Flaire Weddings and Events

Merry Christmas from the Cherneski's!

noreply@blogger.com (Flaire Weddings and Events) — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 18:48:00 +0000

This is our family's Christmas card this year -- I think it turned out pretty decent considering I took all the pictures myself!! I really wanted to get professional pics done this year for our card, but the craziness of fall weddings took over my schedule and by the time we had some free time, it was already December!! Maybe I'll plan to do next year's Christmas card shoot in July :)

Wreathed Monogram Wishes Christmas Card

Send Christmas cards personalized with your family photos.

View the entire collection of cards.

Follow along on Instagram!!

noreply@blogger.com (Flaire Weddings and Events) — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 21:27:00 +0000

Are you on Instagram?? I joined this year and I love how simple it is to share fun and creative photos!!

Follow me, Cassie, at instagram.com/cassieinfl

You'll see fun scenes from real Flaire weddings such as this lovely fireplace we styled at a recent wedding:

And there will probably be a shot (or twenty) of my insanely cute kiddos (by the way, I'm not biased at all, they really are insanely cute..) :)

You can also follow our lovely planner Amber Veatch, at instagram.com/amberveatch. She's always cooking up fun and crafty projects and posting pics of them.

Hope to see you on Instagram!! Comment and let us know you're following! :)

Southern Glam Inspiration Shoot

noreply@blogger.com (Flaire Weddings and Events) — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 22:08:00 +0000

Several months back, Lauren Grove of Every Last Detail asked members of Every Last Vendor to create a styled shoot for her blog. I was excited at the chance to collaborate with some fellow vendors and create something pretty, and thrilled that Lauren chose to feature the shoot! You can view her post here.

My vision for the shoot: I wanted to create a design that was infused with "Southern Glam" -- to me, this means a Southern-themed design with luxurious elements. We brought these ideas to life by placing our shoot at a super Southern venue, the Horse Stamp Inn in Waverly, Georgia. The Horse Stamp Inn is a Bed-and-Breakfast in South Georgia, with a stately mansion, a tree-lined lane, and an absolutely adorable barn. Mason jars, chickens, chicken wire, and hay added to the Southern feel of the images. The "glam" aspects came in with our bride-model and her luxurious, silk-and-bling gown, trendy birdcage headpiece, luscious florals, and shimmering glass and metal accents.

A fabulous vendor team brought this shoot to life:
Photography: Jenn Hopkins Photography
Concept, Planning, and Florals: (Me!) Flaire Weddings & Events
Paper Goods: Denise with Dogwood Blossom Stationery
Videography: Visual Power Cinema
Venue: Horse Stamp Inn
Cake: For the Love of Cake
Rentals: Beachview Rentals
Hair/Makeup: Paulina Perez

I have to give a huge shout out to Denise of Dogwood Blossom Stationery. She took my concept and ran with it!! The suite she designed for this shoot was stunning, and I was completely thrilled with the final result. I highly recommend her services if you are looking for custom paper goods!

Here are a few of my favorite images from the shoot:

We were also privileged to have John and Angel Powers on hand to capture a behind the scenes video of the shoot. Visit this link to check it out! :)

Thanks again to everyone who brought this shoot to life. If you'd like to commission my team to design your custom wedding, please send me a message, info@flaireweddings.com! :)

Beautiful Decor at Club Continental

noreply@blogger.com (Flaire Weddings and Events) — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 16:49:00 +0000

Last week we had the privilege to provide decor for a sweet couple, Jenny and Matt, with one of the coolest weddings dates ever: 10.11.12!! Jenny had a vision for an elegant, glam event with the main colors being purple and silver. We provided our chiavari chairs (available through Jax Chair Boutique), linens, uplighting, and some of the decor details, including our mercury glass votives, the seating chart, table numbers and our fun paper straws. Here is a sneak peek of the decor, captured beautifully by Stephie Joy Photography.

Other vendors involved: Coordinator: Whitney Croxton Florals: Anything with Plants and Flowers DJ: DJ Thundercat Cake: Metro Custom Cakes

Featured on Style Me Pretty Florida!

noreply@blogger.com (Flaire Weddings and Events) — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 21:16:00 +0000

Last week we were featured on Style Me Pretty for Val and Chad's stunning St. Augustine soiree. I just LOVED working with this couple and wish they were plannning another wedding so we could do it all again! ;)
Here is just one lovely image from the feature and thanks so much to Mel and Brad Watson of La Dolce Vita Studio for the stunning images!!

