Be Inspired. By Tamara Menges Designs
Summer/Fall 2013 Issue 2
Well hi there! I have a slight obsession with magazines, I always have been and I often catch myself daydreaming about layouts, content, and story ideas. Enter Be Inspired. It is part portfolio, part heart and soul, and 100% Tamara Menges Designs. I’m hoping you will find some inspiration as it consists of recent weddings and events, recent press that we have been blessed with, and what is coming up for us in the near future. It is all captured by the best photographers I know! Meet Kason!
xoxo, Tamara
AKA: K, husbandito, and “the husband” just to name a few! Kason is my hunk-o-stud-muffin husband, biggest supporter, and my absolute best friend. Our brides know him by name because he is along side me for almost every wedding and event. He loves the movie Ghostbusters and Legos, and anything that is not a vegetable!
Meet Danielle! We met Danielle while working on a non-profit event last year, and have since made her part of our team. She helps with behind the scenes prepping as well as floral and set-ups. She loves The Wedding Planner and butterfinger candy bars!
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Cover and inside cover images by Christa Elyce Photography MUH: Ashly Black- Something Beautiful Hair and Make-up Dresses: BHLDN Houston
What’s inside: Lifestyle:
TMD Photo Shoot 3-10 Then comes marriage 11-12
Recent Weddings and Events:
Courtney + Brandon 14 Connie + David 15-16 Laura + Clint 17-18 Chateau Cocomar Open House 19-20 A Golden Anniversary 21-22 Blushing Bridals 23
Recent Press:
Industrial Romance 25 Fool For Love 26 Emerald Regency 27 Weddings in Houston 28
What’s coming up:
New Branding 30 Big Announcement! 31
Christa Elyce Photography 2
Our TMD Promo Photo Shoot
Images by Christa Elyce Photography
Oh my stars! So much has happened this year! Lots of growth, lots of lessons learned, and relationships cultivated. One of the best investments I made was signing up for Lara Casey and Emily Ley’s Making Brands Happen intensive webinar. Their webinar helped me to dig deep and answer the questions: why do I do what I do, what fires me up, who is my ideal bride? Now that I have answered these questions I have the tools to build a brand that is authentic to who I am and conveys that to brides. One answer I found is the connection when I work one on one with my brides. It often feels like I am getting married all over again alongside each of them, therefore I can’t help but put my whole heart and soul into their big day. After identifying my bride I thought, “I should do a photo shoot with some of my former brides!” These four brides are beautiful on the inside and out and fully represent who a TMD bride is. Christa Elyce Photography captured some amazing images both portrait style and candid. Brandon Neal is currently working on a promo video that he shot during our shoot. Ashly Black made the trip to Houston for all of our make-up and hair, and BHLDN provided the amazing dresses that we each wore!
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Who is a
Tamara Menges Designs bride?
She is a southern girl with a big heart. She is a confident woman who embraces her own beauty. She knows her strengths and overcomes her weaknesses. She is inspired by Pinterest and magazines, but wants an authentic wedding that reflects her and her fiancé’s love story. She is as beautiful on the inside as on the outside, but she does not boast about it. She gets butterflies and can’t help but smile when she talks or thinks about her fiancé. She was raised with using “ma’am or sir”, which became engrained in her and she still answers that way as an adult. She is deep rooted in her faith and is bold enough to pray in public before meals or other appropriate times. She respects boundaries and the need to have family time. She identifies with Jackie Kennedy, Audrey Hepburn, and Vivian Lee for their classic and timeless elegance. She eats healthy, but loves a fancy dessert! She’s creative and loves a touch of femininity in all aspects of her life because it makes her appreciate being a woman. She has a love for flowers and the different textures and colors that God creates in them. She knows that her wedding day is just a day, and while it should be celebrated, she understands that her marriage is what is important. She is independent and doesn’t need constant reassurance of her value because she knows she works hard. She gets really excited about swanky hotels simply because they make her feel glamorous. She likes to shop in boutiques because of the limited quantities making for a more unique wardrobe, and she typically shies away from department stores. She enjoys eating at small, local, and non-chain restaurants because she feels more comfortable and free to be herself. She knows the true meaning of grace and exhibits it through her daily life. She is career oriented and has many goals in life that she is determined to meet. And of course all she needs is a glass of sweet iced tea at the end of a long day. 5
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Four of our Gorg Miranda
Lisa
September 29, 2012
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May 27, 2012
geous former brides Haeley
October 13, 2012
Courtney December 28, 2012 8
Behind the scenes of our new
Promo Video with Brandon Neal
The Film Company
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First comes love, then comes marriage Kason and I have only been married 6 years, and while I fully recognize that I am no way qualified to give any type of marriage advice, I still feel like our story and how we stay connected should be shared. Because we have been together since high school, we have really grown up together and grown in to each other, if that makes sense. We have been through some hard things and God has continued to grow us closer to each other and closer to Him at the same time. Here’s how God makes our marriage awesome:
We pray together
Multiple times a day. This was something we started at the beginning of our marriage and was just before we went to bed- but has since become something that happens quite often.
We don’t go to bed upset with each other
Since we pray together before bed, that really keeps up from going to bed upset- after all you can’t really pray with someone you’re mad at.
We respect our marriage and each other
We never talk about each other in a negative way to anyone, ever.
We don’t raise our voice to each other
Goodness, I can’t tell you how many times I have thanked God for this. This is in no way an exaggeration, we do not yell at each other. Yes we get aggravated and snippy, but never raise our voices.
