weddings :: Groom Sold Separately :: Ultimate Wedding Planning Resource Connecting Brides and Wedding Pros

GSS Featured Wedding :: Talina & Keith’s Houston Wedding :: Zasey Photography

June 8, 2011 By Tamra Dunlap Leave a Comment

Happy Hump Day, Lovelies!!! You’re all in for a treat today!!! Man, our submissions just keep getting better and better!!! Today’s fabulous featured wedding comes from Amber Strickler of Zasey Photography, a Houston, Texas based wedding photographer. Amber has been so sweet and accommodating to GSS and we have truly enjoyed working with her on this feature.

Talina and Keith were married on March 12, 2011 at Agave Road in Katy, TX. What an amazing venue! Talina was kind enough to answer a few questions for us:

How did you and Keith meet? Keith and I met on Match.com! We exchanged emails and chatted on the phone for about 2 weeks until I asked him to meet up in person…I was pretty gutsy!!

How long have you been together? We’ve been together 3 years & 2 months.

How did Keith propose? Oh wow it was amazing and I was totally surprised. It’s a long story, but let me try to give you a short version: We had been planning a trip to Boston to visit some of his friends–and stay with them. Also in the meantime we had picked out a ring, but I wasn’t aware Keith had it. Keith basically schemed with his friends in Boston and set up this whole elaborate plan for one of the nights we were there. Us and his friends had dinner plans one evening, but Keith’s friends all a sudden had an “unexpected friend” come in town and they had to go pick him up from the Boston Harbor Hotel & take him out to dinner. They asked that Keith and I meet up with them after dinner, for drinks. In my mind, I was so confused as to why Keith and I were not included for the dinner part, but went with it anyways because Keith and I were going to eat at this cute Italian restaurant that Keith’s friends had highly recommended. After dinner, we headed over to the Boston Harbor Hotel to meet up with his friends and the “unexpected friend”, for drinks in the “unexpected friend’s” hotel room. When we arrived, Keith and I walked directly up to the hotel room where Keith pulled out a hotel key! I was so confused how he had a key and right then Keith explained to me that he was surprising me with a room for the evening and that his friends brought all of our belongings to the hotel while we were at dinner. All a sudden I realized, there was no “unexpected friend” that came into town. Keith’s friends made that up so they could get out of the dinner plans with us and take care of everything for the evening…..and wow did they!!! I walked into the hotel room to find rose petals all over the floor & bed, champagne, strawberries and a view of the Boston Harbor from our window! It was gorgeous!! As Keith and I were checking out the view, I looked to my right and he was down on one knee asking me to marry him! I was a ball of tears and smiles! Keith really did an awesome job and completely fooled me, which is very hard to do! It was an over the top evening!

What sold you on your wedding venue? The venue itself sold me! The moment my mom and I walked into the place, I said “where do I sign?” It’s gorgeous and nothing I had ever seen before! I had several other venue appointments and never went to the rest of them. Agave Road was the first place I went to and booked it that day! You totally feel like you are some place else there and that’s what I liked the most…..it wasn’t a “typical” wedding venue to me.

Your dress is gorgeous, where did you get it and how did you know it was “the one”? I got it at David’s Bridal, which was the last place I went to (out of 3 dress stores) and it was also the last dress I tried on. I knew it was the one because of the way it fit on me. I loved the style of the dress and the intricate beading on certain parts of it. When I put it on and saw how it really fit me like a glove, I knew it was the one!

How did you choose your wedding color palette? Well I knew I wanted deep purple (like an eggplant color) for sure….it’s my favorite color! Then I went to the bridal extravaganza in Houston and saw a place setting that was deep purple with accents of a bright green, almost a lime color. I thought it rocked!!! I loved it and that’s how I incorporated the green.

What was your “something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue”? Something Old: it was actually my grandmother’s silver cake cutter from her wedding. I was planning to use it at my wedding, but completely forgot to bring it to the venue! Something new: my dress & jewelry. Something borrowed: my best friend/matron of honor’s veil from her wedding. Something blue: it was going to be a blue garter, but I ended up finding a super cute purple one last minute and couldn’t pass up using it!

