October 6th, 2015
Better late then never…and last but not AT ALL least…let’s talk about our production master….Mary Beth. This summer and continuing into the fall, EOH took on a whole new dynamic as we added quite a few members to our company. Each of these women had unique gifts that allowed them to contribute to our team as a whole. We are so grateful to be advocates and learners of each other’s talents, and as such, we want to share a little bit about the hearts, drives, and passions of those behind the scenes at EOH. So, let’s meet and greet EOH’s humble and helpful assistant, Mary Beth Mebane.
Mary Beth has a servant-heart, one that looks for opportunities to assist, explore, and progress a process or opportunity. She is an amazing cheerleader, standing on the sidelines of Emily O. Holmes, and even doing a bit of the grunt work when it comes to your party invitations. She is a participant in the final product that is stuck into the mailbox, arriving with a bow and lots of love. She helps us include the tiniest details in order to make the whole picture feel complete. We are so grateful for her heart and attention to detail. We loved stepping into her home and snapping a few pictures to help draw out the full picture of Mary Beth Mebane.
What is your role here at EOH Custom Paper Lovelies?
My role here at EOH is primarily production—meaning that I see to the physical assembly of the custom paper lovelies that Emily designs. Everything from pasting watercolored envelope liners to wax-sealing monogrammed invitations to stamping-n-sealing-shipping is my day to day work. I also have the opportunity to meet with a wide variety of talented calligraphers & wedding planners–and, of course, with the immensely gifted Emily herself.
What is your biggest passion in life?
One of my biggest passions in life is cultivating beauty & celebrating milestones in people’s lives. EOH allows me a unique avenue for participating in some of folks’ most important moments—a graduation, a new marriage, a first child. It’s a privilege to lend a little loveliness to these occasions by crafting the cards that help make these days memorable.
What would the “perfect” day look like for you?
The perfect day would begin with a slow morning—all cozied up in a sweater drinking coffee on my back porch. A full day of romping with best buds in the crisp fall air, followed by a lovely (& lengthy) dinner just before a big city festival of some kind—Shakespeare in the Park, a Hot Air Balloon Glow, Food Truck Fridays, swing dancing, an international festival—so long as its got gobs of people, I’m there! The evening would end with a nightcap around a fire pit with a few of my dearest friends.
What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned this past year?
Bloom where you’re planted—that’s probably among the top lessons that I’ve learned this past year. As a first year transplant to Nashville, putting down new roots can be hard—especially when you’ve just ripped up deep ones in another place, with other people, other sights, sounds, smells of home…But growing in gratitude for the imperfect, incomplete seedling forms of new friendships in a new city has made this place feel more like home. I’m thankful for the people who have stuck with me in the messy days & weeks (when I have been anything but grateful), continuing to help me blossom here.
What is one word that describes your personality?
Idealistic dreamer (sometimes to a fault)
Thanks so much for meeting and greeting our newest EOH team member. We are so thankful to share Mary Beth with you for a bit! Stay tuned for more introductions, so you can get to know more of the wonderful people at Team EOH.
Photos Courtesy of Jocelyn Youngdahl
September 22nd, 2015
This sweet couple is dear to our hearts. We have known the bride and her family for years….and let’s just say that there might have been a glistening eye (or few) at this wedding! We count it a true joy to be able to walk with friends and help celebrate their special day! One of the things we love about the Gauntts is their truly authentic spirit! Scroll through this amazingly fun but elegant day to see some of the joy captured by Rachel Moore Photography and designed by Big Events Inc.!
The (Happy!) Couple’s Names: Robert Travis Gauntt (goes by Travis) and Elizabeth (Lizzy) Orr Gauntt
Wedding Date: June 7, 2015
Location: Ceremony at Scarritt Bennett Wightman Chapel/ Reception at Belle Meade Country Club
“Tell us “your story.” Travis and I met one Sunday afternoon in June of 2011 during our first TCU orientation session. We were both fresh out of high school, coming from Nashville & Houston to embark on our college journeys, but neither of us could have imagined that our stories would be so shaped by the boy and girl that sat next to us in that tiny classroom. But, that is how the Lord works, in wondrous ways and often when we least expect it. Travis & I began dating shortly into our freshman year, and four quick years later, he proposed in a beautiful Ritz Carlton courtyard in Naples, Florida. The Lord’s faithfulness came to us that Sunday in June in a little room during TCU orientation, and it has followed us through our four years at college together. He has guided us and stood beside us the entire way, growing us up together and apart, and we look forward to witnessing His continued grace to us now and into our forever futures as husband and wife.
