Wedding Planning Headquarters

Real Wedding: Brock & Kylie

2010-04-02T14:40:00.000-07:00

Jaquilyn Shumate Photography did a great job of capturing Brock & Kylie's August outdoor Idaho wedding. I love the details of the bride getting ready.

Vendor Spotlight: All Natural Skin Care

2010-03-24T18:15:00.000-07:00

This weeks Vendor Spotlights is for Sandy Torres, Independent Consultant for Arbonne. She just returned from the annual conference in Las Vegas where the company launched an all new skin care and cosmetics line. She was so excited when sharing telling me about the new products I thought it would be a perfect post for this weeks vendor spotlight. Sandy raved about the products and how much they have help her skin, maybe they can work for you too! feel free to visit her site and enjoy the new products :)

Advice: Looking Back, What I would Have Done Different

2010-03-22T12:11:00.000-07:00

Now that is has been almost 1 year since my wedding, I have done a lot of looking back on how things turned out and what I would have done differently.

Jeren and I had a very long engagement of 1 1/2 years and I think that would have been my first thing I would have changed. About half way through we were both wishing that the big day would be here and all the planning stress would be over. We had a LOT of family involvement which made things quite stressful at times since between us we have 8 parents...yes 8 parents! Due to the long engagement I feel like I procrastinated on the little details since I knew I had a long time to plan. The last few months went by so fast and I soon realized that I had waited too long to start on some of my DIY projects, therefore they were either rushed or not added into the wedding. I look back now and really wish I would have had some of those little details I kept seeing in my head all along.

The second and one of the most important things I would have changed looking back is not using a family friend as our photographer. I won't say much because it gets me so upset but this is one of the most important decisions you have in planning your wedding so take it seriously. Remember, you CANNOT redo your wedding pictures so what you get is what you get. This makes me so sad :(

Another thing I might have done differently is my dress. I only looked at dresses twice before buying the one I loved. The only problem, it was the last one available since the design was being discontinued AND it was a size 12. The reason this was such a problem...I am a size 1! I was determined to make the dress fit and be perfect so I found an amazing seamstress. After about 12 dress fittings the dress was practically a custom design and I loved it. Looking back at pictures I don't think that we were able to get the exact perfect fit that I was looking for but that could just be my OCD kicking in. My recommendation, find a dress that you love and you won't have to have it completely remade. It was an interesting process where I was able to spend time with my Mom, MOH, and Bridesmaids but it was very stressful at the same time since I had no idea what the finally product was going to be.

Well, I am sure over the next few months I will think up some other things I would have done a little differently but for now these are my thoughts! Hope it helps in your planning process.

Real Wedding: Margaret & Joe: A FUN Engagement Shoot!

2010-03-19T11:09:00.000-07:00

Today I am featuring a super fun engagement shoot from Duane Peck with Digital Studios. You can tell that this couple has a lot of fun together and I am sure their wedding will express that as well! I love the red shoes with the red balloons. Hope you enjoy!

Inspiration Board: Green Combinations

2010-03-18T20:53:00.000-07:00

I love green as for a wedding color. I actually used lime green, ivory, black, and damask for my wedding! You can combine green with brown, white, yellow, orange, black, blue, purple...the combinations are endless! Hope you enjoy :)

Photos: The Knot

Vendor Spotlight: The Papery Willow {Handcrafted Custom Invitations}

2010-03-17T17:18:00.000-07:00

This weeks Vendor Spotlight is featuring The Papery Willow. Babette Canacari is the designer of these beautiful custom handcrafted invitations displayed below. She will work with you to create the wedding stationary of your dreams while coordinating all the details of your wedding with one theme. Items available include: invitations, place cards, menu cards, guestbook, favors, save the dates, thank you cards, reception cards, and more! Contact her today to see how she can help.

Why Hire A Wedding Planner??

2010-03-16T12:45:00.000-07:00

Today I am featuring an article from Jennifer Grove with Sky Blue Events explaining the importance of hiring a wedding planner for your big day. Hope this information is useful in your planning process. Happy Planning!

Planning your wedding should be a joyful journey from the day you pick up a bridal magazine to leaving for your honeymoon. Most brides find that along the way they will need some help whether it's selecting their dress or their invitations, picking the right location or picking table linen colors. Getting started with the assistance of a qualified consultant is one way to make sure your wedding dreams become a reality from the very beginning of the process. A professional planner knows the wedding market inside and out, has worked with a variety of local vendors and venues and will know how to maximize your budget to help lead the way on your journey to the altar. These reasons alone will help reduce stress, save time and make the experience more enjoyable.

