Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Guest Bride Blogger: Jewel

Photo courtesy of Meishach Moore Photographers


"Jennifer is my wedding HERO! She has made being a bride very easy! From her encouragement, to help in decision making, her working within our budget and enthusiasm to help me get the best deal possible! Jennifer has been a one stop shop for me! We have been able to purchase our service staff, cake and serving utensils, wedding planning services, and hair/make-up through I Do Weddings! Jennifer has been there when I needed her and for that I will be forever grateful. I am looking forward to enjoying my day stress free -- because she has got it all under control!" -Jewel

Our Spring Specials!

Decor Special:
Centerpieces 10% off!

Cake Special:
Free delivery with cake purchase!

Guest Bride Blogger: Amanda


"I had such a wonderful experience working with Jennifer with I Do Weddings. I LOVE my aisle runner and unity candle. The craftsmanship is amazing and looks so great! I can't wait to use these items on our wedding day and for everyone else to get to see them! Great communication between Jennifer and myself. She was so fast to answer any questions I had! I will definitely recommend I Do Weddings to anyone who has wedding needs! Thank you!!" -Amanda



Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Pre-Marital Counseling / Marriage Preparation Class

Hey there all of you Brides-to-Be!
I met an incredible person a few weekends ago at the Bridal Show that we did at Opry Mills Mall.

Her name is Janice Sasser and she is a Pre-Marital Counselor and I wanted to pass her info along to you all incase you would like to attend a class - or know someone who would.
If you have not gotten your marriage license yet, this will give you a $60 discount upon completion of this course.

Marriage Preparation Class
* Spiritual Principles
* Marriage Workbook
* Online Couple Inventory
* Couple Personality Profile
* Five Love Languages
* Communication Skills
* Conflict Resolution
* Financial Planning
* Physical Intimacy
* $60 Discount on TN License

2009 Middle Tennessee Marriage Preparation Class Schedule
Mar 14, 2009 9:00 - 3:00 Integrity House, Murfreesboro Registration $125 After 3/07/09 $145
May 16, 2009 9:00 - 3:00 Integrity House, Murfreesboro Registration $125 After 4/28/09 $145
Jul 18, 2009 9:00 - 3:00 Integrity House, Murfreesboro Registration $125 After 6/28/09 $145
Sep 19, 2009 9:00 - 3:00 Integrity House, Murfreesboro Registration $125 After 8/28/09 $145
Nov 14, 2009 9:00 - 3:00 Integrity House, Murfreesboro Registration $125 After10/28/09 $145

Class Registration Contact:
Janice Sasser, Licensed Professional Counselor
Email- jpgfs@comcast.net
Phone- 615-830-7924

If you need any more info from me, call me at 615-971-9460. Thanks!

Shelbyville Bridal Show

We had a wonderful time at the Shelbyville Bridal Show this past weekend. The horrible weather did not stop any of you brides-to-be! We spoke with many new brides and hope for a wonderful turnout, just as we have had for the past shows this year.
Our booth scheme stayed the same for this show. Next season, we will change it up. The new addition to this one was our springy Butterfly cake. Like it? Let us know!
What kind of cake would YOU like to see at our next show? Email me photos/comments to jennifer@idoweddingstn.com!


Bridal Showers, Part II

This one was much more formal than the last, but still lots of fun! We had yummy chocolate chip cupcakes with chocolate icing B's on them and choclate fondue with: fruit, pretzels, and marshmallows. We also had some champagne and punch. Thank you all for coming and thanks so much for all of the wonderful gifts! Cards are in the mail today!
Below from left to right: Me, my mother, Kendra, and my future mother-in-law, Teresa!
Read more below for Bridal Shower Game Ideas!

Monday, March 9, 2009

Bridal Showers

Lingerie Showers are the best of them all. Although many brides do not get to experience such a shower, some very lucky ones do! I got my first shower this past weekend at Stones River Country Club and it was a lingerie one! It was the most fun that I have ever had at a shower. Most showers… all women, kitchen aid products, and mimosas. Not this one! I got over 30 pieces of lingerie! My fiance, one of the groomsmen, and my stepdad all broke the No Guys policy! But that was OK by us. We even let them be brides for a moment during the Toliet Paper Wedding Dress Challenge! My fiance won!!
Need some more bridal shower game suggestions? Try these:

1) Purse Scavenger Hunt: Remember that old game show, Let’s Make a Deal? At the end of every show, Monty Hall would give audience members money for a specific unusual item. This is the same idea. Divide guests into teams of two or three, giving them a list of slightly unusual items, including a few “why in the world would you carry that in a purse?” items. Assign points to each item based on the likelihood that someone will have it. (a lipstick carries 10 points, a can opener 90 points). The team with the most points is the winner. Another variation is to call out items as the bride is opening presents, giving a small individual prize for each item.

2) Two Truths and a Lie: Each guest introduces herself, and tells the group three things about herself; two are true, one is a lie. Guests then write down, or shout out which one they think is a lie.

3)Groom in his skivvies: Tell each guests that the object of the game is to draw a picture of the groom in his underwear, but the catch is that the drawing pad must remain on top of the artist’s head the whole time she is drawing! The bride picks her favorite drawing to win a prize.

4) How Well Do You Know the Bride? Start off this game by asking the bride to leave the room, standing just out of sight, but within hearing distance. Ask guests what she was wearing, (color of her shirt, hair up or down, etc.) then move on to harder questions such as how did the bride and groom meet, what is the bride’s favorite color, etc. The first person to shout out the most correct answers is the winner.

5) How well does the bride know the groom?
Before the shower, ask the groom questions about himself and carefully write down his answers. At the shower, ask the bride to predict what he said. If the answers match, she gets a prize. If the answers don’t match, the first guest to call out the correct answer gets the prize. Sample questions include, What is his favorite color? Favorite band? Favorite thing to do on the weekend? Dream vacation? Where was their first date?

Thursday, March 5, 2009

The Dress

There are so many things that you can do yourself to save money on wedding expenses, but some brides just do not have the right resources. Let me see if I can help a little...
This week, we will discuss saving money on The Dress.
Here in Middle TN, there are several consignment shops that sell consigned wedding dresses or deeply-discontinued gowns! Also, if you are not keeping your dress, you can sell it to them after the wedding.

Other resources:
Craigslist and Ebay- just be sure you know what size you need if ordering off of ebay! Remember, wedding dresses run a little small, depending on the brand. So, you may want to order one size larger than what you normally wear.

Fashion Major College Students- post an ad, ask a friend... most students have to make a formal dress as an assignment at some point. Why not have them make yours and have a one-of-a-kind creation? You can also find a local seamstress, you just may end up paying a little more. :)


My Friends at Julius Bridal-

They will make you ANY dress that you want, just email them photos. They will copy any designer's dress, etc- for a fraction of the cost! They are amazing. Their website is http://juliusbridal.com/; you can also find them on ebay: http://stores.ebay.com/Julius-Atelier-Couture.




Good luck on finding that perfect dress! If you have any questions or need more suggestions, please email me- jennifer@idoweddingsTn.com

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

One more month til "I Do."

One more month til my big day! I made all of the bouquets last night. I used latex (real-touch) cybidium orchids with diamond accent sprigs. I think they turned out gorgeous! The dresses are Truffle (dark chocolate brown), so there is a nice contrast.

We also had our
engagement session last week on Thursday. The weather was nice but it was very windy! Our photographer, Stephanie, just emailed me her favorite images, so I thought I would share…