If your style leans toward the whimsical, the original, the ethereal and unexpected, you’d be remiss not to check out North Texas wedding planner House of Tales, lead by experienced pro Maya Jareou. We’ve been lucky to showcase quite a bit of Maya’s work, and her distinctly unique style grounded in an appreciation for art never ceases to blow us away.

“After over 16 years of planning weddings and events, I have developed an infatuation with surreal reality design,” Maya says. “It’s distinctly reflected in my approach. My style is a mix of avant-garde and a hint of imagination opium.”

Imagination opium … we’re here for it and you’ll see exactly what Maya means as you scroll through the scene below. Pretty pretty!

Photos // Jen Symes Photography

A Favorite Styled Shoot

“This French elegance inspiration shoot portrays a perfect scenario of a film-inspired, dreamy romantic love story that is at once soft and romantic, but with wildly gorgeous moody and bold details. Drawing inspiration from Impressionist French art, the color palette includes touches of dusty rose, mauve, French blue and layers of cream and white. The lush florals brimming with orchids and roses, cascade over the venue’s 1800s reclaimed French church door and embrace the massive, double trunked “kissing tree” as the focal point of the ceremony space.”

As for what drives the signature House of Tales style, Maya says: “I love anything that brings originality with a wowful twist. Lately, I have been using a lot of 3D architectural floral installations — whether as a floral ceiling or as a free standing piece — to the weddings I design.”

“My favorite detail was the out-of-the-box, moody wedding attire — from the fashion forward-bridal jumpsuit to the tutu skirt, to the bold lips and sleek ponytail for her. And, for him, that yummy and refreshing bright, moody and colorful statement tux.”

It’s one thing for a planner’s work to be showcased in a styled shoot, but rest assured, Maya takes the utmost care of her real wedding couples, too.

“I am honored to work with each and every couple, and I cherish the opportunity and their trust, always. It does, however, take a village to create a dream wedding. Teamwork and ethics are a must in my book. Consequently, rest assured that my team and my creative partners carry these traits. Without both, I cannot do what I do best as your wedding planner.”

Impressed yet? We sure are! Says Maya, “We are the best in what we do,” so reach out to House of Tales to help you start your wedding journey and make your dream day a reality.”

The value of hiring an experienced wedding planner is no secret. They can help take your vision from ideas in your head to a tangible, gorgeous reality on your wedding day, helping pull together all the necessary pieces along the way. DFW wedding planner Laura of Weddings by Stardust is no exception, and her main goal is to gain her clients’ complete trust as she designs a wedding inspired by THEM.

Laura showed off her beautiful design work with this spread in hues of teal, blue and saturated pink photographed by Opal & Onyx at The Cliff House! Read on to see the approach Weddings by Stardust takes to make sure each wedding is unique!

On improving the design every step of the way:

“I like to take a team approach when it comes to design. I pull ideas from the client, then work with the florist and other vendors to finish out the design and make it better than we started. I spend a lot of time ensuring the couple is matched with vendors that fit their style, budget and personality!”

On where she draws inspiration:

The best source for inspiration is always the couple. They may have a feel or colors they like, but getting to know what’s important to them or learning details about their relationship or life always helps bring in the personalization. This is what makes each wedding unique!”

On the moment she’s always aiming for:

“I love when couples finally have the ‘trust moment’ with their planner,” Laura says. When a couple can relax and trust Laura and her team to handle the details of the job, both big and small, the process can go even more smoothly.

We love how Laura combined vintage and eclectic elements into one cohesive yet colorful look. Get in touch with Laura and the Weddings by Stardust team – send them a message via their vendor profile.

“It is one thing to be aware of details and another to love them.” – we couldn’t adore this quote from Alexa Sharkey, owner of Alexa Kay Events, any more! Take one look at Alexa’s work and you’ll immediately be able to see not only her astute attention to, but also her passion for the smallest details. As for her style? Alexa describes it this way: “Our style is a mix of romantic, classic and timeless designs. The details to our design and styling reflect the personal style of our couples.”

If you’re looking for a DFW wedding planner who will go to bat for you and make sure nothing at all slips through the cracks, Alexa’s team has your back. And their passion for planning goes beyond the pretty. “We believe that meaningful design establishes the foundation for those cherished moments and memories created at the beginning of your marriage,” Alexa says.

