Do you live near or around Bowling Green, Kentucky OR would like to get married there? … if so, you could WIN a FREE WEDDING …
Leona Morelock of Lasting Impressions is teaming up with WBKO to “Throw a Wedding” on Saturday, February 13, 2010!
For all the info, check out the BLOG HERE …
Keep us posted if you enter the contest – we LOVE these kinds of things …
celebrate your love …
WE wish all of you a Happy Halloween!!!
try to get SPOOKED … give a little BOOOOO to fellow trick or treaters … and most importantly, don’t drink the punch!
{The Great Pumpkin House, by Dave Fatella}
celebrating pumpkin season …
jacki allen’s Kentucky Bride is doing a TON of photo shoots for our upcoming issues … and we can’t wait to show you the spreads, but you’ll have to wait just a tad longer.
Some of the shoots are about … shoes, boutonnieres, flower girls dresses, traditional vs. rock star hair and make up, etc …
One of the photo shoots that will be in the April 2010 issue is about TABLE SCAPES … i’m so excited! I don’t want to give out all the details or tell you too much, but one of the products we used for a table designed by yours truly were these amazing name cards from Timeless Paper. She was so excited that she already posted about it on her blog … HERE on October 18th … how fun!
Here are a few of the designs she offers …
Don’t you just LOVE them? What are you’re favorite designs? There are so many ways that you can use them … how would you? i’d love to hear all your thoughts …
celebrate with paper …
It’s official … we have added KROGER to our growing list of retailers that will be carrying jacki allen’s Kentucky Bride magazine starting with the January 2010 issue!
Here’s where you can get the current issue of Kentucky Bride … {all locations statewide}
* ONLINE
* Joseph-Beth Booksellers
* BORDERS
* Barnes & Noble
* Morris Book Shop
Starting in January, you can find Kentucky Bride at the above locations AND … {all locations statewide}
* Target
* Walmart
* Kroger
* Walgreens
* more to come … I’ll keep you posted!
We are SO EXCITED! But, if you would like your FREE copy, then please visit us at the Kentucky Bride Bridal Show on January 10, 2010!
celebrating our growth …
Okay, I’m getting ready to break the number one rule of blogging … “So sorry I haven’t blogged in a while”! I know, you’re not suppose to apologize and you’re just suppose to get right back on your blog and do the next post, but since it’s been almost one month {i can’t believe it} – I feel the need to say … SORRY!
So, just a quick post on what we’ve been doing and then the blogging will resume back to normal.
Kentucky Bride Magazine - We are moving fast and furious for our January 2010 issue. We have done four photo shoots so far this issue … shoes {the photos are AMAZING}, fitness, treats, and make-up. We have a few more photo shoots to do, but will give details later. On Wednesday, we will be shooting some great table-scapes for our April 2010 issue on a private horse farm in KY! I’m hoping to post a “behind the scene” photo from this shoot – I can’t wait! Don’t forget … follow us on facebook @ Kentucky Bride Magazine - follow us on twitter @kybridemag – pick up your current issue ONLINE, Joseph-Beth, Barnes & Noble, Borders and starting in Jan 2010, we will be in Walmart, Target, Walgreens and more throughout the whole state of KY!
Kentucky Bride Bridal Show – We have been super busy getting all of our advertising ready for our next bridal show on Sunday, January 10, 2010 at the Lexington Convention Center. We will be on TV, radio, billboards and all over the internet – so make sure to look for us! We have also been getting all of the AMAZING wedding professionals in Central Kentucky signed up and posted online. To view wedding professionals that you will be able to meet at the show, please visit us online at www.kybride.com … And for all you wedding professionals that would like to be in the show, please feel free to contact me to get all the info!
jacki, wedding planning - WOW – what a fall we have had and it’s still going … our last wedding of the year is on November 8th! we’ve been working with our 2010 brides, who are mostly out-of-state brides who have decided to have Kentucky weddings and we are so THRILLED! We have visited venues to see their renovations/updates and even visited a few new venues that will be available for 2010 {look for their vendor spotlights in the coming months}. We have been creating, building and making available some wonderful items for weddings … it’s all under wraps for right now, but will be giving details and photos in the near future … these are going to be FABULOUS! Make sure you follow us on facebook @ jacki allen’s Kentucky Bride!
celebrating life, love and weddings …
On Saturday, September 5, 2009 we had the pleasure to be a part of Jenny Sauer’s and Quincy Cutshaw’s wedding. Let me give you a little background on this couple … they are both uber talented {Jenny owns her own company called Three Sheets 2 the Wind (don’t you just love the name) and Quincy is an engineer, who can figure anything out (he made a pully system for chandeliers they used during their reception)} … they are both super kind to each other {if one of them interrupted the other, they would automatically apologize, how sweet!} … and they were both dedicated to making their wedding day very unique and special {Jenny actually took the hard job of drinking all the wine for the bottles that was used for the centerpieces, now that’s commitment}.
Jenny and Quincy, both, were very involved with their wedding planning. While we were there to help make suggestions and give some “logistics”, this was their BABY! They have amazing taste and if they don’t see something that fits what they want, they create it, build it, make it - LOVE it!
Here is a short list of things that Jenny and Quincy made for their wedding …
* Jenny added a beautiful sash to her dress
* They hand crafted their own invites with screen print and laser printing together
* They made three amazing chandeliers for their reception
* And so much more in small details ….
Some amazing features of their wedding …
* We used real burlap for their tablecloths {it was fabulous and not too rough for the guests}
* We used one complete song for their processional … and everyone, including the children, were where they were suppose to be … it turned out perfect! {oh, and the song was only 4 minutes long ….}
* Jenny’s Dad, who is also very talented, created their cupcake stand … it was fabulous!
Now onto some photos … I am only going to show four, for a few reasons {first, this wedding will most likely be featured in jacki allen’s Kentucky Bride Magazine so I don’t want to give everything away AND the amazing Amy Campbell with Angela Anderson Photography was the photographer and our picutres just won’t even compare}
This first photo is of where they had their cocktail hour, outside on the terrace at Talon Winery …
This photo is of their tables in the Barn for their reception …
Here is the beautiful bride, Jenny, with both her parents just before walking her down the aisle …
How adorable are these kids …
Lastly, here are the guests enjoying photos of the newlyweds and signing a scrapbook from the photobooth {see the amazing Amy in the background with her cameras … can’t wait to see her photos}
I will end with this lovely letter from the bride …
“Thank You! I was so impressed with the amount of service provided by you and your team on our wedding day. Quincy and I were so happy and felt that the day went off without a hitch! Everything was perfect … I am not just saying that because I was surprised by how well everything came together. I don’t know what we would have done without you!”
Amazing Vendors …
Ceremony and Reception Location … Talon Winery
Photography … Amy Campbell with Angela Anderson Photography
Wedding Coordination … jaimeson with jacki, wedding planning
Florist … Jeanie Gorrell Florist
Caterer … Sout-Van Events
Rentals … Purdon’s
DJ … Bluegrass Beat
Photobooth … Say Cheese Photobooth
Make-Up … Ana Crane-Simpson with Applied Cosmetic Services
Linens … jacki, wedding planner
celebrating Jenny and Quincy’s love …
Yes, we are very Lucky … Lucky Mea fabulous wedding blog based in Cincinnati featured Kentucky Bride Magazine!
Please go check out the post HERE …
… and if you have time, please check out their design website {HERE} for that perfect monogram, custom logo, custom wedding stamps and more … it is amazing!
celebrating …
Ladies and Gents … I know that we have all been super busy and can’t believe that it is already September, much less September 14th … amazing how time flies when you’re having fun.
Because of all this fun, we didn’t get any questions in for this week’s Monday Morning … but, have no fear, i do have something to share.
But … just so we make sure to answer your questions and what your want, please make sure to send all questions, thoughts, tidbits to jaime{at}jackiallen{dot}com with MONDAY BLOG as the subject.
For this monday, I thought I would share with you where we get some of our inspiration around the web. We have tons of blogs and websites that we use as points of reference if we ever get that “creative block” and need to step away … we love to see what everyone else is up to!
Here are TEN of our favorite blogs …
… obviously this is just a small portion of who we keep up with … we love everything weddings and since every wedding is different, there is so much information, photos, ideas, vendors, and more in this industry on the web … so much to see, so little time …
let us know what you think … what are your favorite blogs … do you want to hear more of our suggestions …
celebrate your wedding …
Okay ladies, I know that I told you that we would have a contest/giveaway every week in September … which I should have done on Monday {Labor Day} … so sorry … but alot of fabulous “stuff” for our business has happened this week (i’ll post about that soon enough) and I am just getting to the first contest …
So, lovely ladies, without further ado …
Judy Rhodus, with Mary Kay Costmetics has generously donated $75 worth of services and products of your choice – that’s right ladies, you get to choose the colors that work best for your skin, not just what is “left”.
BEAUTY CONTEST …
* Tell us your Beauty Tips
* Tell us the feel you are going for on your wedding day
* Tell us what you would do if you could have two looks for the day – a day and night look OR a sweet and rocker look OR just any two contrasting looks
* Tell us your nighttime routine
* Just tell us something Beauty related … we love it all!
* AND you can do your own Virtual Beauty make over on Judy’s site … try it out HERE
Please leave your entry in the comments section {make sure you leave your email so we can contact you if you are the winner}.
Since I have been late in posting this contest, you will have until Tuesday, September 15th at Midnight to get your beauty tips, tricks, looks and secrets posted. {have no fear, I will have the second contest of the month starting on monday, september 14th}.
And to just add a little special treat … we are having a fabulous beauty section in the January issue of Kentucky Bride Magazine and we might just publish your little tidbit {quoted by you, of course} in the magazine!!!
Thank you so much to Judy Rhodus with Mary Kay for starting our contests off right!
We are so excited to start our month long contests and hope you participate in all of them.
celebrate your beauty …
UPDATE: We will be extending this contest until Monday, September 21, 2009 … please leave comments below …
We planned and coordinated our last “summer” wedding of the year on August 29, 2009 to the wonderful couple Katherine Richards and Nathan Snyder. The wonderful couple lives in Virgina, but wanted to have a Kentucky wedding where Katherine grew up. Katherine is into the Arts and Theatre, so Lexington Arts Place was the perfect choice for her.
Here are just a few shots taken by the lovely jacki allen …
from these few photos, you can probably get a feel for this wedding … simple, white with a hint of blue, very minimal … love it!
A few days after the lovely wedding, we received this in the mail …
” Dear Jaime,
Thank you for everything you did to make our wedding perfect! We appreciate all the work, effort and time you did and gave for us – Please thank the rest of the crew – you all make a fantastic team. Everything was just gorgeous. Thank you.
Fondly,
Carson {mother of bride}”
… blushing … we love to get these sweet little notes in the mail – they really do make it all worth it! Congratulation Mr. & Mrs. Snyder – and THANK YOU for letting us be a part of your special day.
celebrate your love …
It’s week five and we are having a great time with this Monday Morning Blog and we hope you are too. If you have a question, please send an email to jaime {at} jackiallen {dot} com with MONDAY BLOG as your subject.
Onto question number five …
“My fiance and I have had a few conflicting ideas on “tipping” the individuals/companies we have hired for our wedding. We want to make sure that we are budgeting correctly for the “tipping” and making sure that we feel comfortable with that amount. Please let us know the standard.
Warmest,
Kim in Cincinnati, OH”
Kim, fabulous question and one that I think is forgotten until it’s too late or not considered in most couples budgets.
Please take the following information as suggestions….
WHO – Hair/make up artist day of
HOW MUCH – 15 – 20% (depending on if they come to your location)
DIST BY – Wedding Planner (if you don’t have a wedding planner, I would recommend you ask one person to be responsible for distributing your “appreciation”)
WHO – Musicians for ceremony
HOW MUCH – 10% of fee
DIST BY – Wedding Planner
WHO – Musicians/DJ for reception
HOW MUCH – $25 – $50 per member
DIST BY – Wedding Planner
WHO – Wait Staff and Bartenders for your event
HOW MUCH – $20 per person (FYI – we recommend that you check with your caterer/venue to double check the “20% service fee” that is on your contract – this is NOT always given to the wait staff as a tip and simply just an added fee – so you will want to make sure that your servers are taken care of)
DIST BY – Wedding Planner will give all envelopes to Head Chef or Maitre de at end of evening
WHO – Head Chef or Maitre de
HOW MUCH – Flat Fee …. we recommend $100 or more
DIST BY – Wedding Planner at end of evening
WHO – Limousine or Specialty Vehicle
HOW MUCH – 15-20% of total bill
DIST BY – Wedding Planner
WHO – Parking atendants for Valet Parking
HOW MUCH – $1.50 – $2.00 per car
DIST BY – Wedding Planner at end of evening
WHO – Wedding Planner
HOW MUCH – this depends on the “package” that you hired them for. If you have worked with your wedding planner for the majority of your wedding and the majority of your vendors, then we suggest 10 – 15% of your package price. IF you have hired them for a Little Bit of Help, then a flat rate that you feel comfortable with.
DIST BY – Someone special that you designate
TIPS on TIPPING:
* Have all Tips in seperate envelopes that are clearly marked with which vendor they go to.
* Have ONE person responsible for distributing all of your tips…. (i.e. wedding planner, maid of honor, someone that needs a “job” for your wedding because you can’t leave them out, etc.)
* Have all Tips and Envelopes ready at least THREE DAYS before your wedding … we recommend a minimum of three days because this is when your out of town guest start to arrive – you start “stressing” over every little detail (unless you have a planner!) – you are putting your final touches on any projects that you are doing yourself – you have the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner – and we want you to be as prepared as possible so you don’t stress over the small stuff…
Side note – these are just recommendations that Jacki and I would make to our bride – please feel free to use this information as you please.
We would love to hear your thoughts on this topic…. please feel free to leave your comments.
celebrate your love …
okay world…. this is my first blog, and i’m just hoping for the best….. so please feel free to leave any constructive critism…
first – about jacki and jaimeson…. we are a mother/daughter team that works together and plays together. not only are we business partners, we are best friends (and i’m not saying this because we are business partners, i am saying it because it is true)! we LOVE everything about weddings…. that’s our business. we plan some of the best weddings in the bluegrass (www.jackiallen.com), we publish the Kentucky Bride magazine (www.kentuckybridemagazine.com) and produce the Kentucky Bride Bridal Shows (www.kybride.com). and if that’s not enough, we also love to throw the best parties (corporate, anniversaries, birthday, and grand openings) in town…. themed parties to be specific. you tell me something you like: a phrase, a painting, an object, a location…. and we can plan a whole event or wedding around it…. i’m serious – from invites to the after party and everything inbetween.
second – we are about our community…. not only are we members of a national organization, Association of Bridal Consultants (www.bridalassn.com) BUT jacki founded the Kentucky Bride Association! How amazing is that? jacki believes in a sense of community and working as a team – her motto is “coopetition not competition”. these are mainly networking meeting where wedding professionals from all over central kentucky can come together – meet and greet – build new relationships – learn about wedding trends – stay abreast on the latest bride stats – and so much more…..
third – as you can see, we do alot….. but if i continue to discuss more on this first blog, i’m afraid you won’t come back…. and we want you to come back…. so finally, what this blog is about: to show off what we do – to bring you new trends – to spotlight vendors in the bluegrass (we have the best!) – and to just chit-chat about weddings!
thanks for reading and hope you come back soon…..
kindly – jaimeson
Since we are still so new to the blogging world, there are so many things that I want to write about….. our company, our clients, our favorite things, new finds, and so much more.
but first, let us tell you about a wonderful organization the we are members of: Association of Bridal Consultants (ABC). this is an international organization that brings wedding planners and vendors together. this organization provides continuous education, international networking, a code of ethics that each member must follow, and best of all…. conferences and meetings to get to know your peers.
