Event Planning

Wedding Planning Ideas: Write Them Down!

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We’ve been re-arranging, decorating and cleaning our humble home recently. The blog Apartment Therapy and their guided “January Cure,” (a task-a-day kick start to a year of clutter clearing and nesting activities,) got us going and now we’re off on all sorts of projects and improvements.

When we get on this sort of kick, the ideas start flowing. There was one brilliant idea we were super excited about that was going to revolutionize our space and make our lives easier – but we can’t remember what it was.  During our burst of creativity and inspiration, we neglected to take out pad and pencil, (or Ipad and finger) and write it down. 

Write down how you see your decor, so we can get it just right, like this wedding canopy.
Write down how you see your decor, so we can get it just right, like this wedding canopy.

 

Do not follow our example with your wedding planning light bulb moments!  Write EVERYTHING down that inspires you.  Later on you’ll combine the decor idea from your co-worker’s cousin’s buffet with the recipe you read in Gourmet magazine at the dentist’s office, the classical music you heard driving after admiring a scene in a Bollywood movie with gauzy fabric and a zillion candles.  But it will only come together if you keep paper & a pen (or your favorite way to make notes- Ipad, voice memo, etc)

  • in your desk at work
  • in your purse
  • in the car
  • next to your fave spot to watch TV

Another great (and quite common) source of inspiration? Your dreams.  So don’t forget one more pad by the bed.  Sleep tight.

Live well and love well.

-Dinah

The Wedding Planner Goes To A Wedding

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I have to go to a wedding this weekend – as a guest. At one point in my career in events I moaned “Why can’t I ever just go and be a guest?” but these days I actually feel kind of uneasy at a wedding without a timeline in my hands, or  a headset in my ear.  I’m the ultimate accessory at this shindig – a groomsman’s wife.  So while my husband stands up looking handsome in his suit and tie, the poor bride, bless her heart, will have an event professional perched on a folding chair analyzing her celebration. It has nothing to do with her – she’s a perfectly lovely girl.  It’s a hazard of the profession that parties and weddings I attend personally (and didn’t have a hand in planning) become case studies. Sometimes I come away with brilliant, unique ideas.  Other times, things are woefully underplanned, and it’s painful to watch.  Even then, I end up making notes and learning a thing or two.

English: Wedding Planning also includes table ...
Picture me here – this weekend.

So I guess in the end, when you work in the event industry, anytime you go to an event, guess what? It’s work.  So to paraphrase seven little men, “Hi ho, hi ho, it’s off to the wedding I go!”

I’ll be sure to share lessons learned and/or brilliant ideas.

Be well, and love well

-Dinah

Gold Medal Wedding Advice

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Ah the Olympics.  Young smiling athletes performing at their best representing us all.  In a way, we see the best in our country as we watch the competitions in London.

But what else do we see?  We see hear a lot from commentators about “the Olympic Ideals”  which seem like things we all ought to live up to.  Respect, friendship, education, world peace…etc.  As a wedding professional, and drawing from my experience at a top Palm Springs florist, I see lessons brides can take from these young athletes and apply to their planning.  Here are three:

  • Have a Positive Attitude.  From the moment they stepped out onto the track for opening ceremonies, the athletes were thrilled. They were full of energy,confidence, and smiles! Thinking positive changes your outlook, and makes you a happier bride.  Through it all this is a celebration you’re planning! What fun, right?

    LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 27: Fireworks explode o...
    LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 27: Fireworks explode over the Olympic Stadium during the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympic Games on July 27, 2012 in London, England. (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)
  • Listen to your coach. The athletes (well, the smart ones, anyway,) know when it’s time to let someone else make a decision.  They have faith that they’re working with someone they trust to do what’s best for everyone involved.  This can be a hard one for brides, who frequently feel they need to direct every detail of their wedding.  Sometimes though, your vendor, or bridesmaid, or even (gasp) your mother knows better, so it’s important to listen, and learn to let go.
  • Live In The Moment. Listening to the athletes’ interviews, each one repeated that their overall Olympic experience was the most important thing to them. You could tell they were soaking in their time as Olympians, and relishing their time in London. Brides should keep that in mind.  Wedding planning can be a drag, for sure, but this is a time of your life that you’ll never get back.  Enjoy every minute.

Our Olympic athletes are kicking serious butt in London.  And it’s a delight to see the country rally around a group of bright, talented young people.  Be patient as you, or the bride in your life, move through the wedding planning process. In the end, everyone will rally to see you win something better than a gold medal: a happy married life.