We’re thrilled to showcase a jaw-dropping styled shoot and insanely, timelessly beautiful real wedding, both planned by Alexa Kay Events, below. Take a look!

A Favorite Styled Shoot

Photos // Megan Kay Photography

“All I can say is the florals in this shoot blew me away! I love working with lush garden-style florals that incorporate texture into the design. This, paired with the chairs and tabletop from Posh Couture Rentals and the paper goods from Ladybird Paper Co., everything fit perfectly into the design and brought my vision to life.”

Years into her wedding planning career, Alexa knows planners have to be able to speak up for their clients in a variety of settings and make sure their best interests are always prioritized. “What sets me apart from other planners would be my extreme attention to detail and my ability to be positive yet assertive on behalf of my clientele,” Alexa says. “Regarding attention to detail, details are why I love doing what I do. Nothing brings me more joy than a bride entering her wedding venue and her jaw dropping to the floor because EVERYTHING that she sees is exactly how she imagined it.”

Real Wedding Love

Photos // Megan Kay Photography

“The class and beauty of this design is definitely a favorite. It’s stylish, but will never be outdated. Elegant, but not overwhelming. To put it simply, it’s classic and timeless! One of my favorite details in this gallery is the up close tablescape shot of Allison and Jordan’s place settings. Allison really wanted to use her grandmother’s china but did not have enough. In order to still incorporate that small touch, we added a plate into their setting as a sweet remembrance.”

You can easily see the attention Alexa’s team gives to the smallest details throughout the entire design process. Design is one part of the job, while logistics and planning are another. When asked for her best advice for brides, Alexa has a great tip to help, logistics-wise.

“I recommend booking your planner first. You may think you can handle planning on your own, but planners have executed weddings so many times. It’s good to have a partner guide you through the process who has done this before. My other recommendation is to set your guest count and total investment before booking vendors outside the venue. This will give you an idea of what you have to spend and will help avoid hard conversations and having to cut out important aspects.”

Are details totally your thing and you’re looking for someone who appreciates them as much as you do? Or maybe they aren’t your thing and you’re looking for a planner who can balance your big picture thinking. Reach out to Alexa Kay Events via their vendor profile!

If you’re perusing Brides of North Texas, chances are you’ve already gotten a taste of how overwhelming wedding planning can be. Don’t get us wrong – the process can be FUN! But thank goodness for professional wedding planners like Dr. Delphinium Designs + Events who can come to the rescue when we’re faced with a blank slate and endless choices. Their passion is pulling everything together seamlessly and beautifully!

Today, we’re going behind the scenes with the dynamic team at Dr. Delphinium to explore their planning process and learn a few secrets along the way. Take a look at the gorgeous photos below, captured by Opal & Onyx Photography at The Cliff House, and see what Dr. Delphinium’s team has to say about the way they approach their work!

On their planning process:

“Our planning process starts with getting to know our clients through an intentional setting meeting to discover their vision and goals for the day. Through learning their priorities we tailor our services to best serve them and provide support throughout the planning.”

On where they draw inspiration:

“Our inspiration primarily comes from our clients. Though we draw inspiration from years of design experience, nature, art and every day joys, our clients inspire us to use those tools to creatively develop an aesthetic and plan of action for their dream day. ”

On the best part of the job:

“We love getting to share and bear witness to such special moments in our clients’ lives and helping them fully enjoy those moments in every way we can.”

Looking for a planner, designer or stylist for your North Texas wedding? Send a message to Dr. Delphinium’s team via their vendor profile!

If thinking about wedding florals has you overwhelmed, you’re not alone! Not sure where to begin? Well, first – we recommend seeking the expertise of an experienced DFW wedding florist who can help you dream up something amazing – but beyond that, start by thinking about the type of bouquet you’d like to carry! Knowing these main types of wedding bouquet shapes and sizes can help you decide on an overall floral vision for your big day. Let’s get to it!

We’re breaking down eight major types of bridal bouquets you’ll see in today’s weddings to get you inspired and help you narrow down which type you’re drawn to most. Whether your style is more traditional or more whimsical, the perfect wedding bouquet awaits!

