The EAD Vendor Guide will be undergoing a makeover this summer! The Vendor Guide was launched in 2008, and over the years has grown to include almost FOUR THOUSAND wedding vendors in all categories across the United States and beyond. It’s grown too big for its britches and needs a bit of a revamp.

After much consideration and with feedback ...]]>

The EAD Vendor Guide will be undergoing a makeover this summer! The Vendor Guide was launched in 2008, and over the years has grown to include almost FOUR THOUSAND wedding vendors in all categories across the United States and beyond. It’s grown too big for its britches and needs a bit of a revamp.

After much consideration and with feedback from all of you in mind, over the next few weeks the complete listings in the guide will be phased out and the guide will transition to showcasing only featured vendor profiles, aimed at more effectively bringing each vendor’s latest and greatest work to brides who are actively seeking amazing and talented vendors to add to their wedding team.  The guide will be organized by both location and service and all US metro areas will be represented.

Discounted pricing is available to current vendors in the guide through June 15th. To apply to get in on the action, or to ask any questions you may have, email info@elizabethannedesigns.com!

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Our first Library ...]]> We’re starting a fun new series on EAD – Library Vendor Spotlights.  The goal is to give you a glimpse into the minds of our fantastic Library vendors and let you get to know some amazing people from the wedding industry just a little bit better (and hopefully of course to give you some inspiration along the way!).

Our first Library vendor spotlight is the utterly adorable Andria Lewis of Andria Lewis Events.  Her blog is called The Planner Pages and she’s based out of Memphis, TN but serves all of Tennessee, Mississippi and Arkansas.  You can find her on Twitter too!

EAD: What is the single best piece of advice you can give to brides and grooms as they begin to plan their event?
AL: Slow.Down. My biggest frustration for (not with) brides/couples is that as soon as they become engaged they run out and start visiting every, single, little venue they’ve ever passed on the street. They begin having appointments with florists and caterers who either are not their style or who are way out of their price range. Then, when they become overwhelmed and frustrated they call a wedding planner. I hear SO often, “Oh, why didn’t I hire you from the beginning?!”

Even if a couple is not hiring a wedding planner, I want them to know that it is most important to slow down and do some research and be flexible in your dates and wants. It is also important to know that the word ‘perfect’ does not exist in the world of weddings. Your wedding will be great! But, it won’t be perfect. And that’s okay.

If budget is limited and there was one item that you advise splurging on, what would that be?
The splurge item will vary from couple to couple. I’ve had brides who couldn’t care less about a single flower. I’ve also had brides who spend months developing their menu. Whatever that one thing is that will cause you regret if you don’t do it, that is your splurge item.

Tell us a little about the creative process of working with a bride and groom from your perspective.
After meeting with new clients for their first detail meeting (which usually takes about three hours), I take two weeks and begin their creative process. Be it researching and visiting venues, developing and designing their theme or what have you. Each couple’s needs vary but I always spend quality time developing a solid plan before we do anything.

Do you have any inside tips for cost cutting?
I’m not a fan of finding cost cutting. Let me explain. For a 300 person wedding, it’s going to cost what it is going to cost. My job is to bring that realization to the table and make the best use of my client’s dollars. I try to make sure they get the most from their dollar by utilizing my vendor relationships. I’m pretty good at getting an extra or two thrown in for my clients.

You’ve clearly been exposed to a lot of weddings – what details do you tend to remember?
The music and the food. Plain and simple.

Are there any recent trends that you love? Any that you wish would have never become a trend?
I rather wish tulle had never been invented.

Show us some of your fabulous work!
These images are from my couple’s July 2009 wedding. The reception venue sits just under the bridge that connects Tennessee to Arkansas and hovers over the Mississippi River. I designed the reception to include a lounge area on the deck below the bridge. This was a par-tay!

Photo Credits: Studio Aesthetic

Andria, thank you so much for stopping by EAD to chat today!  I love your great attitude and down to earth nature – you’d be a joy to work with for any bride and groom!

Do you want to be featured in our Library Vendor Spotlight series?  If you follow me on Twitter, you’ll see me ask for volunteers! 

xo,
E.

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So far, we have a great deal of interest ...]]> Hi all!  I wanted to give you an update on where we are with the Library city guides. My goal is to have at least 2-3 brides and 2-3 vendors for each city contributing on a regular basis, as well as the ability for anyone to guest blog and/or submit vendor reviews.

So far, we have a great deal of interest in Boston and will definitely be moving forward with that guide.  If you are a bride or vendor interested in blogging and contributing to the Boston city guide please contact me asap so we can chat.

We also have several Seattle and Charlotte vendors and brides interested, but still need a few more to make those cities definite.  Again, please contact me if you would like to participate.

Other cities that drew interest:

St. Louis
Indianapolis
Cleveland
Atlanta
Austin
Miami
Baltimore
Chicago
Phoenix

I’d be committed to working with as many as 5 cities at inception, should there be enough participation and need.

Can’t wait to hear from you!

xo,
E.

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William Tangorra Photography

Smock

Studio Mathewes

Bella Figura

Thanks to all the vendors who have expanded their library listings – if you want one for yourself, just contact us!

xo, E.

© Elizabeth Anne Designs: The Wedding Blog, 2009 · Permalink · 1 comment · StumbleUpon It! Posted in: vendor guide Follow Ami on Twitter ...]]> Hey all!  Please take some time to peruse the new expanded listings we just added to our Library! 

William Tangorra Photography

Smock

Studio Mathewes

Bella Figura

Thanks to all the vendors who have expanded their library listings – if you want one for yourself, just contact us!

xo,
E.

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Don’t forget, you can identify vendors with expanded listings by looking for this icon next to their name.

