September 24, 2018
A Special Simcha for a Special Family
It was truly an honor and a privilege to plan and produce the second Mitzvah celebration for this amazing family! There are just some times that you really click with a client and throughout the process you develop a friendship. That was the case with this sweet family. Three years ago I worked with this family on their daughters Bat Mitzvah and now the youngest of the family, Daniel is celebrating his Bar Mitzvah!
We selected the InterContinental Hotel as the venue, which was perfect because many of the family members live not only out of state, but out of the country. The Hotel would be home away from home while the family came to celebrate this special time.
Let me just talk about family for a moment. The love that this family has for each other, and actively shows, makes my heart smile. The siblings are each others biggest supporters and the connection between them is something that you can feel whenever you are around them. The entire family – immediate and extended – share a love that just makes you feel happy to see it expressed!
The photos below, compliments of the always fabulous, Kristen Alexander, will tell the story for me, but I want to provide just a few details.
Instead of a full-on theme for the celebration, a color palette was selected. The honoree’s favorite Soccer team is Barcelona, so their team colors of burgundy, blue and yellow were the basis of the decor.
For the Kiddush luncheon, we went with a palette of black and white striped linens, paired with yellow and white flowers. It was a very crisp and clean look.
For the evening party, we paired a contemporary design concept with organic touches for a truly unique and elevated look. Bringing the concepts and design together was the creative genius of JWilbur of EventScapes.
One of my favorite parts of a Mitzvah is the candle lighting ceremony. Hearing the honoree honor their family and friends is touching and inspiring.
For this party, if you had a sweet-tooth, then you would have been in heaven. After a delicious dinner, guests were invited out to the garden terrace for mini cupcakes, fresh made hot doughnuts with a variety of toppings and an ice cream bar.
And if those sweets weren’t enough, then how about a candy buffet featuring Daniel’s favorite treats.
Guests received a commemorative T-shirt as a lasting reminder of the special occasion.
Now that all of the kid’s in the family have celebrated their Mitzvah’s, we look forward to continued celebrations like weddings, with this wonderful family in the future.
A HUGE Thank you to each vendor that we were honored to recommend and partner with for this fabulous celebration!!!
Synagogue ~ Congregation Shearith Israel
Kiddush Luncheon ~ Gourmet Catering by Alex
Venue ~ InterContinental Hotel Buckhead
Floral Event Designer ~ EventScapes Atlanta
Photographer ~ Kristen Alexander
Videographer ~ Cre8tive Cinema
DJ ~ Marquee Events
Cupcakes ~ Georgetown Cupcakes
Photobooth ~ ShutterBooth
It was indeed an honor and a pleasure to produce this fabulous and flawless celebration for an incredible family!!!
Janice Blackmon Events is an award-winning event planning firm, specializing in assisting our clients with a stress-free planning process and a fabulous and flawless event!
September 6, 2017
Cinderella marries her Prince Charming…AKA Jessica & Rocky get married!
This truly is one of the most special weddings I have ever planned and produced, because it’s was for my oldest daughter!
I did some blogging throughout the planning process {“From Planner to MOB”} if you want to read about some of the process along the way, and I admit, I didn’t ever get to the post about her bridal shower, but maybe one of these days I’ll get that one up too.
But, let’s talk about the wedding!!!!
The original plan/desire was to have a small wedding on the beach in Sarasota, however, after considering all of the details and logistics Jessica & Rocky decided to get married here in Georgia at their church. One of the things that meant so much to me was that they wanted a venue that held meaning to them and honestly, that makes so much sense. I admired them for feeling this way and I think choosing their church was the perfect choice!
Once the venue and date were set, the next step was to solidify the theme. They wanted an elegant but somewhere between vintage and shabby/chic vibe. I immediately began scouring antique and thrift stores buying up all of the milk glass I could find, along with tons of different styles of votive holders and crystal candlesticks. Jessica had some ideas of certain items she wanted such as an old suitcase for a card holder and another suitcase for the cake plateau. I found a couple of old suitcases that we refurbished and we were really happy with how they turned out! {All of these items are now available for rent. Contact us for information.}
Their colors were navy, deep coral and metallic gold. The girls wore navy dresses and the guys wore navy tuxes with coral accents. They all looked so nice.
The Ring Bearer was the cutest one ever!!!!!!!!! And the two Flower Girls were absolutely adorable!!!!
