Elite Elegance

Sierra Mountains and sunset florals-Love in the Fall

2022 ended with one of the prettiest Fall weddings we have ever done. Fall in the mountains of Reno is something to behold!

Mallory an incredibly talented surgeon, reached out to us to help plan her wedding as she was located in Seattle. Her fiance, Travis, an environmental scientist, was born in Winnemucca and the couple decided to get married here in Reno. They had seen a few pictures of the Tannenbaum and liked the look of the venue. Once we had the venue on lock, for a Sunday in October, we got to designing.

All Pictures from multiple sources. Source: Google

When discussing design, Mallory expressed the love of the colors terra cotta and rust for her main colors with white pumpkins as accents. She wanted a romantic feel, so we went with LOTS of hurricane vases and pillar candles scattered throughout the entire venue. She also loved the look of eucalyptus. So we came up with the design above and the couple was thrilled.

Mallory and Travis expressed their must haves for their day, which are so important to making sure you get exactly what you want fo your day! They wanted a party where everyone had a great time with music chosen by the couple, a pretty wedding that made everyone feel comfortable, the bride did not want to be cold, and the food had to be epic.

The party…that one was easy. We welcomed Justin from Justincredible entertainment to our team. He and Travis hit it off immediately. They composed a great list of music to play on the day.

Tannenbaum has the incredible food of Roundabout Catering, and they never disappoint.

The day had come…October 23rd. If you live in Reno, you know the weather here in October can be warm and sunny or chilly but fall like. Well as luck would have it, the bride who did NOT want to be cold on her wedding day, had a wedding day with a high of 46 degrees. It was Sunny but very very chilly and the wind was also a bit of an issue. We went to work to make their day everything that they had envisioned.

Photos by Harmony Hildebrand Photography

The front of The Tannenbaum was decorated with pumpkins cascading both sides of the stairwell. Two planters filled with terra cotta and rust florals, some pampas grass and white pumpkins completed the entryway.

A custom sign created by the Groom’s sister pointed the way to the ceremony site.

The ceremony site had another custom sign for the seating. It was draped in beautiful terracotta fabrics. Sheer organzas dripped from the wooden arch. The wind was not our friend on this very chilly day but we made it work. Florals from Ling’s Moment capped off the arch itself. At the base were the bride’s signature white pumpkins to complete the fall feel.

The inside aisle were draped in a terracotta tulle and rust satin floral ties and white pumpkins dotted the aisle. The beginning of the aisle had barrels capping each side with white pumpkins eucalyptus and pillar candles for that romantic fall touch.

The outside of the aisles were decorated with similar floral ties with pampas grass to tie in the front planters.

It was time for the wedding to begin. Mia, Mallory and Travis furbaby, tried to steal the show. She was adorable in that emerald dress!

Travis had a surprise for Mallory. He played a song for her-I’ve just seen a face by the Beatles along with the String Beings quartet. When Mallory heard it she was visibly moved.

The wedding ceremony was beautiful. The couples’ vows to one another were funny, touching, moving and full of true emotion. One moment you were laughing and the next you were tearing up from such sweet sentiments by the two.

The kiss and Mr. and Mrs Axe were announced! It was truly a special moment for all in attendance!

Cocktail hour commenced, Justin took over the tunes and Roundabout at Tannenbaum put the appetizers out and the bar was open. The couples guests mingled and both sides came together as if they were one big happy family! Making the guests comfortable was so important to the couple.

Cocktail hour was complete! Reception time!!

The reception was filled with tables embellished pillar candles, the bride’s signature white pumpkins, eucalyptus, and pops of burgundy florals. The sweetheart table was draped with a blush organza and a terracotta,burgundy, blush table spray with eucalyptus. The front of the table was adorned with white Mr. and Mrs. Pumpkins. Terra cotta napkins, custom made charger thank you’s atop gold chargers gave a rich feel, custom table numbers, escort cards and creative guestbook completed the personal touches. The venue felt romantic and cozy.

The formalities were over! Time to party! Grand Entrance, fantastic food, touching toasts, shoe game, epic first dance, and a great party completed this incredible wedding.

Custom cupcakes by C’s Mad Batter Cakery that were decorated to MATCH the florals of the wedding.

