Lovely. Pretty. I want it.

I'm not having a wedding again anytime soon, but if I were, I could say that I found my cake. I saw it on the TODAY show the other morning, and I think I began to druel a little. Ha!

The cake is so simple, but grand at the same time. Truly though, what makes it, is the gorgeous wreath of flowers around it. I just adore it. I love the flowers, the colors, the size, everything. I searched up and down the TODAY show and Martha Stewart Weddings websites looking for a photo of it and couldn't find one. So I vowed not to watch anymore of the TODAY show Martha Stewart Wedding segments. Yeah right. I'd make it like 1 day. Who am I kidding? No I wouldn't. So rather than swear off wedding tv, I commented on Darcys blog to ask her if she could find a photo of it and today she posted it. Thank you Darcy.
Oh, and the designer is Matthew Robbins. He's fabo. I wonder if he's available for the wedding I'm not having.

Thank you notes ROCK!

Isn't it so true? Think about it. The last time you received a handwritten thank you note in your mailbox- didn't it just make your day? Every time I get one my day is instantly better.
Me, I love to send notes as much as I love to get them. Actually, I take that back, I might actually enjoy sending them more. I smile when I think about how happy it might make the person that is going to receive it. After each wedding or event, I send thank you notes to all the vendors who worked so hard to make that wedding better than my client expected. Usually, if I can get a good photo of the bride and groom myself, I'll include a snapshot with the thank you note.
So as you can imagine, I go through a gazillion thank you notes a year. And I have issues with sending the same card out time and time again. For that reason, I buy new cards every month. I do try and keep with my business colors, but every now and again I get wild when I find cards I just can't pass up. Here's the card I am using this week. It's a Crane & Co. card (Roses is the design).
I sent one to Clint Wiley yesterday to thank him for making my summer bash the party of the year (ok, I was the only one who voted. But I had a great time, and so yeah, it was. I'm totally cracking up right now by the way.)

Here is the number 1 question I get asked by my clients when it comes to thank you notes, "What do I have to send one for and how long do I have to get it out?"
Answer: Send a card to ANYONE and EVERYONE who sends you a gift or helps you with your wedding. Mail it within 5 days of receiving the gift or help, if you really want to make an impression. Now, when it comes to actual wedding gifts, that you receive at your wedding, obviously you have a little more time. But try not to go past 6 weeks. However, it is never ever too late. If you realize that you never sent a note for something you should have months ago- send it anyway, it will still make the recipient smile.

If you have a thank you note that you think I would love to get my fingers on, let me know!

Look who's blogging now

I guess the craze has gone big time:
Preston Bailey
Martha Stewart Actually, its Darcys blog. She's the MS wedding guru.

I for one, am very excited.

The Wedding Books

Very often I get asked about where to look for ideas. The magazines are great of course. They keep up with the trends and are usually good about providing the resources. What I love the best though are the wedding books. I'm pretty sure I've blogged about them in the past, but we'll re-visit. The great thing about the wedding books is that you're getting a more complete picture on how the elements are used in the wedding. In a magazine, there may be a spread on invitations that run the gammot from tradtional to ultra modern, but rarely do you see what those invitations translate to a few months down the line at the actual event they were created for. And that is why I just love the wedding books. Here is my current top 10 list (in no order). These are the ones that I have pulled out many times over to complete a "
What if?" or "Could I?" thought.

To have and to hold by David Stark & Avi Adler
Southern Weddings by Tara Guerard
Simple Stunning Weddings by Karen Bussen
Extraordinary Weddings and Weddings by Colin Cowie
Signature Weddings by Michelle Rago
InStyle Weddings and InStyle Parties by the publishers of InStyle Magazines
Fantasy Weddings, Inspirations, and Design for Entertaining by Preston Bailey
The best of Martha Stewart Weddings by Martha Stewart
The Party Planner by David Tutera
Party Confidential by Lara Shriftman and Elizabeth Harrison



Ok, I have issues sticking to just 10 obviously. All these books are available on Amazon and usually they are available at a discounted price.
Happy Reading!
Do you have a favorite I don't know about?

Wondering what to put in the welcome bags?

A wedding planner friend of mine asked the other day about what I put in welcome bags. I've never put 2 of the same together. Just as each wedding is unique, so are the bags. First of all, I don't always use a bag. Sometimes we use a box, sometimes a basket, even a bath robe we used once (it looked really neat).

There are a few staples that go inside:
Bottled Water, Map, Brochures, and guest itinerary

Then there are the things that are unique to your wedding. Here are some of my favorites:
Stewart sodas or those fancy lemonades- can't remember the name, wine & opener (or a champagne split) with 2 glasses, pashminas, parasols, flip flops, beach towels, koozies, regional magazines, sunscreen wipes, chips/pretzels/popcorn, local food goodies, candy, cookies (photo cookies are huge hits), battery powered fans, off! wipes, pre-stamped postcards & pens, room key chains (those kind that go on your wrist), drink tickets (pina colada by the pool?),spa gift certificates, scented candles, cd's of your favorite songs, robe & slippers...

I could go on, but this is a good start right? Oh- and don't go thinking you need to put all this in there! The most important thing is that your guest who is spending 2 days travelling and maybe $1000 or more to attend your celebration feels welcomed. Put in what you like and what your budget affords you. These gifts can range from $7 to $175 each, depending on how lavish you want to get.

Quick tip: If you can attach a personal note to each bag- it speaks volumes. And its a task you can start as soon as the RSVP comes in. Also, if you do a welcome bag for each guest, a favor a the reception is certainly not necessary.