Check out the full feature here.

Chiavari Chairs for your Wedding

noreply@blogger.com (Flaire Weddings and Events) — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 22:05:00 +0000

Hi friends!! Some of you may know we opened a new division a few years back called Flaire Event Rentals. Well, that company is growing and evolving and has taken on a life of its own!! We are relaunching as Jax Chair Boutique and we are proud to offer both mahogany and silver chiavari chairs for weddings and other special events. All the information is on our new site: Jax Chair Boutique along with some lovely pictures from past events!!

If you are needing to rent chiavari chairs, you'll be very pleased with Jax Chair Boutique's pricing and customer service!

Here are just a few images from past events!!

Photo courtesy of J. Mosley Photography

Photo courtesy of Ron B Wilson Photography

Featured!

noreply@blogger.com (Flaire Weddings and Events) — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 19:59:00 +0000

We just love when a blog features our brides!!

Two Flaire brides have recently been seen around the blogosphere --

Our cute bride Megan's shoes were featured on one of my favorite blogs, Southern Weddings! They loved her bright pedicure!
Check it out here:
This lovely photo is by Stephie Joy Photography.

Also, our fashion forward bride Tey from this past October was featured on Style Me Pretty!!

You can see her feature here. Her photographer, Gwen Tundermann, did a fabulous job!
This is the gorgeous bride in her stunning Vera Wang gown.

Both weddings featured adorable straws from our boutique, Flaire Celebrations!

(Megan used the "Confetti Dots" straws as well as our striped pink straws.) Flaire designed the escort tags and flags. Photo by Stephie Joy.

Tey's celebration featured the hot pink straws as well as blue! I love how they look with her adorable signature drinks. *Quick tip* - Cut your paper straws in half to go in cocktail glasses like these -- you'll get double the usage and they fit perfectly! Photo by Gwen Tundermann.

Congrats ladies!! :) You both had beautiful celebrations!

On discouragement...

noreply@blogger.com (Flaire Weddings and Events) — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 18:23:00 +0000

It's easy to get to a place where you look around at what others are doing.

You see their achievements.

You see their enthusiasm.

You see their success.

And a tiny little voice starts to bring you discouragement.

It usually starts with "You should be..."
or "Why aren't you...."
or even "You're not...."

But it's very important not to listen to that voice.
Look at what you've done.
Celebrate your successes.
And then get back to work.

You can only make things happen by doing.

noreply@blogger.com (Flaire Weddings and Events) — Fri, 25 May 2012 18:44:00 +0000

It's true! Weddings bring out the best.... and the worst in people! Hiring a planner gives you a neutral, objective resource at your disposal. We have been hired by so many mothers of the bride who have told us they want to maintain a peaceful, loving relationship with their daughters. While we can't prevent bad behaviour or temper flare-ups among family members, oftentimes just having an outside resource available is enough to "stem" the drama. If you're worried about dealing with family dynamics during this exciting but admittedly stress-inducing time, give us a call! We'd love to chat with you about how we can assist.

Spring Updates

noreply@blogger.com (Flaire Weddings and Events) — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 20:11:00 +0000

Can you guys believe it is 2012? The first quarter is almost over and we are just getting into our Spring Wedding Season. 2012 has been a great year so far. We had an awesome January wedding that we did full design for (including florals and rentals) so I'm excited to post pictures of those, we had a great engagement party in February for one of our fun September couples, and we had our first Spring wedding a few weeks ago that was just gorgeous. I am seriously waiting on pins and needles for pictures to start coming back and will post here as soon as I can!!

In the meantime, here's a little bit of what I've been up to.

In January, I hosted the very first Cultivate Workshop in Jacksonville. It was a blast and it was so fun to meet other business owners who are looking to grow. I had some really great one-on-one conversations and I am looking forward to keeping up with all of the attendees as they grow their amazing companies! I do plan to do a full workshop blog post soon, but I have some cute sneak peek pictures to show off in the meantime. :)

Our tablescape for the workshop luncheon. Flowers by Flaire.

