The Year in Review: 2011

I can hardly believe it's already 2012! I know so many people in this industry are saying the same thing as we realize we are already half way through January and I'm clearly no exception. I have to pause and wonder what I did last year to make it fly by so quickly. 

While entering my 2011 mileage for tax filing (ugh... does ANYONE like filing taxes) it quickly became clear that I was one busy gal last year. I'm pleased to say that so many of my colleagues can say the same thing - 2011 was a big year for the wedding industry - and it looks like we're all headed for another wonderfully prosperous year in 2012.

Rather than jump right into catching up on blogging from last years incredible events post-July I thought I'd recap some of the more exhilarating things to have come out of 2011, both personal and professionally.

Starting waaaaay back in January...

• Wedding Day: Erilynn and Darren tied the knot on 1/1/11. It was a beautiful, sunny California day. (image is courtesy of Cole Joseph Photography). 11 (eleven) is my lucky number so I was PSYCHED to be participating in such a love-filled day with such a sweet couple. 

• Consultations... hired!
• Consultations... hired!
• Consultations... HIRED! I like this trend...
• The birth of my first nephew! Xavier Earl was born on January 28, 2011 and within two weeks I was cuddling him and ignoring the fact that it was JANUARY IN CANADA!!! I made him those little gloves and toque (beanie). He was also given a matching set in the Hogwarts Griffindor colors! (I somehow have no pictures of this...)

February 2011:

• I became the Vice President of the inaugural Wish Upon a Wedding San Diego chapter. 
• Consultations... hired! (the trend continues!!!)
• Vendor meetings - getting to know the new faces on the scene and being honored by having the opportunity to get to know some of the big wigs out there and learning from the best.
• Operation "Home Office Remodel" begins! 

March 2011:

• Client meetings and site visits abound as the new year of weddings begins in earnest for WMS.
• Can anyone say "Networking" and "Launch Parties". Magazine Launches, Catering Open Houses and Venue Open Houses are two or three a week!

April 2011:

• Wedding... 
• Wedding...
• Networking...
• Wedding...
• Tastings, client meetings, initial consultations...
• Wedding!!!

May 2011:

• NO WEDDINGS! It's time for my belated honeymoon! The Hubbs and I saved up for a few years after we married in 2008 and took a two week honeymoon to Scotland. I ate fish and chips almost every day, we walked miles and miles (and miles), drank scotch and beer like it was water and even spent a night in a castle. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect trip. I fell in love with Scotland and if I ever disappear from this beautiful place we call home (that'd be San Diego) it's a safe bet I've moved to Scotland, become a book editor, or a professional knitter, and I'm holed up in a stone cottage (or a castle, I'm not picky) by the fire with my man and a dram of whisky to keep me warm!

June, July, August, September, October and November...

• More amazing weddings.
• More fabulous vendor meetings.
• The Wish Upon a Wedding Launch Party - the biggest attendance to date for a launch party in WUW history - HUGE PROPS to the San Diego vendors to made it happen!
• A visit from my parents who haven't been down to see us in a couple of years - we had a fabulous time eating, drinking and shopping!
• I GOT AN iPHONE AND LEFT THE DREADED WORLD OF BLACKBERRY BEHIND FOREVER!!!!
• 11/11/11 - one of the biggest wedding days of the year, which culminated with a fabulous fireworks display on the bay which (by sheer coincidence!) happened just as the wedding I was working that evening was ending. The bride and guests were blown away. 
• 11/12/11 - I boarded a plane for a 7-day cruise to Bahamas and the Virgin Islands to celebrate a wonderful year. Since returning I've been so busy with wrapping up 2011, hosting a Christmas wedding and an early 2012 wedding I haven't even downloaded these pictures yet... I know... I'm lame! But here's one from when we landed back in Miami that I have on my phone (we ran out of space on the camera memory card!) I'm on an air boat in the Everglades with alligators. Heck yeah!

