The Bridal Dish

Aug

The Bridal Dish Office is Open!

Finally! The new wedding planning design studio is open for business! Newly engaged and starting the wedding planning journey? Give us a call. Begun the planning process and feeling a tad bit overwhelmed? We are hear to help. Geared to assist the DIY Bride, The Bridal Dish provides 1:1 consultation to assist you in the planning and design process. Consultations are by appointment only. We look forward to your call 757-689-8082.

Please click on the “Visit Our Wedding Studio” tab above (top left) to learn more! Happy planning!

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Tags:
Do it yourself DIY Brides

Posted in Overall Planning Ideas, Uncategorized

Aug

Spring Time Lovin! Sorry so long betwen entries, but we have been BUSY!!

April showers bring May flowers! Or perhaps the saying should go; April showers bring weddings, weddings, and MORE weddings!!! Jennifer La Londe Events had a total of six weddings during the month of May and had a three the month of June. All were fabulous; each and every one having their own unique style and taste. It’s been an amazing spring early summer season and we look forward to finishing out the summer strong.

We have had a blast meeting and getting to know each of the brides and grooms (as well as their families). Each couple had their own little twist in their center pieces, ceremony, and just the overall look and feel of their big day. From the shores of the Sandbridge to hotel ballrooms, the weddings were filled with love, supportive families, and passion for each other. It was an honor and great privilege to be a part and we wish all of you the best . Cheers to many years of togetherness. Happy Life!

April 24th, 2010

Danielle and Justin Make it Official!

Wonderful families, gorgeous flowers and lighting, one tasty cake, and AMAZING food! Danielle and her Mom were so creative. I was thrilled with all of the wonderful surprises and fun they treated their guests to. The Carter and Getrost families are incredible and we had the pleasure of seeing them all again at Justin’s sister Kaylin’s wedding June 12th. Thanks so much for letting JL Events be a part. We had a blast!

Venue and Catering: The Amber Lantern

Floral Design: Lasting Impressions

Cake: Schockley’s Sweet Shoppe Cigar Bar: Emmerson’s Cigars

Band: Savannah

Rentals: Distinctive Event Rentals

Lighting: Ken Carmichael, Tidewater Productions

May 1st 2010 - Shibaughn Weds Travis

Shibaughnand Travis really made the Chrysler Museum look amazing with their black, white and Tiffany blue color scheme! The happy couple faced the challenge of planning their wedding from Broolyn, New York, but we had a great time planning with these Hampton Roads natives. Cheers and we look forward to seeing you again at Travis’s sister Christy’s wedding in September!

The Venue: The Chrysler Museum of Art

Catering and Event Rentals: Cuisine & Co.

Floral Design: Jennifer La Londe Events

Photos: Tracy McGee Photography

Music: DJ on the Side, DJ Tony

Lighting: Ken Carmichael, of Tidewater Productions

May 8th 2010 -The Wedding of Denise and Adam

This wedding was pretty in pink!! The Bride Denise loved pink, all shades, and her loving fiance Adam was such a trooper. Not only did he roll with it, but dare I say, he embraced it? From flowers to chair sashes everything was pink; which really made the ceremony and reception pop with color! We had a blast making the flowers and centerpieces for this wedding. Cheers Denise and Adam!

Venue: Lighthouse on the Cove

Catering: Sweetwater

Floral Design: Jennifer La Londe Events

Cake: Schockley’s Sweet Shop

Wedding Attire: Maya Couture

May 14th 2010

Leah and Hector Become Husband and Wife

I knew I would love working with Hector the day I parked behind their vehicle and saw their brand new “Virginia is for Lovers” bumper sticker proudly displayed! Their wedding took place on the local sand of our beautiful Sandbridge. This Pittsburgh couple’s beach ceremony was intimate, and absolutely breathtaking! The high school sweethearts’ nuptials filled the air with love and happiness. Congrats to you both and thank you for letting JL Events play such a special part!

