Wedding of Kira Bell & Earl Johnson, Jr.... December 18, 2010

Here are a few pictures from the BEAUTIFUL wedding of Kira & Earl courtesy of David Able Photography... We truly enjoyed working with ALL of the vendors, family members, and bridal party... this was an exceptional event!!... Pay special attention to the table numbers, menu cards and programs (all done by Rubies & Pearls Printing!!)...

~*The Lovely Ladies of R&P...

Holiday Weddings...

Hello Brides, Grooms, and Vendors!!...

Hope you are all having a great start to your holiday season!... We have TWO weddings coming up in the next two weeks and will be running like crazy!... Thought we would stop a minute to leave you with some beautiful and inspiring Holiday wedding pictures we found online!... We are also adding some pictures of purple weddings (the main color for FOUR of our upcoming weddings)!

Happy Holidys and we'll have somenew pictures up on facebook, twitter, and our blog in the coming weeks!!

~The Lovely Ladies of R&P~

Happy THANKSgiving!!...

Happy Thanksgiving from our table to yours!!...

~*The Lovely Ladies of R&P*~

DIY Invitations!!

Wow!... what a busy month we've had so far... and we have 3 Weddings coming up between now and the end of December but we can't complain!!... Hope all of you brides, grooms, and vendors out there have been planning away as well!

Planning your wedding can be a stressful, and very costly endeavour and making your own invitations can save you a good deal of money!... for all those creative brides and grooms here are a few great sites you should visit if you want to DIY!!... (some ideas, pictures, and videos to come later this month!)

Countdown to Halloween!!...

It may just be me (Ruby) but Halloween is one of the most exciting holidays of the year... in the sense that everyone gets the opportunity to be anyone or anything they want to be without judgement (for the most part)... So far, we have shared with you some last minute costume ideas and some cool pictures from Halloween themed weddings... Hopefully you have chosen your costume and are ready to trick and/or treat the weekend away... so the only thing left to do is to share some last minute safety tips so you can have a safe, fun Halloween with your loved ones and still be on track for your wedding planning when it is all over!!...

Picture courtesy of Google.com and Peanuts

1. Check your (and all children's costumes) and be sure they can see and that there is nothing hanging that may cause them to trip. If it is a store bought costume, read the label and make sure that it is made from flame retardant materials.

2. If you are giving out candy, be sure your porch is well lit and that there are no open flames (candles in jack-o-lanterns, etc) that may catch any costumes or cause little ones (and big ones) to fall.


3. Try to stay away from busy streets and intersections and (as always) keep a close watch on any little ones you may have. With all the excitement, laughter, candy, and costumes they may not see a car coming down the street.


4. For the little ones, if you have a store bought costume for them, especially ones that have mask or parts that cover their faces, make sure you add something to distinguish them from the other little ones wearing the same costume. It may be funny on TV when someone goes out to trick-or-treat and comes home with someone else's kid but I'm SURE it's not funny in real life (don't know how often this happens but as a mom of a toddler who will be trick-or-treating for the first time I won't be taking any chances!!)


5. For the BIG little kids, be aware that you may be out to have fun but that there may not-so-nice people out with other intentions. They may use this holiday and the opportunity to wear masks and other costumes to their advantage (and your disadvantage)... if you will be drinking, have a designated driver, and be aware that drinking leaves you impaired even if just a little... be aware of your surroundings and watch for anyone suspicious!!!! There are creepos out there... and not the good kind (if there is a good kind ;))


6. For parents, use your judgement, if a house, person, piece of candy looks suspicious pass it by... you may receive ridicule from your little ones but there is plenty of candy out there and no piece of candy is worth your safety or the safety of your family. Don't accept any open candy and be sure to check your kiddies baskets before they eat anything!!


7. Remember to have fun, be safe, and enjoy your family. We are wedding planners by trade but family women by birth!!



Happy Hallooooooooweeeeeen!!



~The lovely ladies of R&P~

Halloween Weddings!!

Was browsing the web this morning and thought... I wonder if many people have Halloween Themed weddings... turns out they sure do!.. here are some pictures of some great cakes, place cards, dresses, and favors!

The monogram jack-o-lantern and mini pumpkin place cards can be used at any harvest or Halloween party... add other fall colors like brown or burgundy for a nice fall touch without looking to "Halloween-y"!!

~* The lovely ladies of R&P*~

Easy Homemade Halloween Costume Ideas!!

Halloween is just around the corner!... do you have your costume together?... if not here are a few simple ideas that you can pull together from your own closet.




