Vera Green Productions

Vera Green open house and Arts Goggle

2010-09-17T10:33:00.000-07:00

Please join us on Saturday, October 2 from 4 to 10 pm as we celebrate the grand opening of our new design studio that we share with the super talented Heather Essian Portrait Arts. We will be showcasing Blue eye Brown eye Letterpress and Vintage wedding items, and Little Super Hero Capes. And of course expect to see some of our own line of sustainable floral designs.

This will be part of the Near Southside's Arts Goggle event, so bring your walking shoes and visit our neighbors throughout the Near Southside to support your local art collective!

Please bring a canned food item for a chance at a door prize! We will also be offering a special discount for those who wish to book design consults for your next event.

Blue Eye Brown Eye Letterpress, Vintage, and Handmade Goods

(click image for link)

Little Super Hero Capes

(click image for link)

Announcing: Vera Green Productions Mentorship Program

2010-08-06T14:25:00.000-07:00

Are you interested in becoming a fabulous designer of weddings and other special events like the classy ladies at Vera Green Productions? Well have I got a deal for you!

I am currently in the process of incorporating a mentorship program for Vera Green Productions. This will be a great way for a few great candidates to learn the ins and outs of the industry, and gain some real life experience in the field.

We are currently searching for three candidates to serve as this year's interns. We will begin taking applications immediately and will be conducting interviews August 9-13. There will be one candidate selected from Fort Worth, Dallas, and the Northern Metropolis (Southlake, Grapevine, Irving, or Frisco area.) These candidates will be committing themselves to attending regular educational workshops and networking events as well as meeting with clients and vendors. Experience in the industry is not required, however we will only consider candidates who are devoted to a career as an event planner/designer.

In this program you will learn the following aspects of running a successful wedding business:

Industry:

-Ethics

-Networking

-Vendor Relations

-Professional Organizations

-Gaining Experience

-Exposure

Planning:

-Priorities

-Budgeting

-Timelines

-Organization

-Client Relations

-Design

Business:

-Marketing Plan

-Social Media

-Branding

-Sales

-Pricing

-Education

Day of Responsibilities:

-Rehearsal

-Setting Up

-Running the show

-Avoiding disasters

-Timeline

-Organizing People

-Organizing Yourself

-Clean Up

Going Green

-Conservation

-Legitimacy

-Resources

-Recycling

-Purposing

-Green Vendor Standards

-Social Causes

-Giving Back

-Sustainability

-Local Resources

-Incorporating green practices into your event business
Special Matters:

-Fighting Fires

-Difficult Clients

-Etiquette

-Difficult Vendors

-Finance

-Customer Service

Candidates will also receive on the job training through assisting our staff with scheduled events that are located in their corresponding areas, and will be compensated on a contract basis.
In addition to seeking a career in the event planning field the ideal candidate will also possess the following qualities:
Reliable means of transportation,

Networking skills,

Professional appearance and demeanor,

Attention to detail,

An eye for design and industry trends,

Passion for eco-friendly lifestyle,

Punctuality,

Crafty or artistic skills.

Finally, this is sure to be a highly coveted opportunity. In years past I have received hundreds of applications. The best way to make your application stand out is to let your personality shine through, and also show that you have done your research in our company and the green wedding niche.

Those who are interested may email their resume to Ashley before Sunday evening.

New Studio, Specials, and Giving Back

2010-06-29T21:02:00.000-07:00

I am really excited to announce that we can no longer call ourselves a home based business! That's right, we have teamed up with the super talented Heather Essian Portrait Arts and are sharing a beautiful natural light studio in the heart of Fort Worth's Near Southside.

This studio, which is located at 1208 Magnolia Avenue upstairs from Cat City Grill is an answer to our prayers. I have loved working from my house for the past several years. It definitely has it's upsides. I am able to work in my pajamas, and who doesn't love that :) And I have always been against opening a storefront for the sake of just having a ritzy address and a place other than Starbucks or the local wine bar to meet clients. But this studio for me is so much more.