What song did you dance to for your first dance? Faithfully by Journey

Do you have any advice for brides that are in the planning process? It’s NEVER too early to start planning!!! Getting the venue (and date) booked first, is a must, and then figuring our your guest list is also one of the first things to do, because everything you plan for, & order, is based off that headcount!! Stay organized and ahead of the game and you won’t be as stressed towards the end. Also, soak up the wedding planning process….it happens once and it also flies by!

What was your favorite part of your big day? I have two! One was being walked down the aisle by my Dad and Step-Dad and seeing Keith for the first time at the end of the aisle. Life was so perfect in that moment. The other is getting ready in the bridal suite with all my girls before the wedding…..it was so much fun and we had a blast!

Vendors:

Venue: Agave Road, Katy TX

Dress: David’s Bridal

Cake: Edible Designs by Jessie

Floral: Flora Bella Designs

Linens: Agave Road provided

Catering: 3Olives Restaurant(provided thru Agave Road)

DJ/Band: ProSound Co.(provided thru Agave Road)

Videographer: n/a

Invitations/Wedding Stationery: getmarried.com & vistaprint.com

Event Planner: Myself!

Thank you so much, Amber, for sharing this amazing wedding with us! Please stop by her website and her blogand show her some love! And thank you, Talina, for taking your time to answer our questions! We wish you and Keith a lifetime full of love, laughter, and happiness!!! May every day be better than the last!

If you have an engagement, wedding, day after, or anniversary session that you would like featured- Please send it to us at submissions@groomsoldseparately.com. We HEART submissions!

GSS Wedding Day Tips :: Make Your Day Flawless and Beautiful

June 7, 2011 By Amy Karp Leave a Comment

We hear it a lot….”what can I do to make my day go smooth and be carefree the day of my wedding?” We have a few tips to keep you focused on the most important thing and all the rest will fall into place.

1) Plan ahead. Have a wedding day timeline in place. Having a timeline for your big day is extremely crucial to keeping your events on course. However, please note that issues WILL OCCUR at your wedding, no matter how much detail you have put into your timeline or how much planning you have done. Groom Sold Separately HIGHLY recommends hiring an event planner or wedding planner to help you take care of such issues should they arise (and they will) on your wedding day so that you can relax and enjoy your wedding day. Its also a great idea to scout your location for the times you are wanting during that time of year for your wedding. The sun changes throughout the year and what you may think would be a great location for wedding portraits might change based on the location of the sun that time of day.

2) Have an wedding day emergency kit. Fill it with goodies that you may forget on your wedding day. Here is what they list is inside :: toothpaste, toothbrush, deodorant, tissues, hairspray, static remover, Band-Aids, mints, clear nail polish, bobby pins, double-sided hem tape, stain remover, pain relievers, sewing kit, super glue, brush, dental floss and lotion. Make your own list of items you normally use when getting all gussied up and then check off to make sure those things are in the your own survival kit. Give this task to one of your bridesmaids.

3) Make it pictures perfect…a few things to keep in mind with professional wedding pictures are they need light (good light), have lots of details, keep your dressing area clutter free, bring an extra hanger for your wedding dress, visit your wedding locations with your wedding photographer to make sure the light is great for your wedding day portraits and have a makeup trial to be sure your hair and makeup is exactly like you want it for your wedding.

image courtesy of Gabriel Ryan Photographers

4) Have snacks and water on hand – being hungry and dehydrated is the worst idea for an 8 hour event!

These are just a few tips for you to make your wedding day a dream come true. Some brides trust in wedding planners to help them make the day flawless. Review other events these planners have done and make sure they are the right fit for you. Talk to other brides and grooms that have used their services and get feedback from them about their wedding. We hope you have a smooth wedding and remember, the wedding is about marrying your best friend.