Round Wedding Bouquet Shapes + Sizes

Round: Just like the name implies, round bouquets are nice and spherical, and typically consist of either one type of flower or a monochromatic palette, if multiple florals are used. Often, the stems are wrapped in a silk ribbon that coordinates with the wedding’s color scheme. Classically chic and super-traditional, round bouquets have been popular for decades upon decades!

Biedermeier: A spin on the usual Round bouquet. Think concentric circles, each circle comprised of a different type of flower, and often with the stems exposed.

Pomander: For the bride who’s not afraid to buck the trends, the pomander bouquet is like a little basket of joy – a floral ball of happiness with a handle, carried similarly to a purse! Comprised of florals + greenery, these can work for bridal bouquets but are more typical for bridesmaids and flower girls, as they’re usually slightly smaller.

Posy: If minimalist is more your style, consider a posy bouquet. With less greenery and mostly petals of a similar color, posy bouquets pack a punch in a smaller package and make for a beautiful classic look. Another great bridesmaid style, as well!

Whimsical Wedding Bouquet Shapes + Sizes

Hand-Tied: Meant to look organically gathered and tied in a simple manner with looser ribbon, fabric or even twine (as opposed to using wire to create a tighter appearance), hand-tied bouquets can feature multiple types of florals and greenery and are a great way to incorporate multiple colors, especially if you’re going for a boho or garden-style wedding.

Cascade: A dramatic vertical shape makes the iconic cascade bouquet an eye-catching statement-maker. Popular in the 1980s but making a giant comeback in today’s modern weddings, a cascade bouquet’s steams are hidden and appears to flow downward – an excellent way to accentuate a dress with an amazing train!

Freeform: While most wedding bouquet shapes tend to be more vertical in nature, freeform bouquets are often more horizontal, are loosely tied with gorgeous ribbon and often incorporate gorgeous greenery, a wide variety of flowers with varying stem lengths, and are perfectly imperfect – purposefully asymmetrical and imbalanced. One of our favorite ways to WOW with flowers!

Nosegay: Like the Posy, Nosegay bouquets are smaller, hand-tied bouquets that also work well for bridesmaids, and tend to feature more greenery, rather than being petal-heavy. A joyful arrangement that can work for multiple seasons and styles!

Now that you’re an expert on the most popular wedding bouquet shapes and sizes, it’s time to nail down your top favorites and meet with a florist. Here’s our list of local faves for you to peruse! Plus, read our complete floral guide here for even more tips and advice on wedding flowers. Happy planning!

Classic and timeless with small hints of glam: that’s how Christy Record, lead planner of Swank Soiree, describes her style and approach to planning some of North Texas’s most gorgeous affairs!

“I like to say I am the Jackie Kennedy of weddings, approaching every wedding with style and class,” Christy says. And it’s easy to see why! The celebrations she helps plan and design stand the test of time, as Christy focuses on elements that go beyond trendy – they’ll be just as beautiful decades from now – which is also what she hopes for her couples!

“I value not only the wedding celebration but the marriage that follows. I only take a limited number of weddings each year allowing me to spend quality time getting to know my clients and infusing what I’ve learned about them into their wedding details.” Scroll below to see two weddings planned by Swank Soiree and get to know Christy even better!

A Classic Fall Affair

Photos // Teshorn Jackson Photography

If you’re wondering if fall color palettes can translate to classic and timeless weddings, the answer is YES!

“My favorite thing about Sydnie and Karl’s wedding was all the emotion followed by the huge smile on Sydnie’s face! That, coupled with the perfect pairing of her fall wedding colors, was nothing short of perfection.”

Christy likes to stay pretty true to her signature style, but of course, takes into account the personalities and stories of each of her couples and makes sure that’s infused into each wedding. “My style varies slightly with the uniqueness of each client. Overall, you’ll see a very classic and timeless wedding with clean lines and small hints of glam.”

A Modern Love Story

Photos // Amy Karp Photography

“Lauren and Ashton’s wedding holds a special place in my heart — they were our first wedding back from the pandemic shutdown. With Lauren’s trust, we were able to pull off everything we planned for prior to the pandemic. I loved how we were able to make every element personal in their wedding by using the crest all around the room. We started with the invitations and carried it through by adding it to the dance floor, cake, her mask and koozies, and we used the floral elements on the program and menu cards.”