1. Tights or Leggings- Start with a pair of your old tights or leggings in your favorite texture or color: Use your hot faux leather tights and a leather jacket and you have an awesome biker chick or vampire outfit. Have green tights?... couple it with a green vest, boots, and a belt and you have Robin Hood. Brown tights and top??.. add some ears and a tail to create an adorable bunny, bear, or dog.



2. Cardboard box- Decorate an empty cardboard box to become your favorite cereal, board game, a computer, rubix cube, or an ice cube!



3. Look-a-like- Have a celebrity that people always say you look like??... pick a well known scene from a movie or tv show and pull items out of your closet or purchase them from a store like Target, Kohl's or Wal-mart. If people think you look like them on a regular day, chances are you will have a great costume.



For some great kids costume ideas go to www.parenting.com/halloween-central!!



More ideas for treats and decorations coming soon!! And look out for our two newest couples in the "I do, I do!!" section of the Richmond Times Dispatch Celebrations!



~*the lovely ladies of R&P*~

Questions to Ask When Booking a Hotel

There are some simple questions that everyone asks when booking a hotel for their wedding or event like... what is your room rate?... and what type of amenities does your hotel have?... but what about the more complicated questions? Here are a few helpful questions that you may not have thought of...

• What is the name and phone number of your contact person?

• How long have you been providing rooms for weddings?

• How many rooms does your hotel have?

• What amenities are included in your regular rooms?

• Do you have any suites? If so, how many?

• What amenities are included in your suites?

• Do you have handicapped accessible rooms? If so, how many?

• What is your check-in time?

• What is your check-out time?

• Do you have a parking deck? If so, how much is parking?

• Does your hotel have a restaurant?

• Is breakfast included with an overnight stay?

• Do you provide the bride and groom with a complimentary bridal suite?

• Do you provide room blocks? How many rooms are required for a block?

• Do you provide a contract for room blocks?

• Do you charge an attrition fee if rooms in a block are not reserved?

• What is your room cancellation policy?

• Do you provide guests with roll away beds? Is there an additional fee?

• Do you provide cribs if guests request them? Is there an additional fee?

• Do you provide babysitting service?

• What are your fees for babysitting service?

• Do you provide welcome notes to your hotel guests?

• Will you deliver welcome gifts for the wedding guests? Is there an additional fee?

• Do you provide free cable?

• Do you provide free Wi-Fi ?

• Do you have a business center?

• Do you have a fitness center?

• Do you have a pool? Is it heated? Indoors? Depth?

• Do you have a beauty salon?

• Do you provide laundry service?

• Does your hotel have any boutiques, gift shops, or salons?

• Do you provide transportation to the local airport?

Hotel Welcome Baskets

Hello Brides and Grooms!

As we mentioned in last week's posting we will be highliting a new vendor each month and September is dedicated to all of the magnificent hotels and hotelliers out there!

A wedding is a time you share with all your closest family members and friends and when they are coming from out of town, state or even the country, you want to make them feel as welcome as possible. So what do you do!? It is both proper etiquette and an opportunity to show off your creative side by leaving a "hotel welcome basket" in each room or for each visiting guest.

Welcome baskets come in many shapes and forms from actual baskets filled with the best treats your locality has to offer, to bags that hang on the door, to adorable folded towels to match your wedding theme, and directions to the closest local attractions. Be creative! The goal is to let your guests get a taste of how amazing your wedding weekend will be from the moment they step foot in the city.

Here are some neat ideas we found on the internet! Enjoy!!... If you find inspiration in something you see, feel free to use it! And oh, "You're Welcome!"

~*The lovely ladies of R&P*~

Welcome Back!!

Attention Brides and Grooms!!... Rubies and Pearls are back in action!... and now we're in Charlottesville too!!

Pearl Walden Thomas with Race to the Altar Winners, Mr. & Mrs. Robert Hawk

Welcome back to the world of Rubies and Pearls… We have had a very busy and productive year; Building our business, meeting new people, taking on new clients, and so much more! We are excited to get back to the world of “social media” through blogging, facebook, and twitter and we hope that you will follow us on our journey. Each month look out for our featured vendors and weddings, etiquette tips, and wedding trends for the upcoming season!

And now for a look back on what we have been up to since we left you... We have worked with some amazing organizations, participated in some beautiful wedding shows, and of course, planned some weddings and events all along the way!

Race to the Altar at Colonial Downs

The Greater Virginia Bridal Show

at the Science Museum of Virginia

The Wedding Showcase at the Bank and Vault

Virginia Heroes Day 2010 at the Arthur Ashe Center