Normally, I'd post a quick, I am so excited for the new year, and how much inspiration its going to bring! But I think what I really want to do, is show you our 2009 is pictures, since pictures speak 1,000 words, it might be funner!
So here goes...
So a brief explaination:
Top Row: A slight change in our marketing and Eventology - totally loved meeting people that I have talked with for years and made some friends for life!
Second Row: Make new friends and keep the old ones, some are silver and the others gold! The first is of, myself, Stewart Powers, Amanda, and Amanda - we had a great time at TJ's Studio Networking Event, And then the fun we've had the office, PJ Party and Halloween!
Third Row: My Best Friends Wedding, and at the same time, same picture, what you don't see is that I got to work with and made friends for life with Wes and Rae Leytham (Love Love Love - but don't tell them, I hear Wes gets a big head) and our Bridal Shows, along with Let's Eat Cake! You all know how much that meant to me!
Hey guys, I just wanted to write a quick note and apologize for disappearing over the holidaze...I'm headed to Tahoe for some snowboarding, The Roots, DJ Craze, good times with some friends I haven't seen in way too long. I have some big things planned for us in 2010 and can't wait to come back on Tuesday and get cracking. I hope that you are all having a safe and enjoyable New Years surrounded with loved ones- can't wait to see what your resolutions are and hear all about your holidaze.
We recieved the nicest Thank You card from Kristina and Darren! I think this is a testimonial as to Why Hire a Wedding Planner! What a wedding planner does? And how a wedding planner can rock your socks off!
As a wedding planner in Gainesville, Florida (not a big city, nothing metropolitan here) sometimes the little things go a lot longer than you thought. I just have to brag a bit...
Check out their wedding photo's here! {Thanks Gina Leigh!}
Dearest Melissa,
I'm not sure how we can even begin to thank you for all that you've done for us. We could have gone crazy trying to plan our wedding from Chicago! But you and your team kept us sane, organized and reminded us to enjoy the process and stop worrying about all of the little things.
You are truly perfection at what you do. From the first meeting you made us feel welcome and like instant friends. Thank you for being so available to your "Pedro" & Kristina! A simple phone call can relieve so much stress & resolve many things. We know how difficult it must be sometimes to be so accessible. We appreciate it, and hope we didnt' bother you too much!
Thank you for taking the time to really get ot know us, and listen to our hopes and wishes for our special day- without you, our vision could have been lost.
Thanks for being so much more than a wedding planner to us. Thanks for being a sympathetic ear, a therapist, and most importantly a friend. We already miss you, your office, and your hugs! We are always an email, facebook or phone call away! Let us know if you ever need anything!
I love Erin's Inspiration boards, they are so pretty and festive! And I can't thank her enough for her Guest Posts!
This board began with the festive pinecone boutonniere from April Hiler Designs. Black and white is, of course, a favorite palette of mine, and it is an easy palette to customize to any and every season. Red is a perfect choice for a holiday accent color!
Wedding etiquette is different from traditions that were established in the past. Traditionally, the bride’s family would pick up the tab but with the average cost of weddings skyrocketing, and more couples getting married later in life, they are sharing in the expenses. Forget the archaic rule that says certain people have to pay for certain things. Keep in mind that informal weddings are usually smaller (and therefore cheaper), and formal weddings tend to be larger (and therefore more expensive). The table below is a guideline to help everyone involved to share the expenses.
Service
Bride & Family
Groom & Family
Wedding Party
Rings
Groom’s wedding ring
Bride’s engagement ring Bride’s wedding ring
Prewedding
Parties
Engagement party Bridesmaid luncheon
Rehearsal dinner
Bridal Shower Bachelor Party
Stationery
Invitations, announcements, programs, thank you notes and mailing costs
Juliette Senior of UnisonEvents, LLC located in New Jersey has been very helpful in my blog etiquette. She is very insightful in the wedding field and created a blog regarding gift registries that I'd like to share with my readers. Enjoy!
When it comes to creating a wedding registry many brides don’t know what to add to their lists. Before you even choose the stores you want to set up a gift registry at, ask yourself the following questions: 1. Go through each room in the house and ask yourself, “What do we need to make this room complete? Albums, picture frames, dishes, silverware, lamps, etc. Don’t forget about the outside of the house—garden hoses, planters, etc. 2. Once you have a list of the items, now ask yourself, “How many of each do we need?” The next step is to choose the gift registry stores. When considering which stores to register at, make sure you choose a store whose products you enjoy. Also, consider the types of guests you are inviting to your wedding. Some may not have computers, so you need to make sure at least 1 of the stores you register at has a physical location where people can shop at nationwide (i.e. Macy’s, Crate & Barel…). Many brides end up registering at multiple stores, as they have a variety of items on their wish lists. This also opens up more shopping options for family and friends to choose from. Once you have chosen the stores you want to set up registries at, now comes the fun part – creating your wish lists. Some stores let you create wish lists online, while others require you to physically go to the store and use a wand to scan UPS codes, which will then be uploaded into an online wish list for guests to view. Check out what the registry process is for each store, and make sure you pencil out time to go to stores that you have to go in person (expect to spend a couple hours in the store, meeting with a customer service rep. and then choosing your items). Please pay attention to wedding registry etiquette. Don’t expect people to be able to pay for top-of-the-line or expensive items. Be considerate in your selections, allowing for guests to be able to choose from a varied selection of prices, that best suit their wallet. If you list all expensive items, you may be disappointed to find that not many items will be purchased for you. That doesn’t mean you can’t include some dream items, like a new television or bedroom set – you never know if guests may want to pool their funds and buy a big ticket item for you. Knowing what you already have and what you ACTUALLY need will help make creating your wedding registry easier, and make sure that guests will get things for you that you will use. Here are two great wedding registry checklists to help you when deciding what you need and should add to your wish lists: Organized Registry The Knot Check out these websites for a list of popular stores that offer wedding registries: Brides.com BestWeddingSites.com Don’t forget to let family and friends know where you are registered at. You can send them along a postcard with the information, post it to your wedding website, social media site, etc. Registering for wedding gifts is supposed to a fun experience, and helps break up the craziness wedding planning brings—so enjoy!