First dance on a cloud is truly a sight to be seen!

Justin from Justincredible DJ hamming it up but throwin’ down a killer party!

Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Axe! IT was an incredible day and we are so blessed to be able to have helped you make your dream a reality!

Vendors:

Planner/ Designer: Elite Elegance
Venue and Catering: Tannenbaum Events Center & Roundabout
Photography: Harmony Hilderbrand Photography
DJ and Photobooth: Justincredible DJ Entertainment
Videography: Ridpath Productions
Bridal Party Florals: Twist Flowers
Cake: Cs Mad Batter Cakery
Quartet: String Beings
Transportation: Amador

Modern Fairy Garden wedding dreams in Tahoe do come true!

Dreamt of a fairy garden wedding with a slight modern edge? We made it happen!

A wonderful couple came to Elite Elegance asking for us to help, not only design a wedding theme for them as they were not even sure what they wanted other than the color dusty blue. The couple, Hannah and Anurag, were both young and fun natured and incredibly intelligent and very hard working. Both in the tech field. When we sat down to discuss what they were looking for aesthetically or their wedding, the only thought, since they were getting married at Aspen Grove in Incline Village which is a beautiful outdoor venue filled with aspen trees across from gorgeous Lake Tahoe, was fairy garden. Lights in the aspens was their one of the requests. Hannah, the bride also enjoyed succulents and the way they looked. Anurag and Hannah both wanted and awesome dj for their party. With those few details in mind, we went to work designing their wedding.

We first started to envision what the ceremony would look like. Since it was outdoors, we used our white lattice Arch, placed next to the creek with meadow behind it, gave an airy “garden” feel. Our arch was draped in blue cheese cloth and decorated with gorgeous blue hydrangeas, white and ivory roses with eucalyptus woven throughout. We thought of wood stumps for down the aisle to keep with the feel of being in a woodsy meadow without going too foresty. Chair ties of the same dusty blue color adorned the white wedding chairs to give a flowy and soft feel.

Hannah and Anurag were very fresh and very straight forward in appearance and attitude. Tech savvy and very in the now people. That gave us immediate “modern clean line vibes.” We went with beautiful gold geometric succulent terrariums down the aisle atop the wood stumps that could be repurposed for the reception. The terrariums felt like little fairy homes, fitting the theme exsquistely.

The reception tables sat wood slab rounds alternating with wood planter boxes filled with succulents on each table. The tables were adorned with beautiful dusty blue cheese cloth runners atop white tablecloths with matching blue napkins. Gold votives surrounded the succulent centerpieces. Signage was acrylic dry brush painted blue with gold lettering.

As per the couple’s request we also had lights in the trees….a lot of lights! We used more gold terrariums filled with twinkling fairy lights and hung them throughout over the reception portion of the event which gave an incredibly romantic feel. Thanks to Rom at Sierra christmas Lights for helping with this task!

There were other fun details to this wedding like personalized napkins, custom corn hole and a neon sign floral backdrop wall!

A very touching, funny and beautfiul wedding ceremony- you could feel the love from not just the Bride and Groom, but all of whom surrounded them.

Reception success was not only achieved….it was an epic blast! From the food, to the cake-which C’s Mad Battery cakery nailed the theme to a T, to one of the best djs we know and love to work with, Justin at JustinCredible DJ, Hannah and Anurag got their party! One of the funnest groups to ever do a wedding for, these guys danced all the way til we were loading up their decor at the end of the night! Their dance party was complete with customized glow sticks!

Working with Hannah & Anurag was such a great experience for Elite Elegance. They were some of the BEST kinds of clients and making their fairy garden dream party a reality and having them be over the moon satisfied is why we do what we do!

Check out our gallery for more beautiful pictures of this fairy garden dream theme wedding!

We couldn’t have made this wedding such a success without are beyond incredible vendors who we loved to work with!