We knew with having Kristen Alexander as our photographer we were going to get fantastic, artistic and creative images – and she did not disappoint. Her calm demeanor and laid-back vibe and doing whatever it takes to get jaw-dropping images is incomparable. Her style to create lasting memories of classic photographs in a unique way is just one of the many reasons I refer my clients to her.
EventScapes Atlanta took a dark and warehousey feel of the church and made it look elegant. The ceremony backdrop which then became the cake backdrop was gorgeous! I loved the centerpieces created in the milk glass vases. The room looked beautiful.
Speaking of the cake, Oh-mmm-gee!!! Mark Lotti created a design that was gorgeous and perfect. Jessica and Rocky met with him and gave a few ideas and he came up with exactly what they wanted but weren’t able to put into words. It’s no surprise that Mark is my go-to guy for my clients, because not only does he create amazing designs, but the cakes taste even better (and that’s saying A LOT).
There were so many special details that were a part of the day such as Jessica’s uncle, my brother, walking her down the aisle and since her dad did not attend the wedding, she danced with her son (my precious Nanababy) instead of having Father/Daughter dance. It was adorable! The groom’s step-father officiated the wedding, which was so special. It was also important to the couple to remember the family members who have passed away, so we had a memory table with photos of those special people.
Instead of a traditional guest book, the couple instead had guests sign a Bible and asked them to highlight their favorite verse or leave words of encouragement. What a keepsake that is!
Guests had a blast with the Photo Booth provided by ShutterBooth Atlanta. They always do such a fabulous job. Their equipment is top-notch and their Hosts are fun and interactive.
The vendors {friendors} that worked with us were amazing!!!! They all outdid themselves and I (and my daughter and son-in-law) are eternally grateful.
I have to give a special SHOUT OUT to my team, Victoria and Donna! Although I did all of the planning, schedules, vendor confirmation, etc., they took over to produce the wedding so that I could actually enjoy being the Mother of the Bride. I have always said that I have the best and most hard-working associates of any planning firm around, and being able to experience their work and service first-hand, I am even more certain!
Wishing Jessica & Rocky a lifetime of happiness!!!!!!!!
The outstanding Vendors…
Venue ~ SouthCrest Church
Hair ~ Katie Hudson
Make-up ~ Kayleigh Pointek
Wedding Dress ~ Designer, Oleg Cassini
Bridesmaid Dresses ~ JJ’s House
Men’s Tuxes ~ CS Toggery
Photographer ~ Kristen Alexander {Pre, Ceremony & post-ceremony and details}
Photographer ~ Michelle Pratt {Reception and details}
Floral Designer – JWilbur Smith, EventScapes Atlanta
Caterer ~ Mary Donaldson
Cake ~ Mark Lotti, Classic Cheesecakes and Cakes
Photo Booth ~ ShutterBooth Atlanta
Calligraphy ~ Dede Adams
Reception Emcee & DJ ~ Trey Duffey
Invitations ~ Carlson Craft through Janice Blackmon Events
And now for the photos:
Also want to share a few of the images from the Photo Booth too:
Janice Blackmon Events is a special events planning firm specializing in assisting our clients with innovative concepts ~ creative design ~ flawless execution of their event!
Photos graciously provided by Kristen Alexander, Michelle Pratt and ShutterBooth Atlanta.
December 16, 2015
GPPA Celebration
I have had the pleasure of planning and producing two weddings for the Scott family, so when Dr. Scott contacted me about assisting with a celebration for the medical practice he began almost 30 years ago I was beyond honored.
The Atlanta History Center was selected as the venue – which was quite fitting for this momentous occasion. With the renovation just complete, we were one of the first parties held there. The new Lobby of the Museum is so beautiful and provides a blank slate for whatever the decor vision may be. The Exhibition Galleries served as the location for Cocktails as guests arrived and began to mingle. The guest list included both current and previous employees of the practice as well as the charitable organizations that the practice is involved with.
A step and repeat backdrop complete with the company logo was displayed in the rotunda and guests had a great time posing for photos with the incomparable Kristen Alexander Photography.
Affairs to Remember caterers provided the delectable cuisine for the evening. Guests were treated to a dual-entree of beef tenderloin and Polenta and Red Pepper encrusted salmon. Once dinner was complete, there was a short program that included a special presentation, as well as acknowledgment of the charitable organizations represented and a video made especially for the event. After the program, a dessert buffet was provided by Affairs to Remember which included an amazing Chocolate Basil Tart Pettit Four, Apple Cobbler Shot and various sweet bites including a chocolate hazelnut brownie.
