The Wedding Planner Goes To A Wedding

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

Keep it Up! Using Your Weekend Wedding Planning Momentum

You brought your wedding plans
Keep planning this week! (Photo credit: petyr.rahl)

So you spent the weekend running around from wedding vendor to wedding vendor (perhaps you even worked in a visit to a certain Palm Springs florist?)
You got sooooo much done, you deserve a break, right? Well, you could but you’d lose a valuable commodity: your weekend momentum. You’re full of information! You know who to call next! Don’t take a nap and lose your place in the exciting story that is your big day. Just a quick tip.

Be well and love well
-Dinah

Family Holiday Advice from My Little Flower Shop, Palm Springs florist

You know those movies about wacky families that really love reach other under all the craziness? Well, Julia Louis Dreyfuss may not be cooking your High Holiday brisket, and Jane Lynch may not be sorting the sweet potato casserole recipes that will end up on your Thanksgiving table, but the sweet families on the silver screen aren’t that different from yours.

Here’s how I know.  One of the men who invented the entertainment industry as we know it, Louis B. Mayer, was the son of a scrap metal dealer who became the most powerful man in Hollywood. Mayer would tell people his birthday was the Fourth of July because he was fiercely patriotic. He wanted America to be all marching bands, fireworks and apple pie. So that’s what he put in the movies. He created the images we all associate with our culture and our country.

English: Apple pie.
English: Apple pie. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

These days, filmmakers continue to put their dreams and ideals on screen, but in a more modern way.  We see their crazy families, but with softer edges, a lot of humor and a sympathetic eye. And there’s frequently a happy ending.  With some good dialogue, could that be your Aunt Phyllis instead of Shirley MacLaine? Can you soften the lens this holiday season to see your family more as human beings who love you and less like a clown car full of confused commuters? I bet you can. Remember, Louis B. Mayer created his own reality. Think more apple pie, less fireworks.