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Wedding Receptions | Candlelight and Centerpieces from Simple to Sublime

We’ve seen some amazing wedding reception photos over the years. It never fails to amaze us how candlelight transforms a large space into something romantic and intimate.

Below are examples from our StrictlyWeddings.com partners and others. These centerpieces are turned into statements and works of art – from over the top to simple elegance. Marvelous ideas for our fabulous brides.

Photography: www.insideweddings.com, Nancy Aidee Photography, Edmonson Weddings, DFW Events, Kehoe Designs

Memorable Wedding Venues | Le Grand Salon de la Comtesse

Generations of fairytales have come true at La Colombe d’Or Hotel. Their “Le Grand Salon” is an unrivaled setting for unforgettable celebrations, as seen from Texas wedding photographer Nancy Aidee.

A premier example of authentic French Regence decor, Le Grand Salon at La Colombe d’Or Hotel is lined in 300-year-old oak panels, soaring 20 feet, from the country chateau of Comte Henry Greffulhe and Princess Elisabeth de Caraman-Chimay (La Comtesse). The Grand Ballroom offers a beautiful presentation of the grandeur of a bygone era. Originally carved in 1715, the panels were installed at the estate near Foutenailles, just outside Paris, in 1891. The exquisite room was the scene of the last great ball of European royalty prior to World War I. Guests included Czar Nicholas of Russia, Caruso, Pasteur, Curie, Wagner, Marconi and Proust.

What a thrill to be the bride and groom and step onto the dance floor surrounded by such history and grandeur!

Event Coordinator: Alia Rdissi of Belle of the Ball
Wedding Photography: Nancy Aidee Photography
Wedding Dress: Stanley Korshak
Reception Location + Catering: La Colombe D’Or
Band: Password
Floral Design + Linens: Wedding Flowers by Lisa
Wedding Cakes: World Catering

Rough Creek Lodge – Top 5 Places in the World to Get Married

We are delighted to welcome to our new Dallas luxury wedding partner Rough Creek Lodge! Rough Creek has been named “one of the top five places in the world to get married” by Peter Greenberg of NBC’s Today Show, as well as awarded the “Most Outstanding Lodge in North America” by Conde Nast Jahansens. AND… with a list of “79 Things to Do” you could even make it a fun destination wedding!

Your wedding day is one of the most important days in your life and Rough Creek will help make all your dreams come true. If it’s a lavish Fort Worth Wedding or Dallas Wedding you desire, their onsite chapel, gourmet dining and romantic accommodations will bring all that to life. You might want to take your wedding outside and say “I Do” with Texas wildflowers as your backdrop, under a canopy of live oaks. Rough Creek Lodge provides an onsite Certified Wedding Consultant assisting with the wedding plans, making sure your wedding day is everything you could ever imagine.

Rough Creek’s Executive Chef will take pride in designing a personalized menu of his signature dishes for your wedding reception. And what would a wedding be without the wedding cake? Specially prepared by their pastry chef, complete with the keepsake tier.

If you’re looking for a special destination wedding location, yet a place not too far from Dallas or Fort Worth, contact Rough Creek Lodge.

Experience European Charm and Sophistication For Your Dallas Wedding At The Adolphus Hotel

It’s difficult not to feel like you’ve stepped back into another era when you enter Dallas’ Adolphus Hotel. It’s grandeur and sophisticated allure is unlike many of the newer hotels and Dallas wedding reception venues.

I can remember being a young girl and my Mother would take me shopping at Downtown Dallas’ Neiman Marcus, but the first thing we did was go to The Adolphus Hotel, where I remember thinking, if I can spend one night here, I would be the Fairy Princess! Well I’m not the fairy princess, but I do have many wonderful memories dining at the world-renown French Room and staying in one of their many grand rooms. (more…)

Wedding Trends – Elegant Wedding Receptions’ Colors Punch

Spring is beginning to blossom everywhere and all the designers at StrictlyWeddings.com Chicago’s partner Heffernan Morgan Ronsley are inspired by the beauty of spring. This year, Heffernan Morgan Ronsley is infusing simple and clean spaces for their Chicago wedding receptions with punctuations of vivacious colors and textures. Whether the palette may be monochromatic or contrasting, pairing color with subtle shades such as whites, ivories, creams and taupes have never been more elegant. HMR is always influenced by fashion which, this year, is showing stunning corals, glamorous lavenders, glistening pinks and bold teals. Using these colors in a tasteful manner, often in groupings, can lead to a stunning environment for your wedding. It is very easy to get carried away with color trends and going overboard. So be sure to stay classic and elegant with modern elements and colors that will ensure a timeless wedding, one which you will look back upon in 25 years and still fall in love with the spectacular environment you created!

Source: Heffernan Morgan Ronsley

Photo credit: Third photo, Bob & Dawn Davis; Bottom photo, Fandl Photography

Wedding Trends – Custom Wedding Candy Buffet Bars

Jackie Sorkin, the woman behind The Hollywood Candy Girls and Custom Candy Buffet Bars is amazing.

