Tragedy hit home. Helping our Southern Heirloom Bride.

This morning I received an email I had prayed I would not receive. One of our clients was in the path of the Tuscaloosa Tornado. Please watch:


The images in the video are real, and they are 1st hand images from what is left of her home.  Her wedding jewelery, to her red wedding boots, to the ladies handkerchiefs and doilies she had been collecting were all taken away with the Tuscaloosa Tornado.
First, if you can, please donate to the American Red Cross.  There are so many thousands of people who need shelter, support, and food.  Secondly, if you have the ability to help us to create Martha's Southern Heirloom wedding and be some light in the midst of this tragedy, we would love to have your help.  I know how amazingly generous the wedding industry is, and this is hopefully a way we can all reach out and make one brides wedding wonderful despite the devastation.
Here are the "southern" items we are looking to gather and/or replace for her summer wedding:

Mason Jars

Vintage Handkerchiefs

Cotton

Tin or Galvanized Buckets

Burlap

Dried Hydrangea

Watering Cans

Parasols

Lanterns (Metal, Glass & Paper)

Wooden Wedding Signs

Cloth Doilies

Blue Ribbon

Cast Iron Skillets

Small Iron Buckets

Clothespins

Woven Baskets

Lace Panels & Antique Linens

Water Jars

Hay Stacks

Rope

Antique Silver platters

Vintage Hankies

Antique vases

Vintage Chargers

Twine

Blue & White Bandanas

Items can be sent to:
Weddings by Socialites
Attn: Southern Heirloom Wedding
5971 Silver King Blvd, No. 207
Cape Coral, FL 33914

Please be sure to include your name and return address so that we can offer a proper southern thank you.
For more information, please feel free to contact us by email Info{at}KellyMcWilliams.com

A special thank you to AnnMarie & Steven from iheart films for dropping everything to produce this video for me.  I'd also like to thank my entire team for coming in to do the research on all the items we needed to collect.  You all have such huge hearts and I am so grateful.

The 5 trends I expect after the Royal Wedding

As I mentioned previously, the wedding of Diana & Prince Charles was the 1st ever wedding I can recall.  So yes, it left quite the impression.  Tomorrows wedding of Kate & Prince William will without doubt have the same affect on the next 30 years of weddings; royal or not.
Here are 5 things that I think we may be see a trend for:

• Shorter engagements.  6 to 9 months.  I am completely on board with this.  
• Grand Weddings. Big formal weddings.  Even in destination weddings I think we'll see this.  Thankfully, there are so many ways we can make this happen...even on the beach or under a tent.
• Trees. Trees are such a fabulous way to decorate a ceremony or reception site - inside or out. These days its so easy to have them brought in. 

• Hair jewels for brides and hats for ladies.  To be honest, I think the trend has been growing over the last year; but I think that we're going to see a major surge on this front.  However, as far as the tiaras go, I think it might be closer to the heavy jeweled headbands and head wraps that we'll see. I love these by the way.
• Back to etiquette.  Yep, I think we're going to see many more brides (and planners) pull out the Emily Post  books. Division of costs and duties, proper programs and nuptial services, and invitations. To get ready; read Emily Post's Wedding Etiquette
  

"Royal" Blue Engagment Rings

When I say to you that I am bursting with excitement that the Royal Wedding is right around the corner, I truly mean it. I'm pretty sure this event calls for an all-nighter, considering I am notorious in the studio for my insomnia, this shouldn't be a problem.

Every time I see the ring Kate wears, I am giddy.  I had wanted a sapphire engagement ring since Lady Diana got married.  It was the very first wedding I ever saw and it is forever embedded in my mind as the most perfect. However my amazing husband surprised me with a diamond ring, and I could not have been any happier to receive such a gift.
As much as I am obsessed with the Prince William & Kate Middleton's Wedding I am equally obsessed with our client Martha's Wedding. Not only is planning her wedding fabulous but she also has a Sapphire Engagement Ring, sounds like royalty to me.
Since Matha's wedding is approaching so quickly we decided to interview her about her beloved Sapphire Ring. So here's the scoop:

Before Tom proposed to Martha they decided to make a custom design of her engagement ring, a friend of theirs who happens to be an architect made a 3-D model of the exact ring she wanted, how fancy is that! Martha loves the color blue and decided that diamonds were not her style, therefore Sapphire it was! Little did they know the the Royal Couple would follow suit shortly after.

Martha was laughing about this when we were chatting earlier saying that it so frustrating that everyone thinks she copied the royal couple. I asked her how often people relate her ring back to Kate's and she replied "ALL THE TIME." She likes to joke with her friends and family saying "I designed my ring first and at least it is all Sapphire, no Diamonds for me!" Even though she wishes her ring was completely unique she totally does not mind being compared to a princess. 

Needless to say I adore our bride Martha and am counting down the days for not only her wedding but also Prince William & Kate Middleton's.

We're covering more Royal Wedding starting tomorrow over at It's Pretty Splendid.  Pop on over when you have a few.

I want Kate to wear this dress to the Royal Wedding. Bold, statement, I know.

I have an opinion.  So sue me.  But I am really excited for the royal wedding and so I am going to soak up every bit of it over the next week or 2 or FOREVER.
Okay, so here is the dress I have picked out for the ceremony:

This Ellie Saab gown (Nerta).  I have always loved lace and I feel like its been far to absent in royal wedding gowns.  Well, maybe not completely absent, but I would like to see more of it.  And yes, I did have to fight the urge to pick a ball gown.  Ball gowns are very "royal" when you think about it, but Kate, she's modern too.  She's not 19, and well- I really think this would be perfect.  Kate will no doubt smile more than this model.  I wish the models smiled more. Beside the point.
Next up- the reception dress.  Yes, I think the new princess deserves a new dress.
If you're looking for more information on next weeks Royal Wedding, here is the official link: http://www.officialroyalwedding2011.org/

Why You Should Get Engagement Photos

If you are engaged and planning your wedding I highly encourage you to have engagement photos. Not only are these photos a great keepsake and so fun to do, but they have come such a long way since the traditional staged portraits from the '90s. They are now so much more fun and creative.Check out Aly & Michael...
 

Photos by Concept Photography Save the Dates created by Minted.

Reason #1: Getting engagement pictures done will give you and the photographer the opportunity to get acquainted before your wedding day. This means one less stranger that will be in your face wedding day. Plus after working together once you will feel much more comfortable being yourself.

Reason #2: While you will love your wedding day photos, there will come a time that you wish you had another great picture of you and your groom outside of your wedding dress.

Reason #3: Engagement Pictures provide a great picture for your Save the Dates and for wedding websites. They are fun, corky and totally natural.

 Here are a few more Engagement Pictures from our clients that we are dying over!

Christy & Keith our 2011 Grand Wedding Couple. Photo Credit Maria Glassford

Kate & Ryan. Photo Credit Ashley Brockinton

Aly & Michael. Photo Credit Concept Photography

Liza & Todd. Photo Credit Maggie Stolzberg Photography

Nick & Sara our 2010 Grand Wedding Couple. Photo Credit Riversedge Lifestyle Photography