Our afternoon break featured cupcakes and Izzy drinks!

Both of these gorgeous images were taken by Cyn of CynKain Photography

I was thrilled to share the stage with friends and fellow wedding pros, Lauren Grove and Amber Housley. Stay tuned to the Cultivate Workshop site for info on upcoming workshops and locations.

See Flaire on Southern Weddings!

noreply@blogger.com (Flaire Weddings and Events) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 22:40:00 +0000

I am so excited that my button ad for Southern Weddings is finally live on their blog!

I chose this image from McRae and Thomas's super southern wedding in Amelia Island!

I love Thomas's seersucker suit in this picture, how happy they both look, and of course our beautiful Florida marsh in the background! The beautiful image was taken by Kara Pennington, who sadly for us Florida folks, lives in Alaska now!! :)

So excited! :)

Find us on Every Last Detail!

noreply@blogger.com (Flaire Weddings and Events) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 16:38:00 +0000

If you haven't checked out the fab blog Every Last Detail yet, then you need to! It is a great place for learning as well as some gorgeous eye-candy.

And I am proud to say that we are now listed in Every Last Vendor, the blog's curated vendor directory. What sets this directory apart from others is that you can search for vendors within a price range and style. Vendors are classified as either classic, modern, vintage or eclectic.

Go check out our listing and take a look through the inspiration posts, as well as Lauren's Wedding 101 posts -- a great starting point for the newly engaged bride!

Event Design at the Friday Musicale

noreply@blogger.com (Flaire Weddings and Events) — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 16:28:00 +0000

Back in January, Mandie McKenzie at the Friday Musicale asked for my help with the ABC meeting they were hosting. I was happy to provide our beautiful chiavari chairs along with the floral arranging. Mandie hosted a lovely event and it was great to network with fellow ABC members. Ron B. Wilson was gracious enough to sponsor our photography and here are some images from the event!
Location: Friday Musicale
Catering: Catering by Liz
Music: Strolling Violin
Linens: Kirby Rental
Flower Design and Chairs: Flaire Weddings & Events, Flaire Event Rentals

Beverly did a great job with the music for the evening!

Our lovely hostess, Mandie

Lisa, owner of Elegant Weddings by Lisa and one of our local ABC Co-Directors

Our speaker talked about Public Relations for Small Businesses

My marketing materials on display!

Need some lovely chairs for your event? Contact us today! View more info here.

Paper Straws are here!!

noreply@blogger.com (Flaire Weddings and Events) — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 21:23:00 +0000

As you may know, last fall my mom and I opened up a gift shop here in Jacksonville called Flaire Celebrations.

It has taken quite a while, but I am finally getting around to updating our website with all of the products we have in stock. I am not even halfway finished, but this weekend I did get our paper straws all loaded on to the site!!

Right now we have 8 colors available, but if you're looking for something different, let us know and we can special order it for you!

To view the entire collection, please visit us at the Flaire Celebrations website!

Jacksonville Wedding Lighting -- Uplighting, Gobos, and More!

noreply@blogger.com (Flaire Weddings and Events) — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 21:21:00 +0000

I worked with a lovely bride named Dide this past spring to provide uplighting and a custom monogram gobo for her wedding at the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens. Dide wanted purple uplighting and a gobo featuring the couple's initials.

She recently sent me some pictures from the event, and everything was stunning!

These fantastic images were provided by Lindsey Tropf of Pure Photography. Lighting is an affordable way to add instant elegance to your event! We have several fall dates open -- shoot me an email if you're interested in lighting for your own wedding!

Congrats Dide and EJ! I'm glad we were able to provide the beautiful lighting for your reception!

Open House this weekend!

noreply@blogger.com (Flaire Weddings and Events) — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 19:36:00 +0000

If you are in the Northeast Florida area and haven't yet had a chance to stop by our new location, then this post is for you! This coming Sunday, January 30th, we are hosting an open house at our new boutique from 5 - 7 pm. I will be there to talk about planning and design, Hope Dempsey, with D'vine Cuisine will be serving hors d'oeuvres, and we'll be showcasing some of our new product lines at the boutique. We'll also be giving attendees a sneak peek of our new small event space, The Tea Garden.

