AK Brides - Wedding Planning Services

Coral and pink Wedding Day Romance

2012-03-17T09:04:00.003-07:00

Bride Whitney carried a bouquet of gathered lillies held together with a beautiful broche pinned on her groom's baby bonnet

Diamond chandelier earings frame the bride's face beautifully on her wedding day

A sweet bridesmaid carrying her bouquet of peach and maroon roses

The first time a groom sees his bride is one of my favorite moments on a wedding day.....

Groom Billy sees his bride for the first time on the campus of Samford University in Birmingham Alabama

One of my favorite images from this wedding, Bride Whitney looks adoringly at her groom

Pew markers are used to reserve pews or rows at the church or ceremony site for immediate family members.

This beautiful unity candle stands at the alter area of the church on a wrought iron stand adorned with florals. There are three pillar candles in which each Mother, when escorted down the aisle during the processional, will light one of the pencil candles held with a ribbon and light each side pillar candle. There should be a votive candle on the stand to light the pencil candles. During the ceremony, the bride and groom will each take a pencil candle, light it from the side pillars that their Mother's lit and join together to light the middle pillar.

Our line of bridesmaids waiting to begin the procession

This gorgeous wreath dressed the chapel doors. To stretch the flower budget a little bit more, we moved these wreaths from the chapel after the ceremony to the reception front doors.

A happy bride and groom right after they said "I do"

Bridal party and guests join our bride and groom immediately after the ceremony outside the chapel for a dove release!

Tall glass vases filled with rose petals and water and a large display of roses and greenery tie in our coral themed wedding

The chef at Vestavia Country Club did a fantastic job with this artful display of fruits and cheeses

A fabulous cake designed by Julie Hendrick of Sweet Magnolia in Birmingham Alabama

The bridal party surrounds the bride and groom as they have their first dance together

Our beautiful wreaths we used on the front doors of the chapel for the ceremony have a second use as decor for the front doors as the wedding reception

A large matted image of the bride and groom from their engagement session stands as our guest book inviting guests to sign the framing. The bride and groom will later frame this portrait to hang in their new home

The bride's bouquet rests on her cake table along with her toasting goblets and cake in the back ground

The fruit and cheese display featuring this large floral spray including beautiful roses, snap dragons and berries

Specular lighting design with the bride and groom's name in lights over the band. Thank you to Andy Tolar with Design Productions in Birmingham Alabama

Our bride and groom happily leave their wedding reception as guests shower them in wedding bubbles

The fabulous "get-a-way" car awaits our bride and groom to wisk them away thanks to James Coats of Coats Classic Cars

A fabulous team came together for this beautiful wedding for Whitney and Billy. Many thanks to Vince Gray for all his beautiful floral displays, bouquets and decor, Julie Hendrick of Sweet Magnolia for the yummy cakes, Andy Tolar with Design Productions LLC for the light design, a fabulous band Az-Izz, Videography by Mainstreet Productions, transportation by James Coats with Coats Classic Cars, Vestavia Country Club and many many thanks to Rob Ingram with Rob Ingram Photography for these gorgeous images!

Blessings! Anita C Kanellis

AK Brides - Wedding Planning Services

A Rustic and Romantic Wedding for Amanda and Josh

2012-03-04T15:41:00.001-08:00

Amanda's vision for her Fall wedding was sheer romance with pinks and chocolate brown, silvers and a little bit of bling!

Bride Amanda's earings added sparkle

With hair and make up finished, Bride Amanda admires her wedding gown before getting dressed

.......And of course Mother of the bride can not contain her excitement for her daughter!

Our bride is dressed as Mom looks on at her beautiful daughter

One of my favorite images from this wedding thanks to Greg Hawkins of Studio G. Bride Amanda enters the chapel as her groom stands in anticipation.

The light coming from the window is just beautiful as bride and groom take in a moment alone in the chapel

We kept the chapel very simple with just one large floral display at the alter area in pinks and purples with a touch of green. We marked the pews with some ribbon and fragrant Rosemary

Outside the chapel on a beautiful Fall afternoon

Groom Josh holds his bride's bouquet while Bride Amanda twirls in her gorgeous wedding gown. This is what it's all about girls!! Having fun on your wedding day!