Instead of a place where I can just put a computer and a desk this is actually a beautiful studio filled with vintage furniture and life. I have big plans that includes workshops, networking events, and possibly even a happy hour or two! Expect an announcement for our open house to come soon.

Please visit Heather's Blog for photos of this amazing space! I just couldn't feel more lucky to call this mine.

So to celebrate this wonderful new space I just feel like I need to share the love. So to celebrate this huge step for our little design company I would like to offer some great deals for the bride's out there.

We would like to invite future clients to enjoy a $200 discount off of ANY wedding coordinating package. That's right, day of or full service no minimums here folks. (As a point of reference our day of pricing starts at $900.)

OR

Since the main purpose of our new studio is to showcase our lovely eco-friendly designs we have to give our floral clients some love as well. So I would like to offer a FREE BRIDAL BOUQUET (sorry, I hate all caps, but that's a big deal) $150 value when you purchase the rest of your wedding party's flowers with Vera Green Designs. I want to specify that I actually mean the flowers that the bride carries not the smaller toss away bouquet (we already throw that in for free :)

PLUS

Since giving back to our community has always been a super important part of business for Vera Green Productions and Designs we are keeping that going with a summer supply drive. For every wedding that we book until the beginning of the school year, no matter how big or small, we will be donating a backpack full of eco-friendly school supplies for children in need.

*Note discounts can not be combined. To receive these special rates weddings must be booked with a 50 percent deposit by July 31. The Summer School drive will run until the beginning of the 2010-11 school year.

Floral Focus

2010-05-03T06:24:00.001-07:00

Back to inspiration! I can't believe it's already May, and it's so close to a busy wedding season for us here at Vera Green Productions. We're very excited about our weddings coming up and the warmer weather and flowers popping up everywhere has me inspired by color. Summer weddings are perfect occasions to include beautiful splashes of color, as you can see in the inspiration board today. And a great way to incorporate an eco-friendly twist is creating colorful flowers out of paper that will last! The tulip favors are a great example of that. Enjoy!

For image credits, visit this board at Style Me Pretty

Earth Week Excitement!

2010-04-19T13:49:00.000-07:00

Every day is Earth Day at Vera Green Productions and Designs, but we still love any excuse to celebrate our planet and encourage others to do the same! Earth Day is this Thursday, April 22 and to celebrate we have some exciting offers and specials for the eco-savvy couple. Also, keep your eyes out, because the Vera Green crew is kicking it into high gear this week with some special activities around town.

Earth Week happenings:

Check in on the blog for a daily retrospective from Ashley Paz, founder of Vera Green Productions, on her mission as a pioneer in planning socially conscious weddings and special events. As well as unique wedding and green living tips.

Thursday the Vera Green Productions team will be out and about spreading the word with local vendors about the green wedding industry. And their day will end at The Safe Haven Women’s Shelter in Arlington to help plant flowers for their Safe Haven Young Professional Group’s Earth Day event. If you are looking for a way to give back on Earth Day they will surely need additional help. You can contact them via their website.

We are so excited to celebrate our planet this week, and encourage others to do so as well!

Go for the Gold

2010-02-08T07:49:00.000-08:00

Sorry I've been MIA on my inspiration boards of late. But I'm back this week with a board that was inspired by...the Super Bowl! I was watching the big game last night and thought that it would be fun to feature a board that showcases gold accents in honor of the New Orleans Saints. I love gold and think its exudes a sense of elegance. Special gilded touches can make your wedding shine! I especially love the gold groom's shoes, don't you?

All photo credits can be found here.

