Anything But Subtle (flats edition)

I didn't want to leave you "non-heelers" out of the blog, so I posted some pics of some BEAUTIFUL flats to help inspire you a little, and to keep you away from the Old Navy flip flops! :) Enjoy!

Anything But Subtle

These photos are to encourage you to think outside the box with your wedding .

There are so many cool and unique things out there when you take a small step away from tradition.

Wedding shoes are just a small example. Now some of you are reading this and thinking.

"Wedding shoes that ARE'NT white"??? Yes this is true. I am encouraging a little / semi-bold color.

Now I made the mistake for my wedding to buy ivory Stewart Weitzman peep-toe pumps. Now any of you who are familiar with the designer know he is not cheap at all. Wonderful, comfortable, beautiful shoes, that unfortunately because I bought in ivory, have never been worn since my wedding.

Embrace your unique self and add some color to your wedding. Plus, you'll have the pleasure of wearing them over and over again after your wedding.

Moral of the story: The newest trend is color! Run with it!

Midsummer's Day Dream

Just before the summer ends, it is time to get one more BBQ, Birthday party, or just plain, "goodbye summer" bash.

Here are some photo inspirations for you, from a party I put together called...

Midsummer's Day Dream

The moss, the twig balls, and the butterfly garland all bring the garden to life.

Stunning yellow and green centerpieces, perfect summer colors.



I just had the umbrellas in the trees alone, but the extra detail from the garland made it all pop!

The twig balls are some of my favorite. I added a yellow flower to the larger one and a yellow bee to the smaller one, just for added detail.

The combination of the moss balls and the glass holders create an outdoor sophistication.

Just another light and airy table setting.

A table runner and garland on one of the tablescapes.

When the wind blew, those ribbons went on forever.

One of the tablescapes under a decorated tree.

Standing out and making your mark

Yesterday I was on my usual walk with my 1 year old Golden Retriever Bohdan (Bo-den). My husband and I live in a condo downtown, so of course, we walk Bohdan on our regular route all along the streets of the city. Bohdan has become some what of a mini celebrity in our town. Most people now know his name. They are always telling us how cute he is. At least once a week someone will whip out their camera phone to take his picture. They giggle and laugh, and with out a doubt, every single person who sees Bohdan walking down the street at the very least... smiles.

Now you may be asking, "what is so special about this dog?" He is one of about 500 Golden Retrievers in this town. Why does everyone know his name, and why is he so much more adorable and appealing then the other Golden Retrievers, let alone dogs?

Well, I should probably let you know, EVERY time Bohdan goes on a walk with us he carries a stuffed animal in his mouth. Sometimes a duck, a squirrel, chipmunk, puppy, a Build-A-Bear (yes, i said Build-A-Bear), even an armadillo.

Now that you have a picture of an already cute puppy, looking so much more adorable with a stuffed animal hanging out of his mouth, with his big puppy eyes, you now understand why people pay attention to Bohdan. He catches your eye, he's different. The animal hanging out of his mouth as he trots down the sidewalk, past restaurants is unique, new, and quite appealing.

As I look at my business, I wonder...am I appealing? Does my business stand out? Are my designs unique and different and eye catching?

I realized that if I want to stand out from competitors and steal the show, I need to separate myself from the rest. Just like the difference between a regular golden retriever, and one with a giant Build-A-Bear dangling from his mouth, starring at you with big, lovable, puppy eyes!

Moral of the story: There is a reason people on the street know Bohdan's name, do the people on your street know your name?

The Key to Communication

My husband and I recently put our house on the market. We had it built only two years ago but are quickly out growing it. Upon hiring a realtor, our selection was based on the one that will "get the job done". Annually, our realtor sells more properties than any other realtor in the area.

Yesterday I called him at 10 in the morning with a time sensitive question. He answered, and asked if he could call me back. Of course I understood that he could be busy and I did not mind, thinking he would just call later in the day.

But, I waited all day and the moment I needed him had passed. Then, the next morning at 9:30 a.m. (almost 24 hours later) he called. He said he was sorry he didn't call, but he was "swamped" yesterday.

As as fairly new business owner, I am constantly looking at things that happen in my life and comparing them to how I am running my business.

After this conversation, I realized you are NEVER too busy to call a paying client! Emergencies are one thing, and clients understand when you tell them after the fact. But saying you are "too busy", is like saying you are "too busy for them".

The experience I felt after not receiving a call when he said he would, will take a while for me to forget. But I cherish it at the same time, because I now am aware of what a client feels like, and will always remember to keep my word and communicate.