Getting Married and need assistance?Email Me For All Your Event Planning Needs Simply Perfect Peace Events, Inc. Sharon Patrice, Owner Simple Perfect Peace Events Designs by Shay
The break has been so relaxing but at the same time an intense whirlwind. Here's what I have done so far...
Went sledding in Cedar Falls with about 7 people and my brother.
Picked up Nicole and Chris (sister and brother-in-law) from the Minneapolis airport as they came home from India. (our bodies were damaged as we rammed into each other while hugging)
Went to Culvers and watched Nicole and Chris eat their first bite of beef in months.
Went to the Farley house for Matt's birthday party. Everyone was home. It was so fun.
Went to Lianne's baby shower at the Farley's. It was so fun to see Mike and her excitement for the baby and to see how cute she is with her baby belly!
Hung out with a bunch of High School friends at Tyler Olson's house and played a bunch of fun games and caught up on life.
Hung out with Jenscie, Bailey, and Emily from high school and made almond bark covered pretzels while talking.
Had a family Christmas game day. We had five different games and we did tournaments all day long. I was the champion of the connect four tournament, but I lost everything else.
As a family, we went to visit our old neighbor in the nursing home.
We opened gifts as a family and just loved being together
Went up to the Stellmaker side for Christmas. It was quite different because it was the first Christmas without Grandma but still really fun. Nicole and I looked through a bunch of her old sewing supplies and had a lot of memories of things that she had made for us throughout her life.
Went to church at my Grandma's church with my family, grandpa, and cousin.
Traveled over to my uncle and aunt's house on my mom's side. The traveling during this whole trip was quite exciting. We only have a hatch back car and so one of us had to ride in the trunk with all the luggage packed around them.
Had a very informal Christmas with my uncle, aunt, cousins and their 2 kids, and my family. It was small but really good. We did a lot of laughing, laying around, singing, playing of the piano, and much more.
And currently I am sitting at Panera with slow jazz in the background with my sister as we work on our to-do list and have fun sister time.
We have some fantastic guest bloggers in the coming weeks, I hope you enjoy their posts, they are some of my very favoritest people in the whole wide blogesphere! If you don't ready Erin's blog, you are missing out! She is full of amazing designs, inspriation, and wit - LOVE HER! So without further ado, Erin....
My favorite color this holiday season is blue. Blue feels romantic and festive. I like the idea of adding a touch of gold and green to make it unusual and unique.
If you are planning a wedding over the holidays, did you choose classic, traditional colors or go with something out of the box?
Two days before Christmas, I hope you have your party plans in tact for Christmas and New Years. Here are a few things to consider - Happy Planning.
If you're throwing a holiday party, you'll want to make sure that your party decor adds a festive air to your home. With some preparation and planning your home will be beautiful.
Here's How:
1. Your Christmas and New Years party decor should be planned around a theme or a seasonal color scheme. Finding decorations and making plans will be easier if done early but you can find some good last minute things greatly discounted now as well. Choose anything from Santa to snowmen, music to angels. Find some other ideas for holiday theme ideas. Red, white, green, gold, and silver are traditional holiday colors but blue and purple look pretty too. Use just one color or combine several, but no more than three, for your decorations.
2. Making a simple phone call to invite your guests is easiest for a spur-of-the-moment party. But if you're planning ahead (before today), design your party invitation after you've chosen your theme. Create an invitation that your guests will really remember. Cut out a paper shape for your theme and write the party information on the back. Embellish it with ribbon or glitter and add a tie for hanging. Contact Designs by Shay for handmade greeting cards and custom invitations.
3. Make an impression right from the start. Think about wrapping your front door with Christmas gift wrapping paper. Back during our apartment days on VanBuren and Throop this was done every year and was a smash hit among others in our complex. Create a giant bow and tie it around the door. Don't forget a beautiful wreath. Arrange luminaries along the sidewalk and have Christmas music playing from the minute the guests arrive.