ABC has had two wonderful events in the last month that we were able to attend. The first, was their national conference “Business of Brides”. The conference was held in Newport, California (yes, it was beautiful, but we were too busy learning and networking to enjoy). during the conference, we were able meet some wonderful planners, enjoy classes that pertain to our industry specifically and bring home some useful information. Once of the higlights of the Conference is the Miss Dorothy Heart Award (please read more about the Miss Dorothy Heart Award here: www.bridalassn.com. Miss Dorothy is an inspiration to us all. Colin Cowie www.colincowie.com (our main speaker for the conference) and Miss Dorothy new each other well and he respected what she was doing for wedding professionals and ABC. SO….. he offered internships to help raise money for the Miss Dorothy Scholarship Fund! This was my (jaimeson) personal highlight of the weekend…. I GOT AN INTERNSHIP WITH COLIN COWIE and was able to DONATE to the MISS DOROTHY fund all at the same time! What an amazing opportunity! I still can’t believe it – but believe me, I will keep you posted on the logistics and write items as they come up. Here is Colin and I after one of our interviews together:
so…… as you can see, it was a FABULOUS conference!
the second great meeting we had with ABC this month was actually just yesterday. This was a regular ABC – Kentucky Chapter meeting. Ellen Fox, with ShaFox Events, hosted the event at the very UNIQUE 21c Hotel (www.21cmuseumhotel.com) in Louisville, KY. If you haven’t visited the hotel, which is also a gallery for many artist, then you should. I will go ahead and put a disclaimer here: when visiting 21c, you must keep your mind open and sometimes your eyes shut, as there is nudity, all in the name of art). But, if you can get past that, then this is a very unique and modern hotel that is used for many events (including weddings and rehersal dinners).
stay posted as we will be discussing lots of exciting companies, trends, and news withing the next few days and weeks.
kindly -
jacki and jaimeson
Let’s talk favors! Who LOVES favors? I know we do…. we are always looking for those subtle, but BIG details that will truly tell the guests a little bit more about the couple. Well, we’ve got the place for you….. it’s so pretty! – which sells “kate aspen” favors. (www.itssopretty.kateaspenshops.com) The great thing about this website, is that it has the favors done by theme, colors, season, party (they have birthday, anniversary, baby favors as well!) so it is easy to find anything that you are looking for. below are some of our faves:
this is a snowflake favor that can be used as a place setting, then put on the tree…. could be used for a winter wedding or for your holiday party…. fabulous
here is a very classic topiary favor …. we absolutely love this…..
and finally for those of you that want something really different…. here’s a personalized shot glass… might be better to give to your best girlfriends on that “last night of freedom” party… but none the less, they are fun!
how fun are these favors? and they have hundreds more…… and for all of the bloggers, it’s so pretty! will be offerring 10% OFF your whole purchase (except tax and shipping) until 12.31.2008 by using code 3653TEN.
happy shopping …… jacki and jaimeson
since we started this blog, we haven’t posted any of our weddings from 2008. even though we love all of our brides and all our weddings, we thought we’d give you a few shots from katie and zach’s wedding. all photos that you see, were taken by jacki or our staff. AND, all photos that you see will show you the details, design and coordination that we at – jacki, wedding planner - can do for you!
please enjoy and let us know what you think……
photo one: the lovely ceremony location (we decided a semi-circle would be more intimate)
photo two: the aisle…. how beautiful and designed for the couple
photo three: beautiful sheppard hook details
photo four: one of the centerpieces… three different vases and arrangements, but keeping the same flowers throughout and rocks included in all centerpieces
photo five: katie and zach wanted to bring the outside into the tent (and we wanted to cover those lovely poles), so we came up with idea of having trees incorporated…. just as if we were outside, but without the hot sun beating down on us. in the trees, there were led lights that looked like candles, there were orchids and more…..
photo six: the fab trees at night under the stars… (the lights we brought in)
photo seven: katie and zach wanted a place for guests to go to relax and get away from the party, if they so choose. we wanted it to still be outside, so we rented this very modern white leather furniture, then the MOB handmade the pillows that coordinated with the wedding colors. (that’s me and the MOB on the far couch)
photo eight: katie, the lovely bride, cooling off by the fan (yes, we think of everything) and did you notice the sheppard’s hook by the bride (yes, we reused those from the ceremony – talk about being “green” for your wedding)
photo nine: the grand finale… for the newlyweds, the MOB wanted them to go out in style, hence the car and the fireworks (which were a surprise to the couple!)
katie and zach…… love celebrated!
Ashley Lundergan and Jamey Gumm of The Carrick House (www.thecarrickhouse.com) were gracious enough to host our last KBA (Kentucky Bride Association) meeting of 2008! First, THANK YOU to Ashley and Jamey – everything was fabulous! Next, just to refresh…. Jacki founded the Kentucky Bride Association about six years ago. The KBA meetings are for wedding professionals to get together and chit-chat…. but we also like to discuss new trends, ethics, our lovely weddings and more…. Anyways, we love to visit facilities around town and learn all about what they can offer our brides. So, for December we went to the beautiful, historic (but fabulously renovated) Carrick House. The main dining area, the green house, the bridal suite, the groom’s area, all the way to the new “Wine” Room (with it’s tin ceiling I might add) were all so lovely. You must see it to believe it! We, jacki and jaimeson, LOVE unique features and finding places that are “different”. Well, the Carrick House fits the bill…. from the history of the house to the hand painted mural to the tin ceiling, you will be surprised when you walk through the doors. Below are a few photos….
on the left is the fabulous jacki – center is the lovely Jamey Gumm with the Carrick House – and on the right is the fabulous jaimeson
above: this is a partial pic of what the HUGE bridal suite is like….. please go check them out!
above: okay, so we don’t have the best camera, but you can see from the photo how the “Wine” room is very modern, but still gives the “old world” feel to it with the brick exposed and the wonderful tin roof…..
so, our fabulous fave for this week is The Carrick House…. go check them out – even if just for your rehearsal dinner (the wine room can hold up to 40)
kindly -
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this new linen company…. www.latavolalinen.com. We were invited to thier open house in Beverly Hills, CA and since we were in town for the Association of Bridal Consultants annual conference, Mackenzie Spalding with One Fine Day, another fabulous planner and KY member, set up the limo and rsvp’s for us….. thanks so much Mackenzie! la tavola is a stylish, classic, but with a twist linen company. not only are they fabulous, they are eco friendly…. from the rich fabrics, to their fabulous van, and even to their cleaning machines…. truly amazing. I have some photos below to showcase the lovely open house that we were fortunate enough to attend. If you like what you see, or want to see more, just call us and we’ll be happy to set up an appointment and show you thier linens (their samples are HUGE compared to other companies). avg. rental cost is $40.00 per linen.
pic 1: ky abc members that attended the la tavola open house…… aren’t we beautiful?
pic 2: a lovely red and black option
pic 3: classic black and white (don’t you just love the centerpiece…)
well, there’s a few photos to get your wheels turning…. aren’t they fabulous? just call jacki and jaimeson and we can make your event look just as fabulous….. it’s what we do!
kindly -
Who doesn’t love the thought of a Winter White Wedding? With the snow coming down in big, fluffly, white flakes; you being brought in by a white horse and drawn carriage with your white faux fur muff and jacket…. oh I can just picture it now….
Then, I walk outside and am reminded of why there aren’t as many weddings in the winter. BBBUURRRRRRR!!!!
BUT, Winter Weddings can be just as beautiful and sometimes more cost efficient…. let me explain.
First, let’s start off with the obvious – you will be inside – which means that you don’t have to rent a tent and all that goes with it. You will probably be in a country club or hotel. The down side to this is your options available… first, you won’t get to include that beautiful Kentucky scenery and second, your catering is limited to the facility that you choose (I recommend a taste test before selecting venues).
The next cost saving category is the florals… The up side is that your church and facility will already be beautifully decorated for the season, which will save you alot of money, but the down side is that you may not like the flowers or arrangements that the facility is already decorated in.
The thrid fabulous thing about a winter wedding is that you pretty much have free reign on indoor locations for your reception and hotels for guests, for the most part. Unless you’re getting married on Dec. 24th, 25th or 31st you’ve got options….. and what bride doesn’t like options?
If you would like more ideas or would love for your winter wedding to be FABULOUS, then just give us a call…. we’re full of ideas, connections, and the means to make your dreams come true!
love is to be celebrated….
THE most fabulous bridal show in Central Kentucky is less than a month away…..
The Kentucky Bride Bridal Show is on Sunday, January 18th from Noon to 5pm. Go to www.kybride.com to get a $2.00 off coupon for you and ALL of your guest! How great is that?
If you’ve seen the below billboard, ad in Hamburg Journal and Kentucky Bride magazine, then you know this is THE show to attend!
Once you go the www.kybride.com website, you see fabulous pictures, get introduced to the fabulous wedding professionals that you will meet, and be able to print your $2.00 coupon.
You will also be able to read the latest issue of Jacki Allen’s Kentucky Bride magazine….. with the next issue debuting at the Jan 18th show. Every registered bride will receive a FREE copy of Jacki Allen’s Kentucky Bride magazine (retail $5.95).
Kentucky Bride Bridal Show will have fashion shows from Wedding Wonderland and others, two dance performances from Fred Astaire, and two exercise exhibits from Jazzercise! There will be Door Prizes valued at $75 or more given away every 30 minutes and then at 4:45pm the GRAND prizes will be drawn, which include a DJ for your reception from Phoenix Entertainment, Weekend getaway from LM Communications, Overnight stays from Hyatt, Ramada, and Hilton AND much more……
This is the ONLY show that you will need to attend…. the Kentucky Bride Bridal Show has the best wedding professionals to choose from.
we want to help you celebrate your love…
Jacki and Jaimeson wishes everyone has a fabulous Christmas! Some of the wonderful things we love about Christmas is the family getting together, hot chocolate, the spirit of giving, hearing “first” Christmas stories as husband and wife, and so much more.
We would also like to take this time and THANK each and everyone who has been a part of our business! We are so thankful and blessed to have an amazing network of professionals that we get to work with on a daily basis. AND we are fortuneate enough to meet new businesses and professionals constantly…. we love getting to know you.
As 2008 comes to a close, we look back and are truly blessed for the year that we had. Kentucky Bride Magazine was a success on it’s first issue…. the Kentucky Bride Bridal Shows were both amazing and then of course – we have the most fabulous brides a wedding planner could ask for…. and our 50th wedding couple (John and Bunny)…. what an inspiration! Thank you all for the stories, laughs, tears (Mr. Miller so sweet) and excitement throughout the year…. we can’t wait for 2009!
love and life celebrated in 2008….
We are so excited that 2009 is here!!!! (not that we didn’t have a fabulous 2008 – because we did!)
BUT…. jacki and I have decided that 2009 is the year of CHANGE!!! Not change in who we are, our values, or how we treat our clients, but CHANGE in the way we view ourselves and our company…..
Everyone always does a New Year’s Resolution, which is usually an reachable goal, and then if the goal is not reached, then one would look at themselves as having failed…. well, that is not what we want here at Kentucky Bride. We decided NOT to set resolutions, but to think of small ways that we could grow and enhance ourselves that will show BIG impact.
for ashley, our fabulous office manager: she will be going back to school to get a second degree in graphic design. we support ashley and have even given her a few projects to work on…. yea!
for jaimeson: she will start thinking of herself not only as jacki’s daughter, but as jacki’s partner…. together this company will grow and be able to help brides across a vast spectrum!
for jacki: she will start thinking of herself as the fabulous wedding planner that she is, and not be so shy in talking about her accomplishments…. for example: how many of you knew that she was on vh1’s My Fabulous Wedding? how many of you knew that she has done a Rockett’s wedding? how many of you knew that getmarried.com, the national tv show, has interviewed jacki and is partnering with the Kentucky Bride Magazine? and this is just the tip of the iceberg.
we are honored to be able to start this new chapter with ourselves and our company and we hope that you will stay posted and join in this fabulous experience with us!
celebrating our love and life…..
It is less than TWO WEEKS away from the Kentucky Bride Bridal Show and the brand NEW issue of Jacki Allen’s Kentucky Bride Magazine (which will be an AMAZING issue). What a FABULOUS way to start off 2009….
with over 85 of the top wedding professionals in central kentucky, the Kentucky Bride Bridal Show is the best ….. and we will have a few surprises that we’ve never had before!
then you top it off with our new issue of Jacki Allen’s Kentucky Bride Magazine…. which is full of the best articles, ads, fashion pages and of course, the best wedding stories in Kentucky – who wouldn’t want an issue! SO, all registered brides will receive a FREE issue of the magazine at the bridal show (reg $5.95).
We hope to see you on January 18th….. don’t forget to go to the Kentucky Bride Bridal Show website for your discount coupon for your whole group to enjoy!
celebrate your love…..
Jacki will be on WTVQ Channel 36 today for the Noon Show. Jacki will be discussing the upcoming Kentucky Bride Bridal Show and the new issue of Jacki Allen’s Kentucky Bride Magazine. Kentucky Bride Magazine will be released to the attending brides of the show first, then will be at Barnes & Noble; Joseph-Beth; and other fine wedding retailers the week of Jan. 19th.
Watch Jacki today and pick up your copy of Kentucky Bride Magazine at the Kentucky Bride Bridal Show on January 18th.
celebrate your love…..
IT’S HERE! Jacki Allen’s Kentucky Bride Magazine, Spring 2009, edition is HERE! Don’t you just love the cover!
If you would like to receive your FREE (reg. $5.95) copy, come on down to the Kentucky Bride Bridal Show this Sunday, January 18th from Noon to 5 pm at the Lexington Convention Center.
The Spring 09 Issue has “Bouqets for Every Season” – “Favors for Every Season” – “Taboo Topics” – Real Central Kentucky Weddings – and the best wedding professionals in Central Kentucky, as we are an “invite” only magazine.
AND, for those of you who would like to make sure you have gotten your Fall 2008 issue, please just click the front cover and you will go straight to the website….
celebrate your love….
Just wanted to do a quick post about some of the fabulous events that will be going on this Sunday at the Kentucky Bride Bridal Show…..
We will be doing Door Prizes every 30 minutes!!! Some of them include: Crystal Toasting Flutes from Martine’s – $150 off a Honeymoon Package from Ultimate Choice Travel - AAA Membership from AAA Bluegrass – Engagement Photo Session from Blair Studios – and so much more….
THEN at 4:45pm we will be holding our GRAND PRIZE drawings (must be present to win)… AND even if you win a Door Prize, you are still eligible for the GRAND PRIZES! Some of GRAND PRIZES include: DJ Service for your Reception from Phoenix Entertainment – One year Membership to Jazzercise – a Fur Throw from Fabulous Bridal Boutique – $500 off Photo Booth Rental from Say Cheese Photobooth – $1500 off Florals from E. Stephen Hein - and so much more….