Additionally, many planners have built their reputations and businesses by catering to select niches that couples may find important to them from green/environmentally friendly weddings to budget-conscious weddings to destination weddings. For example, as a full-service planning company specializing in the style aspect of a bride and groom's event, our company is known for translating a couple's personal tastes and likes into a cohesive, stylized vision. Not only do we create detailed color palettes and gorgeous inspiration boards for our clients to tie every element of the event together, we'll manage the timelines, budgets, milestones, and to-do lists in order to make sure every detail is attended to in executing the overall designed vision.

We ask our prospective clients two key questions that will determine if our services will help them better enjoy the planning journey. First, how much time do they have to spend planning in between their job, tending to their relationships (fiance, friends, family) and daily life during their engagement period. Second, we ask clients how important the style factor and how elaborate their expectations are for their event. From creating a master plan and touring the most original locations to finding the best floral designers and caterers, our insight and experience will be an invaluable part of the planning process which make sense for busy, career-oriented couples who may not have the time or style expertise to do this on their own.

Does every bride need a wedding planner? I like to think that making the choice to hire an experienced consultant is one of the best decisions you can make. In addition to being party experts, wedding consultants are part orchestra conductors, part financial planners, part designers and part relationship experts. Having someone supporting you with answers to tricky etiquette questions, negotiating contracts on your behalf and serving as your spokesperson for the entire experience is worth the end result : your beautiful wedding dreams come true.

Real Wedding: Whitney & Paul: A Classy Traditional Wedding

2010-03-12T09:41:00.000-08:00

Whitney & Paul were married on a snowy October day in Mendota, MN. Their ceremony and reception were traditional but very classy. Althought very tratitional, the couple chose to do the "First Look" before the ceremony which through the pictures it looks like they had a lot of fun with. Melissa Oholendt did an awesome job of capturing every little detail of this wedding. Thank you so much Melissa for sharing this wedding with us!

The "First Look"

These earrings were a wedding gift from the Groom...Aww!

Ceremony Location: Historic Church of St. Peter

Reception Location: Commodore Hotel

Hair: Juut Salon, Grand Avenue

Dress: Borrowed (and gorgeous!)

Bridesmaid: J.Crew

Flowers: Market Flowers

Cake / Cupcakes: Lunds & Byerly’s

California March 2010 Bridal Shows

2010-03-11T10:31:00.000-08:00

Thought I would put together a list of Bridal Shows In March for all those California brides getting ready to start planning their wedding. Happy Planning!!

The Great Bridal Expo

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Show Time : 12.00pm - 4.00pm

Location: Westin San Francisco

1 Old Bayshore Highway

San Francisco (Millbrae) CA 94030

The Great Bridal Expo

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Show Time : 12.00pm - 4.00pm

Location: Fairmont Hotel San Jose

170 South Market Street

San Jose CA 95113

Festival of Brides, The Upscale Bridal Show

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Show Time: 11:00am-5:00pm

Location: Millennium Biltmore Hotel

The Crystal Ballroom

506 South Grand Avenue

Los Angeles, CA 90071

Festival of Brides, The Upscale Bridal Show

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Show Time: 11:00am-4:00pm

Location: Montage Beverly Hills

225 North Canon Drive

Beverly Hills, CA 90210

Bridal Showplace

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Show Time : 11.00am - 4.00pm

Location: Sheraton Cerritos Hotel

12725 Center Court Drive

Cerritos CA 90703

Sacramento Kings Brides & Basketball

Monday, March 22, 2010

Show Time : 6.00pm - 9.00pm

Location: Sacramento Kings Arco Arena

1 Sports Pkwy.

Sacramento CA 95834

Inspiration Board: Purple Combinations

2010-03-11T09:01:00.000-08:00

It seems like purple is going to be a very popular color this wedding season so I thought I would put together some different purple color combinations for inspiration. My favorite are the shoes! Hope you enjoy!

Photos: The Knot

Vendor Spotlight: Lake Tahoe Vacation Homes

2010-03-10T21:42:00.000-08:00

World Class Property Management, Inc. has a wide variety of South Lake Tahoe vacation homes for all of your shower, bachelor/bachelorette parties, weddings, and honeymoons! Feel free to check out their site World Class Property Management, Inc. for full details of all the houses.

Brides On A Budget!

2010-03-08T14:51:00.000-08:00

Hello to all you brides trying to stay within your budget!