4. To add a holiday touch to every room in your home, tie bows on everything from candlesticks to doorknobs, teddy bears to chair backs. If you know how, make the bows with a wire tie. They'll be easy to remove and reuse year after year.
5. Place a small floral centerpiece or cluster of candles on a coffee table, piano, desk, or side table. Remember to select a color to enhance your decorating theme and color scheme.
6. To add a festive look everywhere, sprinkle glitter on every surface you can see. Think lamp shades, table tops, buffet, bathroom countertops, buffet, table, dining table, and under glass serving plates. Be sure you don't get the glitter on food service dishes. Be careful with this idea because the clean up is a monster...
7. Select several tapes or CDs and play Christmas music all evening. Choose a type of music that compliments your decorating theme.
8. If you have a fireplace, pile it high with logs and keep it blazing all through the party. Recruit a friend to keep it going. If your fireplace does not burn real logs, arrange pillar candles at different heights and burn them. They'll cast a beautiful flickering light around the room.
9. Whether you're serving food as a buffet or seating your guests at the table, decorate the table with elements of your chosen theme or color scheme. In this case, "more" is good. Sprinkle glitter around the table. Your centerpiece, table linens, even the food, can compliment your decorating plan. Arrange colored, candied apples around a roast, green parsley or rosemary on white potatoes, white pearl onions mixed with green peas. The possibilities are endless.
10. Offer a small gift to each guest at the table. Decorate and personalize a tree ornament and use it as a place card. Or decorate cut-out cookies with your guests' names. Tie a small sheer bag with potpourri or have a mini poinsettia at each place. Place your guest's name at the favor and date it as a memento of the occasion.
11. Even if you don't have enough for every guest, use your holiday china. For a buffet service, alternate holiday plates with plain, regular ones on the pile. If guests are seated, alternate the patterns around the table. Be sure to use a tablecloth or mats and napkins to continue your color scheme. And don't forget the polished silver and crystal. After all, it's a party!
12. Have a simple holiday decoration in every room that your guests will enter. Use a pretty wreath on the door of the room where they'll leave their coats, a glowing candle in the powder room, a beautiful poinsettia in the kitchen, small arrangement on the hall table, or mini Christmas tree on the coffee table. The possibilities are endless. And what a difference these special touches will make!
13. For a fun addition, and for the fun-at-heart, hang some mistletoe or a kissing ball from a chandelier.
Final Tips for Holiday Party Givers in 2009...
1. If you're on a budget, you'll find that candle tapers, pillars, or votives give a beautiful glow and festive look to any room. 2. A footed clear glass bowl piled high with colored glass tree ornaments makes a pretty centerpiece in place of flowers. 3. Don't forget to turn on all your Christmas lights before your guests arrive. 4. Place candles all around the house and turn out all the lights except the ones on the Christmas tree. Everything will look romantic and cozy for your party.
What You Need:
* Candles-- lots of them! * Holiday Lights- lots of them! * Holiday Patterned China * Glitter-- lots of it! * CD's of Your Favorite Christmas Music * Lots of Firewood and Matches * A Beautiful Christmas Tree * Ivy, Holly, and Pine Boughs * Poinsettias
Getting Married OR having a great event and need assistance?Email Me For All Your Event Planning Needs Simply Perfect Peace Events, Inc. Sharon Patrice, Owner Simple Perfect Peace Events Designs by Shay
We all love Santa Clause with his Christmas presents and gifts, yet when it comes to drawing cartoon Santa not everyone is so much in for the excitement. The main difficulty most people experience in trying to create Santa cartoons is that they don't know where to start or what kind of costume details to pay attention to. Fortunately, drawing Santa Claus is actually quite easy once you nail down some of the basic steps. So hopefully this article will help answer questions beginners might have when learning how to draw cartoon Santa.
Step 1. Santa Face Remember his long white curly beard? And those big mustache that look like the shape of tree leaves? How about his nose? Simple, for a cartoon drawing, it can just be simple circle or oval shape if you prefer. Color it with soft pink, as Santa Clause always seems to have a swollen nose because of freezing winter cold. For the eyes just create two circular dots and it's all done. Step 2. Santa Hat This part is super easy. First draw the fur part that sits on Santa's head - draft a rectangular shape and then simply round up the corners to depict its softness. After that you can add a curly triangle with a circular shape on its end. Step 3. Draw Body Now you probably know well how big Santa Clause is! So draw this part of cartoon Santa with fairly smooth curly lines, just like you would drawing soft toys. Simplify as many details as you like. Step 4. Legs and Boots The easiest position to draw Santa's leg is when he stands straight up. All you have to draw are just two rounded corner triangles that have their pointy angles facing down. To sketch the boots, draft very lightly with your pencil two vertical rectangles and two circles by their sides. Connect these shapes with smooth outlines and you're good to move on. Step 5. Gift Bag You can really make you cartoon Santa carry a huge gift bag, almost the size of Santa Claus himself! This can be drawn using yet another simple circle or oval shape from the back of our Santa cartoon drawing. To make it look like as if he is really carrying it, pull the lines of the bag to go over his shoulders and connected to one of his hands. Step 6. Drawing the Arms As mentioned above, a cartoonish drawing can be very simple. The arms are where people particularly tend to overdo. If you just imagine them as big fat 'V' letters, then you got it. The gloves can be simplified to minimal as well to circular shapes. Step 7. Adding Accessories You only need to draw a few things and it will already look like Santa Clause's uniform: soft fur or felt cuffs around the sleeves, coat's center front and bottom edges; black belt below stomach level ; and a yellow square buckle in the middle. That pretty much wraps up this basic lesson.