Venue/Caterer: Aspen Grove
DJ: Justincredible DJ
Photography: Ashlyn Savannah
Videography: Ridpath Productions
Floral : Blake’s Floral Design
Lighting: sierra Christmas Lights
Cake: C’s Mad Batter Cakery
Make up: Trezlyn Stanley

2017…Here and Gone

It’s the first day of 2018, and I have definitely not been posting as much as I should! Its most likely because I had a sweet and wonderful little boy in May, and the months leading up to that were spent getting his nursery ready and preparing for a new little being to be a part of our lives. But…Elite Elegance was still busy with 3 weddings for 2017, but I felt the need to explain why we were so quiet this past year. 2018 is our year to ramp things up. We are looking to branch out into different events to plan and even put in a bid to plan a Gala or benefit here in the Reno-Tahoe area. Revamping and re-energizing Elite Elegance is our goal for 2018 so we can help more brides, grooms, clients and associations cover every detail so they can cherish every moment.

Happy New Year everyone!

Ashley

05/28/17 Love in Nature

Our second wedding of 2017 was a beautiful nature themed wedding and what a gorgeous Spring wedding this was. The snow had melted to make for a very lush green grass ceremony that overlooked the Washoe Valley mountains at the Tannenbaum Events Center Eucalyptus, baby’s breath and soft pink roses sprinkled throughout the aisle. Fun games such as bocce ball and giant jenga entertained the guests during cocktail hour. The indoor reception space was adorned with the colors of soft sage , cream and pops of copper. The centerpieces were spider mums and eucalyptus leaves in a birch box. Animal cards also decorated the tables to distinguish he table names pulling their nature theme together. Candles gave an inviting yet intimate feel. Cherry Bomb Catering provided an italian spread that made you feel like you were dining among family.Niki Ross Photography beautifully captured all the special moments, while Golla Film company stitched all their moments together to make an unforgettable wedding video. A special treat for the guests was the Slow motion video booth provided by Tahoe Slow Motion Booth . DJ Kyle Young , a friend of the couples made for an upbeat and lively party the whole night. It was a true pleasure watching this sweet, relaxed couple say their vows and enjoy their party afterwards. Making their day is what it’s all about for us.

04/01/2017 Some things are worth Saying Twice

This wedding was 2 years in the planning process….and 20 years in the making. The couple, Gaby & David had been married for 20 years and never got to have that wedding of their dreams. We decided to focus on the growth and longevity of their marriage and use the symbol of a swirl. The colors, every so elegant were black, white and silver. The flower choice, White roses. Centerpieces were in the vane of Beauty and the Beast with floating long stem roses topped with a floating candle, surrounded by tea lights. All the tables were decorated with swirl confetti and pillar candles. The theme, some things are worth saying twice. The event was a beautiful one hosted at Grand Sierra Resort & Casino. The DJ, Reno Mobile DJs brought the fun and energy for the reception. The photographer, Joann Kots from Kots Photography captured the day, while Ever After Creations got it all on film. All the florals were created by Elite Elegance. All design elements were made by Elite Elegance. This wedding and reception was so special, as the couple are a testament to what love truly is…and that true love, from 22 years old to 42 years old is still just as incredible and heartwarming and truly something to strive for.

03/25/2017 A Baby Shower for the Boss

We were thrilled to be able to throw a one of a kind shower for the boss and owner of Elite Elegance, to celebrate her bringing her son into the world. Ashley, and her husband Daniel went all out on Landon James’ fish themed nursery, so we decided to keep with the theme and throw a fishing themed baby shower. It was very fitting as Daniel is an avid fisherman. All the decor was diy, and we turned Best Western Airport Plaza conference room into an under the sea affair. Centerpieces were complete with water beads, fish decals and bubble balloons. The favors were little buckets with Swedish fish. The adorable top cake was made by our friends at Cake You Happy. There were so many cute and fun elements to this shower that we were so proud to be able to give this to Ashley.

Starbucks and love…it was brewing!

I had the pleasure of meeting a very sweet couple, Rachel and Tom. Their wedding was in May, and together we created a very sweet, simple, classy wedding with a touch that made it all their own. I was contracted for day of, but Rachel and I combined our ideas; I helped create a lot of the extra decor, to give her wedding a complete feel. Not only were the decorations beautiful, but also, because they were on a budget, very cost effective. Some of the things that I created were:

The couple were provided simple folding chairs, but were not happy with the way it looked. So I came up with a chair cover consisting of tulle in their colors (green and white) and made coffee filter flowers. Because of the coffee theme, it fit very well.

chair cover with white coffee filter flower

The card box…an essential part to your guestbook or gift decor.

the card box, made with tulle, coffee filter flowers leaves, and coffee beans

Vases for the head table, guestbook and gift table.

