Crystal George of Crystal George Studios has the wonderful talent of truly being able to tell a story through her images. Just the photos of this wedding tell of the weather, beautiful colors and a family filled with love (complete with a dancing grandmother – so cute!). Enjoy this stunning wedding, and here is what Crystal herself had to say…

Summer months are hazy and hot and known for unexpected thunderstorms. Summer is usually full of laughter and friends and family. Summer weddings are a wonderful fusion of these various things. As I kept one eye on the sky and one eye on this bride & groom on their June day, one thing was abundantly clear: Alicia and Stephen were more likely to dance in the rain than to cry in it. Living the way lovers should.

Photography: Crystal George Studios

Venue:  The Avoca Museum

Hair:  Hair Images by Emily

Makeup:  Mary Kay

Flowers:  Petal Flower Company

Dresses:  David’s Bridal

Video:  Lynchburg Live

Cake: Coffey Cakes

DJ: Brandon Cyrus from BPSI Entertainment

Pinterest is a great way to organize all of your wedding ideas (and to get fantastic new ones, too!). I just wanted to send a shoutout to let you know that Hill City Bride is on Pinterest, so just click HERE to follow our boards. We pin new things often, so be sure to check back. Happy pinning, everyone!

Again, just click here to follow us. See you in Pinland!

Last summer, I was invited as part of a press group to tour Cleveland for three days. Having no expectations whatsoever, I hopped on the plane, and had an experience that far exceeded my expectations. I had no preconceived notions about the city and its surrounding areas … good, bad or indifferent, so I was prepared for a totally unbiased, open experience. The team at Positively Cleveland (who promotes Cleveland tourism) had a wonderful itinerary for us full of food, adventure, culture, fun and more food (truly!). I will be doing a few postings about my experiences in the city, but I just had to share this one first.

About an hour away from Cleveland lies the village of Sandusky, which we were told meant “cold water” to the American Indians (who knew?), and it is set on the coast of Lake Erie. On its main street lies a great bakery, WKCafe, owned by Wendy Kromer (WK), and it is such a feast … for the eyes and the palate! Wendy herself has an interesting story, and it seems as though she can accomplish anything she sets her mind to. Born and reared in Ohio, Wendy actually started at the age of 21 being a Paris runway model, and after 10 years of success, her heart beckoned her back to the US, via NYC, where she entered pastry school. What started out as a love for food burgeoned into a desire to create edible art. Twenty years after leaving her hometown of Sandusky, Wendy returned to open up Wendy Kromer Confections and WKCafe.

 While still in NYC, Wendy entered a cake design contest on a whim. She not only won first place (amazing!), but she also caught the attention of the team at Martha Stewart (yes, this is a true story … don’t you love it?). Wendy has been a part of the Martha Stewart Living team since 1995 having roles as a contributing editor, co-author of “Martha Stewart’s Wedding Cakes”. Chances are that if you are familiar with Martha Stewart Weddings (as every bride should be) or Martha Stewart Living, you have seen either her adorable cookies or impeccably decorated cakes gracing the covers and inner pages. Truly, from successful runway model to one of the top cake artists, everything that Wendy touches turns to … gold (okay insert *sugar* instead).

Well, needless to say, it was quite a treat to visit WKCafe and to meet Wendy. It was delightful to eat lunch (a yummy chicken salad wrap with a HUGE chocolate chip cookie sprinkled with sea salt … jealous yet?) and browse through her confections as the picture story below will tell. Enjoy this visual treat!

Wendy offers ready made items for wedding and other cakes … confectionary decorations. They are so artful!

Wendy has also coauthored a book with Martha Stewart, entitled Martha Stewart’s Wedding Cakes.

Before we get to her stunning cakes, I thought I would show you some of her sweet cookie creations. They are so fun and detailed!

Ok, ok … enough teasing. Enjoy these amazingly beautiful cakes from Wendy’s shop.

Thank you again, Wendy, for sharing your shop with me … it was a fun treat to be able to see the beauty of your creations! If you would like to fan WKCafe, just head on over and check them out here.

One of the things I really enjoy about being in the wedding community is that my paths cross with such wonderful people, and Emily is no exception. The first time I met her was at the backyard party of wedding and event planner, Jennifer McBride of McBride Events in Richmond, and Emily was wearing a yachting cap and orchestrated the *very* fun games we played. Besides being loads of fun, she is super sweet and extremely knowledgeable when it comes to beauty. I am so thrilled to feature this first of three articles by Emily on the blog. 

