Planned to Perfection's Blog

Creative Food Presentation: Lolli-Pies

2010-08-18T09:20:00.001-07:00

I have been doing some research lately on creative, fun and interesting food presentations and I came across this article from Catersource Magazine. What a fun treat Lolli-Pies!

Not only is this an interesting presentation, but what a handy way to serve. When planning your events you want to consider how your guests will be dining... Sit Down Dinner... Action Stations... Cocktail Reception...

If you are having cocktails and hors d'oeuvres then you definitely want to make sure that the menu includes items that are easy to handle, they are bite sized and definitely not too messy! I remember attending a networking meeting and the menu offerings were not the easiest to handle, one of my first bites resulted in a dollop of goo all over the front of me! Gggrrrr! Off to the ladies room and to think, me without my emergency kit... Needless to say, I didn't partake of any more hors d'oeuvres that evening and I was not a happy camper!

When most people think of pie, they only think of sweet morsels of fruity goodness, BUT this presentation could also be used for a savory hors d'oeuvres... Think down home comfort foods, like chicken pot pie or how about a little pot roast... Mmmm! My advice, just ask your caterer to make sure the gravy is nice and thick, otherwise, you may have a not so happy guest!

Of course, these lolli-pies can also be used as a favor. Just invite your bridal party and the moms over for a few hours of baking, place in cellophone bag and wrap with a little color coordinated ribbon. Voila! A tasty treat for your guests to take home! I see these as favors for a bride that loves to bake or how about a southern/country themed wedding... Edibles are always your best option, after all you don't want to end up with a handful of trinkets afterwards, Lord knows I pick up enough of these at the end of quite a few weddings!

If you'd like some more ideas for infusing some interest into your event menu, take a look at this article, featuring an extremely creative caterer's commitment to making a healthcare event truly a culinary experience.

The moral of the story, delight your guests and make food fun and interesting to eat!

All the best & 'til next time,

C & A - Decor & Details

2010-07-14T12:56:00.000-07:00

We recently helped an amazing couple with their "at home" wedding. Although the festivities took place in the bride's parents' backyard, I hesitate to call it a backyard wedding. I think the stigma surrounding a "backyard wedding" really doesn't do this wedding & reception any justice at all! Now, the bride and groom are a very private couple and asked that we respect their privacy and remain anonymous, so there aren't any photos of the happy couple (sorry a pic of their hands, is about all your gonna get!), just the decor and details.

With only about 12 weeks to the wedding, this extremely busy and slighly overwhelmed couple needed some assistance. They had a vision, a venue and the bride's gown and that was just about it. The bride had thrown plenty of parties at her parent's home, lots of celebrations at the country club that she grew up in, but she definitely wanted something different to WOW her family and friends. So, we got to work and here are the results.

Getting Ready...

As the ceremony time approaches, the groom sends over a gift for his bride...

The simple, chic lounge setting and an all white dance floor complete with a gobo reflecting the custom monogram all provided by TriRentals...

The absolutely amazing cakes were created by Barb from Let Them Eat Cake AND, in case you were wondering the life-size fireman's helmet is the groom's cake... Barb always does such a great job! Oh and they taste good too...

All of the floral arrangements and bouquets were all designed by William Pailey from Artististic Surroundings

The stationery and custom monogram was designed by Erin with Be In Love Designs...

To see a few additional photos from this fabulous wedding and others, visit our photo albums page on Facebook.

In case you missed a few of the links and references above, here is a listing of all of the wonderful vendors. I'd like to thank each and every vendor that put their unique touch on this fabulous wedding, without their expertise, I couldn't do, what I do and that is... make your day as stress free and enjoyable as possible.

Photography - Reeves Photography

Cake - Let Them Eat Cake

Caterer - All About Catering

DJ - Citron Sound

Floral - Artistic Surroundings

Stylist - Michael Spears

Make Up Artist - Kensington Makeup

Officiant - Scott Carter

Rentals - Tri Rentals

Stationery - Be in Love Designs

Transportation - Mariposa Limousine

Valet - American Valet

Videography - Reeves Photography

All the best & 'til next time,

In the Media - "Bring Your Man into the Plan"

2010-06-21T22:37:00.000-07:00

I am really excited, I just received the newest Arizona's Finest Wedding Sites & Services Magazine and once again, we're in the media.

If you've picked up the magazine, check out page 85, "Bring Your Man into the Plan". The articles speaks to the changing role of the groom in the wedding planning process. In the last several years, I have seen a huge increase in the guys getting involved, attending vendor meetings, speaking up about what they want and simply put, having a much larger impact on the wedding celebration.

Have you noticed the trend? I'd love to know your take on the guys and their involvement.

All the best & 'til next time,

Feeling the Love from Jennifer & Mike

2010-05-04T17:53:00.000-07:00

Meet Jennifer & Mike Dow, married on April 10th in an intimate ceremony.

At our first meeting, I learned that Jen & Mike had recently moved to Phoenix from Michigan, not having any family locally and not being familiar with the area, Jen needed the assistance of a wedding planner.

At first I thought this would be tough, you see Jen & Mike were only expecting 16-18 close family members all flying in from Michigan & North Carolina, my concern was a small group feeling lost at a hotel or resort. When I asked her what she envisioned, she mentioned a Morning Ceremony... Brunch Reception... Garden Setting... Trees... Gazebo... Natural Beauty... and when I asked her to tell me what she wanted it to "feel" like, she said "...like I'm getting married in my Grandmother's backyard".

Done! I had THE venue in mind, but only one date would do, 4/10/10, they would not budge... Inside, I was anxious as I called to check on their availability, Woo Hoo! Virginia's House was available! We made an appointment for the tour a couple days later.

From the moment Jen & Mike walked in, they were in love with the venue and Jen was absolutely giddy! I knew it was the perfect location, everything that Jen mentioned was checked off the list, and to my delight, their guests wouldn't feel lost...

Jen & Mike were so pleased with the outcome this is what they had to say about me (blushing...):

"The services provided by Sherri made our vision of the perfect wedding come true. Sherri helped us choose the perfect location for our wedding and found vendors that would suit our needs on our wedding day. Sherri was always flexible with meetings, willing to offer suggestions and help fill in the blanks with wonderful, creative and budget friendly ideas. I'm so glad that we found Sherri, our day wouldn't have been the same without her!"

I'm so happy for Jen & Mike, they are the most adorable couple, they will hold a special place in my heart for years to come!

Congratulations, Mr. & Mrs. Michael Dow!

All the best & 'til next time,

Happy St. Patty's Day - DIY Project

2010-03-17T12:42:00.000-07:00

In honor of St. Patrick's Day I went in search of some wedding inspiration. I wanted to find something along the lines of green, whether it be the color green or eco friendly "green", didn't really matter I was on the lookout... Anyway, I came across this DIY Project on Style Me Pretty. Oh, how I can get lost on this blog for hours, upon hours, upon hours... Oops, oh yes back to it!

Anyway... When it comes to wedding favors, the absolute best option would be an edible favor and this little gift of Irish Cream would be perfect for the St. Patrick's Day wedding or if you wanted to infuse a little of your Irish culture into your wedding... you know add some personality!

So check out all the deets courtesy of Style Me Pretty...

Have fun and wishing you the luck of the Irish!

All the best & 'til next time,

Bridal Bouquet - What style is right for you?

2010-03-15T13:56:00.000-07:00

Bouquets just like the bride's gown come in a variety of designs, shapes and sizes, each having it's own personality. As a bride you need to think of your bouquet is an accessory to your wedding day attire. When visiting with your floral designer be sure to keep your wedding gown's style, color and embellishments in mind when speaking about the design of your bouquet. If you have a favorite flower, mention that to your florist, consider bringing along photos clipped from a magazine for design inspiration. If possible, be sure to bring along a photo and fabric swatch of your gown to your first consultation, this will give the florist a clearer picture of your personal style.

Classic Hand-Tied Bouquet - This style bouquet is by far one of the most popular types of bridal bouquets. Consisting of either a single flower variety for impact or a grouping of flowers arranged for a more "just picked from the garden" feel, the stems are stripped of all foliage and tied with a ribbon, leaving the stems exposed. The advantage to this type of bouquet for brides here in Arizona is the extreme heat can quickly ruin the most beautiful bouquet. With the stems exposed your bouquet can be left in a vase of water, keeping your flowers hydrated for as long as possible.

With hand-tieds being the most popular bouquet, if you would like to add a little flair, speak with your florist about adding some interest to your bouquet by adding feathers, crystals, a unique stem wrap, brooch or buckle to your stems as showcased in this head turner created by Tamara at Petal Pushers. Isn't it gorgeous!

Cascade Bouquet - This style bouquet may also be referred to as a waterfall, teardrop or trail bouquet. The flowers are arranged in a hand held base, rounder at the

top and gracefully "spilling" out over the bride's hands and downward to a point.

Made popular in the 1920's these bouquets could be quite large! Fortunately, today's cascade bouquets have taken on a more sophisticated and stylized version.

This cascade bouquet was designed by Jacque Dearing, owner of Endearing Floral Design. Consisting of a variety of colors, the flowers along with that touch of ivy, gave our bride the traditional bouquet she dreamed of.

Arm Sheaf or Presentation Bouquet - Typically seen in a more modern styled wedding, this type of bouquet is comprised of long stemmed flowers and is cradled in the arm. The most popular flower for a presentation bouquet, would be the very elegant Calla Lily as seen here in this beautiful bouquet designed by Shawna & Kevin Reed of Your Event Florist. This bouquet paired with a sheath gown, chandelier earrings and you have an absolutely stunning ensemble!

Posy Bouquet - A small, rounded bouquet, that can easily be held in one hand. The posy typically consists of smaller flowers that can be wired or tied tightly together by their stems and then wrapped with a ribbon.

This simple, yet elegant bouquet of Lily of the Valley was created by Artistic Surroundings. If Lily of the Valley is one of your favorites, this is the perfect bouquet style for you. This flower is very fragrant and somewhat on the pricey side. But you know what they say about good things come in small packages!

Although, this style of bouquet is not quite as popular for the bride, it is gaining in popularity for the Mothers of the Bride and Groom, who do not want to wear a corsage.

We've only talked about a few of the different styles of wedding bouquets, if you are wanting something different from the norm, ask your floral designer about a beidermeier or a crescent bouquet, if you are having a winter wedding, check into a muff bouquet or for the princess bride ask about a sceptor bouquet.

Whatever your choice, be sure your bridal bouquet not only complements your gown but be sure it reflects your personality.

What style bouquet are you incorporating into your wedding day ensemble?

All the best & 'til next time,

Wedding Inspiration Board: Purple Passion

2010-03-12T20:32:00.000-08:00

One of the hottest colors for 2010 is purple, its a color that can be used no matter what the season. In the spring and summer use shades of lilac and lavender, in the fall and winter use the deeper, more regal tones of eggplant, plum, and royal purple. Compliment that with silver tones and you have a winning color combination.

Now the trick to using any of the cool colors such as purples and blues is to have plenty of lighting. In low light situations, the eye has difficulty distinguishing the colors and your deeper purples may appear black and the lighter tones may appear gray, so be sure to include a professional lighting package to your decor budget.

What colors are you incorporating into your wedding?

All the best & 'til next time,

Maggie Sottero Trunk Show

2010-03-09T21:05:00.000-08:00

Call, text or tweet your besties, because beginning this Friday, March 12th Suzanne's Bridal Boutique is hosting a trunk show showcasing current season gowns from Maggie Sottero®.

In case you aren't familiar with a trunk show, they are exciting events where authorized retailers present a designer's latest styles. This isn't a show you're going to want to miss! Appointments fill very fast.. don't miss out on your chance to try on that Maggie Sottero gown you've been dreaming of.

Call now for an appointment: (480) 926-9106.

The show runs:
Friday, March 12, 2010 at 10:00am
through
Sunday, March 14, 2010 at 4:00pm

Suzanne's Bridal Boutique is located at:
645 N. Gilbert Rd.

Gilbert, AZ 85234

An added perk of the trunk show... you'll save 10% on select Maggie Sottero gowns paid in full during the show, if you have any questions be sure to call them at (480) 926-9106 for complete details!

Have fun and good luck finding that once in a lifetime gown!

All the best & 'til next time,

Our Readers Want to Know: Describe your ideal wedding (to plan of course!)

2010-03-09T05:09:00.001-08:00

That is a good question and one that I ask all of my clients. Sometimes they know exactly what they want and other times they have no clue and we have to dig in and find out who they are as a couple. But for me the ideal wedding to plan would be a celebration that completely reflects the couple's personality, style, family traditions... you name it from the vows that are said to the last dance of the night... As the guests are leaving, I want to hear... "that was so them!"

Ask me anything... Well, almost anything

All the best & 'til next time,

Oh Boy!!! Have we been busy...

2010-02-16T16:52:00.000-08:00

We've been busy, busy, busy... So, I'll be giving you a summary of the last couple of months here in the next couple of posts.

Right after Shannon & Clay's wedding, we had a huge event for Halloween... along with running Planned to Perfection, I am also the Special Events Director for Ridgeline Church. We transformed the park in Cortessa into a carnival, complete with games and inflatables for the little ones, a "Rock Band" Stage and paint ball range for the teens and tons of CANDY!!! We offer a safe alternative to trick or treating door to door. This was our second year, we had close to 80 volunteers pull this event off for over 1200 attendees. It took months of planning, organizing, building, painting, marketing and a little smoozing to get the number of volunteers needed. Just before we opened the gates, I muttered "I'm never doing this again", with less than 20 hours of sleep that entire week before the event, I was ready to hand over the reigns to another committee member, I was exhausted...

But by the end of the night I was exhilerated, a renewed spirit, I was functioning on pure adrenalin, seeing all of our hard work come to fruition. The event turned out better than anyone could have imagined. The community really appreciated it, the results were phenomenal! After seeing all of the kids smiling faces and their parents thanking us for the safe, fun, well lit environment, I was ready to do it all over again. I went back to my office, made my post event notes and we'll be gearing up in a few more months to do it all again!

Check out the video...

All the best & 'til next time,

It's Wedding Day...

2009-10-24T12:57:00.001-07:00

It's wedding day for Shannon & Clay, they will be celebrating their nuptials at the Buttes Resort in Tempe.

Tracy Kreck from Photographic Passions did their e-session as well as will be our photographer for today. I can't wait to see this wedding thru her lens.

Well off to the festivities!

All the best & 'til next time,

Upcoming Bridal Shows in the Phoenix Area this Week...

2009-10-02T12:59:00.001-07:00

We've got a busy, busy week ahead with bridal shows here in the valley, check out:

Phoenix Bridal Show
Sunday, October 4th
10am to 3pm
Cardinals Stadium

East Valley Bridal Affair™
Sunday, October 4th
11am-4pm
The Windemere Hotel and Conference Center
5750 E. Main Street
Mesa, AZ 85205

OR Plan ahead for next week…..

Tre Bella Open House
119 W. Main Street
Mesa,AZ 85201
Wednesday, October 7th
6:30pm-8:30pm
For more information call (480) 677-1387

Please RSVP by Monday October 5, 2009. Come and tour our beautiful venue and enjoy cocktail and hors d'oeuvres.

Here are some tips for attending a bridal show:

Register and purchase your tickets before the show in order to save a few $$$
Wear comfy shoes, resist the urge to wear your cutest and go for the comfort factor
Bring along a few friends or close family members, not the entire bridal party, you want to have the opportunity to chat with the vendors in order to get a feel for their personality and style (you get to see the vendors after a long day on their feet, possibly a rough load in and set up and with a lot of people up in their grill - potentially similar to the conditions on your wedding day - how do they present themselves?)
Bring along a larger tote bag - of course you will most likely get the standard paper bag at the door or from one of the tuxedo rental companies, but often these tear after being loaded down with all of the marketing material you will pick up and the handles can seriously cut into your hands after a while!
Come prepared with labels that include your Name, wedding date, complete address and e-mail address
Bring along a pen and note pad, as well as post it notes, if you see a florist's designs that you like or taste a wonderful cake, make a note or put a post it on that vendor's brochure, that way when you get home and you are perusing the mounds of postcards and flyers you will be reminded of your likes and dislikes
Don't bring along your checkbook - I know every vendor is probably going to hate me for this one, but as a wedding consultant I want you to make sure that you are choosing the right vendors for your wedding. Take the time after the show to visit with a few vendors from each category, check out their websites, ask around and educate yourself on each vendors offerings and qualifications before signing on the dotted line.

