Last week, B and I FINALLY closed on our house! This has been a six month process of many tears, headaches, and frustrations, but I learned so much about patience and grace under pressure. Yes, I had my moments, and yes, I took my frustrations out on those who were working so hard to make this dream come true for us, but in the end, we were the victors and karma has already set in for those who didn’t uphold their end of the bargain. For more on that, message me! I’d love to tell our tale.

Today has welcomed more frustration in my life. I’m thankful for my incredible mother (follow her blog here) who is always ready to help me and calm me down and provide me the words that I need. She sent me this quote this morning, and it was exactly what I was needing. I forgive people easily. Unfortunately, I forgive those who have hurt me the most much easier than those who I love deeply. I have big ideas on who I want to be as a person, and how I want to run my business. I want my name to carry the weight that it should, and I want to hold myself to a standard of grace, and with that it means giving forgiveness and accepting forgiveness.

My words of wisdom and inspiration for today comes from Mr. Rogers. That’s right. Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood continues to shed light on my life, and I appreciate having a mom that will continue to put these little nuggets of advice in front of me when I need it the most.

May you learn to forgive. May you walk a path of grace and hold your head up high. May you never forget where you came from, and be thankful for where you are now. May you appreciate and love and support those who appreciate, love, and support you!

Have a wonderfully inspiring day!

xoxo

Today is a big day for Emily Grace Design. We have officially made it to print! Pick up the Spring/Summer 2013 issue of Weddings Illustrated that will be on stands March 15th.

We got to take a peek at it today, and can’t wait for everyone to see the image from our “Dream” shoot in the upcoming issue. Make sure you pick up a copy on March 15th, and send us some love!

See that tablescape in the woods on the left… yep, that’s us!

View the full shoot that was originally featured on Style Me Pretty. Unfortunately magazines can’t print videos, because Shutter Life seriously created magic with this one.

Dream Inspired Bridal Shoot. from Shutter Life Productions on Vimeo.

Thank you to all of the amazing vendors that were involved in this shoot, I know we’re all thrilled and honored to be in Weddings Illustrated!

Our amazing vendor team.

Photography: Kt Crabb Photography | Photo Shoot Location: Lake Runnymede Conservation Area in St. Cloud, Florida | Design: Emily Grace Design | Floral Design: Taylormade Wedding & Event Flowers | Cinematography: Shutter Life Productions | Music in Film: “Look Out for You” by Amy Stroup (Licensed through The Music Bed) | Makeup: Simply Makeup by Cristina

What better way to start the day than to share the “Love is in the Air” Valentine’s Day photo sessions that we created at the beginning of February with Shutter Life Productions. Wait. Wait. There’s more. After you check out what we have here, head on over to Every Last Detail to see another couple that participated in the shoot, and tons more details! So let’s get on with it, shall we?

Lori, of Shutter Life Productions, and I had a blast coming up with the concept for our first all day styled photo session. We wanted to create something that could translate well between each family and couple that participated. We came up with a vintage airmail and travel theme with lot’s of fun props for people to interact with. Both Nathan and Lori did an incredible job making this shoot come to life in these photos! One of my favorite details were in the paper airplanes that we used throughout the shoot. I created a print on the paper that said “p.s. i love you” and we strung the planes on yarn in the trees to create a playful backdrop as well as scattered the extra planes about. Several couples had fun throwing them at each other and at Nathan while he photographed them. We had a great turn out, and I can’t wait until we announce our next session!

We had the opportunity to interact and become friends with so many great and energetic couples during this day of shoots and shenanigans! I’m thrilled to share with you some images from one of our couples, Emily and Tarek. I can’t tell you how much I absolutely love their photos, and the ease in which they interact with each other. I feel like I can’t say enough about this couple and these images, but it’s better if you just take a look for yourself.

Aren’t they just amazing! It was incredible to see the love that exuded from not only this couple, but every couple we got to capture, and THAT is what Valentine’s Day is about! Now don’t forget to head over to Every Last Detail to check out Nureka and Kyle’s session from our #loveisintheairvdaysesh. Oh, and Lauren also included a fun behind the scenes video that Shutter Life Productions put together so that you could experience the love with us!

Would you be interested in participating in on of our upcoming styled photo sessions with Shutter Life or possibly a styled shoot created just for you? We’d love to hear what types of themes you’d want to participate in!