Moral of the story: Communicate! It will save you from heartache and gain you respect.

Volunteering

Recently I was asked to decorate for an annual event with the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). The event is to help raise money and awareness about the disease. At the same time I had the opportunity to help out a local non-profit organization raffle off a house to raise money and get their name out there. They renovate houses in the area for people who do not have the means to do so on their own.

I was extatic about these two opportunites because I have always wanted to venture out into the fundraising field and I am always looking for new ways to push my limits and see what I am capable of.

But I'd be lying if I didn't say that the lack of payment did not enter my mind. I think as planners, when approached by non-profit agencies, our initial thought is, "I don't have time to do an event for free." "The stress, the time commitment, and in this economy....doing it for free?" These are all normal feelings most people would have when trying to keep their own business afloat today.

The crazy thing is that there are hidden treasures in these places of sacrifice and hard work. And until you take that leap of faith, you'll never find them.

As soon as I volunteered and began attending the planning meetings, I ended up meeting more potential new clients than I could have done with 2 weeks of paid advertising. So many people, even in my own town, never knew I existed. My volunteering ended up being free advertising to hundreds of people.

I may have sacrificed a few weeks worth of work, but the people I met made it all worth it. Plus, knowing you are helping those organizations raise money and awarness just plain feels good.

If you find yourself coming up with excuses everytime volunteer work presents itself then you might want to make some changes.

Make a commitment to yourself that you will volunteer your services to an event in need at least 3 times a year, more if you can. You will not only help people, but you will see your business benifit as well.

Moral of the story: It is ironic how we don't take on things like volunteering becuase we don't want to "hinder" our business by sacrificing our time, but in turn we end up doing just that.

Being nontraditional can be so cool

I recently planned an outdoor wedding for 400 guests. The bride and groom were in every sense of the word, nontraditional. Big dreamers, huge hearts, each with their own quirks and free spirits that made them so enjoyable to work with.

The bride in particular, had these really big ideas for her outdoor wedding and outdoor reception. Both of them taking place in this enormous open field near the college soccer fields.

Her ideas included some sort of "tent" thing, just not a tent because of the cost. But still with the lights, the paper lanterns and gossamer. And for the ceremony she wanted a canopy/pagoda built for her and the groom to stand under.

The whole wedding had so many little things that were a reflection of the bride and groom, and that is what made the wedding different and cool. That is what made the wedding stand out.

Here are some of the things they changed that made their wedding...THEIRS.

In a normal wedding, the pastor, groom and groomsmen enter from the front right side of the church and walk in a line to their ceremony positions or they enter down the isle with their bridesmaid.

Well, beyond the ceremony location, about 50 yards behind where the pastor would stand, there was this huge hill that dropped from the wedding field down into this valley. The music started for an instrumental version ofLinkin Park's song Numb and as it played the groom, by himself, slowly started walking up that hill and toward the ceremony. It was so neat to see each guest in their seats slowly start to rise up and point and whisper as the groom made his way up that hill. Then after about 10 seconds of him by himself, you start to see his 9 groomsmen and the pastor all coming up that hill, scattered about, coming at different times, in different areas of this large field. They all slowly, followed their best friend to the place where he was about to start the rest of his life. I was standing in the back of the ceremony, directing music, and about to direct the girls, and as I watched those men come up that hill, it gave me chills. I even knew it was coming, I had seen it before during the rehearsal. But that is just how cool and unexpected it was to do something so different.

The other really neat thing they did was at the end of the ceremony. There was the kiss, the pastor announced them, and the recessional began. The new husband and wife walked off down the isle, and ducked into the wooded trails parallel with the ceremony. The groomsmen and bridesmaids still continuing down the isle, it helped that there were 9 of each. After the parents and grandparents made it down the isle, everyone stayed seated, waiting to be dismissed to the reception. As they were sitting there, again facing that big hill. There in the distance, past the big hill, you can see two figures which look like they are on a dirt bike, you then realize it is the bride and the groom. All of a sudden the engine starts revving, and they take off right toward the ceremony. They come up that big hill that just minutes before the groom walked up with his groomsmen. They travel under the canopy and continue all the way down the isle, their faces were lit up with joy, people were cheering and clapping. Their closest friends and family were truly celebrating with them.

The whole wedding and reception carried on like this. They made their wedding theirs, and I have never received so many compliments in my life on how beautiful the wedding was. But the thing that made the wedding really stand out was the bride and groom celebrating in their own fashion.