Pick three words you would use to describe your wedding. Elegant. Classic. Joyful.
We love your style! Tell us a little bit about your aesthetic… For anyone that knows me well, they know I am not one of those girls who had been planning her wedding for a long time. In fact, walking into my first meeting with Big Events Wedding, I really didn’t know the style I wanted our wedding to exhibit. However, as time progressed and we started to narrow down the decor and details I liked or did not like, I came to find that I loved more of a classic, elegant look, but I also wanted to have some sort of a lighthearted, whimsical feel since Travis and I were both fresh out of college. Therefore, for colors, I picked mostly neutral colors and incorporated light lavender and dark purple as accent colors. I chose those a) because they went beautifully with the “silver bells” bridesmaids’ dresses and b) because two-thirds of our wedding party and guests were beloved TCU Horned Frog fans. Since the colors were more traditional and simple, we decided to add a touch of whimsical decor to the elegant feel by incorporating soft votive candles, twinkle lighting, swooping drapery, lush greenery table runners, and tall, blooming flower arrangements as center pieces. All of this beautiful decor was then designed and executed by the incredibly creative and exceptionally talented team at Big Events Wedding who made all of our ideas and dreams become a reality on our wedding day.
What was your very favorite detail from the day? My husband’s face as I walked down the aisle. It was unforgettable and such an incredible testament of the joy we both felt on that special day. However, in terms of aesthetics and decor, there are too many to even narrow it down! My personal favorites, if I had to pick, were the floral arrangements. The various flowers throughout the ceremony and reception were absolutely stunning and perfectly designed by the talented crew at Big Events Wedding. Everything from the bridesmaids’ bouquets to the sculpted vine archway at the entrance to the reception were spectacular and brought the entire wedding decor together.
One thing you wish you would’ve know before you started wedding planning… I wish I would have known how quickly the engagement time flies. Everyone kept telling me to remember to stop, take a deep breath and let each moment sink into my memory as it happened. I wish I had listened to them more. The wedding planning season is an incredible experience, but it is so easy to let it pass by in rapid chaos. If I had known how to better take in each moment throughout the journey, I think I would have appreciated the little steps in the process more and all the small, amazing details that made our wedding day so special.
Tell us why you love EOH custom paper lovelies! EOH custom paper designs are truly special because they are personal to each bride and groom. Emily makes a point to not only design beautiful stationery but to incorporate the unique story and personality of every client she encounters into the aesthetics of each piece. In doing so, each custom creation tells a story and evokes an emotional response in all who receive them. While designing a number of invitations for our wedding with EOH, I felt free to voice my personal opinion while also being graciously guided and supported by Emily in each decision we made, making it an enjoyable and stress-free process.
DRESS Monique Lhuillier // ACCESSORIES Family Heirlooms // REHEARSAL DINNER Acme Feed and Seed // CEREMONY ScarrittBennett Wightman Chapel // RECEPTION Belle Meade Country Club // PHOTOGRAPHY Rachel Moore Photography // VIDEOGRAPHY Dallas Wilson Wedding Films// BAND The Atlanta Allstars // EVENT DESIGN Big Events Inc. // PAPER Emily O. Holmes Custom Paper Lovelies !!! // FLOWERS Big Events Inc. // CATERING Belle Meade Country Club// CAKE Dessert Designs by Leland Riggan // RENTALS Please Be Seated Rentals, La Tavola Fine Linen, BBJ Linen, Visual Elements and Quest Drape, Big Events Inc. // BRIDESMAIDS Joanna August // GROOMSMEN Men’s Warehouse // MAKEUP and HAIR Jessica Przulj/ Mary Deaton Heldman
September 1st, 2015
This summer, EOH has taken on a whole new dynamic as we have added quite a few members to our company. Each of these women have unique gifts that allow them to contribute to our team as a whole. We are so grateful to be advocates and learners of each other’s talents, and as such, we want to share a little bit about the hearts, drives, and passions of those behind the scenes at EOH. So, let’s meet and greet EOH’s fantastic and creative customization artist, Anna Barnes.
