Behind the scenes video with Engaging Celebrations & Alabama Weddings Magazine

 

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One of the fun things we do occasionally at Lillie's is collaborate with other vendors to "create" events for video or print. I guess you could say, I get to plan my own fantasy wedding celebrations. For this Behind the scenes video by Main Street Productions we teamed up with the queen of details, wedding planner Beverly Andrews of Engaging Celebrations, who kept things chugging along like a well-oiled machine.

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 (Bev contemplates calmly while I wave sharp objects...)

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The exquisite bride was a natural at the part, of course, since she had walked the aisle only months earlier with her "real life" groom. The watery blues of summer hydrangeas served as a color theme for the floral display. I love this bouquet which was constructed in stripes of blue-gray brunia and antique hydrangea alternated with stripes of white roses, spray roses and evening stock.  

But the REAL color inspiration for the shoot came from this fantastic vintage VW beetle belonging to photographer friend Jerrod Brown, who also captured the beautiful still images which appear in the 2011 issue of Alabama Weddings Magazine.

Shannon Pardo of Sweet Spot Confections created a heavenly pale blue wedding cake and these luscious treats while Andy Tolar from Design Productions lit each of the many venues scattered all over town.

Here we are at Hart and Soul Cafe in the quaint shopping district of Edgewood. I love this place. It's the kind of local coffee and gnosh joint that just makes you want to hang out all day. In fact, we at Lillie's are big fans of supporting local business. Nothing against big, box stores and chain restaurants, but for my money, give me a 'mom & pop' shop any day. It fits our Lillie's philosophy of personal service and craftsmanship.

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Our other terrific vendors included: 
The White Room

Misty Smith

Bama Balloons

Double Oak Community Church

The Historic Pumping Station

Behind The Scenes: A Tuscan Wedding Dinner for Southern Bride Magazine

 I was kicking back after a busy holiday season with my latest guilty pleasure -- Pinterest 

(Lillie's has its very own board here) -- just searching around, and what should pop up but this photo shoot of a Tuscan themed wedding dinner...a photo shoot that I had done with Southern Bride Magazine! So, I thought I should share more of it here. 

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Oh how I wish we'd been in Tuscany, but alas, we were not. Instead I set up the shoot at an old Spanish Colonial home tucked away in an unlikely part of Birmingham. Gabrella Manor, as it is now called, had the right bone structure to give us our night in Tuscany. 

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Each element on the table shares a common theme of elegant rusticity synonymous with the Tuscan countryside. Textured linens, raffia, hand-thrown pottery, dark wood and hand-painted tiles form a backdrop for an abundance of fruits, herbs and late summer blossoms. 

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These wonderful baskets tied to black chivari chairs are filled with rosemary, tomato red rosehips, antique hydrangea, garden roses, fushcia beautyberry (or pokeberry as we call it down south) and tiny sunflower-looking mums called vyking.

 

 Here (above) is wedding planner Anita Kanellis of AK Brides who worked with me to pull the look together with wonderfully rustic place settings from Peter’s Pottery,  linens and chairs from Aztec, and beautiful invitations by The Invitation Place. 

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Diane Olexa of Olexa's Cakes baked this stunning gold wedding cake - almost too pretty to eat....almost. Bridesmaids dresses by Dalia McPhee, and of course, to set the mood, Andy Tolar of Design Productions hung strings of cafe lighting.

Natural light was provided by the Alabama sun, which refused to dim for most of the very balmy evening. I suppose this should have helped me get into character, but in my dreams Tuscany has less humidity.

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The folks at Southen Bride Magazine brought in The Foto Altelier  to shoot stills and these shots are straight from the video made by the always fun, John and Angela Deaver of Main Street Productions who documented the event on video here on Vimeo.  Enjoy - Ciao!