Scott Mikell of Marquee Events served as emcee and DJ for the evening. His team also produced a video for the event consisting of interviews from the employees with their remembrances of their time with the practice. The video was indeed touching and also included several humorous messages as well.
Chelsea Floral Design Studio created the stunning floral arrangements. We used a deep fall color palette which looked gorgeous in the Grand Overlook Ballroom. As guests entered the ballroom, there was a table with a lush floral arrangement focal point and vintage-inspired champagne saucer flutes presented for the opening Welcome and Toast.
The evening was truly enjoyed by all who attended and provided for a time to reminisce, remember and reflect of all that the practice has accomplished during its existence. My team and I were so honored to be a part of this special occasion!!
Janice Blackmon Events is an event planning firm specializing in assisting clients with innovative concepts, creative design and flawless production of their event.
August 5, 2015
A.K. & Josh’s Gorgeous Destination Wedding!
Many times clients think that small weddings do not need to have a Planner – but this could not be further from the truth. With a small/intimate wedding, your guests will notice every single aspect and detail much more so than with a larger wedding. If something goes wrong, it will be much more noticeable. Well, AK & Josh were different. AK knew from the beginning that she needed a Planner and I couldn’t be more honored that she selected me. We had such fun planning the BIG DAY and seeing it all come together truly was a dream come true.
AK & Josh have a very special kind of love ~ as many couples do ~ but their love story was like a fairy tale. AK travels a lot for her job and so on one trip to New York, Josh came up to surprise her. She arrived back to her hotel room to find one of those beautiful blue Tiffany boxes. Inside was a gorgeous bracelet. Later that evening, they had a delicious dinner and went for a horse and carriage ride. Josh then popped the question and presented AK with one of the most gorgeous rings I have ever seen.
They selected one of my favorite venues for their intimate, destination wedding – the Ritz-Carlton Lodge at Reynolds Plantation. The service quality of the Ritz is unsurpassed. From the moment you arrive, you are greeted by friendly, professional staff that make you immediately feel welcome. Family and friends arrived from many locations to attend the wedding weekend where they were able to enjoy all that the Ritz Carlton Lodge has to offer in a luxurious, resort setting.
The dress — ohhh the dress!!!! First of all, AK would look gorgeous in anything she put on, but the dress she selected from Buckhead Bridals by famed designer, Anne Barge (my favorite dress designer) looked as though it was designed specifically for her. And not to be outdone, Josh donned a custom tailored tuxedo from Guffey’s of Atlanta menswear and he too looked handsome.
I was so pleased to have my friend and photographer extraordinaire, Kristen Alexander, capture the beauty of this wedding. She always amazes me with her creativity and sheer talent. Just take a look at her photos below and you will see what I mean!
The vision for the wedding decor was classic elegance and JWilbur of EventScapes created a design that fully encapsulated that theme. From the intimate ceremony setting with luscious whites, creams and green mixed in with candlelight to the breath-taking Estate Table design, this wedding was gorgeous!
The brides Grandmother unfortunately passed away shortly before the wedding, and so we decided to offer a tribute to her. We had a table full of her photos where guests could view the life of this important person in AK’s life. We also left an empty chair in the ceremony that we placed a small bouquet of pink roses {her favorite} on as well as her name in her memory. AK carried an heirloom handkerchief with her grandmothers name embroidered on it as a personal remembrance. It was a very touching tribute.
Amati Chamber Ensemble provided the music for the ceremony. They are always such a top-notch, talented group to work with. Sarah goes above and beyond to assist clients in selecting the perfect music for their special celebration.
After the ceremony, while Kristen was still working her magic with the camera, guests enjoyed cocktail hour with delicious morsels of food and refreshing beverages. After AK and Josh made their grand entrance, guests enjoyed the impeccable dinner while mingling with the couple and offering their well wishes. The couple desired for their celebration to be more of an elegant and intimate dinner party instead of a rowdy, noisy affair. This enabled everyone to visit and reminisce throughout the celebration in a very relaxed atmosphere. The evening was pure perfection!
We are always honored to be a part of our clients most special day!!! We wish AK & Josh a lifetime of happiness!!
