October 25th, 2013
Has cool fall weather suddenly flooded into your city?! It sure has here in Nashville this week! Our latest invite was designed with all things “fall” in mind!
This pretty paper was designed for Daystar Counseling Ministries which offers children’s counseling right here in Nash. Working with over a thousand families, they counsel in a sweet little yellow cottage where spice tea brews in the lobby and counselors bring their dogs to work. This video gives a great picture of what Daystar is all about. Each October, they host the cutest fundraiser called the “Bike Thing.” Families and friends meet on the Natchez Trace to raise money by biking 20 miles together with different themed “swag wagons” carrying snacks and treats along the way. They’ve been doing this thing for 20 years!
Development Director Catherine Tuck said, “The Bike Thing is crucial to helping Daystar ‘keep rollin’ through the fall months. This allows us to continue to offer our sliding scale for individual counseling and group counseling to all families who need it. What I love about this event is that it gives the kids who have been involved in this place to give back in a unique way.”
On Saturday friends of Daystar will roll on down the Natchez Trace to support a place they love. This year EOH designed an invitation that focused on autumn colors, whimsical fonts, and playful stripes. (And don’t forget! There are tons of cute Nashville party invitations ready to be customized and shipped your way right here!)
Designing this invite got us thinking, and we fell in love the idea of throwing a bike themed party for yourself! It could be a perfect Saturday afternoon excuse to gather friends and do something a little out of the ordinary. Spot our ideas for a bike inspired day below…
Every hostess needs a perfect party outfit- and this flowy orange frock from Modcloth fits the bill! Paired with a cardigan, it gives you room to pedal (politely!) on an afternoon cruise with friends.
We suggest “decking the halls” inside (or on the porch!) with tissue paper garlands in fiery fall colors like this one from Paper Chain Press on Etsy. They scream “party” without having to put in too much extra effort. This event is all about laid-back fun and no fuss.
Our favorite bicycle company (of all time) is Public Bikes. How pretty is this orange set of wheels?! Imagine rolling through the neighborhood with a darling ride like that!
Don’t forget to grab some shoes you can pedal in! These polka dotted sneakers are the lovechild of Keds and Kate Spade. We have a feeling this pair will get used over and over again long after the party is through.
And finally! Treat your friends to an array of Jeni’s autumn-inspired ice creams (like Sweet Potato Marshmellow and Cinderella Pumpkin)…a fun way to wind down and enjoy the afternoon! And don’t fret, if you’re not a Nashville native, Jeni’s will ship to you (we promise it’s worth the wait!)
Hope you enjoyed our feature on Daystar’s fundraiser and our fall inspired Bike party! More fun paper lovelies to come next week!
October 22nd, 2013
We were introduced to the wonderful winter bride, Anna Shell, through the fine ladies at Big Events Inc, Martha Greenwood and Denise Sikes. It was an easy relationship from the start! For her Nashville winter wedding invitations, Anna knew she wanted a traditional, timeless invitation with a touch of whimsy…which is right up our alley! The traditional invite was on 220lb soft crane paper, which is thick, soft and luxurious. The invitation was edged and letterpressed with charcoal ink. The whimsy came in with the reply card wording, which says ‘the gift of your reply is requested by Christmas Eve!’ How fun is that?! And the reception card might be our all time fav, ‘dinner and dancing and wild revelry to follow.’ Who would not want to attend this wedding? This was the perfect first impression to let her guest know that they were in for a sweet ceremony and a festive reception! You’ll spot classic and whimsical touches throughout the whole wedding. We love the way everything turned out, Anna! – Emily
Enjoy the beautiful photographs from Matt Andrews Photography (and the inside scoop from the bride!) below…
The (Happy!) Couple’s Names: Anna & Shane Emerson
Wedding Date: January 5th, 2013
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
Tell us “your story.” Shane and I met in college at The University of Tennessee, but we didn’t begin dating until a couple of years after college…When we did wind up together, we knew very soon that it was going to be for keeps.
Pick three words you would use to describe your wedding. Wintery, warm, and bright!
We love your style! Tell us a little bit about your aesthetic. Shane and I both wanted a winter wedding. Living in the South, we have been to our fair share of (very) warm weather events, and we wanted to do something different. However, I wanted to stay far, far away from typical winter themes. I actually made a no-no list that included things like “absolutely no: glitter, snowflakes, ‘ice blue,’ etc.”