Christy and the Swank Soiree team believe that a successful wedding planning process starts with putting your trust in the right vendors – starting with the planner, of course! “When looking for your planner, hire someone you connect with. This allows you to not only trust the other creative partners, but the overall process making it something you’ll enjoy.”

Looking to connect with Christy and Swank Soiree? Send them a message through their vendor profile!

With vaccines rolling out and mandates being lifted, life may seem like it’s on its way back to – dare we say – normal? However, if you’re hosting a wedding anytime soon, precautions are still very necessary to help keep your wedding guests safe. Just no sense in taking a chance! Read on for five smart ways to celebrate safely and make sure your guests enjoy themselves while keeping risk factors as low as possible.

Photos // Megan Kay Photography

1. Make Use of Outdoor + Open-Air Spaces

Taking your celebrations outside helps to keep air flow at a maximum and allows you to take advantage of tons of extra space for distancing. A win-win! If you haven’t considered a tented reception, we totally recommend looking into this option. From frame tents to structured tents to the whimsical sailcloth options, wedding tents have expanded in style, selection and more over the last decade. Tents allow your guests to have a constant source of fresh air and to spread out, even in the event of less-than-ideal weather.

If a tent isn’t an option, consider outdoor venues with usable lawn space to allow guests to move around safely.

2. Maintain Socially Distanced Seating Throughout the Day

This is where a seating chart becomes extra important. To help keep your wedding guests safe, you’ll want to carefully consider seating arrangements and make sure social distance is maintained throughout the day, from ceremony to cocktail hour to dinner and beyond. Work with your venue and your planner to make sure tables of people who aren’t from the same household are far enough apart, consider a few different lounge areas with seating spaced a smart distance apart and consider a VIP seating section for certain parts of the day for those guests who may be more high-risk.

3. Don’t Skimp on Germ Protection

Take a stand against infection risk by making sure you have plenty of individual hand sanitizers, masks and mini wipe packets conveniently available for guests in as many places as possible. Anti-bacterial stations placed strategically throughout your venue are always smart, as are individual items placed at each guest’s seat. Take the opportunity to add a punch of pizazz to these items by having them made custom to match the branded elements of your wedding! Whether you have a monogram or a distinct color scheme for your wedding, small items like these are perfect places to carry your wedding theme even further.

4. Serve Meals Safely

Cocktail hour and mealtime are two parts of your day where you’ll want to be extra mindful of your guests’ safety. Your bartenders and caterers should still be taking all necessary precautions to serve food and drinks safely. We definitely recommend individual dining options for cocktail hour, like personal snack boxes, individually wrapped hors d’oeuvres or if you do go with a buffet option, making sure sneeze screens are in place and that minimal servers make contact with the food before it’s passed on to each guest. Single-serve is the name of the game!

5. Consider On-Site Testing

If you want to go the extra mile and do the absolute most to ensure the safety of your family in friends in attendance, consider on-site testing. You could have designated temperature takers wearing gloves and masks, using a quick-scan digital thermometer to monitor guests’ temperatures as they enter, or you can even go as far as to offer on-site rapid Covid tests for your guests! RightNow Laboratory is a testing company based in Texas that provides rapid Covid tests for couples and their wedding guests, with two different options for results available in as little as ten minutes with an antigen test, or a molecular test version with results available in 30 minutes.

Bonus: Invest in a Planner’s Expertise

Planning a wedding is overwhelming no matter when you’re getting married, but add in the stress of a lasting pandemic and you have quite a few extra issues you’ll need to think through. A professional wedding planner is trained and experienced to consider all possible situations and come up with solutions that make the most sense for you, your guests and your budget. We can’t emphasize enough the importance of a planner’s expertise!

See our full Covid wedding guide here!

A go-to planner to Fort Worth couples, Tami Winn Events has an extensive background in floral design, but that’s only the beginning. She’s evolved her business to offer a dynamic and complete set of services for modern brides and grooms who appreciate her signature luxe style. Glitz and glamour are part of her well-known look, but it’s her flair for the imagination and unique ideas that really set Tami and her business apart from the rest!

