Designs by Sara Marie

go "BOLD" for your wedding! bold COLORS!!!

2010-09-29T12:57:00.000-05:00

I had the chance to work with a beautiful bride named Lauren who just recently got married to the love of her life Tim at Houston Station in Nashville TN. This unique location has exposed brick and heavy timber construction combined with hardwood floors and historic details to create a great space for casual parties or formal receptions! Great pick Lauren!

I had the chance to design the bridesmaids dresses for her wedding. She wanted an eye popping color, something short and fun for the girls to wear! We decided to go with a red silk dupioni which worked beautifully with the camera! The style was a traditional strapless a-line with a natural waist, an ofcourse pockets!!!!

These girls were a joy to work with, i have such a fun time getting to know my clients as we do fittings and get a chance to talk about the wedding! Having a custom dress made for you is an awesome experience! It really creates a lasting relationship and it makes the experience very intimate and meaningful!

the photography was done by Matt Andrews. He is a photographer who enjoys being a part of your celebration, capturing every unique detail of your special day, while adding his unique touches! I love his fun photos, showing the joy and happiness each person has for the bride and groom!

The other wedding Vendors that made this beautiful wedding possible:
Cakes - The Bake Shoppe
Flowers - Shannon Russell with Designs by Shannon
Catering - Bacon and Cavier
Day of Coordination - Weddings by Mary Natalie

Stationary and Posters - Amy McNeil with 4th Leaf Studio

Band - The Nick Carver Band
Linens, Tables and Chairs - Southern Events
Lighting - Nashville Event Lighting

Crumb De La Crumb "takes the cake!"

2010-09-10T13:05:00.000-05:00

Just the mere mention of Cake gets me drooling!! I have had the pleasure of tasting many cakes and tasty treats in my life time, but nothing truly “takes the cake” like Crumb De La Crumb! They are a creative cake company serving the middle Tennessee area. Crumb De La Crumb specializes in contemporary design, but can easily create any cake you have in mind. With this being said, I came to Lorie the owner with a drawing my husband and I came up with for our cake back in March. You may reflect back on our blog post featuring our consultation with them, as we had a cake tasting and consultation. Well since then, our wedding was in July and our vision of the perfect wedding cake came to life!

As you can see, there was nothing traditional about this wedding cake! To give you a little background of why we chose this design, we wanted the cake to reflect the story of us as a couple. I am originally from NC, and my husband is from NE, we wanted to mix the two states together, displaying our favorite interests, and combining it into one awesome landscape cake! I also had to test the skills of Crumb de La Crumb, and well...you can see they exceeded my expectations!

It may come as a shock to some of you, but one of my passions besides sewing and designing is fishing! Since I am from NC, the beach was a big part of my life, and my favorite past times always had to do with the beach & water in some form or fashion. this half of the cake showed a figure of me fishing in the ocean, reeling in a big fish, and shows grant my husband help pulling me back so the fish doesn't get away. (there was a fish sticking out of the end of the cake, but you cannot see it in the photo)

this was the other half of the cake, displaying Nebraka, and my husbands favorite past time, hunting! Believe it or not, he has taken me on several hunting trips, and displayed on the cake is pheasant hunting.

In this picture, you can see the skills that Crumb De La Crumb have! we had them make little pheasants, turkeys, deer, and a little replica of our dog running in the field!

It may be true that we first taste with our eyes, but the taste buds deserve a treat as well! Crumb De La Crumbs cakes are not only a joy to look at, they are a pleasure to devour! It was so hard to decide which cake flavor we liked best, that we picked 4 different kinds to consume! There cakes are so moist; it just melts in your mouth! We had all 4 kinds of cakes “infused” and marinated in flavor to enhance taste and moistness. We chose chocolate-raspberry, key-lime, chocolate- ganache, and dolce de leche!

So to sum it all up,....Crumb De La Crumb takes the cake!!! check out there site, they have amazing cakes pictured, there designing and creativity is limitless....

Wedding Flowers: Belles Fleurs Designs

2010-09-07T23:06:00.000-05:00

I have had many chances to work with Bonnie from Belles Fleurs from Nashville TN, and I must say that she is nothing short of amazing!!! Her work is beautiful, and her creations of elaborate floral's are breath taking! I had the privilege to have Belles Fleurs do my own wedding, creating a tropical paradise! below I have attached some photos of her creative designs!

