Welcome

Welcome to my Wedding Overdose Blog. This blog will take you through the path of one of my craziest addictions and to show you how there is no turning back once you’ve had that one hit. I will give you a sneak peak of the behind the scenes and an upfront and personal of many designs and imaginative ideas. Elations Designs is a wedding and event planning company that I created a few years ago. Throughout the years, weddings have evolved into something major and amazing. I have just continued to move forward with the trends and work to be more creative and innovative. No cookie cutters or imitations. What you will see is the real thing. One hit and the rest is history.

I travel across the country to share my addiction of weddings and events. So if you are planning a destination wedding hit me up and I will be there.

Wedding Movies for Today’s Couple

We have been huge fans of the movie makers over at Celeste Studios Film and Video Productions for a while now.  They blow us away with every wedding video they share with us.  Documenting your wedding day using creative video professionals has become  increasingly popular over the years.   It is important to select someone who understands that it is not just about capturing your vows and speeches but the overall experience and candids of the day.  This ultimately ensures that you will have an overall story with moments you will be surprised to see as a couple after the wedding.  Celeste Studios Film and Video Productions has mastered this and even educates other film makers with their video tutorials.

We want to thank Janice Robinson-Celeste for allowing us to share this video of Nana and Akinola’s chic African wedding with you.  It is one of  many we adore  as we have been hired to plan and design African wedding ceremonies and receptions.   These celebrations are always fun and extremely memorable.   Just look at this video!!

  

Nana + Akinola’s African-Chic Wedding from Janice Celeste on Vimeo.

BirdCage Veil

The question of whether to wear or not to wear a bridal veil has been a hot topic these days for us.  Our couples want to know the true meaning of a veil and whether not having one is normal.  I have a few clients that would rather not  wear a long cathedral length, or an elbow length veil with a blusher.  Why you ask? Well, mostly because it is not something they deem very important or maybe it doesn’t reflect their overall personality.  But they do want to have a more polished bridal look while they walk down the aisle.   We give many options such as a beautiful flower in your hair or a lovely birdcage veil.  Birdcage veils have grown in popularity and we are big fans.  They are elegantly chic and sometimes very affordable. 

We were delighted and overjoyed to receive  a beautiful  image of this lovely bride captured by Teddy and Jae Madison of Exodus Photography

This birdcage with feather accents on the side gives the bride a polished and elegant look.  The image is so dreamy and we thank Exodus Photography for helping us share this with you. 

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Photo Credit: Exodus Photography

We are meeting with engaged couples. Let the fun begin!

This week started off great. We started off the new year with a fresh outlook and meetings with newly engaged couples.  The energy is in the air and everyone is super excited about getting the planning process started.  The creative juices are flowing now and we are pleased that you have chosen us to be a part of your special day. 

For those needing more information regarding our planning or design service please contact the Elations Designs office with your inquiries.  We look forward to hearing from you and getting started!

Image by Inbal More

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Happy New Year

2009 was a very creative year for Elations Designs.  With servicing new clients ranging from floral design to Full Service planning we’ve had an exciting ride.  We are looking forwarding to having an even better 2010 with newly engaged couples. Remember the planning starts with finding a team of professionals to help you pull your event together.  With the many bridal shows and emails you will receive it is very important to stay focused on what truly matters and that is your upcoming marriage and soon to be spouse. Let the stress go! Consider hiring Elations Designs for your bridal needs.  Email at info at {elationsdesigns} dot com or call 804.249.7800

Thank you to Laura Bruen photography for capturing many of our arrangements this year.  This was one of a few we want to share with you.

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The Best of 2009 Wedding Images- Choosing the Perfect Gown

Now you are engaged and what is the first thing that comes to your mind as a bride? Yep, the dress right?. Well, we say the dress should be planned out carefully along with everything else.  Consider what your flower girl will wear if you are having one.  You should also take into account your bridal party, the style of wedding you want and whether the dress you have in mind fits the occasion.   For our destination brides we encourage them to choose a gown that is suited for the warm climate and beachy area. It is not a good idea to have a heavy ballgown that was made for a winter wedding in the Eastern region, on a sandy beach with 90 degree weather.  Yes, thank us later. :)

Images by Inbal More

A wintry style dress with hand stitched details. Love it!

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For the Princess Bride in all of us.  :)

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  Classic Bride’s choice-maybe? Simple with accents  of rhinestone

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For the classic or modern bride.  Flower accents get us everytime.  :)

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The Best of 2009 Wedding Images-Moving Forward In Style

As we move forward to the year 2010, consider making spunky transportation arrangements for your special event.  We have seen an increase in the use of vintage cars, horse and carriages, buses etc.  Our most favorite for our clients is the vintage car.  Almost 80% of our clients opt for the vintage car while others choose to use stretch limousines.   Spunky transportation alternatives are a great way to add another unique detail to your event.  Don’t be afraid to take the risk but just make sure you have a professional planner to help pull it all together as well as a professional photographer such as Inbal More to capture those significant moments.

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Images by Inbal More

The Best of 2009 Wedding Images-Architecture

We love great architecture.  What creative person doesn’t, huh? When we consider a location for our clients there are many factors that weigh our decision and one is the look of the venue.  The venue may have a historic or contemporary ambiance that is suitable for the client. 

A venue that is unique enough to accommodate the perfect photo is just heavenly for not only the couple or planners involved but for the photographer. One of the things that makes a photo perfect in our opinion is the background or architectural structure around a subject.  In this case the subject was a bridal couple who are perfect in their own right.  Phillip Lloyd knew exactly what angle and lighting to gauge when he considered these photos which we immediately fell in love with. 

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Images by Phillip Lloyd

The Best of 2009 Wedding Images-Destination Weddings

As the countdown to 2010 begins, we wanted to share some images we fell head over heels for.  Over the course of the next few days, check back for beautiful images from some of the top photographers we have been fortunate enough to know and/or work with. 

These beautiful couture umbrellas are perfect for a destination wedding such as this.  Hillary and Jared’s wedding party were coordinated perfectly from head to toe.  The vibrant colors are just so perfect in this photo captured by the talented photographer, Phillip Lloyd

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Images by Phillip Lloyd

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Vintage Stamp Holiday Card

This year Elations Designs participated in Brooklyn Bride’s card swap.  The neat thing is that your card had to be handmade.  All participants were challenged to create something using their own creativity, lots of paper, print, glue, ribbons etc.  We had a few weeks to get the cards out to four industry participants before Christmas.  I was paired up with other business owners across the country and one even as far as Brazil.   I decided on something vintage and found the perfect stationary to complement the look.  The vintage stamp stationary was glued onto recycled card board.  To give it a little holiday feel I accented the borders with gold shimmery ribbon.  To pull in more of the holiday feel I included inserts of famous holiday sayings.    The materials used were glue, handy scissors, two different ribbons, recycled paper and cardboard.  Yes, that is it but it took a few hours to get it done.  It was a labor of love and I was looking forward to getting cards from everyone too.   Below are some images I snapped while working on this project. 

 These were all completed after several hours and mailed out to our swap partners. vintage-stamp-card-elations-designs

 Each card had an insert with a popular Holiday saying. 

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“Oh Holy Night”- Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas All.  Today we are reflecting on the great year we had. It is because of our wonderful clients we continue to grow in many ways.  We give thanks to you and to God for blessing us with all we have to keep going.  Let today be a day of thanks and reflection as you celebrate this day.  I came across this video from one of my friends.  Enjoy!