Happy Valentine’s Day and every day! Don’t forget to love on those you love not only today, but every day.

xoxo, Emily

P.S. I had to share these two behind the scenes photos from the day. Pretty typical of the breaks we get. Lori hard at work making sure every detail is photographed, and Nathan and I playing with glitter and making a mess. At least we all had fun! Also want to give a huge, I mean HUGE thanks to the man that makes things happen, the perpetual work horse, the one always behind the scenes, my Valentine, Brian. Without him, half the stuff I do would never get done.

Thank you to the Vendors Involved:

Coordination and Styling Emily Grace Design | Photography and Videography Shutter Life Productions | Rentals and Props Borrowed Grace Rentals by Emily Grace Design | Cookies Cookie Crumbs Bakery

Speaking of being excited, I’m so excited to share this adorable engagement shoot that we did at the end of last year. I don’t know about you, but I love fair–the colors, the food, the lights, the crazy music, more food, and pure joy–what’s not to love? When Brandy and Scott wanted to do their engagement session at the fair, we were beyond pumped!

Meet Brandy and Scott! We had an opportunity to spend the day with them this past November at the Volusia County Fair. We’d been working hard with them to plan their upcoming March wedding, and this was a great break from the tedious work of planning a wedding. Thank you Shutter Life Production for sharing these gorgeous images with us!

Don’t hurry away too fast. You MUST check out the engagement video that Shutter Life Productions put together from this fun-filled day!

Brandy and Scott’s Carnival Themed Love Story from Shutter Life Productions on Vimeo.

We’re looking forward to March when we can celebrate the wedding of Brandy and Scott! Thanks Brandy and Scott for allowing us to spend the day with you and capture the joy you find in one another.

xoxo, Emily

Join us for a styled photoshoot with you and the one you love!

We’re partnering up with Shutter Life Productions to bring you a styled shoot just in time for Valentine’s Day! The shoot will take place on February 2nd, here in Orlando. For $50 you will receive a 30 minute photo session to capture your love–bring your honey, your family, your kids, your pets.

There are a limited number of sessions available, so please contact me or Shutter Life today to book your spot.

*Theme Hint: It is airmail inspired!

Can’t wait for you to join us.

I can hardly believe that 2012 has officially come to a close, and reflecting on this past year, I just can’t fathom all of the exciting things we’ve accomplished. This has been a year of incredible growth for Emily Grace Design, but also a year of extreme challenges. I am so thankful for the family and friends who have been a constant presence during this year to both support and encourage us. THANK YOU!

Enjoy a quick look at our “Year in Review.”

As for this year, we had an opportunity to be a part of so many incredible events. We participated in bridal shows, donated our time and efforts to non-profit events, planned and designed many stunning weddings, designed inspiration shoots, built our custom decor rentals, made friends with so many creative and talented vendors, and were blessed to welcome so many new friends into the EGD family!

May you all have an incredible new year, and we are so excited to see what 2013 has in store for us.

Even though we did have a few friends that wanted to throw us an engagement party, we decided to do a hybrid planning to keep from placing the burden on anyone (not to mention, that I tend to be a little picky). I set us all on a tight budget to stick to, and with all hands on deck we made it happen!

We chose to do a backyard BBQ. We were able to throw things together in just about a two week time. With the help of a few friends, we got busy making invitations, cleaning the house, decorating, cooking, and everything in between.

As for the evenings events, while guests were serving up their dinner, they had an opportunity to vote for a wedding related comedy that we would watch once the sun went down. “Bridesmaids” was the winner, and as the sun went down, everyone settled in with their blankets on the lawn and their bags of popcorn from the popcorn bar and we were ready to roll.

I think the night was a pretty big success, and lucky for our Instagram captures, we have some pictures of the day (I can’t believe we forgot to take pictures!). We all had a good time, and I can’t wait for our next movie night in the yard—maybe that will have to become a fixture for our friend gatherings. More than anything, I think B and I found this as a great trial run for the wedding and the planning that is about to ensue. We have the advantage of my planning experience, but we are already finding that things are different when it’s YOUR wedding.