BUT WAIT – there’s more! All throughout the day, we will be having Bridal Fashion Shows from Wedding Wonderland and The Wedding Center….. plus Jazzercise will be doing demonstrations… plus Fred Astaire will be having Ballroom Dance demonstrations!
We have bridal salons, reception facilites, caterers, photographers, photo booths, wedding planners, cake bakers, florists, dj’s and entertainment groups, invitations, dance studios, etc…. all to visit with YOU!
If you haven’t already, please go to www.kybride.com to get your $2.00 discount coupon for you and your guests…. and to check out all of the fabulous wedding professionals that you will be meeting on January 18th.
celebrate your love…..
Jacki and I want to THANK YOU…..
for the fabulous BRIDES who attended the Kentucky Bride Bridal Show….. you weathered the snow and looked fabulous doing so!
for the talented EXHIBITORS who offer the best service and quality of goods for Kentucky Brides… you are the best!
for the Kentucky Bride STAFF… your smiles, kindness and help made the show go smoothly….
Jacki and I are honored to be surrounded by such professionals….
and for all of you brides that couldn’t make it to the show, stay posted as we will have photos soon, but please go to www.kybride.com and view our Exhibitors and give them a call….
kindly -
When Jacki and I attended the Association of Bridal Consultants Annual Conference in California in November 2008…. Colin Cowie was the featured speaker! As mentioned in previous blog (Association of Bridal Consultants, November 2008 ) he was FABULOUS!
But, while there, he was on hand to sign copies of his new book…. Wedding Chic…. which we received.
So, it’s been a few months and I’ve had a chance to finish reading, viewing, getting inspiration and so much more from this Fabulous find…. we definately recommend.
here’s where you can get your very own copy…. Colin Cowie’s Wedding Chic
happy planning….
Have you ever wondered… “How did they do that?”…. “What products are used?” …. “How many people does it take to put that together?”… or anything when it comes to a magazine spread? Well, we at Kentucky Bride Magazine (KBM) would like to give you a “behind the scenes” look at one of our most recent photo shoots.
Jacki and I enlisted two fabulous professionals to help us bring to life “Bouquets for Every Season” in our Spring 2009 issue. Ian Lozada, amazing photographer, AND E. Stephen Hein, amazing florist, were gracious enough to be a part of this flower supplement and show some amazing bouquets (see pages 54-57).
BUT, Ian Lozada took it one step further and asked Jacki to film him doing what he does best…. photographing. And Ian put all of this together and made a video of the photo shoot for everyone to see on his BLOG.
Please visit both Ian Lozada and E. Stephen Hein to see some of their fabulous work and how they can help make your day look fabulous!
Also, if you have not received the latest issue of Jacki Allen’s Kentucky Bride Magazine, please visit one of these locations: online, Joseph-Beth, Barnes & Nobles, Bluegrass Bride, Wedding Wonderland, E. Stephen Hein Florist, Ian Lozada, Tinker’s Cake Shop, and many others.
enjoy viewing and reading KBM…..
jacki allen presents “Mix and Mingle”….. where it is all about the BRIDE!
SO, Have you ever been talking about your wedding and notice someone rolling their eyes?
Has your fiance’ ever told you he’d like one day without wedding talk?
Mix and Mingle is a gathering of brides who LOVE to talk about their wedding!
So, come on out to Hilton Suites, Lexington and join us…. there will be a Signature drink, Hors d’ouvres, and a Fabulous Swag Bag! This FABULOUS Mix and Mingle will be on Tuesday, February 10, 2009 from 5:30pm – 7:30pm for only $15 pp….. which you will recoup in your swag bags, food, and drink……
If you didn’t pick your postcard up at Jacki’s booth at the Kentucky Bride Bridal Show, then please watch for yours in the mail….. OR consider this your Invite! All we need is for you to RSVP to ashley@jackiallen.com and please let her know your name and number in your party… yes, please bring your friends or mother – whoever likes to talk weddings.
we can’t wait to Mix and Mingle with you…..
Picture finding yourself in one of these situations:
That time of the month has caught you by surprise. After a transatlantic flight, you discover that your luggage is missing. You have a hot date for cocktails immediately following a hard day’s work. The only thing that can save you? Your passport. Or at least that is what you’re friends will think…..
Disguised in a passport cover, Passport Panties (R) provide the freedom to travel, live and play with comfort, cleanliness, and confidence. It’s clever design sleekly fits into your handbag, your carry-on, your backpack, or even your pocket. Passport Panties comes equipped with appropriate supplies for a variety of life’s destinations. Each includes a stylish panty, a personal towlette, and a chic reuseable passport cover. With a passport in hand, every woman ensures a safe arrival whether it’s to the bar, to biology class, or to Barcelona.
(the above wording is from www.passportpanties.com word for word….. BUT below is from jaimeson…. enjoy)
So, how fabulous do these Passport Panties sound and look???
Well, not only are Passport Panties FABULOUS…. the owners (MMK BRAND) Morgan, Mary Kay and Kim are all from KENTUCKY (Western Kentucky to be exact)!
Jacki and I think that every bride, bridesmaid and mother should have Passport Panties for the Wedding Day and beyond…… what a fabulous addition to your purse, emergency kit, car, and on and on and on…..
So, how do you get your fun and flirty pair of Passport Panties? You can purchase online…. or visit the following retailers: AJ’s Casuals (Lexington) – Jean Marie (Murray) – My Favorite Things (Lexington) – Vintage Rose (Murray) – Werner-Lowe LTD (Bowling Green).
Let us know what you think of your Passport Panties…..
happy shopping….. (p.s. they are having a 50% Valentine’s Day Sale until 2.1.09)
Today, I would like to talk about Bluegrass Bride…. a FABULOUS designer boutique right here in Lexington! Susan and Anna Johnson, the lovely sister owners, have been opened since November 2007 in the Clearwater Commons Shopping Center. Jacki and I were honored to help them with their Grand Opening Gala…. see fabulous pics below.
After this Fabulous party…. Bluegrass Bride hit the ground running…. if you will. Susan and Anna have some exclusive designers, such as Badgley Mischka – Phoebe – Marrisa Baratelli – Chetta B – and more. If you are a bride, here is what you can expect when you walk through the doors of Bluegrass Bride: welcomed by a smile with your personal consultant; invited over to the living room area; then systematically helping you find your “perfect” dress while feeling comfortable and having a fabulous time. Their motto is: “Personal service for the discerning Bride”!
BUT, they don’t only cater to the BRIDE, they have a fabulous RED Simply Social room for all the Special Occassions in your life… bridesmaid, galas, anniversary dinner, derby, cocktails with girlfriends, and so much more…. I mean, don’t we all deserve and want that “special” dress? Well look no further – you can find it at Bluegrass Bride.
Want to see a sample…. look at these fabulous pictures below from Karen Powell Photography as seen in the Spring 09 Kentucky Bride Magazine…..
fabulous, fabulous and more fabulous!
PLUS…. remember the billboard for the January Kentucky Bride Bridal Show… see below
well, Erica was wearing a Paloma Blanca from Bluegrass Bride with photography by Angela Anderson…. just beautiful!
now, aren’t you ready to find that “perfect” dress….. please call for an appointment to 245.0060 to get the very best service, but please feel free to “ring their bell” Tuesday thru Friday 10-6, Saturday 10-3.
happy shopping….
In the Spring 09 Jacki Allen’s Kentucky Bride Magazine, we wrote a “risque” article about Taboo Topics (pages 46-49). Ever wanted to ask that “uncomfortable” question about money – religion – sex…. Well, Jacki has written an article that has questions, ideas and ways to bring up the “talk”…..
We will be “spotlighting” one taboo topic a week (every friday) for nine weeks! So here goes….
To begin…. here is a fabulous tip from Jacki: “Schedule a date with your fiance’ for just the two of you in a romantic, casual setting with candles, soft music and bite size food to feed each other and discuss the following questions while you’re both relaxed.”
TABOO TOPIC ONE…. General Questions.
1. What is your fiance’’s favorite non-alcoholic drink?
2. What is your fiance’’s favorite TV show? Least favorite?
3. What concert would your fiance’ pay any amount of money to go see?
4. If your fiance’ were able to change one thing about themselves, what would it be?
5. How does your fiance’ like to celebrate special occasions?
6. Toilet seat up or down? (and how do you feel about that?)
7. Aisle or window seat?
8. Does your fiance’ prefer to drive or ride?
9. Dog or cat?
10. Half full or Half empty?
11. Name a reality TV show that best describes your relationship.
Now, you may think this first topic is not very Taboo…. BUT let’s be honest… how many of us have actually asked these questions to get the answers or just “assume” the answers because you know your fiance’ so well.
Remember, there are no right or wrong answers…. just your answers…. the goal of the questions is to get to know your fiance’.
We’d love to hear your comments on this article. Share with us how you approached the topics and any suggestions you might have for other brides. Post your comments here or send to jacki@jackiallen.com and put “Taboo Topics” in the subject line.
celebrate your love….
Jaimeson has the honor of speaking in front ofUniversity of Kentucky students with the major of Merchandising, Apparel and Textiles (MAT)! These fabulous fashion students will be meeting at Bluegrass Bride for a few of us “wedding experts” to discuss some trends, tips and how weddings and fashion are all relate-able…
For example – Susan Johnson, with Bluegrass Bride, will be discussing how wedding dresses can influence everyday fashion and vice versa….. (unique fact: in most fashion runway shows, the designer will usually put their version of a wedding dress into their collection). Ana Crane-Simpson, with Applied Cosmetic Services, will be discussing make-up trends and how to accentuate your dress. Jaimeson Gann, with Jacki wedding planner, will be discussing how much influence the wedding dress has on your decor and other aspects of your wedding….
PLUS…. all the lovely ladies will be receiving a fabulous goodie bag from Jacki and I….
will give a recap tomorrow….
Here is a recap from the talk Jaimeson was a part of for the UK MAT Club….
….. Seven fabulous ladies were able to attend the meeting….
….. Susan, Ana and myself were able to discuss, answer questions and just chit-chat with these rising stars for two hours…..
….. anytime Jacki or myself is a part of a speaking engagement or the “mix and mingle” – we love to give out fabulous “goodies”…. and this talk was no different. some of the items we included were: A copy of Jacki Allen’s Kentucky Bride Magazine – a fab favor from It’s So Pretty! – cookies from Frosting – and more….
…. please feel free to call 859.271.1499 to set up a time for Jacki or Jaimeson to come speak to your group.
…… BUT if you want to talk with us sooner, please RSVP for Jacki Allen’s Mix and Mingle…. see post below….
celebrating life…..
Ladies – I hope you were able to get through the first week of TABOO TOPICS with no trouble… as these were “starter” questions.
This week – we will discuss GOALS….. we all have them, need them and want to achieve them…. but what if our goals are different than our partners? is there room for compromise? how do you combine goals? can you both achieve your personal goals while still mainting your marriage goals? below are some questions that will get you started…
GOALS
1. What goals do you have for your marriage?
2. What life goals do each of you have?
3. What are your career goals?
4. What happens if one of you gets a job offer 600 miles away?
5. What values are central to each of your lives?
6. What are you hoping this marriage will bring?
7. How will you divide the time between family and career?
8. Do you want to have a family?
9. Choose one word to describe your current lifestyle.
10. Choose one word to describe what you want your married lifestyle to be.
Taboo Topic Tip: Always – Always be honest with yourself and your partner…. for example – don’t say to your partner “I’ll follow you anywhere, even the job that moves across the country” – if you won’t really go! It’s easy to say you’ll follow your spouse if you don’t ever think that option will come up…. BUT… what if it does? Can you really move away from your family and friends to start all over? what if it’s 10 years down the road and you now have children in school – will you still follow? Just remember to be Honest!
To read the full article, please pick up your copy of Jacki Allen’s Kentucky Bride Magazine online – at Joseph-Beth – at Barnes & Nobles – at Wedding Wonderland - at Bluegrass Bride and many other fabulous wedding professionals throughout central Kentucky.
please leave your comments or feel free to email us anytime to jaime@jackiallen.com with Taboo Topics as the subject
celebrate your love…..
Calling all BRIDES (and their guests)….. Jacki Allen’s first Mix & Mingle is TONIGHT!
The food is being cooked, the signature drink is being mixed, and the fabulous swag bags are getting the final touches…….
Please join us and other brides to “mix and mingle” – all about weddings – and your wedding! How fun!
WHO: You and your best gal ($15 per person)
WHEN: Tonight – Tuesday, Feb 10th – 5:30pm
WHERE: Hilton Suites – Lexington Green
WHY: So you can chit-chat with other fabulous ladies like yourself about weddings! What could be more fun on a rainy Tuesday in Kentucky???? Plus, the food, drink, gifts and DOOR PRIZES are going to be FABULOUS!
Hope to see you there…..
Thank you so much to the BRIDES and guest that attended the FIRST Mix & Mingle!!! We really apprciate you braving the weather – the UK vs FL basketball game (YEA CATS!) – and just your normal routine…. to join us at Hilton Suites, Lexington Green!
Below are some pics from the evening …. enjoy…..
“Thank you for the event last night. It was very nice to just sit and talk. I look forward to the next one. The food was great and so were the gifts. Thanks again.” from Cathy, a bride who attended the Mix & Mingle.
So, please don’t miss our next MIX & MINGLE…
WHO: YOU – the bride and her guests ($15 pp)
WHEN: Thursday, March 19th from 5:30pm to 7:30pm
WHERE: Bluegrass Bride – 4384 Clearwater Way, Suite 180 – Lexington
Please feel free to RSVP to Ashley at 859.271.1499 or ashley@jackiallen.com
have a fabulous day…. and celebrate your love this valentine’s weekend…
This week – the questions get more interesting…. (not juicier – that’s next week when we discuss “Sex Ed”)… but this week, we will be asking questions about our IN-LAWS, FAMILY and FRIENDS! Can you handle it? We’ll find out….
1. Where do they fit in the scheme of your marriage?
2. How much time will you spend with your friends?
3. What will you do about friends that your fiance’ dislikes?
4. How improtant is it to you to have boys’ nights and girls’ nights?
5. Are there boundaries on how much you want your fiance’ confiding in their friends? Are any topics OFF limits?
6. What is the role of your family in your relationship?
7. What is the role of your family in the upbringing of your children?
8. Where will you spend holidays and with which family?
9. Will you have alone time?
10. How do you want to spend time together?
Only TEN questions – not too bad…. but this talk could turn bad quickly…. so I want to give some “jaimeson” tips (a little different from “jacki” tips).
Jaimeson Tips:
* DO NOT discuss this topic this weekend – it is Valentine’s Day, and no need to spoil it.
* Don’t say, “Honey, tonight let’s talk about our families…” these words could make him/her think that you are going to talk about their family (not both families) and not talk in a good way! Suggestion: Just bring up a question here and there – test the waters so to speak….
* BUT – these questions all need to be talked about and discussed. If you notice hesitation now, imagine how it’s going to be when you have different thoughts on where to spend the holiday OR when you have kids and he/she still wants to go out EVERY weekend…. etc. etc. etc.
* Definately talk about what is OFF limits… you may not want to run to your parents every time that the two of you get into an argument because you may get over the dispute alot quicker than your Mom…. and then it would start to get ackward – OR no need to discuss your “private” nights with friends…
Good luck with this topic…. when you get finished discussing these questions openly and honestly, you will be that much happier in your relationship and know boundaries for your family and in-laws.