Venue: Seibert Realty, Vista Royal

Catering, East Beach Catering

Floral Design: Jennifer La Londe Events

DJ: DJ on the Side/Chris

Photography: M & M Photography

Cake: Creative Cakes and Desserts

Rentals: Affordable and Luxury Tents

May 21st 2010- Amanda and Jon Wed

Amanda and Jon made 1000 origami birds to decorate their cake, tables and handed them out to guest!! (It is said to bring good luck and allows the couple to make a wish on their wedding day.) The wedding colors inspired by Amanda’s Mother’s china pattern were gorgeous and the couple was just amazing. Thank you so much for letting us be a part of this special day!

Venue: Sandbridge Realty

Catering: East Beach Catering

Rentals: Distinctive Event Rentals

Photography: Heather Hughes

May 29th, 2010- Family and friends joined Kelley and Josh as they said “I do”

A beautiful couple, inside and out, Kelley and Josh were an absolute pleasure to work with. The black, white, and pink color scheme popped in the elegant Westin ballroom. Cheers to you both and happy, happy, life!

Venue: The Westin Hotel

Floral Design: Jennifer La Londe Events and Chesapeake Wholesale

Lighting: Tidewater Productions

Cake: Patti Cakes

DJ: Taylor Haycox

Photography: David Schwartz

Rentals: Affordable and Luxury Tents; Classy Covers

June 4th 2010- The wedding of Erin and Matt

Braving the Tennessee floods, these college sweethearts made it the beach for a pretty June wedding!

Wedding Venue: Seibert Realty

Catering and Cake: E & E Events

Distinctive Event Rentals

June 19th 2010- 10 years in the making…Chrissie and Robert said I do. chrissie-wedding-4 !

Venue: Contemporary Arts Center, Virginia Beach, VA

Catering and Cake: East Beach Catering

Floral Design: Lee Snyder Floral Designs

DJ: Tidewater DJs/Howard

Photography: Katherine “Katy” Blevins

Rentals: Distinctive Event Rentals and Affordable and Luxury Tents

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Tags:
beach weddings, love birds, weddings virginia beach

Posted in Uncategorized, real weddings 2010

Apr

Taking time for FUN… Recharge!

Today was a day like so many in my life… FULL. I worked about an hour later than expected setting up for a wedding tomorrow. It was 5:30 by the time I finally left the venue, and traffic was starting to build. I knew my husband and daughter would be home for their busy day of school and to do’s. The guilt was starting to set in… I really should get home. But, I had been invited to happy hour with some dear friends of mine and darn it all, I wanted to go! I was still in my work out clothes from my morning session with my personal trainer (Steve Johnson of Fitness Together/Chesapeake). What a sight, let me tell you- wild hair, spandex and all! So, I made a decision- good friends won’t really care what I look like and my daughter and my husband would enjoy some Daddy Daughter time! Thus, I ventured to Norfolk for a long over due gathering. Guess what I realized- I was taking time for me to RECHARGE. It was so great to sit down and relax, unwind, socialize, and catch up with friends. I didn’t stay too long, two hours tops, but it was such a release for me. When I got home, my daughter and husband were playing a new game on the PS3, and I even joined in! The house looks like a bomb went off, and I think they ate hot dogs and Kraft Macaroni and Cheese for dinner- but as long as they don’t eat that every night, that’s ok right? A great night was had by all; and a good lesson learned. Be sure to make time for FUN! RECHARGE! Take time for YOU!

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Apr

Taking Time for You (Me)… It’s HARD! But, I am doing it!

So, two weeks ago, I made an entry about how I was going to start taking more time for me and focus on the things I have started to lose sight of in my life… ENERGY, TIME, and BALANCE. I received several comments from folks, especially my colleagues about how they could relate to my entry and that they were excited to hear the resolution. I was a little afraid, to be honest, and I still am to openly “commit” to change. But, here goes…

About a month ago, I was introduced to Steve Johnson and Brooke Billings through a business colleague of mine. Steve is the owner of Fitness Together in Chesapeake, Virginia. Brooke is the owner of Relax Therapeutic Massage in the Kemps River Drive area of Virginia Beach. Both business focus on achieving the best lifestyle possible for individuals. Together, they will both play integral parts in me making time for me!