Jackie didn’t initially set out to be the Don of a candy kingdom – she did what any smart, savvy, quick thinking business woman does – she saw an opportunity – and she took it. She saw a demand where she wasn’t seeing much in the way of product and so…she created it and Custom Candy Buffet Bars was born. (more…)

DFW Events – Wedding at Rough Creek Lodge

On October 2, 2010, one of our StrictlyWeddings.com partners, DFW Events, traveled to Rough Creek Lodge in Glen Rose, Texas to celebrate and coordinate the nuptials uniting Molly McDonough and Brett Long. The couple attended SMU, though they did not know one another… Brett’s college roommate introduced the two post-college. They celebrated their wedding day exactly three years after their first date on October 2, 2007. It was such an honor for DFW Events to be a part of the wedding weekend, especially for Alison Baker, who served as Molly’s Matron of Honor (Molly and Alison were college and post-college roommates!). Enjoy the pictures below courtesy of Edmonson Photography…. we begin with a few snapshots from Molly’s bridal session.

Molly did a great job thinking through the styling of her portraits… she wanted a rustic, but elegant setting that captured the theme of her wedding from the very beginning. The settings above were the perfect spots, accompanied by the touches of elegance, making for a beautiful backdrop on this beautiful bride…

Following the ceremony, guests were invited back to the main lodge for a seated dinner… Molly is amazingly talented and created her menus on her own! There were TONS of amazing details throughout the entire reception … the menus are just a small taste of the inventive, stylish touches Molly added.

Vendors:
Ceremony/Reception: Rough Creek Lodge
String Quartet: Gyros String Quartet
Band: The Project
Photographer: Edmonson Weddings
Florist: Garden Gate
Videographer: Imagique
Cakes: Dallas Affaires
Linens: BBJ Linens
Specialty Lighting: Beyond
Photo Booth: DC Photo Booths
Hair/Makeup: Mo Bowers
Transportation: Glen Rose Transit
Coordination: DFW Events, 214-505-9142

Fall’s Splendor as your Wedding Decor

Summer is over and it is now time to turn to fall. Trees are turning to the beautiful colors of dark orange, yellow and gold while the flowers change to deep hues of Aubergine, rusts and reds. This is a perfect time of year to host a wedding.

Follow nature and design your wedding around the deep hues, tons of texture and lovely metallic accents. Feature a color palette using more formal colors such as Aubergine and Copper or Merlot Red with Gold. Create stunning centerpieces of beautiful birch branches with leaves bursting from them.

A fall centerpiece should include texture:

• Use fresh fruit and vegetable to accent your flowers.
• Tuck beautiful cut figs, baby eggplants, squash and nuts in between the flowers.
• Use berries and classic magnolia leaves and acorns to add additional texture to a centerpiece.
• Use a fantastic white pumpkin as your container and design your centerpiece with fall colors. The pumpkin should be spilling with orchids, rust roses, dahlias and magnolia leaves.

Use fresh treated leaves to border the aisle runner. Place hurricane candles in beautiful silver lanterns down the aisle.

You can even take the fall theme into your food choices:

• Pumpkin Bisque with brunoise of pumpkin and candied toasted pumpkin seed. This can be served in a mini pumpkin atop a grapevine wreath.
• Caramel Apple Cider Martini with a thin apple slice on the edge of the glass
• Plum Champagne with Champagne and Plum Wine
• Do a fall themed lollipop station with:
  • Individual bite size caramel apples dipped in crunch nuts
  • Mini Popcorn balls with candied almonds
  • Mini warm cinnamon doughnut holes
  • Leaf shaped cookies
  • Pumpkin Cheesecake
  • Marzipan Shaped Acorns

Source: Jennifer Anderson, Photography courtesy of KingenSmith

Wedding Reception Decor – Ritzy, Bold, Lush

One of our new partners, DFW Events, has established an outstanding reputation for designing spectacular weddings, social affairs and transforming spaces. They do a wonderful job of taking the bride and groom’s wildest dreams and watch them come to life! We wanted to showcase some of the spaces that they have transformed. We love the romance of the space, the colors and textures, everything that makes them one of our top three luxury wedding planners in Dallas / Fort Worth.

Wedding Reception Colors – Artful Wedding Cakes

Recently we had the pleasure of designing some tablescapes for the annual Belo Mansion open house. Brides-to-Be and their families were invited to the annual event to meet and mingle with the best Dallas has to offer in the world of weddings (and check out their work!). Frosted Art provided one of their beautiful cakes for the historic ballroom that is such a pleasure to decorate & design. This fab cake was completely covered with gorgeous sugar flowers – very impressive!

Teaming up with Posh Couture Rentals, my company, Jordan Payne Events, designed some tablescapes ranging from chic to romantic. Special thanks to Scott Hagar for the fabulous photos.

Source: Jordan Payne Events

Photography: Scott Hagar

Cake: Frosted Art