Simple, Chic, Natural

2010-01-18T10:00:00.000-08:00

I was perusing Once Wed last night seeking some inspiration when I found this lovely Los Angeles wedding. Filled with handmade details from the accessories to the bride's dress, I thought this was such a subtly elegant affair. Drawing inspiration from it, I created this board which exudes an au naturel feeling. There would be so many ways to incorporate eco-friendly elements into this wedding as well. Wildflowers, recycled material for invites and fashion, repurposed decorations, oh the possibilities would be endless!

All image credits can be found here.

Inspired by Pantone Turquoise

2010-01-11T06:05:00.000-08:00

Good Monday morning everyone! I'm here to bring a little inspiration your way. This past week I learned that Pantone had announced it's 2010 color of the year: Turquoise.

It's a lovely color, and perfect to incorporate into your wedding. As far as mixing turquoise with other colors, Pantone says, "Turquoise pairs nicely with any other color in the spectrum. Turquoise adds a splash of excitement to neutrals and browns, complements reds and pinks, creates a classic maritime look with deep blues, livens up all other greens, and is especially trend-setting with yellow-greens." As for me, I'm using the color in my own wedding paired with orange! So here's an inspiration board for you featuring the color of the year, enjoy!

For image credits, click here.

A Tim Burton Wedding

2010-01-04T06:13:00.001-08:00

Good morning everyone, and Happy New Year! It's time to tackle 2010 and set goals for the year. At Vera Green Productions, we're going to be bringing you weekly inspiration based on weddings we're working on and other lovely images and themes that inspire us. Every Monday we'll be posting a new board. If you've got ideas or an inspiration board you'd like to see, we'd love to hear!

Our first board of the year draws inspiration from Heather, our October bride. We're so excited to have her on board with Vera Green Productions. Her wedding will be a true original with a vision that includes words like Victorian, Gothic, Glamour, and Tim Burton. Lighting is of utmost importance to our bride and I can just see candelabras, chandeliers, and candlelight everywhere. It's bound to be a stand out!

Have an inspired week everyone.

Vendor Review: Texas Star Bakery

2010-01-03T10:27:00.000-08:00

Texas Star Bakery
499 West Harwood Rd
Hurst, TX
http://www.texasstarbakery.com/

A few weeks back, Lauren and I an excursion to Hurst to visit some wedding bake shops. Our favorite one of the day was definitely Texas Star Bakery at 499 West Harwood Rd. It is situated in a quaint strip of all brick storefronts that is really quite charming.

Upon entering the bakery we were both attracted to their display case full of cookies, candies, pies and cakes. The man behind the sweets is the bakery’s owner, (I would love to give his name, but the staff wasn't so helpful with my questions). Everything in the bakery is his recipe, and he does all of the baking so he can ensure that it is done to his standards.

When you are tasting their delectable treats the attention to detail is really noticeable. It is really amazing how much you can taste the difference between real extracts and that imitation stuff. And these guys are 100% real.

When it comes to weddings, Texas Star is one of the best values I’ve seen. Prices for traditional flavors start at $2.50 per slice. Their specialty flavors aren’t bad either at $3 per slice! I did not try the wedding cake while we were there since they were all sold out of their tasting samples. I take that as a good thing, since I know a lot of bakeries who keep a stock pile in their freezer, so as to never run out. Personally, I’d rather not taste it than to eat something that is frost bitten and flavorless! I did have a cupcake though, which was quite yummy.

I do however have a few slight criticisms of Texas Star Bakery. The first is that their work is very traditional, in the way of butter cream roses and fondant swags. Which have their place, but are just very dated designs. Having said that, I believe that they are perfectly capable of creating cakes with more modern designs, or whatever is asked of them. But their portfolio mostly consists of the more dated style which I previously spoke.

Next, their staff and customer service could use some improvement. The ladies working the front counter weren't necessarily rude, but they weren't quite friendly either. Now, I don't expect to have the red carpet rolled out for me just because I'm a wedding planner. But I would expect for a business to be willing to answer questions with detail to someone who comes in WANTING to bring them business. I wasn't asking for secret family recipes, but the owner's name? I have also read several reviews online echoing similar experiences. I think that if they were to offer their customers a bit more of a personal experience they would have more repeat business.

