7302 Abercorn Street Suite 1b Savannah, Ga 31406

hours

912.349.1323

info@larenbelle.com

Photos by Teresa Earnest, memories n more

Welcome to 2012!! So many people got engaged over the holidays including one of my best friends! He proposed to her on top of the Empire State Building in NYC - how romantic!! Congratulations on your engagement, take a moment and enjoy it, then get ready and prepare yourself for sooooo many questions and things to figure out!

You’re Engaged Now WHAT!? I’ve been compiling a lot of resources on my blog since it saves on me printing it out or emailing it or for you to buy books, etc. If you click on this link you’ll be brought to ALL my posts about wedding planning and TONS AND TONS of information.

This post is about the FIRST STEPS on what you need to do asap! I’ve borrowed some great resources from a few fabulous blogs to help you get started. Some words of advice: Weddings today can be filled with pressure to overspend, over impress and be over-the-top. Brides are overwhelmed with images of super expensive weddings and with messages insisting that they host the “event of the decade”. It’s easy to get caught up in all the extravagant wedding pictures and ideas. Remember, it’s not a competition. The most important thing to keep in mind when planning your wedding is to be true to yourself. You may not have the most expensive flowers or a 20-tier cake, but if everything suits your personality it will truly be the perfect wedding. Plus at the end of the aisle and wedding day, it’s ultimately about the love you share for one another. Weddings should be about you as a couple, don’t have the wedding your sister or your best friend had, have the wedding YOU want – do things your way!! ‘Create the wedding you want, not the wedding you’re told to have’ (love that quote from Kelly of boho wedding blog)

THE QUESTIONS:

What kind of wedding do you want?

Church Ceremony or Civil Ceremony?

Small and Intimate Party or Bigger is Better Reception?

What is your budget for the wedding?

Who do you want to invite?

What’s your ideal venue?

When would you like to get married?

Is there a key theme, colour or inspiration in your head?

read more…http://onefabday.com

TOP 5 THINGS TO DO FIRST:
1. Set a budget

2. Choose 2-3 possible dates

3. Start your guest list

4. Decide on your wedding’s style

5. Decide on your venue

read more…http://everylastdetailblog.com

OTHER THINGS TO DO:

1. Announce Your Engagement

2. Take Engagement Photos

3. Design a Wedding Website

read more…http://www.perfectweddingguide.com

WHAT IS YOUR STYLE?

- Traditional (at a country club, traditional gown and colors)

- Modern (in a loft, sleek centerpieces, and a tall modern cake)

- Intimate (at home, at a winery, or a restaurant)

- Glamorous (totally over-the-top, from the centerpieces to a five-course menu)

- Theme (use a favorite city or hobby to inspire all the wedding day details)

- Cultural (a black-and-red banquet-style affair for a Chinese wedding)

- Beach (a seaside affair with nautical elements and blues and greens)

- Destination (in Italy or the Bahamas; a vacation for guests)

HIRE A WEDDING PLANNER:

Do you want someone who can help you through the whole process of planning your wedding, step-by-step along the way, to suggest vendors, do site checks, create a time line for you, and be there for 10 hours on your wedding day? If yes, then you want a full service package wedding planner.

Do you want to do everything on your own with the help of your friends, family, and fiancé, but want someone on the day of the wedding to make sure everything runs smoothly? If yes, then you want a “month-of-coordinator” yes it is also called “day-of-coordinator” but think about it, do you want a total stranger who you’ve never met or talked to show up on the “day-of” your wedding and expect them to know exactly how you want everything done??? NO!!! So make sure you hire a month-of-coordinator since you’ll want to meet in person, go over all the details and have them create a time line way before the day of your wedding. You can also book a month-of-coordinator way before your wedding just to make sure you have someone and have the comfort of knowing they will be there for you. Don’t wait until the last second to hire a wedding planner!

Something that makes me sad is when brides don’t hire a wedding planner and then their friends or family members don’t get to enjoy the wedding since they are setting up everything or running around making sure it’s perfect. Unless they want to help out, in that case I love working along side of them helping them out and taking some of the burden off of them.