Tips for Hiring a Stylist or Makeup Artist for your Event

Congratulations! He asked, you said yes, and now you have a wedding to plan! So much fun and excitement awaits. For many of you, this will be your first time to dive into a project like this. Some of you may have been bridesmaids or even maids of honor, but this time (your time) there are so many more things to think about.

Let me help you with the one that I am most familiar with, how to find the right hairstylist or makeup artist for you.

First things first, determine what you will need from your stylist for this event.

Here are some things you may consider. Do you want and individual, or a team, to come to your location, or are you looking to make an appointment at a studio space? Do you want one person who does both hair and makeup, or are you looking for only one or the other?

How many people will be in your party? Which of those bridesmaids, mothers, grandmothers, or flower girls want their hair or makeup or both done?  What is the budget for hiring someone to do this? Do you have a specific time frame that you will need to work within?

Are you looking for anything specific? Some stylists work in a studio or on location only; some stylists may offer both options. Are you looking for someone who specializes in updos or formal event styling? Not every hairstylist does this, so find one who specializes in what you want. Not every makeup artist offers airbrush makeup, so if this is important to you, find one who offers this and specializes in bridal.

* Photo: Katelyn James Photography*

Find the Artist who is right for You.

Now that you have determined what you want this person to do for you, the next step is to find the right artist for you. Ask for referrals from other vendors… specifically the venue, your coordinator and photographer.  These are people who work closely with stylists often and would be mostly to have one to recommend.  They will probably have someone they have worked with before that could be a good personality fit and be able to achieve the look and style you want.

Ask your friends who have recently gotten married (if you liked their style), who they used for hair and makeup. Find out what the experience was like with everything from requesting information to how the day of the event was handled.

Look online. Most experienced stylists have portfolios online for you to look at examples of their work.

Contact the artist.

First, ask if they are available on your date. Don’t wait! I have booked dates as far as 18 months out. Especially if you have a popular date in April, May, September or October, beat the rush and secure your artist as soon as possible to make sure you get the one you want.

Ask questions to find out if they fit what it is you are looking for.

Find out price and booking information. Determine if they fit your budget and if they have a minimum booking requirement. Make sure that you are clear on all the information required to officially secure your date on the artist’s schedule and when your final payment is due.

Stay tuned for more from Emily Hudspeth, hair and makeup. Coming soon… tips on planning a successful dress rehearsal before your big day.

Emily Hudspeth is an on location hair stylist and makeup artist specializing in events, photo shoots and more. Contact Emily for more information on booking an event. Follow Emily on facebook and twitter to keep up the latest on her daily blog posts with tips on on things beauty related. 

First and foremost, from us to you, I hope that you all had a wonderful holiday season. Bliss and I enjoyed our first Christmas and New Years together and had a wonderful time with family and a few friends. Many of you reading this blog are still single (engaged) or are newly married, so what I am going to talk about today has either happened or it is going to happen.

Holidays seem to be a natural breeding ground for tension. Amidst the wonderful food, gifts and holiday cheer there can be secret seas of tension brewing that you may not even realize. Your husband’s parents would rather have had you for Christmas. Aunt Gemma doesn’t understand why you didn’t call her before Uncle Richard. Maybe your parents wanted you to visit them instead of staying at home by yourself. No matter what the issue may have been, there can be sore feelings if they are not dealt with early and if you and your husband do not prepare ahead of time. Thankfully, Bliss and I were able to avoid any major issues, and we did it with the help of three concepts:

1. First, clearly communicate well ahead of time (before October) where you will be spending the holidays and who with. We asked both our parents which holidays they would rather spend with us, and we did our best to keep everyone happy while still making time for our own traditions and time together.
2. Second, Bliss and I talked extensively about what our family’s traditions were. Whether we ate ham or hotdogs for Christmas Eve, what we put in our stockings… etc. This is a great way to introduce your significant other to your childhood as well as prepare them for some possibly different traditions than they are used to.
3. Finally, make the most of your holidays. Bliss and I worked really hard to not make mountains out of molehills. As we got to talking about the holidays and everything that went with them, we began to realize that if Lord willing, we are married for 50 years, that is only 50 Christmas seasons we have together. Only 50 Christmas seasons! That new perspective drove us to make the most of our holidays and the most of the time we had with the families. Were they perfect? Not at all, but we enjoyed being with one another and that is what made it perfect.

Talk to you soon! ~Shelby

*Photo by: Lindsay.Dee.Bunny*