Sardis United Methodist Church and Georgian Terrace Wedding

I am honored to work with Ada and Alan for their wedding on July 25, 2015.

For the ceremony, we chose Sardis United Methodist Church. The historic church on top of a small hill in Buckhead area is a hidden treasure. We visited several churches while hunting for a ceremony venue but once I took Ada and Alan to visit Sardis United Methodist Church, the decision to book it was easily made.

The church size (maximum capacity: 250 guests) is perfect for their 100 person guest list. Because of the intricate stained glass windows, we chose minimal decoration on the aisle:

Prewedding photos were done outside of church before the 11am ceremony in order to avoid the hot summer heat of Georgia (but honestly it is better to have sun than rain on wedding days):

Here is a close up look at the bridal bouquet:

The traditional church ceremony took place inside the historic sanctuary:

A great tradition at Sardis United Methodist Church is for the couple to ring the church bells after they walked down the aisle as newlywed so Alan gave it a try:

The send off from church as the couple exited:

The bridal car was Alan's own ride which we put to good use:

For reception, Ada and Alan chose the gorgeous Georgian Terrace Hotel:

Head table was decorated with the bridal bouquet and the bridesmaids bouquets:

We chose centerpieces with fluffy Hydrangea (Ada's favorite flowers):

The favor boxes were bought by Alan's Mother and brought all the way from Taiwan. The boxes were made to represent miniatures "Chinese Carriage" used in ancient times by the brides and filled with candies.

The wedding cake kept to the theme of the bride's simple and elegant style:

For the grand entrance to the reception, Ada chose to honor her Chinese heritage by wearing the traditional Chinese QiPao:

The couple did their first dance immediately upon entry (which Ada told me was one of her favorite wedding moments):

Later on during the reception, Alan also took his Mother out on the dance floor for a spin for the Mother and Son dance which was a super sweet moment (and I will encourage all grooms to do so if possible):

The happy couple and their bridal party also took photos all around the hotel:

I wish the couple many years of happiness!!!

All Photos are by Christopher Helm Photography

Vendor Team:

Reception Venue/Catering: Georgian Terrace Hotel
Florist: Lauren's Floral Art
DJ: Ted Crowder from Atlanta Wedding DJs
Photography: Chrtstopher Helm Photography
Wedding Cake: Frosted Pumpkins

Atlanta Venue Spotlight - Historic Academy of Medicine

I went to the Open House for the Historic Academy of Medicine on August 6, 2015. This was my first time visiting this venue although I had drove by the mansion numerous times. If you have ever driven down Wet Peachtree Street in Midtown Atlanta, you had probably wonder to yourself what this building is all about as it looks like it is from a different era (built in 1941):

Photos courtesy of Historic Academy of Medicine from the Celebration Society

The venue has several spaces including a 230 seat auditorium that is surpringly intimate. For those who want some drama (in a good way), this is definitely the non-traditional way to walk down the aisle:

 

Photo of Auditorium from Georgia Tech 

One of the major attractions of the Academy of Medicine is its famous chandelier in its Rotunda (the same one seen in the movie "Gone with the Wind"):

Photo by Cindy Brown Photo

I was told that most couples chose to do their first dance under the famous chandelier which is definitely very romantic.

Note that there are also several spaces that can be used for cocktail hour/bridal suite/groom's room as well as 2 banquet spaces. Overall, I like the upper level of the venue much better than the terrace level because it has a lot of historical architectural details on the upper level but I can see why a bigger party will need to utilize the terrace level space as well.

The Academy of Medicine has a list of Preferred Caterers so if you are planning an event here, there is definitely flexibility for you to find one that fits your budget and style. 

Valet service was quick and easy at the back of the building which is definitely welcome and needed in Midtown Atlanta.

I highly recommend checking out this venue if you desire a historical venue that is elegant, intimate, and if you just cannot resist the urge to dance all night under that chandelier.

Casey and Yas' Wedding at Smoke Rise Country Club

Planning and coordinating Casey and Yas' wedding at Smoke Rise Country Club was one of the most fun experience for me as a wedding planner.

This loving couple wanted an intimate wedding for their closest family and friends and on this lovely afternoon in early May, sixty of their dearest were treated to a wonderful time at Smoke Rise Country Club in Stone Mountain, GA.

The bride wore a beautiful gown by Allure Bridals. When Casey showed me the dress, I asked her to add in a few dance moves that let the dress flies because of how it look when one turns.

We chose to do a first look before the ceremony:

Here is the stunning bride and the handsome groom:

The wedding party:

A close up of the girls:

Together with the 2 lovely flower girls:

I have to share a few more images of the gorgeous bride:

The ceremony was out on the covered verandah at the country club:

After the cocktail hour, the reception started with the bride and groom' first dance:

Thanks to Ted Crowder from Atlanta Wedding DJs , the dance floor was packed all night:

A big congratulations to Casey and Yas! Thanks for trusting me to be your planner! May your have a long and wonderful Marriage!

