Inspiration for the Chic Bride

I hope everyone is having a lovely (and hot!) summer: it’s wedding season, but it’s also – especially in Wisconsin – time to kick back and relax, take some time off from work and wedding plans to enjoy a grill and a couple of firecrackers.

Have a wonderful holiday week, and thank every American solider you see for their service to this country – it’s so hard to believe that we wouldn’t have half of what we do if it weren’t for the service and sacrifice of others.  We should be grateful for everything we have, every step of every day – from having fresh flowers at our weddings, to a lake or swimming pool to cool of in.  My brother is currently in Afghanistan as well: we flew the flag for him this year!

I’ve had some very interesting opportunities land on my desk.  One is for brides…and the other is for anyone who reads this blog!  I am not allowed to disclose the name of the show, or the network, but suffice to say it is A BIG DEAL.  Contact the casting director directly…and good luck!

For brides:

A Compelling New Series On A Major Women’s Network Is Reaching Out To Brides-To-Be Who Want To Reunite With An Estranged Loved One Before Their Wedding day

Have you and a family member been torn apart by a long-standing rift?

Have you gone years without speaking?

Are you a bride-to-be who wants to take the first step toward reconciling with an estranged family member before your big day?

Has your upcoming wedding and future marriage changed your outlook on your broken relationship?

Would you like to ask this person to be there to support you on your wedding day?

Breakthrough Entertainment is currently casting a brand new series for a Major International Women’s Network. “Mending Fences” is a compelling one-hour documentary-style series that will be dedicated to working one-on-one with family members who desperately want to repair their broken relationships. We’re reaching out to brides-to-be because often times, a life-changing event (like a wedding) can make even the largest rifts seem less significant and may even inspire the courage to reach out to an estranged family member after years of silence. On this series, family members will work with Janet Morrison, a well-respected and dedicated Family Mediator, who will be there to lend support, encourage honest conversation and ultimately, give family members the chance to reconcile and start again.

If you live anywhere within a two-hour flight of Toronto and want to learn more about this exciting opportunity, we want to hear from you! Please include a description of yourself, the family member with whom you’re feuding and the issues plaguing your relationship, along with a recent photo (don’t forget your contact information!). This is a five-day (non-consecutive) filming commitment and participants must be willing to travel and share their stories on television. Each participant will receive a $3500 financial honorarium as a “thank you” for their time and commitment.

For everyone else:

Compelling New TV Series Is Now Casting Estranged Family Members Who Want To Reunite!

Have you and a relative been torn apart by a long-standing rift?

Have you gone years without speaking?

Is a life-changing event (pregnancy, deployment, wedding, illness, etc.) now shining a light on the void it’s left in your family?

Are you finally ready to take the first step toward healing your broken relationship?

Breakthrough Entertainment is currently casting a brand new series for a Major International Women’s Network. “Mending Fences” is a compelling one-hour documentary-style series that will be dedicated to working one-on-one with family members who desperately want to repair their broken relationships. An estrangement can have a devastating impact on a family, but it’s never too late to step forward and extend an olive branch. On this series, family members will work with Janet Morrison, a well-respected and dedicated Family Mediator, who will be there to lend support, encourage honest conversation and ultimately, give family members the chance to reconcile and start again.

If you live anywhere within a two-hour flight of Toronto and want to learn more about this exciting opportunity, we want to hear from you! Please include a description of yourself, the family member with whom you’re feuding and the issues plaguing your relationship, along with a recent photo. This is a five-day (non-consecutive) filming commitment and participants must be willing to travel and share their stories on television. Each participant will receive a $3500 financial honorarium as a “thank you” for their time and commitment.

We look forward to hearing from YOU!

Danielle Gervais

Casting Director, Breakthrough Entertainment

Ph. 646.678.4999

Breakthroughtvcasting.danielle@gmail.com

I’ve been working with Emily, Jake and their families for a year, and we just executed their wedding this past weekend.  It went off beautifully, without a single hitch, and I can only hope this reflects their future!  Jake has been commissioned to an Armed Forces location in the South, so they’re married and now moving…so it’s been quite the whirlwind for them both!

This wedding was such a labor of love for me; not only did I get to know Emily and Jake as true friends, but their families were also so dear and lovely to work with all year long.  Dealing with loads of health issues and accidents and mishaps of family members throughout the process kept things a bit emotional, and yet through it all, no one lost touch of the fact that this wedding was to be a celebration of the Catholic sacrament of marriage…and a great dinner and party afterwards.

First, for the decor.  Emily and Jake opted for multiple shades of green for their wedding color – chartreuse, lime, emerald and true green.  Ivory was the base color, and tiny pops of black were brought in for interest.  At the church, huge vases chock full of large white callas graced both sides of the altar at Gesu, while thick bunches of green and white floral hung from the pews.  At the reception in the big Crystal Ballroom of the Hilton Milwaukee City Center, we lit up the room with a cool platinum glow.  Guest linens from BBJ Linen were ivory with great texture, and lime textured ties were on the chair covers.  Black napkins were the first pop of black you saw at the tables, and oodles of candles were everywhere.  The menus, escort cards and table numbers were all matched to the invitations designed by Centennial Press Design.  We had four different types of centerpieces – two were tall and two were shorter, with loads of texture and simple elegance on each.  La Tulipe did a perfect job making each piece look understated yet elegant.  My favorite was the trifle bowl filled with grapes, limes and thick fluffy white flowers.

I loved the double tiered head table, with different shaded green linens and napkins were the perfect backdrop for the bridesmaids in their black silk taffeta and luscious bouquets and candles.  Emily had a divine bouquet, and her shoes were the ultimate true lime green, which was a lovely touch to her ensemble.  The Pfister  Wellspa + Janice Salon did fabulously on everyones hair and make-up too.  Dreamy!

Of course, I have to rave about the cake by The Cake Lady. A few of my brides choose the lavender cake, and Emily and Jake were of the few that did – it was the perfect match for the raspberry and lemon filling, and the lavender was the right touch for a spring fete.  Decadent fondant wrapped with a two-tone green ribbon was the finishing look, and once we added loads of floral and grapes, especially along the bottom cake stand, the effect was utterly delicious!

The ceremony at Gesu was so beautiful and special.  The music swelled, the readings were spoken elegantly, and Emily and Jake had a full Mass with all their friends and family (we had guests almost to the back of church – huge wedding!!).  Afterwards, lots of photography continued on Marquette’s campus, before the bridal party moved to the Knick for lunch and more photography.

Meanwhile, all the guests were transported from the Hilton to Gesu and back before heading out on pre-planned and pre-registered tours to the Milwaukee Public Museum, the Milwaukee Art Museum, and Lakefront Brewery.  Our buses were kept moving as guests were constantly dropped off and picked up – no small feat to coordinate, but everything went swimmingly and all the guests had a blast.

Once the delectable dinner of steak and shrimp was over, and the heartfelt speeches were said, we jumped into dancing.  Sound by Design provided top notch music (as well as the lighting) and had the dance floor packed with well over 100 people at all times.  Everyone was in a celebratory mood, and further entertainment was provided by Shutterbox, a wonderful photobooth service that left Emily and Jake with a great personalized scrapbook.

In the end, it was a beautiful, heartfelt weekend.  Jake, the groom, came up to me at 10pm and said, “You were right, Sara, it goes way too fast!” but really, the wedding day is just the beginning of it all!

Photography was provided that day by Craig John, and video was handled by One Fine Day.