No longer just for flower girls

One of my favorite florist just told me that lately more and more brides are requesting pomander bouquets (A flower or foliage covered ball or cone suspended from a loop of ribbon or pearls) as opposed to the popular hand-tied nosegay or (gasp) the cascade. Everything old is new again! I guess the pomander is due, afterall it hasn't been popular since the Elizabethan age.

"are you busy?"

My favorite answer to that question has always been: "the president is busy. I've always got time to [fill in the blank]." But frankly, I must say that this has been the busiest month of my memory, so bear with me. I'll be updating my blog regularly again in a few short days.

What's in a name?

I've been working on a seating chart this week (notice I said week). 300 names. Checking and double-checking with the kind of compulsive obsession, I'm certain will one day drive me mad. "You said Lynda with a 'y' not an 'i'? Got it!" Why do I put myself through all the trouble? Because whenever I show up to an event and I'm handed a nametag or place card, how my name is spelled shapes the entire experience for me, positively or negatively. My last name is one of those simple names with two ways to spell, so even though I stress the extra "e", more often than not people will revert to the way they spell it routinely. Therefore, you can imagine my joy when someone spells my name correctly. The devil is in the details, as they say.

I guess now is as good a time as any to point out that my name is not Leslie Manning. This was the risk Jenniffer (with two f's) Manning and I knew we were taking when we named the business Leslie dash Manning Events comma LLC. Therefore, I'm regularly addressed as Ms. Manning or Leslie Manning and I respond, because "yes" is so much more efficient than explaining why there's a dash between both names. However, there is one time when I'm addressed as Leslie Manning or Ms. Manning that I do feel the need to point it out. It's when that salutation starts a cover letter or email requesting employment. Why? Because without fail, somewhere in the body of the letter or email, the candidate is going to stress to me their "exceptional" attention to details, after having missed the very first detail: my name.

What I'm loving today...I think

Here's a green favor idea that I'm still trying to wrap my mind around. It's the Amazing Message Plant. Why is it amazing? well, according to the site: "As the plant grows, your very own customized message appears on the bud. Watch your loved ones delight when they realize their gift is not only a cool plant, but also sprouts a message specifically for them, from you! Just think of the possibilities: A dinner party with Amazing Message Plant favors customized for each guest." That is assuming your guests are nothing like me, because then you can be certain your message will be dead before it ever has a chance to take root.

A penny for your thoughts

I was looking for journals this past weekend. I was told they keep you from going crazy. Actually, I was told that journaling during a specifically stressful event (like planning a wedding) helps to control stress. What a terrific gift for a bride! And the reason why I embarked on a search of journals imagining that there is a bride who would prefer journaling with pen and paper, and writing complete sentences of descriptive prose rather than say, typing emoticons on livejournal.com. Of course, faced with more choices than I could shake a stick at, I came home empty-handed, but I did narrow my choices down to three:

The gorgeous and practical A-Z Journal from Daisy Arts with tabs for topics from Attendants to Zen.

These handmade beauties by Story Made.

And these budget friendly ones from Paper + Cup Design.

Decisions, decisions...

Party!: another great idea from Relish

These lighted cubes can be used as chairs or tables. They're great for parties, because they add ambient lighting and a touch of cool. However, at $269. a pop they're not for every party. That shouldn't stop you though from calling your local party rental store or creating your own if you're handy. I'm sure the guys on HGTV's Design on a Dime can show you how to do it. A word of caution, if you've planning the DIY route, remember TLC's Life Lesson #92: "Know when to not do-it-yourself."

I'm loving this store. I relish Relish!

Will you marry me?

I love this ring from Relish. No worries about over-consumption, conflict diamonds, loss or theft. Just plain fun! and at $12.00 a piece, future hubby won't have to worry about giving up two months salary either.

