I don't know how to even begin to thank you for your awesome work at our wedding (and the few months leading up to it). Really Kristin, you were absolutely amazing! I couldn't be happier with how the wedding/reception and the entire weekend went and I know Steve feels the same way. Everything was perfect (at least from our perspective/thanks to you)! You ensured our day was calm and stress-free and that means the world to us!
I often get asked the question, “How can I make my wedding unique?” Well, for starters make it your own and a great way of doing it is thinking outside the box when it comes to your gift registry! I sat down with Dana Dean, to talk alternative wedding gift registries for this season. The wedding industry has came a long way, just four years ago when my husband and I were shopping for our registry it was such a painful experience! Now, you can registry for pretty much anything you want or even let your guests decide between a gift off of Etsy, excursions for your honeymoon, repairs for your home or even a donation to your local humane society. Watch my interview with Dana Dean as she explains our top picks!
(Pause the second clip while watching the first vise versa)
For the full article visit the following link KSDK
A little rest and relaxation never hurt anyone! Treat your bridal party to a spa day. Facials, massages, pedicures and manicures… the options are endless. You could spend the day at a spa or have someone come to your house. Give everyone a homemade lemon sugar scrub as a souvenir. It easy to make, just sugar, lemon, and olive oil. Every time they use it, they will think of you. There comes a point in your life where a girl just wants to have a little R & R and let’s just say, this one of the BEST Bachelorette parties I’ve ever been to! (Thanks Kerryann & Sarah)
Don’t mess up hair or makeup on wedding day. Get your bridesmaid’s men oxfords to wear on the wedding day. You can even monogram to personalize the for all the bridesmaids’. Blue for the bridesmaids and white for the bride. Pair with tall white socks for the Tom Cruise Risky Business look.
Personalizing wine glasses for the bridal party on the wedding day is a cute touch for a fun day. Simple to create your own with paint pens. Customize the color and design to fit the wedding colors. If you’re not artistic that’s ok! Tons of personalized glasses are being sold on esty.com
For a bridal shower or bachelorette party create a mimosa bar. Spice it up by making different flavors of mimosa from peaches to strawberries. Have fruit making the flavors out add a fresh feel. It not only looks cute, it also delicious!
Sushi is a great place to have a group dinner. Order family style so everyone gets what they want and try new things. Dress up and enjoy the company of your best friends around. Pick a place with good atmosphere like Tani or the Drunken Fish!
Try a girl’s night out! Pick a specialty bar like Sub Zero Vodka Bar or Baileys Chocolate Bar. Chocolate and Martini’s, a girl’s two best friends in one drink! This is a fun way to try new drinks for a girl night on the town!
Girls can love sports too! For a summer wedding, take the bridal party to a cards game. Who wouldn’t want to see the World Series Champions at work? This is a definite good time. And for the winter wedding, take the girls to a Blues game. Every girl loves a man in uniform!
Trolley around St Louis is a fun adventure. Bring a photographer or just your own camera and go tour St Louis. Stop at cute and fun spots around the city and pose away!
I am so excited for this years wedding fashion trends. It is always recommended to start shopping for that perfect dress 10-12 months in advance. Be sure to ask the salons if they have any trunk shows you can attend and bring a friend, sister, and of course your mom When going to salons, know your budget and stick to it! And most importantly, be open minded, trust your sales associate and have fun!
With tons of summer weddings, many brides are choosing to do short T-Dresses. These dresses are perfect for a beach, backyard or barn wedding. Plus many of the short T-Dresses are bridesmaid dresses which makes them the perfect dress for a low budget wedding.
Who does not love Reese Witherspoon? And her pink dress for the March wedding made her look so fresh at the beginning of spring. Designers have seemed to take the hint that it is fun to mix colors up instead of the traditional white.
A great way to spice up your look for your wedding dress is to add a fun sash. Sashes are a great accessory to make colors with bridesmaids and color scheme. They give every wedding a unique twist!
With big ball gowns and long trains, sometimes a simple column style dress is perfect for a sleek, simple look. Though simple, this style of dress still makes a bride look beautiful! They are timeless dresses that everyone will remember.
For years we have seen the unforgettable sweetheart neckline. It wasn’t until Kate Middleton’s timeless dress set the stage for a little something more than just a sweetheart. Though still cute, it is always fun to mix it up with different styles! Choosing different necklines can accentuate all kinds of figures. The neckline possibilities are endless and memorable.
Dress Inspirations: Amsale, Avant, Badgley Mischka, Ivy and Aster, JCrew, Jennifer Salzman, Kenneth Pool, Lea Ann Belter, Michelle Rahn, Monique Lhuilier, Oscar De LaRenta, Rivini, Vera Wang
I am excited to post the Great Day St. Louis holiday (Thanksgiving and Christmas) special! I know around the holidays it is tough to throwing parties while still keeping cost & budget in mind. That’s why it’s nice to go green and reuse things that you may already have around your house! Here, I showed how you can change your Thanksgiving tablescape into a Christmas look in no time and hardly adding any additional cost! Now, turn on your holiday music and get busy!!! Ha, gotta love Matt’s face here…priceless!
