Ashley and Robby, our amazing couple from Birmingham, were married on July 19 on Pensacola Beach.  We had a great time planning their purple and green soiree. The ceremony was gorgeous (perfect weather!).  Chuck Randel did a fabulous job officiating along with Ashley's cousin, Kate, who played the guitar for her processional. At the {Skopelos} reception, guests enjoyed an array of food stations including a Southern grits bar with all of the “fixins”.  Ashley surprised her bridesmaids and friends with a very meaningful cake pull. For those if you that don’t know what a cake pull is, click here.  Guests were surprised with Ashley 's dress change followed by the Second Line Dance departure lit with sparklers.  Photography by {Kim Sellers Photography}. Ashley and Robby are such a caring couple and I wish them a lifetime of happiness together! ~Leah

 

Here is a board we put together for one of our favorite blogs, {Elizabeth Anne Designs}.

Here’s a little more from Danielle on each photo {clockwise from the top left} and how it fits into the design scheme…

• These cucumber martinis and basil mojitos from Brides provide not only the perfect colors, but are also refreshing and light on the palette.
• Crisp white monogram napkins are a must for this event.  Find them at Pottery Barn.
• Martha Stewart always has the best inspiration for cakes.  The lace look of this confection is perfection.
• This do-it-yourself concept from Brides provides a touch of frills.
• Ice cream is a favorite treat of this couple so we’ll serve sundaes with the cake.
• This ceremony space {found in Grace Ormonde} captures a sophisticated look with white upholstered benches and a mirrored archway.
• The pickle favors featured in Brides were an unexpected treat for guests to take home.
• Guests look to the invitation to set the tone for the evening.  These are Kate Spade for Crane & Co. and they fit the bill perfectly.
• White tulips provide the perfect combination of clean sophistication and Southern charm.
• A white 1949 Jaguar would be the perfect escape at the end of the night.
• This beautiful Amsale gown is a great example of this collection of thoughts.
• Tara Guerard designed this wedding where the groom’s grandmother provided these sweet treats for the dessert bar.
  

 

A million thanks for all the blog love!  A few of the people who linked to us this week:  The Wedding Chicks, Alltop, Blue Orchid Blog, Modern Vintage Designs, Arden Photography, Weddings by Dani, Tie the Knot, Lucky Designs, Tying the Knot, Bells and Bubbles, Pink Cake Box, Pearl's Events,  Life Love Lipstick, Teardrop Weddings, Cupcakes and Cutlery, Nearly Knotted, Kate's Wedding

We LOVE {The Wedding Chicks} and were so happy to wake up to this super-nice post this morning....

 

Thanks so much for the love!  Brides, check out The Chicks! 

About a month ago, I emailed the lovely Abby at {Style Me Pretty} because there wasn't a section for the Florida Panhandle (where we have our main Bliss office) in the Little Black Book.  The Little Black Book is an invite-only list of the top wedding professionals.  Michelle and Abby were thrilled to be introduced to Bliss and quickly put a section together for us.  The Florida Panhandle section of the LBB is LIVE today and includes four of our favorite local vendors-- {Rae Leytham Photography}, {Meg Baisden Photography}, {A Thousand Words Photography} and the fabulous {Kebbie Hollingsworth} (who is about to launch an awesome new blog!!).  We are so honored to be a part of this exclusive book.  Brides, if you haven't discovered {Style Me Pretty}, you are in for a treat--and some major eye candy!   Thank you, Michelle and Abby!

Wow!  We are SO excited about being a part of this exclusive list of the top wedding blogs.  Owned by former Apple evangelist and marketing guru, {Guy Kawasaki},  {Alltop} lists the crème de la crème of blogs in every arena.  We are in great company... {Martha Stewart Weddings}, {What Junebug Loves}, {Style Me Pretty}, {Brides}, {WEDDEX},  {Elizabeth Anne Designs}, {Blue Orchid Designs}, {DC Nearlyweds}, {Wedding Paper Divas} and {Weddingbee} to name a very small few!  Check out these listings!  It's such an honor to be featured with such dedicated wedding bloggers and phenomenal professionals.  Their standards are very high and this is a tough list to get onto.  As Liene from {Blue Orchid Designs} posted, the gals at {Kirtsy} actually erected a statue of him in appreciation!  Congrats to all the other wedding Alltoppers.  A million thanks to Guy for including us and to our readers for once again making every day Pure Bliss!

