Luis and Naomi

I have know Naomi for a little over 10 years. It was delightful to be able to coordinate her wedding to Luis. Naomi was not a traditional bride. She looked beautiful in her purple formal dress. It was truly stunning! The ceremony was at Heritage Park in Bryan. That location is one of my favorites for weddings. It is simple and beautiful. The reception was at Naomi's Aunt's house, which has an amazing set up for throwing a great party. Her colors were, well, purple. All the arrangements were amazing.

This was a small wedding with just close friends and family. It was elegant with no mishaps or interesting stories to relate. Everything went as planned, all aspects of the wedding were perfect. I throughly enjoyed putting together a very special day for my sweet friend, Naomi.

I'm also having a blast using my new camera. It has been fun snapping pictures and getting to play around with editing. These are a few pictures I took at the wedding. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

A New Friend

At the fall Bridal Show, I had the privilege of meeting Susan Keough from A Moment in Time. I have often wondered what I would do if I was ever too sick on someone's wedding day or for some other reason was not able to be present. Susan was my answer to these prayers. We met a couple of weeks later at a coffee shop and shared wedding stories, favorite venues, memories, etc. She had a wedding scheduled in a few weeks, so we agreed that I would join her to see if our styles were compatible.

The wedding was at The Greenbranch. This is a special venue for me since I coordinated the very first wedding Jim and Darlynne hosted on their property. This wedding took place before either of us was "in the business" and was one of the first I coordinated. The Greenbranch was as beautiful as always. Such a wonderful venue for an outdoor Garden Wedding!




I was very excited while observing Susan because I knew this friendship was meant to be. Susan handled her rehearsal, before/ during the ceremony details in a similar fashion to my style. I knew as I was watching her that I would have no problem recommending her to any bride or have her step in "just in case" to represent me.



The morning of the wedding, I bought my new camera, so I spent some time playing with it and capturing some beautiful aspects of the wedding "on film". Enjoy the pictures!!

A mom's testimonial

We were so thrilled with the announcement that Sadie and John were getting married. After the initial excitement, the realization that I would have to plan a long distance wedding began to set in. You see, Sadie and John were students at Texas A&M, but we live about 1800 miles away in Pennsylvania. Sadie was a very busy Senior and I knew that I would be in need of experienced help closer to College Station. After attending the Bridal Show, Sadie contacted and interviewed several wedding coordinators that could help me with this task. She hit it off from the beginning with Erin and knew that she would be the one to help us plan the perfect wedding.
Because of the distance, I was only able to come to College Station several times during the year; and it was always at a busy time, or on a busy weekend at the campus. Erin worked so wonderfully around our limited schedules and was able to line up meetings for us with all of the vendors that we would need. Her recommendations and hints were very helpful to us in making our final decisions on which vendors to hire. We were not disappointed in any of them. Erin worked easily with each of them along the way and on the day of the wedding.
On the day of the wedding, it was unusually hot – even for Texas. Erin was there to help out with cold bottles of water to keep everyone comfortable during the outdoor pictures before the wedding. She even delivered plates of sandwiches that I had ordered to tide over the wedding party until the reception. I did not have to worry about anything at the wedding. Erin had told me that I would not need my watch and she was right. She made sure everything went on schedule without a hitch. The wedding of our only daughter was emotional enough as it was, I can’t imagine what it would have been like if I had the added stress of doing everything ourselves. I’m so thankful that Erin was there and that we were able to enjoy and take in every moment of Sadie and John’s wedding.
The reception was exactly was we had thought it would be. Sadie wanted the reception to be fun and memorable. Once again, Erin coordinated the evening with the other vendors and I did not have to worry about a thing. She was there to help Sadie and John get all of their “Bride and Groom” tasks completed, but also to help them enjoy all of the fun of the evening. I couldn’t believe how fast the evening seemed to go. Time flies when you’re having fun!
I’ve told several people after the wedding that I was glad we only had one daughter. But truthfully, if we had another wedding to plan in the future, I would call upon Erin in a heartbeat to help me out again. She made the whole year+ process so enjoyable for us and so stress-free. Thanks Erin, for being such a big part of the precious time for all of us.

John and Sadie

I met Sadie and her mom over a year before the wedding, so I got to spend quite a bit of time getting to know them throughout the planning process. They were so gracious when my husband had an emergency appendectomy during one week that we had several appointments scheduled and I had to miss them to be with my husband. We had a lot of fun going to appointments together and interviewing vendors.

John and Sadie met in elementary school and grew up together. They are such a sweet couple and their families were equally kind. I enjoyed meeting all of them.

Overall, the wedding and reception went off without a hitch. It was one of the smoothest weddings I've ever coordinated. I thoroughly enjoyed everyone I worked with; from the wedding hostess at the church, Daphne, to the coordinator at Briarcrest Country Club, Carol Galvin. The photographer, Kathy Norwood, was fabulous and friendly. We worked so well together and she is so thoughtful towards the bride and groom. I got to work with Chance from Livewire again. He's always amazing and I received several compliments about him, as always. Jaclyn with Fabulous Fare created both cakes. The groom's cake was a 3D version of Texas A&M Corps of Cadets Senior Boots. It was unbelievable!! The only trick was trying to figure out how to cut it.

I am always grateful to be able to help such wonderful people to make the best of their lives even better and to be a part of the beginning of their married lives together. I know John and Sadie will have great memories of their special day for years to come!

