Dinah

Fairy Tale Wedding Hero: Beauty And The Beast’s Lumiere

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Lumiere is my hero.  Yep- the singing candlestick. Lumiere’s big number is “Be Our Guest,” an ode to making guests comfortable.

English: Belle, Cogsworth, Chip, and Lumiere
English: Belle, Cogsworth, Chip, and Lumiere (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A wedding is, at heart, for the guests– a fact lost on some brides who want to fulfill their own desires, and assume everyone will go with the flow. The truth is, if the only two people having fun are the bride and groom, that’s a sad state of affairs. You want people to be happy for you, and have a great time! Step number one is keeping them happy, so keep your guests in mind when you are planning. Two easy things to consider:

Where

The number one way to irritate your wedding guests is by getting married at an inconvenient location. Now, a destination wedding is one thing. But if you’re staying local, and asking 250 people to join you at the Chapel of Saint Wilhemina of Small Parking Lots  in the Middle of Nowhere National Park, you’re going to have a few cranky customers. A good litmus test: if it’s going to take most guests longer to drive to your ceremony site than to experience the ceremony itself, you might want to look for a different location.

When

Of course your wedding date has to work for you and your family.  But perhaps your Maid of Honor is Jewish – if the date you’re considering falls on Passover, you may want to call and check if that’s a problem.  Also look out for other big family events – if your Aunt and Uncle’s 50th Wedding Anniversary falls close to your date, it’s polite to check if they have something planned.  Last, look out for other weddings, friends or family.  There are enough dates to go around, no need to step on cousin MacKenzie’s special day.

If you consider these things at the outset, you’ll have a happier crowd in the end.  That Lumiere, he really sheds light on how to treat guests! If your tea-pot starts talking, listen up.

Be well, and love well.

Dinah

Open Sesame! My Little Flower Shop’s Grand Re-Opening Was A Smash!

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What a night! So many thank yous. We “like” our sponsors/vendors and so should you! Hit them up on Facebook. Wedding Warriors, Desert Business Association , Classic Party Rentals , Crater Lake Vodka & Gin, Pastry Swan Bakery, Freeze Photobooth, Musical Affair Entertainment, Alan’s Award Winning Photography and Video, Crush FM, New Leaf Catering, Stephen Archdeacon Gallery,  Wil Stiles, Mellany Miller Photography, Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce, Palm Desert Chamber, & the Desert Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce. And of course our own intrepid staff at My Little Flower Shop! (did you know that was our favorite Palm Spring florist? hee hee).

And to all who came out to mix, mingle and party down, thank you most of all! The energy was amazing, and we had a fantastic time. We’re going to have to renovate or something – I’ve got to figure out a way to Re Re Grand Open so we can have another great party!

Be well, and love well.

Dinah

Cutting the ribbon at the Grand Opening of Palm Springs florist, My Little Flower Shop

The Bakery We Loved That Didn’t Make Our Wedding Cake.

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As a vendor, there’s always that bride who comes in for a meeting and you instantly feel connected. You’re sure she’ll call within days to put in a deposit, but no word comes. You may think she’s forgotten you and your business entirely, but with the right level of customer engagement, you are 100% wrong.

When my husband and I started planning our wedding, it was going to be in Connecticut.  We traveled East, to meet with vendors there, accompanied by my indefatigable and saintly Mother.

The appointment we still talk about was at Palmer’s Bakery (inside Palmer’s Market) in Darien, CT, where we met with charming Executive Pastry Chef Megan Palmer Dean. And when I say, “met with” I really ought to say “fell in love with.” The cakes were heavenly, but more importantly, she was kind and patient and funny.  When it became clear that our celebration would have to be in California (we ended up in Palm Springs – lucky us!), I wrote Megan to tell her that, although we wished she could make our cake, it was not meant to be.  Since then we have not forgotten her, and are still on the Palmer’s mailing list.

 

An email arrived this week from Megan. She’s started a blog about sourcing gourmet foods for the market – starting with a trip to Italy September 8th.  You go Megan!  Welcome to adventures in blogging, I look forward to reading along.  And to stopping by to buy a cake for the family next time we are back East.

So don’t think you’re forgotten by any particular bride.  The take-away here: everyone you meet is an ambassador for your business. And it never hurts to serve a little cake.

*A side note this was late July – Gregory Goodman at Palm Springs florist My Little Flower Shop, took us on and produced a gorgeous wedding on October 2.  A 2 month planning period for a gorgeous full scale wedding for 100 people! Wow!).

 

My Little Flower Shop. A boutique florist in Palm Springs.

We can be your little flower shop too!