So, it's the holidaze and I've been baking up a storm! My three favorite crowd-pleasers for this season are fudge, Neiman Marcus' cookies (I'll tell you a funny story about that later) and an apple pie recipe that I got from Real Simple that wowed my family at Thanksgiving. If you're like me and want to save some money this holiday season, baking your neighbors, co-workers, and friends some treats, (as a potluck addition, X-mas presents or as a thank-you-for-having-me-over) is a nice, inexpensive and delcious way to say that you appreciate them. Without further ado, here are the recipes all in one place to make it easy for you!
Fudge: Makes 48 servings or 3 lbs. Total time: 2 1/2 hours, includes cooling
1 7oz. jar of marshmallow creme 1 1/2 cups of sugar (you can cut this down a little if you like your fudge less sweet, my FI complained it was a little too sweet for his taste and he LOVES chocolate) 2/3 cup evaporated milk 1/4 cup of BUTTER (don't sub margarine in for butter, it has much more water and will affect the fudge) 1/4 tsp. of salt 2 cups milk chocolate chips (one 12oz bag) 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips 1 tsp. of vanilla extract
1) Line a 8x8 pan with aluminum foil, so that the foil goes over the side. (I put mine in a 9x9 because I didn't have a 8x8 and it turned out well and if you double the recipe- put it in a 13x9 pan.) 2) In a large saucepan, heat on low to start: marshmallow creme, sugar, evaporated milk, butter and salt. Make sure that you have your ingredients measured out before putting them in the saucepan to keep from burning- start it on low and slowly increase to boil to cook for 5-7mins, constantly stirring. Keep an eye to make sure it doesn't burn. 3) Remove from heat and pour in the chocolate chips, stir until melted and the mixture is smooth. 4) Stir in vanilla. 5) Pour into pan and chill the fridge for 2 hours or until firm.
Neiman Marcus' Cookies: Makes 120 cookies Total time: 1 hour, includes bake time
OK, before I give you the recipe, I owe you a story. I'm not sure if this is true or some sort of publicity stunt, I tend to think it's true. A woman, some friend of a friend of my mom's, was shopping at Neiman Marcus and had stopped by their bakery/cafe to have a shopping snack. She had decided to try their cookies and thought that they were to die for, the best things she's EVER tasted. So, she asked the salesman if he had the recipe and if she could have it. He said, "Sure it's 250." So, she (I guess having forgot she was at NM) said, "OK, put it on my bill", thinking he meant $2.50. She got her NM bill and lo and behold, $250 for this recipe. She was so upset that she decided to post the recipe everywhere so that NM wouldn't make another penny on it. I thought I'd try it out before pimping out the recipe and I have to say, they're pretty damn good. So, here you are- for free. Happy Holidaze! 2 cups butter 24oz chocolate chips 4 cups flour 2 cups brown sugar 2 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. salt 2 cups sugar 1 8oz. Hershey chocolate bar, grated 5 cups blended oatmeal 4 eggs 2 tsp baking powder 2 tsp vanilla 3 cups chopped nuts
1) Preheat oven to 375. 2) Measure the oatmeal and blend in blender until it's a fine powder. 3) Cream the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar. 3) Add: eggs and vanilla. 4) Mix with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder, baking soda. Add: chocolate chips, grated Hershey bar, and nuts. 5) Roll into balls and place 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet. 6) Bake at 375 for 10 minutes (though I've cooked these at 25 minutes and they turned out perfectly)
Gingery Apple Crumb Pie (via Real Simple's November '09 Issue): Serves: 8 Total time: 3 hours, includes cooling 1 piecrust, store-bought or homemade, fitted into a 9-inch pie plate 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces 3/4 cup plus 1 tbsp. all-purpose flour. spooned and leveled 3/4 cup granulated sugar 2 1/2 pounds of apples (about 4 apples like Granny Smith, Braeburn, or Empire), peeled and thinly sliced- when I did this for Thanksgiving I had extra slices, so you'd probably be safe with 3 apples instead of 4. 1 tbsp. grated fresh ginger 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp. kosher salt (I've substituted regular salt for this and it's fine, if you don't have any kosher in your kitchen)
1) Set an oven rack in the lowest position and heat oven to 375F. 2) In a food processor/blender, pulse the butter, 3/4 cup of the flour, and 1/4 cup of sugar until large clumps form. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until ready to use. 3) In a large bowl, toss the apples, ginger, cinnamon, salt, and remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and tbsp of flour. 4) Transfer the apple mixture to the crust, sprinkle with the crumb topping, and bake until the top is golden and the apples are tender, 55 to 60 minutes. Serve warm at room temperature. (Vanilla ice cream optional but, HIGHLY recommended ;p)
I hope these recipes bring you, your family and your loved ones much joy this holiday season. Enjoy! Happy Holidays- Team Bride.