Amanda's bridal bouquet is exactly what she had described to her floral designer Mandy Majerik with Hot House Designs. A large romantic gathering of baby pink roses tied with a bold chocolate brown ribbon. Soft and Romantic....beautiful

Father of the Groom owns this fabulous Cadillac and we were thrilled to use it as the get-a-way car for this happy Bride and Groom

The girls had so much fun taking pictures in front of this classic Cadillac

A happy bridal party taking the last of the pictures before the ceremony begins

Simple pew markers of white ribbon and fresh rosemary add a touch of green and simple elegance

Bridesmaids holding their soft bouquets of lavenders and pinks, in line and ready for the processional to begin

Flower girls drop rose petals as they make their walk down the aisle of the chapel

Father of the bride walks his precious daughter down the aisle

Candles in memorium of loved ones passed as our Bride and Groom leave the chapel after the ceremony

Immediately after the ceremony, the bride and groom steal a kiss. The beautiful sunset was absolutely perfect timing

Love seats in silver with choclate brown and silver throw pillows create a pleasant lounge area outside the barn doors

Amanda's wedding cake was very simple with bands of crystal around each layer. The topper completed the look with a Swarovski Crystal "B" - thank you to Cakes by Audrey

Nothing says romance better than candlelight and pink rose petals

A romantic first dance for the bride and groom

Girls are always having fun!

Amanda and Josh are off to their honeymoon!

This fabulous wedding had a top team of wedding professionals including Mandy Majerik with Hot House Designs, Catering by Happy Catering Company, Videography by Carroll Production, Cake by Audrey Odem of Cakes by Audrey, Ceremony music by Lisa Davis of Perfect Events Music and of course the fabulous photography by Greg Hawkins of Studio G

Wedding planning by Anita Kanellis of AK Brides - Wedding Planning Services

Pretty in Pink May Wedding

2012-02-20T07:00:00.000-08:00

Kimberly and Brandon were married on a pretty Spring day in May on the lovely grounds of The Sonnet House here in Birmingham Alabama. Kimberly's dress hangs on the tree just outside the old barn with lots of full and lush trees in the backdrop

Bride Kimberly's shoes rest on a bench with the beautiful Sonnet House in the back ground

Beautiful diamond wedding band nestled inside a sweet pink rose

This pretty pink cascading bridal bouquet is full of fresh opened roses and greenery. A cascading bouquet has not been seen in a while but I see this trend making a comeback!

Bridesmaids bouquets in vases and ready for the ceremony

All the girls enjoy a little Mimosa during hair and make up, including our Bride Kimberly

Our Hair and Make up artist Melissa adds some finishing touches to Kimberly's lips

A broche and a cream ribbon add pretty details to the already beautiful wedding gown

Dressed and ready to see her groom for the first time

Kimberly wore gorgeous estate jewlery to add accents and "bling" to her attire

Groom Brandon gets to see his bride for the very first time on their wedding day

A lot of couples worry about their first look being private enough and special enough. As their planner, I go to whatever lengths necessary to make sure this moment is very private and unforgettable. Brandon and Kimberly are simply talking quietly, completely unaware of their photographer several feet away while bridal party and family are busy inside the venue.

A beautiful cascading bouquet created by Carol Riley in the hands of a beautiful bride

Bridesmaids in a gorgeous blue with their pink bouquets join Bride Kimberly for pictures

Having some fun during pictures

Bride Kimberly and Mom watching as guests arrive

Getting ready to walk down the aisle

A romantically pink ceremony site

Father of the bride about to walk his daughter down the aisle

Happily married

Fabulous get-a-way car with a great looking bride and groom. Our beautiful venue was the Sonnet House in Leeds Alabama

Bride Kimberly loves the color pink. Jan Moon with Dreamcakes Bakery in Homewood Alabama created this absolutely precious pink cake with decorative flowers made of gum paste and real flowers at the base.

