Wedding Industry Celebrities

So, we in the wedding industry are admittedly kind of nerds. Everyone who is serious about their career in this biz are absolutely obsessed with all things wedding and we even have our very own list of industry "celebrities" if you will, who we all worship. Well, I guess, "worship" is not the right word, but there is a definitely a few leaders in this industry who many of us look up to, respect and aspire to reach the level of success they have achieved. One of the biggest names in our industry is Liene Stevens, founder of Splendid Communications and Blue Orchid Designs. Liene is one of the top experts in both the wedding industry and a leader in the developing social media revolution that is taking over our world. She strives to assist the creative types that dominate our industry and guides us in areas such as online branding, social media endeavors and a bunch of other very important things I wouldn't even begin to explain correctly if I tried. Bottom line is what she says is truly respected industry wide. So, understandably, I got a little teary eyed when she included me on her twitter list of wedding professionals to follow and included the following words of support:

Wedding Pros to Watch
In twenty years when this handful of people have Preston Bailey or Colin Cowie status (or bigger), I want to be able to say "I told you so". This list is so I can say that. If someone isn't on this list it doesn't mean they won't have huge, fabulous companies in 20 years, after all I don't have a crystal ball. However, these are all people I am willing to bet actual large amounts of money on, and I never bet with anything more than Skittles or M&Ms or a $5 bill.

Read more: http://www.thinksplendid.com/2009/10/wedding-twitter-lists-to-follow.html#ixzz0VI3M4SRI

For those of you who don't know Preston Bailey and Colin Cowie, well they are a couple of the industry's biggest "celebrities" and I would be lucky to achieve even half of the success or make a quarter of the impact on the wedding industry that they have over the past 20 years, but nonetheless, am just giddy at the prospect!

Thank you, Liene, for EVERYTHING you do to make our industry better and of course, for believing in little ole' me! It really made my day!

Planning a Destination Wedding Weekend

I'm gearing up for a four day destination wedding celebration this weekend in Santa Barbara and wanted to share some tips for all of you destination brides out there starting to plan your multi-day celebration. If you’re just getting started with the planning, you are already thinking of the obvious: Who will do my hair and makeup? Who is the best photographer? What will my bouquet look like? If you are like most destination brides, it isn’t until a little further in the planning process that you realize you have not only invited guests to your wedding but you have invited them on vacation. You have suddenly taken on the roles of bride, travel agent, concierge and event planner. This can be tons of fun but also a lot of pressure. Here are my top six tips to get you through hosting a destination wedding celebration:

1. Allow guests to enjoy their vacation. While they are there to celebrate your union, there is also a part of each guest that is looking forward to some down time. Because of this, don’t feel obligated to plan every minute for them. Let guests have enough time to relax and plan activities on their own.

2. Use the culture of your destination to shape events. Your guests will want to explore the activities that can only be done at the destination of your choice. Take your guests to a wine tour rather than a traditional rehearsal dinner when in Napa, or introduce them to the Caribbean with a welcome party consisting of Mojitos, steel drums and a sunset sail.

3. Create an itinerary and list of recommended activities. Outline for your guests the events they are invited to, as well as some additional activities that they may enjoy. A map is always Send the itinerary with your invitations or they can be sent separately one month before traveling to allow your guests to plan their down time. Don't forget to put another copy in their welcome bag.

4. Don't feel obligated to pay for everything. If hoping to extend your wedding celebration throughout the week with a welcome party, morning after brunch, etc. but have a limited budget, do not stress. Discuss with your families who will be hosting each event. Have his parents pay for the welcome party if your parents are hosting the wedding and reception. For other activities that you would like to arrange but can't afford to host, put out an "optional" invite letting them know the expense affiliated should they decide to go. Not everyone will join, but say you are in Hawaii and are planning to go to the luau. You can typically arrange a group rate where the guests can take advantage of discounted rates and group seating, but they still book the reservation on their own. If you arrange an activity that the guests were likely going to do on their own anyway, then you should have great attendance.

5. Have all of your guests stay in the same area if possible. The beauty of a destination wedding is it allows you and your fiancé’s families to come together for an entire week. If everyone is staying all over the island or city you are in, your guests will not have as much opportunity to get to know each other. On the other hand, planning accommodations for all your guests can be a logistical nightmare. Solve this by providing accommodation information in your invitations or save-the-dates. Include information only on hotels and condos that will keep your guests near the party. After the wedding, if you and your fiancé want privacy, consider sneaking off to another city or even just another hotel.

6. Don’t take everything on yourself. Planning a destination wedding and reception alone can take a lot of time and research. Depend on the professionals within your reach like your wedding planner, travel agent or even the concierge at the hotel you will be staying at to organize events and activities for you and your guests.

Judy & Albert : Oahu

I'm putting the finishing touches on an upcoming Maui wedding and I guess I'm a little nostalgic for the islands. Ever since Jane has taken over my Hawaii studio, I only get to the South Pacific every few months rather than the once a month I had gotten used to. I know, cue the violins :). Anyway, as I prepare for another one of my favorite weddings of the year, I wanted to share images from one of my favorite weddings of all time. Judy and Albert married on Oahu and she was one of my first brides to really allow me to show off my design skills for her intimate wedding of 20 people. The end product was super chic, feminine with just a hint of the tropics. Anyway, even though this wedding is a few years old, I still think its classic and even offers a bit of inspiration for you girly girls out there!