Coffee filter flowers in vases with green ribbon and wrap.

Custom signs, made from frames, chalkboard paint and markers.

Custom signs for direction and a little instagram fun!

As the week approached, Rachel and I were worried about the crazy Reno weather. We watched and noted the change in weather. It was May, but it is Reno after all. We opted for no tent, and were hoping the weather was on our side. On the day of the rehearsal, we had wind and heavy rain. Later that night the I-80 pass was closed due to winter weather! We both said, it’s ok. As long as the guests don’t get drenched…we will be ok.

On the morning of, we had clear skies. As I headed over to the venue, the wind was gusting quite a bit. Gray clouds loomed. I just kept saying as long as it doesn’t rain….we will be fine. We set up the ceremony site, inside the rose garden at Idlewild park. The wind picked up even more…and was definitely not on our side.

The aisle consisted of organza wraps with white coffee filter flowers. It was a nice touch. Very simple, yet elegant.

The couple was to be married under the large tree with the rose garden as their backdrop. Because of the crazy weather, the flowers had not yet bloomed but it was still beautiful. I created a black organza arch, and two large white coffee filter pomander balls. Completed the front with beautiful mock orange plants.

Inside the hall, tables were decorated with black tablecloths, and green accents with white flowers and coffee filter flowers. The leaves, being one of the main decor aspects, was the inspiration for my leaf napkin folds. Other than the tablecloths, all the extra linens, the runners, the wrap for the head table, were all sewn and created by me. The food and cake, made by the bride’s father, was beautifully displayed. The favors, a nod to the couple working at Starbucks, were a complimentary bag of beans with the saying “Love is in the air, and it smells like coffee!” Boy did it.

I even made the cake stands, I care about every detail of a wedding, and strive to make it perfect!

This was such a beautiful and fun wedding to create and make a reality. All of the simple and sweet touches created were and beautiful and didn’t break the bank! The families and friends had a really great time, and the bride and groom were beyond happy and in love.

When it was time to say goodnight, the couple left in a fun fashion, with “Hey Ho” by the Lumineers as their swan song. What a great way to end the night!

I loved doing this wedding so much, it touched my heart and made me feel so good that the bride loved all my designs and her happiness for her day meant everything to me.

By the way…though it was windy, we lucked out. It never rained. 🙂

Baby blue Elephants & Lots of love For Lucas!

I had the honor this past weekend of being able to not only throw but host a beautiful baby shower for a wonderful and sweet couple, Dennise & Eduardo. They were one of the sweetest parents to be I’ve worked with. Their family is so full of love and excitement for their new arrival. I sat down with the mommy & daddy to be a couple of months back and we discussed everything they were looking for. Mom knew the colors and the elephants were a must but everything else she left up to Elite Elegance. We were so pleased with the way it turned out.

We turned this community center….

Into this… Beautiful linens, custom designed centerpieces, sashes, tissue paper poms, a yummy candy & dessert buffet, and amazing prizes made this shower one to remember.

We also made custom invitations, favors and diaper cakes…..

We were so glad to bring this mommy to be’s vision together. WE also were able to save her quite a bit of money. Our goal is to bring a smile to our client’s faces when they see what we have done. Dennise, Eduardo and their family were so happy with the way it turned out….and for us, that is what it’s all about. The happiness we bring is why we do what we do. We really are all about covering every detail so you can cherish every moment.

Pomander Candlestick centerpiece–Tutorial Time!

Hello Wedding Lovelies!!! It has been quite a few months since I’ve blogged….I’ve been so busy with the holidays and then I just did the Wedding Expo here in Reno. Now that I have a few moments I wanted to say hello! The holidays were full of family, fun and shopping, getting ready for the expo. It was my first expo and I wanted to knock it out of the park. I came up with the theme “Vintage, simplistic, romance.” When I thought of those three words, I thought of clean, pearls, vintage paper, romantic colors (plumb and blush) Antique. Romantic lighting. And this is what I came up with…….