We did not pick wedding colors. I’m not a believer in that. We…added as many pops of color as we could. The result looked beautiful in the pictures taken by our (very talented) photographer. Especially in the outdoor shots, the contrast between winter’s bareness and the colors of the wedding party looked amazing.
For both the ceremony and the reception, the focus was on firelight and candlelight. We loaded the altar at Scarritt-Bennett’s Wightman Chapel with as many candles as it would hold…There was not a single flower inside the sanctuary. Someone told me that people literally gasped when they walked into the church. At the reception, we had three lit fireplaces and more candles covering the Belle Meade Country Club. They were accented by bare branches and flowers. The result was a warm, cozy atmosphere, even in a large space. We did a fair amount of breaking with tradition in various aspects of our wedding…and I can’t recommend this enough. Be fearless in making it yours.
What was your very favorite detail from the day? My favorite part of the day was without question the ceremony. The night was cold and dark and everything got really quiet right before my dad and I walked down the aisle. The chapel bells rang six o’clock and we entered to an instrumental of Coldplay’s “Paradise.” The sanctuary was glowing with all the candlelight. We had scattered our wedding party on the altar because we are both so close to all of them… we didn’t feel the need to have the girls on one side and the guys on the other…It was like a dream. It was even more beautiful than I had imagined it could be.
One thing you wish you would’ve known before you started wedding planning…I was lucky to know a lot after hearing advice from my friends that came before me, but I wish I had been better about not procrastinating! Don’t let any wedding decision or work wait that doesn’t have to!
Tell us why you love EOH custom paper lovelies! I absolutely loved working with Emily to design my wedding suite. She was so laid-back and easy-going…We ultimately came up with a final product that fit my vision perfectly. I wanted letterpress on very heavy cotton paper to fit with the cozy winter feeling I was aiming for, and I wanted a touch of fun in the invitations too. I was introduced to Emily because she provided the letterpress option, but it ended up being the perfect match because of her unique and tasteful style. I’m a paper lover, so the invitation suite and other accessories were important to me, and Emily executed them to perfection.
Anything else you’d like to tell us?! Ultimately, your wedding depends upon the team you assemble to help you execute your dream day. EOH custom paper lovelies and the folks mentioned below (particularly our wedding planners) are the reasons me and Shane’s wedding turned out as beautifully as it did. Surround yourself with the best, and the best you shall receive!
WEDDING PLANNER & FLORIST/EVENT DESIGN Malcolm and Martha Greenwood, Denise Sikes at Big Events Wedding // PHOTOGRAPHER Matt Andrews Photography // CEREMONY VENUE Wightman Chapel at Scarritt-Bennett Center // RECEPTION VENUE/CATERING Belle Meade Country Club // BAND The Atlanta Allstars // WEDDING INVITATIONS Emily O. Holmes Custom Paper Lovelies // WEDDING CAKE Dessert Designs // BRIDAL GOWN Vera Wang from B. Hughes // BRIDESMAID DRESSES Amsale from The Bride Room // BRIDE/BRIDESMAID HAIR & MAKEUP Harlow Salon // GROOM/GROOMSMAN SUITS JoS. A. Bank // GROOM/GROOMSMAN BOW TIES Otis James
Come back soon for a party post about all things bicycles!
October 8th, 2013
We are celebrating endlessly over at EOH and are thrilled to announce that Emily welcomed a new baby girl into her life last week! She was born on September 30th in Nashville, TN happy and healthy!
Emily said, The name “Elsie” is a derivative of Elizabeth – which is my sis’s name and my mom’s middle name. Her name means ‘God is my satisfaction’ which is significant for my husband and I in the this past season. We are so thankful and overjoyed.
Emily couldn’t wait to share the news with you all! As you can imagine, she is super tired and super confused about how to take care of this bundle, but in love with her doll baby!
No worries, the team at EOH is still ready to go and excited to continue customizing orders from her online shop so you will have a charming Christmas card (or birth announcement!) to send out to loved ones this season. If you have any questions about the website or social media, please contact me, Katie Bomar, katie@emilyoholmes.com. If you would like to make an appointment or have any questions about orders, please contact Beth Lehman, beth@emilyoholmes.com.
We hate to torture you with only one photo of this cute thing, but you can definitely expect to see more of this little lady on the blog! Check back for maternity photos, a newborn shoot, and little snippets about Miss Elsie in the weeks to come…
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