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The Not So Accidental Tourist

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My Little Flower Shop LOVES tourists.  We rejoice when we see families consulting maps, large groups of people wearing matching visors, or most importantly, a “tourist” bride coming to have her destination wedding in Palm Springs.  We are also big advocates of being unashamed of tourist-y behavior while travelling.  See the sights! Take pictures! Consult your maps!

So this summer, why not be a tourist at home? I’ll bet you dollars to donuts there are attractions or historic sites nearby that you either have never seen, or not visited in 10+ years.  Goodness knows here in Southern California it would take a lifetime to do all the possible day trips.

One of our beautiful brides, Stephanie Orson, at her wedding venue /local sight to see: the lavender fields. (Highland Springs Resort, photo by Alan Gough)

Even if you can’t leave your city, town or neighborhood, investigate a little.  Find the tourist office for your city, and see what the “highlights” are.  You’ll be surprised what you’ve been missing all these years.  Architectural gems,  birthplaces of interesting people…there’s a lot out there.

What are you waiting for? Dust off your matching visors and head out on a homegrown adventure.

Live well, and love well.

-Dinah

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The 4th of July Non-Weekend. Bad for Brides? Good for Guests? You decide.

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Ah the calendar.  Tomorrow, the 4th of July falls on a WEDNESDAY for the first time in many years.  For those with office jobs whose vacation days are comparable to certain rare truffles in the food world, this is a big deal. There are calculations by which you can take only a few days off, and yet stretch your vacation and/or wedding weekend to five days, all with the aid of a well placed Monday or Friday out of the office.  Thanksgiving is the ultimate centerpiece to the art of stretching PTO: you can take a full seven days and only “spend” three.

But this year (darned Gregorians) Fourth of July isn’t participating.  And some are breathing a sigh of relief.  Hint: it’s not the brides.  People who might have attended weddings this holiday, are attending barbeques.  And parades.  And celebrating Independence Day well, independently.  There are many people who don’t want to have their summer plans set for them by receiving a “save the date” in February and being expected to clear their calendars.

As a bride, it’s hard to see outside the bubble where your wedding is the Most Important Thing In The World, but sometimes people have fun things scheduled at the same time or want to have that option.  And that’s OK. (Well your sister really ought to keep her schedule open, but let the rest of your list plan their own vacations, and lead their own lives. It’s not anybody’s fault, and there shouldn’t be any lasting drama or upset about who had something else going on that day ).

All thoughts running through my head on a summer’s day… enjoy your barbeques tomorrow.  And the weddings that are happening this weekend!  Remember, you can always have sparklers no matter what time of year it is*  And no matter who comes, or what the season, your wedding will light up with joy and memories for everyone.

Live well, and love well.

Dinah

 

* please check the fire regulations in your area and at your venue!

Why I love “My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding.” Hey TLC, We Want To Plan One! Call Us!

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By now most people have heard about the raucous, Swarovski crystal-covered Gypsy wedding extravaganzas shown on TLC not just on their appointed night, but pretty much any time you turn on the TV.  Some people can’t take it, they have to turn it off. Others are fascinated, like they are watching a bad traffic accident and they can’t look away.  As for us, well, we want an invitation.

Weddings are full of joy in any community. Who’s to say they should be prim and proper? We lecture over and over again that brides should have the wedding they want, not what they see in the magazines or what’s “fashionable” just for the sake of it. Those magazines also say “be yourself!” and “It’s your day – make it what you want!” These families are realizing their vision, and it’s no one’s place to judge what they think is meaningful or beautiful.  We love these weddings (and the dresses, and the cakes, and all of what the conventional thinkers would call “over the top” details) for the energy and the feeling behind it. Here’s a community that’s marching to the beat of its own drum. And what a parade!

So TLC, we know you’re casting brides.  How ’bout letting some vendors in on the action?  We’ll hang a banner- My Little Gypsy Flower Shop. Have Swarovski, will travel.

Live well, and love well.

-Dinah

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