One of the Oldest Disney Characters - Donald Duck By Shawna S. Ruppert
A Donald Duck quiz shows that his early appearance differed somewhat from how he came to be seen later. The colors and the sailor suit were the same however, and it was just the fine details that differed. Dick Lindy was the original animator of the duck.
One of the most popular Disney shorts has been the "Orphan's Benefit" which has been rereleased on video cassette and DVD several times since its release in 1934. This was the first appearance of Donald and Mickey in the same cartoon. It would also showcase Donald losing his temper in a fit of rage, something that would become a staple of his slapstick schtick over the next several decades.
Donald Duck trivia will show that for many years Donald was the clearly most popular of the Walt Disney stable of characters. There would also grow a stable of characters which were relatives of Donald. These would also become very popular characters in their own right. First of all, there was Huey, Dewey, and Louie, his nephews. Later, his Uncle, Scrooge McDuck would also emerge as another popular duck character.
A Donald Duck quiz will show that he was the most popular cartoon character of the war era (Bugs Bunny was also very popular). He was the mascot for much of the air force, and many WW II planes had Donald logos proudly on the nose of the plane.
Donald has gone on to be very popular right up until the present. He had appeared in feature films as well as being a guest star in the TV show Duck Tales, which featured his extended family in the main roles. He would also eventually feature in his own show, Quack Pack. An interesting fact about Donald duck is not only that is he very popular in North America, but has also enjoyed extreme popularity in Scandinavia throughout his lifetime.
Cartoon House Drawing Techniques By Nicholas Markovitz
Drawing cartoons is actually harder than you might expect. Whether you are trying to draw a person, an animal, an inanimate object, or even a cartoon house you need to expect to have a little bit of difficulty if you never drawn a cartoon before. Though most people underestimate the cartoon medium and leave it is relatively easy to do, the fact of the matter is that cartooning is a complicated art form.
When drawing cartoons, you need to be able to utilize shapes. While this in itself sounds easy enough, there is difference between knowing what shapes are, and knowing what to do with them. Most amateur cartoons use simple shapes and lines structure in order to convey relatively simple images.
Also knowing the angle at which you intend to draw is important as well. You can be drawing full frontal, or you could be doing a three fourths angle, or any other angle you decide to use. However, the more complicated angle that the image will be focused on, the more difficult is going to be for you to draw. For this reason, if you intend to do something that is not a straight on look at what you are drawing, you need to be fully aware of how different shapes look from different angles in order to get good results.
Exaggeration is also a big part of cartooning. The whole point of drawing cartoons is to take something realistic and make it larger than life. We could do this by large lines, soft edges, or just certain aspects of what you're drawing be larger. For example, if you're drawing a cartoon house, then you would want circular edges instead of hard edges in order to make it more friendly looking. You would also most likely keep details and a minimum in order to make it seem more like a cartoon unless like something from real life.
Also in drawing cartoon house, any details around the house should be certified as well. The focus should be on the house, and not on its surroundings. While in animation, pay attention to the background is important, and regular cartoons it is not so much a big deal. You can portray what you are trying to draw relatively easily without putting too much detail on things that do not matter. This also accounts for things on outside of the home, for example things like house damage. The house is damaged, do not draw in unless you are trying to make it look the dilapidated or scary. Cartoons are very simple, and a simple thing like a crack in the wall could make it seem intimidating. A cartoon house is only one example what you could draw, but these rules apply no matter what you are trying to portray.
This week we are featuring winter inspiration boards in honor of the upcoming holiday. We paired red and aqua together for an unexpected color combination and look how beautiful it came out:
But before you start thinking you don’t really need a wedding band, think again. Although women understand that most guys aren’t crazy about jewelry, your bride-to-be probably won’t let you off the hook without a wearing one after you’re married. Once you understand that, it’s time to start looking for the ring that’s right for you.
There are several different types of metals that wedding bands are made from, and each has its pros and cons. While it often comes down to personal preference and price, probably the most common type of metal used is either white or yellow gold. Gold has several benefits, including its light weight. If you’ve never worn a ring, gold might be a more comfortable option for you. Another popular option is platinum, which is one of the most expensive metals available. However, another caveat is its weight. You’ll definitely remember it’s on your finger. Other options include titanium, sterling silver and palladium. All of these options have their advantages, so it’s important to discuss them with your jeweler before making your decision.
In addition to the metal you choose, some guys like to add diamonds or other gems to their rings. This is another area where it helps to do some research before hitting the stores. Your jeweler should be able to offer you several different options to compare.
Another important decision is the fit of the ring. There are several options ranging from classic to what’s called a comfort fit. The main difference between the fits is whether or not the edge of the ring is rounded or straight cut. We recommend at least trying on a comfort fit band, which are popular because they truly are comfortable and don’t dig into your skin, making it easier to get used to your band if you typically don’t wear jewelry.