I thought I would share some budget friendly tips that helped me and other fellow brides stay within out budgets for our BIG day. These are just a few so feel free to share your tips as well.

-Use a local flower warehouse
-Have a lunch reception instead of dinner time reception
-Never be afraid to NIGOTIATE with your vendors. The worst answer will be no but at least you tried!
-If the time allows, shop around before making quick purchases. This will help for your dress, invitations, wedding party gifts, etc.
-Have food stations for your meal instead of a plated sit down meal
-Keeping your wedding party small with help with wedding party expenses and stress!
-Figure out what elements of you wedding are most important and spend the extra money there
-Having your wedding on a Thursday, Friday, or Saturday can save a ton of money off not only the ceremony & reception site but some of your other vendor as well. Make sure to ask about these discounts
-DIY projects can save you a lot of money because you can make only the amount you need rather than buying in large quantities, works great for favors, invitations, menus, place cards, table numbers, etc.
-Having a candy bar for the favors can save a huge amount of money as well as guest can take the "favor" if they wish therefore, cutting down on wasted premade favors
-Wedding cupcakes instead of wedding cake can be less expensive but also may allow you to save on that pesky "cake cutting fee" reception sites charge

Happy Planning!

Lisa

New Blog Voice

2010-03-08T14:31:00.000-08:00

So I have been feeling that I need some structure to my blog so I have decided to dedicate specific post topics to specific days of the week. I think this will not only help me with a better direction to my blog but also to my readers so they know what to expect. I also feel that this structure will help me stay on track and be 100% dedicated to this blog! I have started out with 4 posts a week and if I find I have more to blog about I will have to add a few more days :)

SO here it is:

Monday: Planning Advice/Tips
Wednesday: Vendor Spotlight
Thursday: Inspiration Boards
Friday: Real Weddings Inspiration

Real Weddings: Andrea & Dan: A Beautiful St. George Island Wedding

2010-03-03T01:52:00.000-08:00

David and Jessica of Beach Bum Photography did an amazing job of capturing Andrea & Dan's May 2, 2009 St. George Island, FL beach wedding. The couple looked so happy and relaxed enjoying their beach front ceremony and reception. Hope you enjoy!

My favorite picture below! Aren't they just a naturally beautiful couple??

Ceremony & Reception - St. George Island (Aisle of Palms)
Caterer - My Caterer
DJ - GT Entertainment
Flowers - Seahorse Gifts & Florist

Real Weddings: Adrian & Melissa: Bridal Portriats

2010-02-26T14:49:00.000-08:00

Also wanted to show you Adrian & Melissa's bridal portriats by Jaquilyn Shumate Photography. Stunning work!

This is such a great picture! Love how they look like they are running away together!

Custom Cake Toppers!

2010-02-25T20:23:00.000-08:00

Christina of I Do Cake Topper's is amazing at what she does!

Now you can have a cake topper of you as newlyweds. Christina handcrafts these custom cake toppers to look just like the person. You have to visit her site I Do Cake Toppers to see just how amazing her work truly is. These cake toppers look just like the couple!

Pictures: I Do Cake Toppers

Real Wedding: Adrian & Melissa: A Quaint Washington Wedding

2010-02-25T15:58:00.000-08:00

Adrian and Melissa were married July 17, 2009 in The Orting Manor, a gorgeous Victorian-style venue in downtown Orting Washington. Jaquilyn Shumate of Jaquilyn Shumate Photography did an AMAZING job of caputring their day. She remarked that is was a super hot day but the bride and groom kept their cool all day long. Hope you enjoy!

WEDification Event, Destin, FL

2010-02-25T00:29:00.000-08:00

WEDification is a weekend long event about all things wedding. This huge event is designed to help the newly engaged make their wedding day as memorable and flawless as possible. At this event you will get a chance to see everything that is out there for 2010. You will also be able to meet with amazing wedding vendors from all over the area.

WEDification, Destin FL
Start time: Friday March 12, 2010 at 5:00 PM - Central Time
End time: Saturday March 13, 2010 at 11:00 PM - Central Time
Where: Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa, 4000 S Sandestin Blvd, Destin, FL 32550

You can check out their website for more information: http://wedification.com/

Happy Planning!

Favor Ideas I Love!!

2010-02-24T16:29:00.000-08:00

Hope you enjoy the favor inspiration board. I love favors in general because there are so many great ideas but I personally feel that they should be something that your guests can really use. Let's face it; wedding favors can be very costly depending on the size of your guest list. Why give them something that might go to waste?