WEDDING COORDINATOR VS. VENUE COORDINATOR

I’ve heard it several times- “Oh the venue coordinator will handle everything, I don’t need a wedding planner/coordinator.” What most brides don’t know is that the venue coordinator is just there for the VENUE, not you.….read more
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So with ALL that said, take a deep breathe, and remember you don’t have to plan it all in one day or one week! I’ve been helping clients out for months before their wedding date. Work, holidays, bad days, whatever gets in the way, but just keep plugging away at your to do list, and remember to keep the LOVE strong between you and your significant other, after all that is why you’re doing all of this right!!??

They will be married April 21, 2012 at The Landings

Photography by memories n more

photo below by Nicki Bursae Photography

Simply Savannah Events is owned by Layla Mayville and offers full service weddings & special occasions packages for the Savannah, Tybee Island, Pooler, Richmond Hill, Hilton Head, and Bluffton areas.  Unique, affordable, and eco-friendly event planning options. Whether you desire a helping hand with your destination/local wedding, elopement, event or special occasion, ask Layla about how she can take your vision and plan, manage, style and produce your personalized event.
Who is Layla?

Layla Mayville was born and raised in Acton, Massachusetts where she earned a Bachelors of Fine Arts with a concentration in   graphic design   from   the University   of Massachusetts in Amherst and received a Masters from the School of The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. In 2007 Layla moved to   Savannah, Georgia and now reside in Pooler, Georgia with her husband, Christopher, three kitties and one doggie. She is environmentally conscious, loves to plan parties, and obsessed with weddings!

Simply  Savannah  Events is a new business Layla recently started in 2010. With her background in graphic design and eye for color & detail, wedding/event planning was not a huge transition for her. Layla also taught elementary art for four years, so she’s a master at multitasking and problem solving. Layla has also planned bridal showers and weddings for friends for years and even planned her own intimate wedding in Savannah !

Why hire Layla?

Simply   Savannah   Events, is a full-service, full-time event styling and planning company, that is Layla’s 100% focus. Layla can point you in the right direction, save you time and money so you can focus on those aspects of planning that are the most enjoyable. She has done extensive research on vendors who are QUALITY professionals, she can help with decor (rentals, lighting, floral); project management (budget development, task management, vendor coordination); etiquette; styling (conceptualizing the look & feel of your event, crafting details, producing installations); and logistics (layout/space planning, installation, on-site management, time lines). Layla will be there for every detail from start to finish!!

With a strong background in graphic design, Layla maintains a blog filled with inspiration for weddings & special occasions.

Top favorite 3 posts are:

http://simplysavannahevents.blogspot.com/2011/06/combining-plaidcheckersgingham-with.html

“I love the idea of combing stripes with checkers, but you have to make sure not to go overboard with all the patterns. Plus you should stick with a color scheme: Black and white is very popular. Also navy or green are good choices. Make sure if you choose one color, that you keep it monochromatic ( Monochromatic colors are all the colors (tints, tones, and shades) of a single hue) or if you choose two colors, that they go well together.”

http://simplysavannahevents.blogspot.com/2011/07/bright-idea-thursday-sunday-wedding.html

When I first found the studio in 2007 and thought it would just be for me (I was SO wrong), I never ever could have dreamed that I would make the friends that I have or witness the growth in their respective businesses!  A couple of months back, Natalie of A to Zinnias, called me to tell me that she and Heidi would be moving out of the Savannah studio.  I could tell Natalie was nervous to give me the news that they were opening their new shop, but I could’t have been more excited for them.  In fact I cannot remember a time that I have ever been so excited for anything in my own business!  I was of course sad that I wouldn’t see the girls as often but this was exactly what they had been working SO hard for for the last 4 years (and many, many  years before).  And secretly, their office had always been my favorite so I was already wondering, what would we do with that space!!!??

Fast forward to today!  Ok to last week.   No wait to 4 years ago, whatever!  Sweet Carrie, of Two Cakes has had her office in the kitchen at the studio and with the rooms that are open in the space, I knew it was time for Carrie to get a big girl room!  So I asked her to pick one and she picked my favorite!  (it’s SO her!!).  I then asked (ok insisted) that she let me decorate it for her!  With one stipulation, she had to let it be a surprise.  I don’t know why people allow me to abuse them like I do, but sweet Carrie agreed and today I let her peek at her new office (10 minutes before she had a cake tasting with a bride!).  Thank heavens she liked it!!  After I snapped the following pics, I scooted over to corner of Broad and President Streets to get a few photos of A to Zinnia’s new shop.

