Reflections of a Newlywed...and a Wedding Planner

I can't believe its been over a year since I got married. No really, I can't believe it...the time has gone by so fast! My husband and I have been busy with work and travel, I officially started my wedding business (although I've been doing it for years) my son is a year older (and a foot taller) and honestly, its just been a blur!

As a reflect on that incredible day that I shared with the people that I love, I remember that the day was p-e-r-f-e-c-t. Now, don't get me wrong, as a wedding planner, I know that there is no "perfect wedding". Everything didn't go as planned - my dad ad-libed most of the ceremony, my wedding band didn't announce the wedding party the right way, the wedding party had to be corralled to take pictures after the ceremony, our first song was incorrect until I went over to the stage and changed it to the right one, we missed part of the reception changing for the after-party and my Uncle got up and did an unplanned blues set with the band. But you know what? THAT'S what made it perfect. All the imperfections, all the impromptu things that may have made the planner in me cringe, bring the biggest smile to my face. Each of those things added that special something that made the day absolutely amazing. As I look back, I wouldn't change a thing.

Let me set the stage for you. I planned the h-e-double-hockey-sticks out of that wedding. I included my husband in all the decisions he wanted to be involved in, I had spreadsheets and space plans and timelines for my wedding party. I made the save the dates, invitations and the programs. Each person in my family had a very special role in my wedding...a position of honor, I like to say. Once I handed off my final plans to my day-of-coordinator (yes, I had one), I let everything else go. I mean, I really let everything else go. I did my best to plan and my job after the rehearsal was just to enjoy the meaning of the day with my husband and son and all the people that love and support us.

That's what the day is all about. Its about celebrating your love with the people you love. Its about enjoying all those quirky things that make the people in your life who they are. Its about leaving it all out there on the field and having no regrets. So, while there's no such thing as a perfect wedding...my wedding was perfect for me.

Happy Planning!

Photos courtesy of Amanda Gibson Images

Happy Anniversary to Me!

Happy Anniversary to me (and my son and hubby), happy anniversary to me (and my son and hubby), happy 1-year anniversary.... Happy Anniversary to me (and my son and hubby)! That is all for now!

Happy Planning!

Photo courtesy of Sherwin Waldorf Photography

Casual, Comfortable and Chic!

Who says you have to be uncomfortable on your special day, just to look fantabulous? All brides should be able to define what casual, comfortable and chic means to them. Learn how these LBEC Brides wore some nontraditional attire for their wedding day.

Take LBEC Bride Tiffany W. for example (pictured on the left) - she looks absolutely gorgeous but made no sacrifices when it came to being comfortable walking down (and standing at) the aisle. Instead of wearing expensive high heeled wedding shoes to match her dress (that people can't even see under the hem), our bride instead opted to wear some creative casual canvas shoes (say that 3 times fast) so she didn't have to think about pain as she was saying "I do" to the man of her dreams.

These shoes carried her through her touching ceremony, pictures with her new hubby/wedding party/family, the first dance, the money dance, the electric slide, the cupid shuffle AND the bouquet toss before she changed into and even more casual "after-party" outfit.

Another LBEC Bride Tonya S. and her hubby (pictured on the right) also opted for more casual wedding attire. Since she was having a very small and intimate wedding in Lake Tahoe, she wore white pants and a very feminine, ruffly, long sleeve blouse in lieu of a traditional wedding dress. Her husband opted for very stylish slacks and a short sleeve linen shirt.

This causal attire against the backdrop of water and snow was absolutely elegant and matched the couples personalities and style. For a pop of color they opted for a bouquet and boutonniere of all red roses.

Both brides looked absolutely stunning on their wedding day and didn't have to sacrifice an ounce of style to keep some elements of their day casual and comfortable.

These brides and other's like them are proof that today's modern bride is throwing caution to the wind, tradition out the door and making the day what it should be all about - them.

Happy Planning!

Photo Credit:
Photos of LBEC Bride Tiffany W. by Desmond Rogers Photography
Photo of LBEC Bride Tonya S. by LB Event Couture

Vendor Spotlight: MBlair Studio and Desmond Rogers Photography

LB Event Couture is proud to present two of our preferred vendors in the San Francisco Bay Area - MBlair Studio and Desmond Rogers Photography!

You can check out Miguel Blair's work at mblairstudio.com and you can also become a fan of the MBlair Studio Facebook Page!

You can see some of MBlair Studio's pictures from a wedding we coordinated in September of this year. We are honored to be on the MBlair Studio

site as the preferred event consultant! It has been an absolute pleasure to work with such a talented photographer and I'm sure there will be many events to work together in the future.

Thanks MBlair Studio!

You can check out the work of Desmond Rogers work at www.drodphotography.com/ and you can also become a fan the Desmond Rogers Photography Facebook Page! We also worked with this fantabulous photographer at the wedding we did in September and as you can see by his work, he's definitely top notch!

The September wedding pics on the website are private per the couples request, but you'll be able to see a few of them in an upcoming Event Couturess blog post shortly!