To read the full article, please pick up your copy of Jacki Allen’s Kentucky Bride Magazine online – at Joseph-Beth – at Barnes & Nobles – at Wedding Wonderland - at Bluegrass Bride and many other fabulous wedding professionals throughout central Kentucky.
please leave your comments or feel free to email us anytime to jaime@jackiallen.com with Taboo Topics as the subject
celebrate your love…..
For those of you that don’t know…. GetMarried.com is taking the wedding industry by storm (and we are pleased to be a part of that)!
Getmarried.com is a national TV show, airing every weekday morning at 7:30am on Lifetime Television … AND … getmarried.com is a website with a vast range of information, ideas, Colin Cowie tips, etc…. They have local resources, real weddings, national trends, and so much more.
Here is their ad from Jacki Allen’s Kentucky Bride Magazine, Spring 2009 Issue (page 26) and some Colin Cowie Tips, just for Kentucky Bride (page 36)!
Please watch, DVR, visit the website…. but I would suggest that if you are a Bride to Be, then you should definitely check out this site…..
happy planning….
One of the most important pieces of advice we give our wedding couples is to purchase “wedding day insurance”! Thankfully, out of our weddings, events and bridal shows that we produce, we have NEVER had to use the insurance….. BUT we always have it…. just in case!
Let’s be honest…. how many of you are concerned that a wedding professional that you have signed a contract with and given a deposit to…. may not show up? may go out of business before your wedding date? have an outside wedding planned and not sure if it is going to rain? wedding dress is wrong? and so many other “disasters” that could arise. With wedding day insurance {and a fabulous planner} you are sure to sleep soundly.
Wedding Protector Plan from Travelers Insurance is caterering to you and your unique wedding! This website is full of knowledge, free quotes, articles for now and when your newly married life…. and so much more.
Here are some of the FAQ’s from Wedding Protector Plan:
Q: Basically, what does the Wedding Protector PlanSM cover?
A: The plan can reimburse you if an important item related to your wedding (for example, your ring) is lost or damaged before you get married. The plan can reimburse you in case you lose your deposit if a vendor (for example, your florist) goes out of business before your wedding. You also can receive funds if events beyond your control cause you to postpone your wedding.
You may add coverage to protect you in case someone at your wedding is injured or causes damage to property of others. Of course, certain terms and conditions apply to these coverages, which you will want to review before you purchase your Wedding Protector PlanSM.
Q: My fiancé is in the military? What if he/she is called up right before the wedding?
A: If circumstances beyond your control (for example, an unforeseen deployment) cause you to postpone your wedding, we can provide reimbursement for non-recoverable expenses.
Q: Do I have to buy liability insurance?
A: You are not required to elect liability coverage as part of your Wedding Protector PlanSM. However, you may wish to contact the locations where you will hold your ceremony and reception, as they may require you to show proof of liability insurance.
Q: Basically, what does liability insurance cover?
A: Liability insurance can protect you from liability for property damage/personal injuries to third parties at the location of your ceremony and reception. You also have the option to include liquor liability coverage, which protects you and your immediate family from alcohol-related accidents caused by a guest of your wedding.
We STRONGLY reccommend every wedding couple to purchase wedding day insurance…. the pros definately outweight the cons – so please look into this for your wedding day!
celebrate your love…. (while being covered)
Okay ladies (and gents)…. last week was all about the FAMILY…..
this week, it’s all about …. dare I say it …. SEX! (gasp!)
Now, while of some of you might be having your cheeks turn red and others can’t wait to read this section…. let me put in a small disclaimer: “We have only put a few questions down, as this is an intimate and personal discussion between you and your fiance’…. we are just giving a starting point. AND – we are not saying that you are currently being intimate, but you will be intimate in marriage.”
Now that that’s out of the way…. let’s get to it!!!!!
1. Who would your fiance’ say is more romantic between the two of you?
2. If there comes a day when there isn’t enough of it (we know, it probably won’t happen to you, but just in case), how will you deal with it?
3. What if sex becomes boring? How will you talk about it? What can you do to keep your sex life spicy?
4. How do each of you feel about birth control?
5. How do you classify cheating?
6. What is one of your fantasies?
Again, this is just a starting point….. to read the full article please visit…. jacki allen’s Kentucky Bride Magazine online OR you can purchase your copy from Joseph-Beth, Barnes & Noles, Bluegrass Bride, Wedding Wonderland, and many more….
please leave your comments or feel free to email us anytime to jaime@jackiallen.com with Taboo Topics as the subject
celebrate your love…..
Hope everyone is having a FABULOUS weekend….
I just came across our photos from the January 2009 Kentucky Bride Bridal Show…. and realized that I haven’t posted any of them. So, here are a few…..
Hope you enjoyed the pics….
Please don’t forget our next Kentucky Bride Bridal Show is Sunday, July 12th… mark your calendars!
celebrate your love…
Jacki and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to support our local community…. we do this in many ways, here are a few:
* Jacki Allen’s Kentucky Bride Magazine only used local photographers for all filler photos (no stock photos here – everything in the magazine is from Kentucky!)
* Jaimeson is co-chair for the Angel Ball, which raises awareness and money for Hospice of the Blugrass, Jessamine County and the RJ Corman Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute at Harvard University
* Jacki and Jaimeson also contribute, donate time and money, for numerous non-profits that we are honored to be a part of.
And, this past Saturday night was no exception….
The 9th Annual Oscar’s Gala Fundraiser benefiting UK Markey Cancer Foundation - New Hope Haiti Mission and Kentucky Law Enforcement Memorial Fund was held in the Malone’s Banquets, part of the Bluegrass Hospitality Group.
For this fabulous evening, we purchased tickets, donated silent auction items and bid on items as well to support these wonderful organizations. I have a few pictures below from the evening…..
This is Jaimeson with her hubby, Heath, in front of the Oscar ice sculpture….
here’s a close up… (isn’t he handsome?)
below is the fabulous four…. (from l-r: Anna Johnson (Bluegrass Bride) – Ana Crane-Simpson (Applied Cosmetic Services) – Jaimeson Gann (jacki, event & wedding planner) – Susan Johnson (Bluegrass Bride)
and finally, just a pic of Susan, Heath and myself enjoying the evening…..
I hope you enjoyed the pics and that you will feel inspired to donate to one of these worthy causes or one that is dear to your heart.
celebrate your life….
While catching up on my daily reading of fabulous blogs…. I came across this fun “kissing tree” from Elizabeth Messina’s new blog…. Kiss the Groom.
Not only will you see some of Elizabeth’s FABULOUS photography…. you get to read all about “kisses” – my fave.
Obviously, being in the wedding business, I am a natural romantic, so this new blog has my toes curling, butterflies in my stomach and cheeks rosey in anticipation of reading all about “first kisses” – “kiss and tell” – “little kisses”…… love it!
below is my KISSING TREE - how sweet!
so, please visit The Kissing Tree to get your own!
since we are such the romantics…. please leave us your “first kiss” story - we’d love to hear them…. i’ll start with mine:
“Heath and I met on a blind date (yes, it’s true – sometimes your friends know you better than you know yourself) and instantly hit it off! We both loved family, college football and good food….. we had plenty to talk about on that first lunch date. The next week, we went to the UK – Arkansas football game that had 9 (yes, NINE) overtimes….. from that game on, I knew there was something special between us… but I was scared! This was too much emotion, too quick. We were together constantly for the next three weeks (yes, four weeks of dating with no kissing… but remember, i was scared) THEN, one night in my townhouse, it happened…. our first kiss! And let me tell you – it was AMAZING…. my left leg literally lifted (just like in the movies)… I couldn’t have written the script any better myself! After our first kiss, we were in LOVE and I had no chance…. the sparks flew and haven’t burned out yet!” …..jaimeson
celebrate your love….
We are moving right along with the Taboo Topics … this week is He Says/She Says Communication! Just because the topic is “he says/she says” – that doesn’t mean you get to answer or “assume” how your fiance’ would answer the following questions…. you need to talk to your fiance’ and try to understand the way he/she communicates…this could be interesting!
He Says/She Says Communication
1. When your partner is unhappy, how do they show or tell you?
2. How will you resolve a disagreement?
3. What is your fiance’s style of communicating?
4. How do each of you handle your anger?
5. If you get really bogged down, who do you go to for help?
6. Do you communicate everyday, even when you have a disagreement?
7. Do you feel emotionally connected and committed to your partner?
8. Do you and your partner handle stress the same way?
9. How will you show your support to each other in difficult times?
Communication (open and honestly, of course) is a very important part of marriage…talk to your fiance’ and learn more about them.
To read the full article, please pick up your copy of Jacki Allen’s Kentucky Bride Magazine online – at Joseph-Beth - at Barnes & Noble - at Wedding Wonderland - at Bluegrass Bride and many other fabulous wedding professionals throughout central Kentucky.
please leave your comments as we’d love to hear what “he or she said” or feel free to email us anytime to jaime@jackiallen.com with Taboo Topics as the subject
celebrate your love…..
How are you hanging in there so far? Remember – these topics and questions are to benefit you as a couple. The more we are open and honest before the big day, the happier the marriage will be as the “complicated” situations arise.
Well, this week is no different….. while some of you picture your wedding and family starting right away, others haven’t even thought about kids (for themselves) and don’t plan on having them for years to come….. but they will come for most of you and so this TABOO TOPIC must be discussed…… (stay tuned if you will becoming a step-parent, as that will be our topic next week!)
1. Do you want children? If so, how many kids do each of you want?
2. How far along into your marriage do you want to have kids?
3. Do you have certain financial or career goals you want to achieve before starting a family?
4. What is your philosophy on raising children?
5. How will you discipline your children? Which of you is more likely to be the disciplinarian? Are you comfortable with that role?
6. Who will be responsible for changing diapers?
7. Who will be responsible for getting up in the middle of the night?
8. What if your child has special needs?
9. Do you want to educated your children in public or private schools?
10. Do you like the way you were raised? What would you do differently?
11. What is your belief on childcare? How will you finance it?
12. Describe what you hope your parenting style will be in one word.
13. Do you believe one parent should stay at home after you have children? Which parent would it be?
14. Will you support each other’s decisions in front of the children, even if you disagree?
15. How will having children change the amount of time you spend with your friends?
16. How will you pay for major expenses such as education or cars for your children? Or will you expect the children to help or pay for those completely?
A baby or babies will change your relationship and marriage….. they are a BIG responsibility and need both parents to thrive, so hopefully these questions will give you and your fiance’ some clarity.
As always, if you want to read the full article, please pick up your copy of Jacki Allen’s Kentucky Bride Magazine online – at Joseph-Beth - at Barnes & Noble - at Wedding Wonderland - at Bluegrass Bride and many other fabulous wedding professionals throughout central Kentucky.
please leave your comments or feel free to email us anytime to jaime@jackiallen.com with Taboo Topics as the subject
celebrate your love…..
With only two more weeks (after today) of taboo topics left, it seems that things are getting “deeper” but if you want a fabulous marriage….you need to know these things, right?
Last week, we discussed children (unborn, between you and your new hubby) BUT what if one of you already has a child from another marriage? This is a “taboo topic” that needs to be discussed…and here are the questions that need to be asked…
CHILDREN FROM ANOTHER MARRIAGE
1. Will you include the children in your wedding ceremony?
2. Where will the children live? How much time will you spend with them?
3. Who will establish the rules for the stepchildren? Who will discipline them?
4. How will you financially support the stepchildren?
5. Do you expect the stepchildren to call you mom or dad? How do you want them to address you? How will you address them to other friends and family in your life?
6. Will the stepchildren change your feelings about having children of your own?
7. To what extent should the stepchildren be included in your family? Will they go on holidays with you? Church? Vacation?
8. What concerns do you have about stepchildren?
9. Will you make decisions concerning the stepchildren jointly or will the decisions be made by their blood relative?
We hope these questions will help start this VERY important conversation…. I know it will be tough, but it will be so worth it in the end.
To read the full article, please pick up your copy of Jacki Allen’s Kentucky Bride Magazine online – at Joseph-Beth – at Barnes & Nobles – at Wedding Wonderland - at Bluegrass Bride and many other fabulous wedding professionals throughout central Kentucky.
please leave your comments or feel free to email us anytime to jaime@jackiallen.com with Taboo Topics as the subject
celebrate your love…..
So, how did you do with the topic of children (and step children?)….. hopefully all went well and now you have a better understanding of how your marriage will work once children become a part of your life (or if you choose not to have children).
As you know, these are TABOO TOPICS and what are the three subjects that cause fights and most people avoid until they absolutely have to talk about them…. money; religion and her (the ex)! Well, lucky for you, we will NEVER have you discuss an EX with your fiance – they are EX’s for a reason – right?
BUT, we will ask you to discuss money and religion…. in fact, we’ve kept the best for last! This week, we will discuss money and next week (our final week) will be discussing the oh so touchy subject of religions. So, sit down, grab of glass of your favorite drink and let’s get started.
MONEY! With the way our economy is…it needs to be discussed! No question about that! This could be a tough week to get through with these questions because money is on everyone’s mind right now. Either if you need it, don’t know what to do with it, save it, spend it or hate the topic…it’s money and it’s a part of daily life! These are some questions that may take a while to get through so save time for this taboo topic…
1. What’s your philosophy about money?
2. Who will decide where it is spent?
3. Who will pay the bills?
4. Will each of you have discretionary cash?
5. How much of your income will you save?
6. Where will you invest your money?
7. Do either of you have outstanding debt?
8. How do you feel about credit cards?
9. Do you view money as ‘yours and mine’ or ‘ours’?
10. Do you feel your value in the relationship is tied to how much money you earn?
11. If one of you doesn’t have an income, do they still have a day in financial decisions?
12. Will household responsibilites be balanced despite how much money each of you earns?
13. If one of you takes time off work, is the other comfortable being the sole financial provider for the family?
14. Are you comfortable in a relationship where the woman earns more money than the man?
15. Do you consider yourself a saver or a spender?
16. Will there be a prenuptial agreement?
17. Will you discuss major purchases with each other before making them?
18. Will you reserve part of your income for charitable contributions?
19. Would you be willing to accept help from your parents if you were in financial trouble?
20. If your parents or other family members wer having finacnial difficulty, would you help them financially?
Whew! That will bring a lot of disscussion! Once more, it is important to discuss money because its hard for two people to have the same feelings about each purchase that is made…talking to your fiance’ now about the subject will be more benefical then waiting!! (and you can get it over with!)
To read the full article, please pick up your copy of Jacki Allen’s Kentucky Bride Magazine online – at Joseph-Beth – at Barnes & Nobles – at Wedding Wonderland - at Bluegrass Bride and many other fabulous wedding professionals throughout central Kentucky.
please leave your comments or feel free to email us anytime to jaime@jackiallen.com with Taboo Topics as the subject
celebrate your love…..
This is the last week and we have saved the most taboo topic for the end! Why not go out with a bang? As mentioned in last week’s post … we will be discussing RELIGION! No matter what “everyone” says …. please discuss religion. Even if this topic is hard for you to bring up, this is a subject that plays an important role to some and a not-so-important to others – either way, your future spouse should know where you stand on this topic.
Without further ado…..