Planning Tidbit: Custom, custom, custom

Once upon a time, I was watching an interview with Martha Stewart as she discussed her new line of paint for K-Mart. I pretty much worship Martha, so I listened very attentively about her decision to venture into house paint among all of the other things she has her little hands into. She said something I have never forgotten and still to this day remind my clients. She said, she came up with the paint line simply because she couldn't find exactly what she was looking for. In fact, this seems to be her inspiration behind many of her products and projects...Now, I've worked with many brides after they have searched long and hard for some sort of something that would make their wedding just perfect but they just couldn't find anything that was exactly right. Some may have settled, but I ALWAYS encourage my clients to consider having it custom made. Whether it's a pillow, table runner, vase or even a cake topper, there is so much talent in the world making great handmade items, that I simply do not believe you can't find everything little thing your heart desires. I'm sure you think I'm crazy and extravagent, but truth be told, having a throw pillow made depending on the fabric can cost about $7 to $10 each. Try buying a ready made pillow for that amount. Now, try buying a ready made pillow for that amount and one that matches your decor to a tee. Almost impossible! So, before you give up, do yourself a favor and find out the cost to have something created just for your big day. Some things may be out of range, but I think you'll be pleasantly surprised on other items.

Etsy is beyond my favorite spots for finding those must have items and for all of my custom sewing projects, Jessica from The Sewing Lounge has been my savior on many occasions.

PS. The image above is from vesselsandwares online Etsy store!

Loving This: Vanilla Bake Shop Does It Again!

I feel so predictable lately, but I believe the secret to being a good planner and designer is finding a team that works well with your aesthetic and style. As any reasonable planner will tell you, I simply couldn't do any of the work I do without the enormously talented vendors I work with day in and day out. While, I am lucky to have several amazing cake designers, lately Vanilla Bake Shop has been a must have at our events! Below is the cake they designed for one of my couples, Jenica & Peter. I'll share images from the entire event soon, but was swooning over this edible piece of art and couldn't wait to share!

Image is by B&G Photography

Loving This: Paloma's Nest

I love Paloma's Nest with big fat, enormous capitals L-O-V-E. It doesn't help that I'm already such a sucker for ceramics (I took 4 years of sculpture and ceramics in college & I'm slowly turning into a hoarder with all of the beautiful cake plates and tea cups I have inadvertently started collecting). But, Caroline over at Paloma's Nest has brought my love to another level. Her designs are simple and charming yet the messages are powerful. She creates beautiful pieces which can be used for the obvious such as jewelry holders, ornaments, etc., but what she is really creating is an heirloom that can be enjoyed by generations to come. $20 to $50 is a small price to pay for such a pretty little piece! I think these items are great for many, many things such as gifts for the bridal party, a ring bearer pillow (her claim to fame) or even just a token of your appreciation to friends, family and even your fiance.

Design Tidbit: Prop Houses are Where it's at

I just returned to the studio from a visit at Omega Cinema Props and I am crazy inspired! It really reminded me why LA may be one of the best places in the world to plan a wedding or event. You can literally find ANYTHING in this city!

For those of you who aren't familiar with prop houses, these are enormous showrooms/warehouses that hold all of the great props you see in your favorite TV shows, movies, commercials etc. They have EVERYTHING from Moroccan furniture, crystal chandeliers, Oriental rugs, church pews and then much smaller items like a coffee cup or clock you would have only seen in the 70s. I really love to incorporate a lot of residential elements into my events like furniture, lanterns, chandeliers, etc, so it was my own personal heaven! For example, today we found some amazing Spanish chandeliers and candelabras and some out of this world Victorian couches, chaises and mirrors that I'll be using to create the lounge at an upcoming wedding!

Point of all of this...if you can't find what you are looking for at a traditional rental company and you are lucky enough to live in LA, check out the prop houses. It's like a treasure hunt for designers and brides alike!

Oh, the above image is from the show Mad Men. The producers of the show use props from Omega on a regular basis and you can believe that the vintage couch he's sitting on or a couch from any other era is available for your next event!

Recharging Your Battery

I know I've been MIA and I wish I could give you some AMAZING excuse, but the truth is, I've been super busy with lots of good stuff. Weddings, photo shoots, book projects, traveling for events, you name it and I've been doing it. But, also, what I've been doing a bit of is recharging my battery. I just realized that it's almost the end of another year and I haven't slowed down for a minute to really take it in. As silly as it sounds, my old dog is yet another year older. I haven't spoken with my family and friends in months and not by intention. (Yes, Dad, I know, I know!) Sometimes we just get so caught up in what we're doing that we don't take a minute to stop and breathe. So, I've been breathing and I've been saving all of my energy for my beautiful brides who are marrying in the next couple of weeks and reenergizing myself for the amazing couples I'm already working with for 2010, which coincidentally, I have some truly spectacular events on board for next year. I'm more inspired every day!

Anyway, my point is not to give you excuses or whine, because truth be told, I have a pretty fab life, but rather to remind you that the wedding planning process flies by. Some of you will spend a year plus focusing on one important day in the future and it is a BLAST!! But, keep in mind that other life will be happening too! Not to get a little Buddha on you, but make sure you don't spend all of your energy focusing so much on a future event that you don't take time to really enjoy the present! Like me, I notice many of of my clients and probably many of you brides out there could benefit a bit from slowing down for a minute, taking it all in and recharging your battery. In the end, taking things into perspective and just taking a minute to yourself or for your family will ensure you don't lose it closer to the wedding and ensure you can really, truly enjoy every minute of what is such a special point in your lives. Happy planning!!

PS. Of course, I've also been revamping my blog while I've been away. I hope to have a new blog launched within a couple of weeks and hope you all will hang in there and continue to offer your support and readership when it goes live!