If you want to stop by and say "Hi", I will be camped out in the Arizona's Finest Wedding Sites & Services booth on Sunday, October 4th at the Phoenix Bridal Show, helping Terri hand out some magazines. I also hope to catch the open house at Tre Bella on Wednesday evening, hope to see you somtime this week!

All the best & 'til next time,

Profound Words...

2009-08-22T23:35:00.000-07:00

Freakin' Fabulous Friday - Soup

2009-08-21T12:14:00.000-07:00

Well we are almost to the end of our dining etiquette portion of our Freakin' Fabulous Fridays series, where we are highlighting some of the key points from Clinton Kelly's book Freakin' Fabulous.

Next on the menu, SOUP!

First tip: Hold your soupspoon, with the handle resting on the tops of your fingers and held in place with your thumb, NOT with all fingers grasped around like you were holding a baseball bat. Now you probably wonder why I would mention that??? And the answer is - because I have seen it done!

Secondly: Next the spoon enters the bowl closest to you, scooping away from you. You then sip (NOT slurp - that tip is from the Mom in me, sorry! Once a Mom, always a Mom) from the side of the spoon. Lather, rinse, repeat - oops wrong lesson. Anway repeat the process until the soup is gone.

Third Tip: If you want to get every last drop (BTW totally acceptable and a huge compliment to the host/hostess/chef) you will tip the bowl away from and scoop up the last tasty drop.

Lastly: If your soup is served in a soup plate (a very wide rimmed, shallow bowl with a plate underneath - typically used at a formal dinner) it is acceptable to leave the spoon resting in the bowl as it would be difficult to place the spoon on the plate underneath. If you are at a luncheon where a soup bowl is used when you have finished this course, you would rest the spoon on the plate below.

So, now that you have been following along for a few weeks, Are you feeling more confident and Fabulous?

All the best & 'til next time,

Featured Resource:

Paloma Blanca Trunk Show

2009-08-20T23:06:00.000-07:00

Paloma Blanca has been servicing brides since 1937, offering expert fit, high quality fabrications, and attention to detail. Each of their gowns show their long-standing commitment to providing each bride with her dream dress. Visit Destiny's Bride and view the newest collection from this design house as they begin their first ever trunk show season.

This event is by appointment only.

Where:
Destiny's Bride
6166 N Scottsdale Rd.
Suite 609
Scottsdale AZ 85253

When:
Aug 28, 2009 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
(3 day event)

All the best & 'til next time,

Lora & Dane's Black & White Damask Wedding - Part 3 "The DIY Details"

2009-08-19T10:25:00.000-07:00

Lora was such a crafty bride, there were so many DIY projects that I needed to devote an entire blog entry to cover all of them. So I am going to keep the boring words to a minumum and let you enjoy all of the details that made their wedding a personal labor of love. As with Part 1 "The Ceremony" and Part 2 "The Reception", all of the photos are courtesy of Michelle Meyer Photography, she did such an amazing job of catching all of the little details. Thanks Michelle it was such a pleasure working with you!

The ring bearer's bow tie and pillow.

The garters & her own bouquet.

Dane's tie, all of the boutonierres and corsages. Lora also painted the damask design on the black tub that contained their personalized water bottles.

This is probably my favorite of all the details that Lora incorporated, instead of a plain index card, she even included the damask motif and the words "I Do" on the cards that contained their personalized vows.

The fan ceremony programs and all of the table runners.

If she didn't paint the damask motif on one of the candles, she embellished it with ribbon. Lora even made her own veil which she removed after the ceremony and replaced it with her DIY fascinator and I'm sure saved a bundle on that little number alone.

I have to admit when Lora told me in our initial meeting that she was making a lot of the décor herself, I cringed just a bit. You see sometimes when brides take on so many of these details and DIY projects, they occasionally will get stressed, not finish and have a meltdown as the day appoaches. But that was not the case and to my delight everything turned out amazing. It was like Christmas morning as I opened box after box of all of the decor items! If she wasn't going to Med School, I would probably try to hire her to help out around here, she truly made their wedding gorgeous with all of the details.

I'm gonna miss you Lora & Dane, good luck to both of you in Med School and I wish you all the blessings this life has to offer!

All the best & 'til next time,

Lora & Dane's Black & White Damask Wedding - Part 2 "The Reception"

2009-08-18T14:53:00.000-07:00

Well we are continuing with Lora & Dane's June 12th wedding celebration, if you haven't already read it, check out Part 1 "The Ceremony".

They started off their reception with all of the customary special dances on the black and white dance floor. Everyone loved that it was a welcome departure from the dated parquet dance floor, a BIG impact for just a few dollars more.

Here is Lora with her Dad, Tom, they had some really special moments just the two of them, both on the walk down the aisle as well as during their dance to Rascal Flatt's "My Wish". In fact, I found myself needing to go find something else to attend to, as I started to get a little emotional myself!

Dane and his Mom, Christy, had a little more fun with their dance. I don't think their was an inch of the dance floor that they didn't cover. While the Father-Daughter dance was really touching and emotional, the Mother-Son dance was upbeat, fun and what a way to get the party started!

In order to keep costs down, instead of a full dinner reception they had a dessert reception with all of the goodies you could imagine! Chocolate covered strawberries, fruit & cake kabobs, cream puffs, cheescake bites, chocolate truffles, as well as a family recipe of a frozen Torte that I was told was too die for, not to mention a ton of other sweets. Good thing I was too busy to nosh on some of this delectable goodness, I think I put on 10 pounds just looking at the dessert buffet.

The pièce de résistance was the absolutely gorgeous white & black damask cake provided by Monica with Sugar and Bliss Bakery.

Thanks to Steve with FX Entertainment the dance floor was full the entire night.

To add more entertainment and lots of smiles to the evening's festivities Lora & Dane brought in a photo booth provided by Phoenix Photo Booths. There was a line all night long!

Lora and Dane planned almost everything, she was so organized and made my life so easy. I came in as her Day of Coordinator, but one of the things she was having difficulty finding was a unique form of transportation, they didn't want the standard limo. After chatting with Dane about the slim number of choices of classic cars (especially in the summer), I suggested London Luxury Car and to my delight found out that Dane's family would get a kick out of the choice due to their occasional trips to London. So, the evening finished off with Lora & Dane being chauffered off by none other than Miss Lisa Schifano.

Come back tomorrow, as we feature all of the DIY projects and amazing details that Lora incorporated into her Black & White Damask Wedding!

All the best & 'til next time,

All photos provided by Michelle Meyer Photography.

Lora and Dane's Black and White Damask Wedding - Part 1 "The Ceremony"

2009-08-17T10:24:00.000-07:00

We are going to flashback to June 12th and the wedding celebration of Lora and Dane.

I know, I know wasn't that a while ago? Well, yes it was, I like to make sure I give plenty of time to devote to writing these pieces, after all it is hard to summarize a wedding celebration in just a few words and photos. Plus, I have been swooning over all of Michelle Meyer's photos as well as Lora's DIY fabulousness and contemplating which details to showcase and the answer is a BUNCH!!!

Here is Lora (aka Bean) with Jacob, the ring bearer. They had such an amazing bond, at one point in the evening Jacob told Lora, "Bean, I'm gonna love you no matter how far away you live" OMG - there wasn't a dry eye within ear shot, luckily it was after the ceremony 'cause it took a few minutes for everyone to gain composure and fix their eye makeup, me included!

Instead of traditional bouquets each of the bridemaids carried a beautiful candle. The romantic wedding ceremony was performed by Jerry Law, From this Day Forward and in honor of Dane's Celtic heritage, here the couple is participating in a Hand Fasting Ceremony.

To further capture the theme of the wedding decor, in their wedding invitation, they asked all of their guests to wear black & white, don't they all look sharp!

This silhouette photo is probably one of my favorites, after the ceremony and the group photo (which was a must have for Lora) the lighting was perfect. Lora and Dane headed back up the hill, while their guests settled into the reception and Michelle caught this amazing shot! I just love how the sunlight is peeking thru the trees, as the new Mr. & Mrs. capture a moment to reconnect.

Well that is it for the ceremony, watch for our next couple of posts, as we recap the reception and all the fabulous DIY details (too much for one entry)!

All the best & 'til next time,

Arizona Bridal Week is Coming!

2009-08-16T16:36:00.000-07:00

Arizona Bridal Week has teamed up with the best bridal designers and top local wedding vendors to create a week of events devoted to the brides and grooms-to-be. Events are designed for engaged couples to talk personally with vendors, view high-end runway fashion shows and win numerous give-a-ways all week long.

There are 8 amazing days chocked full of eye candy and wedding planning goodness planned all across the valley, so if you can't attend every event, try to catch one or two in your area.

If you buy a ticket valid for all 8 days you increase your chances of winning a Cornelis Hollander gift certificate valued at $500-$1,000 ! They'll be giving away one gift certificate at each of the 8 events and you must be present to win!

All the best & 'til next time,

East Valley Bridal Show

2009-08-15T12:04:00.000-07:00

If you are still in need of some vendors for your upcoming wedding, there is a new bridal show in town, The East Valley Bridal Show will be held on Sunday, August 16, 2009 from 9 AM - 3 PM at the

Mesa Convention Center
263 N. Center
Mesa, AZ 85201

*FREE PARKING AT THE MESA CONVENTION CENTER*
Please visit the convention center's website for directions

Tickets are available at the door for $10.00 each or in order to save a few bucks purchase tickets on-line for $8.00 and pick them up at Will-Call on the day of the show.

Here are some tips for attending a bridal show:

Register and purchase your tickets before the show in order to save a few $$$
Wear comfy shoes, resist the urge to wear your cutest and go for the comfort factor
Bring along a few friends or close family members, not the entire bridal party, you want to have the opportunity to chat with the vendors in order to get a feel for their personality and style (you get to see the vendors after a long day on their feet, possibly a rough load in and set up and with a lot of people up in their grill - potentially similar to the conditions on your wedding day - how do they present themselves?)
Bring along a larger tote bag - of course you will most likely get the standard paper bag at the door or from one of the tuxedo rental companies, but often these tear after being loaded down with all of the marketing material you will pick up and the handles can seriously cut into your hands after a while!
Come prepared with labels that include your Name, wedding date, complete address and e-mail address
Bring along a pen and note pad, as well as post it notes, if you see a florist's designs that you like or taste a wonderful cake, make a note or put a post it on that vendor's brochure, that way when you get home and you are perusing the mounds of postcards and flyers you will be reminded of your likes and dislikes
Don't bring along your checkbook - I know every vendor is probably going to hate me for this one, but as a wedding consultant I want you to make sure that you are choosing the right vendors for your wedding. Take the time after the show to visit with a few vendors from each category, check out their websites, ask around and educate yourself on each vendors offerings and qualifications before signing on the dotted line.

If you want to stop by and say "Hi" or "Holla", I will be camped out in the Arizona's Finest Wedding Sites & Services booth helping Terri & Suzi hand out magazines and drumming up attendees for next weeks Bridal Tour.

All the best & 'til next time,

Freakin' Fabulous Friday - Patience is a Virtue!

2009-08-14T20:58:00.000-07:00

Wouldn't it just be Freakin' Fabulous if all waiters were as efficient as this guy! Well as much as we could hope and dream that most likely is not the case.

Proper dining etiquette, not to mention just plain old good manners, dictate that when you are at the dining table whether it is at a restaurant or a wedding reception or even the family dinner table, you want to be patient and wait for everyone seated at your table to be served before starting to eat.

If for some reason one of your dining companions has not been served, just wait patiently, if the diner with the absentee meal mentions "Please get started before your food gets cold", assure them that is fine and you can wait. If they become insistent, then eat slowly, you don't want to finish too early, making the last to be served feeling awkward as they are the last to finish eating. Keep the conversation flowing, being careful not to exclaim how delish the food is or that you thought you would starve if you waited a second longer. That would just be RUDE!

So hopefully you have been following along on our journey to a more Fabulous You!

All the best & 'til next time,

Featured Resource:

Independent Wedding Coordinator Or On-Site Coordinator - What's the Difference?

2009-08-13T15:33:00.000-07:00

Many times when I visit a hotel or a wedding venue for a tour of their property, I hear from the on-site coordinators pretty much the same thing... "I am so happy [or excited or pleased] when an independent wedding planner or coordinator is involved." You see many times a couple may misunderstand what the venue's on-site coordinator or on-site liaison's role is. Well rather than tell you myself, you can read for yourself...

This article was written by Natasha Miller, the on-site liaison for Boojum Tree and reprinted with her permission.

There are many times when a bride books a wedding site and misinterprets what the site affiliated coordinator does or is responsible for. The planners that are included with your venues are merely there to assist you with questions that you may have and act as the communicator between vendors the day of the event.

They may go above and beyond for you by helping with the setting up (centerpieces, favors, guest book, and other details like that), getting the bridal party lined up for the processional, moving your gifts and helping with the clean up. This is something that you want to go over with your liaison from your selected wedding site. If they don’t do it, then guess who does… a friend, family member or even worse you! Trust me when I say you do not want that stress the day of your wedding. Give yourself the ability to enjoy and relax that day. So hire a professional coordinator!

A coordinator will work with you in a close partnership for all phases of your wedding. They will guide you through your decisions and help you plan from A to Z. These wonderful professionals will also attend vendor meetings, assist with ordering supplies and contacting vendors. They can keep you calm and organized so you will not stress on the happiest day of your life.

Believe it or not but a wedding coordinator may also be able to save you money. They already know, have worked with and have created a strong relationship with vendors. So they will be able to get the best deals and steer you straight to what you are looking for.

Thank you so much for your insight and information Natasha and remember if you are looking for an absolutely gorgeous venue for your nuptials, be sure to give Natasha a jingle or visit their website!

All the best & 'til next time,

Congratulations Mr. & Mrs. Gutierrez

2009-08-11T13:25:00.000-07:00

On May 16th, Guy & Myriam along with their combined six children by their side, tied the knot at Cibola Vista Resort. When Myriam first called me in March, she had just come from placing her order for their invitations at the mall and with only about 2 months remaining, she was a little stressed at the thought of pulling together the rest of the details. The intimate backyard wedding that they originally started to plan, bloomed into a slightly larger event, but they didn't want to loose the intimacy and coziness of a celebration at home with family and friends.

They had already booked the event lawn at Cibola Vista, ordered their invitations, lined up a band and Myriam had bought her gown, so we just helped to pull together the remaining details and here are the results through the lens of Kate Wall Photography .

Guy & Myriam wanted to include all of the children in their ceremony, so a blended family sand ceremony was planned. Here (photo to the right) is Vanessa, Myriam's oldest daughter, helping Anna, Guy's youngest daughter pour her sand.

The entire family!!!

Here is a closeup of Guy & Myriam enjoying a few minutes to

themselves. You can also see the earrings designed by Lani

McEvers of Customer Jewelry by Lani. You can also read a

previous post to see why Lani was in the Spotlight and why

these earrings were so special, thanks Lani you were a lifesaver!!!

Guy & Myriam only wanted a photographer for the most important part, the ceremony, so we don't have any photos to share of the reception, but trust me, Guy, Myriam and their guests had a blast. They kicked off their shoes and danced late into the night on the soft grass to the tunes of Artifax, a local band from one of their hang out spots. The band belted out tunes from the 70s, 80s and 90s, in fact you could even see some of the resort guests rocking out by the pool as well.