Champagne awaits our guests after the ceremony displayed in the courtyard

A romantic first dance for Kimberly and Brandon

String lights illuminate the dance floor along with abstract lighting on the lawn thanks to Andy Tolar with Design Productions

Kimberly and Brandon leave their reception in a shower of pink rose petals. This very pink and romantic wedding reception was all thanks to fantastic wedding professionals including The Sonnet House in Leeds Alabama, Carol Riley of Lillies, Andy Tolar of Design Productions LLC, catering by B & A Warehouse, Jan Moon with Dreamcakes Bakery, and of course David Boyd of David Boyd Photography for all of these gorgeous images!

Lindsey and Rob's Southern Elegant Wedding

2012-01-19T07:48:00.000-08:00

Lindsay and Rob were married out at American Village in Montevallo Alabama on a pretty May evening. This wedding had tons of beautiful details personalizing this wedding to Lindsay and Rob's style and personalities!

All the hangers used in the bride's room were labeled with each girl's name on them, including the future Mrs. Margeton

Lindsay's beautiful bridal gown hangs in the doorway of the bridal cottage

Rob waits as his beautiful bride approaches for the first look out in the garden

A very sweet moment for this bride and groom as they see each other for the first time on their wedding day

Seeing your groom for the first time on your wedding day is one of the most precious moments. So many brides think this moment will not be private or take away the anticipation of walking down the aisle, but this is not so......Photographers and videographers set your scene very privately and you will be so caught up in your moments together, they will fade into the background, let you do what you do naturally and they will be there to capture these incredible moments. And I promise, your groom will always have that special smile on his face when he sees you walk down the aisle also!!

Lindsay and her pretty bridesmaids wearing a very Spring Lavender with various shades of purples and lavenders in their bouquets

Bridal party in the garden

Your guest book table can display anything personal to you such as older photographs of grandparents and parents wedding pictures or photos of loved ones you wish to honor and remember. This guest book table features several photographs of family members dear to this bride and groom, along with framed thank you notes to their guests telling them they have made a donation to the American Red Cross in honor of their guests instead of favors. This wedding took place shortly after the tornados rushed through our state of Alabama on April 27th.

A very nice touch to honor guests

Lindsay and Rob wanted a seated dinner for their guests and I love this seating chart display. We used a window pane framing each page of the guest list seating chart.

A beautiful bouquet of color for the bride. Use things meaningful to you on your wedding day to make the day even more special.... We pinned a handkerchief onto her bouquet along with Groom Rob's white baby bonnet

Bride Lindsay, her Mom and bridesmaids all get a lift with golf carts around the Village

Dad and Lindsay making their way down the aisle in the chapel of American Village

A fabulous kiss from a happy groom!

Bridesmaids relax a bit during some pictures after the ceremony

A pretty menu card tucked into each napkin on the guest tables

A second look at our guest book table. This guest book was a compilation of note cards for each guest to write a little note to the bride and groom and tuck into these envelopes for the bride and groom to read and enjoy later

Simple but elegant table scapes with framed table numbers, lots of candles and small, colorful centerpieces

A fresh and colorful salad is our first course for this seated meal creating elegance to this wedding reception. Special thank you to Kathy G & Co for their fabulous, elegant and very well serviced catering!

Beautiful bride's cake created by Barb Sullivan of Barb's Cakes in Birmingham Alabama

Love these Koozies!!

Another look at our beautiful Bride's cake. We used a hand made wooden cake stand to go along with our country theme in the Barn of American Village

The Groom had a Dessert table instead of one Groom's cake. Family members of the bride and groom lovingly baked all of these lovely sweets and they were all beautifully and creatively displayed by our fabulous caterer Kathy G & Co. A good caterer will make your wedding reception flawless and as convenient as possible for you. The family brought us these sweets in disposable containers and our caterer brought all the serving and display pieces. Each dessert was labeled with an elegant card

Yummy desserts for our groom's dessert table!!!

A first dance for our bride and groom......this is so sweet!

The bride and groom have a sweetheart table with their own "Bride and Groom" signs on the back of their natural wooden gladiator chairs.