Finally, being an event planner who focuses on the eco-friendly aspects of this industry I have to comment on the "greenness" of this business. Which it isn't very. I can't comment on the ingredients, but it is safe to assume that they don't use organic or much local. I'm basing that assumption purely from the fact that their prices are so low. I could be completely incorrect on that fact. And their frosting is clearly made from crisco, which isn't a bad thing. They don't claim anything otherwise, so you can't fault them. Having extensive experience in the fine art of pastry, crisco frosting has it's place. It does hold up better than butter in icing, and it spreads much easier to create smoother lines. But I do have a problem with calling crisco frosting "butter cream" because it isn't made from butter! And it takes a delicate hand to prevent crisco frosting from tasting greasy, which I think is an art Texas Star could work on. But their cupcakes are pretty good, and the cake is clearly not from a box which makes up for the shortning in their icing. Aside from ingredients there aren't any areas that I feel require the eco comments on. But I would love to hear input from other patrons of this business that could provide insight on things that this bakery does to improve the environment or to help the local community or charities.
All in all, I will happily refer this bakery to any of my brides who are looking for a delicious cake from an experienced bakery.

Click here for reviews of this bakery on Yahoo! Local

Billie Ball Wedding Board

2009-12-09T16:50:00.000-08:00

Two great inspiration boards in one day! This one is complements of Lauren, our Fort Worth wedding rep. As you can see it features loads and loads of BILLIE BALLS, which is my current fav! I also love the use of sage and succulents.

Summer Yellow Inspiration

2009-12-09T10:15:00.000-08:00

Ahhh... I love summer weddings. I've put this lovely inspiration board together for a couple who is getting married in May at the Maple Manor Hotel in Dallas.

Credits:

Custom Wooden Cake Toppers:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=35905649

Eco-Friendly Invitations:
http://www.theeventmessenger.com/

Yellow, Blue, and Sage inspiration:
http://www.utterlyengaged.com/category/issues/issue-002/page/35

Vera Green Charity

2009-10-09T10:21:00.000-07:00

Giving Back

Being a socially concious company means more to us than just supporting eco-friendly vendors, and recycling. It is also important to us to better the world by giving back. Starting in May 2009 we have instituded a policy to donate 10% of our monthly profit to charity. Causes that we are proud to support:

Save Darfur Coalition- www.savedarfur.com

Humaine Society of North Texas- www.hsnt.org

Susan G. Komen for the Cure- www.komen.org

Catholic Charities USA- www.catholiccharitiesusa.org

Fundraising

I am happy to provide special assistance to those planning charity events or fundraising . Philanthropy is where I perfected the art of planning fine events, and will always have a special interest in events that do good. We are pleased to offer our services pro-bono for planning your charity fundraiser. Please contact one of our consultants today for more information regarding these services.

2009-10-09T10:17:00.000-07:00

A word...

I am excited to share what we are doing with the world, and hopefully through the course of business we can inspire others to do good. Vera Green Productions is a motley crew of wedding professionals that all have a passion for living life to it's fullest. I founded this company to provide couples with an alternative aspect to wedding and special event planning, and the hope of making an impact on the special event industry.

I have been planning eco-friendly events since 2004, and am one of the first wedding planners in the country to make doing right the way we do business. We are proud to support vendors who share our mission to provide top quality cutting edge work at affordable prices while conserving our resources. It is our goal that by creating a network of vendors who offer eco-friendly wedding services we can inspire others to follow suit and band together to make eco-friendly events more acessible to North Texans.

Here are some FAQ's to provide you a with a rundown of what we do:

What is a Green Wedding?

A green wedding is simply a wedding where couples try to incorporate more eco-friendly choices. Examples include using invitations from recycled or plantable paper; local flowers, food, and drinks; or vintage items such as decor, attire, or jewlery. The sky is really the limit, that's where we come in.