Even though we were smack in the middle of the resort, Guy and Myriam still got the intimate, backyard wedding ambiance they were looking for.

Congratulations, Guy & Myriam, I wish you all the blessings this life has to offer!!!

All the best & 'til next time,

Freakin' Fabulous Friday - Elbows on the Table???

2009-08-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

After a brief hiatus from our weekly series, we're back at it with another little dining tip from Clinton Kelly's book Freakin' Fabulous.

If you're like me you were always taught to keep your elbows off the table while you eat and that is true when food is present. If you are engaging in conversation, before, after or between courses it is acceptable to place your elbow on the table, BUT once food is served your elbows should be down at your sides.

Now I have to admit this one took me a little by surprise, so, I did a little research and went to my fall back Etiquette Queen, Emily Post. It was confirmed by Lizzie Post, the great-great granddaughter and author of How Do You Work This Life Thing? and in her Top Ten Table Manners.

So there you have it another dining tip towards a more fabulous you!

All the best & 'til next time,

Featured Resource:

Jenny Packham Trunk Show at Mariee

2009-07-08T08:46:00.000-07:00

Jenny Packham, one of London's couture bridal designers, will be sending dozens of gowns to Mariee for their customers to see, try, and order from July 23rd thru August 1, 2009.

Ms. Packham's gowns ranging from $1800 - $7000 are known for their ethereal aesthetic and as is customary during a trunk show a 10% discount will be given.

Please be sure to call (480) 946-4343 for an appointment.

Mariee is located at:

The Shops at Gainey Village
8787 N. Scottsdale Rd.
Paradise Valley, Arizona 85253

All the best & 'til next time,

Freakin' Fabulous Friday - The Salt & Pepper

2009-07-03T13:43:00.001-07:00

We are continuing our Friday series based on Clinton Kelly's book "Freakin' Fabulous - How to Dress, Speak, Behave, Eat, Drink, Entertain, Decorate, and Generally Be Better..." Now I don't care for the last three words of the title, but I have to admit that is what caught my eye and caused me to pick up the book in the first place!

So back to it, we have begun our series on dining etiquette and this is a minor point and an easy one to implement...

...the salt and pepper just like the bride and groom on their wedding day, should never be seperated! If your dining partner requests that you pass the salt, be sure to pass them as a pair.

So, there you have it a very simple and easy tip towards becoming a more fabulous you!

All the best & 'til next time,

Featured Resource:

Win an Engagement Session

2009-07-03T12:03:00.000-07:00

This just in... Exciting news from a wonderful friend and super talented wedding photographer Marcia with Marcia, The Art of Photography here in the Scottsdale area!

Freebie Friday - Win An Engagement Session

Ok, spread it around to all your soon to be married friends...It's Freebie Friday!

The first couple to comment on my blog (that is Marcia's Blog) wins an engagement session from Marcia The Art of Photography...now here's the fine print:

Engagement Session location is Scottsdale, AZ only.
Engagement session must be completed by August 15, 2009

What you get:
Pre-Session Consultation
Engagement Session
Viewing Session to select your images
Personal Website 3 Artist Choice watermarked images to use on to share with your family and friends
1 5x7 of your choice.

Book your wedding with us with in one week of viewing and receive a very special bonus.

So there you have it all the deets, now hurry and go comment!

All the best & 'til next time,

It's Wedding Day for Alexandria & Matt

2009-06-27T08:10:00.000-07:00

Today is the big day for our newest couple, Alex (short for Alexandria) & Matt!!!

Alex's mom came to us just a little over 5 weeks ago after moving here from Pennsylvania, a challenge in itself. Matt and Alex live in California and wanted to have their wedding ceremony here in Phoenix. Basically they had the reception venue booked, invitations sent, Alex's gown in process and that was just about it. Needless to say we had some work ahead of us, so we stepped in and helped pull all the pieces together for an intimate and cozy celebration with their family and friends.

Congratulations to you both, we wish you all the blessings this life has to offer!!!

All the best & 'til next time,

Freakin' Fabulous Friday - Formal Place Settings

2009-06-26T21:33:00.000-07:00

Formal place settings can offer up some challenges when you are at an extremely crowded table. So you sit down and the place settings are all crowded together and you just aren't quite sure who's is who's, right??

Well it happened to me, I was at a high brow dinner with a couple of attorneys, a motivational speaker, their wives and a few other assorted guests and I've gotta tell you I was a tad nervous. So as I'm attempting to be on my best behavior and trying to remember all of the rules of dining etiquette, I started to reach for my water glass. Fortunately before my hand came above the edge of the table, I noticed that my glass was half full. What?? How can this be? I hadn't taken a drink yet, in my nervousness did I start to reach for the wrong glass? So I placed my hands back in my lap and then followed the advice that I was given from an etiquette coach.

Taking the tip of each index finger, touch the tip of your thumb, do this for each hand. What you get with your left hand forms the letter "b" for bread and with the right hand forms the letter "d" for drink. (I'd love to share a visual, but it's kind of hard holding the camera and taking a photo of your own hands - Sorry!!!)

So can you picture me with my hands under the table forming the letters with my hands (I know, pause for a little giggle) and sure enough, the guest seated next to me did not know this little tidbit of information and was drinking from my glass instead.

Now that wasn't the only thing my etiquette coach taught me... Another rule of etiquette is to never point out that someone is in error, so I reaaallly needed a sip of water and not wanting to share with my neighbor, who I wasn't extremely familiar with, I whispered to my husband and asked if I could partake of some his water and that I would explain later. He glanced over my way and gave me the little nod, no explanation necessary. Whew, no one was the wiser and I got my drink of water. Oh Happy Day!

This newest tip didn't come from Clinton Kelly and his book Freakin' Fabulous, but I thought that since we had been sharing dining etiquette from his book in our Freakin' Fabulous Friday series, I just had to share my lil' story and yes I giggled too, thinking of me with my hands under the table!!!

So, there you have it another tip towards becoming a more fabulous you!

All the best & 'til next time,

Featured Resource:

Rent Bridal Jewelry for your Wedding Day...

2009-06-23T10:01:00.000-07:00

At Planned to Perfection we are always looking to add service and convenience to our wedding planning services as well as researching new and exciting information to share with our readers.

Hollywood has been renting diamond jewelry for years and now you can feel like the red carpet starlet on your wedding day when you don these exquisite pieces of jewelry to complement your gorgeous wedding gown. Now you can save 10% off the rental of your wedding day jewelry without sacrificing quality through our new partnership with Adorn Brides.

Check out some of their gorgeous baubles, first up the Quinn Earrings - These chic diamond earrings in white gold are the perfect wedding jewelry leasing option to compliment the Quinn Necklace. The two concentric leaf shapes with continuous diamonds also feature three larger diamonds below the post. Valued at $3500.00 you can rent 1.25 TW of these diamond beauties at only $120.00 - Plus use the promo code above and receive a 10% discount!!!

Or how about your Something Borrowed and Something Blue all in one shot with the Beckford necklace. Valued at $45,000.00 this beautiful sapphire (5.79 TW) & diamond (7.98 TW) necklace in white gold features square sapphire accents surrounded by diamonds. The largest sapphire measuring 1/4” is a stunning focal point. A perfect bridal jewelry rental for the bride or mother of the bride at only $1500.00!

Quick. Easy. And absolutely perfect.

Their Guarantee:

We guarantee the stones and metals of all our jewelry are genuine and of the finest quality. Prior to shipment, each piece is professionally inspected and cleaned, so you can feel confident it will shine and sparkle with brilliance.

So, do you want to sport the real thing on your wedding day? Tell us what you think...

All the best & 'til next time,

Share your Proposal and You Could Win a Set of Platinum Wedding Bands...

2009-06-22T14:27:00.000-07:00

We were out in the blogisphere checking out some blogs and came across this new contest via OneWed and wanted to share the "scoop" with our readers:

OneWed is awarding one lucky reader the ultimate prize to get in on the trend of proposing to her man- a pair of hand engraved Platinum wedding bands from jewelry designer Kirk Kara, worth approximately $5,000!

We think our Savvy Scoop readers are the best, and since you and your fiancé will be wearing your wedding rings everyday for the rest of your lives, we want you to have the very best!

If you’re wondering why Platinum is considered the finest precious metal, here’s why:

Color: Unlike white gold, it’s a naturally white metal so the color will never fade.

Strong yet Gentle: It’s the strongest precious metal, so it will stand up to daily wear and tear. Even better, it’s a pure metal, making it hypoallergenic, ideal for the bride or groom with sensitive skin.

Rare: Platinum is 30 times more rare than gold. In fact, it is estimated that if all the mined Platinum in the world was poured into one Olympic-sized swimming pool, it would only be enough to cover your ankles. Gold, on the other hand, would completely fill more than three pools!

Now that you know why it has to be Platinum, let’s have a little fun, shall we?

Tell us in 200 words or less how you would (or will) POP your Platinum Proposal, and you could win his and hers Platinum wedding bands from jewelry designer Kirk Kara. Send your platinum proposal story to savvyscoop@onewed.com before midnight on July 15th. And don't forget, you must register on OneWed.com first, and provide your OneWed username along with your Platinum Proposal story! For full contest details, rules, and guidelines, click HERE!

We would also love, love, love to hear your proposal story, don't let OneWed be the only ones to hear how you popped the question, leave us a comment and tell us your story!

All the best & 'til next time,

Freakin' Fabulous Friday - Bread & Butter

2009-06-19T07:08:00.000-07:00

Oh, the lucious carbs, I don't know about you but I love me some bread!!! Those tasty morsels can satisfy my hunger any day of the week.

Ok, I guess that I should get to our next little dining tip of the week - Proper dining etiquette suggests that you not be the first one to dive into the bread basket. If you want to be the first to partake, you need to first offer some of that goodness to your dining companions. When everyone else has had the opportunity to accept or decline, take a piece for yourself, placing it on your bread plate along with a dollop of butter, using your bread knife. Now don't go and slather the entire piece of bread with butter, I know it looks so good and tasty, but you are going to butter as you go, remember your manners. When you want to take a bite of your bread you need to break off a small portion, usually one or two bites worth, spreading that small portion on your bread plate, not up in the air for all to see and definitely not in the palm of your hand. Once you have delicately spread butter on this small portion, place your knife back on your bread plate. It should rest completely on your bread plate throughout the remainder of the meal and never touch the table again.

So there you have it, one more tip for becoming a more fabulous you!!! As for me, I'm headed to the kitchen for a roll or a biscuit or maybe even a croissant - must have carbs...

All the best & 'til next time,

Featured Resource:

New Series on TNT - Wedding Day

2009-06-16T12:07:00.001-07:00

I am so excited about a new series on TNT that will be an uplifting and encouraging look at some of the obstacles and struggles that some couples experience on their path to the altar. The show will air on Tuesdays at 5 PM here in Arizona and at 7 PM Central Time Zone.

The season premiere begins with Holli & Steve from Saginaw, Michigan. Just four days before his wedding day in 2007, Steve received a call that his bride-to-be, Holli, had been injured in a near-fatal car crash and had only a 50% chance of surviving. After six days in a coma, she finally came to, but everyday since then has been a struggle to withstand the long, painful road to recovery...

Will you be watching this new series??? My advice, pick up an extra box of Kleenex at the grocery store, I know I will...

All the best & 'til next time,

It's Wedding Day for Lora & Dane

2009-06-12T07:16:00.000-07:00

The big day has finally arrived for a very sweet and lovable couple, Lora and Dane. I met Lora the first part of April, Dane was still in Colorado finishing up school before moving here to Phoenix and Lora was looking for a little assistance with some final details and then help on Day of. Lora has been such an organized and extremely crafty bride, she has made my job so easy, I can't wait to see it all come together today.

It has been such an honor working with this couple the last two months, once again I will be sad, when we aren't chatting every couple of days about wedding plans. Oh well, another one married off - Congrats Lora & Dane!!!

All the best & 'til next time,

Vendor Spotlight - Custom Jewelry by Lani

2009-05-18T18:35:00.000-07:00

I thought that I would share one of my most recent experiences with a very fabulous custom jewelry designer, Lani McEvers, owner of Custom Jewelry by Lani. Lani found her passion when she started beading back in April of 2000 and has been creating custom jewelry ever since. She uses the finest materials, with Swarovski Austrian Crystals being the cornerstone of her designs adding a rainbow of color with faceted gemstones, pearls or other unique materials.

Now besides all that, this is why Lani is in the spotlight, one of my brides recently told me that she absolutely hated the earrings that she had chosen from an upscale department store. Now this was only 4 days before her wedding, so in an attempt to reassure her that her selection was in fact just fine, I asked to see the earrings along with her gown. I have to admit, it was not at all a flattering match up.

So, the following day I went in search of earrings for her, remember this is now only 3 days before her wedding and finding something in stock might not be a possibility, but the first place I checked was Brides by Demetrios in Scottsdale, where I knew that Lani had some items displayed. I walked in, asked the ladies where Lani's display was set, they informed me that there were only a couple of chandelier earrings available, but I asked to see them anyway. Sure enough there was the set that I thought would go perfectly with her gown. I quickly snapped a photo, with permission of course, remember when you are dealing with anything custom whether it be a gown, jewelry, floral, whatever, you want to make sure that you have permission, anyway, I snapped the photo, called my bride but unfortunately she was unavailable. Not knowing whether she would like them or not I left the bridal salon and e-mailed her the photo. She absolutely loved the earrings and wanted to know if we could put a hold on them. It was rather late in the evening, so I e-mailed Lani and she responded immediately, told me that she would call the salon in the morning and have them put on hold for my bride. When I called the next morning to Brides by Demetrios, I explained who I was and the nature of my call, I was asked to hold on for a moment and when someone came back on the line, it was none other than Lani herself. She made a point to make a special trip into the salon first thing in the morning, pack up the earrings in pretty wrapping and put a card personally addressed to my bride. WOW, talk about customer service!!!

So needless to say, my bride was ecstatic, she must have told me at least 3 times on her wedding day, how happy she was with the earrings, how perfect they were with her gown and how happy she was that we were able to get her something she loved on such short notice.

Thanks Lani, you are the best!!!

All the best & 'til next time,

It's Wedding Day for Myriam & Guy

2009-05-16T00:29:00.001-07:00

Well it's come time for Guy & Myriam to tie the knot today and I am really excited to be a part of their wedding celebration. They started out planning for a backyard wedding and ended up expanding just a tad, winding up at Cibola Vista Resort in Peoria, Arizona. They still wanted the feel of an intimate celebration with family and friends and that is exactly what they are going to get.

Check back in a few days and we'll have some pics to share!

All the best & 'til next time,

Freakin' Fabulous Friday - What do I do with my Napkin?

2009-05-08T05:37:00.000-07:00

I am not sure if this just pertains to the southwestern U.S. or if this is a national issue, but I think that most of us are not really comfortable in a formal dining atmosphere. For me personally, my family generally adheres to a very casual dining style and I guess most of the people that I know do as well. I notice this many times during some of the networking dinners that I attend or when I am with a client and we are at their tasting for their wedding reception, they are just not very comfortable, Which is my bread plate? What are all these forks for? So with that said I think we are going to start out our new series with proper dining etiquette.

First up the napkin! As soon as you've been seated, remove your napkin from the table, placing it in your lap, if possible folded in half. Please, please, please resist the urge to tuck it in your shirt, that just isn't cool and definitely not the vision of fabulousness! If you need to get up from the table at any point during the meal, place the napkin on your seat, NOT on the back of your chair and definitely NOT back on the table. Your napkin should only be returned to the table at the completion of the meal and when you are leaving the table for the evening.

There you have it, our first tip towards a more fabulous you!

All the best & 'til next time,

Featured Resource:

Along the Rabbit Trail - Solemates

2009-05-07T11:09:00.000-07:00

Every once and a while, I'll be reading a blog and that will lead me to yet another blog and another, until, I have no idea where I started in the first place, hence the "Rabbit Trail". But sometimes along that trail I will come across a new product that I'd really like to share with my readers.