We specifically picked a non-football Sunday for this event, so please stop by! We'll be giving away door prizes, discounts, and more.

Plus, I'll be revealing my new branding, designed by Emily Ley!

Can't wait to see you there!

You'll find our office inside the Flaire Celebrations boutique, which is located at 2762 Park St, Jacksonville, Florida, 32205.

Goodbye 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Flaire Weddings and Events) — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 21:23:00 +0000

Wow! Here I am, staring at my computer screen, on the LAST day of this decade. Where do I even begin? What a year.

First, an apology. (I know all the blog-theory-expert people say you're not supposed to do this, but I'm going to anyway.) I haven't blogged since July. JULY!! There are a lot of reasons why, and a lot of excuses, but mainly it comes down to this: I have been insanely busy. I've been up to a lot, both personally, and in business, so here is my attempt at a 2010 recap to share with you a bit of what I "forgot" to blog.

In January we had two amazing weddings. This was one of them, and I still haven't blogged the other. In fact, I only blogged ONE real wedding this whole year? Oops.
Anyway, here is one of my favorite images from our January wedding at the White Room -- Jen and Ian, if you read this, I can't believe your one-year anniversary is almost here!!

See that hanging strand of orchids? My hubby hung those (with me directing from the floor, 5+ months pregnant). Just seeing this picture reminds me of how much he does for me and my business, and how I couldn't do this without his support!!

In February, I attended the Making Things Happen intensive in Atlanta, and it was such a great experience! It energized me, reminded me to be passionate, and to surround myself with creativity. It also officially inspired me to start another business.

We took a leap and established Flaire Event Rentals. I saw a need for affordable chiavari chair rentals and didn't think any of the current rental companies in town were fulfilling this need. So we leapt. (I was pretty excited about this, but my husband needed some convincing..well, here it is, nearly a year later, and he's definitely on board now!!)

In March I had another amazing wedding -- this was one of our Start-to-Finish planning weddings this year, and this wedding also utilized the rental products of Flaire Event Rentals!! I haven't blogged this wedding yet, but here are some of the shots of our lovely new chairs in action! :)

I took April and most of May off from the world of weddings to prepare for the arrival of baby number two, (girl number one!!), our sweet Calla Nell. Someday I'll share her birthstory here on the blog. She was fashionably late (13 days to be exact) and we almost ended up in the hospital for an unplanned induction, but God was gracious and He allowed her to be born at home, completely drug-free, as I'd been planning. (She came just 2 days after my hubby's graduation from Law School!)
Here is her sweet face! (I can't get enough of this little girl in case you haven't noticed from my Twitter feed).

Then, just 13 days after our Calla was born, I was thrust back into the world of weddings with a bang -- three weddings in 4 weeks! Here are a few shots from some of them.
My first Indian wedding! These photos are from the incredible Ingrid Damiani.

We also had another fun beach wedding that we supplied chairs, linens and lighting for! Thanks to Corinna Hoffman for this collage.

In July, things slowed down a bit, wedding-wise, but my family had something big happening -- my husband John was taking the Bar exam! It was a stressful period of waiting, but Praise the Lord, he passed!! We were so thrilled for God's blessing in this area.
In August,we took a vacation up to Maryland so my husband's family could meet our baby girl. When we came back, Corinna Hoffman took some fun family pictures for us!

In September, my mother and I began working on my THIRD business, a retail boutique! We are now co-owners of a gift shop in the Riverside Area of Jacksonville. Our adorable little shop is called Flaire Celebrations, and it's located in a cute little bungalow that also houses my new wedding planning office and rental showroom. We had a few more rental bookings in the fall, but prepping for the gift shop opening has pretty much been the focus of the past few months, and we had our grand opening in November! I will try to post pics from that event in the next week or so.
In December I attended the Making Things Happen Reunion in Watercolor, and it was definitely a highlight of my year. I liked this intensive even better than the first one, in Atlanta. I got to know so many amazing women, and I am looking forward to supporting them in the new year.There will definitely be more posts to come as a result of that weekend.