December 2011:

• I TURNED 31!!! I had the honor of hosting a fabulous friend-filled night at the Porto Vista Hotel in Little Italy where I was surrounded by my favorite people (and spoiled... oh so spoiled). 
• My in-laws arrive for a 12 day visit. They promptly turn around the day after arriving and head to Yuma with the Hubband whereas I have to stay home and prep for a December 22nd wedding for an adorable couple out of Virginia. 
• I adopt a second dog. In 2008 the Hubbs and I adopted a dog named Peaches from the SPCA (you'll see pictures of her on my website) and when the chance arose, we rescued sweet little Zoey on December 15th from being sent BACK to a shelter after having a pretty rough start to her life. She now has a forever home, an older sister and two parents who adore her.  Just TRY to get them to sleep on separate pillows!

• Christmas Day!
• New Years 2012 (or is it 2011?) I never know... celebrated at the home of Siegel Thurston Photography (we know them as Brett and Liz) where we ate, drank, and danced to music videos (no, I'm not kidding) until the countdown and then shuttled ourselves carefully home for a good nights sleep and dreams of a wonderful 2012!

(image courtesy of Siegel Thurston Photography)

Thanks for taking this recap of 2011 with me. I'm so excited for 2012 - may it be YOUR best year yet! Until next time...

You cut the cake; I'll cut the chaos!

Engagements: Rich and Kay

I can hardly believe it's already here... well... almost! Waaaaaaay back in December of 2010 I interviewed with this delightful couple about their wedding plans. He's a Navy pilot and she's a lawyer. They met on eHarmony.com and they decided to invite me to share in their 6 month anniversary so we could talk about their nuptials. Was it love from the start? Absolutey - they loved each other right away and I loved them right away.  

Since starting my work with Rich and Kay, who tie the knot next Saturday, the coveted date of 9.10.11, Rich has been relocated to the "thriving metropolis" of Meridian, Mississippi. Kay has visited him a few times and I'm always amused at the reports I get about how "lovely" Meridian really is. Having never been myself I can only imagine what it must be like for this two urban-ites somewhere other than a big city. But through it all they've kept their wonderful sense of humor intact and are still as excited as ever to start their lives together as Husband and Wife.

So today we're hosting our final wrap up meeting at the Admiral Kidd Club where they're going to say their "I Do's" and it made me reminisce about all the fun we've had together over the past ten months. I'm going to miss my daily emails with Kay and the banter with Rich. As with all of my other clients, I hope I get to keep these two in my life. So cheers to Rich and Kay - wishing you years and years of happiness. Here's a look back at your engagement session all those many months ago. 

Love you guys!

And my absolute favorite (so favorite it's hanging on my wall in my office):

Until next time...
You cut the cake; I'll cut the chaos!


Photos courtesy of Resolusean Photography

Wedding Tips: Who's Who in the Program?

An interesting question has just been posed to me by one of my couples:

"Do I have to include everyone in the bridal party on my program?"

And the answer is: I don't know! 

This is a case where I would love your feedback, my friends. In this instance, my lovely bride and groom have a large family, most of which are not participating in the processional and recessional. However, the bride's Grandmother does need an escort down the aisle and an Uncle was selected for this task. I don't know how the Uncle was selected, whether he's a "favorite" or whether he's perhaps the eldest of many and thus has the right, but he's been selected nonetheless.

My bride wold very much like to honor her Grandmother and include her on the program but is worried about all the other Aunt's and Uncles, on both her side and the groom's side, feeling un-included if she names her Uncle, the escort, but none of the rest of them. What would YOU advise her to do? Until next time...

You cut the cake; I'll cut the chaos!

What I Do Best: Leslie and Nate

Yesterday afternoon as I baked my cupcakes I reveled in sharing my little foray into the world of baking with my friends on Facebook. The first comment I received after posting an image of my cupcakes in the oven was from today's bride: Leslie! But, since weddings aren't all about brides, let's be sure to give a shout out to her fabulous groom Nate too!

