Our Wedding Cake - Tanya & Demond

I saw this cake online and went crazy. So, here I am just shy of 2 weeks of the wedding and I went to the bakery and changed my cake!!! I couldn't resist it. The folds of the cake are just like the top of my dress. I'm not a last minute person but I had to be on this one. My baker was not fazed. He didn't have a problem because it's wasn't like the cake was made already. He said, "No problem, breathe child!"

Yippie, I love this cake! It is so pretty.

The best part of all the baker didn't go up on the price at all.

My Engagement Photos

I am so excited about the engagement shot. We had so much fun and the pics came out nice. I love black and white and it made a difference. I hope you enjoy. We took the pics in his home town of Mandeville, LA at a spot called Sunset Point. It's on Lake Ponchatrain, just across from New Orleans.

Tanya Turner and Demond Marshall will wed September 12, 2009

My name is Tanya T. Turner and I reside in Hammond, Louisiana. My fiancé is Demond Marshall of Mandeville, Louisiana. We meet over 16 years ago at Southeastern Louisiana University; I was a freshman running track and he was being recruited for the football team. We dated for awhile, but then went our separate ways. Surprisingly, 15 years later, he found me on MySpace.com.

Our wedding date is September 12, 2009. The wedding will be held in Hammond, which is about 45 minutes away from New Orleans, Louisiana. We're getting married on his birthday so this event is more than just a wedding; it’s a celebration. Our colors are chocolate brown, red and turquoise with a touch of gold and champagne. My wedding dress is a Sottero & Midgley couture gown. It’s a beautiful ivory blush with a champagne overlay. I have an extended cathedral length, single layer, veil adorned with hand-sewn crystals on the bottom hem. My shoes are simply gorgeous are definitely something I'm going to wear again. My fiancé’s tuxedo is a khaki colored tux with a diamond white vest and ascot tie.

The bridesmaids were allowed to choose their own dresses in different styles. The matron and maid of honor will match in style but not shades. The bridesmaids and groomsmen will both be in chocolate brown, the matrons will be in gold and the maid of honor will wear champagne. Our floral design includes red orchids and roses as well as white orchids for my fiancé and me. We opted not to have flower girls or a ring bearer because we have too many nieces and nephews to chose from. My daughters, who are 17 and 12, will carry our rings in Faberge style ring holders and will also be maids of honor. In total, there are 20 people in our wedding party. Considering we started with 30, that’s great! I'm also a wedding and event coordinator so I’m involved in every aspect of the wedding. I have a partner who will be responsible for the day of coordination, but everything else is based on my vision and my fiancé’s dream.

Simplicity with flare is our theme. We plan to incorporate a multitude of crystals, crystal trees and hanging pomanders (kissing balls) made of roses throughout the wedding venue. In addition, we plan to incorporate a candy buffet, a chocolate fountain along with a fruit tree and a coffee station. The favors will be homemade sugar cookies with the initial M, bookmarks, and miniature bottles of Verdi Champagne. We will also have personalized bottled water at the candy buffet. I made the invitations, programs, labels, monograms, bookmarks, and memorial candles, so there is a real personal touch to everything. I saved a ton of money doing them myself.

Our wedding will mostly be about having fun and sharing with our family and friends. We are expecting to have about 400 people attending this family affair. From what I can envision, our wedding will be a classic event that we'll cherish for years to come.

Talk to you soon!

Tanya

More Pictures from Tanya's Wedding Plans

We Did it….I’s Married Now!

After all the planning and stress of trying to have everything as close to perfect as possible, our wedding day went by in a flash. But in spite of the little setbacks it all came together nicely. Due to the rain during the week and that day, the ceremony was held indoors opposed to on the beautiful garden at the venue (Mayfair Farms). The room was one of my favorites and from what little I saw, looked nice w/the hydrangeas decorated arch and tool and bows draped the chairs of each side of the aisle.

Though my nerves and stomach were a total mess, I made it down the aisle without losing it after taking a deep breath. We did personal vows and I surprisingly got through them without crying but almost lost it when Bobby’s eyes teared as I spoke. I then had to hold back my tears when he spoke his vows. It was a beautiful and heartfelt moment. We also performed the broom-jumping ritual, which added a nice touch in sealing our union.

The cocktail hour was held outdoors on the patio as well as indoors. We were also able to take pictures outdoors on the outskirts of the lawn as we were told it was still too wet to go any further. We entered the reception after a video, which consisted of photos of each of us from childhood till now as well as interviews of us telling how we met, got engaged and our future plans. The rest of the evening went so fast it’s mostly a blur but I remember being pulled in every direction for everything from photos to traditional cake cutting and throwing the bouquet. I didn’t get to dance to any of my favorites I’d requested but did get one quick dance in before the night ended.

When the night was over we were both totally wiped out and crashed after having a quick drink with friends at the bar of the hotel (The Wilshire Grand).

The next morning we were off to Hawaii for our honeymoon. The long flight was welcomed as it gave us time to catch up on much needed sleep. Kauai and the resort (Grand Hyatt Kauai) were beautiful. We attended a luau and did helicopter and ATV (mud buggy) tours which were all great experiences. On our last full day we did the spa, which consisted of a couple’s massage, Jacuzzi, sauna and steam room.

We had a 7 hour layover in Honolulu on our flight back so visited Pearl Harbor. It was sad seeing where so many dedicated Americans lost their lives. We slept the entire flight home. It was good to come back to pictures from family and friends as well as comments/compliments on the wedding and everyone expressing how much they enjoyed themselves. Our main goal was met. Now we start our lives together as husband and wife.

I want to thank ForBlackWeddings.com for the opportunity to share my wedding planning experience and all the dedicated followers of the blog.

“The Mrs.”

Wedding & Honeymoon Photos

The Home Stretch

The wedding is only 3 days away and I’m trying to keep my nerves under control. I keep worrying about having all the small things done in time and not forgetting anything. To help ensure I don’t leave anything out I’ve been keeping a note pad by my bed and jotting things down as they come to mind, even in the middle of the night. So, needless to say I’m not getting as much sleep as I should. Thank God I’m only working 2 days this week.

I’ve completed my part of the seating and have Bobby working on his so keeps me from pondering over placing people I don’t know. A friend of mine who’s also an event planner offered to help out with some of the remaining task. I’m a hands on person and will still have to touch things to put my mind at ease but having her help does help me relax a little.

My goal is to have my bags packed for the honeymoon by Wednesday so I can have a little down time Thursday before rehearsal. I’m also planning a massage for Thursday afternoon to help me unwind and prepare for the big day. Overall, I’m trying to remain calm, believing that everything will fall into place and we will have a beautiful day.