Happy Planning!

The Event Couturess - LB Event Couture

Creative Table Names

The table name trend has been personalization for a while now, but couples are running out of original ideas. Here are some ideas that will add a personal touch to your reception, without making your guests feel like they're low on the totem pole based on their table number.

"Favorite Movies/Music/Restaurants": Name each table based on your favorite movies, albums or restaurants. You can even choose a theme if mutual favorites are hard to come up with - comedies, love stories, movies filmed all filmed in NewYork, restaurants you want to try, R & B hits of the '90's, etc. Go the extra mile by not only having a sign with the name, but also the picture of the DVD/CD cover or restaurant logo.

"Why I love him/her": The bride and groom can name each table for reasons they love each other such as "Table His Eyes" and write a brief explanation why - "His eyes are the gateway to his soul and when I look into them, I know that everything will be okay." or "Table Her Compassion" - "She always thinks of other people before herself and has a way of making people feel like family, even when she's just met them for the first time."

To ensure that the catering staff knows which table is which, put a small number on the bottom right hand corner of the sign.

For those who want a creative way to use numbers, you can use "Count the Ways". For this theme each table will have a number, but the numbers are associated with ways the couple love each other. Similar to the "Why I love him/her", the bride and groom can list X amount of ways they love each other and why. For example, "Count the Ways 1 - Because she always lets me have the last bite", "Count the Ways 7 - Because he always makes sure my car is filled with gas, just so I won't have to worry about it".
Any of these ideas will add the perfect touch of personalization for your reception. They are great ice breakers for guests at tables who don't know each other and lend conversation starters for family and old friends.

Happy Planning!

The Event Couturess of LB Event Couture

Google Docs Rocks!

OK… those of you who know me, know I’m a little biased but seriously Google docs is a life saver (or a wedding consultant saver as it were)!

First, let me say that there’s nothing like having a face-to-face consultation. I’ve been pretty fortunate that all of my extremely busy clients have been web 2.0 saavy. I’ve been able to use Google Docs, Spreadsheets, PDF Upload, Forms, Presentation and Sites to serve my clients virtually when their schedules didn’t permit a face-to-face meeting.

Google Docs allows for real-time planning between the consultant and client. You can chat via Gtalk while making updates to a guestlist spreadsheet or see exactly how the venue will be laid out real-time by moving around tables using the online presentations. Really cool stuff!

Best of all, when you are on site and have…ehem…forgotten something, all of your information is in the “cloud”. If you have an gPhone, iPhone, Blackberry, Palm Pre or any other smart phone, you can pull up your online documents on the spot! This came in real handy when my hard copy print outs were on one side of the room and I need to get to information asap!

You can always be sure that you have the latest and greatest information when your documents are in the cloud and you can access them anywhere you have an internet connection.

Thumbs up Google… your mission to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful is alright by me.

Web 2.0 Tips and Tricks: Utilize online documents like Google Apps to create and share your planning documents with all the stakeholders. This will allow you, your parents and your wedding consultant to view the list from any computer, make modifications and start adding contact information as you get it. The best part about that is, everyone will always be able to view the most recent information in one place! Google Apps keeps a history of revisions, so you can always see who made particular changes.

Keep in touch and share with friends and family. Free, intuitive tools you can access anywhere with a single account.
	Gmail Fast, searchable email with less spam
	Google Talk IM and call your friends through your computer
	Google Calendar Organize your schedule and share events with friends
	Google Docs Share online documents, presentations, and spreadsheets
	Google Sites Create websites and secure group wikis
And much more… Happy Planning! The Event Couturess - LB Event Couture

Planning – Where do I begin?

If you already have your stack of wedding magazines piling up and are itching to get going, then let’s get started! Before you get ready to send out save-the-dates, order the flowers and book the DJ, there’s something that you should do that should precede all of that – the guestlist! Figuring out the who’s who of your guestlist will save you time and money (by helping you set your budget).

Decide what kind of wedding you want to have. Do you want an intimate affair for 35 with close family and friends or a blow-out soiree for 400 people? The type of wedding you want to have will determine how you organize your guest list. Now this tends to be the not-so-fun part of planning but if you and your fiance communicate your wishes with each other (after all the wedding is for both of you) its actually a great time to set expectations. If parents are financing the wedding, its also a great time to find out if they will be adding additional guests.

Once you’re done conceptualizing your event and talking it through with all of the stakeholders (fiance, parents, best friend that you bounce everything off of), make a list of any and everybody you would want at your wedding – from your mom and dad to your next door neighbor’s cousin’s dog walker. Then depending on the type of event you want to have, sort them by “A List”, “B List”, “C List”, etc. Don’t worry, you can get contact information later.

After you make the initial list, let it sit for a while. There will be important people that you forgot – and less important people that you decide don’t really need to be invited. Take a look at the list one week later and go for round two!

Happy Planning!

The Event Couturess of LB Event Couture