Bliss has been selected as the first Little Black Book member in the Florida Panhandle.  We are so honored to join this invite-only book of the top vendors in the nation!  {Style Me Pretty} is the ultimate resource for the style-obsessed bride, highlighting the best in weddings, inspirations, and top wedding professionals every day. Creator, Abby Larson, dishes out some serious wedding eye candy and more fabulous DIY ideas than any other source we know.  Check back at the end of the month for our page in {Style Me Pretty}'s Little Black Book!   It's impossible to pick a favorite inspiration board on SMP, so here are just a couple of our thousands of  favs...     Enjoy~ Lara       [source: Style Me Pretty's Inspiration Board Contest]

 

This board is just delicious.  Pink champagne, petit fours and soft white florals--perfection!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The vibrant blood oranges and green apple lime tints make this board so juicy!  I love the color palette with hints of lemon yellow and the hot pink tips of the succulents.  Oh-so-modern and fun!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I adore this color palette.  It lends itself well to any season and feels fresh and modern with the Kraft paper and sky hues.  Gorgeous!

 

Happy Monday ~ Lara & The Bliss Girls 

Happy Mother's Day to the most beautiful, fun and fabulous Bliss moms and moms-to-be we know! 

Photo Credits: (clockwise from top left) {Almasy Photo}, {Salter Photography}, Nick Bodkins Photo, {Rae Leytham Photography}, {Cook Images}, {Rae Leytham Photography}, {Salter Photography}, {Salter Photography}.

This is a little scary to post, because we already get a slew of resumes every week.  I am putting this out there for our vendor friends to send us recommendations of people they think would be perfect for Bliss.  (APPLICANTS: please read the post titled "The Blissful Life" from last week before applying) We are in need of another Wedding Producer in Pensacola/Destin.   Send cover letter, resume, current head-shot and why you want to work with us to [bliss at bliss event group dot com], subject line "BLISS TEAM APPLICANT."   We have some hefty requirements and will not review resumes if any of these are missing:  You must obsess about weddings, details, organization, and design.  You should hold dear to you your relationships with others, personal education, and teamwork.  You have to absolutely relish solving problems, creative thinking, learning from your peers, and building positive relationships with everyone you meet.  You will soar with us if you love hard work, long hours, and constant challenges.  I love Liene's post on being a wedding planner on her fabulous blog, {Blue Orchid Designs}.. READ HERE.  Yes, we have a ton of fun together and this is honestly our dream job, but boy does it have it's rough days!  You have to be tough, ridiculously driven, the best people person on the planet, an attentive therapist, a skilled business woman/man, and accepting of the fact that becoming a wedding planner is not an overnight transformation.  It takes several years to get your feet wet and when you do, there will still be days you feel like you are overwhelmed with cake tastings and fabric swatches, budgets and paperwork.  But, in the end, if you are perfect for Bliss... you won't sweat any of this.  You will work harder than you every thought you could and the payoff will be the bride and the groom having the wedding of their dreams. (The beautiful photo above was taken by the fabulous Wesley Leytham of {Rae Leytham Photography}) 

If you aren't a daily reader yet, I guarantee that one click will make you one...  {Style Me Pretty} is the ULTIMATE wedding site for the style-obsessed bride!  If SMP Creator Abby Larson lived near us, I would beg her to be a Bliss gal.  Her sense of style is impeccable, whimsical, Martha-Stewart-clean-and-crisp, and every day is a new discovery.  Add Style Me Pretty to your bookmarks and stay tuned for BIG news from Bliss about our exciting new connection with this uber-savvy site.  Many thanks to Abby for the daily inspirational eye-candy and faaaaabulous ideas!

 

 

 

 

 

 
We are so honored to be asked to join the 2009 Grace Ormonde Platinum List.  Grace Ormonde {Wedding Style Magazine} is the ultimate wedding magazine, catering to the affluent bride with high-style and a penchant for world travel.  We are just so humbled by the invitation!

