiance? I've said it before and I'll say it again - these ladies are not only going to be in your wedding, they are going to be supporting your marriage. One of the worse situations you can get yourself into is to have a bridesmaid who continuously cuts down your fiance. The last thing you want to be dealing with is defending the man you are about to marry. Your bridesmaids should be so excited that you have found the man of your dreams, the man you are ready to spend the rest of your life with. Don't surround yourself with those who aren't, especially during this important time where you will be super giddy and have a tummy full of butterflies.
  
• Who is going to be fun? You will want your bridesmaids to bring positive attitudes and big smiles to all your wedding events, even those times when you are still sitting around the table making wedding favors at 2 am. It's also a huge help if your bridesmaids are the life of the party at your reception, getting the dancing started and keeping it going.
  
• Who cannot be left out? This question focuses more on how many bridesmaids you are going to have. I always imagined having 3 or 4 girls by my side, but when it was my turn to choose who my bridesmaids were going to be I just couldn't do it. There is no way I could have left any of the girls out that were in my bridal party, so I had a great group of 8 ladies by my side. But, there are things to consider when choosing the size of your bridal party, including the costs of things (rehearsal dinner, bridal party gifts, if you are going to pay for dresses or jewelry), the layout of your ceremony and reception venue (can everyone fit comfortably by your sides? where will your bridal party sit for dinner?), and the number of people you feel comfortable sharing the intimate details with.

Now that you have a lot to think about remember, you don't have to pick your bridesmaids right away. Give it some time. See how people react when you tell them you are engaged. Don't ask someone who is pressuring you or as a quick impulse decision. Start jotting down names of people you think would be great, but give your new engagement at least a month before you start finalizing that list. Then comes the fun part - asking your ladies to be such an important part of your day.

Stay tuned - Fun (and important) ways to ask your best friends to be your bridesmaids will be coming soon. 

Shout Out - Thank you to the 8 most amazing, beautiful bridesmaids I ever could have asked for! I love you all and am so glad you were a part of my big day. xoxo

Tell Your Story

One of the very first things you need to do when you start planning your wedding is to pick a theme. It's probably one of the most fun decisions you'll make during this entire process, so make sure you really think about it and take your time. Plus, it tells your wedding guests a little bit about you and your fiance and the story that you two share.

The goal in choosing your theme is to come up with something that you can implement successfully and elegantly, rather than something that comes across as cheesy or tacky.

Let the Thinking Begin!

• What colors will go along with the theme?
• What time of year will your wedding will be? 
• What types of elements (flowers, center pieces, favors, etc.) can you incorporate into the design of your wedding to reflect your theme? 
• What kinds of things do you and your fiance like? (skiing, the ocean, dancing, the country, traveling, etc.) 
• How will Ansley Event Design help you create the perfect wedding that goes right along with this perfect theme? (I can't help myself, I had to put that one in there.) 

Here's some ideas! 
Just to get you started...but use YOUR imagination.

• Victorian
• Antique looking decorations, cascading flowers and floral invitations
• Peacock
• Turquoise and green bridesmaid dresses, a feather in the bride's hair and bird cage center pieces 
• Old-school Skiing
• Mini ski place cards, snow globe favors and ski passes for the bridal party
• Passport/Traveling
• Passport designed programs, tables named after your favorite vacations and travel/suitcase tags as favors
• Citrus
• Lemon and lime center pieces, bright colored bouquets and lemonade cocktails

Need some help using your imagination? Ansley Event Design specializes in this part of wedding planning. We will do a short interview with you and your fiance and once we're done we'll definitely have some great ideas for your PERFECT theme. Contact us at info@ansleyeventdesign.com to get started.

It's YOU Time

From the minute you get engaged to your wedding day you can get absolutely consumed with wedding planning. There is so much to do that every waking moment (and sometimes even in your dreams) can be filled with thoughts of caterers, invitations, cakes, dancing and more. There is so much to do that taking care of yourself becomes last priority, which only has negative side effects, including high stress levels, neglecting your relationships and even causing your skin to become less than perfect!

Take a time out, focus on yourself and your relationships. Take these little moments as often as you can. Below are just some ideas of things you can do, and it's important. Trust me, it will help keep you sane during this ever-so stressful time!