I asked both our moms for their lists and wanted to wait until I had that in hand until I started the list but, they both have a lot on their plates with family illness and the holidaze. F and I decided to tackle the dreaded list on our own without alcohol or any family input...that should be easy, right?
F added many of the names that I had expected, seeing as I've actually hung out with or at least met them. But, then came a name of someone I've never heard of nor have I met. It didn't make a difference to me that she's a she, well not that much of a difference. But, the fact that he wanted to include this girl that I'd never even heard of in the three years of our relationship or have met when we've hung out with his other friends, struck me as odd. Who is this girl? Why have I never heard her name before? Why would you invite someone that doesn't even warrant a mention in three years to our wedding? Weird, right? So, I asked him:
"Who is this chick? Why have you never brought her up before?" "I used to hang out with her with Mikey before I met you," he explained. "Oh, well, it's fine if she's some old childhood friend that I've never met. You've never met Heidi or Heather and I want to invite them. I just find it strange that you want to invite some girl you used to hang out with as an adult and have never brought up to me in three years to our wedding. If you wanted to go to lunch, fine...have a great lunch but, our wedding? It's just weird. How would you feel if I was like, I want to invite Bob to our wedding and you've never even heard of him?" "I could see how you would think that but, she's an old friend and we're just adding everyone now and then, trimming it down, right? It's not like I'm going to invite anyone I've hooked up with to the wedding." Well, no you've told me all their names... "I know and you're right we're adding everyone and then will trim people off our 'B' list," I said while thinking that girl is definitely on our "B" list.
So, that's what I did. We tried to guess on who our moms would want to add and added them. Now, we're up to 120 and our limit is 100, for budget's sake. I guess that takes care of mystery woman but, I did tell F that if we couldn't invite her to the the wedding, we should try to have lunch with her sometime. Now I know why people usually pour a couple glasses of wine while they try to figure out their guestlist. Share
Photographerzilla... do you realize that after the wedding, you are what the bride and groom have. Your work. Your albums (hopefully!) Your referrals... not if you are a Photographerzilla! Please, don't zilla'ize yourself!
Photographerzilla, if you want to be at the rehearsal, that'd be great! If you ask to chat with the bridal party for a minute or two, that's great too... but don't turn that 2 minutes into a 30 minute speech about how you'd like things to run tomorrow... uh, not your day.
Photographerzilla, I sent you the timeline in advance we talked about it... you discussed it, we adjusted it to suit your needs... so on the wedding day, if you say you need another 20 minutes, it's really not a big deal, until it starts messing with the other vendors... like, dinner.
Photographerzilla, sounds obviously...but be on time... show up.
Photographerzilla, don't delete the bride and grooms wedding pictures from your memory cards until they are uploaded to your computer in at least duplicate... cuz I've seen photographers loose entire weddings. Literally.
Photographerzilla, meet your deadlines for albums. If you promise an album in 6-8 months after the wedding and a year goes by and the bride and groom still don't have an album (and they met your deadlines) they are gonna be mad.
Photographerzilla, don't scream to your staff at the wedding in the middle of the ceremony. HEY OVER THERE! Everyone can hear you... unprofessional!
Photographerzilla, don't cut the Father of the Bride in the buffet line! I promise you'll get to eat...
Photographerzilla, don't scream curse words at your staff. Everyone can hear you. And it's really bad form if your staff is your wife.
Dear Floristzilla, a bride usually has some very specific ideas for her flowers, or her colors, or her look. And she really puts a lot of stock in you to help her make her vision come true. You can quickly go from being her best friend to her floristzilla...
Floristzilla, if a bride shows you a picture of a bouquet and says she wants it to look exactly like that, make sure that the bride in the picture isn't a size 2 and this your client is a size 14, that will make a difference in the size of the bouquet. And you don't want her to ultimately be disappointed.
Floristzilla, please realize how important colors are to brides. If her colors are Burgandy and Rose, and the blooms show up to you and they are hot pink... please know that isn't going to be acceptable. Fix it before you deliver the bouquets.
Floristzilla, if there is a problem, address it, you ignoring the situation doesn't make things any better. It does in fact, make it worse.
Floristzilla, communication is K-E-Y! Please communicate, don't wait 3 weeks to return a call, don't answer other calls in a meeting with your clients, don't be late to meetings, don't not meet the contract obligations.
Floristzilla, if the bride tells you she has $10,000 to spend and your initial proposal comes back $30,000 that is going to scare her off. Don't do that. And then, don't come back and ask me what happened...
Floristzilla, don't get on your high horse during a meeting, there is already a lot of emotions going on when a wedding is being planned. And additional drama queen (or king) is not necessary.
Wow! There are so many more... what would make your florist a "zilla"?
Djzilla, we love you, and we want you to make this party awesometastic! So, really... help me out!
Djzilla, just because you are a rockstar DJ on Rock The Buzz 101.1 and your morning show listeners love to hear your voice, doesn't mean you should talk through the whole reception.
Djzilla, there is a timeline for a reason. We developed the order of events with the bride and groom. Please don't willy-nilly change it. It really confuses everything.