For now, I leave you with a few of my goals for 2011.
1. I will post more often (hey if I post more than once every 6 months, I'm doing good, right?)
2. I will be authentic and open.
3. I will forgive more quickly.
4. I will trust more.
5. I will celebrate my successes, but I won't settle or become complacent.
6. I will lose 10 pounds of baby weight!! :)

Finally, be on the lookout for our rebrand, coming in early 2011! I've been working for the past several months with designer Emily Ley on our new look, which I am excited to reveal in the coming days!

Lookout 2011, here I come!

Visit the Flaire Team at the Jacksonville Summer Bridal Show

noreply@blogger.com (Flaire Weddings and Events) — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 11:00:00 +0000

This Sunday, July 25th, Flaire Weddings and Events will be exhibiting at the Jacksonville Summer Bridal Show. This bridal show will be held at the Main Library building, downtown. This may seem like a strange venue for a bridal show, but if you've never visited the new library, you need to -- it's a stunning venue for weddings!

We'll be showcasing our event design and planning services, as well as specialty rental items. If you've been thinking about hiring a planner, stop by, say hello, and learn a bit more about what we do! (Mention you saw this on our blog and we've got a special gift for you!) We'll also be offering a special booking incentive to any bride who books our planning services on the spot, so if you've been considering booking with us, do so on Sunday and take advantage of our special offer!

For more information about the show, visit Perfect Wedding Guide Shows. Sunday's show begins at 1 pm, and tickets are $7.00 in advance, and $10.00 at the door.

Hope to see you there!

Welcome, Baby Calla!

noreply@blogger.com (Flaire Weddings and Events) — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 14:35:00 +0000

If you've been following my blog, you know that we were expecting our second little bundle of joy in early May. Well, God had other plans and she came in Mid-May -- 13 days late! I was a bit nervous for a while because I had a late May and an early June wedding booked, but everything turned out fine!!

Our sweet little girl, Calla Nell, was born at home on May 17th, 2010 at 9:55 pm. (Yes, it was a planned homebirth!! We worked with the awesome midwifes of Fruitful Vine Midwifery Service -- those in Jacksonville interested in natural childbirth should definitely check them out!) She weighed 7 lbs 3 oz and was just over 20 inches long.

When she was just over a week old, Calla had her first photoshoot with one of my favorite photographers, Corinna Hoffman!

Here are a few of my favorites from her session!

I love her sleepy wink in this one!

This is my favorite of me and her together!

This is her big brother, Ian. He sure loves her!

More images can be seen on Corinna's blog! Thanks so much, Cory, for taking these, we love them!

I look forward to sharing Calla with you, my readers, as she grows and learns the wedding planning ropes! (lol, jk.) Sort of. :)

Whitney and Chris are engaged!

noreply@blogger.com (Flaire Weddings and Events) — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 16:25:00 +0000

Whitney and Chris are one of our fun October couples, and we were so excited when we saw their engagement shots from the talented husband and wife duo Ginger Dupre Photography.

Whitney and Chris are planning a Brunswick, Ga wedding, so they chose to highlight the area with their engagement shots. Whitney's also using a peacock feather theme, and I loved seeing the feathers incorporated into their shoot!

Ginger and Jon did a great job with these images, and now I'm even more excited for this wedding!

Enjoy. :)

Congrats, Whitney and Chris -- we are super excited about your wedding!

We're making things happen!

noreply@blogger.com (Flaire Weddings and Events) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:00:00 +0000

It's time for a business and personal update.

We have definitely been making things happen for Flaire Weddings and Events in the past few months, and more to come in the coming weeks!

One of my big projects for the beginning of this year was to put together our spring intern team. Well, two wonderful interns will be joining our team and will try their hand at their first wedding this coming Saturday. Blog interviews for each of them will be coming soon.

Next up, a HUGE project that I have been working on behind the scenes for quite some time now -- another division of our company is opening up soon! We are in the final stages of prepping for its launch, and you're sure to hear much more about it in the days to come.

Finally, I'm working on streamlining some business processes and putting new systems in place to keep Flaire running like a well-oiled machine! :)

Personally, there are couple things we still need to "make happen."
"Baby sister," as my three-year-old son Ian calls our new little one, will be here in 8 short weeks.

That's quite exciting. There's only one problem. Her nursery: a construction zone.

We live in a 90-year-old historic home, and we recently decided to renovate the nursery. Which meant removing the plaster walls and installing new wiring. And that's been done.