Here in Arizona, I would say that approximately 75% of my wedding ceremonies take place outdoors, in a garden or at a beautiful golf resort and inevitably that will cause issues with the ladies high heels sinking into the grass.

This wedding in Texas was at a brand new venue, with a brand new lawn and as this particular bride came out to survey the ceremony site before getting dressed, she unknowingly stepped off of the artificial turf that the venue had placed in some VERY soft places (read as muddy) and she got STUCK! and I mean stuck, she is actually grabbing a hold of her leg and trying to pull it up out of the lawn. Now instead of the photographer immediately coming to this poor bride's aid, he just had to take a quick shot. Boo, bad photographer! I can say that because the photographer was her future father-in-law (my hubby helping out with set up) and the bride is my daughter-in-law who is a really good sport and we can giggle about it to this day.

But I wish that we would have known about Solemates back then, because during the ceremony it was now my turn to walk down the aisle and let me tell you, that was not the only soft spot in the lawn. My calves got really tired of me attempting to walk on my tippy toes! I think the guests must have thought that I started the cocktail hour before everyone else, 'cause it was really difficult to walk, let alone stand up straight.

Anywaaaayyyy - Discreet and easy to use, the SoleMates High Heeler™ attaches easily to most stiletto and kitten heels. By increasing the surface area on the base of the heel, it reduces the pressure on this area and prevents the heel from sinking into grass or falling into cracks! The patented design of the SoleMates High Heeler™ is mechanically engineered to fit snugly on most heels and yet the flexible material grips securely without damaging the heel or compromising the aesthetics of the shoe.

After the ceremony and once indoors, slip them off your heels, toss them in your handbag and no need to clean off the mud all over your heels!

Have you ever tried these? If so, we would love to hear about your experience.

All the best & 'til next time,

Congratulations, Mr. & Mrs. Marcello Caputi

2009-05-06T23:46:00.000-07:00

We're taking you back to Saturday, March 21st, when I had the pleasure of assisting Sherrie & Marcello with their wedding at Sassi in Scottsdale, Arizona. They started out as clients and after a year of planning their nuptials, these two became really good friends. We didn't start out planning a year in advance, they were going to wed in October of 2008, but Sherrie works in the banking industry and with all of the mergers, she was kept quite busy traveling back and forth from Ohio, so needless to say there was a postponement along the way.

It was an absolutely gorgeous day for a wedding, with family in from New York, Utah and Illinois the sunny spring weather was a welcome change for most of their guests. Sherrie & Marcello are both Italian and it was a high priority for them to greet their guests with a pre-ceremony hors d'oeuvres reception with some lively jazz tunes by Jazzola. They served Mimosas, Mini Quiches, Fritattas and lots of other goodies. It was a wonderful start to an amazing day!

You may notice that Sherrie is wearing a short ivory cocktail dress for the pre-ceremony reception and that was a very long trick played on Marcello. All the way thru the year of planning, Sherrie was adamant that she was going to wear a pant suit and did not want to wear a gown at all! So as the wedding day approached she told him that she was compromising and at least going to wear a dress. As the guests moved from the fountain courtyard to the ceremony lawn, Sherrie ducked into the Bridal Suite and quickly changed and I mean lightning fast. I couldn't believe how quick this lady was, there was no messing around, she wanted to get down that aisle and surprise Marcello.

The very romantic ceremony was performed by none other than Larry James, here they are making it legal.

All of the florals were provided by Jacque and her crew at Endearing Floral Design, the favors were delectable truffles from Julia Baker Confections and Barb with Let Them Eat Cake designed the scrumptious cake and cupcakes

The day was concluded with a luncheon reception in the beautifully appointed banquet room just off the fountain courtyard.

The wonderful photos are a result of Kate Wall's artistic eye and ability to capture a couple that didn't want to hire a photographer in the first place. It took a little bit of arm twisting, Sherrie & Marcello said they hated to have their photos taken and did not want to have a photographer, but from their first meeting Sherrie, Marcello & Kate hit it off. Their personalities were a perfect match for each other, putting this shy couple at ease. After Sherrie viewed the photos, she told me she was so glad to have them, that she could hardly remember what had happened that day or who was even there. Great job Kate!

Congratulations Sherrie & Marcello, I am going to miss our planning meetings, but so happy to have two new friends!!!

All the best & 'til next time,

New Series - Freakin' Fabulous Friday

2009-05-01T05:36:00.000-07:00

As I was walking thru a bookstore recently, I saw a book that grabbed my attention, Freakin' Fabulous by Clinton Kelly. As I flipped thru the pages to preview the content, I realized this might just give me a giggle or two, but after taking it home and delving into the book, I could hardly put it down. Clinton has a playful and sometimes catty way of giving his readers a crash course in how to dress, entertain, behave in social arenas and basically be a more Fabulous version of yourself.

Sooo, I thought that I would start a new series, called Freakin' Fabulous Fridays, where I will give excerpts from his book, as well as some tips on how to be a more fabulous bride. Check back on Fridays for our latest and greatest tip or just pick up the book yourself and find out for yourselves just how fabulous you can be!

All the best & 'til next time,

I Am Soooo Excited - A New E-Kit!!!

2009-04-29T16:19:00.001-07:00

I have been in search of a new emergency kit and I do believe that I have found the perfect one!

After years of adding this, that and the other thing to my kit, I have since outgrown my second one and now I am onto Kit #3.

I am so excited! This sucker is huge with three seperate compartments and a tray that pulls out. I do a lot of set up and decorating for my clients so I carry a lot of tools, pins, adhesives and thing-a-ma-jigs that can attach one thing to another thing. If you can find it in a hardware or craft store you will probably find it in my emergency kit. Over the years, I have had to repair a bouquet that was handled rather roughly and made a boutonniere on the fly, due to a grandfather showing up "as a surprise" and of course the bride wanted to honor him just the same. So that means that I always bring along basic floral supplies, knife, tape, wire, ribbon, and pins. Not to mention all of the stuff that I bring along in case of a mishap with a gown, tuxedo or in case someone in the bridal party forgot something like black socks, breath mints or a curling iron. I even carry a few brand new hankies and as I send the groom down the aisle, I will stuff one in his pocket, so that when his bride starts to tear up during the ceremony, he'll be the sensitive, thoughtful hero coming to his bride's aide!

When I get it all filled and ready to go for the next wedding, I will be sure to (ok I will try to remember to) do another post and list everything that I was able to fit in. Until then, here's to hoping that I never need to use it, but knowing that I will be prepared if I have to!

All the best & 'til next time,

DIY - Escort Cards

2009-03-30T16:41:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, I had a reader comment on some escort cards that we created for Casey & Mike's wedding. Kelly wanted to know how we did these and if they were a DIY project and the answer is Yes, they were actually very easy to create. Now, Kelly didn't leave me any way to contact her, so I thought that I would go ahead and give some simple instructions for all to see.

First off, we wanted their escort cards to match the invitation ensemble that they had purchased from us.

So when I placed the order for their invitations, I increased the quantity of the tab for the front of the pocket invitation and requested that they be left blank. This tab set includes the white/ivory card stock with the black scroll pattern on the left edge and the fuchsia bottom layer. (The tab shown in this photo does not include the scroll pattern, but it is an option when placing your order.)

After creating our seating plan and using the same font used on the invitation, we printed each individual card in Word centering the guest's name and table # on the graphic to the left. Then trimmed the top and bottom edge of the card to make the ivory card a finished size of 1.5 inches X 3.5 inches. Next we trimmed the fuchsia card to a finished size of 1.75 inches X 3.75 inches. Our bottom black layer is 80# black card stock that we picked up from a local paper supplier. We then cut the black card to a finished size of 4 inches X 4 inches, then scored this black bottom layer at the 2 inch mark, folding it in half to create a tent card. Using adhesive squares that you can find in the scrapbooking section of any craft store we then assembled all three layers, centering each layer over the top of the next layer.

Now you can display escort cards in so many ways and we will do a seperate post for that at another time, but for Casey & Mike's wedding we needed a pretty compact way to display their cards. So after calculating the space needed, I took a piece of partical board covered it with batting, using a staple gun to adhere the batting to the board, then covered that with a black piece of fabric. Making sure all of the layers were nice and smooth I then began stapling that fabric stretching and smoothing it as I went all the way around the board. Next I took ivory ribbon, measured the exact distance needed between each row of cards and began attaching the ribbon to the back of the board, stretching it across the face of the board, making sure it was straight and taut, then attaching again to the opposite side of the board. Continuing on down the face of the board, until all of the rows were complete. I then took another piece of black fabric, folded over the unfinished edge of the fabric and covered up the back of the board to hide all of the unsightly staples and the unfinished edges of our ribbon, fabric and batting.

I have to admit this portion of the project was probably the most difficult, because if your ribbon is not straight or taut, your ribbon may give slightly and your escort cards will not hang in nice straight rows and may look extremely sloppy. My advice, ask your MOH or a bridesmaid to come over and give you an extra set of hands to help with this project.

When we set up for the reception, we placed our fabric and ribbon covered board on a black iron easel, then displayed the escort cards in alphabetical order in nice even rows. The finished project was a very nice way to display all of those cards.

Kelly I hope this information is helpful, if you or anyone else has any additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

All the best & 'til next time,

It's Wedding Day for Tasia & Nick

2009-03-28T13:47:00.000-07:00

Today is wedding day for Tasia & Nick. I first met Tasia, when she came into my shop just 9 weeks ago. She came in just a little stressed with quite a few details remaining for her backyard wedding and in search of wedding invitations. We talked for a short time, she placed an order for her invitations and next thing we knew she was ordering all of her attendant's gifts, parent's gifts, unity sand ceremony set and rentals. She needed everything, dance floor, tables, chairs, linens... Needless to say she left, quite relieved, with so many of the remaining details handled in one easy stop. I know that not every bride can afford a consultant and that is why I wanted to create an environment that provided so many resources, whether they are looking for invitations, favors, accessories or rentals, we have a "One Stop Shop" for all of your wedding needs.

Tasia & Nick, I wish you all of the blessings that life has to offer,God bless you both!

All the best & 'til next time,

Excuse Me Ms. Bride - Please Don't forget!

2009-03-25T14:17:00.000-07:00

From a very early age, we are taught that the most important meal of the day is breakfast and as we get older, busier, and maybe even on your wedding day, you may tend to forget that very important fact.

There are two little pieces of advice that brides tend to giggle just a bit when they see it on my timeline and that is:

#1 Eat Breakfast
#2 Drink plenty of water

Brides tend to wake up and hit the ground running on their wedding day and before they realize it, it's late in the afternoon, they haven't eaten a bite, they may end up overheated because of lack of fluids, possibly sipped a bit of champagne with your girls, in a crowded room, wearing a very heavy and possibly warm dress and you may end up feeling a bit woozy and by that time it is hard to recover. So that is why I actually include "Eat Breakfast" or "Eat Lunch" in my timeline and 9 times out of 10, as the ceremony time rapidly approaches, my brides thank me for building that into the day's activities.

So when I came across this recipe today for a breakfast parfait, I thought it sounded very refreshing and appetizing, so I thought that I would share.

Peach Breakfast Parfaits

Ingredients
2 6-oz. cartons peach yogurt
3/4 cup granola
4 medium peaches, peeled, pitted and coarsely chopped
Raspberries and/or peach wedges (optional)

Directions
1. Divide half of the yogurt among 4 parfait glasses. Top with half of the granola. Divide chopped peaches among the glasses. Top with remaining yogurt and remaining granola. Serve immediately, or cover and chill up to 3 hours. If you like, garnish with raspberries and/or peach wedges. Makes 4 servings.

All the best & 'til next time,

It's Wedding Day, Under the Tuscan Sun

2009-03-21T05:00:00.000-07:00

After a year of planning it is finally wedding day for Sherrie & Marcello. When we first met I asked them what their dream wedding looked like, What was their vision? What would be the ultimate celebration? Their response was a wedding in Italy, good food, excellent wine and a day of celebration with family and friends.

Well today is that day, their wedding celebration will be held at Sassi in Scottsdale. When Marcello first sampled the food, he remarked that it "tasted just like Mom's cooking" and I knew we had a winner! Their color palette is all warm earth tones, just like their home and the colors of Tuscany.

Congratulations Sherrie & Marcello today you become Husband and Wife!

All the best & 'til next time,

Venue Tour - Troon Golf

2009-03-07T10:50:00.000-08:00

Earlier this week I had the opportunity to tour 4 wedding venues and oh boy did I have a blast, thanks to Marisa Fallone, the Sales Coordinator for Troon Golf in the Phoenix area. They put out a delectable spread of hors d'oeuvres and cocktails, as well as decor at every site. Now I wasn't the only consultant on the tour which added to the fun of the day, along with being wined and dined by the catering staff, 6 other consultants and I experienced the luxury of being chauffered around Phoenix in a limo provided by Aloha Limousine. It was such a cool experience to be on the other side, being treated like the client!

Our first stop was Whirlwind Golf Club in Chandler, walking in the front door we were greeted by Marisa of Troon Corporate, Dina Davies the Food & Beverage Director and Janelle Stanley, their Banquet Group Sales Manager. Along with the usual information for the property, we were each given a beautiful bouquet of mini white calla lillies. Their theme on the tour was "Winter", so to add to the ambience and decor we were greeted by a sharply dressed server in a white tux with an ice blue vest and tie and on her shiny silver tray was an ice blue peppermint martini, bubbling and fogging away. To complete the presentation the glass was rimmed with sugar to give the effect of ice & snow. Talk about first impressions!!! Now you will have to trust me on this one, unfortunately I had left my camera in my purse at this stop, but the decor was gorgeous!

Our next stop on the tour was "Spring" at Ocotillo Golf Resort also in Chandler. Stepping out of the limo we were greeted by Emily Stark the Catering Manager, as well as another server this time with pomegranate martinis. We took a brief tour of their gorgeous waterfall patio, the two outdoor ceremony sites, a very nicely appointed and HUGE Bridal Suite, then into their ballroom. Floor length windows encompass the room offering up amazing views of the waterfall patio and the golf course. All of the linens were provided by one of my favorite linen rental companies Premier Events and the floral was courtesy of A Wedding Occasion.

Third stop of the day was "Summer" at Talking Stick Golf Club in Scottsdale. Now by this time I was stuffed to the gills with all of the yummy morsels that had been offered, so I did not partake of anything at this stop, but I am sure it was just as delicious. The decor was a cool mix of apple green and aqua blue, a fresh look for a hot summers day. Their immaculately manicured event lawns provided ample space for larger groups with views of Pinnacle Peak to the North or to the east, the McDowell Mountain Range. For smaller, more intimate receptions the indoor spaces are cozy and inviting. My thanks goes out to Mark Eversman, their Food & Beverage Director and his staff for their hospitality.

Our last stop was Troon North Golf Club, in Scottsdale where again we were greeted by yet another couple of smiling faces, Amber Riley, Director of Catering and her assistant, Leigh Anne. Oh, and yes of course more cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, the tour lasted five hours and with the amount of food and beverages we were offered, you'd have thought we were feasting like it was Thanksgiving. Fall was in the air as far as the decor was concerned, but I thought that I would show off the amazing sunset views from this Scottsdale hot spot. They have a private ceremony lawn secluded from the rest of the golf course and a sunset terrace for your cocktail hour that offers up the same amazing sunset views.

All in all it was a great day, very informative and a fun way to spend the entire afternoon with a handful of other wedding planners and of course the amazing staff at each venue. If you would like to check out any of these properties, be sure to give one of the directors a call or if you are looking for help with planning your entire wedding, I would be more than happy to pass on all of the valuable information and take you out to any one or all of these properties myself.

Thank you Marisa, Dina, Janelle, Emily, Mark, Amber & Leigh Anne, I had a great time!