This morning was the beginning of our press run for the premiere of Southern Wedding Style Magazine. We had a fantastic time on Channel 3 and the segment was a huge hit! Monday night, watch for us on YaddaYadda at 9pm on Blab TV. We had some new press pics taken by the fabulous Wesley and Rae Leytham. Here's a sneak peak-

And we have some very exciting news! As if the chance to win a diamond wedding band weren't enough, there are MORE fantastic prizes to win! If you aren't the lucky winner of the diamond wedding band from Rock Hard Designs, you could win ... check back tomorrow for the big announcement!

Tune in tomorrow to WEAR TV 3 for the mid-morning show with Sue Straughn. SWS Editors and Bliss wedding producers Lara, Danielle, Leah and Erica will be interviewed about the premiere of the South's hottest new wedding magazine! Stay tuned...

Happy Valentine's Day to all of our beautiful Bliss Brides and Grooms! February has been a very busy month for the Bliss babes. We are all working very hard adding the finishing touches to Southern Wedding Style Magazine which debuts April 1. You are all invited to our premiere party and bridal showcase! All of the top vendors in the south will be there plus you will enjoy a night of (free!) dinner and dancing, exciting surprises, and we are giving away a diamond wedding band from Rock Hard Designs!!! Raffle tickets for the diamond wedding band will soon be available for purchase on www.swsmag.com (which is in the middle of a complete overhaul so check back for the brand new site coming very soon!) and proceeds benefit the Zoo Northwest Florida. Bring your family and friends and come celebrate with us!

In SWS news, we have recently added the famous and fabulous Mindy Weiss www.mindyweiss.com to our Celebrity Contributors roster. Mindy has done every celebrity wedding under the sun and is also co-owner of one of our favorite wedding shops, www.shoploveme.com. She has a new book coming out in April and is also launching an exclusive line with Two's Company. We are so thrilled to have Mindy as a part of our debut issue!

In Bliss news, ... this is old news for us but I realize I haven't posted it yet!... Danielle and I feel so blessed to have two new phenomenal Bliss women on our team. Erica Richards and Leah Harrison have been working with us since last fall and they are both women you need to get to know- glowing, creative, and uber-talented wedding professionals. Welcome, Erica and Leah! (check out our website for more about both of them... www.blisseventgroup.com)

As if all of this wasn't exciting enough for us, we are pleased to announce our partnership with WeddingStar and Jean M and the launch of our new wedding boutique, inkypink. Check back soon for our announcement about the details. Brides, you are going to LOVE this!

Happy Valentine's Day! Love, Lara, Danielle, Erica, Leah, Amanda, Samantha and Kim.

Three days ago I made a mental note that we should have an old fashioned radio-esque contest where the 40,000th visitor to the Bliss Website would win something fabulous. Three days ago we were at about 39,775 visitors. And like magic today I looked and we have had 40,445 visitors! Brides, thank you for taking the time to visit our site and learn more about us. We are truly honored to have such a following and an interest. Sorry I missed the boat on doing the contest this time- I had no idea we would get that much traffic so fast. SO, I am putting it out there now- the 50,000th Bliss Bride to visit our site will win any T-shirt they want from our new Bliss Line! Thank you, Brides, moms, dads, fiances, and vendors for taking the time to get to know us : )

It's been a log while since we updated you on the happenings of the Bliss Women... in short, we are BUSY! I, Lara, am hard at work on Southern Wedding Style Magazine with Amanda. My hubby is safely back from Iraq and we have been on a second honeymoon ever since. Danielle, is - to put it lightly - the busiest bee of all the Bliss babes! We have a gorgeous wedding coming up in a couple weeks that will surely end our year in STYLE! Look for us in Bella Magazine in the new year. Crystal Quarles is doing a fabulous spread on wedding planning that we feel will be very helpful for all of you brides-to-be. Also... look for some BIG BLISS NEWS coming shortly. We have just launched a new fun clothing line and some other fabulous goodies. We are so excited about them and have been getting a lot of orders- even before officially launching! Wishing you a Blissful holiday season~ Lara

Welcome to the Bliss Blog!

We finally gave in! So many people want a peak into the Bliss life, so here we are~ Check back often for updates and inside info on celebrity events we are working on and weddings of couples you just might know! Thanks for supporting us and inspiring us to do what we do.... Enjoy!

Photo by Rae Leytham Photography www.RaeLeytham.com They rock!