1. Do you believe in God? Heaven and hell?
2. How large of a role does religion play in your life? Do you attend religious ceremonies regularly?
3. Does your partner understand your beliefs?
4. Do you respect each others beliefs?
5. Do you expect your fiance’ to convert to your religion?
6. Will you be disappointing anyone if you change your religious practices?
7. Do you think religion should be practiced as a family or as an individual?
8. If you have children, will you raise them religiously? In which faith?
9. Are your families going to respect your religious decisions?
10. How do you feel about circumcision?
YOU HAVE MADE IT! The taboo topics are over! No matter how hard these last nine weeks have been…we hope you feel that you know your fiance’ better than ever. These are very difficult questions that we have asked you to bring up but we feel that these questions over the past nine weeks will bring you closer as a couple. These are topics that are not easily brought up and we commend you for doing this. We wish you and your fiance’ nothing but the best and hope the Taboo Topics were helpful (and not to “taboo”)!
And remember, to read the full article, please pick up your copy of Jacki Allen’s Kentucky Bride Magazine online – at Joseph-Beth – at Barnes & Nobles – at Wedding Wonderland - at Bluegrass Bride and many other fabulous wedding professionals throughout central Kentucky.
Celebrate your love (and the fact that you know your fiance’ better than you did 9 weeks ago!) ….
Okay ladies (and gents)…. I apologize we haven’t blogged in a few days (five to be exact) but we are back… yeah! Ashley (office mgr), SaraLain (intern), Erika (intern) and I (jaimeson) have been busy, busy lately with our FABULOUS brides and just getting the office in order while the boss (jacki) is taking some vacation time….. so jealous of her right now!
Anyways, stay close as we have about three posts coming today and tomorrow…. so let’s get started!!!!
Ashley was gracious enough to attend a bridal show at Equestrian Woods this past weekend in my absence. Equestrian Woods holds this event once a year for their members and brides having an event at their location…. so everyone attending (vendor wise) all received a 6 foot table…. below is what we did with our table…. cute huh?
WELL, we had a FABULOUS door prize, but unfortuneately they didn’t give any of them out….. boo hoo!
SO, we decided to do a contest on the BLOG….. yeah!
Here’s the skinny (as they say)…..
* what you win (which everyone wants to know)…. 100 DOLLARS to spend at it’s so pretty! (this is not just $100 in favors, this is $100 TOTAL – so if your order is only $80 and shippping and taxes are $20, then you’re covered….. how fabulous is that?)
* go to it’s so pretty! and pick out your most favorite favor
* submit the photo of the favor and a 50 word (or less) description in our “comments” of this blog of why you like this favor, how you will use this favor or anything that will make us smile and maybe even *chuckle* (please leave email address so we may contact you if you are the lucky winner!)
* contest ends: wednesday, march 11th at 11:59pm
* we will post the winner on thursday, march 12th
Remember, it’s so pretty! has favors for every occassion….. weddings, bridal showers, birthdays, baby showers, ladies night…..
GOOD LUCK and we are sitting on the edge of our seats to read about your fabulous favor ideas!!!!
celebrate your love….
As mentioned before….. we love to help out our community!
Last weekend was no exception….
Kentucky Bride, LTD had a team in the first annual “Wish Bowl” to benefit the Lexington Make-A-Wish Foundation! The “Wish Bowl” was held on Sunday, March 1st at Southland Bowling Lanes in Lexington, Kentucky.
There were local celebrities, children who had received or waiting to receive “gifts” from the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and other individuals that wanted to help raise awareness and money for this fabulous organization (like Kentucky Bride)!
We had a BLAST! Good friends, good bowling and great cause…. what a way to spend a Sunday afternoon!
The Fab Four….. (l-r) Anna Johnson (Bluegrass Bride), Ana Crane-Simpson (Applied Cosmetic Services), Jaimeson Gann (Kentucky Bride), Susan Johnson (Bluegrass Bride)
Even though we didn’t all bowl on the same lane, we couldn’t go without a fabulous photo!
Sorry, no photo of the Kentucky Bride team (as I forgot my camera)….. so sad!
celebrate your life…..
Who’s ready for the next LADIES NIGHT????
Well, how about a night out with you, your bestie, and other brides just chit-chatting about WEDDINGS!!!!
Jacki’s next Mix & Mingle will be Thursday, March 19th at the fabulous Bluegrass Bride! see details below…
please RSVP to ashley at 859.271.1499 or ashley@jackiallen.com …. we want to make sure we have plenty of SWAG BAGS!!!!!
celebrate your love…..
So, if you are addicted to reading blogs like I am, then you have already learned that the mighty ol’ stamp will be going from a whopping 42 cents to 44 cents on May 11th, but I thought I would share a little extra info with you….
I won’t take credit for this (first seen by me in Martha Stewart weddings in Summer 2008) BUT I thought it was the perfect time to discuss since we are talking about postage…..
Did you know that you can have your wedding save the dates and wedding invitations mailed from any city in the nation? Did you also know that there are some cities named: Bliss, Darling, Romance and even Lovely (from Kentucky!).
Here’s what you need to do to have this “special delivery”: (again, all info from Martha Stewart)
* Enclose your stamped, addressed invitations (have them weighed in advance for proper postage) in a padded envelope or box, and include a note detailing your request.
* Address it to “PostMaster” followed by the name of the town, state and zip code (call before mailing) (all info below)
* Allow enough time for your invitations to be delivered, postmarked and remailed – ask the postmaster how long it will take.
Here are NINE Romantic Send-Offs from across the United States with their zip and phone (so you can confirm)
* Bliss, New York 14024 (585.322.7740)
* Bridal Veil, Oregon 97010 (503.695.2380)
* Darling, Mississippi 38623 (662.326.8408)
* Harmony, Rhode Island 02829 (401.949.2745)
* Kissimmee, Florida 34744 (407.846.0999)
* Loving, Texas 76460 (940.378.2259)
* Luck, Wisconsin 54853 (715.472.2079)
* Romance, Arkansas 72136 (501.556.5911)
* last but not least – my fave – LOVELY, KENTUCKY 41231 (606.395.5848)
So, how FABULOUS is this? What another fun way to give that personal touch to your wedding!
do you know of any other LOVELY cities in America ….. share them here…..
celebrate your love…..
Jacki and I just want to say THANK YOU for all of the fabulous comments for the it’s so pretty! $100 giveaway!
To see the post and all the comments, click here.
…… and the winner is ……
“My fiance and i are a young couple with a beautiful son and are in the process of finishing up college. That being said, we’ve definatly stretched out our budget as far as it possibly could go so favors weren’t even an option for us until i recieved your e-mail today !! With a glimmer of hope in my eyes i went to the website immediatly and did some ‘ dream shopping’ as i call it.. what i would think would be the perfect favor if we had the option. the perfect favor for our wedding i feel would be the Love grows plantable wildflower favors’ heart. Kevin and i have been saving up to make a donation to JDF foundation in everyone’s name for the wedding ( i have been a type 1 diabetic for 10 yrs now). so attatching a note to these favors just seems like a really sweet and elegent touch to let ppl know they contributed to a hope for the cure when they plant their flowers and watch them bloom . the link for the favor is http://itssopretty.0.kateaspenshops.com/product/growing-up-wildflower-seeds.html
.. i couldn’t quite figure out how to post a picture… thank you ! * erin young”
We liked all the comments…. and so to all you fabulous brides that chose an it’s so pretty! favor and didn’t win, please check your emails later today, as we will be sending you a special message!
stay posted as we had so much FUN with this giveaway that we are thinking of doing another ….
celebrate your love ….
If you’re a BRIDE (or even a wedding professional) reading this BLOG, then you also (or should) read Style Me Pretty’s BLOG ….. fabulous!
Abby Larson, the very talented creator of Style Me Pretty, states…. “I started Style Me Pretty….a chic blog for the style obsessed bride. As a blogger, I am forever in search of inspiration…whether it’s my grandfather’s sketches or my niece’s paintings, the perfect pair of ballet flats or a blush colored peony. There are no boundaries for inspiration just as there are no boundaries when it comes to Style Me Pretty.
Simply put, I write about all things beautiful. All things wedding. Everyday, I post my favorite finds, my latest loves…I try to create a place where creativity and ideas thrive, where you can find weddings that eliminate the walls of tradition and focus instead on the unique personalities of brides and grooms everywhere. And in the midst of all the beautiful pictures and the beautiful weddings, my only hope is that I will inspire you in some small way, to translate that perfect picture in your head into a day that will make you smile for years to come.”
Who wouldn’t want to be a part of Style Me Pretty …. even if only as a reader.
Well, Abby has a section on Style Me Pretty called “Little Black Book” which are her TOP PICKS from across the United States. She only picks three companies in each category in each state (or their city)…. AND Kentucky was just added to this fabulous Little Black Book!!!
The best news….. they have asked jacki, wedding planner to be a member ….. and we are *oh so honored*!
So, go check out Style Me Pretty and all the fabulous Little Black Book vendors and let us know what you think!
celebrating our company…..
In honor of Saint Patrick’s Day, we at Kentucky Bride, are wearing GREEN and looking at fabulous IRISH weddings…. since we (jacki and jaimeson) are part Irish, we absolutely adore hearing about Irish weddings – Irish wedding traditions – seeing Irish wedding bands (see fabulous ring below) and so much more…..
some of our favorite photos of the day are below….. (photography by Deirdre Langan Photography)
celebrate your love…..
Jacki and I just found out this morning that Acres of Land Winery’s Restaurant had a FIRE early Saturday morning. We certainly want to extend our sympathy and well wishes to Tina Orr, Lowell & Katherine Land!
This fire DID NOT affect their wedding location, but none the less…. the Restaurant was gorgeous (converted tobacco barn) and will be a huge loss for the winery. As mentioned in the Herald-Leader, “the Land’s will rebuild in some form, but in the meantime, sales and tastings will move into the wine production building. There will continue to be vineyard tours and wagon rides and even weddings, though he might have to hire an outside caterer.”
If you are having a wedding/reception at Acres of Land Winery, PLEASE do not stress, as Tina Orr and the Land’s have everything under control and will ensure that this does not effect your special day. If you are thinking of having your wedding at this beautiful location, please do not hesitate to go out and visit them….. they are wonderful to work with and have such fabulous views for your Kentucky wedding! (see photos on their website here)
We wish the best for Lowell and Katherine Land and the whole Acres of Land Winery….
Love – Love – Love – this fabulous little blog: Snippet & Ink
Snippet & Ink is a daily wedding inspiration blog that I have come to Love!
You will see color combos – inspiration boards – fabulous quotes – and so much more….. check them out!
celebrate your love …
As the wedding season is approaching fast, and you are making the endless last minute purchases and final payments on your contracts, we just want to make sure that you remember your tips in your budget…
Now, some of you will automatically say, “I signed a contract and that’s what they are getting paid – no tips” and others will say, “Oh my goodness, I didn’t realize that tipping on weddings was customary”. Well, we (at jacki, wedding planner) feel that tipping certain members of your wedding team is customary and warranted.
Please take the following information as suggestions….
WHO – Hair/make up artist day of
HOW MUCH – 15 – 20% (depending on if they come to your location)
DIST BY – Wedding Planner (if you don’t have a wedding planner, I would recommend you ask one person to be responsible for distributing your “appreciation”)
WHO – Musicians for ceremony
HOW MUCH – 10% of fee
DIST BY – Wedding Planner
WHO – Musicians/DJ for reception
HOW MUCH – $25 – $50 per member
DIST BY – Wedding Planner
WHO – Wait Staff and Bartenders for your event
HOW MUCH – $20 per person (FYI – we recommend that you check with your caterer/venue to double check the “18% service fee” that is on your contract – this is NOT always given to the wait staff as a tip and simply just an added fee – so you will want to make sure that your servers are taken care of)
DIST BY – Wedding Planner will give all envelopes to Head Chef or Maitre de at end of evening
WHO – Head Chef or Maitre de
HOW MUCH – Flat Fee …. we recommend $100 or more
DIST BY – Wedding Planner at end of evening
WHO – Limousine or Specialty Vehicle
HOW MUCH – 15-20% of total bill
DIST BY – Wedding Planner
WHO – Parking atendants for Valet Parking
HOW MUCH – $1.50 – $2.00 per car
DIST BY – Wedding Planner at end of evening
TIPS on TIPPING:
* Have all Tips in seperate envelopes that are clearly marked with which vendor they go to.
* Have ONE person responsible for distributing all of your tips…. (i.e. wedding planner, maid of honor, someone that needs a “job” for your wedding because you can’t leave them out, etc.)
* Have all Tips and Envelopes ready at least THREE DAYS before your wedding … we recommend a minimum of three days because this is when your out of town guest start to arrive – you start “stressing” over every little detail (unless you have a planner!) – you are putting your final touches on any projects that you are doing yourself – you have the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner – and we want you to be as prepared as possible so you don’t stress over the small stuff…
Side note – these are just recommendations that Jacki and I would make to our bride – please feel free to use this information as you please.
We would love to hear your thoughts on this topic…. please feel free to leave your comments.
celebrate your love …
Most, if not all of you that follow this blog are most likely members of Facebook! We would love to be your friend on facebook…. we have three pages – Kentucky Bride Ltd – Jacki Allen – Jaimeson Gann … come check us out!
The same individuals that are members of Facebook, probably also use twitter. I’ll be honest with you – Jacki and I are not sure about the whole “twitter” phenomenon …. so we would like to hear what you think….
* How many of you “twitter” yourself?
* How many of you follow other “twitters”?
* Would you be interested in following Jacki and I?
* How often would you like to hear from us on “twitter”? once a day – twice a day – more, etc.
Jacki and I want to make sure that we are offering YOU (wheather you are a bride, mother of a bride, other wedding professional, or just anyone who LOVES weddings) the best of the best …. which we’ve tried to do through jacki, wedding planner - Kentucky Bride Magazine - Kentucky Bride Bridal Show and our blog….
so please leave your comments here or contact me directly at jaime@jackiallen.com …. we’d love to hear from you!
celebrate your life …
How many of you are sick of giving the same ol’ groomsmen gifts? the infamous flask … the tried and true personalized money clip … etc.
And, I’m sure that some of you have thought about getting nice cuff links for your gents …. BUT – have you thought about getting them cuff links that they will actually wear? what about these …
and last but not least … for the gent who is always nervous …
all of these fabulous cuff links can be found at www.cufflinks.com and prices range from $50 – $150 (for the pair).
i had a blast looking at all the options … hope you enjoy!
celebrate your life …
{Jacki founded the Kentucky Bride Association – KBA – over six years ago to bring wedding professionals together. Jacki believes in coopetition, not competition…. let’s be honest – we can’t plan every wedding – one photographer can’t shoot every wedding, etc…. so why not get to know your peers and be able to make good, ethical, recommendations to brides if you are unable to help them.}
We hosted our first KBA meeting of the year last night at Doubletree Guest Suites in Lexington, KY.
First, let me mention Doubletree Guest Suites…. FABULOUS! We worked directly with Tasha Davis and she was very friendly and helpful. BUT, let me tell you about the “lobby” if you can even call it that…. BEAUTIFUL! If you have not been to Doubletree, then please go visit for yourself. When you walk in, you will feel that you have stepped into New Orleans…. there are bright, beautiful colors – balaconies overlooking the “lobby” – fabulous pavers for the flooring…. and we haven’t even stepped into the ballrooms yet. Once in the ballrooms, you will see fabulous crystal chandeliers, plush custom carpet and trey ceilings. Click HERE to learn more….