All the best & 'til next time,

Vendor Spotlight - Brides by Demetrios

2009-03-04T20:42:00.001-08:00

Early this week I had the pleasure of attending a mini fashion show at the designer salon Brides by Demetrios in Scottsdale. Being a designer salon they have all 200 to 300 designs ranging in price from $500 to $3000 with their average gown priced at about $1300. They carry the entire collection of Demetrios designs, the Platinum and Couture line, as well as the Signature line, which can only be seen in a designer salon and not on-line or other retailers that carry Demetrios gowns. Given ample time (approximately 6 months) their gowns can also be customized in so many ways to fit your style and personality, giving you a unique gown all your own!

Along with introducing each of the gowns in the show Alyda & Sue, gave information about bridal fashion trends for 2009. I think we have all seen the big bows and rosette embellishments on the red carpet and they are definitely making an appearance in bridal fashions this year. Ruching along the bust line or waist are oh-so flattering, all over ruffles on the skirt and crumb catchers can also be seen through out the designs. Lace, yes I said lace is making a huge comeback with crystals and extensive beadwork adding lots of sparkle to these gowns. Runway couture is blending designs from over the decades with 3 to 4 different fabrics found in each gown.

The veil has definitely taken a back seat, this particular store is selling only a third of the veils that they were 5 years ago. Birdcage veils, fascinators, feathers and a little bling in the hair has given the boot to the traditional veil.

These ladies provide excellent customer service, a gorgeous product and possibly a healthy discount, if you want to find out how, just drop me a line!

All the best & 'til next time,

Running of the Brides®

2009-02-26T14:55:00.000-08:00

If you are in the New York City area you probably already know about this, but tomorrow, February 27th will be the famous sale in Filene's Basement now officially called the Running of the Brides®.

This annual event dates back as early as 1947 and today brides-to-be can save hundreds, even thousands of dollars on designer wedding gowns. The day of the sale, brides-to-be and their helpers line up early and sometimes even the day before, with lawn chairs and pop up canopies, stake their place in line. When the doors open, they run full speed towards the racks. In less than 60 seconds (the fastest time has been recorded at 37 seconds), the racks are stripped bare, store employees have to hold on to the fixtures so they don’t topple over. The brides and their entourage of helpers grab whatever gowns they can, haul them off to a corner, the bride then strips down to her undergarments and starts trying on dress after dress. Minutes later the trading begins. Every dress, no matter what size, style or color, gets bartered for another, as each bride tries to find the gown of her dreams at a cut-rate price.

With original prices ranging from $900 to $9000, these designer gowns are then sold at a fraction of the cost with price points of $249, $499 and $699. Can you imagine the mayhem? Me personally, I don't even like to stand in a buffet line to eat or wait in line overnight to buy the next best game system that my son just had to have. BUT, if I were a bride-to-be in this current economy, I might just have to make an exception for the gown of my dreams. How about you, if you had the opportunity would you go to a sale like this?

All the best & 'til next time,

Adding some "Sass" to your Wedding Day Fashion

2009-02-24T12:38:00.000-08:00

A short time ago a wonderful photographer, hiking buddy and good friend of mine, Marcia Mauskopf of Marcia the Art of Photography had a bride that was asking about some purple shoes. This bride wanted some stylish shoes in her color scheme and desperately wanted to steer away from those "old school" dyeable bridal shoes and I would have to agree!

I found a few really stylish possibilities on BLUEFLY.com. Now she didn't mention what her budget was, but one thing I know is, when a girl wants a particular pair of shoes to grace her tootsies, the sky is the limit.

When, I saw these Christian Diors, I fell in love and thought man I bet those would make for some amazing photos. They are so adorable, I just love the bow detailing and of course the little Dior charm is the cherry on top. These babies are dripping with style and I bet they can make any girls legs - oh so SEXY. These were my absolute favorite!!!

There were also some cute Christian Louboutin's, the Mary Jane style might make for a more comfortable shoe to dance the night away, but then again, who really thinks of comfort when it comes to sexy shoes.

For the more sophisticated bride there was a violet colored, pointed toe, patent leather slingback from Dolce & Gabbana.

So, if you want to add a little more of your own style and personality into your wedding attire, don't forget some Shoe Love!!

All the best & 'til next time,

Invitation How To - Part 3

2009-02-23T12:42:00.000-08:00

This will be our final post on wedding invitation how to, but remember if you have any questions or if you would like to inquire about purchasing wedding, bar/bat mitzvah, quinceanera invitations, etc. you can always contact us and we would be more than happy to assist you.

Tip #6

Tip #7

Be sure to take a completed stuffed invitation to the Post Office in order to determine the proper postage. Remember it is not only based on weight, but if an invitation is an unusual shape it may require additional postage. You wouldn't want to place the wrong amount of postage on the beautiful envelopes that you have spent so much time addressing, to only have them returned for the incorrect postage, it will end up costing more time in the long run, not to mention the delays in informing your guests.

Tip #8

Be sure to send your invitaitons out 6 to 8 weeks prior to your wedding. The 8 week time frame will apply if you have quite a few out of town guests and you did not inform them earlier with a save the date notice.

Tip #9

If you are wanting to put custom postage on your invitations, you can use one of our pre-made postage designs or of course create your own, check out Zazzle.

All the best & 'til next time,

Invitation How To - Part 2

2009-02-19T10:59:00.000-08:00

In my last post I was giving a few tips for sending out your invitations, so here we go again:

Tip #3

I'm going to digress just a bit, early in the planning stages as you begin compiling your guest list, the easiest method that I have found is to begin that list in a spreadsheet program such as Excel. You can then manipulate your list in many ways. You can put in a column for your's, mine and our's, then sort it by that column and then e-mail that list to your Mom and FMIL, so that they can help fill in the blanks on any missing addresses. If you didn't do that in the beginning, it definitely wouldn't hurt now that you are sending your invitations, it may aid in keeping track of responses, # of adults, # of Children, if your guests have the option to choose their entree, gifts received, thank you cards sent, etc.

Then later in the planning stages, another option with this list in a spreadsheet format is you can generally upload this information into a program that will aid in creating your seating plan. If you are not using a coordinator that most likely has this type of software, you can use an on-line tool such as WeddingWire. Upload your guest list, create a floorplan, then drag and drop your guests to the appropriate table. If you find that Cousin Susie can't be near Aunt Jane for fear of a knock down drag out, then drag these ladies back to the list and start over. Once your seating plan is finalized, you can easily create a report by sorting the list alphabetically and also by the table #'s giving you two different reports to be kept by your coordinator or escort card attendant, in the event that an escort card is picked up by another guest or lost. I feel that the more information that is available on day of, the better.

Tip #4

When you are sending out your invitations be sure to include a pre-stamped response card. Yes, I know that will be more expense for you, but you will get a much greater return rate, if all your guest has to do is check the appropriate field, slip the card back in the envelope and put it in the mailbox. If you do not include that stamp, your response card will most likely get put to the bottom of the pile on Uncle Fred's desk or ride around in Grandma's purse.

Tip #5

Do you know what the M___________________ on a lot of response cards means? If not, you are not alone. I was a bit surprised to find out that a lot of people do not know that is to complete Mr. & Mrs. John Smith. Some bride's prefer to put Name_______________ on their response card and that is just fine. But what happens when your guest forgets to write in their name at all or recently I had a guest put their last name only and guess what their were quite a few family members invited to this wedding with the same last name - go figure!

The way to solve this mystery, write a small number on the back of your response card, then the corresponding number on your guest list. Then if it comes back blank or they entered Mr. & Mrs. Smith and you are not sure if it is John, James or Jacob Smith, turn that response card over and Mystery Solved!

A fun gadget to have is an invisible pen and blacklight, your guests will never know that you don't trust them by putting a number on the back of their response card.

All the best & 'til next time,

Invitation How To - Part 1

2009-01-31T17:59:00.000-08:00

As I was working on the final few invites for Sherrie & Marcello's March 21st wedding, I thought that I would snap a few photos and share a few tips.

Tip #1

If hiring a calligrapher is not in your budget and you are concerned about your own handwriting not being quite stylish enough, then use a nice script font and address them using your home computer. Here I decided to match the font and color of the ink on their invitations for a cohesive look.

Tip #2

When addressing your envelopes be sure to spell out all of the words, such as Drive, Street, East, North and so on. Do not use the State abbreviations, the only acceptable abbreviations would be Mr. and Mrs.

Watch for the next post and I will share a cool gadget that will bring out the secret spy in you!

All the best & 'til next time,

#98 - Go Hiking with Marcia...Check

2009-01-30T12:08:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I had the distinct pleasure of getting out of the office and going on a beautiful hike with Marcia (pronounced Mar-see-ah) from Marcia The Art of Photography, an absolutely wonderful Scottsdale Wedding Photographer. Last week we went to Lolo's Chicken & Waffles along with a fellow wedding planner, Wendy Robinson of Sacred Moment Weddings.

But yesterday, it was just the two of us, allowing us to get to know each other better. We started out the day having breakfast, she is such a gracious hostess, chatted with her doggy for a while, went into her gallery and started looking at some of her work and she actually gave me three gorgeous framed prints for my office - Yay! After a leisurely morning we then drove up to Pinnacle Peak and started our stroll up the trail. We chatted about everything under the sun, shared stories of growing up, how we started our businesses and of course tales of weddings gone by. We had a great time, the weather was absolutely gorgeous and it was so wonderful to get away from the day to day grind and spend some quality time with a new friend. Thanks Marcia!

Oh yeah and check another on off of the list.

All the best & 'til next time,

Newly engaged???

2008-12-26T12:03:00.000-08:00

If this holiday season found you sporting a shiny new bauble on your finger, Congratulations!

Slow down take a deep breath 'cause you are not alone, holiday proposals are extremely popular, it is a wonderful time to share your exciting news with all of your family and friends. I'm sure as you begin to share your big news, everyone will start giving you advice for the planning of your big day. Let's face it, all the women in your life have just become your new wedding planner. Just mention the word engagement or flash that beautiful ring and you will hear wedding story after wedding story, they will be telling you what to do, what not to do and how they would do things differently if they had the chance. Guess what you are it, their chance to do it right this time!

Well I have to apologize in advance, but I am also going to chime in my two cents and I hope that you take my advice to heart - Take some time, just the two of you and get an overall vision of what your wedding day will be like. You don't have to plan the entire wedding, what I am recommending is that you get an idea of where to hold your nuptials (church, garden, resort, etc.), how large of a function (cozy & intimate with close family & friends or a blow out ballroom soiree), discuss your budget, and how big you envision your bridal party. Chances are that as the word gets out that you and your beloved are now engaged that very soon after your head will be spinning like a top. All of your sisters, cousins & BFFs will be assuming that they are going to be in your bridal party, your Mom, FMIL & Aunts will be making suggestions on where to hold this wonderful family extravaganza and if you and your fiance' have had the opportunity to sit and discuss a few of these key points, chances are you will be able to take a little more control of planning your big day, before things get out of hand.

Congratulations from all of us here at Planned to Perfection, happy wedding planning, enjoy your new life together and if we can provide any assistance we would love the opportunity to assist you through the planning process.

All the best & 'til next time,

Eco Chic & Uber Cool

2008-12-20T12:02:00.000-08:00

I recently came across a really cool new concept for thank you cards, introducing FloralNotes.com . These hand crafted note cards are made from your wedding bouquet, centerpiece flowers or any other flowers that you would like to use, along with 100% post consumer materials - 100% Eco Friendly.

Basically you send them your flowers and they will process them into high quality hand crafted papers with perennial wildflower seeds embedded in the paper. Yes that's right wildflower seeds. Grandma or Aunt Jane can keep the inner card containing your thank you sentiments, then plant the outer card in their garden and forever be reminded of your special day. Oh so unique!

All the best & 'til next time,

Holiday Heroes - 100 Club

2008-12-17T07:23:00.000-08:00

At Planned to Perfection we are honored to be a part of a wonderful cause - The 100 Club of Arizona.

The 100 Club of Arizona has established a special fund to provide additional assistance to the families of fallen and injured public safety officers & firefighters. The survivor's fund is a special fund, in which 100% of the donations raised go to help the families of our fallen heroes.

The mission of the 100 Club of Arizona is to provide financial assistance to families of public safety officers and firefighters who are seriously injured or killed in the line-of-duty and to provide resources to enhance their safety and welfare.

This cause is near and dear to my heart, my father is a retired Phoenix Police Officer, with 21 years on the force and then couldn't stand retirement and went to work for the Glendale Police Department. I am so thankful that he was never seriously injured in the line of duty, a broken leg, a few scuffles, but Dad is still with us. I do recall on several occassions that he came home with the black band on his badge, symbolizing the loss of a fallen officer. Trying to protect us kids, Dad never told us any stories of what had happened, but we always knew it was a possibility that he may not come home someday. My father absolutely loved his job, unfortunately he is now on disability (not related to the job), but to sit and hear him tell stories of his days on the force, his face lights up and you can tell he loved helping people and of course "busting the bad guys". In addition to my Dad, I also have two nephews that currently work for the Sheriff's Department as Correction Officers in Tucson and a good friend that works for the Glendale Police Department. Everyday my family & close friend along with other public safety officers & firefighters put their lives on the line to protect & to serve.

So in honor of them, today we are involved in a radio-thon & charity drive - Sports 620 KTAR is teaming up with the 100 Club of Arizona for their annual Holiday Heroes. Featuring Sports 620 KTAR's on-air personalities Gambo & Ash, this year's event will take place at Scottsdale Lanes, located on the northeast corner of Scottsdale and Thomas and will run from 6am-6pm. Come out to spend the day bowling and playing pool, while being a part of this great cause.

Better yet, Planned to Perfection is donating a Day of Coordination package to the fundraising efforts. This package is valued at $1995.00, what better way to get the wedding day assistance that you need, all the while helping out a great cause like the 100 Club of Arizona. This is what we are including in this package:

Services will begin 6 weeks prior to your wedding day and will include

Up to three pre-wedding planning meetings (total of 6 hours)
Contract review
Vendor follow up
Vendor Liaison
Walk thru of your venue
Creation of ceremony & reception floorplan/layout
Creation of the wedding day timeline
Conduct the wedding rehearsal
On the wedding day, the coordinator will be available to accept deliveries, give instructions to all of the contracted vendors, answering any questions they may have, verifying that the ceremony and reception sites are set to your specifications.
At the ceremony, the coordinator will prep and cue the musicians, officiant and the bridal party.
Then at the reception, the coordinator will prep the bridal party for their grand entrance and key elements of the reception such as special dances, toasts, cake cutting, garter & bouquet toss. Work with the catering manager/banquet captain and your masters of ceremony/DJ making sure the reception flows according to your specifications.
Use of a wedding day emergency kit

Some restrictions apply

Subject to Planned to Perfection’s availability
The wedding must take place in the Phoenix Metropolitan area in 2009
The ceremony & reception must take place at the same venue with no more than 175 guests — multiple locations or a larger guest count are subject to a surcharge

To get this package and to make a donation to the 100 Club of Arizona call the KTAR Radio-thon at (480) 398-1100. We do not know when this package will come up on the block, but give them a call early, get the wedding help that you need and help out a great cause.

All the best & 'til next time,

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-26T14:27:00.000-08:00

On the eve of Thanksgiving, I thought that I would share a little of how my family celebrates the holiday.

Now by family I'm not just talking about me, my hubby and children I'm talking about the extended family. Which includes my 4 children, their spouses and children, my parents, 2 of my sisters, 1 brother, their spouses, children and grandchildren and that is just my side of the family (my husband's family is all out of state). All totalled there are usually in the neighborhood of 30 people. We usually share the responsibility of hosting from one year to the next and of course everyone signs up to make a dish or two, that way one person isn't stuck doing all the cooking. We all converge on the host family's home an hour or two before dinner. Oh, it is always a mid-day meal, because we like staying together the entire day, not let's go over to Aunt Debbie's house, eat and leave. We usually arrive around 11 AM, anyone that has to make final touches to their dishes head right towards the kitchen. There is always a veggie plate that is totally devoured by the time the turkey(s) come out of the oven. We always serve buffet style - too many people for one table and passing family style, plus it keeps things casual (the way we like it), we'll clean up from dinner, put the food away, sit down to a little pumpkin pie, then head out to a movie.

