WHO:Emma & Caroline WHEN: (backdated) October WHERE: Swan-Cassidy Abode WHAT: Caroline has some helpful info for a bride-to-be WARNINGS: None STATUS: Complete
Ever since running into Emma at the bakery Caroline had come up with tons of ideas for her wedding. This was the first wedding she was actually planning (in real life) and she wanted it to be perfect. Plus Emma was somewhat of a friend. Caroline didn’t want to let her down.
All her ideas were in a binder, color coded and labeled by type, flowers, food, color scheme, decorations, drinks. There was just so much to think about. She wished she could do more with the location but Emma had mentioned a destination wedding in Florida, and well Caroline was just starting out. She barely knew any venues in the area, let alone Florida. But she would help with all the other details anyway she could. Hell once Emma picked a location she would even call the venue and triple check everything was on point. But for now she just had her binder full of ideas.
She knocked on Emma’s door, binder tucked under her arm ready to show the bride to be all her ideas.
So far, Emma and Neal had agreed that Tallahassee would be a cute sort of homage to their tale, destination wedding with a story really. They’d figure out the location when they needed to, but they at least had a rough idea of what they were looking at.
When she’d mentioned to Caroline, and finding out that she was intending on going full time wedding planner, it seemed like the best idea, since Emma still wasn’t entirely sure all the things she’d need to come up with. “Hey there,” greeting Caroline at the door, Emma waved the girl inside with a smile, baby monitor in hand since Niko was down for a nap right then. “C’mon in, just through to the living room is best.” There was a coffee table they could spread out on after all.
“I’m so glad you’re able to help, because I’m already overwhelmed with all these things.”
Caroline followed Emma into the living room, careful not to let her excitement get the better of her. Friend or not, she needed to be professional. Plus Emma had a baby and the last thing Caroline wanted was to disturb him.
“It’s no problem,” Caroline said a large smile on her face as she set the binder down on the coffee table. “Thanks for the opportunity.” Because well she was just starting out. Emma could easily pay a well trained wedding planner instead. “So Tallahassee, right?” she asked taking a seat on the couch. “Were you thinking summer, fall, winter, spring?” she asked opening up the binder. “Because I may or may not have gotten ideas for each.”
“Tallahassee, yes.” Emma made a quick detour into the kitchen to grab the hot chocolate she’d made in preparation for planning -she didn’t really care at that point that she was near constantly eating comfort foods, she was still a bit of a hormonal imbalance so she was very whatever about it all. Setting the tray with hot chocolate, marshmallows and some cookies down to the side of Caroline’s binder, Emma took up a seat beside her.
“I’m thinking early Spring maybe?” It wasn’t that she wanted to rush it, but she did want to get married sooner rather than later. Especially since she and Neal had waited so long to get to this point. “Something light, since we’re thinking a dusk wedding.” Because of the venue and all the little decorations. She didn’t want something too hot, since they were going to Florida for it.
“Oh! I love spring weddings!” Caroline gushed. Not that she had been to a ton of them. None of her friends were actually married. But still. Spring and early summer were the best times to get married if you asked Caroline. Well winter weddings could be gorgeous too, and autumn. Okay, she loved all weddings.
“Outdoor venue?” she kind of assumed since Emma had mentioned dusk and the weather. Seemed like an outdoor thing to her. “So for colors, what’s your taste?” Caroline flipped through the binder to color schemes pointing to each example. “Serenity blue and white is gorgeous. There’s coral, mint, and peach. Or you could go with lilac and green.” Those were some of Caroline’s favorite options, but the binder was full of other color schemes perfect for spring.
Caroline was definitely prepared, Emma would admit that much. All the colour schemes were stunning, the samples and things were really nice and offered a pretty good idea of mixing soft colours together for a subtle scheme. “Yeah, outdoors seemed like an appropriate thing for us.” And really, Tallahassee. It seemed smart.
Scanning over the colours, Emma considered the notion that she might not go for a white dress, seeing the way the schemes work together. “Oh, I like the coral, mint and peach.” And it wasn’t something she’d have really thought of herself either. Emma couldn’t imagine sitting with swatches trying to put together her own scheme. “I really like the violent and teal too,” but would that go right with the setting, or if it was too vibrant for her skin tone and hair. “But the coral with mint and peach is really jumping at me.” It was just so soft and natural.
“It makes total sense. You guys both work outdoors right?” Well not all outdoors, but Neal ran the ranch or something. And she was pretty sure Emma worked there too. And outdoor wedding would be perfect for them. Not to mention it would be gorgeous. “Do you want just the ceremony outside or both the ceremony and reception?”
Caroline beamed as Emma scanned over the options. “I love that one!” she agreed letting her excitement get the best of her. It had a classic feel to it, not too over the top.
“For the most part, yeah.” They worked outside and enjoyed the outdoors, and really it did make sense to enjoy an outdoor wedding. The ranch feel of it all really appealed to Emma. “We both really just like the outdoors, I suppose we’re a little bit of outdoorsy people?” Emma might’ve shifted around, profession wise, but she was most happy when she was outside, doing things.
“I think we’re going for the whole thing outside. You know like, the seating and ceremony outside in a garden area.” They’d looked at a couple places that just seemed right for them, and the one they both liked just seemed like a nice, rustic feel to it. “Oh, this colour set is nice,” just a soft one in creams and golds, a bold navy colour woven through things in a nice contrast. Something that would look nice against the rustic theme.
“I don’t really think I want anything overly traditional, you know?” Because they weren’t exactly a traditional couple.
“That sounds perfect for you guys,” Caroline agreed with a nod to both the place of the ceremony and reception and the color palette. “I can find some amazing flowers in these colors.” Mostly in the creams, a few navy ones to set it off, gold accents since well gold flowers were hard.
“I can’t believe I don’t know this. How did Neal propose?” Caroline always loved hearing engagement stories. And she could maybe even tie in some of the details to the decorations.
Outdoors and soft colours, yes. And Emma was pretty sure that they could work a clothing scheme in cream, gold and navy -most people looked pretty good in cream, she just needed to check wedding party members and Neal’s preferences.
“Well,” the proposal story was pretty cute, all things considered. “He took me out to dinner, we had an amazing time at the Napa Rose, I think that was our first proper date since Niko was born, so it was special.” And not just because it was an amazing meal at an amazing restaurant. “He tried to have this super cute dessert announcement, you know, when it’s written in the dessert ‘will you marry me?’ but… The restaurant got the desserts mixed up and we got a cake that said ‘I’m pregnant’.” Safe to say that there was a little confusion going around.
“We got it sorted out though, and then I got this amazing ring.”
“That might just be the most hilarious proposal I ever heard,” Caroline said with a small laugh. “But also sweet.” Because well it was. And it wasn't like it was Neal’s fault the desserts had been mixed up.
“It’s gorgeous,” she commented with a smile. “And your wedding will be too.” If Caroline had anything to say about it.