little black dress events blog

Traditional, casual, trendy, or funky—the wedding shoe has become a major statement. It’s a fantastic way to show your unique style, and it’s not just for the bride anymore—it can be for the ever-daring groom, as well.

There are few rules when it comes to shoes on your wedding day. But here are a few suggestions to help you and your groom find—and prepare for—the perfect wedding shoe:

1. Break those babies in. A few weeks before your wedding, start breaking your wedding shoes in by walking and standing around in them.

2. Not all whites and ivories are created equal. If you go with a traditional white or ivory shoe, take a swatch.

3. Shoe accessories are all the rage—and are one of my favorite things—for the 2012 wedding season. Add some cool shoe accessories by visiting one of my favorite Web sites: Absolutely Audrey Glamorous Shoe Clips.

4. Don’t be afraid to step outside the box. Show your personality with a bold color or funky pattern. It’s your day, your way!

5. Take your shoes to all dress or tux fittings. You should have your shoes on hand in order to obtain the proper fit and length of your gown or tux.

6. Choose a heel height you are most comfortable wearing. Measure the height of your favorite heels—this way you’ll know what height to look for.

7. Surfaces can sometimes be challenging or difficult to walk on, especially in wedding shoes. Consider adding self-adhesive sole pads to the bottoms of your shoes for added traction to prevent an unexpected slip.

8. Pack a pair of comfortable shoes for the reception. Remember: you will both be dancing the night away. So, if style beats comfort for you, why not try something like Chucks for him and ballet flats for you? By the end of the night, comfort will trump everything.

9. Why not style your own wedding shoes? Check out Milk & Honey custom design shoes.

10. Practice, practice, practice. When you are in front of all of your family and friends, you want to look like a pro, so practice makes perfect!

Photos courtesty of: JuneBug Bride and Style Me Pretty.

Fifteen months ago, Little Black Dress Events was hired to assist in the planning, design and coordination for the wedding of Miss Vicki Williamson to Mr. Jonathan Bornak. During the planning process, I became fast friends with not only, the wonderful Bride and her Groom, but with the Brides just as wonderful parents, Jeff and Lori Williamson.

Working with clients like the Bornak’s and Williamson’s, make me love what I do even more. As you will see, they made a wonderful donation to the Multiple Sclerosis Society in lieu of party favors. I will never be able to put into words my appreciation for their generosity, as they still continue to support me, as well as my mission to help raise awareness and funds for the fight against MS. Their more than generous donation means so much to me and will directly benefit the people who are affected by this disease.

This family means a lot to me and I am honored to call them friends, even after the wedding was over. I will be forever touched by their kindness, love and support.

Many Blessings,

Misti

(stationery by ~ yours truly invitations)

As a planner, there are three things I look for in a client: honesty, trust, and mutual respect. I am certain that if you are interested in hiring a wedding planner you will look for similar attributes, along with a few others.

First, think about what your needs are. Do you require a full planner, someone who assists you throughout the entire planning process, from day one until your wedding day? Or do you require a partial (or day-of) planner, someone whose services are best for brides who have already completed the majority of their planning and are looking for someone to finish last-minute tasks and manage their wedding day?

When hiring a wedding planner, it is very important that you have a real connection and share similar styles and tastes. It is also essential that your planner sees and understands your vision and that he or she feels they have the ability to turn your vision into reality and capture your special day as you see it.

Inevitably, you will spend a significant amount of time with your planner during the planning of your wedding. In preparation for your special day, your planner will be with you at the majority, if not all, of your meetings, and you will be emailing back and forth as well as frequently talking on the phone. Thus, it is really important that you like the person you hire and enjoy being with them. They will become your friend, your confidante, a peace maker, and sometimes even a therapist. A good wedding planner always has your best interest at heart.

One of the most crucial parts of planning any event is staying organized, and every planner should be constant in this department. A planner’s life is consumed by file folders, timelines, software, and spreadsheets, which in turn allows for a smooth and successful event for everyone involved. While the internet may be a great source of information on everything, including organizing a wedding, it is just that—a source of information. The internet will not be able to recommend the best local vendors that fit your requirements and your budget, nor will it be able to inform you of the best local vendors when it comes to choosing flowers, rentals, DJs, and other aspects vital to preparing for the perfect wedding day.

Finally, your wedding planner should be someone who comes highly recommended and can provide references. References are key in finding the best wedding planner because if a planner doesn’t have experience or can’t provide positive testimonials from former clients, then he or she might not have the ability to handle all the details of planning your wedding from save-the-dates to the final hours of the reception.

Remember, your wedding day is going to be one of the most important days of your life. Hiring a wedding planner ensures your special day is in the hands of a professional whose job it is to pay attention to detail.

~ Cheers!

When Kim Nelson ’10 was still an active member of Marietta College’s Alpha Xi Delta, she remembers all too well opening her closet and seeing old formal dresses that she’d likely never wear again.
 
It wasn’t until Misti Sims of Little Black Dress Events in Marietta contacted her about Dresses & Dreams of the Mid-Ohio Valley that Nelson felt she could something productive with all of the unused dresses.

“I knew that there had to be dresses in the closets of sorority women that they no longer like or wear anymore so why not let someone else wear them,” Nelson said.
 
However, Nelson isn’t on campus any longer, so she reached out to Panhellenic President Jennifer Kuhn ’11 (Stow, Ohio) to organize the sororities on campus.
 

I thought this might be fun!

1. I have been in the wedding and event planning industry for a little over 10 years.

2. I don’t really watch wedding shows because I find that the majority of them are unrealistic.

3. I really dislike when someone says to me, “Have you seen seen the movie, The Wedding Planner” or if I wear a headset.

4. I could not live a day without my Blackberry, Laptop or a Tape Measure. (yes, I carry one in my bag at all times).

5. My favorite wedding month is September.

6. Trust, Honesty and Mutual Respect are the top three things I look for in clients, as well as my vendors.

7. My favorite place to have a wedding reception is in a big tent because it’s a blank canvas!

8. My favorite part of the wedding will always be that one very rare, and very special moment the Bride has with her Father, right before the doors open to walk down the aisle! It’s raw, it’s real and it’s reality.

9. Yes, I am married and Yes, I would change something from my wedding day.

10. I will never forget where I came from, or how I got started. There were and are so many people who have helped me get where I am today, they have always been on my side and I have had some of the biggest cheerleaders imaginable during my journey. Those people helped get me where I am today, they are a gift and a blessing from God.

photo by allie b photography

~ Cheers,

   Misti