From proper etiquette to precise timing to perfect planning. From day one through the wedding day, Tami is there to lend a helping hand and a keen eye. Take a look at her work and get to know Tami Winn Events below!

A Favorite Styled Shoot

Photos // Tracy Autem Photography

“This is hands down my favorite styled shoot and one of the designs I am most proud of ever creating. The theme was Luxe Floral Fantasy, and that was easy to achieve with over-the-top florals! The best detail from this shoot is hard to pick. A few of my favorites would be the floral table linen, rose heads lining the charger plates and I even froze rose heads in ice cubes for a specialty cocktail!

“My personal style for events could be best described as timeless. I am drawn to an overall design that is classic in nature but also has fun elements throughout. I want a client to be able to look back on their wedding years from now and it still look current.

“I work hard to get to know each client and specifically look for their personality traits to create a one-of-a-kind wedding that is distinctly them. I push the envelope with ideas that are fun, imaginative and not something you see at every other wedding.”

Real Wedding Love

Photos // Stephanie Brazzle

“The details from this wedding describe my personal style perfectly! The wedding is clean and classic, but has fun things like a glitter champagne wall. That is hands down my favorite detail from this wedding. Who doesn’t love some good champs, and even better when it’s sparkling in front of a 15’ gold glitter wall?! We also did boozy ice cream during their cocktail hour with liquid nitrogen, and guests thought that was very fun as well.”

When it comes to Tami’s tried and true advice for couples, she says this: “First and foremost, have fun! This experience should be one that you look back on years from now with fond memories and not as a time of stress and wedding nightmares. Look at the big picture – you are going to marry the love of your life. There may be hiccups along the way or you may not get every single item on your wish list, but don’t let that derail you from having the time of your life while being engaged.”

So true! Focusing on the big picture is always a good plan. And if your big picture involves a luxuriously styled, timeless event to celebrate your love with your love, Tami Winn Events may be the perfect choice of planner for you! Connect with Tami and her team directly via her vendor profile.

When it comes to choosing a wedding planner – or even deciding whether or not to hire one – many brides have valid concerns about their budgets being blown, ideas not being heard and ending up with a wedding design they aren’t happy with. Caitlin and the team at Celebrate Dallas want to make absolutely sure this doesn’t happen. Caitlin wants her couples to be confident that working with a planner doesn’t have to involve giving up your wants and limits. It’s a true team effort and Celebrate Dallas wants their brides to feel heard and valued every step of the way.

Caitlin chatted with us about her team’s approach to the wedding planning process as she put together this beautiful terra cotta, navy and mauve scene at The Cliff House, photographed by Opal & Onyx. Take a look and get to know Celebrate Dallas below!

What has to happen first before beginning the design:

“First, we want to get to know you and all your you-ness. We want to hear your love story, see the ring and get a feel for how you want to celebrate. We’ll collaborate on a mood board that will capture your dream wedding day, getting down to the details and the special touches that will make your wedding uniquely yours. Lastly, we work on shoring up all of the big day’s logistics and put out any last-minute fires along the way. Then, we get you married!”

How they come up with their best ideas:

“We find inspiration absolutely everywhere! Scrolling on Instagram, walking through a botanical garden, even broadening our horizons with new and beautiful weddings from all over the world. But, above all, we’re inspired by the couples we work with. Every couple brings their own unique perspectives, traditions and great taste.”

What you can expect from the Celebrate Dallas team:

“When working with Celebrate Dallas, you should expect a fully collaborative process. We’re not here to steamroll over your ideas or push a look that you don’t love. The wedding planning process is a chance for us to bring your pretty Pinterest dreams to life in the most realistic way we can. We’re your wedding planning BFF every step of the way.”

Ready to connect with Celebrate Dallas? Visit Caitlin’s Brides of North Texas vendor profile!

Photos // Outland Weddings

This scene certainly takes what could be a boring neutral color palette and gives it movement, excitement and life! We love Randi’s use of layers of various textures. “For this boho styled shoot, my favorite detail is the floral. At Rae Lawson Events, we not only excel in wedding planning, but arranging and designing florals as well. The florals are why this shoot jumps out to me, not only as timeless and classic, but also unique. These types of details can transport you from a simple venue to a dream event that everyone will remember for years to come.”

Real Wedding Love

Photos // Lavishly Lux Studio