Anna Barnes has the whole package—insanely talented designer, meticulous sewer, detail-oriented artist, and full-time mom. Stepping into her East Nashville home, Madding and I got to take a look into what seemed like a real-life Anthropologie but just with more kids toys. Anna’s home, quirky and colorful, only pieced together her insanely unique and rockin’ personality. We absolutely love her creative spirit and innovative ideas that help customize your perfect invitation, announcement, or personal paper.
What is your role here at EOH Custom Paper Lovelies?
A: My main role is helping Emily with design work on the computer (illustrator, photoshop, InDesign) and revitalizing the Christmas collection. Projects I have helped Emily with have included – Custom baby shower invitations, custom birthday party invitations, custom baby announcements, wedding programs and Christmas design.
As an architect (in a former life), my creativity and design training comes from a slightly different path than others in this industry. My mind thinks in diagrams and through drawing my thoughts out so working through designs with Emily in this manner has helped us efficiently discuss our ideas on paper before ironing it out on the computer.
I am also helping bring a new branch of customization to EOH by sewing paper. By adding thread and layering pieces onto paper lovelies, we are able to give clients a very custom and personal feel to their orders.
What is your biggest passion in life?
A: My biggest passion (and focus) in life is my family. Oliver (4), Lilian (2) and Georgia (6 months, pictured below) have completely changed my focus and priorities. When I was working full-time as an architect, I quickly realized that the lifestyle I was pursuing in that industry was not one that would allow me to focus on my family like I felt I needed to. Luckily, my husband and I were at a point in our lives where I was able to stay home and work part-time trying to see which direction I felt like God was calling me and our family. I am the type of person that requires a creative outlet and focus so working with Emily these past few months has allowed me a lot of flexibility to stay home with our kids but also allows me to work in a creative field that helps bring joy to people. I love using the creative and problem-solving part of my brain to work while still being able to play and love on our babies. Another thing I love and am drawn to is sewing – mainly quilts, blankets, and things to cuddle with that you can’t have enough of. Sewing is my old-lady outlet for creativity because I can focus on it to take my mind off of things, or I can do it while sitting on the couch and paper piecing heirloom quilts. I love using my hands and seeing something beautiful and unique produced. And I am obsessed with fabric and love collecting it.
What would the “perfect” day look like for you?
A: A perfect day for me would be exploring the city with our perfectly behaved children. But since that is highly unlikely to happen because our kids are a bit wild, I will happily take a day of sleeping in while Joe takes care of the kids, and then, we explore the city we love with our mildly behaved kids which wears them out to have an early bedtime. Or just a day to myself – that would be nice too.
What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned this past year?
A: This past year, our daughter Lily got very sick with pneumonia at Christmas, and we ended up in the hospital for 2 weeks over the holidays. We were very close to losing her, and it was a very scary 2 weeks for all of us. Being 9 months pregnant and the planner I am, I had the holidays planned out to a ‘t.’ I had stressed about the smallest details and worried over the silliest things. Throughout that experience, I realized that the things I had been stressed about and the worries I had were so unnecessary, and I should have just been enjoying our time with the kids and with our family. Throughout our hospital stay, I was forced to give a lot of major worries (instead of the frivolous ones from before) to God and let Him handle it and He did. Lily recovered (longer than we expected but again I think God was teaching us a little patience), and she is healthy and thriving now.
What is one word that describes your personality?
A: Intricate, Purposeful, and Intentional (I helped her pick all three…hehe)
Thanks so much for meeting and greeting our newest EOH team member. We are so thankful to share Anna with you for a bit! Stay tuned for more introductions, so you can get to know more of the wonderful people at Team EOH.
Photos Courtesy of Madding McFadden & the EOH team