Chris Van Atta photography: Featuring my own wedding

2010-08-25T10:58:00.000-05:00

As many of you know, I was recently married in July, in NC at bald head island. It is a beautiful place to visit, as well as to have a wedding! I had the joy of having Chris Van Atta shoot my "TRASH THE DRESS" he has an amazing talent, and a wonderful eye for photography! below are some pictures of me and my groom getting wet the day after our wedding! enjoy!

If you haven't thought about a "trash the dress" photo shoot I highly recommend it! You get to have a unique experience with your photographer and your husband, and you get amazing pictures that are priceless! You may be asking yourself, "is her dress now ruined?" The answer is no, It was a little salty but i took it to the cleaners, and its perfectly fine! I will still be able to keep my dress, in hopes that one day if i have a daughter, she would want to use it, possibly take some lace appliques from it and utilize it on her own dress one day....hey but that's the benefit of being a seamstress right!

Check out the blog about us on AshleysbrideGuide: Feature: Not an Off-the-Rack Bride?

2010-04-06T09:00:00.000-05:00

I recently met up with some wonderful Nashville Wedding vendors at the Pleasant Hill Mansion at the Governors Club for an inspiring photo shoot! Photographer Kristen Steele captured this shoot, featuring my designs, The flowers featured are by Belles Fleurs, Amy Lynn Larwig was the featured makeup artist, and the Necklaces were designed by Sarah Sanborn from P.U.R.E Jewelry.

Check out the Blog post on Ashleysbrideguide about this fabulous shoot!Below are a some sample pics of that day!

Bridal Winner!!!

2010-04-05T19:46:00.000-05:00

I am excited for Rachel W. our future Bride who won our Bridal giveaway! Congrats Rachel! Thank you for all who participated in the drawing! I will periodically post contests and giveaways, so be sure to check back with us soon!

March Madness! Wedding Contest! Bridal givaways!!!

2010-03-15T23:02:00.000-05:00

Tis the Season for fittings! Even though I am a dress designer, I do help out brides with custom alterations with dresses purchased elsewhere as well. With this being said, this is the busiest time of year for alteration fittings for brides and there bridal party, so I am giving away FREE custom alterations to a lucky bride! All you have to do is go to my website , and go to the contact page and fill in and submit your form with the words "bridal giveaway" in the comment box. Along with me, an awesome florist named Bonnie from Belles Fleurs, is also participating in this giveaway! She will be giving away a FREE bridal bouquet to the lucky winner! You should definitaly check out her website, she does amazing work!

Here's How the contest works:

~Your wedding must take place between May 1st, 2010 and Aug 1st, 2010 to be eligible.

~Entries must be made in the month of march, and recieved no later than march 31st 2010.

~A winner will be drawn at random on April 1st. 2010. Odds of winning are determined by the total number of entries received.
~We will contact the winner by email or phone. The winner must respond within 72 hours or a replacement winner will be drawn.
~We will respect your privacy. We'll keep any information you provide confidential.

~Please, only one entry per person!

Good Luck!

Brides: Get Inspired! Get Informed! Go Ashleysbrideguide.com!!!

2010-03-09T12:04:00.000-06:00

Where Nashville Brides Get Inspired and Informed!

Ashley from Ashleysbrideguide is a great friend of mine and an awesome person to go to for all your bridal questions! She recently revamped her website to feature all the greatest local wedding events, featuring real weddings, local vendors, and the best advice for your big day! She has a new inspiration page which showcases unique wedding day ideas that you must check out! I could spend all day looking at her site and would still not be done looking at all she had to offer! You should also check out the Bridal Savings link on her site! The discounts listed are exclusively for AshleysBrideGuide.com brides or also called "ABG" brides. So, when you contact your wedding vendors, be sure to mention ABG to get VIP service and all of the great savings!

GOT CAKE??? Featuring Crumb de la Crumb cakes!!!

