I’m so excited to introduce you guys to today’s wedding vendor.  The Boxwood Barn has been a florist on my radar for just over a year now and I LOVE seeing their work.  Elizabeth & her family are super sweet people.  I know I say this over and over, but when booking your vendors not only should you like their work, but you really want to like them as people as well.  The last thing you want is to “dread” having to call a vendor because they get on your nerves.  Liz is just the opposite.  You’ll actually be looking for reasons to call her and chat about your wedding.  They do a great job putting all kinds of arrangements together and I stopped by their place in Palestine a few days ago to get some shots.

Here are a few from a wedding we worked together at Elmwood Gardens.

And finally, here is their interview.  Enjoy.

How did you get started, how long have you been doing this?
The Boxwood Barn was started in 2004.  I majored in Horticulture at Texas A&M University with a specialization in floral design through the “Benz School of Floral Design“.  We both got our certification in Wilton Cake Decorating for when we work with flowers on cakes. From there my mom and I joined forces to start The Boxwood Barn. And yes, we do work in a converted barn that has boxwoods around the outside. I am the artsy one, and she is the organizational one.

What is your favorite part about your job?
I love experimenting with designs and working with my hands.  This is a family business so that is a plus!

What are some things brides should look for when looking for a florist?
Brides should notice if a florist seems knowledgeable of flowers.  Also, a florist should take thorough notes during a consultation, and really listen to the bride’s desires for her wedding.  Always ask to see photos!  Also, does the florist have solutions and answers to a bride’s problems and questions?

What are some arrangements that you don’t get requested often but you think look great for a wedding?
Topiaries!!!  We love topiaries!  They can be greens only or constructed of flowers in a bride’s color palette.

What is something unique to your service that you are extra proud of?
We try to add extra touches to our designs and not be cookie-cutter.  We love embellishments!

Anything else you wanna say?
Flowers are happy!  Our favorites are tulips and sweet peas, go figure.  They are not the easiest to work with.
You can’t beat working with a hardy stem like carnations or hydrangeas.

The Boxwood Barn
http://www.boxwoodbarnflorist.com/
(903)922-1832

If you follow this blog, you know I am a HUGE advocate of getting your wedding filmed.  I have often run clips and quotes from Vanessa McKellar, but have never actually run a full on interview. Before we get to the interview though, let me talk real quick about wedding films in general.

Every now and then when I meet with a bride, they mention that they are not getting a videographer because they don’t think it’s all that important.  A quote I hear frequently is, “We are already getting photos, and we can always have someone set up camera a in the back.” 

Now, the reason many people don’t understand the value of a great wedding film is because all they have seen is footage from a friends wedding where it was just that: a camera set up in the back.  A good wedding videographer will take your day and turn it into a movie.  Beautiful images, great camera work, a soundtrack, and most important of all, your voices.  That’s right, you talking.  This is one of the areas where wedding photos just don’t do your day justice.  You will experience so many emotions and thoughts on your day and not having someone document you saying those feelings will be something you regret.  Anyway, Vanessa actually did a little blog post contrasting the differences between wedding photography and videography a few weeks back and used some photos from Your’s Truly.  (Take a look at it here.)

Before we get to the interview, here is a short little trailer she recently finished.  Take a look at it, then scroll down to read more about her.

How did you get started & how long have you been doing this?

I think my story really starts in the 90’s, when my love for weddings blossomed. I designed wedding dresses, subscribed to Martha Stewart Weddings magazine, all that stuff. I wanted to be a wedding coordinator when I grew up. Then when I went to film school at UT Austin, I decided that I should combine my two passions and become a wedding filmmaker.

I’ve been in the industry since 2001, when I started shooting and editing for wedding videographers while I was in school. When I graduated in ’03, I used my savings to buy a camera and computer, and I haven’t looked back since!

Also, in the summer of ’08 my husband quit his day job in sales to come work with me full time, and it’s been fabulous. He brings a different eye to the table and I’m so excited with how he’s contributing with his filming and editing.

What is your favorite part about your job?

There’s no way I could pick one. First off, I love arriving the day of the wedding and seeing what the bride’s dress looks like, what color the flowers are, all those things the make a wedding a wedding. Every event is different and beautiful in its own way and I enjoy the aesthetics of it all.

