This week Bride and Bloom magazine predicted new color pairings for the coming year for wedding trends.  The new palettes offer a sense of elegance and modernism.  I was excited to see several hues of gray from platinum to silver to charcoal.  It provides limitless options for the most traditional to the most modern bride.

The first pairing includes “the new yellow”, which is a mossy hue and a deep charcoal:

Consider some of these:

The second pairing includes earthy tans to light and deep grays.

Consider some of these:

(click on any image to enlarge the photo)

We wanted to share some of the beautiful images photographer Ian Lozada took of one of our May weddings. This wedding was such a joy to work on. The bride trusted us completely, asking that we provide all the flowers and décor, with only direction to stay within in the lilac, white, green colors. I love it when I bride lets us get creative! Ian captured all the day’s beauty. Great Expectations also acted as planner/coordinator for this wedding.  It was a true team effort in true Great Expectations style!

Check out Ian’s other wedding photography at:  http://www.ianlozada.com/or call him at 859-402-0634.

If you are looking for a designer gown at incredible prices, this tour might be for you. Plus it is for a great cause!  Click the link below for more information.

http://bridesagainstbreastcancer.org/

In addition, this link also provides great information about how you can make a wonderful donation in lieu of wedding favors at your reception or in honor of a missing loved one on your big day.

http://pinkenvelopeproject.org/

Great Expectations ~ Creators of Extraordinary Events supports many non-profit causes, including the fight against breast cancer. Do what you can to help!

I love doing flowers for weddings but I have to admit my favorite color to work with is Pink.  I get a sudden urge to smile when a potential new client tells me her colors include pink.  Any shade will do: hot pink, bubble gum pink, salmon, classic pink….any pink will do.  It automatically takes my mind to a scene from one of my favorite movies, where  Julia Roberts in “Steel Magnolias” describes her wedding colors as ….”two distinct shades of pink….blush and bashful…are my colors”.

Here is the shade of pink chosen by a May bride of mine.  I love the way the Ravel Pink roses (pronounced “ra-vel”) stand out in the shades of the antique green hydrangeas.  Simply beautiful!

I received a wonderful thank you from our March 15, 2008 wedding this week (see below). I felt so blessed to work with this family! Also, be sure to check out the beautiful photography captured for this couple by Holifield Photography. Call Mary Beth today at 859-276-2040 to schedule your personal consultation.

www.holifieldphotography.com

Dear Deanna,

First allow me to apologize for taking so long to send this letter of appreciation to you.  There really aren’t enough words to express just how much we came to love and appreciate you!

We hired you because we appreciated your honesty and the way you really listened to us the first day we met.  After hiring you, our world pretty much turned upside down for the following months - yet you were there to guide and lead in all the decisions necessary to keep the wedding date on track.

With the illness and untimely death of my Dad, the unexpected surgeries that two of my babies had to have, the deployment of my son to Afghanistan, and the unexpected major surgery my Mother had - - you were our rock.  You were always there to keep things going on a timely basis.  You were the sanity that held it all together.  I made the decision to just turn it all over to you and trusted your advice on all situations.  This turned out to be one of the best decisions of my life!

When I needed someone to just listen to me and allow me to vent all my frustrations - you were there, you were professional, and you would take the situation over and handle whatever needed to be done.

The flowers were absolutely gorgeous!  You did such a fantastic job with the tables and the bouquets.  The bride’s bouquet was exactly what she wanted!! Even when, three weeks before the wedding, the minister cancelled, you were our calm and assisted us in finding another minister.

Tiffany’s wedding was truly beautiful!  This was the day she had always dreamed of!  Everything went so smoothly - even with the strained family dynamics of divorced and remarried parents that you had to deal with.  The wedding was just what she had hoped it would be and we truly do owe that to you!

Your professionalism, listening, caring, and utmost integrity are unmatched!  I would highly recommend your company to anyone!  I do not think you realize just how much you came to mean to my family and me!!  We would never have been able to have this wedding without you! You truly are the BEST!!  Feel free to use us as a reference to anyone at any time.

Thank you so much!

Becky Phelps

The cake was by Judy Myers 859-885-4477.

One of my favorite moments was when the groom serenaded the bride. DJ music was provided by Complete Music, call Rick at 859-296-2200 or find them at www.cmusic.com

This wedding featured two ceremonies: a Hindu ceremony and a Christian ceremony ~ a beautiful marriage of two wonderful people in love. The bride’s request was to keep things simple but elegant. She did not want a lot of fuss, but also wanted to respect the elaborate Hindu wedding décor traditions of her husband’s family. I think we came up with a perfect compromise. All floral décor by Great Expecations.

The white mandap was rented from Bryants Rental.

www.bryantsrentall.com

As part of the Hindu ceremony, the bride and groom exchange flowers. These personal floral garlands to be worn around the neck were created for the occasion.

The cake was by Judy Myers 859-885-4477.

It was a delight to work with Lindsay Selvitelle in the Marriott’s event department. Check out the Marriott’s wedding ceremony/reception options at http://www.marriott.com/hotels/event-planning/wedding-planning/lexky-griffin-gate-marriott-resort-and-spa/

Elegant silver and black were the colors chosen for this formal wedding reception at the Signature Club. Later in the evening, soft pink uplights were used to create a soft hue. Though these decor shots were taken by us, we had the pleasure of working with the true professionals at

http://www.rickersonphotography.com/

All wedding coordination, linens and lighting were provided by Great Expectations.

I ran across this really cool idea for personalizing a Kleenex box!  What will they think of next?  You basically pick a background color, font and several other options to futher personalize your oval Kleenex box–then upload your picture. They are $4.99 a box, plus S&H. Put one on every pew and enjoy the ooh’s and ahhh’s about how creative, unique and fun you are—  see what you think..

www.mykleenextissue.com

Kimberly has the most amazing style. You take one look at her and know she can carry anything off. She adores pink, or more specifically, hibiscus pink. Early in our planning she shared with me many pictures of ideas she had found and wanted to incorporate. That made our planning (and execution) of her dream wedding all the more perfect.

My favorite highlights were: kids’ tables complete with custom coloring books and centerpieces made with crayons,a wishing vase (where guests dropped hand-written notes into a vase for the couple to devour later), a “sweet dreams” table for guests to take on the road featuring all pink, white and black candies, 3-color fabrics draping the ceiling of the barn, and grapes or leaves in the bottom of the centerpieces.

My favorite vendors of the day were:

www.shandoncundiffphotography.com 859-619-1413

http://www.tigersdjservices.com/Introduction.html 859-492-0337

http://www.moorevideoproductions.com/meet_kim.htm 859-494-5176

All decor, flowers and planning done by Great Expectations!

Chocolate brown and the most delicate of pinks were the colors chosen for this romantic outdoor wedding at the Headley Whitney Museum.