To be honest…I was quite pleased. It is my favorite part of wedding and event planning to create something so beautiful and personal to each couples liking. DIYing is also a passion of mine. i always say, pretty not pricey. If I can make something for half the cost of buying it…or if I envision something similar to what I’ve seen I’m all about making things. So, for today’s tutorial…I wanted to show you how I made the centerpiece for my table.

I made two of these, staggered heights. I love these pieces. I also love the prices of these peices! I made 2 of these for about 8.00 total!

Here is what I used…

1 4 inch styrofoam ball
floral wire
floral tape
1-2 bunches of fake flowers (I used plum hydrangeas).
String pearls (I found mine on amazon)
Ornament hooks (I found those at the dollar store)
Wire cutters
An old book (preferably one with a vintage look-where the pages have yellowed a bit)
scissors
A glue Gun
Not pictured- wooden candlestick holders (they sell these at Michaels, but I found 3 on etsy for about 12.00 total.)
Silver or chrome spray paint
a dowel (cut to height, about 2 to 3 inches in length)

So the first thing we did, is grabbed the styrofoam ball and marked the bottom.

Then I stuck the dowel in as far in as where the ball felt sturdy at the marking on the bottom.

I pulled the dowel out and turned the bottom of the ball to face me. I took the strands of pearls and measured 4 loops in my hand. The length is entirely up to you. I measured the length up against the candlestick holder so the droop would be about half.

I then took the ornament hooks and wrapped them around the pearls and stuck them around the hole at the bottom of the ball. I used a square shape to get the pearls to droop correctly.

Then I began to create the pomander. I snipped off the bunched leaves of the hydrangeas.

I wrapped them with the floral tape to make them tighter.

I took my book paper roses (I learned to make these on one of the many youtube tutorials) and glued them to the center of the bunch. It doesn’t have to be perfect, just wherever you think it looks best.

Then you just press the stems of the flower bunches into the ball until it’s tight.

Fill in all around the ball, leaving the hole at the bottom exposed.

Take your candlestick holder and the dowel (which has been glued in already) and spray painted. Stick the dowel into the hole at the bottom of your ball….and VOILA

It took me about 3 hours to complete both of these. Very simple, easy and cost effective! They were absolutely beautiful on the expo table and many people took notice of the intricacy of the work done!

You can make these with any color flowers or type of flowers you could imagine! Even real ones (though the paper roses should be glued onto a fake flower insert as to not kill the real flower). There is so much play with this centerpiece and can be done in several different ways to fit the look your trying to achieve.

Creating the feel and look of your wedding is the most fun part. Don’t get discouraged if you find something you love and think you can’t afford it or can’t make it. You’d be surprised at what you can do!

Making It Happen!

We have reached the final and obviously most important step in our process, Making it Happen! At this point we have designed your perfect day that fits within your budget. We have chosen the right vendors to help create that perfect day. All that’s left is to make sure it all comes together seamlessly. We live by our slogan “Covering Every Detail, So You Can Cherish Every Moment.” This is the most important and special day of your lives and we will work tirelessly to make sure that you are able to cherish every moment and not have to worry about a thing!
From the moment you signed with us, we have been working behind the scenes to organize and make sure this day runs smoothly. We will create timelines, first monthly and then as your day approaches, weekly, and finally the day of. The Day Of timeline will be compiled with you and your vendors to make sure the events of the day are promptly followed. Everyone that is involved (venue, vendors, bridal party, clergyman, deliveries) will get a copy of the timeline to make sure everyone is on the same page.
On the day of your event, we are on site from beginning to end. We do it all to make sure everything and everyone is in its place. We will set out centerpieces or any type of table decorations, aisle flowers, candles, every fine detail for you. We put everything together that is needed for your day.
Once the ceremony is about to begin, after making sure everything has been completed to create the vision of your day, we will be right there with you when you make the walk down the aisle. We will be there after you have said your “I dos” and help move you on to your photographs. We are there until the end. We will clean up, break down and transport everything you need us to.
We are there for you even after your wedding. We will help you with thank you cards and even honeymoon details.
Our passion and ultimate goal is to make sure that every aspect of your time with us is elegant and perfect leading up to, on the day of, and after your special day. We love what we do and thrive on making sure we make it happen for you!