My other favorite part is when I’m editing and it just “clicks” and I make myself cry. Might sound a little silly, but when the imagery and music combine to create something timeless, emotional, and touching, I know I’ve got the best job in the world.

What sets you apart from other wedding filmmakers?

For one thing, I’m female, and there aren’t a lot of female filmmakers out there. I’m a recently married bride, so I can completely empathize with everything a bride goes through on her wedding day and in the planning process. Plus, Vanessa McKellar Productions is a husband and wife team, so while I’m with the girls, there’s also someone the groomsmen can feel comfortable with too. And lastly, I have a blog that’s full of my videos and also wedding planning tips and ideas; it’s a great resource for brides.

What’s your favorite thing to film at wedding?

I love the few minutes right after the ceremony when all the bride and groom’s family and friends gather around and congratulate them. I think it’s one of the purest and most uncontrived moments of the whole day; everyone’s so excited about what has just taken place. Hugs and smiles and jokes and kisses all around. Brent likes to film crazy awesome moves on the dance floor.

When not filming weddings what are you doing?

Editing weddings! Beyond that I like to make jewelry, watch movies, read wedding blogs , eat out with my hubby, clean and/or decorate our new house, and chat with my amigas. Brent just tries to find something to do to counteract all the fufu female estrogen vibes everywhere.

OK, now that you totally love Vanessa and know you want her at your wedding, let me just show you one of my favorite things that she does. These are called Love Stories and they are AMAZING. It’s a perfect way for your friends and family to hear how you met. These are perfect for showing at your rehearsal dinner or even during your wedding. (Instead of that slideshow that has embarrassing baby photos of you growing up.) And, think of how cool it will be for your kids and grandkids to hear from your own mouth how you fell in love.

Vanessa McKellar Productions
http://www.videobrideblog.com/
http://www.VanessaMcKellar.com/
903.894.6078

Let me be super clear.  If there is one thing I know NOTHING about, it’s flowers.  I know there are roses, gerber daisies, and sunflowers.  That’s about it.  The good news for you as a bride is that I don’t have to know about flowers.  I have to be able to take fancy pictures of them.  That I can do. :)  However, Barbara & Thomas from La Tee Da Flowers in Tyler, TX know absolutely everything about flowers.  Week in and week out I get to interact with  different florists.  The folks at La Tee Da Flowers set the standard for this part of Texas.  I popped into their shop one day to hang out and snapped a few photos while I was there.  Barbara kept getting on to me because I didn’t warn her and she didn’t get a chance to pick up a bit.  But seriously, look at this place.  It’s like working in The Secret Garden.

Seriously, even the “mess” on the floor is fun to photograph.

How did you get started & how long have you been doing this?
Started in 1989 as a flower wholesaler..I used to drive a 24 foot long bob tail truck. Went completely retail in 1994 after the big Calif. earthquake. Our store was called Antique Flower Garden. (goggle us)  We were an award winning florist and sold it in 2006 and moved to Texas. Love it here!

What is your favorite part about your job?
Giving the bride her bouquet and seeing her first reaction…it’s worth all the effort.

What are some things brides should look for when looking for a florist?
An owner involved florist/designer. Tons of pictures of that florist work…current ones, not pics from a book. someone who understands your sense of style and will help you develop it. 


How many flowers do you guys typically go through per week?
As little as a couple of hundred to many thousands. Nothing is typical in the flower business.

What are some arrangements that you don’t get requested often but you think look great for a wedding?
Wreaths for the entry doors.

What is something unique to your service that you are extra proud of?
No drop and ditch for us..we deliver and I mean deliver. We set up, pin on all of our own bouts and corsages (don’t leave it for the photographer) we tear down….we do it all.

Anything else you wanna say?
We love what we do….our enthusiasm is contagious, we are committed and happy to be here designing and creating for such great people. We love Texans! (My husband Thomas, says he got back here as soon as he could)



And, because you can never have enough photos in a post, here are some images from Kristina & Nick’s wedding where La Tee Da provided the flowers. 