Some details:

Food- Home cooked with the help of friends

Food Menu: Pulled Pork, Ribs, Chips, Potato Salad, Cornbread, Popcorn Bar—white cheddar, butter, kettle corn, peanuts, and m&ms (for the movies)

Drink Menu: Homemade Peach Sangria (see recipe at the end), Bottled Beer served in buckets, Lemonade with fresh lemons

Décor- Handcrafted with the help of friends

Décor: Painted Bud Vases (flowers from Walmart), Kraft paper covered tables, Drink Bar (made my B and myself for a previous photoshoot), Market Lights around the Yard, Movie Screen (EGD photobooth backdrop repurposed for the night), Photo Wall behind the food table, Blanket Basket with “Grab a Sheet and Take a Seat” Sign

Peach Sangria Recipe (we tripled it and put it in a drink dispenser):

1 bottle Moscato (we used Barefoot brand $7/bottle)

1 cup Peach Brandy ($8 bottle, 3 servings)

1 bottle Peach Seltzer Water ($1.68/bottle)

Frozen Peaches and Strawberries ($2/bag)

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This past weekend, B and I had our engagement party at our house, and we had a blast with our friends hanging out in the backyard and enjoying some movies. I don’t have a ton of pictures from the evening since we were so caught up in the festivities, but I’m looking forward to sharing the fun we had and the inspiration board where we compiled our ideas. (We LOVE Pinterest for this!)

As for the engagement story, B did well. He completely surprised me, which is incredibly hard to do. I knew it was coming soon because I kept uncovering all of the secrets he was trying to keep from me, but in the end he definitely got me.

We had planned a trip to NYC to celebrate our anniversary, and we had several friends that decided to join us for the festivities. We left Thursday evening so that everyone on the trip could use fewer vacation days, and just make it an extended weekend of fun. The flight was completely ordinary until we were about 30 minutes from landing, and that’s when things got interesting (and everyone was in on it)!

Keeping the secret while I'm in the Restroom.

B decided to turn on the overhead light, which instantly annoyed me since everyone on the plane was trying to sleep. He said he had a present for me, and I asked him if he needed the light. He pulled out the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows book from his backpack and handed it to me. We already had several copies of this book at home from merging our libraries as well as on our e-readers that were with it, but I went along with things. I opened the book and he’d written a sweet note inside, and he then instructed me to turn the page. After flipping a few pages, I come across a cutout in the book exposing my favorite quote, and better yet, over the quote the most beautiful ring was hanging.

He proposed on the plane! As we landed the flight attendants announced our exciting news to the flight, and Jet Blue even tweeted us a congratulations. Definitely a proposal to remember, and an incredible way to start off a great vacation, engagement, and life together.

FRIENDSHIP on the High Line in NYC

Can’t wait to share the trials and tribulations and excitement through the planning process of our wedding!

xoxo,

Emily

I absolutely love fall! The weather, the smells, the colors—there is so much inspiration to be taken from all that fall has to offer. With Halloween just behind us, and Thanksgiving rapidly approaching, I figured I would share some awesome fall event details, and what better detail to use than pumpkins.

Aren’t pumpkins such a great way to incorporate fall flair, but not be too over the top? They are cost effective, they add great color, and you can use them in so many incredible ways. Check out my 5 favorite pumpkin details that I found on Pinterest this week.

1. Photo from The Knot by Story Photographers, Pinned by ers  2. Photo from Ruffled, Pinned by Bridgette Hall  3. Photo from Martha Stewart, Pinned by Shutter Life  4. Photo from Middle of the Map Weddings by Heather Parker Photography, Pinned by Emily Walters  5. Photo from MMD Events by John Michael Images, Pinned by Vicci Kendall

Doesn’t this make a fall wedding so much more fun! What do you think? How would you use pumpkins to spice up your event?

Two weddings that EGD had the pleasure of being a part of are floating around on other blogs this week. You MUST check them out, and I promise, I’ll get them up and featured as soon as possible!

As seen on Every Last Detail: Make sure you check out Part 1 AND 2!

The April wedding of Andy and Ashley– EGD had the opportunity to assist with the design on this beautiful wedding. The details will make you swoon! Thanks Lauren at ELD for featuring this awesome wedding.

Robert Madrid Photography

And you definitely have to check out the trailer from this fabulous wedding. The groom, Andy, is the owner of the awesome Indie Atlantic Films.

Ashley & Andy’s Wedding Trailer from Indie Atlantic Films on Vimeo.

As seen on Mike & Ann: Visual Storytellers Blog:

The August wedding of Mike and Whitney– EGD did planning and vendor coordination for this Ocala wedding. What a beautiful and classic evening held at Golden Ocala! Check out some of the photos now, and wait for more details to follow here on the EGD blog.

Mike & Ann: Visual Storytellers

Indie Atlantic Films also worked on the video for this wedding as well. Can’t wait to share that trailer with you soon!

So excited to share! Happy blog browsing.