Filed Under: tuesday trousseau, weddings Leave a Comment Tagged With: personalized wedding hangers, wedding advice, wedding timeline, wedding tips

GSS Featured Engagement Session :: Meredith & Travis’ Home Run! :: Cory Ryan Photography

June 3, 2011 By Amy Karp Leave a Comment

Disch-Falk-field-austin-wedding-photographer

Hooray for Fridays! That means we get to bring you a great baseball themed engagement session feature to feast on for the weekend. Cory Ryan Photography sent us this home run of a feature and we snatched it right up like a grounder. Meredith & Travis met on an elevator at the University of Texas, and are now engaged to be married in San Antonio, TX on November 12th, 2011. Travis is an assistant baseball coach at UT, and UT athletics play a big part of their lives together, so Disch-Falk field seemed to be the perfect backdrop for their engagement session! We were able to ask Meredith a few questions about her wedding planning and their relationship…

How did you and fiance/husband meet?

We met in an elevator on the way to study hall in college at the University of Texas at Austin.

Disch-Falk-field-austin-wedding-photographer (2)

How long have you been together?

It will be 5 years this October.

How did he propose?

He proposed at the country club where I grew up overlooking the 18th green on the golf course. I’m a golfer & played in college, which is part of the reason how we met. He played baseball, hence all the baseball photos! =)

Disch-Falk-field-austin-wedding-photographer (4)

Name three words that describe your relationship with each other and were you able to incorporate that into your session?

playful, adventurous, cuddly (cheesy but true) Disch-Falk-field-austin-wedding-photographer (5)

Where are you getting married?

University United Methodist Church in San Antonio, TX

What sold you on your wedding venue?

beautiful, large church Disch-Falk-field-austin-wedding-photographer (6)

How did you choose your wedding color palette?

Iridescent Orange is our main color for 2 reasons: It’s a fall wedding and we’re diehard Texas Longhorns. Plum and gold are the accent colors. We chose those because they go beautifully together!

Do you have any advice for brides that are in the planning process?

Enjoy every second because it will go by so fast. Try to be very inclusive in the planning process with family members and future in-laws. They will truly appreciate the thoughtfulness. Disch-Falk-field-austin-wedding-photographer (13)

Thank you to Cory for sending us this fun Austin, Texas engagement session. Be sure to stop by her blog to see more fantastic photography.

And Meredith & Travis, we wish you a lifetime of love, laugher, and happiness! May every day be better than the last!

If you have an engagement, wedding, day after, or anniversary session that you would like featured- Please send it to us at submissions@groomsoldseparately.com. We HEART submissions!

Filed Under: real weddings, weddings Leave a Comment Tagged With: austin round rock metropolitan area, austin wedding photographers, cory ryan photography, disch falk field, university of texas

GSS Announces BABC Tour of Wedding Gowns in DALLAS!

June 2, 2011 By Amy Karp Leave a Comment

Dallas Wedding Gown Sale and Trunk Show

GSS is proud to announce the upcoming BABC Show is coming back to Dallas! Last year Dallas brides really made a difference and found your gowns. Come out and find your perfect wedding dress and help Making Memories grant some wishes. Any brides still searching for a dress? Last year the turnout was great and want to do better this year. Stanley Korshak had gowns there. This year we just received word a very special dress sponsor is on board….Stardust Celebrations! Spread the word folks. It’s a great cause. Be sure to check them out on Facebook for current announcements and other news.

:: You can use these links to purchase tickets for the VIP night and sign up to volunteer ::

Purchase VIP Night tickets: http://babcdallas11.eventbrite.com/

Volunteer sign up: http://dallasbabcvolunteers.eventbrite.com/

A little about the show …

“FIND THE GOWN OF YOUR DREAMS AND MAKE A WISH COME TRUE”

“Brides Against Breast Cancer^TM” gown sales continue to be important fund-raising events for Making Memories. Our more than 32 yearly shows provide brides-to-be with an opportunity to find their dream gown (at an incredible savings) while making wishes and dreams come true for women and men who are losing their fight against breast cancer.