This first shot may not seem like a big deal.  But, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been to a wedding where the florist dropped off a cardboard box full of boutonnieres and no one had any idea which one went to whom. Then at the last minute, someone is walking up to a grandfather and REMOVING his flower to place it on the usher because they thought they had enough for everyone. Not a good way to start the wedding day. This labeled board makes the whole process seamless and easy.

Say hello to the La Tee Da mascot.







One last thing… not only are their arrangements beautiful and incredible to look at, Barbra & Thomas are nice people.  Think about it.  This is your wedding.  Why would you want to interact with someone who is not super nice?  About 15 seconds into our first meeting I felt like I had known these two forever and they were totally invested in my life and business.  That type of interaction is what you want from ALL of your wedding vendors.

La Tee Da Flowers
105 North Spring Avenue
Tyler, TX 75702
(903) 566-1566

Web: http://lateedaflowers.com/
Blog: http://lateedaflowers.blogspot.com/

I love me some Legacy Venue! A few weeks ago I shot my first wedding at one of the newer venues in the area. The Legacy Venue in Jacksonville. I always love shooting at new places and this was no exception. The place is beautiful and Susan and her staff do a great job taking care of all the little details that you run into on the day of your wedding. You may remember Laura & Neal’s wedding from last month, but if you don’t here are a few reminder photos.

Here is the bridal room in action. You could probably fit anywhere from 10-15 girls in the room and everyone would have some mirror space. :)

These two were married indoors, but The Legacy also has a great gorgeous spot for an outdoor wedding.



A few shots from the reception hall.



In other exciting news the wedding was picked up by a great wedding blog called Hot Pink Brides.

You can see their write up about it here.

Anyway, I always think getting to know your wedding vendors is super important for a bride so here is a little interview I did with The Legacy Venue’s owner, Susan Jones. Enjoy.

How did you guys get started, how long have you been doing this?
We have always loved to host special events. We even held a few weddings at our home before we built the facility. We started building The Legacy in June 2008 and completed it by November 1, 2008



What is your favorite part about your job?
Sharing a very special day in someone’s life.

What is the craziest thing that has ever happened at your venue?
(This of course does not mean that you were responsible for the crazy.)
We had someone propose to his girlfriend at “The Legacy”. That was really neat and something we will always remember. 


What are some things brides should look for when looking for a venue?
I think having many options is very important because every bride and groom visualize something different for their special day. I also think it is important that when choosing a venue, that if they want to get married outside, you also have a chapel or a place inside just in case it rains. It is a lot less stressful if you have a plan “B”.
 


What is something unique to your venue that you are extra proud of?
We love the layout of the facility and the massive window in the reception hall. We also love the fact that the bride and groom have many options for the reception hall layout. The reception hall was built so the dance floor, DJ, Band, tables, chairs, food tables, cakes, etc… can be wherever they would like it to be. They can have any of these things wherever they would like and it looks great!


Anything else you wanna say?
We have a passion for what we do and enjoy sharing that special day in someone’s life. The vows and toasts are one of our favorite parts of a wedding because what is said comes straight from the heart.

The Legacy Venue
Phone: (903) 571-9644 or (903) 586-6463 

Email: info@thelegacy-venue.com

STOP! DO NOT IGNORE THIS POST!

It does NOT contain a beautiful image of a bride and groom by a palm tree at night, an opera singing bride, or a Marilyn Monroe-ish bride & groomsmen pose.  It DOES however contain information that can save your marriage.  Please.  Take 3 minutes and read it.  I promise it will be worth it.  Then when you are done you can click here, here, and here for super fun images.

So, today’s post is kinda a twist on what you typically get here. Usually it’s a couple who is giddy and in love, a bride who is giddy and in love or a bride and groom who are giddy and in love. (With an occasional post about my family sprinkled in. We too are also giddy and in love.) The reality is not everyone who is giddy and in love ends up that way. I’ve ben to weddings where parents of the bride won’t speak to each other, I’ve had couple call off the wedding because they broke up, and pretty much everyone seems to come from a blended family of sorts these days. That is why today’s Vendor Interview is one that is near and dear to my heart.