Vendor Team:

DJ: Atlanta Wedding DJs

Florist: Lauren's Floral Art

Makeup and Hair: Nia Makeup and Hair

Officiant: Rev. Winslow Thomas from Atlanta Wedding Officiants

Photographer:Atlanta Artistics Weddings

Videographer: Peerless Films

Wedding Cake: O' How Sweet!

Inman Park United Methodist Church and Houston Mill House Wedding

Planning the wedding for Ping and Brian was very special to me because they chose to get married at Inman Park United Methodist Church, the same church where I got married!

This church is one of the most beautiful churches in Atlanta area. Ping was a gorgeous bride and here are the bridal portraits at the church:

The couple also took some fun shots together:

Another fun thing we did (with suggestion and permission from Patches Mongeon, the coordinator at Inman Park United Methodist Church was to have bubbles inside the church when the couple walked down the aisle!! How cool is that!?

Of course, we wanted to have more bubbles on the way out too:

All the photos were captured by the amazing David Diener from Atlanta Artistic Weddings. Although this is my first time working with David, I know it will not be the last time because his work is great and working with David throughout the planning process has been a joy.

For reception, we looked at several venues in town but decided to go with Houston Mill House, an intimate historical venue near Emory University. Ping and Brian pretty much fell in love with the outdoor terrace when we did the site visit and we decided to plan an outdoor reception because of the terrace.

However, a week before the wedding, the weather forecast was actually showing 60% rain on the wedding day. Together we created an alternative seating plan for an indoor reception. At the same time, we started to pray for the rain to go away.

God listened to our prayers and it was actually a sunny and warm day on the first Saturday of October! In fact, the prayer was so powerful that we had to moved the reception program indoor after the lunch reception outdoor because it was too hot for the guests to be seated under the sun!

I must say that the Blair Simpson, the Catering Manager at Houston Mill House and her staff were really helpful in accommodating the last minute movement. She also came to the venue early in the morning to allow me to come in and set up before I went to the church for the ceremony coordination. If your wedding has 100 guests or less, you should definitely consider Houston Mill House as a reception venue!
 
Here are some photos at Houston Mill House:

Congratulations to Ping and Brian! I wish you both happiness and a wonderful marriage!

Vendor Team:

Photographer: Atlanta Artistic Weddings
Florist: Laurens Floral Arts
Baker: Artisan Cakes by Julie
Ceremony Venue: Inman Park United Methodist Church
Reception Venue: Houston Mill House
Musicians: Anna Herrington & Tom Godfrey

Getting Ready For Wedding Day

The night before the wedding day is an exciting time. There is normally a rehearsal followed by a rehearsal dinner. You are surrounded by friends and families who may have come from far away places. The celebration is just getting started!

Today I have a few tips for the bride and groom to be on the night before the wedding:

(1) Try to get ready your wedding day clothing and accessories

Running around in the morning of your wedding day trying to find an undergarment that is supposed to go underneath the dress will not be fun. Forgetting where your tie or cufflink is just add unnecessary stress.

Ladies, you might also want to set aside a button down shirt to wear for getting ready so that it can be easily removed after your hair styling session without messing up your hair.

(2) Plan the meal(s) for wedding day for you and/or your bridal party

Depending on the time you are getting ready for the wedding, you probably need to plan for a breakfast and /or lunch for you and/or your bridal party (if they are getting ready with you).

A traditional Chinese breakfast of long life noodles with eggs is typical for Chinese weddings

I am showing the wedding day breakfast that my Mother insisted on serving because it was a Chinese tradition in the photo above (Photo taken by Christopher Helm Photography ) but you can serve whatever food you fancy (as long as it is something familiar - so you don't get any "surprises" later on!).

You can designate someone to buy the food in advance or you can have a restaurant/caterer deliver the food to your house or your get ready location (wherever that might be). Just remember not to be hungry before the ceremony starts. I had actually witnessed the fainting of a bridesmaid during the ceremony when I attended a wedding. It was not a pretty sight.

(3) Try to get some sleep

It maybe difficult but getting enough rest on the night before your wedding will give you energy for your own wedding day.

(4) Try a rehearsal and rehearsal dinner on Thursday night (for Saturday weddings)

Maybe this tip does not qualify as "getting ready the night before the wedding" but I really like having rehearsal and rehearsal dinner on Thursday night for a Saturday wedding. It is actually my preferred rehearsal night whenever schedule allows due to the reasons below:

Reason 1: You can party longer on Thursday night since the wedding is not the next day. Even if you have a hangover, you can still use Friday to recover from it.
Reason 2: Rehearsal dinner can be cheaper on a weeknight vs. Friday evening (weekend)
Reason 3: You will then have the night before the wedding to relax (since there is no rehearsal and no rehearsal dinner)

(5) Limit tasks that need to be accomplished on the day before the wedding
 
Last minute errands and running around the day before the wedding is tiring. Try to limit yourself to one or two things that have to be done that day and finish other tasks before then.

