It's your day...initial it yours!

Today I was talking to a bride who's planning a Town & Country style garden wedding and she wanted monogrammed napkins for her guests, but not of the paper variety. I was so excited, I could have jumped up and down like Anna Kournikova's dog in that commercial. It was then that I dug out a monogrammed linen napkin that was sent to me by Initial it Yours as a sample of their goods. The perfect detail for a wedding that is worthy of the society pages.

Speaking of Peonies

I found this site while doing a blog crawl today (sorry, I forgot where I found it). Now, the fantasy is complete.

Peonies, eh?

I saw bunches of Peonies for sale in my local Safeway this evening and my first thought was to take a picture and send it to one of my brides. My second thought was "I can buy Peonies in Safeway?" my third thought was maybe it's time I took a floral arranging class or volunteer part-time with a florist. My fourth thought was "can I clone myself?" My fifth thought was thank goodness I know talented florists. By the time I was finished picking up my staples - honey and the latest issue of Washingtonian Magazine - I had a full-fledged fantasy going of buying a bunch of Peonies at Safeway on the morning of my nuptials and making my own hand-tied bouquet. I've never been good at spontaneous, so I revel in these carefree fantasies. However, it's good to know that in a pinch I can get either a bunch of pink peonies, white callas or green roses for under $20. at the same place I buy my groceries. Snob the supermarket floral department no more.

It's the people!

"Anyone can put flat-screen TVs or Egyptian 500-thread-count sheets on the bed, but at the end of the day, what defines the experience is the people"
...Brian O'Connor, Spokesman for Carnival's Cunard Line

A colleague sent me this quote, and I had to share, because I've been saying it for years. Although this quote is directed at hoteliers it rings true for wedding and event planners as well. In my not-so-humble opinion, the benchmark of a good planner has always been how they handle stress and not whether they're on the preferred list of a high end venue (although I won't mind being on the list myself) or how large a wedding or event they've planned. It's the attitude of the planner when the stress starts to mount during the planning stages and on the day-of, to quote a colleague, "when everything goes wrong that can go wrong," that makes a good event absolutely fabulous.

Okay, off my soapbox.

Whatever became of photo albums?

Lately, I've noticed that fewer and fewer photographers are offering photo albums in their packages. Particularly, the traditional gilded edge matte books (which I love) that lasts forever. Today, they’re being replaced by the ever popular coffee table book digital albums. The ones where you can spill water on the pages and wipe them dry. No worries about fingerprint smudges or worse, someone lifting a photo. Many more photographers are now turning over the digital negatives to their clients, so they can go online at sites like Shutterfly and My Publisher and order prints, create slideshows and/or their own custom albums for a fraction of the price. But what about quality? I’m glad you asked. I was less than impressed with the album I created on My Publisher last year, but then again, what did I expect for 30 bucks? However, recently another coordinator introduced me to Blurb. And frankly, I’m impressed. Not only with their quality, but also because they offer a feature that I can use to turn my blog into a book. I'd probably only need to order one copy, but still, posterity.

What I'm loving today

Plates and Napkins. The store. Check it out here

Because nothing is simple when you're an event planner, not even the family backyard cookout.

Blame Canada!

Okay, I have to share this, because I think it's super cool. It's the web site for WedLuxe Canada's Luxury Wedding Magazine. They're the only magazine in Canada (and anyplace else I could think of) that allows you to experience the magazine in 3D, High Definition Video. According to the site: "WedLuxe features the design and style behind weddings–providing a visual feast for brides planning a high-style soirée." And it truly is something to watch. However, after partaking of this "visual feast," I could not find any information on subscribing to the magazine (just in case I want seconds). Hello editors, HD Video is super, but some of us like paper too."

Ice-cream and cocktails?

I blogged a few days ago about the ice-cream bar as "something new". Apparently, it begged clarification as I had a conversation this past weekend that went like this:
."Does the ice-cream bar replace alcohol at the event?"
"No."
"But they don't mix?"
Hey, wait a minute, who's the expert here? "Of course they do. As a matter of fact, you should always serve your guests dairy when serving alcohol; it slows the absorption of the alcohol, and ice-cream is dairy."
"I had a friend who threw up violently after having a glass of wine [at a restaurant] after she'd finished eating her ice-cream dessert."
"Cheap house wine would make anybody hurl. It really doesn't matter what you eat."

Father's Day or Father of the Bride

Check out these handmade concrete and sterling silver cuff links from Click! Dad will feel ultra-special; he may even add an extra zero to that check (hey, it's just a thought).

New favor find!

White-Chocolate Dipped Graham cookies by Edibles, Inc. They’re individually wrapped in clear cellophane bags, tied with matching ribbons and finished with an edible design, and sprinkles! Everybody loves sprinkles. And at $2.50 a piece, these will make great favors. (I know there’s a turkey featured in the photo above, so you’ll just have to use your imagination or check out their site for wedding designs).

