Lauren Chitwood Events

A Very Debbie Christmas

Friday, December 23, 2011 Posted in Debbie

In honor of the 12 Days of Christmas I thought it would be fun to share with you my 12 favorite things about Christmas and the holiday season.

1.) I love the actual story of Christmas. I promise that this will be the only religious moment I’ll have in this post. It’s a beautiful story about courage, strength, & faith.

2.) Family. I’m so blessed to have such a wonderful and crazy family. Though we are separated by age & many miles, you are looking at 8 of my best friends and cheerleaders in life! We always make the time to be together during the holiday season!

3.) Christmas Music! Since the day after Thanksgiving my Pandora has been set to various Christmas stations. There are also some great local stations that play holiday songs all day including 100.5 GenX Radio & Lite106.9. If you are lucky enough to see me at a stop light I’ll probably be belting out all of my favorite carols! Likely this one or humming along to this tune!

4.) FOOD!! For anyone who knows me this is an obvious inclusion to my Top 12. The fabulous lady in the navy blue above (my mom) makes nearly everything from scratch, cookies, bread, you name it. There isn’t many things I love more that a home cooked meal. I asked Mom if I could share her delectable fudge recipe with you & she kindly agreed so here it is:

1/2 lb. Velvetta Cheese 1/2 lb. Butter

Melt these two ingredients together, slowly.

2 lbs. powdered sugar 1/2 cup cocoa 1 teaspoon vanilla pinch salt 1-2 cups chopped nuts (optional)

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Pour into a 9×13 pan that’s been buttered (not greased) & let cool. Then cut and enjoy.

SUPER EASY & delicious. But certainly not very healthy–we’ll worry about that in the New Year’s Post

5.) Holiday Movies. Our family favorite is “It’s Wonderful Life.” Total oldie but goodie! If you haven’t seen it- I suggest you make a point to enjoy with your loved ones this season!

6.) Being Home. No matter where you are from it’s always nice to go home during the holidays and enjoy a little R&R. It’s also a great time to visit with old friends who you may not see often!

7.) Holiday Cocktails! Whether you are attending or hosting a party I love the specialty cocktails at Christmas time! Here’s a cocktail I found online you might like!

Bailey’s Minty Mistletoe

2 oz. Bailey’s Irish Cream 1/4 oz. Peppermint Schnapps

Combine Ingredients. Shake with ice, strain into a martini glass, and then drink up!

8.) Christmas Decorations! Christmas Lights are my favorite. I enjoyed my first Lights Under Louisville this year and was as happy as a kid in a candy store!

9.) Ugly Christmas Sweaters! Seriously who can get enough of these? Great for a themed event, but even better when you spot someone who is seriously wearing one! Makes a fun game while you are waiting in line for that last minute gift. See how many you can spot!!

10.) Giving Presents! Of course when you were little getting the presents was the most important thing. Nothing warms your heart more to see a child open presents and their excitement, whether that is a family member or a child in need. I won’t lie to you and say I hate getting gifts. However as I get older I look forward to finding the perfect gift and watching as that person opens it or seeing them enjoy it.

I would much prefer to see my niece and nephew tear into tons of presents than open any of my own.

11.) Traditions, each family with their own. I love remembering how we did things when I was little and though so much has changed we stick to those traditions each year. Everything from baking cookies together to sitting on the steps on Christmas morning while Mom and Dad (the only 2 allowed downstairs) “checked” to see if Santa had come yet or not.

12.) My most favorite thing about this time of year is the Spirit of Believing. This season seems to find everyone believing in some sort of magic. Whether it’s Santa, the snow, or something a little deeper we all find a reason to believe this time of year!

Happy Holidays to you and yours,

Debbie

Lauren Chitwood Events
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Real Wedding: Jacquelyn & Landon

Tuesday, December 20, 2011 Posted in Real LC Bride

We are so blessed to have clients that are beautiful on the inside and out- Jacquelyn and Landon are such a great example of this! You may recognize Jacquelyn from the January 2011 issue of Nfocus Magazine. She was one of the ladies featured along with other Louisville brides whose jobs service our community.

Hair and Makeup by none other than Ana at Applied Cosmetic Serivces!!

Amy, Angela Anderson Photography‘s Lead Photographer captured all of these romantic images.

A great alternative for a bride or groom who can’t decide whether to have a first look or not: Jacquelyn and Landon saw each other for the first time at St. John United Church of Christ, but alone. This allowed them to get all of the photos they wanted while still keeping their first look intimate. We even had Landon wait on the altar as Jacquelyn walked down the aisle towards him!

We could literally post every picture from this stop they made in St. James Court. The setting and the people are stunning!

The ceremony took place at The Brown Hotel. Although any color scheme looks great in this historic location the sky blue, white, and gold worked great with the setting!

Thanks to Familiar Faces Band for providing great entertainment all night!!

