Saturday, April 10th was another flawless wedding day at Fountainview Mansion as Joy Smith and Tod Guth celebrated their marriage together.  The wedding ceremony was held at Auburn United Methodist Church with the reception immediately following at Fountainview.  The day held so many special memories and touches.  The bride was breathtaking in her gorgeous alencon lace gown.  Since the newlyweds are avid skiers, guests were asked to sign greetings on antique skis which will be beautifully displayed on the wall of their cabin in Vail, Colorado.  The dynamic couple staged their departure very creatively dispensing with the tradition of a limousine or horse-drawn carriage as they opted for a departure on a bicycle built for two.  It was spectacular and such a great reflection of the couples fun relationship.

The reception music was also fabulous with one of the more unique bands we’ve ever had here at Fountainview.  They played everything from country to bluegrass and everything in between.  Even the children loved it as evidenced by the fun video clip which will soon follow.

We also had the joy of playing host to the groom’s family and best man for the weekend which was an absolute delight.  What incredible people!  We didn’t want them to leave.   It was another picture perfect weekend. 

Best wishes Joy and Tod!

I wish Saturday, March 6th could be cloned for every bride in the universe.  It was the perfect day for bride Ashley Beard.  What an honor it was to share in this wedding for it was the second daughter from the same family we’ve had the pleasure of hosting.  Her sister Amanda was married here at Fountainview last April.  We always consider every wedding a tremendous honor and privilege.  But when you are selected for the second daughter’s wedding,  it is the ultimate compliment one can receive.  What a gift! 

The day was so perfect.  The weather was shear perfection with a crystal blue sky, no wind and temperatures in the low 60’s.  It just doesn’t get much better than that in Auburn, Alabama for the first week in March.

The bridesmaids wore elegant gowns in a creamy latte color and looked fabulous on the 4 beautiful maids.  Ashley’s favorite color is pink and we capitalized on that motif with florals in  a plethora of pink hues from soft and muted to the bold and dramatic further highlighted with pops of chartreuse green.  Florals featured a lush assortment of cymbidium orchids, roses including Jade, Vendella, Shocking Versilia, and hyacinth, tulips, green mini hydrangeas, heather, and stargazer lilies. 

The bride’s bouquet complemented the elegant simplicity of her dress and featured gardenias, stephonotis, eskimo and vendela roses, and pink hyacinths.  It was one of the most fragrant bouquets I can ever remember.  I’ll never forget her precious reaction when she received her bouquet.  The tears were welling up in her eyes followed by a huge hug.    It’s what we wedding professionals dream of.  We want every bride to experience perfection – the kind that takes your breath away.  Some clients are just more demonstrative than others and that was definitely the case with Ashley.  What a precious young lady. 

It also makes such a huge difference when the wedding coordinator and family have a chance to “bond” like we did over the past year and a half of planning for two weddings together.  It truly was like a homecoming – a reunion.  It was just amaz.ing.  What a wonderful family.  Thanks for the honor and privilege of becoming extended family!

The cake was truly spectacular trimmed in dusty pink ribbon and accented with the bride’s favorite flowers including a plethora of pink peonies, rose, antique green hydrangeas, and green cymbidium orchids.  It was lush and romantic – just what the bride had dreamed of. 

Every detail came off perfectly including fabulous food by Christine’s Gourmet (www.christinesgourmet.com) and photography by Flip Flop Foto (www.flipflopfoto)  You can see a lot of their photos by going to the Flip Flop web site and clicking on the wedding gallery for Ashley and Mark.  There are some fabulous shots!

You will be seeing many more posts in the coming weeks with the height of wedding season beginning on April 10th.  Each week we will have the blessing of making another bride’s dreams come true.  We’ll also be incorporating more photos and also videos on our site for you to enjoy.

Happy Spring!

Gary K