2010-03-04T10:37:00.000-06:00

I have always been intrigued by unique things, and I love personalizing titems to give them your own touch! Since I am also getting married soon, my fiance' and I have been picking out awesome vendors and getting to meet some wonderful people! We went down our wedding list of "to do's" and realized the next step was picking out a cake! With so many great vendors to chose from, it was hard to know where to start... Since we are getting married on the coast on NC, we realized that it would have to be a vendor that was located down there. I called around and asked who people recommended and I was given the name "Crumb De La Crumb" several times! I went online to check them out and realized that they have a branch here in Nashville TN as well as NC!!! We were thrilled! We made an appointment for cake tasting and also asked Kristyn Hogan , a photographer to capture the moment! She is an awesome photographer in the Nashville Area and I thank her for coming out and taking this unique photo op! We all had a chance to taste the cakes that Crumb de la Crumb has made for us, and were blown away by the flavors! They have flavors that they add to the cake called "Infusions." Infused cakes are marinated in the flavor of your choice to enhance flavor and moistness. I am telling you, these flavors take your cake to another level! We decided they were the vendors for us!

After we decided what flavors to pick (yeah...we picked 4 different flavors, it was too hard to choose!), we wanted to talk about the design! We wanted to be unique and have a cake that would truly stand out! We decided that we would have a cake that was themed around the both of us! Grant likes hunting, I like Fishing, Grant is from Nebraska, I'm from North Carolina, and we wanted a little bit of both represented in a cake! We are so excited that Crumb de la Crumb is going to make this truly unique cake for us!

If you are looking for a cake, you must check them out! My mouth is now watering from thinking back on how moist and delicious there cakes are!!

Tennessean Article: Home Based Business Booming!

2010-02-04T10:18:00.001-06:00

I was recently featured in the Tennessean on owning a home based business along with a friend of mine that is also in the wedding industry, photographer Kristen Steele. I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the article, and talk a bit on why I think owning your own business is a pretty awesome adventure!

“For me, becoming an entrepreneur was the best decision I have made. I have experienced the workforce and I can honestly say that working for myself is a more rewarding and fulfilling profession. My core belief for my business is centered on service and being true to my clients while creating relationships and trust between them. It takes a big leap of faith to start your own business, with struggles and hard financial decisions at hand. But now more than ever is the time to take that risk. You must have confidence in yourself, promoting your business and having an everlasting faith behind what you do. Networking with others in this industry has been a tremendous asset to my business, as well as the opportunities and resources we have been given through technology. I believe that the back bone to owning your own business really comes down to the individual’s mindset. Are you going to grow into the person you need to be to capitalize on this opportunity for your life, or are you going to focus on all the possible roadblocks that come your way? The future is uncertain for everyone, and I may or may not be investing in a great career opportunity with this business, but either way I am passionate about what I do, and go at it with all I’ve got while having strong drive to succeed.”

Custom Jewelry Artist: Sarah Sanborn from P.U.R.E Jewelry

2010-02-02T11:41:00.001-06:00

I have had the privilege of knowing Sarah from P.U.R.E for over a year now, and have become a loving fan of her designs! Her Jewelry is definitaly one of a kind, and very trendy! If you see me out and about, I am probably wearing one of her necklaces! She has a Facebook fan page, where you can see current posts of her new styles, but she primarily sells her designs through networking and word of mouth. She will soon open an Etsy account where you will be able to purchase her one of a kind designs online! Check out her page for more info, and contact her to purchase one or more of her fabulous creations!

Hot Wedding accessories to make you day SIZZLE!

2010-01-26T12:34:00.000-06:00

Everyone knows that vintage is in, from birdcage veils to bringing back to life that “something old”. In addition to the modern take on vintage, bridal and bridesmaid jewelry is heading towards chunkier unique designs of necklaces, bracelets and earrings.

Monogramming and personalizing everything at your wedding is a great way to make your day extra special and unique!

Handbags are also more popular, adding that extra detail is key!

Combs are getting a fresh look with additions of feathers, and splashes of color with jewel-toned or iridescent crystals which are inspired by wedding décor or “something blue.”

Beaded wedding bouquets, and boutonnieres are a stunningly unique option for brides uninterested in traditional floral bouquets, or beaded accents can be used to add sparkle and flair to conventional wedding bouquets.