Techno Band Break….such a blast!!

Their fabulous cake was provided by The Sugarwoods. Transportation by Miller Trailways, and lovely ceremony music by Commonwealth Musicians! We wish we could do it all over again! What a wonderful bride and groom and a great group of family and friends!

To True Beauty,

Lauren Chitwood Events
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I’m a Barbie Girl!

Thursday, December 15, 2011 Posted in Debbie, General

I’m totally not ashamed to admit that as a little girl I loved Barbie! I was still playing…I mean “accessorizing” when I was WAY too old to be doing so- I’m talking Middle School years. So you can only imagine how thrilled I was to stumble upon this “Real Wedding Album: Barbie & Ken” from Glamour Magazine.

I pulled a few of my favorite photos to share here with you, but I encourage you to see the entire thing. It’s amazing how realistic it feels.

Please tell me this doesn’t make you want to break out your own Barbies again? I know you still have them hidden away somewhere!!

To every little girl’s dream,

Debbie

Lauren Chitwood Events
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December 15, 2011 - 5:30 PM Raven - I saw this a few months back. As a wedding photographer it had me cracking up. We all love to get out little trinkets and photograph them in fun ways, it keeps us sane!

Real Wedding: Jamie & Danny

Monday, December 12, 2011 Posted in Real LC Bride

Jamie and Danny are one of those couples that are so in love, you can’t help but be so excited for them! Their midday June wedding was a hot one, but that didn’t stop a single guest from having a great time!

Jamie and her bridal party were made even more beautiful by Hali B & Co. and Makeup By Hope.

One of the best moments of a wedding- the Father of the Bride’s first look! A beautiful moment often filled with tears of happiness. David Blair Photography captured this special moment perfectly and every other moment as well!

The ceremony was held at St. Albert the Great and the reception at Whitehall.

We loved the flowers dripping from the wrought iron chandeliers provided by Camargo Rentals. All other rentals were provided by Reliable Rentals. The classic & elegant cake was provided by none other than Mert’s Cakes.

See what we mean? Bet you are smiling after you see this picture!

Petite desserts pictured here were provided by Ladyfinger’s Catering along with the rest of the delicious meal!

This group had a ton of dancers, a great band in Nervous Melvin, and an awesome DJ service in Sounds Unlimited Productions. One of the greatest parts of the evening was the last before Jamie and Danny left was this favorite of theirs. Both sets of parents and all guests were skanky leggin’– it was awesome and hilarious at the same time!

No great exit would be complete without sparklers!!!

Thanks also to Commonwealth Musicians, Person to Person Limousines, R&R Limosuines, & Denny’s Valet for making the day smooth!

To True Love that Conquers All,

Lauren Chitwood Events
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Puppy Love

Friday, December 9, 2011 Posted in General

I’ve been thinking a lot about what I wanted to talk about in my first blog. Since I’ve never actually written a real blog before, I wanted my topic to be interesting to our readers, but also be about something I love. Then this morning I woke to find my sweet pup Lollie snuggled right next to me under the covers- her favorite way to sleep and it hit me. Of course! I’ll talk about ways to incorporate your furry friend into your wedding! I’m a little partial to dogs myself, but you can certainly apply this post to most pets! I snagged all these from Pinterest, but click Link under the image to get to the original website.

Link

Though the pictures above are precious, it takes a special location and a very well trained pooch to make these moments happen—you ARE wearing white and paw prints aren’t in this season.

If you absolutely can’t live without having your furry friend attend your wedding- make sure you discuss with your venue at length. Also discuss with all other vendors in case they have allergies or other concerns.

You’ll need to make sure you pup is well acquainted with the venue and being around large groups of people. As brave and well behaved as your dog may be, the amount of people at a wedding might give him or her some anxiety! Don’t forget to try on outfits, bows, flowers also. They sure are cute, but you want your dog to be comfortable too. Check out this Etsy shop for some special made bow ties. They can custom make one in your wedding colors!!

Here’s where a wedding coordinator can help! You won’t need Fido for every picture and someone has to hold him after he walks down the aisle. Your wedding coordinator’s team may even be able to handle returning him to his kennel so no family member has to miss a minute of your day!

If it doesn’t work out to have your pet at the actual wedding, you can certainly incorporate them in other ways. Consider involving them in an engagement session or bridal session. You can display these images in various ways including an engagement guest book or canvas at your wedding.

Link

Another idea that we used at a 2010 LCE wedding was having a doggie buffet as your favor. This works great especially if you have a lot of guests that are also animal lovers. Photos by Todd Pellowe Photography.

To furry family members everywhere,

Debbie

Lauren Chitwood Events
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Real Wedding: Laura & Chris

Monday, December 5, 2011 Posted in Real LC Bride

If I could summarize both Laura and Chris’s personalities in one word it would be: FUN. That’s the same word I’d use to describe their June wedding at The Henry Clay .