The worldwide support of designers, manufacturers, bridal shops and individuals (who donate a most treasured possession) make possible our Nationwide Tour of Gowns sales. The proceeds from these events help bring a moment of joy into world of someone for whom a cure is too late.

“Brides Against Breast Cancer^TM – Nationwide Tour of Gowns”

This unique opportunity allows brides-to-be a chance to find the gown of their dreams at a remarkable price, while helping to make wishes and memory-making events come true. Most gown prices range from $99 to $799*, including hundreds of beautiful new name brand and designer gowns valued up to $8,000. *Exclusive designer and couture gowns valued up to $20,000 are also available at an incredible 25% to 75% savings. We gladly accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express and debit cards.

REMEMBER – more than half the gowns presented during each event are NEW designer gowns that arrived directly from designers, manufacturers and bridal retailers.

Our Brides Against Breast Cancer^TM program has received more than 50,000 wedding gown donations, with an estimated resale value of over 4 million dollars. This generous endowment is due in part to Making Memories national media coverage, including magazine articles in Redbook, Family Circle, Woman’s Day, Martha Stewart’s Winter Wedding, Time, Philanthropy World and Modern Bride, along with appearances on, Oprah Winfrey, CNN, MSNBC, Ananda Lewis and hundreds of television and newspaper interviews.

Here are some images from the show last year…

dallas wedding gowns and brides against breast cancer nationwide tour (2)

Filed Under: announcements, weddings Leave a Comment Tagged With: brides against breast cancer, dallas wedding gown, designer gowns, dream gown, modern bride, wedding gown

GSS Wedding Find :: Jewelry Made Beautifully From Esther Kao

June 1, 2011 By Robin Flach Leave a Comment

We are always on the hunt for all things wedding and especially spectacular treasures from amazing artisans. Esther from Estie Made went to the studio of DiFiori in search of a few items to display her beautiful jewelry on for the Third Annual Handmade Bash, on April 30^th this year at www.thesouthsideonlamar.com. What she did not expect is having to rummage through all of amazing stuff to find the exact look she was looking for…it was a like a kid in a candy shop! Esther makes beautiful hand-made jewelry and wedding accessories fit for anyone! Be sure to check out her Esty Store for more information.

Who is Esther…

I’m originally from Massachusetts, and moved to Dallas about a year and a half ago. I’m an art director (I work in advertising) who is not the best at drawing. But I’ve found another outlet: making jewelry. It’s a hobby that I got into after making necklaces for my bridesmaids to wear. And I really enjoy it. I was recently part of my first crafts fair, and plan on opening up an etsy shop soon, to sell my stuff.

Other (random) things about me: I love hole in the wall restaurants. I don’t like to wear white. The only pet I’ve ever had was a pet chicken. I hate to touch raw meat, so I rarely cook it. I’m running my first marathon in October and I’m scared.

Thanks again, Esther! Her amazing hand-made accessories are perfect timing for any bride. Thanks so much to Nita Teng for introducing Esther to us….I foresee a very long friendship!

Visit her blog for current updates and to see more of her brilliant products. If you have an amazing wedding product you would like to have us share with our readers, please send us a note to submssions@groomsoldseparately.com

Filed Under: vendor spotlight, weddings Leave a Comment Tagged With: handmade wedding jewelry, online wedding planning, wedding accesories

GSS Featured Engagement Session :: Kara & Anthony :: Doug Treiber Photography

May 27, 2011 By Amy Karp Leave a Comment

columbus ohio wedding planning (1)

Doug Treiber Photography sent us this beauty of an engagement session and we are thrilled to bring it to you. Kara and Anthony’s session was full of variety and love!