Why Plan a Green Wedding?

Weddings are often an extravagant affair, with much money, care, attention to detail and time being lavished on creating the ultimate day for the bride and groom. If you are an environmentally and socially conscious couple, you may like to consider sharing your eco-savvy and social awareness with your family and friends by actively demonstrating how it is possible to "green a wedding" and still maintain the essence of elegance and sophistication many expect from such an important event.

Great New Photographer

2009-07-13T10:05:00.000-07:00

My favorite new photographer in DFW!

http://www.johnhweddingpix.com/

John Harris is a new face on the wedding scene that is offering up an amazingly unique eye. And his rates are rediculously reasonable. He isn't some young pup coming in with naive ideals, and no experience to offer up either. John has over 20 years of photography background, from his work on the commercial side of things.

John shot a wedding for me a few weeks ago, and we had so much fun. Aside from his regular fancy pants photography gear, he brought a vintage polaroid camera. Once the dancing had commenced at the reception, he broke out this awsome piece of equipment, and got some snapshots of the wedding guests as a little suprise for the bride and groom. So, so cool.

Please visit his website, and have a look at his awsome work. I will highly recommend this company for years to come!

Ellerbe Fine Foods soft opening

2009-06-09T12:36:00.000-07:00

Me and some of my favorite gal pals took the stroll up the street today to the neighborhood's newest dining establishment Ellerbe Fine Foods. Weeks of anticipation has built this place up for us greatly, and luckily we weren't disappointed. Co-Owners Richard King and Molly McCook (executive chef) have a good thing going here, and in the spirit of other Magnolia Ave. eateries like Lili's and Nona Tatta will keep it packed with near south side foodies craving seasonal, local fare.

Upon arrival to Ellerbe's I was a bit confused on how to get into the building. There are several false entries to the building. Once we made it in we were greeted by several smiling faces that quickly turned to horror when they noticed the several small children that we had in tow. They wanted a test for their soft opening, and we gave it to them!

Earlier in the month one of my accomplices had stopped by to make sure that they could accommodate a large party with several small children (three adults, four kids) and she was assured that it would be no problem by both the owner and restaurant coordinator. Obviously they had forgotten about this meeting, as they were unable to accommodate us at one table and only had one high chair available.

Vera drew the longest straw for the high chair, so I was the lucky one not dealing with a baby in a booster seat. Of course she is also the smallest at eleven months, so it worked out well. We ended up splitting our party up between two tables which left one parent and her son sitting alone, but we were still close enough to socialize without disturbing other parties.

The decor is very clean, and almost a little lacking. But what is up is very personal, ranging from a vintage apron collection, and fresh herbs in mason jars, to photos of the owner's three spaniels. I could stand to see more of the decor to tone the place down and make it seem a little more welcoming. Also, one of the things that I mentioned to Richard, is that the uniforms seem to be a bit stuffy. The starched white shirts, sage green ties, and khaki pants are a bit too Olive Gardeny for my personal tastes. Also they make the staff seem very uncomfortable and un-inviting. I would like to see them dressed a bit more casually, perhaps in black t-shirts and dark colored jeans. I think that it would just be one small step to make the place seem a little more casual, and draw more attention to the food. Upscale with a casual twist, which I feel is a perfect description of this establishment.

After we had baby proofed the tables, i.e. moved all knives, glasses, and plates out of reach of small hands, we were able to review the menu. The menu consisted of great seasonal offerings such as cauliflower soup, fresh salads, and sandwiches made from fresh baked breads and same day purchased veggies. One more kid related rant and I will stop, there were no options on the menu for kids other than a $12 hamburger. However, I got the cauliflower soup for Vera and she loved it. And about halfway through our time there (which was almost two hours) they decided that bread would make our kids happy.