For the March KBA meeting, we discussed the 2008 American Wedding Study (just released two weeks ago). We also had wonderful conversation concerning what trends and brides are doing in central Kentucky … fabulous meeting all around!
First, I’d like to tell you a few of the stats from the American Wedding Study, then I’d like to let you know who attended the fabulous meeting.
2008 American Wedding Study HIGHLIGHTS
March 2009 KBA attendees
Please go visit Doubletree and all the other wonderful wedding professionals that are members of the Kentucky Bride Association – tell them jacki and jaimeson referred you!
celebrate your life …
As the saying goes …. “Put a little Play in your Day”
jaimeson, with her daughter, heather grace – playing a little piano at the Lexington Children’s Museum
celebrating our life …
The latest trend in celebrating your BFF’s “last night of freedom” has become a weekend getaway! When once, a Bachelorette Party {drunken night on the town} would be sufficient – it has become clear that the fabulous brides of today, like to get away {road trip}!
So, in honor of these lovely ladies, we have picked a few fabulous finds from it’s so pretty!
First up – the traditional shot glass…. BUT personalized in the bride’s honor. You could also use as a votive holder
Next, how about this fabulous photo album {can even fit in your purse} that can be personalized as well …. what a better place to keep your weekend memories!
Finally, and one of our faves … this adorable high heeled luggage tag … love it!
we hope you have a fabulous ladies weekend ….. we’d love to hear what you’re planning … vegas? spa weekend? beach? snow skiing?
celebrate with your ladies …
Jacki and I had the pleasure of attending the April ABC meeting in Louisville, KY at the lovely Marriott Downtown Hotel.
Essential Details was the gracious host and decorators!
Topic: Trends we are seeing from Brides in our region
Panel: Jessica Powell, Owner of Vogue Vision Photography – Sherry Cook, Master Florist at Blooms – Audrey Petty, Director at Essential Details - Richard Ayson, Director of Catering at Marriott Lousiville Downtown
It was so great to catch up with other planners that we haven’t seen in a while and meet some new vendors as well.
Here are some photos from the day:
don’t you just LOVE the green vase … we do!
At the recent Association of Bridal Consultant meeting, BLOGS were the topic of some of our conversations. We love to have our own blogs and read others. One of the comments I heard, was that we didn’t have enough of our events with photos on our blog … SO, here goes …. {weddings, anniversaries, parties, non-profits, etc} we will try to show highlights of most of our fabulous events from 2008 within the next few months.
We had the pleasure of decorating a stall for the 2008 Freedom Fest with proceeds benefiting the Woodford Humane Society. The theme for 2008 was the Monarch Butterfly. Vendors: Kentucky Bride {design, photos, linens, fans, chargers, “doggy bags”, chairs, etc.}, Bluegrass Bride {gorgeous wedding gown, two bridesmaid dresses, butterfly cookies for the “doggy bags”, etc.}, E. Stephen Hein Florist {all florals, grapevine and ivy for the “ceiling”, fabulous grapevine horse, etc.}
As wedding season begins in the Bluegrass {Jacki and I have our first fabulous wedding of the season this Saturday, April 18th} we wanted to mention a FABULOUS vendor … Purdon’s Rental!!!
In the Bluegrass, we have such lovely venues – especially all the outdoor venues {my fave}! If you are having an outdoor wedding and in Kentucky, then you might want to consider having a tent – especially with our “surpise – it’s raining/snowing/sunny” weather! Tents aren’t only practical…. they can be beautifully decorated …. hanging chandeleirs, asain paper ball lights, amazing lighting {my fave} and so much more.
here are a few pics for reference….
… this is a tent we put up in Bluegrass Bride’s parking lot for their store Grand Opening Gala {photo by jacki, weddingplanner} …
… full view of the tent used for the Bluegrass-Bride Grand Opening {photo by jacki, wedding planner} …
… lovely tent at night over the “tennis court” at the fabulous Headley-Whitney Museum for one of our wonderful weddings {photo by red tree photography} …
Purdon’s Rental is not just a tent company … they can handle all your rental needs – from tables, chairs, silverware, linens, chair covers, dance floors, and so much more. Mary Ellen {Purdon’s wedding specialist} is the sweetest – and will help you with everything!
visit their website – visit their showroom {2390 Woodhille Drive, Lexington} - just visit them and see how they can help you – {please tell them jacki and jaimeson sent you}
enjoy planning …
As the old saying goes … “April Showers Bring May Flowers” … we think it is certainly the case this year! Do you think we had enough rain in April? I mean, did it even stop for a three day stretch? But, because of the glorious showers, we have been blessed with some amazing flowers here in the Bluegrass.
Here are a few shots of fabulous flowers around central Kentucky right now … enjoy …
… beautiful purple spring beauties from Pikeville, KY …
…. beautiful spring blossom from Northern, KY ….
And here are some of our favorite bouquets from around central Kentucky … enjoy …
{photo credit: left – cover of Kentucky Bride Magazine, photo by Karen Powell Photography – top right: one of our fabulous bride’s bouquet, photo by Todd Pellowe - bottom right: one of our fabulous bride’s bouquet, photo by Redtree Photography}
What are some of your fave flowers … colors … short and tight bouquet … long, loose and cascading bouquet … your options are endless! We’d love to hear your faves ….
celebrate your life …
This weekend is “opening day” if you will, for our fabulous wedding season! We are super excited that this day has come {but i’m sure not as much as the bride}!
here’s a quick photo of the WELCOME BAGS that we created for all of her out of town guests … the bride decided to do “mini” bags since most of her guests were coming by plane – and some from out of the country – so that they could either use the items while they were in town, or be able to take with them … fabulous …
we have included all “Kentucky Proud” items … right down to the three “recipes” the bride’s wonderful sister-in-law whipped up for the bags. what could be better for your our of state guests, than to receive a bit of Kentucky tradition and show off how fabulous this state truly is.
stay posted to view more details from this AMAZING wedding … starting Monday!
celebrate your love …
WOW!!! What a fabulous weekend! Jacki and I had our first wedding of the season, and it couldn’t have been a better start …. Congrats Susan and Tom!
If you don’t already know, we are ALL about the details. We love to bring the feel of a wedding together through small touches here and there. One of those being the stationary – for everything to coordinate. Susan had found her lovely invitation online and we coordinated all the other stationary pieces {welcome bag tags, weekend itinerary, programs, escort cards, menu cards} … with design, font, colors, etc all matching and completing her look throughout the wonderful wedding weekend!
please enjoy the photos to see Susan’s stationary ….
even if we are not your fabulous wedding planners, we would still be honored to bring all your stationary needs together…
celebrate your love …
Jacki and I love to help out charities whenever possible … {ones dearest to our heart are Melanoma and Hospice} …
So, when another wedding professional supports their charity, we like to share ….
Please visit Ian Lozada Photography’s blog to hear about Anna’s House and get all the details on how you can get a FREE two hour photo shoot ….
celebrate your love …
Jacki and I were so humbled and honored to have received this fabulous love letter from our blushing bride from this past Saturday! We wanted to share with you, as sometimes only BRIDES can put it best as to how much a wedding planner can help them.
enjoy …
“Hi Jacki!
All I can say is wow. The whole weekend was so unbelievably perfect. It exceeded not only my expectations but anything I could have dreamed of. Everything was amazing – the food, flowers, trees, lighting (J), music, service, the cake, Marcus and Ana, I just can’t thank you enough. I know I’m forgetting things to thank you for. The pictures on the table leading into the tent, the name cards, the programs, the itineraries and gift bags and everything! All of your staff are amazing. Jaime of course and Erika being the ones I dealt with the most. I know you know how amazing Jaime is but wanted to say it anyway! She is always happy, supportive, has everything under control, has great ideas and instills a sense that everything will be ok no matter what happens. Erika was also fantastic – she took care of the girls and the guys the day of like an expert. She ran and got my sister-in-law and niece food, if anyone had a question she answered it and if she didn’t know the answer she immediately found the answer. She was always there when we needed her and also completely unobtrusive during emotional moments. I can’t go on enough about either of them.
When I started the wedding planning process, I originally thought I could have planned it on my own if I was in Lexington rather than in Bermuda. There is absolutely no way the weekend would have been anything close to what it was without your help, regardless of where I was living at the time of the planning! The horse farm tours and Woodford tour and lunch could not have been more perfect and everything the day of the wedding went so smoothly I don’t think I ever got nervous about anything. The next morning’s brunch and Keeneland also went off without a hitch, even given the horrible weather! (We got so lucky with the weather on Friday and Saturday!)
Jacki I could write this thank you for hours but for now I’ll stop here. I’m sure I’ll write you again to thank you again!!! Tom and I both are still on such a high. Thank you so much for making our weekend more than I could have dreamed of.
All the best, Susan”
{wiping tears} THIS is why we plan weddings … to fulfill our Bride’s dreams and exceed their expectations.
here’s a teaser picture of this fabulous wedding …
… how lovely!
love celebrated ….
Jacki and I are OFF TO THE RACES …
We want to soak in the sunshine – chit chat with some old friends – watch the gorgeous thoroughbreds race to the finish line – and just enjoy one of the fabulous traditions of Kentucky … Keeneland!
photo courtesy of keeneland.com
We would not be true Kentuckians if we didn’t mention certain “traditions” on our blog …
there is UK Basketball {and even recently UK Football – meaning the tailgaiting} … Keeneland … Bourbon … Mint Juleps … Blue Mondays … and of course, the KENTUCKY DERBY!
Congrats to MINE THAT BIRD {we love the underdog}!
and of course, we couldn’t leave without showing one of our favorite hats of the Kentucky Derby … not only is it large and unique, it’s GREEN our company color!
photos by kentuckyderby.com
what are some of your favorite derby moments and/or kentucky traditions?
celebrating kentucky …
What an amazing bride, Susan … what an amazing couple, Tom and Susan … what an amazing LOVE story, theirs … what an amazing wedding! We are oh so blessed to have the very best brides, and Susan was no exception. Susan, who grew up in Lexington but currently lives in Bermuda {not too shabby}, wanted to incorporate items from both Kentucky and Bermuda for her out of town, out of state and out of country guests. Tom and Susan have such a wonderful family and group of friends that they wanted everyone to feel extra special and get a true sense of who they are as a couple and to get a true feel of the Bluegrass. So, Tom and Susan decided to have a weekend celebration with family and friends to enjoy everyone without being rushed, visit some of the best places in Kentucky and to throw a wedding in the mix …. we had a blast coming up with ideas and planning this mini venture!
here are some pictures from the photographer we hired to shoot this fabulous wedding {Danelle Alexis Photography}
this last photo shows exactly what every planner strives to have their couple feel … happiness!
words from the lovely bride, Susan, on this POST
more photos coming from Susan’s photographer, RedTree Photography
celebrating Tom and Susan’s love …
CONGRATULATIONS on your recent wedding or engagement! You must be so excited!! If you are like most brides, you can’t wait to place an announcement to tell everyone you are now MRS. or a Soon-to-be MRS.!! How would you like your announcement to appear in a bridal magazine that covers the entire state of Kentucky? Jacki Allen’s Kentucky Bride Magazine is now offering special spotlight areas where you can show off your dream wedding, or tell us just how your fiance’ proposed. This is SO MUCH better than the newspaper.
If you are interested in receiving more information on how to spotlight your engagement or wedding in the next issue of Jacki Allen’s Kentucky Bride Magazine, simply send us an email to ashley@jackiallen.com and put Spotlight Wedding/Engagement in the subject line. You will be sent an Engagement/Wedding Spotlight form that will tell you exactly what you will be receiving when you announce your engagement or wedding in Kentucky’s leading bridal magazine!
Reply today! The deadline to reserve your space in Kentucky Bride Magazine is Monday, May 4th! We can’t wait to hear from you!
Dates to Remember:
Space Reservation: Monday, May 4th
Photo Submission: Friday, May 15th
Magazine Release: Sunday, July 12th at the Kentucky Bride Bridal Show
showcase your love …
When you were a bride-to-be, wouldn’t it have been amazing to have a veteran bride to turn to for advice? Well, that’s exactly what we’re planning for the Fall edition of Kentucky Bride Magazine. We invite you to share your thoughts to the questions below in order to help our readers make informed decisions about their special day. Those responses that run in the magazine will receive a $50.00 gift certificate to it’s so pretty! - use your gift for birthday party favors, shower favors or any special occasion. The deadline to submit responses via e-mail is Monday, May 4th. Please also attach your favorite wedding photo or a recent headshot.
Just simply answer these questions in an e-mail submitted to me, personally, at jacki@jackiallen.com with Bride’s Advice as the subject line … have fun …
1. What did you worry about the most in terms of your wedding that ended up not being that relevant on your big day?
2. What is the one thing you wish you had done for your wedding that you didn’t?
3. What was your favorite wedding day experience?
4. How did Jacki Allen’s Kentucky Bride Magazine help in planning your wedding?
5. What is the best piece of advice you can give to a bride-to-be?
Thank you so much for sharing!
The new issue of Kentucky Bride Magazine will be available July 12th at the Kentucky Bride Bridal Show, then online and newsstands throughout Kentucky.
kindly …
How fabulous would these PB & J CUPCAKES be for your casual rehersal dinner – bridal shower – gift for the kiddies – any excuse really? … thanks to Chandelier Events and StaceyCakes …. see their blog posts below….
Listen up, sweettooths! My dear friend Stacey Shapiro of Brooklyn’s StaceyCakes has introduced me to the best treat since Tiramisu…the PB&J cupcake!
That’s right: this Park Slope-mama-meets-gourmet took this classic 1940’s lunch staple into what she dubs a “perfectly delicious new “old school” experience.” Vanilla cake is injected with real grape jelly topped with creamy peanut butter vanilla frosting–and she’s even sharing her StaceyCakes recipe with mini-Martha’s like you…
StaceyCakes Peanut Butter & Jelly Cupcakes
12 of your favorite vanilla cupcakes
peanut butter- 1/2 cup (or more depending on how peanut buttery you like it)
butter-1 stick unsalted, soft
vanilla-1 tsp.
confectioners sugar- 2 1/2 cups
light cream -1/4 cup
your favorite grape jelly (or any other flavor you prefer)- 1/2 cup or so–enough to fill a dozen cupcakes
Place butter & peanut butter in a mixing bowl, add 1 1/2 cups sugar, then light cream and then the vanilla. Mix on medium until smooth & creamy. Gradually add remaining sugar and if needed a touch more light cream. Then add more peanut butter to taste if you like.
Put grape jelly in a pastry bag with injecting tip and inject grape jelly into middle of cupcakes (this was the fun part!). Then frost cupcakes with peanut butter frosting then eat & enjoy (this was the most fun part!).
… thanks for sharing StaceyCakes
if any of you are brave enough to bake these oh so sweet cupcakes, please let us know how they turn out {and we don’t mind to be your taste testers 
} … enjoy …
MAY 11, 2009 -
Today’s the Day of the infamous Postage Increase from 42 cents to 44 cents!
see our previous POST … where we talk about the increase, but also about some fabulous cities in America where you can mail your save the dates and invitations from, that give a special “Lovely” touch to your wedding!
as you know, it’s all about the details for jacki and i, so not only do we love you mailing your invites from those fabulous cities, but why not make your new 44 cent stamps personal and unique – just like you!
photo by: stamps.com
OR, why not have some fun with your Bachelorette Party, Bridal Shower or just any part of your fabulous wedding! another fabulous stamp site is zazzle.com
… would you consider getting personalized stamps?