Much more to come as we fill the rooms of the studio back up.   Bit. by. bit.

teresa

photography by memories n more

This is such a deliciously fun event!  I hope to see you there in the booth!

I am SO excited to announce that memories n more wedding photography has a new baby!  Well, not a baby, but a photo booth!  Ok, it’s not a photo booth, it’s a social studio system!  Unlike any photo booth in Savannah our portable backdrop photo system is going to be the hit of your wedding reception!  From your reception to our website galleries and on to Facebook where you and your friends can tag away, this photo booth experience doesn’t end with a small strip of photos!

This weekend we will debut our {really fun} photo booth at the Mansion on Forsyth Park for Mary and David’s Wedding Reception!  I can’t wait to share photos of the fun!   Check back here soon for photos, information and a link to the {really fun} website that will launch next week!   The system is available now for spring, summer and fall 2011 weddings!

teresa

ps, brides of memories n more will receive a special discount on our photo booth backdrop system!  E-mail teresa today for more information!

It’s been a long time coming, but it’s here!  The giveaway we’ve been promising!  You got us to 500 likes on Facebook and to thank you the members of The Savannah Wedding Studio are giving away some serious swag!  Get ready to share the Studio with your friends family and anyone else who will listen to you for the next 3 1/2 weeks because from now until Prince William says I do you have as many chances as you like to enter!  Simply follow the oh-so-simple rules below.  It seriously couldn’t be any easier.

There will be a few winners too!

OK, OK so I haven’t told you what you could win.

Here it is!  The giveaway is broken down into three different AMAZING prizes.

Southern romance

Valued at $539

1 dozen chocolate covered strawberries from Two Cakes (value $24)

1 pound of gourmet nuts from Cape Creations Catering (value $60)

A large monogrammed tote by Savannah Toile (value $55)

And an arrangement or bouquet of flowers from A to Zinnias (value $100)

A beautiful (LIVE) White Dove release (or display) from LowCountry Lovebirds (value $300)

Savannah Nights!

(value varies approx $350)

A deluxe gift basket from Byrd Cookie Company (value $50)

Dinner for two at Churchills Pub (value $100) step upstairs and see 10 downing while you are there!

One nights stay at any of the partner properties at www.stayinsavannah.com (value varies)

Honey ,  you look Dahling! (valued at $865)

Makeup and Hair styling Session by Savannah Makeup Professionals by Lynn and Company (value $275)

A Savannah Bee Honey Facial from Spa Bleu (value $90)

A portrait session from memories n more (value $500)

WHO can win?  Anyone really.  Well not me, or anyone from the studio or their spouse!  You know the drill!

HOW to win?

LEAVE A SEPARATE COMMENT FOR EACH ENTRY!!!!!

PLEASE NOTE COMMENTS HAVE TO BE APPROVED SO IF YOU DON’T SEE YOUR COMMENT(s) RIGHT AWAY DON’T PANIC!!!

1.  Comment below about WHY you love the Savannah wedding studio!   There are soooooo many reasons to LOVE us!

2.  Share a link to this post and contest on your Facebook, blog or twitter account and then come back and copy and paste your Facebook status, twitter etc.  Get creative.  Share us on your favorite bridal board!  (we would love that!) here is the link, you can just copy and paste to your hearts content!  http://www.theweddingstudios.com/2011/04/05/the-giveaway/

3. Suggest ANY of our Facebook pages to your friends on Facebook and twitter!  You can find our members on www.facebook.com/theweddingstudios.  Be sure to comment separately here each time you do!!!  We don’t want you to not get counted!!

4.  On Monday the 1st of May I (teresa earnest) will choose 3 lucky winners using a random number generator.  So the more times you share us, the more likely you are to win!  But remember, you MUST have a link to our Facebook page, our members Facebook page and the giveaway on the blog in everything you share.  You can just say I LOVE the wedding studio.  Not sure how to tag someone on Facebook?  It’s so easy just like us first at www.facebook.com/theweddingstudios and then when you update your status type @ in front of theweddingstudios without a space and Facebook will do the work for you.  I will be updating this post as I notice missing information so check back often.  Don’t worry I won’t change anything that will affect your entries, just links, typos, photos etc.

GOOD LUCK!!!

the savannah wedding studio team!