It did take a while for our food to come out (about 30 min once we ordered), which is a bit extreme for two hamburgers, two bowls of soup, and three tomato and basil sandwiches. But they were very busy trying to get everything organized and streamline their operation. Once the food came though, it was all worth it. The Cauliflower soup, which I have developed a severe addiction to, is indescribable. The little bits of roasted cauliflower, truffle oil, and guere crostini all blended together to make a creamy bowl of perfection. I HAVE to have more, and will probably be going back sometime this week for my next fix. I also ordered the tomato and basil sandwich with arugula salad. That is the worst description ever by the way. Basically the bread was fresh with bits of proschuttio baked in, filled with fresh tomatoes and basil and an aoli spread. The arugula salad was simple, just arugula tossed with lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. My husband, the arugula fiend would be so jealous. I wanted to cut off my waitress's hand when she took my bowl of soup without asking if I was finished, which I wasn't!

I think that it's safe to say that Ellerbe's soft opening was a success, and I will definitely be going back on a regular basis.

Green tip of the day: Invitations

2009-05-06T15:11:00.000-07:00

Reasons I love, love, love these all in one plantable invites:

http://tinyurl.com/cy6kj5

1. These great invitations require no envelope, velum paper, insert cards, direction cards, rsvp cards, etc. It is all included in one compact piece of paper, so you are greatly reducing the amount of paper that you use.

2. They are beautiful! And 100% sustainable. Once your guests receive these awsome invites, they can drop them in the ground, add water and wait for the wildflowers to sprout!

Green Tip of the Week

2009-05-05T15:45:00.000-07:00

These little earth themed sugar cookies from www.organicbouquet.com make the most adorable wedding favors.

http://www.organicbouquet.com/p_1846/Organic-Certified/Gourmet/Baked-Goods/love-the-planet-cookies.html?subCatId=145

Try this tip from Martha Stewart:

To turn these adorable cookies into a charming centerpiece, simply place flowering branches in a sturdy vase. Wrap cookies in cellophane bags and ribbon, and hang from branches. At the end of your party, add signage that instructs guest to undecorate the tree and take a cookie with them.

career opportunity

2009-04-26T22:45:00.000-07:00

Wedding Planning Apprentice Opportunity

Greenfeet Productions has really taken DFW by storm, and we are glad to announce that with this increased business we are ready to expand! We are currently looking to add a couple of hosts and/or hostesses to our staff. So if you or anyone you know is interested in getting into the wedding industry this is the chance of a lifetime.

Qualified candidates will possess the following qualities:

Basic knowledge of Wedding traditions and customs,
Good organizational skills,
Fast responsiveness,
Punctuality,
Ability to work well with others,
Strong networking skills,
Must possess a basic understanding of green living,
Computer Literate,
Must be somewhat crafty (the Martha Stewart kind, NOT the Beastie Boys kind)
Must be able to explain that reference,
Self motivated,
Need to have reliable transportation,
HAS to be available to work on weekends (don’t even bother replying if you can’t,)
Must be able to take direction,

This is a contract to hire position, and compensation is based on performance.

What the position entails:

Networking with Vendors,
Promoting our business and sustainable events,
Learning the ins and outs of the wedding industry,
Corresponding with clients and vendors, and responding to leads,
Designing every aspect of various social functions from conception to execution,
Being responsible for maintain clients budgets,
Staying up to date on the latest trends in wedding planning,
Advising clients on eco-friendly alternatives to traditional wedding customs,
Offering etiquette advise to clients,
Tracking and Organizing all aspects of social events,
Coordinating social functions and keeping any potential problems at bay by clever thinking and preparedness

If this position sounds like something that you would excel at then please email me and tell me why. Please provide a professional resume as well as minimum pay requirements.

We will be conducting telephone interviews within the next week, so please respond ASAP to be considered.

Ashley Paz
www.greenfeetfw.com
Ashley@greenfeetfw.com

Going Green For Good

2009-04-09T08:53:00.000-07:00

Dear Faithful Customers and Colleagues,
It is my pleasure to announce that Ashley’s Events is making some big changes this spring!