… would you mail your invites from one of these “Darling” cities in America?
celebrate your love …
For all you fabulous brides having SUMMER weddings, we’d like to offer these last minute tips to help your day run smoothly and have your guests truly feel welcome …
… in the restrooms, you should provide sunscreen, bug screen, deodorant and a little perfume/cologne
… have umbrellas on stand by {just in case}
… provide ice cold water for your guests as they are seated to your outdoor ceremony
… if there is to be alot of walking from ceremony to cocktails to reception, then we suggest you invest the $300 – $400 for a golf cart {your elderly and disabled guests will REALLY appreciate you thinking of them} and they may stay to enjoy your wedding a little longer since they won’t be so worn out by the sun and walking.
Tell us your SUMMER WEDDING TIP and you could win a $75 gift certificate to it’s so pretty!
Here’s the skinny (as they say)…..
* what you win (which everyone wants to know)…. 75 DOLLARS to spend at it’s so pretty! (this is not just $75 in favors, this is $75 TOTAL – so if your order is only $60 and shippping and taxes are $15, then you’re covered….. how fabulous is that?)
* go to it’s so pretty! and pick out your most favorite favor
* submit your fabulous SUMMER WEDDING TIP in the comment section {please leave email address so we may contact you if you are the lucky winner!}
* contest ends: friday, may 22nd at 11:59pm
* we will choose the winner randomly {so be creative and leave your TIP … even if you think it’s too predictible, sometimes those are the most memorable details}
* we will post the winner by monday, may 25th
Remember, it’s so pretty! has favors for every occassion….. weddings, bridal showers, birthdays, baby showers, ladies night…..
GOOD LUCK and we are sitting on the edge of our seats to read about your fabulous SUMMER WEDDING TIPS!!!!
celebrating summer weddings …
Okay ladies ….. with summer wedding season getting closer ….. we don’t want you to forget the most important “document” for your wedding {drum-roll} ….. MARRIAGE LICENSE
Since you ladies are so fabulous and busy planning the biggest day of your life, Kentucky Bride Magazine decided to do all the work for you!
here’s everything you need to know:
APPLYING FOR A MARRIAGE LICENSE IN KENTUCKY
RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT: You do not have to be a resident of Kentucky.
ID REQUIREMENT: Picture ID, such as Drivers License, and your Social Security card. Birth Certificate may be helpful.
PREVIOUS MARRIAGES: Most counties will require documentation to prove a previous marriage has been dissolved wither through death or divorce.
COVENANT MARRIAGE OPTION: No
WAITING PERIOD: No waiting period.
FEES: $35.50 – $36 approximately. Fee may vary from county to county. Cash, Certified Check, Cashier’s Check, or Money Order.
OTHER TESTS: None.
PROXY MARRIAGES: No.
COMMON LAW MARRIAGES: No.
OFFICIANTS: Any ordained or licensed clergymen who have been licensed in Kentucky to perform weddings, and justices of the peace. County judge/executive, fiscal court commissioners, justices and judges of the Court of Justice, retired or current.
MISCELLANEOUS: License is valid for thirty (30) days.
MORE INFORMATION: www.fayettecountyclerk.com … {or your local county clerks office}
We hope this information saved you a little time in your planning process … suggestion … spend the time we saved you on having an ice cream cone with your “honey” and just enjoy each other!
Please tell us: Helpful or Not? Want more? Suggestions?
happy planning …
Tom and Susan are our fabulous couple that got married in April 2009 … amazing!
We first introduced you to Tom and Susan, by sharing Susan’s “WOW” sweet thank you letter to jacki on this POST.
Then, we decided to show a few sneak peak photos on this POST.
Now, we would like you to see more photos of their wedding by Josh Perkins with Redtree Photography please visit his BLOG … Josh is wonderful to work with and has an eye for the “emotions” of the day – just fabulous!
Finally, we would love for all of you to see PART THREE of Tom and Susan’s wedding in the FALL 2009 issue of Jacki Allen’s Kentucky Bride Magazine, which will be at the Kentucky Bride Bridal Show and on newstands July 12, 2009!
enjoy ….
Ladies and Gents ….
Jacki Allen’s Kentucky Bride is GROWING, we have moved locations!
Our new mailing address is:
1031 Wellington Way, Suite 155
Lexington, KY 40513
You can still reach us by phone at 859.271.1499, but our new FAX number is 859.368.9152.
We’re anxious to share with you more about how we’re growing here at Jacki Allen’s Kentucky Bride. We are still organizing and adding a few finishing touches to our new home, but we will be in touch soon to give you all the details! If you need us for anything, please do not hesitate to send us an email or give us a call. We would LOVE to hear from you!
Thank you again for your support and patience throught this move. We truly appreciate it!
kindly -
Jacki Allen, President
Jaimeson Gann, Vice President
Julie Wilson, Editor-in-Chief
Ashley Goodrich, Office Manager
And all of our fabulous interns and sales representatives!
Our very own JACKI will be on national radio tomorrow …. we are oh so excited!
Here’s the details….
* Thursday, May 14th at 3:20 pm
* Skin Health “TODAY” is an internet radio show that airs every Thursday at 3 p.m. EST on World Talk Radio and www.skinhealthtoday.com.
* The show is hosted by skin care guru Celeste Hilling!
* Jacki will now be listed as one of their “experts” and is the only Wedding Planner in the Nation to be associated with Skin Health “TODAY” …. what an honor!
* The show will focus on looking great for your wedding …. including trends, accessories, tips, and much more.
So, please check out jacki on Thursday, May 14th at 3:20pm on www.skinhealthtoday.com – we would love the support.
kindly …
Jacki and Jaimeson hosted the Association of Bridal Consultants, Kentucky Members, May 2009 meeting at THE Castle Post! How exciting is that?
If you’re not familiar with The Castle Post, please go HERE.
As you can imagine, anyone and everyone who has lived in Kentucky wants to get inside of THE CASTLE. Well, Jacki and I were asked to tour the facility a few months back … which we thoroughly enjoyed. Then, our state coordinator, Elisa MacKenzie with Elegant Events by Elisa, sent out an email to all KY Members asking for unique locations and topics to hold an ABC Meeting. Well, of course Jacki and I said – THE CASTLE!
This needed to be a SPECIAL meeting, so we decided to come up with some unique touches (as you see below). The topic for the day was National and Local Statistics and Trends that we are seeing in our Industry, despite what the doom and gloom News Anchors are saying. There were over 40 guests in attendance and we all had a fabulous time networking, touring the CASTLE and of course, talking WEDDINGS!
Here are some DETAIL photos from our meeting:
* this is the side entrance into the castle …
* when the fabulous ABC-KY Members arrived, we greeted them with a welcome bag, that had the below items{except the gold frames – they were used to display the food dishes} …
* when everyone was seated in the main ballroom, there were three items waiting for them … the first being a nicely folded napkin with the day’s agenda … the second being a yummy chocolate covered strawberry with a tag stating “life’s short … eat dessert first” … and finally, they all received a fairytale carriage candle from it’s so pretty! {honestly, how many venues can you really use this favor} …
There are many people that Jacki and I would like to THANK for helping make this meeting FABULOUS!
* Dana Martin with The Castle Post … We really enjoyed working with you and for your graciousness to host the ABC-KY Members
* Executive Chef Cameron Irvin with The Castle Post … the signature cocktails, the food, the staff – everything was amazing!
* E. Stephen Hein Florist … the centerpieces were beautiful!
* And finally, our fabulous staff of helpers – you ROCK!
hoping everyone has a “happily ever after” …
We {Jacki, Jaimeson, Julie, Sara Lain, LaNeisha} held our first photo shoot for 2009 for Jacki Allen’s Kentucky Bride Magazine! We can’t wait for the FALL 2009 issue to come out … so exciting!
BUT – until then, we thought we would show you a few pics of the day {only three, as the photographer and I have agreed to keep all photos under “raps” as they say}
the following photos were taken by our fabulous intern, Sara Lain ….
Ian Lozada, the fabulous photographer for the shoot!
Jaimeson, steaming one of the models (Katie) dress …
Jacki, with one of our fabulous models – Shamea …
hope you enjoyed the “preview” … to get your current issue, please visit kentuckybridemagazine.com
Jacki is pleased to announce that Julie Wilson has taken the position of Editor-in-Chief for Kentucky Bride Magazine. Julie officially started May 4th and has been busy, busy, busy – since our Fall 2009 issue will be out July 12th at the Kentucky Bride Bridal Show.
I, {jaimeson}, hope to have Julie as a guest blogger – so much fun!
Below is a Press Release that was written on Julie’s behalf and I just wanted to share {as I am not the “editorial” guru of the group}
A PERFECT MARRIAGE OF TALENT AND EXPERIENCE
IS ACHIEVED AT JACKI ALLEN’S KENTUCKY BRIDE
Lexington Native Julie Wilson Brings More than a Decade of Experience to her Role as Editor-in-Chief
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A popular tool for Kentucky’s brides receives the icing on the cake. Veteran lifestyle journalist Julie Wilson brings 15 years of editorial and publishing experience to her role as Kentucky Bride’s new Editor-in-Chief.
“We are thrilled to have someone with Julie’s background and creativity leading the editorial direction of Kentucky Bride,” said Kentucky Bride Ltd. President Jacki Allen. “Julie’s wealth of lifestyle knowledge will help every Kentucky bride have the stress-free wedding of their dreams regardless of their budget or timeframe.”
Wilson is a University of Kentucky graduate who most recently was the executive editor for the award-winning Pulse, the magazine for the spa professional. Pulse is the magazine for members of the International SPA Association. Prior to that role, Wilson wrote about the packaged travel industry for Courier, the magazine for the members of the National Tour Association.
“It is so exciting to enhance my background in lifestyle writing and translate it into the thriving bridal market,” added Wilson. “Today’s brides are busy, budget-conscious, and they simply don’t have the time to wade through a mass of wedding information. At Kentucky Bride, we do the homework so that planning their big day is just as much fun for them as the wedding itself!”
Launched in August 2008, Kentucky Bride is currently a bi-annual publication. More details are available at www.kentuckybridemagazine.com.
About Kentucky Bride
Founded in 2008 by respected wedding planner Jacki Allen, Kentucky Bride helps brides-to-be learn many tricks of the trade even if carte blanche is not the reality. Based in Lexington, Kentucky Bride is an educational tool that covers everything from how to talk flowers with a florist to what is required to book a caterer. Available online at www.kentuckybridemagazine.com, Barnes & Noble and other locations across the state. Kentucky Bride is currently published in January and July.
WOW – that was written SO much better than I could’ve ever done … fabulous!
Just a reminder that the Summer Wedding Tips Giveaway {worth $75 from it’s so pretty!} has a deadline of this Friday, May 22nd.
click HERE to see the original post
hope you are having a fabulous spring …
AND THE WINNER IS … {drumroll please}
…. HEATHER
Heather’s Summer Wedding Tip … “My summer wedding tip is to provide fans…a cute idea is to make your program a fan. Guests can cool off and keep track of your ceremony at the same time.”
thanks so much for sharing, and we’ll be in touch soon so you can spend your $75 at it’s so pretty!
congrats …
We absolutely LOVE “outside the box” ideas and designs, so when I saw these fabulous boutonnieres, I fell in love!!!
… to learn more about the fabulous creator, Fritts Rosenow, simply click HERE …
… jaimeson’s favorites: row two, photo one {who doesn’t want to be a superhero} AND row four, photo two {gives off a little vegas feel} AND of course, row four, photo three {living in kentucky, there is always a special place for horses, simply classic} …
… we would love to know your favorites or even what you might design, so please take the time and share …
express yourself …
Since we are wedding planners, we see the importance of a planner every single day and at every single wedding. So, you may not feel that we are the best resource to tell you how fabulous a wedding planner is … BUT Style Me Pretty{a national wedding blog} has done a post on what they think …. check it out HERE.
We would love to hear your thoughts ….
WOW!!! June is already here … amazing!
So much has already happened in 2009 and so much more to happen before year end.
Here’s a recap of what’s we’ve been up to so far in 2009 …
* January Kentucky Bride Bridal Show
* Spring Issue Kentucky Bride Magazine
* Fabulous weddings with jacki, wedding planner
* Host Kentucky Bride Association Meetings
* Hosted and attended the May Association of Bridal Consultants Meeting
* Contest for it’s so pretty! gift certificates
* Hired an Editor-in-Chief, Julie Wilson, for Kentucky Bride Magazine
* Moved into bigger and better office space!
* On, and On, and On …. but we love every second of it!
Here’s some of what we have coming up for the rest of 2009 …
* Summer Kentucky Bride Bridal Show
* Fall Issue of Kentucky Bride Magazine
* More fabulous weddings and events with jacki, wedding planner
* Work on two non-profit events
* Give that extra special touch to our fabulous new offices
* Attend the Association of Bridal Consultant National Conference in Indy
* Host Kentucky Bride Association Meetings
* We want to meet new couples, vendors and everyone involved in the wedding industry …
So, how do we celebrate this “mid-year”??? With discounts of course ….
* $50 off your personalized order of sugarboo handmade designs frame … to design your personalized frame, click HERE, then call us at 859.271.1499 to place your order – easy as pie
* 10% off your it’s so pretty! order … simply click HERE, choose your favorite favors for your wedding, bridal shower, ladies night, birthday party or any special occasion, then put 3653TEN in at checkout {offer valid until June 30, 2009}
celebrate this summer …
As mentioned before, Jacki and I hosted the May Association of Bridal Consultants, Kentucky Members meeting at The Castle Post.
Our topic … the American Wedding Study.
To read the FAST FACTS, please visit our state coordinator, Elisa MacKenzie, Elegant Events by Elisa’s blog by clicking HERE.
Thank you Elisa for re-capping this meeting.
enjoy the fast facts about weddings today …
Okay ladies, I had to share this fabulous little note from Abby Larson, owner of Style Me Pretty …
“Dear Jaimeson:
We cordially invite you to visit Style Me Pretty’s brand new site.
After months of planning and hard work, Style Me Pretty has a beautiful new look and logo!
We’ll be emailing you very soon with specific new features you’ll enjoy as our preferred VIPs.
Please feel welcome to drop a congratulatory note to Abby and Tait Larson, who work so tirelessly to provide our readers with the most highly respected wedding website and vendor resource on the planet.
abby@stylemepretty.com
tait@stylemepretty.com
And a huge thank you as well to Eddye, Abby’s mother, who generously assists Abby with our Little Black Book Blog.
eddye@stylemepretty.com
Have a great week!”
Of course, I’ve already been over to Style Me Pretty’s new website this morning, and I must say – it is MARVELOUS (past fabulous, it’s Marvelous)! They have a new logo, new streamline design … as I always say, LESS IS MORE!
Check it out HERE …
enjoy …
As you know, we LOVE it’s so pretty! favors … they are fabulous!