Ronnie and Haley

"Words cannot express how grateful we were to have you there with us on our special day! We tried our best to have everything planned out and to be ready for everything, but low and behold, we weren't. However, you were there to take care of anything and everything that we had not accounted for. At the wedding, I think we were all blind-sided by the church-provided wedding coordinator. What a nightmare! But we thank you for doing everything that you were "allowed" to do to make that process go as smooth as it could have considering the circumstances. We were all stressed, but you were there to ease our stress. Thank you for that. As for the reception, the greeting we received from the host was as about as cold as the one you received. We never saw her again after we walked in. Thank you for serving us our first meal as a married couple! Thank you for helping us through the reception. You kept us moving and on time and made sure we got everything done. You truly made our day so easy! We didn't have to worry about anything. If we had a problem or a question, you were there to handle it, without hesitation. You exceded our expectations by far! You were professional, on time, very knowledgeable, comforting, and seemed like you really cared about making sure we were happy. We could not have asked for more. You really made a lasting impression on us, and anytime we think of our special day, you will always come to mind. If there is anything that we could ever do for you to show our sincere gratitude, please let us know! You now have 2 more lifelong friends to add to your list. From the bottom of our hearts, Thank You So Much!! We are forever grateful!!"

Sincerely,

Mr. and Mrs. Ronnie and Hailey Sparks

Testimonial

This comment is written in reference to the testimonial "Clash of the Titans"

"We know of this wedding that Erin speaks of. The church provided wedding coordinator was a little pushy and set-in-her ways. She wanted things done her way, as if it were her wedding. However, with Erin's patience and assistance, we were able to make it through it. Erin made sure we had things OUR way. And as for the reception host, we were greeted with "It's been so nice working with y'all, now hurry up and get in here you are late and these people are waiting on you!!" And once we were in, we never seen the host the rest of the night. Thankfully Erin was there holding our hands, guiding us through the events of the evening. She kept us on time and made sure we got to do everything that we had talked about. We highly recommend Erin as a true professional wedding coordinator!"

Clash of the Titans

I am used to getting along with all the vendors at my weddings. I have enjoyed meeting and working with every vendor until the last wedding I coordinated. Boy! Was I in for a treat! I knew that the church at which this wedding was held had their own coordinator when I was hired. The bride wanted help with the planning and some extra support on the wedding day. However, what I didn't know was that this woman was 90 years old and had been running the show for over 30 years! I was prepared to be respectful of her position and experience. What I wasn't prepared for was a very grumpy, opinionated person who would make a majority of the wedding party upset and angry. I literally ran around (seriously, I was running) putting out fires and reassuring everyone for 2 hours before the ceremony. That was interesting and humorous. When I arrived at the reception, I was greeted with, "Where have you been?" The head master of the reception location did not approve of the fact that I had not done the set up of the tables and decorations. She compared me to other coordinators who ALWAYS did set up. The funny thing is, I was planning to do set up, but the bride told me that this person's very close friend, the cake lady, told her she would do set up. I thought that was strange but was fine with it. I figure I've already been blackballed at the venue and it was my first time to be there! Oh well. In the end, the bride, groom and their families were so grateful for all I did. The bride's mom called me as I left the reception and said, "I didn't get to hug your neck!! Thank you so much for everything you did! Did you get any cake?" After receiving that phone call, I knew I had done my job well, even if the matrons of the wedding business didn't approve!

How time flies....

It seems as though my numerous jobs, kids, and life in general get in the way of me finding time to write on my page. It's hard to believe that I have been a wedding planner in Bryan/College Station for 10 years now. What started off as a whim, has turned into a small business and continues to be a passion of mine. I love to run around before, during and after a wedding finishing the last minute, forgotten details. It thrills me to do whatever it takes to make each bride's special day even more perfect than she could ever imagine. It delights me to watch her mother and father smile and tear up as they watch their little girl dance with her dream man. I enjoy relating the tales of the guest who, after a little too much wine, performs a daring toast, or strips down to his boxer shorts and dances behind the bride to my husband. It never ceases to amaze me how beautiful each bride looks on her day with just the right dress, hair and make-up.

It's wedding season again, and I look forward to watching each bride and groom walk the aisle, say their vows, beam for their pictures, cut the cake, laugh at the toasts, dance for the first time as husband and wife, and leave in their "carriage" for their happily ever after....

More kind words...

Erin,

Thank you so much for all of your help coordinating our wedding. I really appreciate your patience and attention to detail with all of the preparations. Vadim and I are grateful that you were able to arrange the setup and cleanup for the reception and ceremony and for much less than we expected and we got our full deposit back from the 7F Lodge. I’m amazed how quickly and thoroughly you responded to all of my emails and it was clear that you have a lot of experience with weddings and handling all of the little details that never even occurred to me. Thank you again for helping to make our wedding such a special and wonderful day :)

-Karen & Vadim

Vadim and Karen

This was by far the most entertaining reception I have ever coordinated. The couple met through the "Aggie Swing Club" and their first dance as a couple was choreographed and absolutely elegant and beautiful. They hired a great DJ from Dallas, Glenn Roush, and he played mostly swing. This was such a small wedding, that I didn't think the reception would last as long as the couple had 7F Lodge reserved. I sure was wrong! Their guests danced until we had to shut the place down so that we could clean up before our contract ended. And it was so fun to watch them dance! I felt as though I got to attend a Broadway musical. It was truly amazing. I had no idea anyone had that much energy.

All in all, I felt that the wedding and reception went smoothly. We weren't sure about weather. We had some rain before and after the ceremony, but during the vows and merriment, the weather was perfect. Of course, I have no control over the weather, but I am always grateful when I am coordinating and outdoor wedding and the weather cooperates.

Square One catered and the food was delicious. The cake was amazing and beautiful and was created by Fabulous Fare. JP Beato did the photography and video. I found out that I had met his videographer through e-mail when I was coordinating for my school to attend a career fair that he was organizing. It is a small world! JJ's Package Store provided the alcohol and an excellent bartender. I enjoyed working with all the vendors and felt that they did an excellent job providing services that made Karen and Vadim's wedding a day they will always remember fondly.