Don’t these girls look great? The beauty team consisted Applied Cosmetic Services, Beauty by Bethany, and Jill from Hot Locks!

You might recognize Laura if you’ve contacted the Angela Anderson Photography studio lately. Laura is AAP’s Studio Manager. As you may have guessed already Angela photographed this wedding, and Laura got to have the AAP client experience!

The groomsmen played around on the trolley a little before the ceremony!

A great way to display RSVP notes at your wedding! We adorned cocktail tables with the notes, flower petals, and candles.

Wedding Cake Trio by Plehn’s Bakery

Chris loves trains and Disney World so Cakes by Melissa created this intricate groom’s cake.

This crew knows how to get DOWN! Band 24/7 had no problem getting people up and on the dance floor!! Showtime Photobooth was on hand to entertain guests when they needed a break from the dance party!

Laura is known for doing an epic dance to this 1982 classic all the time & her wedding was no exception… Let’s just say we had to put down a sheet to make sure she didn’t ruin her dress!!

According to Laura and Chris the Techno Dance Break was one of their favorite parts of the night. We turned all the lights completely out and then they threw glow sticks to their guests off the stage!

One of the best things about the name Casconi…it rhymes with pepperoni! Perfect for our late night pizza snack!

To Girls (& Boys) that just wanna have fun,

Lauren Chitwood Events
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Real Wedding: Terran & Derrick

Wednesday, November 30, 2011 Posted in Real LC Bride

Take a look at Terran and Derrick’s gorgeous May wedding at Spindletop Hall in Lexington, KY. Angela Anderson Photography knocked it out of the park- as usual- capturing every intricate detail.

The image below is one of my favorites, so much love here!! Both mom and daughter are glowing- hair and makeup courtesy of Applied Cosmetic Services!

The ceremony was held on the back lawn of Spindletop Hall underneath this luscious arbor!

The couple’s logo could be found throughout their wedding from paper goods to signs like this one and even to the specialty lighting you’ll see farther down this post. The counties where Terran and Derrick were raised actually border oner another. Since both value their families and hometown heritage, this logo incorporated that perfectly!

The florals in each room at Spindletop had a different color scheme to go with the overall decor of the room. This brought another level of visual excitement as guests walked through the venue.

We love this mantle arrangement!! A great backdrop for the heartfelt toasts!!

After dark Terran and Derrick were able to sneak outside and capture these AH-MAZING candlelit shots.

Terran switched into a vintage dress late in the evening that had belonged to her grandmother. This dress was actually one of the only items recovered when her grandmother’s house burnt to the ground a few weeks before the wedding. Luckily one of the firemen knew about the wedding and saw the marked box and was able to save it!

It’s such a fun idea to have an 80′s tribute band at a wedding, and Bueller was great! You know it’s a fun party when the bride and groom take the microphone!!

Can’t get enough of this wedding? Check out Creative Video Solutions to see a glimpse of the wonderful video stylings of Tommy and his crew! Click HERE to see a clip of Terran and Derrick’s video.

Other All Star vendors included Bryant’s Rentals, Lake Cumberland Limousines, & Cakes by Judy!

To Elegant Nuptials,

Lauren Chitwood Events
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Real Wedding: Kristin & Robert

Wednesday, November 23, 2011 Posted in Real LC Bride

It’s always great to plan a wedding for a family you truly adore- and with the Fords we got to do this twice! Kristin is a sorority sister and former roommate of mine, and you might recognize some of the family from a wedding we planned last July for Kristin’s brother Justin.

This ceremony was at Christ the King in Lexington and was easily one of the most touching ceremonies I’ve ever experienced. This picture of Kristin’s brothers giving her away brings a tear to my eye everytime.

We enjoyed every minute of working with Kristin and her family on this sweet Southern Soirée. This wedding had everything we love. Lexington Country Club was dripping with flowers in all shades of pink and green. Camargo Rentals saved the day by adding this tent and the amazing wrought iron chandeliers.

The rain broke just in time for the Bridal Party to have some group pictures taken on the golf course by the talented Emily Faith Photography.

Burning Las Vegas kept the party going all night long- seriously one of the best wedding bands ever! The dance floor was packed at all times. I wish we had video to share with you of their Lady Gaga set.

There were a lot of feminine details in this wedding so it was important the Robert got to have a bourbon and cigar bar… just for the boys!

There were fireworks at the beginning and end of the evening. Can you believe we hid fireworks in the mantle arrangement below? Thanks to Louisville Wedding Fireworks anything is possible!!

Later in the evening Kristin changed into a short & sweet number. Ana Crane-Simpson was on hand to change up her hair and makeup too! One of my favorite parts of the evening was when some of the UK Dance team members performed to “Monie Monie” and then did a few UK cheers. The entire place was roaring…GO CATS!