Well, our good freinds over at Kate Aspen sent us a box of “goodies”! I know it is WEDDING SEASON, but these BABY SHOWER FAVORS were so adorable, I wanted to share ….
what do you think?
it’s so pretty! has over 50 baby themed favors – so, there’s something for everyone!
did you also know that it’s so pretty! has designs and favors for ALL of life’s special events, such as weddings, anniversaries, birthday’s, ladies night out, summer fun, holiday dinners, and just about anything you can think of …
head on over to it’s so pretty! and get some fabulous favors for your upcoming special events!
SPECIAL OFFER: 10% off with code 3653TEN {valid until June 30, 2009}
happy shopping … {and i would love to know what you get}
Do you ever see that photo – flower – couple – or anything … and just get inspired? well, this photo has done it for me …
photo from AT
what are you inspired by …
As you know, we, at Kentucky Bride, feel that weddings are still going strong here in the Bluegrass, but it is great to hear this on a National level … this is positive for the wedding industry as a whole!
Please read the below Press Release from Mintel …
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Christine Coombes
Mintel International
312-628-7946
ccoombes@mintel.com
Mintel finds weddings in a recession have fewer bells, all the bliss
Chicago (June 8, 2009)With the depressed economy looming over the heads of future brides and grooms, the question begs to be asked, will the big day still be perfect with recessionary cutbacks? A just-published focus group presentation and video from Mintel shows that while the economy is influencing wedding day choices, today’s brides and grooms still feel the joy of wedding bliss.*
America’s engaged couples are embracing tradeoffs for the big day with a “can do,” creative approach. Gone is the day of the starchy, traditional wedding; it is being replaced with a more intimate, personalized affair that paves the way for new traditions and humor.
“Seven out of 10 couples we talked to are planning their weddings with cautionary measures due to the economy,” notes Kat Fay, senior analyst at Mintel. “However, despite revised plans and cutbacks, couples still feel certain their wedding days will be memorable without portraying a sense of being scaled down.”
According to Mintel, many couples are trading in the elaborate wedding cake for individual cupcakes, replacing the DJ or band with an iPod docking station or nixing the full open bar for a beer and wine selection only. In addition, flowers are being replaced with balloons and less expensive decorations, Saturday weddings are being moved to Fridays or Sundays, and platinum wedding bands are being replaced by silver or white gold.
Despite the economy, happy couples still refuse to scale back on some wedding selections says Kat Fay: “Professional hair and make-up often stays in the budget to ensure beautiful photos, and while there are trade-offs, they are not at the expense of the enjoyment and comfort of family and guests. High quality food and drink, for example, remains a priority.”
A silver lining to marrying during a recession may be found on the home front. Several couples feel they will be able to purchase a home sooner than anticipated due to reduced home prices and lower mortgage rates. Because of this, many brides and grooms are foregoing the traditional bridal registry and replacing it with a simple request for cash.
Perhaps getting married during a recession really does remove the stress and fanfare of the big event and concentrates more on the idea of a “happily ever after.”
* To get the latest opinions and shared experiences of today’s brides and grooms, Mintel conducted qualitative focus group research from April-May 2009.
About Mintel
Mintel is a leading global supplier of consumer, product and media intelligence. For more than 35 years, Mintel has provided insight into key worldwide trends, offering unique data that directly impacts client success. With offices in Chicago, London, Belfast, Sydney, Shanghai and Tokyo, Mintel has forged a unique reputation as a world-renowned business brand. For more information on Mintel, please visit www.mintel.com.
###
what are your thoughts? do you feel that your wedding is feeling the heat from the recession? are you doing anything different because of the economy OR are you still going all out for your “day of a lifetime”?
we’d love to hear from you …
Jacki and I just LOVE, LOVE, LOVE new ideas for every part of weddings.
Save the Date Ideas …. (some of these are being used by our current brides)
* Luggage Tags – love this idea for weddings where at least 75% of the guests will be traveling.
* Photobooth Photos – going to a true “old” photo booth and holding up signs saying “we’re getting married” or “save the date” or anything that expresses you as a couple
* Maps – this is for the couple that travels or grew up cross country from each other or getting married in another state than they currently live
* Video – Homemade or by a Videographer … do a short film that plays out your love story or gives your guests a glimpse into the feel/theme of your wedding
This week, over on Brooklyn Brides BLOG, they are doing a whole series on SAVE THE DATES. You should definately check them out if you are having a “creative” block and want to be uniquely you!
Also, these HOMEMADE Save the Dates are pretty amazing as well {photo from Offbeat Bride}….
The ideas are endless …. please let us know your unique save the date {photos are ALWAYS welcome}
celebrate your love …
There is EXACTLY four weeks from today until our FABULOUS Kentucky Bride Bridal Show … we are oh so excited!!!
Our billboards are up all over central Kentucky … have you seen one?
Our television commercials will be starting soon ….
We are ALL over the web {kybride.com – getmarried.com – mywedding.com – wedalert.com and the list goes on and on}
We will be on local radio stations {where you could WIN FREE TICKETS to the show}
so, here’s the skinny …
WHO: ALL brides. grooms, mothers, besties, wedding professional
WHAT: Kentucky Bride Bridal Show
WHEN: Sunday, July 12th from 1:00 pm to 5:00pm
WHERE: Bluegrass Ballroom at Lexington Convention Center
WHY: because this is your time to shine, be the center of attention, and could potentially win some amazing door and GRAND prizes {such as a DJ for your reception, flowers for your reception, and much more} AND because you will be the first to get the FALL 2009 issue of Kentucky Bride Magazine for FREE
We hope to see you there …
We LOVE to help our community and to be a part of non-profit organizations around Lexington, around Kentucky and just any charity that betters the lives of others!
So far this year, we’ve been able to be a part of these fabulous organizations …
* Kentucky Law Enforcement Memorial Foundation
* The New Hope Haiti Mission
* Markey Cancer Foundation, Inc.
For the month of June {18th – 20th to be exact}, we will be a HALL OF FAME Sponsor for the NFL Players Association – Kentucky Chapter. Their mission statement is to identify and financially offer assistance to those organizations that enrich and enhance the lives of children in Central Kentucky. {wonderful cause} The NFL Players Association has a full weekend of events where they have a HALL OF FAME VIP PARTY, Kid’s Day at Nicholasville Aquatic Center, Golf Scramble, and Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at the Lexington Opera House. For more information, please contact Tammy Jones at 859.276.3488.
For July, we will be designing a stall for the 2009 Freedom Fest, with proceeds benefiting the Woodford Humane Society {much more on this in July}.
And, as always, in the fall, we are supporters of Hospice of the Bluegrass.
Are you supporting any local or national non-profit organizations? We would like to hear about them …
we absolutely LOVE these new stamps from USPS …
very fitting for wedding invitations and stationary …. makes me want to write a love note to my hubby and stick it in the mail just so i can use one of these stamps …
the whole page together is like a piece of art … we just adore them.
celebrate your love …
Fabulous reception photo via … The Bride’s Cafe
Flawlessly, Beautiful and never forgotten Audrey Hepburn … via Ruby Press
Father and Pepto … via Snippet & Ink
any favorites? want to share some of your favorites?
Jacki and I just ADORE Andy Jackson owner/filmaker of Portal Films from Asheville, NC.
Here is a small tidbit of how Andy describes his work …
“The films i have been creating over the course of the past few years, or at least the style i have been striving towards, is purely impressionistic. when i say that, i mean that what i capture is not necessarily literal… love is not necessarily portrayed with a couple exchanging a kiss, nervousness is not necessarily portrayed by a bride shedding tears, joy is not necessarily portrayed by smiles and shouts….” {please read more here in the “about” section}
Andy is so talented that there are no words for me to describe … my advice is to go to Portal Films and click “Enter Gallery” and you will be able to view a three minute sample film {which I cry to every time I watch} … simply amazing!
Jacki and I are fortunate enough to work with Andy Jackson for an October wedding and we are oh so excited!
Celebrate your love …
The Kentucky Bride Bridal Show is only three weeks away and we are oh-so-excited! We have some amazing vendors … just go HERE and see for yourself. We have some over-the-top Grand Prizes, such as ….
* Overnight Stay with Breakfast for Two from Hyatt Regency
* DJ Service for Wedding Reception from Phoenix Entertainment
* Romantic Getaway with Dinner and Champage for Two from The Castle Post
* AND so many door prizes every thirty minutes that I can’t even begin to type them all here.
So, with all the fabulous vendors and Grand Prizes in one location on Sunday, July 12th, we want to make sure that you and all your besties can make it … and if you can’t we still want to give you a chance for something extra special too …
{drum roll please}
FIVE GIVEAWAYS ….
1. FOUR FREE tickets to the July 12th Kentucky Bride Bridal Show
2. $100 to spend at it’s so pretty! … fabulous favors for your wedding, ladies night out, anniversaries, birthday and so much more.
3. FOUR FREE tickets to the July 12th Kentucky Bride Bridal Show
4. $150 towards a handmade, large, customized frame from sugarboo designs
5. FOUR FREE tickets to the July 12th Kentucky Bride Bridal Show
So, you may be asking yourself how can you get in on the action … well, here’s the skinny:
* From now until Monday, July 6th, leave a comment about your wedding …. THAT’S IT! how simple…..
* It can be anything from where you took your engagement photos, to how he proposed, to a DIY project, to your favorite it’s so pretty! favor …. anything about you as a couple and your wedding – we love the stories.
* On Tuesday, July 7th, Jacki and I will randomly pick the five winners and notify them by the email address they used to enter the contest {from there we will ask for more info so the winner can receive their PRIZE}
p.s. … don’t forget that you can visit kybride.com for a discount coupon for your entire party AND that the newest issue of Jacki Allen’s Kentucky Bride Magazine will be debuting and given out for FREE {reg. $5.95} to all the brides {be the first to receive}
celebrate your love …
Ladies and Gents … our commercial for the July 12th Kentucky Bride Bridal Show will start airing on Monday, June 29th and continue through July 12th. We will be on the following channels – TNT, Lifetime, TLC, Bravo and more. In case you miss you the TV version, below is our commercial, albeit in low res for the web. Hope you enjoy!
done
celebrate your love …
Jacki and I went to a fabulous Arts Festival this past weekend {june 27}, the Francisco’s Farm Arts Festival. We had a wonderful time viewing all the wonderful booths {over 150} and seeing everyone’s vision and ART. We met some amazing artist and even picked up a few fabulous favorites!
Here’s a little recap on a few of the artists …
* We met a fabulous letterpress company from Monterey, KY … Larkspur Press. They use machines from the 1940’s and older {love it} and they also bind their own books, journals, notepads, etc. photos below …
* Next up, we met an amazing black and white photographer, JD Nolan. I noticed one of his photographs while in another booth and just fell in love and had to go get a closer look … then he showed me the camera he used and the process for producing his photographs … simply amazing … then I realized the photo was of a ceiling of a church in Dublin, Ireland … no more thinking … the photo was mine! photos below …
Why am I writing about this on our wedding blog? Two reasons … you could find a vendor (Larkspur Press) and you can find inspiration (JD Nolan) at your local art fairs … don’t be afraid to venture out … it’s well worth it!
celebrate the art that is in your life …
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this 1920’s themed wedding!
View more fabulous photos over at 100 Layer Cake …. all photos by Josh Goleman.
side note … one of Heath {my husband} and I’s first date was a 1920’s themed company party. we were decked to the nine’s … Heath was dashing in his all black suit, black tie, black hat, black shoes and stark white shirt. I found a fabulous vintage cream lace dress and a black velvet 20’s style hat to match. It was an amazing night!
celebrate your love …
Ladies and Gents ….
You have TWO days left to enter for the LARGEST and MOST Giveaway Contest that we’ve had to date. Go HERE for the info and to submit your comment.
You have until Monday, July 6th at Midnight.
What you can WIN … Four Free tickets to the Kentucky Bride Bridal Show {three sets given away} … $100 towards it’s so pretty! … $150 towards a large sugarboo designs frame
celebrate your love …
First, THANK YOU so much to each and every person that took the time to participate and share a small tid bit about your upcoming wedding – we are blushing!
Jacki, Jaimeson and Julie {our editor} have randomly picked the FIVE winners of the Giveaway Galore!
The winners are below … please go here to read and refresh on the post …
* LISA … four FREE tickets to the Kentucky Bride Bridal Show
* LETISHA … $100 towards it’s so pretty!
* BECKA … four FREE tickets to the Kentucky Bride Bridal Show
* STEPHANIE … $150 towards a large handmade sugarboo designs frame
* CAROLYN … four FREE tickets to the Kentucky Bride Bridal Show
{clap … clap … clap}
For those of you that did not win, don’t fret … we have a lot more giveaways coming up in August!
celebrating brides …
Erin Young, now MRS. McQuade wan an it’s so pretty! giveaway back in March 2009. Erin and her fiance decided they were going to make a donation to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation in lieu of favors. But, when she saw the it’s so pretty! giveaway contest, she immediately fell in love with the “Love Grows” plant-able hearts.
Erin was kind enough to share a few photos of her wedding using the it’s so pretty! favors. ENJOY …
CONGRATS to Mr. and Mrs. McQuade …
celebrate your love …
YEAH!!! The newest issue of Jacki Allen’s Kentucky Bride Magazine is here! Brides that attend the Kentucky Bride Bridal Show this Sunday, July 12th will be the first to receive a FREE copy, then Kentucky Bride Magazine will be sold online, Joseph-Beth, Barnes and Noble, and many other locations throughout the great state of Kentucky!
Let us know what you think! If you have ideas, comments, or anything, please contact our Editor, Julie Wilson, at julie@jackiallen.com.
celebrate life …
Ladies and Gents … We are pleased to announce the brand spankin NEW Kentucky Bride Magazine website!!
Jacki and I have put alot of time, effort and thought into this NEW WEBSITE! We have partnered with Elevation Creative Studios … what an amazing group of people! Then, once Julie, our Editor, came on board we really moved quickly so that the NEW WEBSITE would be ready for the July 12th Kentucky Bride Bridal Show - and it is!
Please visit the NEW WEBSITE and let us know what you think … we love compliments, but welcome all comments!
Here’s a teaser of our home page … LOVE IT!
celebrate your love …
celebrate your love …
have you ever wondered why this is our “signature” quote?
well, jacki and i love everything about our life – family {obviously, we’re a mother/daughter team} and that we have such supporting husbands and children; our brides AND grooms; the emotions that we get to experience not only with our clients, but with all wedding professionals on a daily basis. we love looking at wedding photos and videos {i swear i cry on a weekly basis}. we love sweet tea on a hot day and the fact that we can walk across the street to Panera to get a glass. we love being a part of our community and watching it grow and change around us. we love life … and so many people, places and things that we don’t want to bore you …
… so in saying “celebrate your love …” we are saying to celebrate everything about your life that you love – no matter what it is!
what do you celebrate? what and/or who is the love in your life? how do you show your love? {personally, we love handwritten notes around here … maybe you’ve gotten one from us?} fill us in, so we can join in the celebration!
celebrate your love …
We have TONS of pretty pics from the July 12th Kentucky Bride Bridal Show, and it’s going to take me a few days to go through them. BUT … I wanted to go ahead and give you a sneak peek! Here are two photos from our booth …
I have many things that I love about our booth at this show, but just to name a few … I love our “candy bar”, especially the tree creation we made with sweet notes hanging down … I also just love our tablescape and the napkins folded as bowties, how sweet is that?
If you like what you see, come back later this week and see all the pretty pics. please feel free to drop us a line if you came to the show, like these pics or just anything.
celebrating the show …
photo