A few words from Doug about the session…

Wow so we actually had perfect weather for this engagement session! Kara and Anthony came down to Columbus to do this shoot and visit some friends. We shot a little bit downtown and a little bit at O’Shaughnessy Reservoir where we used to coach rowing. The reservoir site is someplace that I have always wanted to shoot and when Kara said they wanted to do something with fields etc. I knew it would be the place. Their wedding is going to be at Botzum Farm in Cleveland in October and we cannot wait to shoot there again because it is an AWESOME venue!
Kara asked me about what some of my favorite shoots were while we were all having coffee in between locations and I told her that I was pretty sure this would be my favorite engagement session based on what we had shot so far. I can now say and everyone can see….that I was not lying!
This set is incredible!

columbus ohio wedding planning (2)

As if this session couldn’t get any cuter. Doug sent us some sweet words from Kara’s father…

Wow! Where to begin my Boo. So many memories:the day you were born; the day we brought you home; your indignation as a toddler whenever someone accidentally called you ‘Kara’ (No!My Name is Boogirl!); sitting on the beach playing with sand; your mismatched outfits as you dressed yourself for school; huddled in my arms on the shores of Lake Superior braving the cold and wind; riding behind me on first a bicycle and then a motorcycle; and then middle school and volleyball and Beth and High School and volleyball and Beth; Arizona; OSU; (still Beth)…and then Anthony. And in the blink of an eye there you are, on someone’s website looking grown up and happy and beautiful and all the while…that smile. It is the way the journey is supposed to happen of course – your supposed to get older and your father is supposed to wistfully remember you as forever young – his little girl – and feel both happy your journey is full and rich and a tad melancholy at the passage of time. Boo and Anthony – the photos are fabulous; they capture the spirit you have created together. You have been, are and will be great for each other. With love, Dad

columbus ohio wedding planning (10)

Thank you to Doug for sending us great photography to share with our readers and Kara and Anthony, we wish you a lifetime full of love and laughter and may each day be better than the last.

If you have a special session, wedding or a great wedding product you would like to share with our readers, please email us at submissions@groomsoldseparately.com. We HEART submissions!

Filed Under: real weddings, weddings Leave a Comment Tagged With: columbus ohio, online wedding planning, wedding inspirations, wedding planning

GSS Tips from a Wedding Planner :: Choosing Your Ceremony Music

May 26, 2011 By Meredith Commender Leave a Comment

When holding your wedding ceremony in a traditional church, you usually have a built in option for piano or organ music for your ceremony. However, if you are looking for a different sound or are holding your ceremony in a non-church and/or outdoor location, consider these options for ceremony music:

Harp: A harpist can create a beautiful and ethereal sound for your wedding ceremony. It is especially appropriate for outdoor ceremonies, but be sure your harpist provides amplification, as the sound is often delicate and can be difficult to hear in some outdoor venues. A harpist will typically run about $300.00 for one hour of playing.

left image courtesy of Hampton Morrow right image courtesy of Jules and Albie

Acoustic Guitar: Great for both indoor and outdoor ceremonies, acoustic guitar is both beautiful and modern. Guitarists typically don’t shy away from new or modern material either, so you can just as easily walk down the aisle to Pachabel as Radiohead! Often your guitarist has a talent for singing as well and can add vocal accompaniment to your ceremony if you so choose. Booking a live band for your reception? See if your band leader can “lend” you the guitarist for the ceremony at little to no additional charge. Again, amplification is needed here for optimal sound. A solo acoustic guitarist typically starts at $300.00 as well.

image courtesy of Allison Davis

String Ensemble: A string trio or quartet sounds beautiful just about anywhere and adds a level of elegance to your ceremony. Traditional wedding music sounds lovely played with strings, but many ensembles are now playing more modern music as well thanks to the popularity of Vitamin String Quartet! Coldplay, The Beatles, and U2 are some favorites for wedding ceremonies, and many string ensembles even offer electric options now as well. String trios typically start at around $450.00 and quartets at around $550.00.

On a tight budget? Have your wedding DJ play your ceremony music as well. Then you can have any style of music you like often at little to no additional charge to you.

