Happy Valentine's Day....

My husband and I on April 26, 2003

Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,
while loving someone deeply gives you courage.
-Lao Tzu

Shelly & Nick

My darling Shelly & Nick..where do I begin!!!! Shelly and Nick were married this past fall at the beautiful St. Mary's Cathedral with a fun and stunning reception at Embassy Suites. Shelly and I worked together for almost a year and a half planning her wedding, from our first meeting we knew we could be life long friends. She has a personality that makes one want to be near her at all times, a laugh and smile that lights up a room...truly a beautiful soul!

Shelly had been gracious enough to model for Heaven on Earth and myself for the Floral Fashion shoot we did last month and boy did she nail it! Because of that shoot, Pam Cooley contacted her and said.."I have to get pics of you and that dress, its amazing!" And AMAZING it is! I will be honest that when Shelly told me she was buying a blue wedding dress, I was a tad taken back and demanded to see pictures right away. And when I did, my jaw dropped...it is stunning!! I loved that she look that leap, stepped out of the box and did it "her way".

I was like a momma bear when I saw these pics, so proud of her..I feel like I have watched her blossom right before my very eyes. I know she and Nick will cherish these beautiful photos for the rest of their lives.... beauty such as this is timeless! For more pictures of this shoot, please visit Pam Cooley's site.

More pics....

Katie from Embassy Suites and myself having a little fun before guests arrived! :)
The bar wasnt at 100% completion here, but gives you the idea.

Cupcakes by That's a Cake?

A Tropical Paradise for Angela & Mike!!! (Peoria, IL Wedding)

Mike and Angela were married over a week ago in Aruba...starting to see a theme here...and wondering why I haven't gotten to go with yet..hum! Okay, back to the story here...

Their love for the tropics inspired Angela to have a tropical reception...try to bring Aruba back to Peoria in the middle of January. This was HEA's first themed reception and you can bet I wanted it to be perfect. I wanted guests to feel like they were on the beach..long tables, bamboo tiki bar, white folding chairs..green palms, blue water...everything Aruba has to offer...minus the sand...darn it!!!

There were even goldfish, which ask anyone...we were all a little nervous about. But there was no need to be, it all worked out perfectly. They all made it home with Angela & Mike to their new fish aquarium...SHEW!

The evening started like this....Guests arrived, found their sand dollar place cards, signed the AMAZING picture the bride's father painted, and made their way into the reception room, where it was lit in beautiful shades of blues and turquoise. As the time neared 6:00, the lighting gradually changed from blue to yellows, golds, and oranges...just as a sunset would. Then promptly at 6:00 the video started of the wedding ceremony....it was beautiful! As soon as the ceremony concluded, the Bridal party was announced and entered the room...perfect execution!

Dinner was served...Chicken, shrimp, and steak kabobs over rice, fresh fruit, and coconut cupcakes for dessert.

I personally loved every detail of this reception...and when the father of the bride showed up with the most amazing paintings for the entrance and by the bar, I wanted to jump for joy..and I think I did! So a special thanks to Mike Baxter for his amazing talent, what a gift!

This night couldn't have been pulled off if it weren't for all the fabulous vendors involved...

-Heaven on Earth for the centerpieces and Bamboo bar

-Sound & Light Creations for lighting and DJing

-That's a Cake for the cupcakes

-Save the Date - square top table

-Let's Party - white wooden chairs

-Pam Cooley for coming to shoot detail shots on her husband's birthday, she even drug him with. Such a dear friend you are, THANK YOU!

And to my awesome team who worked tirelessly with me all day and into the wee hours of the morning tearing down...love you gals!!

And a special thanks to Angela, Mike, Lorrie, and Neil for trusting such an important day to the HEA team, we hope we made it a night you will never forget....I know we wont!

Sneak Preview - Floral Fashion Shoot - Winter 2010

Just a few pictures to share from the Floral Fashion Shoot. Heaven on Earth created some amazing bouquets...some traditional and some that were fun and trendy. We had several photographers shooting in different locations, it was a whirlwind of a day, but the end results are amazing. Thanks you Deidre Lynn for these amazing pics...for more go to http://www.h-e-a.biz/, click on "galleries" and then Floral Fashion Shoot. There will be more amazing pics to come from Jeff Woods and Nellie...so stay tuned! And thanks to our models (my darling past clients) for breaking out those dresses and hamming it up for us! You were great!!