2015 Platinum Wedding and Flower Girl Dress of the Year

 Neopotism: Giving preference to your family.  

I was always the creative one in the family, and I say this modestly, my siblings long admired my talents and the many homes I decorated. But this year I was blown away by two very special family weddings, the daughter of my eldest sister - a lovely family wedding who married a super guy in Philadelphia and my my middle sister's son's wedding in an old-style Kentucky wedding complete with WAY too much bourbon. When I was married, my oldest brother, who toasted me at my wedding in 1985 said "You never surprise me, Marg. Everything you do is one with elegance, beauty and this wedding is certainly a reflection of who you are."

But, this past August, it was with total delight that my sister Emma surprised us all. She and I have a brood of boys between us, and when the doctor (back in 1995) told me my second child was going to be a boy, the only thing I could say is "there goes the princess weddings!" My sister and I are always giggling about ways to get pink back in our lives. So, when she invited us all down to Kentucky for the wedding of her oldest son, she got her revenge and got her pink on. The wedding and rehersal was a statement in pinks and champagne and all of her 5 siblings were completely transformed by her creativity and dedication to creating one of the most opulent, over the top weddings I had ever seen, and in this business, I have gone to well over 1000 weddings. So that is really saying something.

However, of the almost 5000 entires this year, I decided that there was no way I couldn't pronouce the wedding of my sister's son and daughter-in-law, as my favorite "2015 Wedding of the Year" - Marg Hyland, Founder/Head Designer Pegeen.com

See their fabulous rehearsal party HERE.

2016 Wedding of the Year: Photography Chris Cornwell unless noted l 606.233.2905 Kentucky l chris-cornwell.com

2015 Platinum Wedding of the Year Vendors:

CREDITS:

EVENT PLANNER Emma McCormack (Mother of Groom)

EVENT STYLIST/FLORALS Doug Smith Designs & Events (Doug Smith and Glenn Blind) 859-494-2209

SWEETS & DESSERTS Martine’s Pastries

MUSIC Ken Davis

VENUE Spindletop Hall Lexington, KY

BRIDE’S DRESS Parker

BRIDE’s SHOES Betsey Johnson

HEAD PIECE Beholden

FINE DETAILS: EMMA'S personal collection Vintage tea cups , old books, homemade frames, swag garland, tulle table skirt

Flower Girl Dresses/Platinum Wedding of the Year 2015 in Toffee Style 904 - From the Fairytale Flower Girl Dress Collection in Silk and Tulle and Swarovski Crystals

Our story begins as most good stories do, in a bar.... My girlfriends and I decided to meet up with some mutual friends and there I met a man so passionate about life that I had to know more about him! After four years of dating, I was celebrating what I thought was my birthday treasure hunt, finding poems with clues to lead me around the city to places full of our greatest memories.  Finally I found him under a tree where a picnic and homemade carrot cake (my favorite) was set. I tried to cut the cake but hit a purple box wrapped in shiny foil hidden inside. Still thinking it just another clue I opened to the box to find an incredible diamond ring inside. In disbelief, I did not even notice Dan next to me on one knee, gently reaching out for my hand and asking the question every girl hopes to hear from the love of their life. Needless to say I said "Yes!" followed by both parties crying happily in celebration.

Most stories would end here, however my new fiancé surprised me once again with a helicopter landing next to us to whisk us into the city, landing in front of our families and friends toting balloons and flowers. Our night finished with a dinner at the tallest restaurant in the city, followed by a luau party on the water.

So if you thought the engagement was over the top, you can certainly understand my excitement at planning our wedding.  First the perfect spot, Lexington Kentucky as it is here in Kentucky I am from. Vast green fields filled with beautiful horses and white picket fences are just the first thing our guests saw on their journey. To have our guests rest their heads during our wedding weekend, we chose the historic, Gratz Park Inn, where every room is decorated differently with southern charm. Dudley's On Short became a hot spot for early arrivals, along with many quaint downtown bars and restaurants. The rehearsal dinner was held at the Woodford Reserve Distillery and it was something out of a fairytale, planned to a perfect "T" by the groom's mother (Emma McCormack). Blush drapes fell from high above a golden chandelier, illuminating the clear tent near the water, under which plush chairs and tables were covered with English roses and old books tied with lace. White couches could be found inside, with drapery sweeping from the rafters, and a hand-picked dessert bar to satisfy anyone's sweet tooth.

If this weren't enough to make one pinch themselves, the next day we finally celebrated our sensational wedding day.  St Peter's Catholic Church was the setting which was small enough to make for a pleasantly intimate setting. The aisles were painted with blush roses sitting in silver mint julep cups, the groomsmen crisp in tuxes, the bridesmaids adorned in Sue Wong attire, the flower girls sparkling in their matching tulle and champagne silk flower girl dresses heavily covered with Swarovski crystals by Pegeen... It was all quite a sight to behold.  A string quartet played while I walked down the aisle in my Lazaro wedding dress to my bubbling husband-to-be, wearing a long crystal encrusted veil covering my face. Professional quality performances from family members Bill Hyland and Mary McCormack brought goosebumps to the more than 120 guests in attendance. After the "I Do's," my new husband and I threw open the church doors ordained with our initials in green moss to find our families ready with hundreds of flower petals to shower upon us. We stepped into a white vintage Bentley which took us away to the reception.

Luxury buses brought guests down a long road lined on either side with trees to Spindle Top Hall, a historic southern mansion.  Outside on the patio we served drinks and hors d'oeuvres were passed around as guests enjoyed modern songs played by the string quartet, cigar rolling, bourbon and olive oil tasting, and a backyard arena of games including corn hole, horseshoes and croquet. Plated dinner followed complete with golden silverware and miniature horses used as placeholders. Unprecedented best men and maid of honor speeches were made, followed by our first dance, and a show-stopping choreographed "mother-son sampler dance" (check your YouTube soon).  The Metro Music Club band was flown in from Utah and provided live studio-quality music the entire night.

Finally after the cakes were cut and smashed into faces, discarded shoes in leu of flip flops for dancing, and photo booth pictures had been captured, a final send-off was made with each guest releasing a lighted lantern into the sky. My husband and I could not feel more blessed for such family and friends. The best news is that we are now expecting a little girl, and true to McCormack tradition, getting pregnant on our Bali Honeymoon.  We hope to be fortunate enough to be able to do for our little girl, what we were able to experience at our wedding.