Something Blue

This 1.28 carat emerald-cut sapphire and diamond engagement ring from Doyle and Doyle's collection of fine estate and antique jewelry, is a bargain at $8,500. (That noise is my fiance hitting the floor). It encompasses all four: something old, something new, something borrowed (you can rent it at 20% the retail price) and something blue!

Something Borrowed

You know I had too. I’ve already done something old and something new. If you'd like to borrow something for your wedding day, whether for fun, an upgrade or to have that "something borrowed," here’s a list of things you can borrow (along with the places that loan them). Keep in mind though, borrowing isn’t for everyone. However, if you’re the type of bride who won’t spend a moment worrying about someone stepping on your 18th century vintage veil or losing a diamond earring, read on:

Flowers – There’s a store aptly named Flowers for Rent that rents high-end silk flowers for the wedding party, ceremony and reception. You select your flowers, they ship them to you, and afterward you ship them back – good luck with getting those boutonnieres back from the guys. The groom usually loses his right after the ceremony.

Dress – Why not? The groom rents his tuxedo. When I first started wedding dress shopping, I thought I should just walk into MyrJan Bridal and rent a dress. But, like most wedding plans, that quickly changed. However, if preserving your gown for posterity is not your thing, there are many bridal gown rental options available nationwide.

Veil – If you’ve always dreamed of walking down the aisle in a vintage veil, but there’s no grandmother’s veil to borrow. Then give Jana Starr a call.

Jewelry – If you’d like to be dripping in diamonds on your wedding day, but your budget could only afford Cubic Zirconia, never fear, Adorn Brides has got your bling.

And before you ask, no, borrowing will not save you money (unless of course, you can afford to purchase these items at their retail price), but it can be a lot of fun.

Something New

Something new is something "green"!

Last night, I was working on a Something New list and discovered after I had my top ten that 7 out of the 10 were also something "green," so rather than creating a new list of all the "green" ideas that are currently proliferating the internet and wedding magazines, I've decided to simply list my favorites:
#1 Growing your own wedding flowers or buying them freshly cut from the farmer's market - of course, this means hand-tying them yourself, so not only do you have to be eco-conscious, but also born with the Martha Stewart-esque gene.
#2 Replacing the wedding cake with a tower of chocolate-dipped strawberries and serving them with organic champagne.
#3 Eco-chic weddings by Emily Anderson - the new must-have wedding planning book.
#4 Yoga classes to get in shape (and de-stress) for the big day instead of "Buff Bride" boot camp.

However, there were a few items on my original list that I would still like to mention:
#1 Holga photography - Although I recently spoke to a photographer who said "why bother with Holga when there's Photoshop?"
#2 Personalized Hershey's kisses.
#3 Popcorn buffets.
#4 Rari blooming tea favors.
#5 Paper bouquets - thanks Martha!
#6 Lime green weddings, and
#7 Ice-cream bars - as in "bartender, make mine a double scoop 'o chocolate."

Something old

I felt inspired to write this post after reading another coordinator's blog where she talked about a bride coming to her with an idea that was "something new" to the bride, but "something old" to the coordinator. It reminded me of a meeting I had a year ago with a new client, who said: "I have this great unique idea for my reception, a chocolate fountain!" I tried, but it was impossible to hide my not-another-stinking-chocolate-fountain look. As an event planner, you always want to do something new and different. However, when it comes to weddings, the trends stick around longer, because brides are always changing, so while I may have been doing chocolate fountains since 2002, to the bride of 2006 a chocolate fountain is new, and will remain so until The Knot publishes an article that says this trend has been done to death. Put it to rest. Well, why wait for The Knot. Here's my list of "something old" wedding trends:
#1. The chocolate fountain (no surprise here).
#2. The candy buffet - thanks Martha! now go make some paper flowers or something.
#3. The head table (on a riser).
#4. The escort card picture frame favor. Unless you're spending $5 a pop on these ditties, save your money.
#5. The bathroom basket - When I did this for the first time back in 2003, it was a hit. Today, it's still a nice touch, but it's no longer unique...speaking of no longer unique...
#6 Custom-colored and engraved M&M's.
#7. The cupcake wedding cake.
#8. A CD of the couple's favorite love songs.
#9. A lighting gobo of the couple's initials.
#10. The perfect wedding - alright, it's not a trend, but it deserves to be listed. It does not exist, and therefore should only be used in quotes: the"perfect" wedding.

Diamonds may be a girl's best friend...

but I'll take stock in Tiffany's.

I was searching for the perfect "I'm a grown-up now" 21st birthday present for my niece when a friend suggested I check out Oneshare.com. It's a company that allows you to purchase one share of real stock from a major company and have it registered in someone's name. Being in the business of weddings, I was immediately drawn to the Tiffany stock, the perfect bridal shower gift for the girl with Holly Golightly dreams (bookmarked it!).

However, I was thrilled to see that they had Apple stock, which I will purchase for my niece. It will give me an opportunity to educate her on how others are making money off the iPod she and her friends live and die for. And (in case you're wondering) no, I won't have to worry about her finding out what she's getting through reading my blog, she spends all of her free time on Facebook.