My First and Best Wedding Fair

The Independent Wedding Association's Wedding Fair on November 14th was a big party, not your typical wedding fair! From all of the fun vendors, live music, food, cakes and sweets, visiting brides and grooms and the Varsity Theater as the venue, it felt like a huge party! I am so lucky to call this "work time". I was thrilled to chat with many brides and help them begin the process of making their weddings so "them", not what everyone says you should do or expect.

Here are some pictures to give you an idea of what to expect from the next fair, happening at the Campus Club in February...more to come on that soon.

To entertain our brides and grooms at the fair and give them some ideas for their own party we had a pretend wedding, I even got misty eyed and it was fake, I'm such a softy for weddings. I guess that's why I'm in this biz.

I had fun creating circus inspired floral designs for the fake wedding and a table scape perfect for a summer fete' including cotton candy dessert cups. Did I have fun? YES!

For the Mother of the Bride,
a little black purse with a rose and feathers,
instead of the typical corsage on dress or wrist.

Credits:

Floral on table scape and for the Not So Real Wedding Party| Ashley Fox Designs

Cake | Jessica's Cakes

Photos | Sarah McGee

Invitations | Armato Design

Venue | Varsity Theater

Find all of the vendors who are a part of this incredible group at the
Independent Wedding Association website

Fox Family 2010 Photos by Red Bird Hills

My friend Tasha, of Red Bird Hills, photographed my family this fall. I am over the moon about them. I will treasure these always. My kids crack me up and I am married to the greatest, most loving man in the world. Thank you, Tasha, for capturing these images of us at our home and nearby park in Chaska, MN.




See the full image gallery at my Facebook album
cut and paste this link to your browser
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2094961&id=1496120106&l=9d1a322cdc

Enjoy!

November 14 Independent Wedding Fair

Ladies, this is where you will meet dedicated, fun vendors in a cool, relaxed atmosphere. They are ready to help you create an extraordinary wedding!
Call me with any questions you may have!
952-393-4080

Get tickets here:

http://independentwedding.com/fair-information/purchase-tickets/

A Fair to Remember

I'm packing my bags and heading to The Fair!
The Independent Wedding Fair!

Many of you probably know me as a floral designer. But I also wear another hat: I'm a proud member of the Independent Wedding Association, a group of Twin Cities-area wedding vendors (photographers, bakers, florists, musicians and more) dedicated to providing great value and warm, personal service.

Sunday, Nov. 14, 12-4pm, we're putting on a very special event at
The Varsity Theater:
The Independent Wedding Fair!

In a nutshell, it's a gathering of local vendors who meet future brides and grooms in a no-pressure, highly relaxed environment. The emphasis is on having an event that's both fun and fulfilling for everyone involved; we'll have cake samples, "Ask the Experts" panels, and live music.

This year also marks the debut of the "Not So Real Wedding," a whole wedding (and cocktail hour) condensed into one hour to let you watch wedding vendors work their stuff.

You can learn more and buy tickets here -- please pass this note along to anyone you know who might be looking for an alternative to the "bridal industrial complex" -- we're hoping to share the experience far and wide!

http://independentwedding.com/fair-information/purchase-tickets/

The dedicated vendors at this fair will knock your socks off with their personalities and talents. This fair will not be overwhelming; it will be fun. You can learn to dance, eat cake and chill out on a cushy chair while talking to local vendors about flowers, invitations and fashion in the same afternoon! I can't wait to talk to brides about their engagement stories, the dress and, of course, flowers. Can you tell I'm just a bit excited?

:)

With Best Wishes,

Ashley

photo by Studio Laguna

Peach Dahlias

Gathered from the garden before the frost.
They were my favorite flower this year.
Oh wait, I'm not supposed to play favorites, but can you blame me?

Kate and Tim

The bride's bouquet with dark purple hydrangea, lavender roses
and sweet pea, red roses with italian ruscus.

The maid's bouquet with vibrant red and pink celosia.

Boutonniere with purple Thai pepers from my garden.

Yep, that's me delivering alter arrangements to the church. :)
You can see a peek of my son, Luc behind me. What a good little helper.

At the Arboretum reception I used containers of purple sage, silver thyme, chartruse lysimachia and purple Thai peppers in a square, metallic silver glaze container. The guests brought them home and were able to plant them in their gardens. Everything except the peppers will grow again next year! Nice! This is my favorite way to do centers for tables.

Thank you Wendy Maybury for the pretty photos!

Tricia and Joel

"Soft, blue and pretty." I am pretty sure those were the exact words Tricia's mom used when we met for our first consultation and Tricia agreed. :)
I loved the maids' ocean color dresses (cool looking in the high heat of July) and Tricia is just beautiful, inside and out. Gotta love her, she is a teacher!

The bride's bouquet was created using: blue South American hydrangea, light blue tweedia, fresia, sweet pea, mini calla lily and deep blue cornflowers

The maids carried blue hydrangea, fresia and white spray roses

The family did a great job with the DIY table centers. A few blue hydrangea blooms in a neat and simple square vase. Clean, fresh and just right. (fyi: So easy to do, a great money saver!)

Thank you, Tricia and Joel and Congratulations!

Lovely photos by (fellow Chaska resident!) Jeffery Stone Photography