Having fun and in love at their wedding reception, Lindsay and Rob really enjoyed their reception

Keeping with our purple/lavender theme, the bride and groom leave their wedding reception in a shower of wonderfully fragrant lavender

A wonderful evening for our bride and groom full of details reflecting their personality and style.

This fabulous wedding and reception was all thanks to a wonderful team of wedding professionals including the beautiful and colorful florals by Dorothy McDaniel Flower Market, these gorgeous images by Jessica Wright, our fabulous venue American Village, beautiful cake by Barb Sullivan and of course a wonderful team of caterers from the fabulous Kathy G & Co. It was a pleasure working with this couple and their families planning this memorable wedding!

Blessings!

Anita C K

Beautiful Country Wedding on the Family Farm

2012-01-12T19:01:00.000-08:00

A 700 acre farm was the scene for our Southern Elegant wedding in late August. A sweet farm house built by the Father of the bride is our back drop while Bride Jessica's all white bridal bouquet rests on the farm fence.

Sunflowers, roses and greenery welcomed guests on to the J4 farm in Selma Alabama.

Bride Jessica had two bridal dresses designed just for her by top designer Heidi Elnora. This is the second dress Jessica will wear this evening.

Bride Jessica in her first bridal gown atop an antique John Deer Tractor.

With such a vast amount of space as the setting for this wedding, our floral designer Carol Riley at Lillie's created "scenes" throughout the beautiful J4 farm. Jessica poses in front of a plow adorned with flowers with an antique John Deer Tractor in the background.

The men all looking very handsome in their sand colored suits out in the field.

All the girls and our ring bearer are ready to walk to the ceremony site across the field. Bride Jessica will be driven to her ceremony site on the John Deer Tractor.

A special platform was built onto this tractor for Jessica to stand on for her ride to the ceremony site.

Since sunflowers are Jessica's favorite flowers, they served as the perfect theme for her Southern Elegant wedding. Each row of chairs was dressed with a single stem of sunflower.

Jessica's choice to marry on the family farm was sentimental for one very special reason. After the death of Jessica's Father, his ashes were spread over the ground at the family farm. Jessica's ceremony on the grounds of the farm was a loving tribute to her beloved father, and having her two brothers give her away made it an amazing family celebration, absolutely filled with miracles and her Daddy's presence.

Waiting for Jessica at the end of the aisle was her handsome groom Ryan and this beautiful wooden cross adorned with gorgeous, sunny flowers.

One of the many miracles and surprises for this couple was a butterfly release.

Jessica and her Daddy used to sing Butterfly Kisses

and butterflies have always reminded Jessica of her Daddy. Her Mother surprised her with the release of 20 butterflies at the alter; one butterly flew right to the cross, another flew right to the seat left empty where her Daddy would have been seated.

You can see one of them against Jessica's dress.

Another sweet moment was when Ryan and Jessica dedicated a flower bouquet at the foot of the cross in honor of Jessica's Daddy.

Everyone is ready for some fun! The girls changed into their cowboy boots for a rockin' reception.

Adorable bridesmaids in their J Crew Dresses and Cowboy boots

Sunset at the cross accented by the beautiful lighting from our lighting designer Andy Tolar with Design Productions.

The ceremony concluded and 600 guests made their way from the ceremony site to the reception site across the field.

Wonderful food displays throughout the reception tent by our fabulous caterer Kathy G & Co.

A fabulous full size canoe housed all the beer at one of the bars

A very happy bride and groom have their first dance

The girls had so much fun dancing on the stage with their band. We had Super T perform for us for Jessica and Ryan. This band also played for the wedding of First Daughter Jenna Bush at her Texas Wedding.

A beautiful bride's cake with the farm and the tractor in the backdrop

Jessica and Ryan leave their wedding reception with a full crowd still in attendance and showered with bio-degradable confetti.

Jessica and Ryan leave their wedding receptin on the "gator"

The cross where Jessica's Daddy lays with a wreath of flowers in his memory and illuminated from above and shining in the distance.