At my wedding we decided to have "G" shaped cookies for out last name and a candy bar. The candy bar concept has become very popular in the last few years and still is. It is a great idea because you can tie in your colors and your guests can take what they like. The candy bar and other edible favors are great because they are usually a little less expensive and won't go to waste because you know someone will eat them!

I also like the other ideas below such as flip flops in your colors, fans, etc. because not only do they tie into your wedding but they can be used right then and there.

Happy Planning!

Lisa

Photos from: TheKnot.com

Your Engaged!!!

2010-02-19T00:30:00.000-08:00

Congrats to you!! Now what...

After the excitement calms a little bit it is time to start thinking about the date for you BIG DAY! Start thinking about the time of year you would like to get married along with whether you are interested in having an indoor or outdoor wedding. Keeping these things in mind will help you narrow down your date and venue location right off the bat. I thought it would be super helpful to post a wedding planning "To Do" checklist. This is a good guideline to follow in you future planning. I will be posting some more timelines & checklists for other very important wedding related events. Happy Planning!

9 - 12 Months

* Announce engagement to family & friends
* Arrange for formal engagement photograph
* Shop for engagement ring
* Set wedding date & time
* Set up wedding budget you can live with
* Decide who is contributing what financially
* Hire wedding consultant if you plan to use one
* Select your wedding attendants
* Decide style and color scheme of wedding
* Reserve wedding and reception sites
* Determine size of wedding guest list
* Start compiling guest list addresses
* Choose your gown, veil & accessaries
* Select your bridesmaids outfits
* Begin researching your honeymoon
* Buy a memory album & start your personal journal
* Meet with officient to discuss pre-marital counseling and the wedding service
* Select photographer, videographer, DJ or band, florist, caterer, emcee and schedule planning meetings

6 - 8 Months

* Begin any required pre-marital counseling
* Discuss wedding vows
* Order your bridal gown & confirm delivery date
* Order headpiece & other accessories
* Order bridesmaids dresses & accessories
* Research invitation styles
* Finalize invitation wording
* Decide on necessary invitation inserts
* Reserve all rental equipment (tents, chairs, etc)
* Decide on reception decorations
* Begin researching wedding cake designers
* Discuss & reserve wedding transportation
* Register for wedding gifts
* Keep a careful record of all gifts received
* Write thank you notes immediately
* Finalize honeymoon plans & make any deposits
* Order invitations, inserts, announcements, thank you notes, napkins, reception place cards, etc (Proof read !!)

4-5 Months

* Shop for wedding rings
* Complete guest list
* Plan ceremony decorations
* Make final arrangements for ceremony including readings
* Meet with organist/soloist to select music for ceremony
* Have mothers coordinate and select their dresses
* Reserve mens formal wear
* Pick up printed invitations (proof read again !!)
* Address invitations & announcements
* Make or buy favors for guests
* Arrange for guest parking at ceremony & reception site
* Finalize menu & confirm all details with caterer
* Order cake & cake topper
* Select flowers for bridal party
* Select flowers for ceremony & reception
* Check requirements for getting a marriage license in your state
* Finalize living arrangements for your new life
* Discuss whether or not to have a prenuptial agreement
* Plan rehearsal dinner
* Research passport & visa requirements
* Write thank you notes immediately

3 Months

* Coordinate accommodations for out of town guests
* Review ceremony with officiant
* Select ceremony music
* If using personalized wedding vows, begin writing them now
* Schedule first bridal gown fitting
* Schedule first bridesmaids gown fitting
* Shop for bridal lingerie
* Experiment with makeup & hair styles
* Make all hair, nail & makeup appointments
* Make sure all attire for flower girl & ring bearer has been ordered
* Discuss reception traditions you plan on using
* Order table numbers & menu cards for reception
* Consider taking dance lessons if desired
* Finalize plans for wedding rehearsal & rehearsal dinner
* Shop for honeymoon clothes
* Obtain all passport & visa requirements
* Write thank you notes immediately
* Have all accessories...toasting glasses, garter, ring pillow, candles, guestbook/Pen, etc

2 Months

* Pick up wedding rings
* Finalize ceremony specifics with officiant including music
* Select responsible person to handle guestbook
* Schedule dress fittings
* Assemble directions & accommodation cards for out of town guests
* Mail invitations
* Design & print wedding programs if using
* Confirm all reception details
* Give invited head count to caterer & review details
* Finalize all details with florist & entertainment
* Finalize music selections
* Confirm details with photographer & videographer
* Write thank you notes immediately
* Plan bridesmaid's party
* Draw up any prenuptial agreement
* Make rehearsal arrangements