As many of you know, we have been planning socially conscious events for some time. Now we are taking things one step farther and splitting Ashley’s Events into two separate eco-based companies: Greenfeet Productions and Greenfeet Designs. It is our goal to use these entities to make eco-friendly options available to Fort Worth brides, and hopefully bring green weddings to the mainstream.

Did you know that the average wedding creates 14.5 billion tons of carbon waste? It is our goal with Greenfeet Productions to show brides how to reduce the amount of carbon waste from their wedding through traditional wedding planning services as well as ongoing advice on eco-friendly alternatives.

Our second venture is Greenfeet Designs, an all eco-friendly wedding product line. We will be putting our crafty talents to use and offering everything from organic flower centerpieces to vintage wedding gowns. Everything is custom made to order, so it will be a while before we get any designs online. Our list of products and services includes:

* Vintage Scouting- let us go scour the thrift stores and vintage shops to find you the perfect vintage items to reuse in your wedding. Whether it be the gown or the cake plate, we’ll find the perfect one for you.

* Floral arrangement and design- breathtaking floral arrangements made with as many green elements as possible. We strive to use locally grown flowers, but when that is not available we try for availability from a domestic organic nursery. We also strive to take things a step farther by implementing other various decorative touches that utilize reused, repurposed, and recycled materials.

* Custom wedding favors designed from repurposed items.

* Gift Bags for out of towners that showcase local goodies and products.
Today is our big launch at the Fort Worth Urban Futures Sustainable Living Symposium being held at the new Omni hotel in Downtown Fort Worth from 4 to 7:30 pm. We would like to invite everyone to join us for this special occasion and to learn more about what Cowtown businesses are doing to go green.

For more information about the symposium and to register online you can view the website below.

http://www.fortworthurbanfutures.com/index.html

We look forward to continuing the relationships that we have built with all of you, and to build our referral base. We are also pleased to offer the attached offer exclusively to all of you in lieu of this event. Please feel free to pass it along to anyone you may know wishing to plan a green wedding.

Wedding Wire bride's choice award

2009-02-03T05:57:00.000-08:00

WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, just announced that Ashley's Events has won the 2009 Bride’s Choice Awards™!

In its inaugural year, the Bride’s Choice Awards recognizes and honors vendors from the WeddingWire Network that demonstrate excellent quality of service, responsiveness, professionalism, value of cost and flexibility. This year’s recipients represent the top three percent of WeddingWire’s vendor community, which includes over 100,000 wedding vendors from across the US. That means Ashley's Events is one of the very best Bridal Consultants in the country.

Unlike other awards in which winners are selected by the company, the Bride’s Choice Awards are determined exclusively by recent newlyweds through surveys and reviews.

“We are excited to launch this annual award program to honor high-performing vendors based solely on the experiences of our WeddingWire community,” according to Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “This year’s recipients have set the bar high, exhibiting excellent service and expertise in the wedding industry.”

We would like to thank our past clients for speaking on our behalf and helping us win the 2009 Bride’s Choice Award!

Favorite things

2009-01-25T15:07:00.000-08:00

Wow! I have really not held up to my resolution to blog daily. Bad wedding planner, BAD, BAD!

I have a lot of things that I'm really excited about right now. And I can't wait to share them with everyone.