That's all that's been done.

SO, we are now at crunch time to get this project finished before our little bundle arrives! (And when I say we, I TOTALLY mean my hubby. He gets to have all the construction fun by himself.) I'm better at saying, "This goes over here," or "I'm picturing something like this," while he actually wields the nail gun, drywall sanding tools, wire cutters, etc.

On top of this baby project, he's also working on graduating from law school (which will happen this May!!!) and prepping for the bar exam this summer.

Needless to say, 2010 has been off to a busy start!

I can't wait to update with more news about the upcoming developments, and look forward to sharing more in the future! :)

Real Wedding: Jenifer & Ian

noreply@blogger.com (Flaire Weddings and Events) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 13:00:00 +0000

Jenifer and Ian had such a beautiful wedding. Their venue, The White Room, is one of my favorite St. Augustine venues, and it was the perfect backdrop for their celebration.

Jenifer contacted me about Wedding Day Coordination back in April of last year, and we exchanged a few emails about availability, pricing, etc. Well, I didn't hear from her for quite some time, when I got an email from her this fall. Jen said they had thought about doing the coordinating themselves, but then as details started to pile up, quickly realized they wanted a coordinator assisting them. Jen cracked me up in one of her emails when she wrote, "What were we thinking??!" Needless to say, I was thrilled to be coming on board as the Wedding Day Coordinator, and what a fun and moving wedding it was! I'm so glad I got to be a part of this special day for Jen and Ian.

The couple currently lives in NYC, but had attended Flagler College in St. Augustine, so they were coming back to Florida for their wedding celebration.
Even though rain and cold weather changed their plans (the ceremony was originally planned for Ian's Aunt and Uncle's home in St. Augustine), everything still was gorgeous, and I was so impressed with how laid-back they both seemed considering this major change!

Jen and Ian's night was made possible by these fabulous vendors:
Venue: The White Room
Photographer: Jason Angelini Photography
Florist: Ian's Mother, Denise!! (She did an amazing job!!)
Cake: Classic Cakes
Transportation: Old Town Trolley Tours
Ceremony Music: Rick Kuncicky
DJ: Andy Calvert, High Fidelity DJ's

I was so excited when I saw these pictures appear on Jason Angelini's blog -- enjoy!

Such a stunning bouquet, made by Ian's mother!

Jenifer and Ian chose to do a "First Look" to get some amazing shots before the big moment. Fortunately, the rain let up a bit to allow time for these outdoor shots!

Loved these chair florals!

The White Room Loft served as a beautiful back-up location for the ceremony. My team had fun hanging the lace chuppah and stringing these orchids! (Since I am in my third trimester of pregnancy, I didn't do any work on the ladders -- I just got to be the boss from the floor!) hehe. :)

One of my set-up team members, Amy, was a math major in college, so planning out this escort card arrangement's spacing was right up her alley!

The gorgeous reception room.

Jen and Ian had a shrimp and grits station which looked like a big hit! The grits were served in these martini glasses.

The Viking Hat groom's cake. :)

Congrats Jen and Ian on your beautiful wedding -- thanks so much for allowing the Flaire Team to be a part of your celebration!

Making Things Happen

noreply@blogger.com (Flaire Weddings and Events) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 15:52:00 +0000

My junior year of college, I met a group of people that were doing something different. This group of people had become very interested in the concept of Christian Community, and as all were single, unattached college students, they decided to try an experiment of sorts where they practiced living in intentional community. The guys had one house and the girls had another location just a bit away. I visited both houses often and it was intriguing to see them striving together to live out this concept. I attended a small, conservative Christian college, and needless to say, the way this group was approaching living out their faith was very different from what I heard in Convocation, Sunday morning church, or even dorm ministry training. And, it was extremely refreshing. I remember one significant conversation I had with a member of this group, and I had almost forgotten all about it, until Monday.

This past Monday, I had the opportunity to attend Lara Casey's Making Things Happen intensive in Atlanta. This workshop was such an awesome experience, and I'll get to that more in a bit. But first, the workshop brought me back to the conversation I had with my college friend.