Yes a movie, all 25 - 30 of us, it is crazy trying to save that many seats, but it is our tradition for as long as I can remember. It is usually one of the holiday movies that opens Thanksgiving week. When the kids were little it was usually a cartoon or Christmas movie like the Santa Clause. This year we are going to see Four Christmases with Vince Vaughn & Reese Witherspoon. After the movie, we head back to the host house for a second helping and play games, closing down the festivities about 10:00 PM.

Some Tips from my Family to You:

Enjoy your time together - life is too short
Share the responsibility - don't make any one person work so hard they don't enjoy the holiday
Be thankful for the people that touch your life - make sure they know how much you care
Keep it casual - let your hair down and have some fun
If you don't already have a special family tradition - start one

Happy Thanksgiving, God Bless and enjoy your holiday.

Recessionista - Style on a Budget

2008-11-20T13:49:00.000-08:00

Hardly a day goes by lately without the media's top stories focusing on this country's financial woes or at least a half dozen people that I encounter continually asking how the economy is affecting my business. To that I say "Enough already!", Ooh sorry, I am heading to another networking meeting tonight and sad to say I'm sure that will be everyone's opening one-liner, much like the sad pick up lines at the singles bar. Let's stop perpetuating the solemn mood in this country, look past the negatives and move forward. Ok sorry again, stepping down from my soap box. Whether it is today's economic situation or a lifestyle that you have chosen to not spend a gazillion bucks on your wardrobe, there is a new term to describe the fashion concious on a budget - Recessionista.

Anyway, I read a blog about a week ago with a challenge and contest give-away from one of the premier wedding planners here in Phoenix, Liene Stevens of Blue Orchid Designs. She put out a challenge to all her readers to come up with a wedding day ensemble on a budget. I didn't get my inspiration board completed and submitted by the contest end, but thought that I would share what I had found.

Quite a while back I came across a designer by the name of Stephanie James and fell head over heals in love with her vintage inspired designs. My husband and I often say we were born in the wrong era, if we were born in the 40's, we totally would have been hanging out at the drive in, him in his chopped & dropped '32 Ford Roadster or a '57 Bel Air and me a teeny-bopper in my poodle skirt (not that I dress that way, but I get so nostalgic, when I think about what life could have been like). So, I thought that I would come up with my ensemble from the 50's, the time that I would have been thinking about wedding my true love. Now I couldn't find any pricing for Stephanie James' designs on-line, so her pieces will not be found in this post. I highly doubt that they would fall within our Recessionista budget anyway.

So here goes, we'll start with the dress, a show stopper ivory tea length, halter with a double flap neckline, form fitting bodice and extra full skirt. Only $140.00 from Unique-Vintage. You will want to be sure to have a swing band at your reception, 'cause this dress just screams for the full skirt and crinoline to be moving and shaking.

Next we'll bring in a pink crinoline to just peak out below the hemline to bring in some color and fun (this may not be quite hot pink enough, but you can always use fabric dye or ask them for a custom color). Also from Unique-Vintage and a mere $44.00. Of course, we'll want to grace your tootsies with a pair of hot pink peep toe pumps. These beauties were only $9.99 from AmiClubWear.com. I honestly tried to find another shoe that was more expensive, but these were so adorable I just couldn't pass them up. During the ceremony, when you finally get to kiss the man of your dreams everyone will be sure to check out these cuties when your foot pops!

To put the cherry on the top, the ensemble just wouldn't be complete without a veil and of course you can't choose anything else, but a birdcage veil. I found this one at BirdcageVeils.com, made of Russian netting and encrusted with a few rhinestones for some understated "bling". Coming in at a measely $52.00. I wanted a little color so I chose a hot pink feather to clip on the side. Again from Unique-Vintage for $30.00. It looks very simple to make and if you are a little handy, I'm sure you could find all of the materials at a craft store, DIY and drastically reduce the cost on this little number.

All totalled our ensemble comes up to a whopping $275.99. Some things to consider, when picking out your wedding day ensemble, don't go into the bridal salon and tell them your total budget for your attire, remember all of the little things will quickly add up. Our ensemble doesn't include any alterations, a bustier or any jewelry, so I guess we are a little incomplete. But if you are lucky enough to not need alterations and possibly already own the undergarments and/or borrow your jewelry, then there you go, ONLY $275.99!

All the best & 'til next time,

Please Don't Be Confused...

2008-11-10T12:08:00.000-08:00

As a bridal consultant, wedding planner, wedding coordinator (whatever you want to call my profession) based here in the Phoenix area, it is great to belong to a huge network of wedding professionals and when one of our own needs some assistance with getting the word out, I am more than happy to step up and do my part. So this morning I received an e-mail and wanted to pass on some information to anyone that happens to be reading my ramblings.

Below is an e-mail from Melissa Wuestenberg of Black Tie Events. Melissa is a very reputable business owner and I hope that the story from 3 on Your Side which aired last Friday will in no way tarnish her reputation, not to worry Melissa is in no way associated with the similiarly named company featured in this story of an unfortunate bride's encounter with a business owner gone missing with her deposits. Here is her note:

Hi Everyone,

I just wanted to make sure no one was confusing my company "Black Tie Events" with the company "A Black Tie Affair Events" that was on Gary Harper's 3 On Your Side Friday November 7, 2008.

http://www.azfamily.com/news/3oys/

"A Black Tie Affair Events" is not me nor do I have any affiliation with them. She started her company a couple of years ago and the AZ Corporation Commission allowed her to have that name so similar to mine so there was nothing I could do about it. Her bad reputation has been haunting me so I hope this is the end of it.

If there is anyone that has been taken advantage by her, I am more than willing to help them out.

Thank you!

Melissa Wuestenberg

President / Owner

Black Tie Events, Inc.

623-535-7999

623-875-5142 Fax

All the best & 'til next time,

My New Favorite...

2008-11-03T12:32:00.001-08:00

On Saturday, I had the pleasure of assisting another coordinator, Melanie Quick of Kiss the Bride, for the set up and coordination of Angelica & Robert's wedding reception at the Scottsdale Marriott.

This reception was absolutely gorgeous, the red crushed velvet linens, gold embelished place settings, chameleon chairs, and the entire room was draped in a gold shimmer fabric all provided by Tri-Rentals. Table Tops etc. provided the centerpieces, they were tall square vases with orchid stems, river rock and accent lighting inside, then on top a towering arrangement of Dahlias, James Story, Cymbidium & Dendrobium orchids all in rich tones of reds & purples. The room looked absolutely amazing (I wish that I had photos to share), all of the guests were awestruck.

Now for the the highlight of the evening, the cherry on top, the pièce de résistance, the band, The Instant Classics became my INSTANT FAVORITE! This band does it all, Emcee, Professional DJ, Solo Piano or Guitarist for the Cocktail Reception, sophisticated dinner music performed by four musicians (vocals provided on request during dinner), then a six piece band, male & female vocals, guitar, bass, keyboard & drums. They performed song after song from Journey, the B'52s, Marvin Gaye, Neil Diamond, the Beatles, you name it, they played and sung their hearts out. They even did a little karaoke when the bride's uncle got up to perform a few numbers, providing the background vocals and music. This talented group of musicians and vocalists, kept the party jumping all night long, in fact the couple ended up extending the celebration a little later than planned. All of the guests kept asking who the band was, they were fantastic!

I will definitely be referring this amazing band to my clients, thanks for such a great time, you guys made me forget about my aching feet and do a little dancing of my own (of course back in the corner where no one could see - he he!).

All the best & 'til next time,

Totally Cute Idea

2008-10-11T21:25:00.000-07:00

I was on-line tonight trying to find a suitable replacement for my poor little cupcake stand, Lord knows it has been around the block a time or two and has definitely seen it's better days. I still have yet to find one that I can just say "That's it the perfect replacement", but instead found a really cool website, Fancy Flours . Now I wish I would have found this site, when my kiddos were little and when I was totally into the baking frenzy, back when you could actually bring home baked goodies for the classroom holiday parties. I would have had a ball on this site, they have some really cool products, to help coordinate your celebration, but one product in particular caught my interest and I thought I would check it out. It's called cake stand wrappers, these are so amazing, they are laser cut strips of paper that you can adhere to the edge of your plain cake stand, transforming it into a unique addition to your buffet decor. I picked out a few of my favorites to share but there are quite a few more choices, so check it out.

All the best & 'til next time,

Groom 101

2008-10-07T17:05:00.001-07:00

So I was poking around on-line today and I found an awesome resource for just the guys. It is called The Man Registry , and you guessed it, you can create a gift registry for the new Man of the House and much more.

Let's face it, when the guys first move out of Mommy and Daddy's abode or their bachelor pad, many of them lack the essentials necessary to start their new marriage, such as power tools, lawn & garden equipment, BBQ grill, or even a hammer. Now, it has always been a given, when a girl gets married she is undoubtedly going to be showered with gifts, be it a new toaster or lingerie for the honeymoon. But what about the guys? We girls expect them to be Mr. Fix It or the Gardener, so why not have a registry geared specifically towards men's needs (oops please read as: gifts).

They talk about a Man Shower, but they also give some suggestions on how to disguise it. Can you see a bunch of guys sitting around playing games, eating finger sandwiches and opening beautifully wrapped gifts, probably not gonna happen. Now if your guy is not at all comfortable with the idea of a stand alone Man Shower, I totally understand I am not completely sure that most guys would be ok with that. Well consider this, I have planned some couples or co-ed showers, where the groom can still get his wish list from Lowes, Sears or The Home Depot.

In addition to the gift registry, this site also contains a wealth of information and how-to articles for grooms-to-be. There is no other resource (at least that I have found) for wedding information tailored just for the groom. Check out Groom 101, they have a ton of articles aimed at all of the questions that guys may have about the wedding planning process. From how to pick out a tux to what to do if his soon-to-be-bride may soon be starring in an episode of Bridezillas - Don't worry girls these are really good suggestions on how to help you deal with wedding planning stress. This is a great resource, check it out!

All the best & 'til next time,

So much info....

2008-09-29T10:54:00.000-07:00

Last week I had the opportunity to attend a 3 day business conference specifically for wedding industry professionals and oh boy, my To Do list got very long. I had the opportunity to hear presentations from some of the most influential and successful people in the business of making engaged couples dreams come true.

I can't recap everything that I learned or every speaker that made an impact, but here are a few of the more remarkable ones (for me):

Alan Berg, Vice President of Local Strategic Solutions for The Knot and theknot.com, with over 25 years experience in sales & marketing (18 of those in the wedding industry), it was nice to get some insight from this man. I had heard a webinar that he had presented thru the Association of Bridal Consultants, but to have the opportunity to sit and hear his three seperate presentations in person had a much greater impact.

Harold & Kumar, just kidding they are actually Timothy Chi, CEO and Sonny Ganguly, CMO for the WeddingWire.com. Their presentation was immediately after a two hour lunch and trade show break, so getting everyone's attention was key. So one of their first couple of slides was a photo of Harold & Kumar, (their physical appearances are very similiar) the visual, a quick joke, the place errupted in laughter and they had their captive audience. Their presentation was titled "Reaching Today's Wired Bride" and the reason I now have a Facebook account. I had heard and read that it is a good idea to have a profile on Facebook, along with a blog, the client has the opportunity to get to know a little more about you. I have been attempting to keep up with my blog and I have now added Facebook to my activities. Of course, they spoke about 10 ways to reach today's tech savvy clients, but there is just not enough time in the day, so I will pick and choose for now.

Then there was Jennifer Fallon, Founder & CEO of Kate Aspen Inc., while planning her own wedding back in 2003 she saw a huge need for stylish and unique wedding favors (and we are not talking about the plastic swans and tulle wrapped almonds!). With a "no roadblocks" attitude she built her company from $Zero to $20 Million in just 5 years. The Kate Aspen brand carries wedding favors, baby & bridal shower favors as well as favors for all the special events in your life. I started offering the Kate Aspen line of favors back in 2007, then when their on-line stores became available, I jumped right on that, offering the wide selection and convenience of pre-packaged favors that Kate Aspen is so well know for. Having the privilege to hear Jennifer's presentation and how the company that I have partnered with got started, was so cool!

Andy Ebon, Founder of the Wedding Marketing Network and author of "Marketing and Selling to the 21st Century Bride", gave presentations on "Blog & Google your Way to Wedding Success" and also "Selling to the 21st Century Bride". I have been reading Andy's blog for quite some time now, but again the opportunity to rub elbows was phenomenal (and rub elbows I did). My elbows were moving away as I stood next to Andy taking notes as he gave me a professional critique of my website. Now believe me I was terrifed, to have a marketing genius such as Andy, critique my website and blog, made me just a little nervous. But needless to say it became obvious that I am not a website designer and I will be updating my website and blog again in this next week. There were a few things that I did right, so I can be proud of that, but Andy's insight and information was well worth the entire registration fee for the 3 day convention, so THANK YOU Andy!

Well, gotta go for now, I better get busy on my long "To Do" List.

All the best & 'til next time,

We've gone live...

2008-09-21T02:01:00.000-07:00

With our move back in July to our new office/retail location, we decided it was time to freshen up our image a bit. We came up with the new layout for the website quite a while back, redesigned our business cards and some marketing material to match. But when I created the one web page, I hadn't had the opportunity to update all of the pages yet, lots of changes all at once, you know. But when I got a call yesterday from my giggling daughter, she was asking some rather strange questions about where I had gotten the templates for my original business cards and the website, I couldn't wait to figure out what on earth she thought was so funny. She had seen the new design for the website and had restocked her card holder with my new business cards, but she thought that I may want to speed along the process of getting the website completely updated and rid myself of the original template. When I asked what was so hilarious, she told me that her husband had just picked up a business card at a Starbucks nearby and that business card template and design matched my original business cards and the current website which had not yet been updated. Well it seems that this other business is not an extremely wholesome one and since image can have a huge impact on people's first impression of you and your business, I thought it was in my best interest to stay up until it was finished. I just published to the web, it is now 2:30 AM, I have a small problem with my contact form, but it is not as bad as a tarnished image. Well I have to get up in 3 hours for church, I hope I don't snore thru the sermon, but I think my Pastor will understand. Thanks for the warning baby girl!

Oh yeah, I forgot the re-design of the website, new website photo gallery and business cards were goals on my 101 in 1001 list. YAY, 3 more to check off the list.

Details, Details, Details....

2008-09-18T21:43:00.001-07:00

My dear sweet son e-mailed this to me today, along with a half hearted apology if it seemed a bit mean spirited. I am sure he had a grin on his face and a chuckle under his breath, cause that is exactly how he is, but I love him and his sense of humor makes me smile.

Thanks for the e-mail and picture Matt, I wasn't quite sure what to write about today!

I guess if counting chairs was all that there was to wedding and event planning, well I guess that most people could do it quite easily. But I have to admit that I have had my share of clients using me for Day of Coordination and in the course of reviewing rental orders and vendor contracts where details such as the number of chairs, linens and even meals were incorrect. Timing and their ideas for the order of events were askew and what seemed like mundane details were totally forgotten. So the next time you think that planning and coordination of an event is such an easy task, ask the guests not sitting in a chair, just how important those details can be.

All the best & 'til next time,

Featured Product - Custom Monogram Cake Toppers

2008-09-18T21:43:00.000-07:00

Now that we have a retail space, I thought that we would start to showcase some of the products that we have to offer and since several of the last posts have been about cake, I thought why not start with our Custom Monogram Cake Toppers. These cake toppers or cake jewelry are custom cut to your design specifications. You have the option to do a full monogram, single letter monogram, first initials with an ampersand, numbers to commemorate a Sweet 16 or a milestone anniversary or possibly even a shape.