If you are a vendor and would like to know how ...]]> Hi guys!  Just a little update on some new functionality on the site.  Our Library’s expanded listings now have galleries installed to help you easily navigate through the sample images from the vendors.

Don’t forget, you can identify vendors with expanded listings by looking for this icon next to their name.

If you are a vendor and would like to know how to expand your listing, just contact us and we’ll get you all of the info!

E.

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We’re excited to announce a giveaway today on the blog!  The Wedding Salon has donated two tickets to their next event in Miami, Florida.  They have a lot of fantastic vendors lined up and they’ve promised an absolutely fabulous experience!  The event will be held on November 9th at The Biltmore.  Leave a comment on this post (if you’d ...]]> Hello readers!

We’re excited to announce a giveaway today on the blog!  The Wedding Salon has donated two tickets to their next event in Miami, Florida.  They have a lot of fantastic vendors lined up and they’ve promised an absolutely fabulous experience!  The event will be held on November 9th at The Biltmore.  Leave a comment on this post (if you’d like, leave your wedding date and budget) by midnight October 10th to win!  One winner will be chosen randomly from the comments.

Enjoy!

E & A.

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E is a HUGE fan of Hawaii! She’s been several times, and has big love for the islands. Our library was seriously lacking in great Hawaiian vendors, so we asked Evonne from Events by Evonne to review a few fabulous vendors. What better person to review than Evonne, who is an event planner and a Hawaiian bride! ...]]> Aloha!

E is a HUGE fan of Hawaii! She’s been several times, and has big love for the islands. Our library was seriously lacking in great Hawaiian vendors, so we asked Evonne from Events by Evonne to review a few fabulous vendors. What better person to review than Evonne, who is an event planner and a Hawaiian bride! We chose 3 vendors that she personally used for her wedding and asked her to review. Word of mouth is the best advertisement!

A.

YVONNE EVENT FLORAL & DECOR, Floral

Yvonne is one of the best floral designers on the islands. I hired her for my own wedding because I fell in love with her work right away. She is very good at listening to what the clients want. When you meet with her during the consultation meeting, she would take extensive notes and would make suggestions to clients if they are not sure what they are looking for. The one thing I like Yvonne the most is that she is very creative and artistic. She has a lot of passion with what she does and it shows in her work. She truly cares about each and every client that she works with. I enjoy working with her both as a bride and as a planner because we both have very high standards and expectations of our work, and we only want the best for our clients.

EUGENE KAM, Photography

I like Eugene since the day I met him in May 2004! He has a wonderful personality and is very easy-going. I also hired him for my own wedding because we get along so well and his work is truly amazing; it totally captures the moment of the day. Eugene always has an assistant photographer with him on the day of the wedding, so if he is with the bride and groom and the bridal party, the assistant will be taking photos of the family and guests. They are very easy to work, they give you enough directions without being very intrusive, so you can relax and enjoy having your photos taken. If you plan on using Eugene, I highly recommend hiring him to do your getting-ready photos as well. Those are the most romantic and sensual photos that I have ever seen and done, and they turn out to be some of my very favorite ones in my wedding album!

ALISON HAYASHI, Make-Up

Alison is a doll! She is very sweet, very easy going and she makes the make-up session really fun to handle especially for brides who don’t normally wear makeup (such as myself). She loves talking to her clients and making them feel at ease during the session. I hired her for my own wedding as well because I admire her work, her skill and her talent, and she works VERY efficiently. I love it when she has a “tool kit/belt” tied around her waist with all her brushes and everything! That’s like her signature look! Alison has been in business for over 20 years and all of her clients just adore her. I highly recommend having a trial session for your hair and makeup, so there are no surprises on the day of the wedding!

You can find these vendors, as well as many more, in the Library!

A.

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From invitations to monogrammed wreaths, Kimberly can take care of it all.  To add to the goodness, she also writes a blog that consistently provides inspiration and ideas for E ...]]> Our next Library sponsor is Inspired Goodness. Owned and operated by Kimberly, a New York graphic designer, Inspired Goodness is so unique we had to create a category specifically for it!

From invitations to monogrammed wreaths, Kimberly can take care of it all.  To add to the goodness, she also writes a blog that consistently provides inspiration and ideas for E and I.

Look for a feature on Kimberly’s own wedding later today!

A.

This, as everything we post on the blog, is not a paid advertisement. We would never compromise this blog’s integrity by giving a biased opinion on a paid listing. We contacted our initial sponsors based on the fact that we personally know and admire their work, and our Q&A sessions with them are in no way a part of the advertising on the Library, rather they are a glimpse into some of our favorite vendors.

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Our next library sponsor is Aletha from Pearls Events.  She is a Beetle driving, dog loving, newlywed who just happens to be a fabulous event planner in Grand Rapids, Michigan. To say she’s been a big support of EAD is an understatement.  She gives faithful encouragement to both E and I!  Aletha also puts out solid and useful content on ...]]>

Our next library sponsor is Aletha from Pearls Events.  She is a Beetle driving, dog loving, newlywed who just happens to be a fabulous event planner in Grand Rapids, Michigan. To say she’s been a big support of EAD is an understatement.  She gives faithful encouragement to both E and I!  Aletha also puts out solid and useful content on her wedding blog.

We asked Aletha why she loves what she does:

My job gives me a sense of joy that no other job has. I leave each meeting, vendor appointment and wedding with a smile on my face, knowing what I do makes a difference in the day the couple will remember forever.

Aletha started out as a Knottie, and some of her very first test clients were fellow Knotties in need of day of coordination.  It has been awesome seeing Pearls Events grow into a successful business.

Enjoy,

A.

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