• Date Night - This is probably THE most important thing you can do during your wedding planning. Why? Because you want to make sure that you keep sight of the reason you are doing all of this planning in the first place - the person you fell in love with and plan to spend the rest of your life with! Coming back to reality and spending a night out, enjoying dinner, dancing, a movie or whatever it was that the two of you did before you got engaged will give you both a break and a chance to do nothing but focus on each other.
  Side Note - Try not to bring up the wedding one single time during this date. There will be plenty of time for that tomorrow.
  
  
• Spa Day - Time for some pampering!!! Not only will you get the opportunity to de-stress, relax and have someone else take care of you, you will be getting the added bonus of preparing for the big day. Facials, manicures and even massages help you get ready for looking even more fabulous than you already do for your wedding. Side Note - This is not the time for those wedding planning thoughts that keep creeping into your head, push them out by concentrating on deep breathing and thoughts of how good it feels to have someone else take care of you.
  
  
  
• Girls Night Out - It is so important that you do not neglect your relationships with your girlfriends during this busy time. Once the wedding is over, you want to be just as close to these ladies as you were before the engagement. They've probably been hearing so much about your big day, that they haven't had a chance to fill you in on their lives. Go out to drinks or go shopping and make it all about them. Ask them how THEY are and what THEY'VE been up to. Side Note - Ok, maybe you can slip a few things about the wedding in there, but only the fun things. And, make sure the conversation quickly turns back to them.
  
  
• Family Bonding - Have you missed your weekly phone call with Aunt Betsy all month? Don't! Your family will understand that you have a lot to do, and would rather keep their time with you short and sweet than not have it at all. So, make sure you are still going to dinner on Sunday night with your parents, that you are still catching up with your siblings and that you aren't missing any traditional weekly phone calls! Side Note - Your family will actually want to talk about your wedding. This is a great opportunity to catch up and brainstorm for the big day.
  
  

Keep you sanity with these important wedding planning breaks. They will keep you and your loved ones happy!

Want to make sure you have time for these time outs? Let us help!! Ansley Event Design will take care of all the details so you have plenty of time to make sure you are taking care of you! Contact us at info@ansleyeventdesign.com to learn more.

The Fuzzies

Watching this video by Design Army gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling. It makes me so excited because I absolutely LOVE weddings! As you watch the video, you are being taken through several different brides' styles and stories and you have absolutely no idea what is going on besides that these women are getting beautiful! Then...you see why they are getting so gorgeous and everything comes together, with the perfect ending.

Ansley Event Design LOVES perfect endings! It is our goal in our relationship with you that you walk away feeling like your event was amazing, like it never could have gone better. Your happiness with your event is our perfect ending. Contact us at info@ansleyeventdesign.com to find out how we make sure this happens.

What Not to Say

When a brand new bride tells you that she's getting married, she's looking for excitement, she's looking for cheers, she's looking for support. She is not looking for the all too common response of, "Wow, everybody I know is getting married."

It's so easy to let those words slip out of your mouth, but this new bride wants to feel like the luckiest girl in the world, not one of the thousands of people who just got engaged. She wants to feel special, she wants to feel like you are excited for her and her alone. So, instead of letting your tongue slip and uttering the phrase that will bring her from cloud nine back to reality, say something like, "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" or "Oh my God!!!!" or "You are the luckiest girl in the world."

You know what Ansley Event Design is good at? Making sure the brand new bride feels so very special the entire way through her wedding planning experience, and especially on her big day. Make sure to contact us at info@ansleyeventdesign.com to find out about how our services will keep you or your bride feeling amazing.

Introducing

With a huge grin on my face and a lacy, full-sleeved gown draping off my 6 year old body, the picture of me wearing my Godmother's dress is proof that I've been playing wedding since I was just a girl. I followed my dress-rehearsals by appearing as bridesmaid and maid of honor in 9 of my dear friend's weddings.

Ready for my Groom

Then, my day came. My Prince Charming, who I had a whirlwind romance with for nearly 10 years, asked me to marry him. My wedding was the day my happily ever after began. It truly was the best day of my life.

While my wedding day was a dream come true, it wasn't enough, which is why Ansley Event Design was created! Using extensive event planning experience, and the love of weddings, Ansley Event Design specializes in making brides and grooms dreams come true, one detail at a time.