You have your choice of 4 different materials - Solid Brushed Metal Finish, Gold Mirrored Acrylic Finish, Silver Mirrored Acrylic Finish or Black Acrylic

Then you choose partially decorated, fully decorated or plain:

If you would like it decorated, you have your choice of 2 different colors out of 43 colored Swarovski Crystals.

The company can cut virtually any font, in fact they have over 1700 fonts available. This allows you to match your cake topper, with your stationery and any other design elements that you wish. In fact that is exactly what we did for Casey & Mike's Wedding, as shown below with their custom aisle runner, cake topper and stationery.

So as you can see with so many choices available, the sky is the limit when designing your own custom cake topper. If you are interested in placing an order drop us a line and we would be happy to assist you in the ordering process.

All the best & 'til next time,

It's all in the details

2008-09-17T07:37:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, I was doing some research, reading a photographer's blog, while looking at his portfolio I noticed that the groom's boutonniere was pinned on incorrectly. In fact, his entire crew had their bouts pinned, not on the lapel, but flopping about somewhere between the lapel and left arm, in addition the white pearl headed pin was placed on the outside of their black jackets. Have you ever seen the commercial for the stain stick and the stain on the guys shirt is sitting there yacking up a storm all the while, you're having trouble concentrating on what the guy is saying. Well that's kind of how it was for me, I had trouble looking at the rest of the photos, because the placement of the bout and that white pin were really, really bugging me. I have seen pics of boutonnieres pinned on the right, too high, too low and just about every position, so I thought that I would share some information and since I hate to be in front of the camera, I thought I would pull something off of You Tube for a demonstration.

All the best & 'til next time,

2008-09-16T18:47:00.000-07:00

Here's some Tunes!

In keeping with what seems to be the on-going theme the last few posts - The Cake - I thought I would share a short list of some of the most popular tunes for the cake cutting ceremony. I've included selections from several different genres so grab the love of your life, a latte or glass of wine, sit back, take a listen and enjoy!

Cut the Cake – Average White Band
Cuts Like A Knife - Bryan Adams
Eat It - Weird Al Yankovic
How Sweet It Is - James Taylor
How Sweet It Is – Michael Buble
Hit Me With Your Best Shot – Pat Benatar (only if you are going to do the cake smash – but please take note by me making this suggestion, I am not condoning this activity – Thank you!)
I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch) – The Four Tops
Love & Marriage - Frank Sinatra
Pour Some Sugar on Me - Def Leppard
Recipe for Love - Harry Connick Jr
Respect – Aretha Franklin (in case you are worried that your new spouse won't be so kind during the cake cutting – again I’m not giving you the OK)
Sugar, Sugar - The Archies
Sweetest Thing - U2
That’s Amore’ – Dean Martin
Unforgettable - Nat Cole / Natalie Cole
When I'm 64 - The Beatles

Ocassionally some guests assume that the cake cutting signals the end of the party and if that is not the case, here is a suggestion for a lively tune right afterwards, maybe your guests will kick off their heels and stay a while:

Celebration – Kool & the Gang

All the best & 'til next time,

The Cutting of the Cake

2008-09-15T14:53:00.000-07:00

Weddings are steeped in tradition and symbolism, but you may wonder, How did some of these rituals come to pass? Back in Victorian times when the multi-tiered cakes made their debut on the wedding scene, the frosting of the cake was very hard in order to support the weight of the cake. However, this hard armor like shell aka, the icing, prevented the bride from being able to make the first cut of the cake on her own, so the tradition of the joint cutting by the bride and groom was born. Fortunately, for taste sake, today's cake designers are using many types of internal supports to keep the scrumptious layers of cake, frosting and filling from sliding to and fro or crumbling to a pile of mush on your beautifully decorated cake table, but the tradition lives on.

When the appropriate time arrives to cut your cake, the bride will place her hand on the knife and the groom, standing behind and just to the side of his bride (for photo and video) will place his hand over hers, cutting the bottom layer of the cake. The groom will then feed his bride the first bite, symbolizing the traditional role of the male as the provider, then the bride will feed her new husband. Now in today's society, where there are no longer rigid roles of men and women, most people opt to feed each other at the same time.

Now this is where I get to throw in my two cents, there is a portion of the cake cutting ceremony that has become tradition and for the life of me I do not know why, but I wish that it would just die a quiet death. Yes, I am talking about the smashing of the cake. I guess, I just do not understand, you get dressed to the nines, hair, make up, beautiful gown, snazzy tux, you are in the spotlight, the star of the show with all of your family and friends watching your every move, photographers and videographers there to document this event for posterity, why would you want to have cake smeared all over your face, WHY?

WHY? Please make it STOP!

How Sweet it is...

2008-09-13T17:41:00.000-07:00

Aside from your wedding gown, which is your guests first ah and ooh of your wedding (as it should be), the next big focal point of your festivities will be your cake. There are oodles and oodles of photos gracing the pages of wedding magazines and websites, when attending a bridal show you can hardly walk down an aisle without at least 3 or 4 bakers with their tempting tidbits, as well as numerous competitions devoted to these culinary confections. We have compiled some questions to ask and some words of advice before signing away on the dotted line.

Cake by Bronwen Weber of Frosted Art (one of my favs on the Food Network)

Tips and Advice:

Be aware that some venues/caterers include the cost of your cake in their package but also require you to use their designer. So when booking this aspect of your wedding, be sure to ask if this is true. If you have a particular cake designer that you are wanting to use and you also have your heart set on "Such & Such Resort", but they will only supply your cake from "Cakes 'r Us" (by the way, a ficticous bakery - at least I hope so!), check with the venue/bakery and see if you can substitute, say some petit fours, tarts, etc. for your dessert table or how about a groom's cake. I like to suggest the groom's cake for the rehearsal dinner, it provides a dessert at this soiree, gives the groom a chance to be in the spotlight at least for a moment, and there is usually plenty of cake left over at the wedding reception. But if you have an absolutely awesome design for your groom's cake and want to showcase it, then the wedding reception is your best bet. You can always serve the extras for the Day After Brunch or pack some away in your carry on for a sweet treat on the flight to Destination Honeymoon.

Cake by Sweets Unlimited

Photo courtesy of Moments Found Photography

If you are having an outdoor wedding, be sure that your cake designer knows this very important fact. Buttercream frosting can not stand up to extreme heat, therefore your designer may have to offer a different type of frosting, such as fondant.

If you choose fondant, make sure it is not for the appearance only, remember the cake must taste good too. Some people do not care for the taste of fondant and if you have never tried it, don't let your wedding cake be the first time that you do.

Many designers are now offering a small replica of your wedding cake for your first anniversary - Yay no more stale nasty tasting year old frozen cake. Be sure to ask your designer if they offer this for free or if they charge a small fee for your repeat business.

Some of the Qs:

Of course you will want to ask - How long they have been in business? How many weddings have you done? (this is important a wedding cake is constructed much differently than a one tier birthday cake) Where did you receive your training? Do you have recent references? yada yada yada, you know the basics that you would ask any vendor. But here are a few suggestions for some more in-depth inquiries:

Is there health department licensing up to date?

Do they have a portfolio of their work you can view, and did they make all the cakes in it? (Don't assume that because they have a photo, that they did make it themselves. Although I guess that they can always not be very truthful, but at least you have done your due diligence, by asking.)

What are their specialties?

Can they design a custom cake to match your theme, dress or color scheme, or do you have to select from set designs?

If so, does it cost extra for a custom design?

What do you charge for delivery and set-up?

In the event that my cake is damaged in transit, will the person delivering my cake be able to make any necessary repairs?

Do they rent equipment, such as cake stands? If not, click here.

How long does it take to make your cake? If they tell you one day, then they are not being truthful, some designs will take several days to complete.

Do they freeze their cakes? If so, do not book them, your cake will not taste the same as fresh)

If you want to use fresh flowers on your cake, will they coordinate with your florist or will you have to manage getting the flowers to them? (if you have to get the flowers to the bakery, remember to delegate this task to your coordinator, if not ask someone else to do this, you will be much too busy and the flowers can not travel around in your car while you are running all of your last minute errands)

This list of questions is not all inclusive, but I hope that it is helpful, none the less.

All the best & 'til next time,

Congratulations to Casey & Mike

2008-09-12T18:27:00.000-07:00

Casey & Mike were married in a beautiful ceremony on July 5th at the Arizona Golf Resort (I know, I know this post is long overdue - I apologize!) anyway, back to their story...

...well let me digress just a bit, back in January a few weeks after the Phoenix Bridal Show, I received an e-mail from a frustrated mother in Houston. Fred & Amy (Casey's parents) flew in to Phoenix hoping to make some tremendous strides planning Casey & Mike's wedding at the bridal show that boasts "plan your wedding in one day!" - sorry - nice marketing, but can you really do it in one day, well they could not. There I go again, back to their story, well after speaking with Amy on the phone for a short time, we hit it off and within days I met with Casey, who lives in Queen Creek. Casey had a few very clear ideas of what she wanted and the rest we diligently worked thru, all the while clearing things with Mom & Dad via phone calls and e-mails. Four months into the planning I finally had the opportunity to meet Fred & Amy in person, they flew in for a visit, tastings (both the reception menu and cake tastings), hair & makeup trials, previewing the venue and tablescape & design mock ups, boy did we accomplish a lot in a matter of a couple of days.

The ceremony performed by Mike Kennedy was absolutely beautiful and as per my usual M.O., I had to grab for the tissue especially when the time came for the unity ceremony. While Casey's sister, Amanda sang "From this Moment" by Shania Twain, Casey, assisted Mike's 8 year old son Kolyn, and Mike holding their 2 year old son, Kaleb, the family lit a family unity candle (ok, I am actually tearing up again, I am such a SAP!)

After the ceremony, their family & friends enjoyed the cocktail hour, while Casey & Mike headed out for sunset photos. Their photographer Opal Gaines of Opal Moments Photography did an absolutely amazing job.

I just loved Casey's eyes in this photo.

Then the party started! They had lots of little guests in attendance, so we were sure to include activity bags, a photo booth courtesy of ScrapBooth and some lively tunes by David Christensen of the Spinn Doctors.

The gorgeous florals were provided by Malia & Dortha of Set the Mood Floral, the backdrop and chair covers were from Fabulous Linens and the absolutely scrumptious cake was courtesy of Exclusive Cakes by Nancy Ray and yours truly basically did the rest, full ensemble of stationery, linens, accessories, cake topper, activity bags...

All in all, it was an amazing day and night, I really enjoyed working with this family, I consider it an honor and a privilege to have helped them along the planning journey. Here are some more photos, enjoy!

Amy & Fred (Mom & Dad) stealing a kiss on the dance floor

September 11th...

2008-09-11T20:17:00.000-07:00

It has been seven years now since that day when so many Americans stood still, some staring at the TV, others staring in amazement where buildings used to stand, while others were forced to stay in strange destinations when their planes were grounded, not knowing for sure what was going on or when they would make it home to their families. I know for me, I went home from work that night and for many, many nights, hugged my kids and my husband just a little harder.

Some may say it is just another box on the calendar or a page in a planner, but just the sheer site of those few letters and 2 numbers standing next to each other, bring on emotions that are still hard to control, but I also have to ask why just this day in particular.

In the last couple of weeks, I have been reminded of just how precious and sometimes how short life can be. Just last night I received an e-mail requesting prayer for a friend from church, a young mother having complications, only 26 weeks into her pregnancy and had to have an emergency C-section. Her baby girl, Bree (one of the surviving twins, the other was lost much earlier in the pregnancy), is now at Phoenix Children’s Hospital, barely larger than her daddy’s hand and weighing in at only one and a half pounds. The day before that another request for prayer for Tracy, a single mother of 3, involved in a serious roll-over accident on I-10, now facing the possible amputation of her left leg and 6 months in the hospital. On Sunday, I visited with a long time friend that I had unfortunately gotten a little too busy to visit with and she told me of another man (not a close friend but I knew of him) had recently lost his wife in another serious accident and was now dazed and confused, a single dad of two. Or how about the bride that unexpectedly lost her uncle just weeks before her wedding, or another bride who was also involved in a serious accident, breaking both of her legs, not able to walk down the aisle to her beloved, for 8 long months, now postponing their wedding, but at least she survived and has another day to tell her loved ones, how she feels.

So, please take the time with your family and friends, don’t let a day or even minute go by without remembering just how precious our time is on this earth, remember to love ‘em and hug ‘em every day!

We did it!

2008-09-03T14:37:00.000-07:00

I am so excited and exhausted to announce that a long time dream of mine and part of my original business plan has come to be! We have opened an office/mini-showroom in Westgate City Center.

We have all of our invitation albums available for our customers to flip thru and find that perfect invitation that reflects their personality and style. We have albums such as Paper Duvet, Pockets, Something Different, Naturally Ever After & my favorite, the Exclusive Collection II, as well as many other titles. If professionally printed invites are not in your budget we have many different styles of DIY Invitation kits in stock. In addition we have samples of favors from Kate Aspen, toasting glasses & cake server sets, custom cake toppers from WMI Designs and since we are authorized dealers for Cathy's Concepts, Lillian Rose, & Hortense B Hewitt, we have catalogs for you to peruse thru looking for all of those other accessories & attendant's gifts. We strive to be your "one stop" shop for all of the items needed for your wedding day.

We also have a design table in the office, where we can try out different linens, place settings and centerpieces for the ultimate tablescape. We will be showcasing floral designs from Set the Mood Floral as well as prints and albums from a couple of local photographers, Kate Wall & Opal Gaines. I can't wait for the prints to come in from Kate Wall Photography for my bare walls, they should be in any day now. I am so excited!

The best part of it all I have a dedicated space to meet with clients, no longer having to run all over town meeting in noisy coffee shops. I am truly blessed and now able to mark off several more items off of the 101 in 1001:

43. Re-route the "rat's nest" of computer, printer, fax, & router cables behind my desk (with the move I went wireless on my router, mouse and keyboard - Yay 3 less wires!)

62. Move out of my Home Office into a Commercial Space

63. Get a maid or a smaller house

69. Clean out one drawer in my personal filing cabinet

74. Increase my invitation album inventory

All the best & 'til next time,

It's a Beautiful Day for a Wedding

2008-08-31T11:38:00.000-07:00

It's wedding day for Veronica and Billy here in Austin, TX and fortunately Gustav is still way off the coast and it looks like the weather will hold for a beautiful early evening outdoor wedding.

I was a little concerned driving in on Thursday, I kept running into torential rainfall and it then continued on Friday, the ground was soaked, but it looks like things are going to be just fine and we won't have to rely on our back up plan. Just something to think about when planning an outdoor wedding, be prepared with a back up plan, reserve a tent, have plenty of umbrellas on hand, have an alternate location scoped out and of course a plan to notify your guests of any last minute changes. I know that we do not get a lot of rain in Phoenix, but from what I have heard from back home, it sounds like it has been a really wet the last couple of days there too.

Anyway, I'm out the door to set up for Veronica & Billy's wedding celebration - Texas style. When I get back to Phoenix, I will have lots to tell you about all of the changes that have been taking place over the last seven or eight weeks. Big exciting news for us here at Planned to Perfection, I can't wait to share.

All the best & 'til next time,

Calling all Brides - There's still time

2008-08-06T22:57:00.000-07:00

Justine from Justine Miller Photography is offering a special package to one lucky couple! One lucky winner will win up to 4 hours coverage with a CD, alternate winners will also receive free engagement shoots (prints and cds are not included). So HOW DO I WIN? you ask. Simple, write Justine at justine{at}justinemillerphotography.com (be sure to replace the {at} with @). Include a photo of you and your fiance, a small write up of how you met, your proposal and your wedding plans. That's it.

Justine will pick her favorite 5 stories and place them on the blog for her readers to vote. The winner will receive the wedding package and all who are chosen to be featured on the blog will receive a free engagement or trash the dress session, your choice. The deadline for entries is August 31st. So hurry get your submissions in to Justine, if you are not a bride-to-be, pass this along, if you are keep it a secret, so your chance of winning increases, just kidding - share the love!!!