The hottest color this fall is...

drumroll, please...HOT PINK! I know, I know, that's not what it says in the Pantone fall 2007 color report, but honestly, do you think trendsetters follow reports? I grabbed these photos from Grace Ormonde's Wedding Style magazine, it's a true style tome, and a good read too.

"Green" poll results

The poll is closed, and the results are in (and they're not statistically correct by a long shot). At least one couple is giving mother earth a hand and planning a "green" or earth friendly wedding. Yea!! The majority (as I suspected) are not. With the exception of the two people who voted "yes, at least $25,000 big ones." That would be my vote as well, although I am immensely enjoying discovering new "green" ideas everyday, so who knows, maybe, just maybe, I'll go a little "green."

What I'm loving today

These ladies aren't cheap, but they're real gems, and they make perfect wedding favors. Check them out at John and Kira's, my new favorite place to shop for gifts.

The "IT" dress

I was just flipping through the pages of a wedding magazine and noticed in back to back "real wedding" stories, the brides were wearing the same dress. What's interesting about this is that the dress was not the Monique Lhuillier (or was it Carmela Sutera) gown with the lace cap sleeves or spaghetti straps and gold sash that we've seen on every other bride since 2005. This dress was "unique". Created by a designer "in the know" and impossible to find online. I know, because I keep searching for it. Yet, here this dress is featured twice, in the same magazine. However, with the exception of the dress, both weddings are completely different in location, style, colors and taste. Unlike the Lhuillier and Sutera dresses that seem designed for a certain style of wedding, this dress is rather versatile - from an evening affair to barefoot on the beach - and it looks rather comfortable too. Perhaps that is the flaw in most wedding plans. Choosing a wedding dress that matches with the style of your chosen location rather than choosing a dress in your style and then finding a location to match. So what is your style? Here's how New York Magazine broke it down:

The Princess bride - strapless ballgowns and skirts with pickups.
The Delicate bride - dresses with feminine accessories like lace, flower pins and sashes (I picture a graceful ballerina gliding down the aisle in this dress, but not me).

The Bohemian bride - empire waist dresses.

The Adventurous bride - this bride will wear a mini-skirt down the aisle (only in my dreams).

The Dramatic bride - she's got all the bling and then some.

The Modern bride - likes unique and interesting shapes (I've got a unique and interesting shape of my own:).

The Sophisticated bride - pant suits, skirt suits, as long as it is a suit she can wear again (and again).

The Minimalist bride - simple and sleek sheaths.

You can bet I found my style in the Minimalist bride. What's your style?

Get a Cluu

Corny, I know, but I couldn't resist. It's what I'm loving today...Cluu Cards!
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I learned about these while waiting in line at Cosi for my latte (long story). They're from Cluu Design. They're not your run-of-the-mill magnetic cards. They're custom made with original illustrations from the designer that are typeset and printed individually. Use these for anything from asking your guests to save the date or inviting them to your wedding. I love this one with the rendition of the Capitol. DC is a lovely place to wed.

Play? what play?

I just read in a celebrity planner's book that planning a wedding is a lot like putting on a revival of a well-loved show. "The story is familiar, but your version is unlike any other." What a great analogy! A wedding is a lot like a play. You have your cast of characters, costumes, dress rehearsals, lines, monologues, set design, timing, producer, etc., etc. However, I think approaching your wedding planning as producing a play or show is possibly the number one reason why so many couples say: "I can't wait for this wedding to be over" rather than "I can't wait for this wedding I've been planning forever." They're worried about their critics, rather than throwing the best darn celebration of their joining, committment and love.

Now, I'm not saying throw your planning to the wind and let the pieces fall where they may. I think proper planning and good timing is essential to enjoying your wedding day. I'm just saying don't put too much pressure on yourself. You don't have the reach the end of the aisle at the very moment Celine Dion hits that note.

To me, and perhaps only to me, the benchmark of a good wedding is when guests leave saying: "I wish I didn't have to leave; I was having so much fun." Rather than: "they (referring to the couple) did a good job."