On that night so long ago, my junior year of college, I had been having a really bad day. I had recently been through a difficult breakup, and I was experiencing a lot of emotional turmoil and frustration.
This particular night, I just needed to get away, and when my friend invited me to make a Wal-mart run with him, I accepted, needing the opportunity to escape campus for a bit. (There wasn't an abundance of entertainment readily available in this small town, as evidenced by the fact that Wal-Mart was one of our main destinations...)Our drive took us to some beautiful rolling hills (my college was near the gorgeous Blue Ridge Mountains) and an amazing, starry night. It was not a romantic experience at all -- but just one of enjoying life and feeling alive. This friend asked me a question that night. A simple question, really, but one I hadn't really taken the time to think about in a while. He said, "What are you truly passionate about?"

I thought for a long time that night.

And I had to be honest with him. At that time in my life, I didn't really know. I didn't have an overwhelming passion that was driving me. I actually was experiencing quite a bit of apathy, and realizing that unnerved me. But, I did know, even though I couldn't identify my specific passion at that exact moment, that I wanted to live a life of significance, whatever that may have meant. I struggled with an idea I was having, and I tried to explain it to him. I said, "You know how you meet some people and you feel like they are just living on another plane of existence?" It sounds more philosophical than it really needs to, but what I was starting to wrap my head around was that some people seem to be living life in a deeper way than everybody else. They are truly living, rather than just surviving, or going through the motions. Many people get so caught up in the day to day, that they forget to really live. And I knew that I didn't want to be one of those people.

Fast Forward to Monday. Sitting in the intensive, surrounded by so many other creative, passionate people, I was reminded of that late night college conversation so many years ago. I met so many people who were truly "living on that other plane" -- living deeper lives. Lara Casey asked us a similar question to the one my friend had asked that night. She asked us, "What fires you up?" This time, I was able to answer. I still don't completely have my passions figured out, but I am striving for them, and one of the benefits of that workshop was meeting others who are also trying to live their best life. I realized again the value of surrounding myself with people who inspire -- people who ignite my passions. People who are living deeper lives.

One of the key words that emerged over and over again at the intensive was "authenticity." (Thanks, Emily Ley!) This post is a lot more personal than I usually get here on this blog, but I'm trying to do my part to be more authentic, to really show who I am, and to put myself out there.

I'm still beginning to process everything I thought about and learned on Monday, but these were some initial thoughts I just had to express. But there will be more posts like this to come, I'm sure, as I clarify my thoughts!

I guess the take-away from this post: for brides, for other business owners, for people in general. Try to identify your passion. Find what fires you up and strive for it. Surround yourself with people who will help you towards that, not drain you and suck you dry. And be that kind of person for others in their own journey. You'll enjoy the feeling of living life on a deeper level.

New Pricing for 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Flaire Weddings and Events) — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 20:10:00 +0000

Starting January 15th, 2010, the pricing for our services will be increasing. You'll find the new rates on our website. Recently received quotes will be valid through January 30th, 2010.

As always though, we're happy to customize our planning services to create a package that works for your planning needs AND your budget.

To set up a complimentary consultation, please drop us an email at info@flaireweddings.com, or feel free to call the office at (904) 352-1832.

Internship 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Flaire Weddings and Events) — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 13:00:00 +0000

Flaire Weddings and Events is in search of a few good women to be our interns for the Spring wedding season!

Interns will have the opportunity to work hands-on at real weddings, assisting with set-up and decor, interacting with the bride and groom, and working with other wedding vendors. In addition to wedding weekend events, interns will experience planning consultations and team meetings in our studio office, and get a chance to see much of the behind-the-scenes nuts and bolts of a successful wedding business!

Ideal Internship candidates will have many of the following qualifications and characteristics:

*A Bachelor's degree (or working towards one)
*Past event experience (private, family events are fine)
*Excellent communication skills
*Strong interpersonal abilities
*Creativity
*Organization
*Detail-oriented
*Ability to take direction
*Motivation
*Be a self-starter
*Basic knowledge of weddings and the wedding industry
*Weekend availability

After completion of the internship, successful interns will have the opportunity to become a paid assistant for Flaire Weddings and Events, or may possibly be able to train and apply for other openings within the company.

Involvement in the wedding industry is all about "getting your foot in the door" and this may be your chance!

For details and full internship requirements, please email info@flaireweddings.com for more information or to request an application.