Djzilla, don't sing over the music... someone sings that song, and was paid really good money to make that music, you are ruining it.
Djzilla, you are an Mceeing the event, you actually need to let people know when things are going to happen. Speak english into the microphone... don't mumble... please!
Djzilla, uncomfortable silences are uncomfortable for a reason... please play music constantly... otherwize it sounds like a cafeteria!
Djzilla, if you cannot speak English well, scratch that... if you cannot speak English... and your words all sound slurred together, practice your words.
Djzilla, please don't get trashed at the wedding. You are there to work, not get so drunk that we need to call you a cab.
This goes back to using professionals! Please use professionals and you won't have this problem. Get references. If you are working with a Professional Wedding Planner, you'll be able to get professional recommendations from us, about who to use...and who not to.
Happy Holidays! Christmas is next week and New Years Eve is right behind it. As we finalize our party plans for these upcoming holidays here are a few tips to remember.
The number one rule for holiday entertaining: Work ahead. Any detail that can be attended to early is one less thing for you to become frenzied about on party day. Because as host, you should enjoy the festivities as much as your guests. If you havent hired a professional event planner, consider these tips.
1. Stick to What You Know. Parties are not the time to experiment, because who needs the added stress of unpredictability? The best recipe is one you can make with your eyes closed. If the urge strikes you to branch out, give it a trial run beforehand.
2. Buy in Bulk. I think Chef Judson would agree with a few of these. If you entertain often, choose a few go-to recipes (vary them slightly if you’re entertaining the same people). You can stock up on the basic ingredients at the beginning of the holiday season.
3. Prep Your Fridge. Before you come home with 80 bags of groceries, clean out your refrigerator and freezer. Toss old condiments and anything you can no longer identify. Fill your fridge safely as well as smartly: Place raw meats away from fruits and vegetables. And keep an eye on the temperature inside with a refrigerator thermometer—the more stuffed your fridge gets, the more difficult it is for the cold air to thoroughly circulate.
4. Prepare Serving Dishes. Don’t waste valuable time on the day of the event trying to remember where you’ve stashed the holiday platters, plates, stemware, serving spoons, and linens. Plan out what dishes you’ll use, and clean and polish them a few days in advance. For sit-down dinners, you can set the table ahead of time. For cocktail parties, lay serving dishes and napkins out for snacks the day before.
5. Plan on a Realistic Amount of Food and Drink. Don’t make enough food to feed the NFL (unless you’re feeding the NFL) or buy enough alcohol for a frat party (unless you’re throwing a frat party). A good guideline for a three-hour cocktail party is about three drinks per person, or about one bottle of wine for every two to three guests and one quart of liquor for every 10 to 12 guests. For predinner hors d’oeuvres plan on three to five pieces per person, and for a three-hour cocktail party, about four to six pieces per person per hour. That's a lot to remember, but it does come in handy.. :)
6. Stock the Bar Essentials. Alcohol is expensive, and your guests won’t storm out the door if you haven’t picked up a 14-year Oban. The basics—wine, sparkling wine, distinctive beers, or a couple of types of spirits and a few mixers—are fine. Premix a house cocktail. Remember to always have water and nonalcoholic choices available, and don’t forget the ice.
7. Show a Little Flair. Whether your thing is cooking, origami, or playing a little jazz flute, show your style through personal details. Don’t go all Martha Stewart on your guests, but a few unique touches make your party memorable.
8. Vibe Out. No one wants to linger very long in a room that’s lit like an airport lounge. Choose lighting, music, seating, and a temperature that are conducive to eating, drinking, and socializing.
9. Put Your Guests to Work. But only if they ask, and just enough to make them feel useful. Keep the tasks simple: opening wine bottles, putting coats in the bedroom, or bringing out some hors d’oeuvres. Unless you have a balloon in your dirty ceiling fan, you shouldn’t ask guests to do chores like take out garbage or put away dishes.
10. Clean as You Go. Don’t make guests feel like you’re tidying up because the party’s over. Instead, try to grab crumpled napkins, toothpicks, unaccounted-for glasses, and plates on your way to the kitchen. A little cleaning here and there will ease postparty cleanup, but don’t obsess over every dish in the sink.
MOST IMPORANTLY - HAVE FUN!
Getting Married and need assistance?Email Me for current specials For All Your Event Planning Needs Simply Perfect Peace Events, Inc. Sharon Patrice, Owner Simple Perfect Peace Events Designs by Shay
Caterzilla... oh how we love your food, but your 'tude is killing us!
This post is not about one particular caterer, but about all of the things that caterers can do that make them a 'zilla.
Caterzilla, it would be nice to see an estimate within a few week of meeting with a client. Waiting 9 weeks and then wondering why the client didn't choose you... hmmm.
Caterzilla, if my client wants to know what ingredients are in something you make, it's probably because there is a food allergy, please don't lie. No one is trying to steal your recipes, we just want to make sure that no one dies.
Caterzilla, if my client has menu questions and they email you.... and you don't email them back - EVER. They are bound to be ticked off.
Caterzilla, if someone asks you if you have a set menu to choose from and you don't... and you only do custom menu's for clients, that's okay, but let them know. Don't hang up on them.