This fabulous farm wedding could not have been possible without a wonderful team of wedding professionals beginning with these most fabulous and beautiful images by Frank Carnaggio. Floral Design by Carol Riley of Lillies, Andy Tolar of Design Productions, Kathy G & Co. and Clay Carroll Productions.

Thank you to all of you!!

Blessings~

Anita C K

Rachel and JR

2012-01-12T08:39:00.000-08:00

A gorgeous Heidi Elnora wedding gown hangs in the master bedroom as bride Rachel prepares her hair and make up

Rachel and JR were married on a beautiful September afternoon out at American Village in Montevallo Alabama. The day began at the bride's beautiful family estate in Southlake where the guys and the girls all primped and dressed in separate areas of the home and the bride and groom finally caught their first glimpse of each other right before we all left for the chapel.

Bride Rachel has such a sweet heart and can not wait to marry her groom JR

Rachel steps into her Heidi Elnora wedding gown with the assistance of her sister and her Mother. I absolutely love this image captured by our photographer Arden Ward

Groom JR is about to see his Bride for the very first time as she glides down the stairway of her family's home. Their precious dog wanted to be part of this special moment and Rachel and JR were completely delighted!

Although it was raining on her wedding day and Rachel was a bit disappointed, never fret over a little bit of rain -- Leaving for the chapel, we covered Rachel's satin gown with her daddy's robe and

I asked her groom to carry her down the long driveway to the waiting limousine. Had it not been raining, this absolutely adorable image would never have been captured.

One of my favorites!

Rachel's look for her wedding was very romantic with lots of pinks and whites and cremes. Her floral designer Carol Riley of Lillies created a beautiful arch of pinks and whites at the entrance of the chapel with a gorgeous spray at the altar area.

All the girls carried pink bouquets as Rachel carried a sweet bouquet of baby pink roses.

This image captures a graceful bride reaching for her groom. Rachel is wearing a beautiful diamond bracelet given to her by her Father the night before her wedding.

JR has a little fun with his bride while the bridal party looks on

American Village has wonderful locations on thier property for photos including this bridge where the bridal party looks out over the water

This sweet bouquet of baby pink roses created by Carol Riley of Lillies was perfect for this sweet bride

Rachel had her heart set on the brand new ballroom at American Village. This ballroom was set to be complete just in time for Rachel to be the first bride to ever have her reception here. One of the biggest challenges for me as her wedding planner was working with the venue to make sure everything would be ready for us.

Unfortunately, and not the fault of the venue, things happen during the building process causing severe delays and we were told Rachel would have to have her reception on another part of the property. We looked at all the options and tried and tried to make everything just as this sweet bride envisioned for her wedding, but in the end, Rachel's daddy saw such disappointment in his daughter's eyes that his heart melted and took all control of the building process.

Father of the bride is a builder and decided to put his crews on the venue building team and working round the clock, finished building this ballroom in the 3 weeks we had remaining before his daughter's wedding day.

We had no running water,

had never tested the air conditioning units, did not know how the breakers would handle all the electrical power necessary for the caterer, band, lighting, etc. but this fabulous team of wedding professionals pulled off this extraordinary wedding with confidence and accomplished the exact vision for this bride.

Bride Rachel's look included lots of romance achieved with soft pink florals, beautiful linens and of course spectacular lighting design by Andy Tolar of Design Productions LLC. Amber uplights created a soft ambiance of candle light glow and the gobo design on the dance floor along with the crystal chandaliers created the elegance.

Rachel and JR had a fabulous time at their wedding reception.

One of my favorite moments on a wedding day is when the bride dances with her father. This was an extra special moment for father and daughter considering all the hurdles leading up to this wonderful day.

A fabulous time was had by all, especially this bride and groom. They leave in a shower of white and pink rose petals afer having a fairytale wedding of their dreams. This team of wedding professionals who made this day a success was thanks to Carol Riley at Lillie's, Andy Tolar with Design Productions and all these beautiful images were shot by Arden Photography

P.S..... Rachel and JR have been married for 3 years now and are expecting their first child!!!

Blessings to all~

Anita