Taking time for you… it’s HARD! But, I am doing it. I now have a personal trainer training me through Fitness Together. I am only able to make it there twice a week for two 45 minute sessions. But boy oh boy, do those sessions kick my butt! Literally! I have made it to 6 sessions so far and I am LOVING IT! I have scheduled appointments, that I have to keep. Everything else has to work around it. It’s hard, but I am doing it. Haven’t missed one yet. Been late a few times, but haven’t missed. And, I am sore. But it is fun and I am doing great. It is very motivating. I am super out of shape. I am responsible for the cardio training 3 other days a week. However, I have not been as good at fitting that in. But, one step at a time. It will come. My eating habits haven’t changed much either, but again, one step at a time. Darn, I sure do like wine and cheese and bread. Boo hoo!

Massage… I haven’t made it there yet, but plan to. My husband went today as he had a kink in his shoulder he needed to focus on. He had a fabulous experience at RELAX Therapeutic Massage. It is extremely affordable and such a beautiful location. Very relaxing. I hope to fit the massage in to my routine at least once if not twice a month. I will keep you posted on that!

So, stay tuned for the next update. I plan to go in to more detail about my experiences at both locations and tell you a little bit more about the services they have to offer. Eventually, if I get really brave, I will share with you my before and after pictures… but, I am not ready to share those yet! Cheers!

Photography by Ramone

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Tags:
fitness in virginia beach, getting in shape for your wedding, wedding and fitness

Posted in Overall Planning Ideas, Uncategorized

Apr

Taking time for you…

We have all been there; that breaking point in the day when you throw your hands up and say “there just isn’t enough hours in the day!” Lately, as wedding season fast approaches, I seem to find myself saying that more and more. “If I could just have 3 more hours in a day, it would be perfect!” I have lost count of the number of times I have said this. Sound familiar? Of course, if we really had 3 more hours in a day, more than likely we would still be asking for a few more hours. It’s a viscous cycle.

Regardless of how much time I do or do not seem to have in a day, there is no doubt I absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my life. I do. I love my job. Running my own event planning company is the most fabulous, fun, creatively challenging, and rewarding job I have ever had. I absolutely love being a Mom to my beautiful 6 year old daughter, who brings me more joy in one day than most could hope for in a life time. I love being a wife to my incredibly smart and talented husband, whose skills and knowledge never cease to amaze me. I am one very blessed girl. And I am thankful for such every day.

With a busy schedule full of all the wonderful things I have going on in my life, one would think I would see the importance of carving time out of each busy week to take time just for me. Time to decompress, recharge, relax- truly take time for myself. It is a must for my health, both physically and emotionally. But, in particular over the last two years, I have really fallen short in this aspact of my life. I give 110% to my job and my clients, even more to my child and husband, but when it comes to taking time for me- I have definitely been falling short. The scary part is, I know I am not alone in this. In fact, I see this happen to my clients on a regularly basis as well.

“The Wedding”. It becomes this all-being thing that consumes every breath and ounce of energy my clients (and their families) are able to put forth. And, it does so for at least 6 months to a year (maybe more) prior to their wedding day. Now imagine how much “THE WEDDINGS” begin to consume my energy. While I LOVE what I do, and my job continues to be extremely rewarding, it is a balancing act that is very hard to manage. And again, I ask you… sound familiar?

Energy. Time. Balance. I need these three words. We all do. But there are days that I surely feel I am lacking ENERGY. And, rarely anymore to I take the TIME I should to recharge myself and focus on my emotional and physical health. I have not been on a consistent exercise program in over 2 years! I do not take TIME to make it part of my daily routine. As far as my diet; well, let’s just say it is far from BALANCED. I see my clients, in particular the mothers of my clients, fall in to this same trap. It is hard. My Brides, and often their mothers as well, have full time careers and schedules on top of “The Wedding.” Time and time again I see the “year from now” turn in to the panicked voice of ”the wedding is only 6 weeks away!” And, it happens in the blink of an eye. Smart food choices, taking time to decompress, and scheduling time to exercise routinely is continuously put off. Before my clients know it, the once sought after physical goals are now too far out of reach. Realistically, they will never achieve anything close to the results they had hoped for initially.