Anyway, heres the legaleze: In order to be eligible, your date must fall on a date that Justine has available, she will contact you via e-mail you if your chosen date is already taken. You MUST NOT HAVE A CONTRACT SIGNED WITH ANY OTHER PHOTOGRAPHER. If you already have a photographer contracted, I am sorry, but you are ineligible to compete. The package is for 4 hours time and CD ONLY, if you are requiring additional time or products including travel more than 100 miles from Phoenix additional fees may apply.

All the best & 'til next time,

How true it is...

2008-07-06T22:28:00.000-07:00

A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.

-Mignon McLaughlin

It's Wedding Day for Casey & Mike

2008-07-05T07:19:00.000-07:00

After six months of planning, it's the big day for Casey & Mike. I have had the distinct pleasure of working with this wonderful young couple and Casey's family from Houston. Here are a few photos from the engagement session, taken by the talented Opal Gaines from Opal Moments Photography. Well gotta go set up for the festivities.

All the best & 'til next time,

It's time for another contest - WIN a Photography Package

2008-07-04T08:52:00.000-07:00

Calling all Brides, need ideas on how to save some $$$ for your upcoming wedding, how about a free photography package valued at $1500? Now that's a boost for your budget!!!

In celebration of the 4th of July, Justine from Justine Miller Photography is offering a special package to one lucky couple! One lucky winner will win up to 4 hours coverage with a CD, alternate winners will also receive free engagement shoots (prints and cds are not included). So HOW DO I WIN? you ask. Simple, write Justine at justine{at}justinemillerphotography.com (be sure to replace the {at} with @). Include a photo of you and your fiance, a small write up of how you met, your proposal and your wedding plans. That's it.

Justine will pick her favorite 5 stories and place them on the blog for her readers to vote. The winner will receive the wedding package and all who are chosen to be featured on the blog will receive a free engagement or trash the dress session, your choice. The deadline for entries is July 31st. So hurry there are only 27 days left, if you are not a bride-to-be, pass this along, if you are keep it a secret, so your chance of winning increases, just kidding - share the love!!!

Anyway, heres the legaleze: In order to be eligible, your date must fall on a date that Justine has available, she will contact you via e-mail you if your chosen date is already taken. You MUST NOT HAVE A CONTRACT SIGNED WITH ANY OTHER PHOTOGRAPHER. If you already have a photographer contracted, I am sorry, but you are ineligible to compete. The package is for 4 hours time and CD ONLY, if you are requiring additional time or products including travel more than 100 miles from Phoenix additional fees may apply. Winners will be announced by August 15th.

Good luck!

Artistic Ring Shots

2008-07-03T00:18:00.000-07:00

I was uploading some of my recent event photos to an on-line gallery and came across an absolutely awesome photo of a set of wedding rings. I just love ring shots and some of the amazing things that some photographers do. If you are a photographer and have any that you would like to share I would love to include them. Just send them to plannedtoperfection{at}cox.net and I will get them posted, if you'd like to share any other information about the photos, please include that information as well.

Photo courtesy of SmugMug User ID arevengelista

NACE Design Elements Competition

2008-07-02T22:18:00.000-07:00

On Monday the 2nd Annual Event Elements - Confectionary Creations & Table Top Decor Competition was held at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge and what a wonderful treat for the eyes and tastebuds. Some of the valley's best designers and pastry chefs were out competing for the the best of class with their interpretation of Retro, Contemporary, Traditional and Vintage style, as well as the People's Choice Award. Most of the table top designs, were in excess of $2,000.00 to produce and the table designed by NACE (the sponsor of the event) topped out at over $5,000. Later on in the evening there was dinner and the awards were presented, none other than Scott Corridan was on hand as a guest judge and I bet he spoke at the dinner, but unfortunately I had to meet with a client and couldn't attend.

I took some photos, but my flash was acting up, so some of them will absolutely not do justice to these beautiful designs, I will have to try to go back over my notes and try to give credit where credit is due, if you were there and know, please leave me a comment and I will be sure to include the designers.

Thanks to a reader I was able to identify the designer of this tablescape as Erika Vitaris of Pacific Event Productions

NACE - Contemporary Design Entry (>$5,000 to produce)

This entry by Katie Veniard of Kate Ryan Occasions along with Jacque Dearing and her crew from Endearing Floral Design and Elizabeth Koos from Custom Cakes By Elizabeth made the adorable tea cup mini cakes, these talented ladies took the People's Choice Award.

This cake by Sedona Cake Couture took over 60 hours to produce.

There is plenty more, but I could keep posting all night long, such beautiful tables, delectable cakes and not enough time in the day. I was so glad I went it gives me an idea of the level of competition for next year.

Contest - My BFF Deserves her Dream Wedding

2008-07-01T11:56:00.000-07:00

Candles - Romantic, Beautiful and Cost Effective

2008-06-30T22:23:00.000-07:00

When thinking about your reception decor, probably one of the largest expenses and biggest impact to your decor will be centerpieces for your guest tables. If you are on a budget concentrate on the table top design, after all the guests will be spending most of their time at their tables. Probably one of the most cost effective options would be candles, instead of costly, labor intensive floral arrangements, an added benefit would be the romantic glow and ambiance that candle light creates.

A couple of tips before you go out spending your hard earned cash: Be sure to check with your reception venue, most often they will have a policy which requires the candles be encased in glass, in some cases you can have an open flame but the dripping wax must be contained in one way or another to prevent the wax from coming in contact with costly linens. Second tip, look into rentals for your centerpiece glassware, candle sticks, etc., many consultants, florists and event decor companies offer rentals, rather than going out and purchasing 15 sets of this, that and the other thing. Here are a few examples, enjoy!!!

Photos courtesy of Joanne Gartin

Photos courtesy of Two's Company

Do you have romantic proposal?

2008-06-29T11:05:00.000-07:00

I was talking with someone the other day and she was telling me that her sister is very newly engaged, she also shared her sister's very special proposal. I am such a sucker for a love story or tales of a romantic encounter, I absolutely love to hear about proposals and yes I still tear up at weddings. Who'd a thunk that a wedding planner, that is involved in so many weddings, would still tear up. That's me, I'm an open book, what can I say, I wear my emotions on my sleeve.

Anyway, it seems that her soon to be bro-in-law is a professional photographer and a bit of a romantic himself. All during their dating years, like most photographers, he was never without his camera, taking photos of her, the two of them, places that they had been. He ended up compiling all of those photos into an album, creating a montage, commemorating all of the times that they had shared together. As they sat there looking thru this album, they reminisced, laughed and talked thru all of the memories, but on the last page of the album was a photo of him alone, on one knee holding an engagement ring and he asked her to be his for the rest of their lives. I just thought that was so special, he put so much of himself and who they had become together as a couple into the proposal and yes I did tear up!!!

So I thought I would do a little research on romantic proposals and this one just kept coming up, so I thought that I would share it with you as well. Maybe you are among the 390,000 + people who have already seen it on YouTube in the last 11 months, maybe not, but here it is anyway.

George wanted to give Sara a really great story to share with her family and friends, so he created an elaborate ruse, complete with a fictitious artist named Serge Gandaora (George and Sara unscrambled), except that George was actually the artist. He is an industrial designer, using his computerated design software and equipment used in his business created an inticate piece of art, that would be displayed in the 40000 gallery, in Chicago’s West Loop district. The exhibit was called "My Early Muir Owl" (unscrambled - will you marry me?), when you first see the exhibit it looks like a bunch of little shapes suspended on tall dowel rods, but when viewed at a certain angle, the proposal comes to life. Their story was even covered on the nightly news in Chicago, now is that over the top or what?

Do you have a romantic proposal to share? I'd love to hear about it, but I'll be sure to grab the tissue box first.

Photo of engagement rings coutesy of Tiffany & Co.

LOVE

2008-06-28T23:22:00.001-07:00

"Love doesn't make the world go round, love is what makes the ride worthwhile."

- Elizabeth Browning

UNIQUE

2008-06-27T09:21:00.000-07:00

This is in no particular way associated with the wedding industry, but I thought it was very true and just thought that I would share it anyway. The next time someone tells you they, their products or services are unique, now you have a mental picture and can question, is that really a good thing??

Martha Stewart - Collector's Edition

2008-06-26T22:35:00.000-07:00

My sisters once endearingly referred to me as a Martha wannabe and I would have to say that is one of the biggest compliments that I have ever received. In the first few years of being in my own home and being in charge of the family get togethers, showers, and parties, I would search high and low for the perfect addition to the decor, paying attention to the smallest of details. My family would sometimes even give me a hard time for being so ridiculous, after all we're just gonna mess it up anyway, but I didn't care, I was the one that would know the difference.

But anyway, I just get a kick out of some of the things the staff at Martha Stewart Weddings does, of course they are not in the same league as Preston Bailey or Colin Cowie with their over the top productions, but they still do inspire creative ideas and beautiful design.

I didn't immediately get my hands on this particular edition when it hit the news stands, but when I started looking for it, I had a bit of trouble. So, I went to my fall back for most of my books and magazines - eBay. The first listing that came up was an auction that was about to end and when if finally did, this baby went for $46.01, is that crazy or what!!! News stand price is $9.95 and you can bet that if I happen to find another one, I'm putting it out on eBay as well. Can you say ROI!!

I couldn't wait to flip thru the pages, after all it must be good if someone paid $46 bucks for it, right??. Some of the things that they do with even the simplest of things, can bring a smile to your face. In fact, I was flipping thru the pages and came across a pic of a doorway leading into a reception and I thought "what the heck is that..." you'd never guess, but they actually decorated with the old school honeycomb crepe paper bells. Now I draw the line at some of the things that I would ever do, but the smile came, not from delight, but from amazement at their bold choice. Most designers would never attempt something like that, but I guess, they have the magazine, website, television show, millions of devoted followers and well, I have my pitiful little blog.

But in case you haven't see the magazine yet, here are a few pics, Enjoy!!!

This little concoction is called the Rasmopolitan - a raspberry cosmopolitan. A signature drink supplemented with beer and wine is a cost effective way to shave some of the expense off of a full bar. Typically created in conjuction with your bartender/mixologist and usually color coordinated with your wedding pallette. You may even want to give it a unique name, maybe a combination of your names or possibly representative of your theme. Since I am a non-drinker, here is a Tip - please be sure to include a non-alcoholic version of your signature drink for those who do not wish to partake as well as for your under age guests - remember be an accommodating host. In case you want to give it a try, here is the recipe:

Ingredients
Makes 1 cocktail
1 ounce (2 tablespoons) citrus-flavored vodka
1 ounce (2 tablespoons) raspberry-flavored vodka
1/2 ounce (1 tablespoon) Chambord
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon Simple Syrup
2 tablespoons cranberry juice
Raspberries, for garnish

Directions
Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice. Add vodkas, Chambord, lime juice, simple syrup, and cranberry juice. Shake or stir until well chilled. Strain into a martini glass. Garnish with raspberries; serve.

photos courtesy of Martha Stewart Weddings

WOW - That's a lot of Details

2008-06-25T12:48:00.000-07:00

Today's WOW is a little bit of artsy fun dealing with the tremendous amount of details that brides and grooms have to juggle when it comes to planning their weddings. I was going to write about an over the top wedding that I saw on Platinum Weddings, a weekly show that airs every Sunday night on the WE TV Network, but decided to have a little fun instead with Wordle an

on-line "toy" for creating word clouds.

Now I wouldn't have normally found this on my own, but this morning I read a blog written by Rebecca Grinnals a consultant to wedding professionals (yes, sometimes we consultants need consultants too - LOL). Anyway, it took me a few trys to get the results that I wanted and thanks to Liene Stevens of The Smart Planner and Blue Orchid Designs I was able to figure out how to resize the pictures, Thanks Liene you are the greatest!!! Oh well, enough fun for now, I've got to get back to work on Casey & Mike's wedding.

Go ahead, give it a try, tell your "soon to be" how much you really love them, maybe even change the colors to match your wedding pallette.

ENJOY!!

#2. Make it a third year without returning to the job that I hated and wasted almost 20 years doing...Check

2008-06-22T04:56:00.000-07:00

Ok, so that was a mouthful of a goal for my 101 in 1001, but it is, what it is and those 3 years whizzed by and I didn't even realize that April 30th was my 3 year anniversary!!! And I was going to have a huge party too, oh well, I'm sure I was having fun on April 30th anyway.

Now maybe hated is too strong of a word, but when I tell most people where I worked I get the same reaction, the hair stands up on the back of their neck and they cringe. Now you are probably wondering where I worked that would cause this type of reaction, but when I say a car dealership, there it is, you are thinking about the slimeball of a used car salesman stereotype, aren't you???

But, I read somewhere recently about your past connecting the dots and I guess that my past work experience did teach me a lot about my business today. I definitely learned the accounting side of owning your own business, working in various departments within the accounting offices taught me a variety of skills and flexibility, working in the payroll office taught me a lot of employer/employee policy and law, working with the salesmen's pay plans taught me how ruthless people can be and how NOT to treat others, the last three years before leaving their employment I managed my own department that was basically a small business within the large dealer entity and most importantly was the customer interaction.

You see when people buy a car they are typically making one of the largest purchases (a home being the largest) they will make in their life and with that comes people that are emotionally charged, much like brides and their families. I learned to stay calm, diffuse difficult situations, offer alternatives to the sometimes misrepresentation of certain aspects of the transaction, then provide the best possible service to that customer from the time I had the opportunity to talk with them and then follow up to make sure their experience was the best it could possibly be. So, I guess with that said connecting the dots of my past brought me to this point in my life, I learned a lot, maybe not necessarily directly related to the wedding industry, but business, organizational and definitely people skills. The biggest difference is, now I get to do what I love to do!!!

Happy Anniversary to ME!!!

I am so Excited!!!

2008-06-22T03:58:00.000-07:00

I am so thoroughly excited about the newest addition to our invitation album library - it is the Exclusive Collection II from Carlson Craft. These invitations are about as close to custom as you can get without the huge expense. You choose the card stock, either white or ivory, then choose up to two coordinating colors and your entire wedding stationery suite can be customized to your wedding color scheme. They have the full ensemble from the save the date card to the thank yous and everything in between, even place cards, favor tags and table #s to match your color scheme and stationery design.

Now you will have to forgive me, this album is so new that the printing company hasn't made professional photos available quite yet and seeing as how it is about 3 AM, when I took these photos, you will have to forgive me. As soon as professionally photographed samples are available I will replace these poor attempts to showcase how beautiful these invitations really are. Here is a sneak pick:

Save the Date Notice

Invitation with colored lined envelope

Reception Card

Response cards are available as well - I just didn't take the photo - Sorry!!

Envelope Icing - this is a fancy name for a label, I know, I know, stationery etiquette dictates that you DO NOT put labels on your invitation envelopes, but these are so cool with the design to match your whole stationery ensem !!

Ceremony Program

Again sorry for the poor quality pics

Table #s

Favor Tags

They have place cards as well, I just forgot to take the photo.

We have many style to choose from, natural, elegant, trendy, tropical, sophisticated, fun & funky. If you would like to see this album or any one of the numerous other albums we have, please give me a call at (623) 521-9829 or e-mail me to schedule an appointment.

Contest - My Best Friend Deserves Her Dream Wedding

2008-06-20T18:14:00.000-07:00

Come join us at….Thee Bridal Faire Extravaganza

Estrella Vista Reception Center
1471 N. Eliseo C. Felix Jr. Way
Avondale, AZ
Saturday, July 26th

9AM – 3PM

Fashion Show, Entertainment, Food

Do you have a BFF getting married??

Better yet bring your BFF and have her enter you

into the drawing for a Dream Wedding

Pick up forms for “My Best Friend Deserves Her Dream Wedding”

presented by Thee Wedding Warehouse