Moral of the story: If your a soon to be bride, make your wedding YOURS, choose your own music, change things up to fit you and your groom. If you are a planner, help your clients understand that same concept.

Remembering the purpose of the planning

This Memorial Day, whether you are planning an important party for a client or your own backyard BBQ, I hope you were able to stop and think of why and what we are celebrating in the first place. When planning events it is easy to get focused on the color pallet, linen choices, food selection, centerpiece choices etc. and forget all together why we are getting everyone together in the first place.

We have all heard the term bridzilla. This is a bride that has completely forgotten why she is in that church in the first place and instead is upset at her bridesmaid for getting an updo when she specifically said everyone wear their hair down, and mad that the florist who put cream roses in her bouquet when she told her she wanted ivory ones (is there a difference?). The wedding ceremony itself is just a way to show your devotion to each other amongst those you love most. The Marriage is what it is all about. The marriage, that is why that bride is in that church, she is there to join in union to the one person she loves the most, till death does she part. The flowers, the food, the dancing....it is all just an added bonus that makes the atmosphere magical and for the guests, more enjoyable. And as a planner, we are just blessed to help take the burden of creating that atomosphere off a bride's shoulders and on to our own.

The same goes for this Memorial Day. I hope you stopped to think about why you were inviting friends over. There is a reason that day is on the calendar, and there is a reason you are home from work hanging out with friends and family. You have the freedom to have a cookout because others have so bravely sacraficed for that freedom. Just as that bride stands in that church and realizes what that day is really about to her, we need to remember what this day is really about to us. Let us all remember those men and woman that have fought in the past for us, and those who are still out there today. A special thank you to those serving our country, and another thank you to your families for being strong while you are away.

Moral of the story: God Bless America!

Carnival Photo Cage

I recently had a client ask me to do her son's 1st birthday party. She wanted a children's carnival inside her inlaws raquet ball court.

I decided on three primary carnival colors and ran with it. The raquet ball court was filled with games and tents made out of cardboard and table cloth rolls and baloons, within the color scheme. When the place was finally all set up the colors pulled everything together and created this wonderful flow throughout the room.

The kids enjoyed fresh popcorn, cotton candy, and snow cones. They loved picking out of a goody bag after each game they played. They ran around in there for hours all while listening to circus music playing through the speakers. But one of the best ideas I had for the whole day was the photo cage. Not a photo booth, and not a cutout of a circus clown's face, but a photo cage. I wanted a photo op where the whole family could participate. I saw a similar one at Disney and thought it would be perfect for this carnival. I painted and cutout cardboard to make it look like a train cage, like something you would see a circus train pulling (like in the movie Dumbo). I painted the words "Wild Animals" above it and was not even expecting some of the reactions we got in the photos. Everyone LOVED it! The kids, parents, grandparents, and even great-grandparents, all got really into it. In the picture above are the birthday boy's grandparents taking time for their photo op. A perfect example of how much fun they had.

The whole thing ended up being the highlight of the day. The parents of the birthday boy even took photos of each family in the cage, had them printed into postcards, and sent them to the families as thank you cards.

Moral of the story: If you get them interacting, you'll keep them entertained!

The Importance of Lighting

Here I am (so gracefully) adjusting the track lighting for a suprise 40th birthday party last month. My client suggested the colors black and white with an accent of red. I ran with it and pulled together what I considered to be a very masculine feel to the room. Masculine without using cigars, beer, or leather lazyboys (top three items men think create a great party) since I don't think the wives and girlfriends attending would leave with the same impression the men might. haha. The hanging of the black fabric created this deep color on the walls that was lacking before. As for the "floating" white branches, they caused interest and caught your eye.
But the one thing that brought the whole room together was the lighting. I was able to point each light from the track light system onto each specific point that I desired. For instance, I made sure I had one or two lights pointed directly at the "floating" branches. This caused them to illuminate, making them even more brilliant and eye catching. The candles I placed on each table just added to the effect.
I continued the lighting theme in the entry way and the stairs up to the banquet room. I hid Par38 Can lights behind furniture and cast the spot light up and on topiaries as well as placing large, red votives on every other step that lead up to the banquet room. From the moment you entered the restaurant and each room guests had to cross to reach the banquet room, I created some sort of lighting effect in each space.
Moral of the story: As often as you can...turn OFF the overhead / florescent lights and bring in some other form of light. It only adds to the beauty of your original decor.