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Monthly Archives: October 2010

As many of you know, last week Lara and I had the privilege of attending Engage!10 at The Breakers in Palm Beach.  She’ll be sharing her perspective on her blog soon, but asked me to recap the fabulous festivities here.  It was a delightful experience through and through, and I’m happy to do so!

Engage is a luxury wedding conference, and I could think of no better place to hold it than at The Breakers.  From the minute I stepped out of a cab from the airport to the moment I was hailed a cab to return to the airport, the service was impeccable — warm and friendly, knowledgeable, attentive without being pushy or stuffy.  A+++ to their entire staff.

I was immediately whisked right into a ballroom for the opening sessions.  Rebecca and Kathryn, the masterminds behind Engage! and Engaging Concepts, said a few words and then turned the mic over to Harmony Walton of the Bridal Bar, Ali Phillips of Engaging Events by Ali, Lienne Stevens of Think Splendid Communications, and Donna VonBruening of DBV Photographers — all six-time attendees sharing their accumulated wisdom as to how to get the most from the conference.  Simon T. Bailey, motivational speaker extraordinaire, spoke next, and he was, as always, a hit with the crowd. 

We then had a mini breakout/introduction session, where I had the pleasure of meeting Amy Zaroff, Amy Atlas, and Heather Burge.  After much mingling, I was able to pick up my swag bag on the way back to my room, something I was very much looking forward to!  With goodies from The Artcraft Company, Ashley Brooke Designs, Blue Magpie, CECI New York, Checkerboard, Christopher Confero, Engaging Concepts, Fuz, Gifts for the Good Life, GO! Tie the Knot kit, Laura Hooper Calligraphy, liveBooks, Louella Press, Mindy Weiss for Two’s Company, Momental Designs, OPI, Personal Wine, Ring Finger Studio, Sandals Resorts Flip Outs, Savannah Wedding Professionals, Simply You Creations, Superfine Bakery, The Breakers, The Sugar Suite, TullaBelles, WED by Caroline Long, and Wedding Cake Pedestals, it did not disappoint.  Whew!

On to the photos, you say?  Okay!

Pictured above :: Lara, me, and Ceci Johnson of CECI New York

After refreshing in our rooms, Lara and I headed to a special cocktail party hosted in The Breaker’s beautiful Imperial Suite.  There, I was thrilled (and a little geeked out) to meet Abby and Tait Larson of Style Me Pretty, Michelle Rago, Ellen of Lehr & Black, Mindy Weiss, Susan of Destination Weddings Magazine, Marilyn from Inside Weddings Magazine, and Todd Fiscus, Texas’ hilarious and highly-talented event designer.  It was also lovely to catch up with SW fave Randy Fenoli, who NEVER disappoints!

After about an hour we headed down to the official welcome party, which was styled in Engage!10 : The Breakers offical colors of Palm Beach, pink and green.  It was a Lilly-lover’s paradise!  Throughout the few days we were there the food was delicious and deliciously styled, and the welcome reception was no exception. The mojito granitas were a particular hit, though my favorite app had to be the mini bites of spaghetti and meatballs piled on a spoon.  Truth: my mouth just watered when I typed that sentence.

Pictured below :: Harmony and Randy; Josh, Sara, and Todd of todd.events; and me, Todd, Lara, Randy, Laurie Arons, and Jeff from The Breakers.

I’ll be back with more from day 2 soon!

P.S. Like my outfit?  It’s a design from Caroline Long, who was so kind as to send it for my wearing pleasure! Check out her lovely line here — perfect for bridesmaids!

All photos courtesy of Mel Barlow and Allan Zepeda, DVB Photographers, Lara’s camera, or our iPhones!

emily Written with love by Emily
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  1. avatar Engage!11 :: Cayman Islands « Southern Weddings Magazine reply

    […] don’t you think?) You can read a little more about my first trip to an Engage! conference here, here, and here. Save Facebook it Tweet […]

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We love the western elements infused throughout Kjersten + Alex’s Jackson Hole celebration.  The wooden cake stand, horseshoe placeholders and animal skin “gastbok” are fun and authentic without being at all hokey.  The Jackson Cake Company designed the bride + groom’s simply stunning confection, and Lily & Co. styled the understated blooms.  (Thumbs up for the handpicked look!)  Want to see more from Carrie Patterson?  Check out her blog post from K + A’s Wyoming wedding!

Describe your wedding flowers: Mostly white, big poofy shapes (peonies, dahlias, ranunculus) with turquoise ribbons on the bouquets. The centerpieces had grayish foliage, chocolate cosmo, and accents of red. Vases were barnwood, incorporating the rustic style.
Describe your wedding cake:
Classic, all white, with draping and flowers that matched my dress.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding?
We had a destination wedding, so finding all the vendors in one week’s time while on vacation in Jackson was a challenge. We had lots of meetings to go to and pricing to figure out in a short amount of time!
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day?
A big mountain storm came through right before our ceremony. After the rain stopped, the sun shone through and hit the Grand Teton behind us while we were saying our vows. It was magical.

Written with love by Katharine
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  1. avatar Heidi@TrulyEngaging reply

    Incredible and with so many beautiful details to pull together for a destination wedding… great job. I adore Kjersten's hairstyle as well as the exquisite wedding cake and gorgeous bouquet!

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Emily and I were just talking about how much we love grey dresses earlier, and after seeing Kjersten’s + Alex’s rustic Wyoming wedding at the Spring Creek Ranch, we’re pretty sure it’s going to be this season’s “IT” color!  Case in point: Kjersten’s slate grey bridesmaid dresses from Jenny Yoo.  The bride looked equally stunning next to her chic maids, opting for a feminine Judd Waddell gown, classic Cole Haan peep toes and an all-white bouquet from Lily & Co.  The uber-talented Carrie Patterson photographed K + A on their big day, and boy, did she have some incredible scenery to work with!  My favorite shot?  The bridal party lined up in front of a dramatic mountain backdrop.

Three adjectives that describe the day:  Magical, rustic yet modern, picturesque
Our favorite detail of the wedding was:
Horseshoes on each guests’ tablesetting for luck. They were hand-painted with our monogram and date/location on the back.
Tell us about finding your wedding dress:
The dress I ended up getting was the first one I ripped out of a wedding magazine. My mom flew in for one day, and I went to one of the designer’s (Judd Waddell) trunk shows. The dress was the first one I tried on! Judd Waddell was also there, and we found out he also happened to go to the same university/art school that I went to, Washington University in St. Louis School of Art & Design, and had the same professors! Then he even sketched me in the dress!

Written with love by Katharine
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  1. avatar Katherine reply

    The ceremony programs are too cute!

Southern Weddings reserves the right to delete comments which contain profanity or personal attacks or seek to promote a business unrelated to the post.  And remember: a good attitude is like kudzu – it spreads.  We love hearing your kind thoughts!

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