So what to do? Well, of course my social work background tells me “admitting it” is the first step, right? ”I have let my life take control of me rather than me taking control of my life.” There, I admitted. Now what? Well, I am working on that. I have been doing some research, and I think I have a plan… but, I am not quite ready to lay it all out for ”all to see” just yet. I have been introduced to some local resources that are very unique and a form of healthy living I haven’t tried before. I am intrigued, and motivated in a way that is different from ever before.

Visit me back next week and I will fill you in a little bit more on what I have in store in order for ME to start taking time for ME! And, you might just find it is something that you want to start taking advantage of as well. It isn’t any magic pill or a hidden secret “get thin quick plan”. I will give you a hint- it starts with setting goals, making smart choices, using time wisely, and refueling your life!

Are you intrigued? Stay tuned…

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Posted in Cost Savvy Design Ideas, Overall Planning Ideas, Real Weddings 2008, Real Weddings 2009, Uncategorized, real weddings 2010

Feb

Fabulous time had at the VOW show Sunday!

What a fabulous time we at Jennifer La Londe Events had at the VOW show on Sunday. Bridal shows are always such hard work for myself and my staff, but we also have a great deal of fun. Seeing our colleagues and their creations, being able to catch up with each other and learn from each others’ techniques, the shows always prove to be a fruitful experience. And of course, touching base with current clients and having the opportunity to meet new clients is the icing on the cake. We had a great show on Sunday and I had a ball participating as a sponsor this year.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by and enjoyed “My Favorite Things” from JL Events’/2009 weddings as well as the outdoor ceremony scene and tablescapes that were inspired from upcoming 2010 clients. And, for those that were able to catch my “Chair Affair” presentation I made on the side stage, it was a pleasure to share such time with you. That was fun!

On a very special note, I would like to thank a few people that helped me diligently for this show. My staff; Liz, Hannah, Lawrencia, and Felicia- YOU ROCK and thank you for enduring my tired self!

Finally, a few of my colleagues that really went the extra mile for me this past week- THANK YOU. It is a pleasure to work with all of you and you all do amazing work. I loved collaborating with each of you and I am so grateful for your time and efforts shared. Thank you to Ramone Perel of Ramone Photography. Ramone shot an amazing photo of me surrounded by “all things events” that I can put my clients in touch with. It was a fabulous concept and I am tickled to death with the end result. I plan to blog about that in another entry this week. It was an incredible experience.

Char, of Char’s Floral Design it was so much fun collaborating on our sunset wedding/outdoor concepts. I can’t wait to bring that to life with our shared client this August at the Founders Inn! You rock lady! THANKS!

Annabelle and Jack Walsh of Atlantic Event Rentals- thanks for everything this week and for providing the location for the photo shoot with Ramone. Fantastic.

And, last but not least, Ken Carmichael of Tidewater Productions who did the lighting for my booth as well as for East Beach Catering- Thank you for your time and expertise. You are such a nice person to work with and I appreciate your time and efforts. And, thank you for sharing these photos with me.

Brides to be…Thank you again for stopping by Jennifer La Londe Events! I will be in touch with you this week!

Happy planning~ Jennifer

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Feb

The VOW Show! This Sunday! See you there!

Are you coming? I hope so! All the latest and greatest in “wedding world” will be presenting. And, be sure to stop by Jennifer La Londe Events’ booth and say hello!

Also, don’t miss it as I bring the reception chairs I created for the article “A Chair Affair” in the 10th anniversary issue of VOW Bride Magazine to life at 1:30 PM!

See you at the Virginia Beach Convention Center on Sunday, February 21st from 11:00-4:00. Happy Planning!~ Jennifer

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Feb

Published in the 10th Anniversary Issue of VOW Bride Magazine!