I normally only give one task to my brides on the day before the wedding: go get the manicure and pedicure!
 

My Rainy Day Wedding Tips

With the amount of rain that Georgia was receiving recently, I thought I will share my rainy day wedding tips.

(1) Have a rain plan

If you don’t want to be all stressed out 10 days before your wedding about a forecast for rain, it is important that you actually think about rain in the beginning of your planning process.

Photo Credit: LibbyPhoto - Taken on a rainy day wedding at The Chapel at Simpsonwood

If there is one element of your wedding that you cannot plan for, it is the weather. Therefore, if you must have an outdoor ceremony and/or reception, please book a place that has an indoor location or allow you to set up a tent in case the weather does not cooperate with you.

Finally, if you are planning to take wedding photos outdoor, please have an alternative indoor photo location ready in case of rain.

(2) Be flexible

On the most recent rainy day wedding that I worked on, we forgo some of the things on the schedule in order to take outdoor photos before it started to pour.

I actually called the vendors the morning of the wedding to see if it was possible to change part of the wedding day schedule in order to accommodate getting outdoor photos done before the rain was scheduled to come down at 2:15pm (according to weather forecast).

Working with an amazing group of vendors meant that they were willing to accommodate and do whatever it took to get it done for the bride and groom. We ended up starting the photo session earlier in order to beat the rain.

(3) Get some pretty umbrellas and rain boots

Colorful umbrellas and rain boots do not cost a lot of money but they show up very nicely in rainy day wedding photos. If the rain is not heavy, you can easily do some outdoor photos in the rain with these accessories and actually have amazing wedding photos to show.

The extra umbrellas can also be very useful for your guests in case they need some help getting in/out of the cars while it is raining.

Photo Credit: LibbyPhoto

(4) Inform your makeup/hair artist that you want to go outdoor in the rain for photos

Your hair and makeup may need to be done differently in order for it to hold up in the rainy weather better. Discuss this with the makeup/hair artist to see what are your options. If your budget allows, pay for them to stay and touch up the makeup/hair after you had gone outdoor in the rain for photos.

In conclusion, good planning means you are not afraid of rain on your wedding day. In fact, you can go ahead and tell others that “It is lucky to have rain on your wedding day!”.

Norcross Georgia July 4th Wedding at The Lodge At Simpsonwood

Nicole and Johnny contacted me to plan their July 4th wedding back in May. With less than 2 months to go, I worked with Nicole to secure her venues as well as her vendors in a few weeks' time.

Nicole is probably one of the most easy going bride I have ever met, which really helped when it comes to wedding planning in a short time frame. I was able to brake my own record of planning and coordinating a wedding in less than 2 months (previous record was a little over 4 months)!

With 10 days to go til the wedding, I checked the weather forecast and it was calling for rain. I asked the Lodge at Simpsonwood if they will open one of their meeting rooms with stained glass windows just in case we need to do the photo sessions indoor and the coordinator Amy Edwards assured me that they will open the room as a backup location. I also went to Ikea and bought the last 10 umbrellas on display on rehearsal day just to be prepared!

On the morning of July 4th, I woke up and checked the hourly forecast for Norcross, GA. Thank God for listening to my prayers, the forecast actually showed "cloudy until 2:15pm" although it had been raining all week and the original forecast was 100% rain that day.

I called Libby from LibbyPhoto immediately to check on the possibility to change the timing of the photo shoot as well as Nia from Nia Tran makeup/hair to check on the ability to finish the makeup/hair for the girls earlier than planned. Once I got their confirmations on the new timing, I called the wonderful florist Laurens from Laurens Floral Arts to ensure that the flowers can be deliver earlier than planned to meet the new photo shoot time. All I can say is that I am so grateful to have a great group of vendors who really care about the bride and groom and were flexible enough for the last minute change!

The forecast was so accurate that day as it literally started pouring down at 2:11pm (and the Ikea umbrellas were put to good use) but we were able to get a whole lot of outside photos! Amazingly, the rain stopped before the ceremony was about to start and actually held off until later on that night so all the guests were actually able to stay dry.

Nicole and Johnny's wedding changed my perspective on rainy day weddings. Yes, it is a lot of work when the weather is not the best but the photos also showed how incredibly romantic rainy wedding days can be!

Congratulations to Nicole and Johnny! If rain on wedding day is supposed to be lucky, I know that God opened the windows of heaven and pour down a lot of blessings for you two that day!

All Photos by LibbyPhoto

Vendor Team:

Ceremony Venue: The Lodge at Simponwood

Reception Venue: 1001 Nights Persian Cuisine

Florist: Laurens Floral Arts

Cake: Artisan Cakes by Julie

Photographer: LibbyPhoto

Videographer: A Reel Occasion

Pianists: Ping Yun Hsu and Bob Cardone