Bridal Shows:Booths:Brides: Best Friends

2010-01-18T16:52:00.000-06:00

Weddings,The Bridal Show at the convention center in downtown Nashville yesterday was a blast! I had the opportunity to meet many wonderful women who were brides to be! I can't wait to work with all of you! There were many great vendors that were at the show! wanted to give a big thanks to Bonnie from Belles Fleurs for helping make my booth beautiful! Also thank you for all of my great friends for helping me at the booth, you all rock!

The Gown Construction Begins!

2010-01-12T11:09:00.000-06:00

Many artists can relate, staying stay up 7 nights a week, 24 hours a day constructing, creating, envisioning your passion! Getting to that point where Coffee and sugar is just not enough to give you that jolt and keep you up, but you insist you keep going...I mean, come on,....your creating a work of art, no time for sleep! Preparing for the bridal show coming up has been just that, nights of sketching and creating! you must see my floor, there are many threads, many scraps, many pages of drawings and illustrations, you can get lost in here! lol Can't wait for the show this sun. the 17th to see my artwork come alive!

The pic below is an illustration of beginning the designing process of a bridesmaid!

Tips to make your special day extra trendy!: Top Wedding Gown Trends!

2010-01-09T14:06:00.000-06:00

Top Trends Brides are Loving!

1 Geometric shapes, such as cut-outs and patterns, and asymmetrical touches like necklines and bias-cut skirts are updating classic gowns with a modern edge.

2 Strapless continues to be a favorite as it allows free movement and flatters many figures.

3 For brides who crave more coverage, the cap sleeves and off-the shoulder looks are current alternatives, and as a bonus: they show off a sexy neckline.

4 Details matter! Flowers, ruffles, draping, beading, ruching and pleating give gowns a touch of intrigue, whimsy and drama.

5 Glam it up with sumptuous fabrics, trails of tiny buttons, or rhinestone buckles and broaches.

6 Go Short and Sweet! Tea-length styles are in demand for destination weddings and more relaxed, casual weddings.

7 You can't go wrong with Tradition! Lacy details on sleeves, necklines, trains and jackets are always in style!

8 Colors, Colors,Colors!!! Did i mention..COLORS? Make a statement and let your wedding personality shine with your favorite colors! choose colors that coordinate with the seasons, especially chocolate, tiffany blue and reds are showing up everywhere, from sashes to floral accents.

MIX IT UP! Tips for Brides: Let your Wedding personality Shine!

2010-01-06T11:43:00.001-06:00

Mix it Up!

During your wedding planning, I bet you find yourself torn between colors, styles and themes. Can't decide between a ball gown or a sheath? Well, wear both! You will add extra surprise and flare by mixing and matching styles, and color palettes! You will make your guests do a double take by switching up looks between the ceremony and reception. Have an elegant hair updo for the isle, and long bouncing curls for the reception. During your ceremony, have one color palette of soft whites, and pale hues, and for the reception have a blast of bright and rich colors! Have your bridesmaids where a neutral colored dress, with a white or ivory sash during the ceremony, and during the reception, change there sashes and accessories to bold and striking colors! With a little bit of creativity, your possibilities are limitless!

For example: This is a dress I designed for the Bride who wishes to have either a sweet dress for a destination wedding or to wear at her wedding reception and dance the night away!

Check out my site! www.designsbysaramarie.com

2009-12-10T14:47:00.000-06:00

Just wanted to inform the world about my new vamped site! I am very excited about it, so go check it out!

www.designsbysaramarie.com

Belles Fleurs : Wedding Florist

2009-12-06T15:14:00.001-06:00

A special thanks goes out to Bonnie from Belles Fleurs for designing beautiful floral bouquets for my photo shoot! Please check her out if you are interested in flowers for your wedding, her designs are truly unique and breath taking!

Gaylord Opryland Photo Shoot

2009-12-06T15:08:00.002-06:00

Here is a pic of all of my beautiful models! Thank you girls for making my Wedding gowns look beautiful!

Couture Bridal Shoot: (opryland hotel)

2009-12-01T17:35:00.001-06:00

It's Been a blast working with Woottonphotography ! You should check him out! This fall we had a fashion shoot at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel and had a great time shooting photos there! I will continuously post pics from the shoot, showing you some of my new styles! If you would like any of these wedding gowns created for you, please don't hesitate to ask! Designing is my passion!