“A Chair Affair”

Very exciting news at the JL Events’ camp this week. VOW Bride magazine’s 10th anniversary issue has finally hit the shelves and I had the pleasure of being asked to be a contributing writer! I never thought an entry in my blog, “The Bridal Dish” would become the bridge to such a rewarding experience. I had so much fun working on this piece with Kim Wadsworth. I also had the pleasure of working with several of the area’s outstanding vendors to bring these pages to life.

Sarah and Lauren of the New Leaf made the beautiful floral swag that adorns one of the chiavari chairs…. thank you ladies. The two of you are perfectionists and it shows!

Keith Cephus and I had a blast putting together the photo shoot of all of the chairs. We were both a bit surprised at how much fun we had (me decorating and Keith shooting) chair after chair! Thank you Keith so very much for bringing these chairs to life! I loved the way the photos pop! You rock!

Thank you as well to Annabelle and Jack Walsh of Atlantic Event Rentals and Bill Cabell of Distinctive Event Rentals. I appreciate your time and the use of your beautiful rentals for the photo shoot! Thank you again!

Finally, a special thank you to Kim Wadsworth for such a delightful experience and opportunity. Kim rounded out the article beautifully with additional quotes regarding the subject matter as well as photos by Don Monteaux. Congratulations on 10 years of VOW and cheers to many more!!

head-shot-25-color-jl-events Happy Planning!

~ Jennifer

Get your copy of VOW at locations around town such as Maya Couture, Farm Fresh, and Harris Teeter!

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Jan

Wedding Week Virginia Fashion Show Cancelled for Today

Boo hoo! In the end, the weather has won. Maya of Maya Couture has informed me that today’s fashion show for Virginia Wedding Week has been cancelled. It will be rescheduled for another date and I will post the details when available. In the meantime, ENJOY THE SNOW! Cheers!

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Jan

Maya Couture and Wedding Week Virginia! Monday, Jan. 25th-Sunday, Jan.31st!

My time with Maya Warburton, Owner, Maya Couture…

I had the pleasure this past week to interview my dear colleague, Maya Warburton, fashion designer and owner of Maya Couture in Norfolk http://www.mayacouture.com/index.html

Maya is a wonderful person and the energy and confidence she emanates reflects in the business and designs she has created.

I recommend Maya Couture to my brides because of the diverse collection Maya Couture has to offer in her boutique. Such diversity can be seen not only in the dress designers she carries in her store, but also in the price point she is able to offer her clients. Truly, there is a gown for everyone’s price point at Maya Couture. And, as an event planner, I can truly appreciate that. I am also pleased with the staff at Maya Couture and the wonderful care they take of my clients during the searching and purchasing of their dream gowns. Versatility, which is key for me, can be met at Maya Couture. Rather you are the Bride, Bridesmaid, Groom, Groomsman, Mother of the Bride/Mother of the Groom- Maya’s got you covered. Interested in having a gown custom made for you? Maya can do that for you too! Visit Maya Couture’s website to learn more about Maya Couture and all they have to offer! http://www.mayacouture.com/index.html

Maya Couture

12 Best Square

Norfolk, VA 23502

757.340.6319

Wedding Week Virginia: Monday, January 25^th -Sunday, January 31^st, 2010

Finally, I wanted share an amazing event that will be held at Maya Couture this week. The first ever Wedding Week Virginia! This will be a fabulous opportunity for brides! January 25^th-January 31^st! The biggest day, Sunday, January 31^st is one you won’t want to miss. Kitty Chen, the newest exclusive designer Maya will be featuring, will be there in person to launch her line being carried in the store! You can learn more about Kitty Chen and her designs at http://www.kittychencouture.com/index.html

To learn more about Wedding Week Virginia and all of the exciting events the staff and vendors housed at Maya Couture have planned for you this week, visit http://www.weddingweekvirginia.com/index.html Register online to reserve your space now or call the store directly to make an appointment during Wedding Week Virginia at 757-461-1690! Happy Planning!

Jennifer La Londe Events and The Bridal Dish wish Wedding Week the best! Cheers!

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