Filed Under: weddings Leave a Comment Tagged With: wedding ceremony music, wedding guitarist, wedding harpist, wedding string quartet

GSS Featured Wedding :: Meg & Matt’s Fun Tennessee Wedding :: Jonathon Campbell Photography

May 25, 2011 By Amy Karp 1 Comment

nashville tennessee wedding photographer jonathan campbell (1)

Today’s featured wedding was sent to us from Jonathon Campbell Photography from Nashville, Tennessee. He sent it to us via Two Bright Lights. We are proud editorial sponsors with them and love the weddings that come to us from all over the GLOBE! Jonathon says, “Meg and Matt had a great downtown Nashville wedding! They used their M and M monogram to their advantage and carried through the event in their personalized GOBO and M and M favors! Such a fun wedding and lots of great Nashville downtown pics too!” We agree…this wedding looks like a crazy fun time! We love the urban formal portraits they were able to incorporate into the wedding day and it certainly looks like they had fun with them. We love it when we see weddings where the entire bridal party is having a great time at the wedding.

nashville tennessee wedding photographer jonathan campbell (2)

This wedding was made possible by two people in love and several awesome wedding vendors. Thank you Jonathon for sending us such a fun filled wedding. And Meg and Matt, we wish you a lifetime full of love and laughter and may each day be better than the last!

Photographer: Jonathon Campbell Photography

Hair Stylist: Elan Hair

Caterer: Chef’s Market

Reception Venue: aVenue

Cake Designer: Paige’s Pantry

Band: The NashVegas All Stars

Ceremony Location: Randi Events

If you have an engagement, wedding, day after, or anniversary session that you would like featured- Please send it to us at submissions@groomsoldseparately.com. We HEART submissions!

Filed Under: real weddings, vendor spotlight, weddings 1 Comment Tagged With: jonathan campbell photography, nashville, nashville tennessee wedding, nashville wedding, nashville wedding photographer, tennessee

GSS Tuesday Trousseau :: Eco Friendly & Conflict Free Engagement Rings

May 24, 2011 By Amy Karp Leave a Comment

image courtesy of Amy Karp

When it comes to choosing your symbol of eternity, the choices are endless. We recently heard about Brilliant Earth. They produce beautiful jewelry and guarantee a conflict free gem. Conflict free diamonds are guaranteed to originate from ethical and environmentally responsible sources. Conflict free diamonds are free from violence and other human rights abuses, and are produced with minimal environmental impact. They also use recycled metals for their jewelry. As part of their comprehensive commitment to environmental responsibility, Brilliant Earth uses recycled precious metals in all of their fine jewelry, guaranteeing their customers an eco-friendly jewelry product of the highest quality. They also have a high standard for packaging with purpose. All Brilliant Earth rings arrive in hand-crafted, natural Rimu wood ring boxes. Rimu wood is sourced from a sustainably harvested New Zealand forest that preserves biodiversity, soil, water, and air quality. These keepsake ring boxes showcase the Rimu’s beautiful wood grain, as well as your ring!

They also give back to the community…

Brilliant Earth is proud to dedicate 5% of our profits to communities impacted by the jewelry trade. Historically, the jewelry trade has incurred great social and environmental cost. We feel strongly that luxury goods should not promote such injustice, and that the communities that produce the products should benefit from them. Through our partnerships with established, on-the-ground efforts, we try to rectify past injustices of the jewelry trade and help communities develop the skills needed to manage their natural resources effectively.

Our overall objective is to invest in long-term community development in regions that can support a self-sustaining jewelry-based economy. To achieve this, we combine our understanding of best practices in the jewelry trade with research-based funding efforts. Through our ongoing initiatives, we’re helping shape a rewarding and self-sufficient future for families who depend on the jewelry trade.

When it comes to choosing your forever symbol of eternity…your bling, your diamond ring, your engagement ring, consider a conflict free, recycled ring. You can even create your own unique design that is beautiful and ethical inside and out. Visit Brilliant Earth for more information.