The first is my new bookstore find The Green Bride Guide. Forgive me but I can't tell you the author's name, as the book is in my car at church with my dear husband. I will definately update later with her name though. Anyway, this book has so many great ideas for planning the perfect green wedding. The best part is that she offers ideas that work for all budgets.
Feathers in decor. I absolutely love the fluffy and floppy vintage look of ostrich wing feathers, however I do not love the way that they are harvested. There are a couple of farms out there that will gather naturally molten feathers, but they are few and far between. Also, once the feathers fall off the heavy birds often trample them and they aren't the quality you would like to have in your centerpieces. On the other hand, peacock and peahen feathers are always gathered after molting. And they are almost always in great condition.
Sublime Bakery, Fort Worth, TX. Chef Catherine Ruehel has a great thing going over at her Country Day Plaza Bakery. I can honestly say that I have researched a lot of bakeries in the DFW Metroplex, and Sublime is my shining star in what is otherwise a dark dark sky of cakeries. Catherine really seems to care about her customers, and has a mission that she holds dear to her heart. They are the first bakery that I have come across in the Fort Worth area that TRUELY bakes their deserts from scratch. Her confections are made fresh, and they use organic ingredients where available. There is another unique aspect to this business. They use biodegradable cornstarch containers, and they even serve vegan and gluten free offerings for guests with restricted diets. In my opinion other area bakeries could take a page from Chef Catherine's book.
Dark chocolate covered pomegranates. Ok, so this has nothing to do with weddings, but these little balls are a little piece of heaven. If you haven't tried them yet, then run to the nearest Costco and buy yourself a 10lb bag!
Finally, this is what I have turned to a lot lately when I need a smile:

Green beginnings

2008-09-21T11:31:00.000-07:00

Among my friends I'm concidered the "hippy chick". I've been almost obsessive about the environment for as long as I can remember. A week doesn't go by where you won't catch me sneaking my recycling overflow into my neighbors bins, while my trash rarely is more than one bag for the week. We have a compost box. We use cloth diapers. And our electricity comes from 100% renewable energy sources. As far as our friends are concerned we belong on a commune in California somewhere!

The whole green living phenomenon is very exciting for me, because this is the way that I've always lived. I don't consider myself a "hippy" however. My favorite food is a big fat steak, and I drive an SUV. Being "green" isn't something that was engraved into my psyche from birth. I was just raised to protect your belongings, land included.

I grew up in small town Arkansas where I learned the importance of nature from my grandparents without even knowing it. They grew all their own meats and vegetables. Not because they were protesting conventional groceries, but because they loved to farm and garden and that was their livelyhood. Anyway, why would they go out and buy a steak or bacon when they had 500 head of cattle and a couple of hogs on their property at all times? They never used pesticides or toxic fertilizers on their gardens. Instead they planted flowers that attracted bees and ladybugs. Or if they would find a spider in the house they wouldn't squash him, they would take him out to the garden and set him free on a corn stalk. I never thought twice about their farming practices, I just always assumed they were being frugal.

As an adult I find myself in the same situation. Being "green" isn't something that I put a lot of thought into. It is just the lifestyle that I'm use to living. So back in January of 04 when I was in a planning meeting with a good friend for her wedding (one of my first weddings by the way!) I was accused of planning her a "hippy-chic" wedding. Then as she looked around my home office and noticed my stacks of paper to be reused, and my overflowing recycling bin, and the countless glass jars filled with craft scraps of fabric from old shirts, she became the first person to accuse me of being a "green" wedding planner. She was just trying to give me a hard time, but that moment really lit a spark in me to put more thought in the way that I run my business and plan weddings for my brides.

Now, four years later I'm still rocking and rolling in a new town, and living as "green" as possible. I'll admit that I don't always live up to the standard that I have set for myself, but I try as much as I can. And my husband takes a little more coaxing and reminding, but he's getting there slowly.

I'm blogging!

2008-09-04T15:41:00.003-07:00

I'm very excited to finally be sharing all of the happenings at Ashley's Events with the world!

First of all, the biggest change within my company is the addition of our newest coordinator, Jacqueline Guzeman. The former Miss Teen Latino East Texas has a background in promotional work, and is currently attending school for Personal Relations. In the next couple of weeks we will be visiting some of our favorite vendors and making introductions.

There is more very exciting news that will soon be coming from our direction. And as soon as things are finalized we will be elated to share with everyone.

Best wishes until then,

Ashley Paz