Vermont Bride Gala

 

 Gorgeous shot of the entrance to the barn.

Last Sunday I had the pleasure of participating in the Vermont Bride Gala at Boyden Valley Winery. It was a gorgeous blue skied afternoon and the foliage was just starting to hit peak colors.

I had never been inside the barn at Boyden Valley before {although I am very familiar with their wine!} and it was gorgeous! I only wish that it had been available for events when Matt and I were married- which was five years ago today!

So it is fitting for me to share these wonderful photos of this fabulous event that took place in a barn, on the anniversary of my own fabulous event that took place in a barn.

 

 Bold and hip sitting area arranged by Vermont Tent Company

It was a smaller bridal show, but the wow factor was not at all diminished. All of the vendors that were there brought it in spades. Gorgeous colors and textures. Delicious smells and mood pumping music. The theme of the day was Alice in Wonderland and everyone did an amazing job of making that them resonate throughout the day.

Here is a pic I took of my table, right inside the door as the guest's arrived and across from the wonderful Fiori Bridal. My position couldn't have been better and I met many charming couples and their families. Of course every baby that walked by me I had to google at and I probably mentioned 'I have a one year old at home...' a dozen times. That's motherhood for ya!

 

The deep red and purple color scheme on this table done by Vermont Tent Company was very striking.

This tablescape was done by Vermont Tents and Events and also featured Gold Vellum Menus and White Rabbit Placecards from Truly Noted. I love the teacup flower arrangements and I am stealing the idea for my niece's 1st birthday party {which will also be Alice in Wonderland themed}.

 

Close-up of the Gold Vellum Menus and White Rabbit Placecards.

 

Loved this display of tasty cakes by BakeAria

Overall it was a spectacular event and a beautiful Fall day. Can't wait to participate in next year's Gala!

Glitter, Glitz and Glam

{a glimpse of my table at the show}

The VT Vows Wedding Affair last Saturday was amazing! The theme was Marie Antoinette, which I wasn't sure how they would pull off, but basically it looked like we were on a set from the movie. Pink, glitter, glam, and more pink covered everything at the Coach Barn at Shelburne Farms. People dressed in period dress waltzed and walked through the aisles while a musician played the piano in the front room. There was a fasion show, a cigar lounge for the boys, and champagne and martinis for everyone (that was of age, that is)!

{top: the goodie bags that each bride got to take home- worth over $100! middle: the make-your-own candy apple bar, bottom: the make-your-own potpourri bar}

It was a great crowd and everyone seemed to be having a great time. No one left hungry or without ample inspiration for their big day. I wish I could have taken more photos, but since I had to attend to my table it was hard to get very many. Here are some of my faves from the evening.

{clockwise from top left: a fanciful cake from one of the vendors, a bright pink pom-pom, an array of colorful vintage dishes on display, the spa room, a sparkly 'dream' sign greets the guests as they arrive}

The Wedding Affair - A GIVEAWAY!!

When I was planning my wedding in 2006 I went to most of the greater Burlington area bridal shows, but none could come close to the elegance of the VT Vows Wedding Affair. It is the only show my husband-to-be accompanied me to, and I am so glad that was the one he chose! He started to wonder what he had been missing, but really he didn't miss anything because that show was it. Champagne and hors d'ouvres being passed around everywhere, a live band and dancing lessons, Fiori Bridal wedding gown show; it was definitely the who's who of the talented wedding professionals in Vermont.

So I am incredibly excited, and oh so grateful, that this year I will be going to the Wedding Affair again, but this time as a vendor. With my own dupioni silk covered banquet table and tons of samples for all of you to see and touch. And most importantly I get to meet all of you face to face and talk to you about your weddings, which really is why I got into this business to begin with!

If you are engaged, even if your wedding is in a couple of months and most of your details are already figured out, I urge you not to miss this incredible event. And I am hoping to help make sure one of you gets to go by giving away two free tickets to the event! Tickets are $25 so that is a $50 value!

All you have to do to enter to win is leave a comment on this post. The winner will be chosen on Friday morning and I will leave the tickets in your name at the registration table at the show!

For more info on the Wedding Affair check out their website.

My Favorite Part Might Have Been The Chocolate Fountain

This thing of beauty is what I got to gaze at all last night at the Burlington Evening Bridal Show. The smell permeated the entire floor I was on and it was all I could do to not abandon my table and go scarf down some Rice Krispie Treats covered with warm chocolate.

But seriously, I couldn't have asked for a better neighbor than the 'Chocolate Fountain Girl', as I liked to call her. She was incredibly generous and offered up all of the left-overs after the brides had filtered out to the prize drawing on the first floor. Yum.

I had a fabulous time at my first real wedding show and I felt like my table turned out better than I had hoped and I didn't feel out of place amongst the more seasoned professionals around me. I also got to see Echo for the first time and I was really impressed by the space! We were on the third, or top floor, of the building and right next to the outdoor terrace.



Here is the main part of my display with my fabulous new banner I just had made! My table came with a white tablecloth but I also brought a chocolate brown cloth to put over the top to create some interest and depth of color. I think it worked out great!



Here are my inspiration boards- unfortunately one of the easels I brought was missing some key parts and wasn't usable, but Dorothy, my awesome Mother-In-Law, came up with this stool-covered-with-an-extra-table-cloth and it worked out great!



Here is a close up of the table. I had originally thought I was getting a six foot table but it ended up being five, but even if it had been a six I think I would have had enough stuff to fill it. There were several invitations that I wasn't able to display. And to think I was afraid I didn't have enough stuff?! Pshaw! You can also see the great roses that she picked up at Costco to brighten up the display. I can't even tell you how many people asked us if we did flowers! They were so amazed when we told them we got them at Costco! (Hopefully the florist set up diagonal from us didn't mind)



This was another one of our vendor neighbors- The Spirit of Ethan Allen Cruise. They had some pretty tasty treats to give out, but I didn't get a chance to sample much.



Right next to us was Fiori Bridal, my favorite wedding gown shop of all time! They also had some models walking around with different gowns on- a sort of walking fashion show. They were all gorgeous! I kept thinking, what a fun job to wear amazing wedding dresses all night- how do you get that gig?



Down on the first floor was my friend Calais with Stowe Mountain Resort! It was great to see some familiar faces. Her display had these great hurricane glasses filled with some dark grains and white candles.



This was a jeweler on the second floor. Her stuff was really pretty, but I didn't have much time to look at everyone elses stuff.



These cupcakes were on display on the table next to Calais. I was so tempted to take one before the show even started! But I was good and left them for the brides.



Last, but certainly not least, is this little cutie pie who was hanging out at the DJ's table. He is a Sheltie and was born blind and deaf, but he was the sweatest little thing. He hung out on the table during the whole show with these headphones around his neck! He was a definite hit with the ladies and everyone that went by had to stop and pet him. I am thinking this might be a good marketing tactic, perhaps I should bring my dog Nova to my next show? Ha!



Here is the view from the terrace on the third floor. This is part of the space that you can rent at Echo and a lot of people have their ceremony out there. It was a gorgeous view and I imagine on a clear day at sunset it's just magnificent!

So there you have it, my first wedding show! It is still a little early to know if it was a success or not, but I handed out more than half of my info cards and I got three full sheets of email addresses from brides. I also had someone make an appointment with me right there on the spot! Since most of the brides were planning for Summer 2010 weddings I am not sure how soon they will be looking to purchase invitations, but hopefully I will have the opportunity to do some more shows to really get my name out there.

Now I am super tired after staying up to finish a rush invitation order so I am going to bed!