Love Ashleysbrideguide.com !!!

2009-11-13T15:27:00.000-06:00

Big thank you to Ashley from Ashley's Bride Guide for setting up an interview, and spotlighting my work! You should check out the interview here!

My Engagement Shoot: Wootton Photography

2009-11-11T20:55:00.001-06:00

Check out Wootton Photography! I myself have entered into the bridal world as a bride! We had a great engagement photo session with him in downtown Nashville, and I am looking forward to many more opportunities to shoot with Mike!

Intimate Beach wedding: Custom wedding party

2009-11-06T09:30:00.000-06:00

Kathryn & Nick were married in October at Myrtle Beach NC. Since it was a beach wedding, to compliment the colors of the ocean and surroundings, Kathryn wanted cornflower blue for her wedding scheme. She had 2 bridesmaids and 1 flower girl. (I was one of the maids!)

Both of the bridesmaids dresses where knee length, and was made of cornflower blue organza fabric with white satin trim. The flower girl dress had a white tank top style bodice, with a pick-up skirt garnished in pearls with a cornflower blue sash.

Outdoor Weddings: custom Short Bridesmaids dresses

2009-11-05T09:30:00.001-06:00

Becca & Jake Taylor’s wedding took place outdoors at a stunning home in NC. The weather was perfect for an afternoon wedding, and the wedding party looked great!

Becca came to me for alterations on her wedding gown, and inquired about having custom dresses for her wedding. She wanted chocolate brown with sage accents! She had 4 bridesmaids, and 1 flower girl. I told her I would be honored!

With these custom dresses, I also designed the Men’s ties to compliment the girls!

Inspiration for Your Fall Wedding: Custom Men's Accessories

2009-11-04T09:00:00.001-06:00

Can't forget the handsome men! Coordinating custom made ties and pocket squares complimented the bridesmaid’s colors beautifully!

Inspiration for Your Fall Wedding: Custom Flower Girl Dress

2009-11-03T09:00:00.003-06:00

Kids grow fast and dressing them can be more tricky than you might think! Going custom is a great way to ensure the dress will still fit the flower girl (or young bridal party member) on the wedding day.

It is also another way to ensure that the design integrates with the bride's vision for the entire bridal party.

the ring bearer pillow is also a Sara Marie custom design

Rebecca wanted her junior bridesmaid to have the same colors as her bridesmaids, which were custom. She also wanted the flowergirl to be in white but wanted to incoporate her wedding colors, so we added the copper red sash.

Inspiration for Your Fall Wedding: Custom Mother of the Bride Dress

2009-11-02T10:15:00.001-06:00

Rebecca's mom wanted modest, with sleeves and full length. She also wanted to her dress to complement her daughter's fall color scheme of rich reds and golds. Rebecca's gown had a tulle pleating hem and mom wanted something similar. So, I pleated organza around the hem.

Unlike my design session with Rebecca, which started with magazine clippings, my session with the mother of the bride started with a discussion around her body type and what would work best.

The conclusion - a slight A-line with a V-neck rouched bodice was a great complement to her figure...

...and to her daughter's overall bridal party design.

Inspiration for Your Fall Wedding: Custom Bridesmaid Dresses

2009-10-30T11:57:00.003-05:00

After we created Rebecca's uniquely custom gown, she decided that she wanted custom designs for her entire bridal party - from the men's ties, bridesmaids to mom and kid's attire.

For her bridesmaids, Rebecca wanted alternating colors. Luckily, I found a reversible fabric that had copper red on one side and the gold on the other. Next, Rebecca said she wanted "strapless, short and sweet"! Easy.

Based on Rebecca's design ideas, I created custom bridesmaid dresses that her bridesmaids loved!

Inspiration for Your Fall Wedding: Custom Wedding Gown

2009-10-28T11:48:00.003-05:00

Rebecca and Seth got married in October 2008. Their wedding colors were copper red and gold, perfect fall wedding colors! I'll share more from her wedding over the next few days but let's start with Rebecca's custom gown.

Rebecca knew that she wanted a custom bridal gown. We started with magazine clippings of her favorite bridal gown styles. From there, we married various aspects to create her dream wedding gown.