Tablecloth, Garland, festive ornaments: Crate and Barrel
Hurricane and Chargers: Hobby Lobby or Michaels
Nothing is more fun for me than getting to work with couples who love to have FUN! Christine and Larry recently went back to the place they first laid eyes on each other, Mizzou (Missouri University) for their engagement pictures. Christine and Larry have been planning their November 26th wedding for months now and it’s hard to believe it is just around the corner! When Christine and Larry are together it just makes sense…and I am looking forward to sending this beautiful bride down the aisle in just a few short weeks!
It was so flattering to be asking to join Great Day St. Louis for their July special on how to stay cool in the summer outdoor events…but now I am here to share with you things I LOVE for the Fall- Rustic looks, twigs, mercury glass, candy apples, kettle corn and so much more. I asked my partner in crime, also known as my husband Ryan, to help me out with this one. I had SO much fun and I hope you get some ideas from it yourself! Good Luck and Happy Fall!
“Gee, thanks guys”…
Flowers: Becky Huffman
Hair: Sarah Ammann (The Chase) Pottery Barn Eckerts Farm (Belleville, IL)
Grandma Weis the fabulous pie! STL Winegirl- great wine ideas
Lauri Weis (Mother In-Law) for set up
I am amazed by how many wonderful people I get to work with and for. There is no exception for this couple, it seems like yesterday I started working with Kate and Grant. Kate and Grant both grew up in Missouri and now reside in South Carolina, it was important for them to guarantee their friends and family from all over had the best St. Louis experience. They wanted food stations, welcome bags, great music and simple yet elegant decor. This is just a little sneak peek to their day…more details and photos soon!! (You can’t tell me their first look doesn’t give you goosebumps…every stinking time!)
Kate and Grant thanks so much for letting me be apart of your special day.
Big thanks to all my wonderful St. Louis vendors…
Trying to stay cool this summer at events?! Special thanks to KMOV for having me on air this morning to talk about all the fun ways to stay cool at summer outdoor events! Check out our next blog for recipes and more ideas!
This special couple got married on June 4th at the Millstadt Trinity Lutheran Church in Millstadt, IL. Frank and Kristen met in the summer of 2007 and dated, get this… overseas for the past four years. Frank moved to England at the age of 16 to play for a well known International soccer (football) team called Arsenal. (He now plays for Carlisle United.) So when Frank happen to visit home for a summer, we aren’t sure if it was fate or luck that Kristen was at the same graduation party but that was the night it all got started.
I was privileged enough to be apart of this special occasion. Yes, I helped with the planning aspect, but on the flip side I got to be IN a wedding for once! Frank just so happens to be my husband’s cousin (who was the Best Man). When Frank told us he met a girl who had long brown hair, beautiful, smart, kind hearted and her name was KristEn I thought for sure he had a secret crush on me. Come to find out she was the real deal and not only did he fall in love with her, so did our family. After we met Kristen, we advised Frank the smartest decision he would ever make was keeping her…and that he did. And now I am honored to call her one of my best friends.
Everything about their day was perfect. The guys got ready at the Weis house and girls got ready at the Simek house (a near 50 yards away in the middle of no where). It was a casual hot summer day as we got ready and hopped on the church bus, driven by Ryan, with no AC and radio, we sang our own tunes and laughed the entire way there. It was all fun and games until it was time to walk down the aisle. It was such an emotional yet joyful ceremony,there wasn’t a dry eye in the church. Afterwards, we traveled to Washington University for some classic wedding pictures and headed back over the river to the Illinois side. Their reception was exactly what Kristen envisioned; soft, feminine, romantic and well perfect!
When Kristen and Frank got engaged, I told them that I got to meet with Switzerfilm when I was working with Engaging Events by Ali in Chicago and they would be perfect for their wedding. Not only did this team meet my expectations but they exceeded it in more ways than one (film and video)! Everyone gushed for days about how wonderful their same day edit was. We worked hard, laughed much and enjoyed every minute of their company.
Accessories: Nelle Handbag, Etsy accessories for bride. Groom American Flag cuff links and boutonnieres by Etsy
Something New: Dress, Something Borrowed: Cake Knife and Server (Kristin and Ryan), Something Old: Great Great Grandmother’s Engagement Ring, Something Blue: Blue Initial Stitching done by Grandmother
I must admit this is probably one of the most fun-loving couples I’ve ever met. Maggie, Micah and families will travel from New Mexico and Texas to the rolling hills of Richland, MO for their July 2nd Rustic tent wedding. Maggie spent much of her life visiting with family and friends at the beautiful Nickens family country home just outside of Waynesville, MO. I can’t wait to blog about the details of this wedding! I have been waiting to explore my Midwest country-side wedding design for years now… make sure you bring your dancing boots and Yee-Haww’s – because Kristin Ashley Events is going country!
Cristy Cross captured Maggie and Micah’s Engagement pictures in New Mexico.
When going to salons, know your budget and stick to it! And most importantly, be open minded, trust your sales associate and have fun!
Come to find out she was the real deal and not only did he fall in love with her, so did our family. After we met Kristen, we advised Frank the smartest decision he would ever make was keeping her…and that he did. And now I am honored to call her one of my best friends.
