Memories of Their Winter Wedding
Written by Allison Hopkins for Très Fabu Event Planning and Design
“Thank you for making our wedding the most magical and unforgettable day of my life. The wedding was everything I wanted: simple, classic, and elegant.” –Carly Skinner
The proposal.
Jason surprised Carly on New Year's Day in 2008 at sunset. The couple was overlooking London from the top of the London Eye, the tallest Ferris wheel in Europe. They were alone in a capsule with champagne and strawberries. Carly had no idea he would be proposing and was caught completely off-guard!
The special day | January 30, 2010
St. John’s Lutheran Church & Tsakopoulos Library Galleria
Sacramento, California
The atmosphere…candles, candles, candles!
The main idea for the wedding and reception was simple but elegant. Carly opted for the use of candles throughout the reception venue and minimal floral arrangements. The candles created a very romantic mood, with delicate lighting everywhere you turned. Debra Hiebèrt, owner of Très Fabu, focused mainly on the head table and used votive candles and a mix of different sized vanilla pillar candles to enhance the feeling of amber romance.
Colors and florals.
Black, champagne, and ivory. The bridesmaids wore black gowns with a champagne sash, while Carly wore ivory with silver rhinestone bead work. The men wore black tuxedos.
The bridal bouquet was clean and classic—including roses, freesia, gardenia, and stephanotis,” says Cathy Brooks of Visual Impact Design. “Hydrangea was used as an accent. A silver broach was placed on the stems of her bouquet for an accent of bling.”
The dress.
“I LOVED my dress,” says Carly. “I visited at least eight stores and did not find a dress that made me feel like a bride. Finally, I went to Always Elegant Bridal. I wish it had been my first stop. I found multiple dresses there that I liked, including the one I finally selected. The gown was very comfortable and had the sparkle I was looking for. It was also very affordable.”
The sentimental cake topper.
The cake topper was originally used at the wedding of Carly’s grandparents and was over 50 years old. They were the only set of grandparents not at the wedding and it was special for Carly to have a part of them there with her. Carly’s grandmother had actually painted it and added on details to customize it for her own wedding.
The family tree.
A large centerpiece on the guest book table included branches with pictures of family weddings hung from them…these were designed by the bride and groom, were double sided, and hung with black ribbons and crystals.
The “sparkle” of the night.
To top off the evening…guests held long-lasting sparklers outside as the newly crowned Mr. and Mrs. Everitt made their way down the row!
The team behind the magic.
Wedding Design and Execution: Très Fabu Event Planning and Design
“I quickly realized that I wanted someone who knew the ‘vision’ for the wedding to oversee the set-up and flow of the day,” says Carly, who was located in Santa Barbara (six hours away) during the planning process. “When we met with Debra, I felt like she really understood what we wanted from the day. She had wonderful suggestions while being completely devoted to keeping it ‘our wedding’ and letting us make the decisions. In the end, it was great to have someone I could trust to take care of everything. She was so supportive in the planning process and handled everything the day of the wedding so we were able to fully enjoy our day, family, and friends.”
A note to Debra (Tres Fabu) from the mother of the bride on the morning of:
“…as I look at my daughter sleeping, her wedding gown hanging...how fortunate we are to have you in our lives...looking forward to the celebration!” –Liz Skinner, Carly’s mom
Paperie: Deb Penrice of By Invitation Only