Caterzilla, sometimes taking the high road is better than sabatoging an event... oh and doing that, would be just wrong. The high road is always better.
Caterzilla, if you staff is rude - please handle the situation.
Caterzilla, don't blame the bride and groom for your wrong doings... that just upsets everyone.
Again, these are not examples of just my events, they are from my friends who are wedding planners too. From all over... these are all situations that were handled, alot behind the scenes and can all be avoided.
A long formal dress is suitable for a church wedding of a civil ceremony although many brides do prefer wearing a smart dress or tailored suit for the Registry office. Some religions also frown on sleeveless dresses or low cut outfits and this will need to be taken into account too. No matter which style you pick, remember that the back view is as important as the front, you will have your back to everyone during the ceremony. Choose fabric that is resistant to crushing and creasing. Detachable trains that can be removed or hooked up are also wise. Dress ideas and colors will need to be discussed with the groom without revealing all the details so that the colors and styles of the wedding party can be coordinated. Look In The Mirror Be realistic and don't try and aim for what Hollywood starlets look like on their wedding days, most of us don't have personal trainer and chefs to look after us and help keep us in shape. Don't set your goal posts too close to the moon, you will only be disappointed and feel like a failure when your big day is meant to be a celebration of your love for one another. Concentrate on the real you! Think about what you normally wear, what colors suit you and which styles flatter you figure and most important, which outfits make you feel on top of the world, what type of ceremony and theme are you looking to create-traditional or relaxed, formal or informal. Colors White dresses are not obligatory these days, if you don't feel white is your color or will complement you then don't wear it. Wedding gowns are becoming increasingly popular in cream, pale gold, pale blue, pale pink and red. There is also a trend these days to go for darker colors like burgundy or shades of green which is a beautiful idea for a Christmas wedding. You will feel better in a dress that flatters your complexion or one of your favorites instead of going with white because it seems to be the norm. If wearing a bright colored dress the details should be kept to a minimum. The Right Style For Your Shape Choosing a style that flatters your shape can make a huge difference to how you look and also give you a huge confidence booster. Trying on dresses that either don't suit your body or the ceremony is not only a waste of time, but can also depress you. You might find that you give in and buy the wrong dress anyway. A sure fire way to put a damper on your big day. Tall and Thin Choose a ball gown with a strapless, fitted bodice Bony shoulders or collar bones can will suit dresses with a higher neckline that are long and fitted If you feel you are too thin for this style consider that you can set of your height and leanness with some delicate detailed embroidery or beading. Short With a Fuller, Feminine Figure Try an empire line dress which has a seam under the bust line and in the right fabric, the dress will flow instead of cling. A Knee length dress will also look good, the longer dress will add height and give you a taller silhouette. Sleeves should also be long but not too tight if considered. Thick Waist Conceal a wide waist with a boned corset or wear a decorative jacket that falls just below the waistline Avoid fitted ballerina styles Very Full Bust To draw attention away from the bust choose a dress with a long bodice or cowl neck Dresses with a natural waistline will draw attention to the bust area Pick a plain bodice and avoid low necklines Pick a detailed hem if you want to add a little embellishment Full or Wide Hips Avoid bustles and ruffles or tiered dresses Most styles will look great but avoid tight styles around the hips Princess styles that are fitted on the top and flare slightly to the hem will help disguise larger hips Ball gown styles in simple fabrics will also draw attention away from the hips Big bottom Avoid bows or back fastening ties Consider a light train from the top of the bodice or waist Wide Shoulders Wide straps will narrow the appearance of your shoulders or cover thencompletely Draw the focus to a v-neckline Wearing a sheer wrap will also soften the effect Do not wear puffed sleeves, don't even consider them! Short or Heavy Legs Opt for a long dress Sheath styles which are straight but not too clingy will add height Short Arms Three Quarter length sleeves will be flattering Do not go sleeveless Chubby Arms Choose long simple sleeves that are not too tight Wear a bolero, shrug or wrap Some Guidelines When Deciding On a Dress: Try on as many different styles as you like and view them from as many different angles as possible, take some shoes along that will be similar in height to the ones you may wear. To get the full effect have the shop fit you out in a veil with the dress as you wont want to take your wedding dress with you when you go veil shopping Take your time to make a decision and don't feel pressured by pushy salespeople How much deposit is required and when is the balance due Does the price include VAT How much extra are the alterations How far before the wedding must you order How many fitting will be required and do they offer Saturday or after work hour fittings Can you arrange a fitting with accessories, lingerie and shoe Get confirmation of all appointments and money paid in writing How far before the wedding will the dress arrive Do the shop offer storage garment bags Ask about the care instructions for getting the crease out before yourbig day What is the shops policy on cancellations Have you added the dress to your wedding insurance If You Are Going to Rent Your Dress Check to see if the chosen dress will be available on your day, cleaned and ready for collection. Does the rental price include a full 24 hours? Does the dress have to be cleaned before its returned (an added expense) After the wedding who will be entrusted with delivering the dress back to the hire shop?