I can not say enough about the folks at We Vow Now. They do amazing work and help prepare you for your marriage. People literally spend tens of thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours planning for the first 5 hours of their married life and assume that the rest will just fall into place. There is no way to describe just how how complicated and stressful marriage can be.

I absolutely am more in love with Danielle today than the day I married her but that does not change the fact that we have had bumps along the way. Fights have occurred, temper tantrums have been thrown, and rude things have been said, and that’s just on my end. :) Seriously, the premarital counseling we did BEFORE we were married prepared us so much for the first few years of life together. We did an 8 week course together with a counselor, read books about marriage and communication, went to conferences, and met individually with couples who’s marriages we respected and asked them to pick apart our relationship and give us warnings on what areas they saw us struggling in. All of these things gave us tools and techniques that we still rely on every day of our life together. (Sacred Marriage is by far my favorite marriage related book I have ever read.)

All of you brides who are planning a wedding know that those days don’t just magically happen. Time, money, and energy go into making them happen. The same is true of good marriages.

Before we get to the interview, I wanted to share a few images from the family session I did for Tonya and Justin the founders of We Vow Now.

Now ladies and gentlemen, give a warm Alex M. Photography welcome to the We Vow Now Interview. (clapping sounds)

How did you guys get started, how long have you been doing this?
We have tried to always be involved in something worth while and this particular adventure definitely seemed to be worth while.  To help couples and families find practical was to improve their overall happiness and health is just something that seems to be so very needed today. The VOW Healthy Marriage Initiative was officially launched in October of 2006 when a grant we applied for was awarded.

Where are you located?
We office at our main location in Longview, where Wellness Pointe headquarters is located.  We actually offer our classes at various community locations in Gregg, Harrison, Marion, Panloa, Rusk, Smith, Upshur and Camp counites.  In addition to the Longview location, we also have offices in Marshall, Gilmer and Tyler.

What is your favorite part about your job?
Our favorite thing is to see the difference the programming VOW offers work wonders in the lives of real East Texas families.  While we don’t have any magic bullets, fountains of youth, pots of gold or any other “quick fixes,” we do offer couples, married and unmarried alike, skills that very powerfully improve their ability to communicate their needs and to resolve their differences.  Again, there is nothing magical about what we do, and we are not perfect by any means either.  All the staff at VOW love families and help couples to learn things about themselves and their partners that most of us did not learn before we got married.  It is fun to see people change their lives for good!

Why should brides bother with your service.  I thought counseling was for people in bad relationships?
Great question!  First, one of the great things about VOW is that our program is a research based, time tested education program that has helped millions couples world wide.  While counseling is critical in many respects, we teach and facilitate the learning of practical “real world” skills that help in the home, work and in general life situations.  Brides should particularly come to our classes (with their grooms) to get a head start on their marriage.  We have had countless couples say, “I wish I knew this before I got married, we are so much better at talking without fighting” or something of the like!  Others say “We sure are glad that we went through VOW before we got married.  We thought we really knew each other and that love would just automatically get us through anything!”  Another great thing about coming to our program is that, upon completion they are eligible for a $60 discount on their marrige license.  As a Twogether in Texas qualifying/participating program, couples are given a certificate that will get the marriage license fee waived.  They are still responsible for up to $12 of filing fees!

What is something unique to your service that you are extra proud of?
We are extra proud to offer programming to couples that really makes a difference!  Literally hundreds of couples have increased their marital satisfaction as a result of coming through VOW.  In fact, according to our evaluation data, 85% of couples who complete our program come out leaps and bounds ahead of where they were when they started the program.

Anything else you wanna say?
We want couples to know that VOW is NOT just for couples on the brink.  In fact, if they are on the brink, they probably waited too long already!  Just as we get the oil changed in our cars and go to the dentist to have our teeth cleaned, our relationships NEED maintenance.  Society requires skills and practical learning for almost every line of industry or even to get a driver license, yet too many people just fall in love, hoping that they will just figure life out, only to learn that the stop at the bottom of the fall hurts!  Relationship Education is maintenance for people who are trying to love each other the best they possibly can.  Please call 903.232.1700 or navigate to www.wevownow.com for more information about how our 8 hour course can help make your relationship thrive!