1 Month

* Buy gifts for attendants
* Arrange for final gown fittings
* Begin breaking in bridal footwear
* Mail announcements
* Give all musicians list of music to be played
* Have your formal bridal portrait taken
* Give photographer list of photographs you would like taken
* Finalize wedding transporation arrangements
* Write thank you notes immediately
* Host bridesmaids party
* Complete all physical & dental appointments
* Get blood test & marriage license
* Get necessary forms for your name change
* Buy gift for your fiance, if you are exchanging gifts

2 Weeks

* Contact invited guests who have not responded
* Confirm that all vendors received necessary payments
* Prepare any wedding toasts
* Plan seating arrangements for reception
* Designate reliable person to be in charge of gifts brought to reception
* Give final counts to caterer and review all details
* Confirm delivery arrangements with baker
* Write thank you notes immediately
* Attend bachelor/bachlorette party
* Confirm honeymoon arrangements and start packing
* Get traveler's checks for your honeymoon
* Confirm hotel reservations for the night of your wedding. Guarantee late arrivals
* Mail wedding announcements to the newspapers

1 Week

* Go over special seating arrangements with ushers
* Pick up wedding gown
* Pick up bridesmaids dresses
* Pick up grooms attire
* Make sure you have all wedding attire & it fits
* Write thank you notes immediately
* Arrange for gifts brought to your reception to be delivered to your new home
* Make sure you have your marriage license
* Have wedding rehearsal & rehearsal dinner
* Provide transportation company with written wedding day itinerary including addresses
* Provide entire wedding party with written wedding day itinerary including addresses

On Your Wedding Day

* Be sure you eat something before everything starts
* Do hair and nails at least 3 hours before ceremony
* Allow plenty of time to apply your makeup
* Give your honor attendants your wedding rings
* Have programs delivered to the church
* Assign someone to transport flower arrangements from the church to the reception
* Be sure best man has the soloist's fee, tips for the officiant's assistants, as well as payment for the organist and DJ or band
* Have all accessories together
* Girls begin dressing about 1-1/2 - 2 hours before ceremony...especially if you are having a photographer arrive before ceremony. If bridesmaids getting ready elsewhere, have them arrive a minimum of 1 hour before leaving for ceremony
* Don't forget to bring marriage license to ceremony

* Relax & Have A GREAT Time

~Beautiful Engagement Rings~

2010-02-18T22:40:00.000-08:00

Here is some beautiful BLING! There are so many beautiful engagement rings out there that is was hard to just choose a few. Show me yours!! :)

Wedding & Honeymoon Lingerie!

2010-02-18T15:39:00.000-08:00

Don't forget that you need to get something special for your wedding day along with your honeymoon! There are some great items on here and a lot of SALE items as well. :) Happy Shopping!

P.S. Great items for your B-Pics too!

Wedding & Honeymoon Transportation

2010-02-18T14:58:00.000-08:00

With all of your guests coming in from out of town thye may just need a rental car to get around. It is always nice to be able to provide your guests with money saving ideas since attending a wedding, especially an out of town wedding can be costly. Also, you may beed a rental car on your honeymoon. Here is a discount like for Hertz that just might help! :)

http://link.hertz.com/link.html?id=17184&LinkType=HZLK&TargetType=Homepage

Beautiful Wedding Dresses For 2010!

2010-02-18T12:31:00.001-08:00

Vineyard Collection Dress
Prascilla of Boston Dress
Prascilla of Boston Dress
Peter Langner Dress
Monique Lhuillier Dress
Jim Hjeim Dress
Jacquelin Exclusive Dress
Casablanca Bridal Dress
Alfred Angelo Dress

2010 is all about details, details, details! Whether you dress is traditional, form-fitting, or princess like, there will be lots of detail involved.

These are just a few of the beautiful dresses I came across that are out for the 2010season! Let me know what you think.

White Flowers

2010-02-18T12:25:00.000-08:00

Here are some white bouquets that I thought were great. Some are very classic and others have a little accent color.

Cake Trends For 2010

2010-02-18T12:19:00.000-08:00

The cake trends for 2010 are very bold and elegant. There will be a lot of artistic definition and use of color. The theme of your wedding can really be tied in with these new cake ideas. Take a look at some of the beautiful ideas I liked.