We still act like kids
We built a fort in our living room for our anniversary, we play with legos, board games, dance around in our living room. It’s the little things. 12
Real Weddings
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Photo by Archetype
Courtney & Brandon
Photos by Archetype
So much love with this couple! Our friends at Archetype referred Courtney and Brandon to us, and we couldn’t have chosen a better couple to be part of the TMD family!
12.28.12
The Houstonian
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Connie & David Photos by Joshua Tyi
St. Regis May 25, 2013
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When Allison Butcher of
Keely Thorne Events first invited me to provide floral for her couple I was immediately intrigued.
Why? The words vintage circus, Brittany Spears, gold, and mint were used to explain what Connie was looking for! The first time I met with Connie and David, David’s first comment was,
“I just want Connie to be happy”. Ahh, groom after my own heart.
With having a love for all the descriptive words (Yes I love Brittany, no shame!) I had a blast working with Allison and Connie on her one-of-a-kind affair!
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Laura & Clint
Photos by Love Lee Photography
Hotel Zaza May 26, 2013
Natalie Dawley owner of
Two
Be Wed,
invited us to provide floral for her couple Laura
and Clint.
Natalie designed an incredible concept that was not only “Zaza� appropriate, but also true to who Laura and Clint are as a couple. Every minute of working with this sweet couple and Natalie was just plain fun! My top three words to describe their wedding:
bold, swanky, and sophisticated.
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Event:
Chateau Cocomar Open House Photos by Christa Elyce Photography
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Special thanks to Karen and the Cocomar Ladies, Occasions and Elegant Beginnings for linens.
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Event: A Golden Anniversary Photos by Archetype
50 years of love.
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Blushing Bridals
I knew last year that blush was going to be hot this year, and now it seems to be a key player in almost every color palette! However, if your wedding colors do not incorporate any variation of this feminine color, that doesn’t mean your bridal portaits can’t! Whether its through your floral, a piece of furniture, or an accessory make sure your bridals reflect who you are and what makes you happy! It really is all about you for bridal session! Pink sofa from Bourbon and Bloom Vintage Rentals
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Photo by Christa Elyce Photography
Photo by Archetype
Photo by Emily Lockard Photography
Recent Press Photo by Christa Elyce Photography
“Industrial Romance�
Photos by Archetype
Bourbon and Bloom Vintage Rentals designed this shoot and invited us to provide floral! It was shot at Olde Dobbin Station in Houston and was also featured in a print magazine in Hong Kong, All About Weddings! Kelly Thorne Events, Athenuem Creative, Bloom Make-up Artistry, and Mia Bridal Couture were all a part of this shoot as well!
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“Fool for Love”
Photos by Christa Elyce Photography
Lauren Simkins of Two Be Wed and Christa Elyce Photography invited us to provide floral for this cheerfully adorable shoot celebrating April Fool’s Day! Other vendors included Thalio Beckham Make-up, BHLDN, Macaron by Patisse, Gardens of Bammel Lane, and Everly Calligraphy.
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“Emerald Regency” Photos by Christa Elyce Photography
Two Be Wed’s Ashley Joseph and Christa Elyce Photography invited us to provide floral for their shoot that was inspired
by Pantone’s color of the year. Other vendors include Swift and Company, Aztec Rentals, PH Design Shop, PenDance Calligraphy, BHLDN, Luxury Creations, Jen Marine Make-up, and Ashley Dunn.
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Last summer when Radhika Day, publisher of Weddings in Houston invited me to collaborate and assist on their big editorial photo shoot I was once again thanking the sweet Lord above! After a two-day, 26 hour photoshoot wrapped and a few months passed by, it was time for the new February 2013 issue. The issue if chock-full of different styling that I did during those two blissful days. I am so grateful for the opportunity to not only do what I love, but also the chance to do it. These are a few of my favorite spreads from the issue.
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What’s coming up
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We are being
Re-branded!
We are so excited to announce that we have teamed up with:
They will be designing some exciting new branding for us! We will be getting a whole new website, blog, and some collateral pieces!
Coming August 2013!
You may have also noticed we have a new logo! Nicole Quebedeux hand lettered our amazing new logo and we couldn’t be more in love with it!
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Introducing: On our new site we will be selling some really fun items for our brides and our brides to give as gifts!
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We will have t-shirts, work-out tanks, robes, and prints! We are so excited! Here’s a sneak peek of a few of our designs!
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Be on the look out for pre-ordering!
Photo by: Joshua Tyi Wow! None of this would be possible without the love and support from my sweet husband, my friends and family, and of course God, it is He who blesses me with the ability and passion to do what I love. I hope you have enjoyed our second issue as much as I have enjoyed creating it!
Special Thanks:
Archetype Studio Inc. Koby and Terilyn Brown Christa Elyce Photography The Film Company Brandon and Christa Neal BHLDN Cynthia Walker and team Ashly Black Chateau Cocomar Making Brands Happen Lara Casey and Emily Ley Two Be Wed Natalie Dawley Lauren Simkins Ashley Joseph Keely Thorne Events Allison Butcher Love Lee Photography Joshua Tyi
Occasions Elegant Beginnings Bourbon and Bloom Vintage Rentals Thalio Beckham Bloom Make-up Artistry Weddings in Houston Radhika Day KD Creative Nicole Quebedeaux Russ and Emily Furry Danielle Picard Brandon and Courtney Siegmund Brad and Miranda Hadamik Paul and Lisa Simmons Joel and Haeley Batman David and Connie Liu Clint and Laura Rogers Bryce and Krista Evans Sandra Lara
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Photo by Joshua Tyi