Leslie and Nate live in Minneapolis, Minnesota and were a referral from one of my lovely lady colleagues Lindsy Hines. I can't thank Lindsy enough for this referral - Leslie and Nate were my kind of couple. They had a clear picture of their colors and the feel they wanted for their day and just said "Go for it". They hired each vendor I sent their way and thus created a perfect unity of vendors. My heart still skips a beat when I think about their wedding day. It was awesome!

So before it sounds like I'm bragging about me, let's move onto bragging about Leslie and Nate. They met only a short half year before they called me to help them plan their big day. When I asked about how long they'd been together Leslie told me "Not long, but when you know, you know". And lemme tell ya - these kids hit the nail on the head! Their officiant, Ceremonies by Bethel, told me she hadn't seen a story or vows so touching in a long time so I couldn't wait to hear the Ceremony. It was so heartfelt. And the reaction of the crowd just amplified it - there was no holding back on emotions from this crowd. It was absolutely lovely.

Now backing up a few steps... since Leslie and Nate were from out of town and didn't fly in to San Diego until just a few days before their wedding they decided to host their engagement session the day before the wedding. These images don't disappoint! Sean of Resolusean Photography did an outstanding job, don't you think? And how cool for Leslie - she got to be a bride all dressed up two days in a row! I'm kinda jealous...

When Leslie and I first discussed the details of her day she told me she wanted to keep it simple and put the focus on her and Nate. She envisioned carrying a simple white calla lily wrapped with orange ribbon. And what Leslie wanted, Leslie got. The florals by Branches Floral Studio were simple and elegant and a perfect representation of what Leslie and Nate asked for. 

And the cake - oh my, the cake! The first time I met Leslie in person was on her pre-wedding trip to San Diego during which she crammed in 3 different tastings at bakeries here in San Diego. Once she found Sweetcheeks Baking Co. her choice was made. Not only was this cake absolutely beautiful, but it was delicious. I was honored when Leslie herself handed me a piece of cake and said "Eat!". I didn't have to be told twice!

And let's not forget the food. Leslie and Nate are foodies. And they love good food - wholesome, stick to your ribs food. So when Chef Dave of Chef DK Catering came along, once again it was a slam dunk. His cheeseboard presentation was lovely and his braised beef short ribs (which in my mind are his signature dish) bowled them over. The guests couldn't get enough!

A funny moment that I remember from the wedding was when I was asked by a guest whether I had glasses that matched all of my clients weddings. I don't, sadly, but Leslie and Nate's main color was orange and my glasses happen to have bright orange "turn signals" (so deemed by my Husband) on them so it was a perfect match. To top it all off, their super-fabulous florist gave me a bright orange corsage to match their theme color. I loved this couple!

Ok, so since I can't stop looking at these images of Leslie and Nate I'm going to post a whole bunch more of their photos here because I love them (the photos and Leslie and Nate). Enjoy! Until next time...

You cut the cake; I'll cut the chaos!

Leslie and Nate's A-MAZING Vendor Team:

Venue: Private Residence

Bakery: Sweetcheeks Baking Co.

Florist: Branches Floral Studio

Photography: Resolusean Photography

Coordination: Weddings Made Splendid

Officiant: Ceremonies by Bethel

Catering: Chef DK Catering

The back of the private residence - LOVE the orange touches in the space.

Such a wonderful punch of color!

A simple but sweet boutonniere by Branches Floral Studio

Nate didn't get the memo that this picture was for those of us 5'-5" and under!

There was so much love at this event - the guys were hilarious!

By far, one of my favorite images! So powerful.

CAKE TIME!

Congratulations Leslie and Nate. We wish you years and years of happiness and are so proud to have you as part of our Weddings Made Splendid family!

In My Opinion: Taking Time For Me!

Business is good. The wedding industry is making a come-back and many of my colleagues, if not all of them, are busy. Like, busy busy. Maybe too busy! Please don't mistake this for complaining - we love what we do and as a result a lot of what we do doesn't feel like "work" - but I'm left wondering if this love for what we do, and our commitment to it doesn't allow us to be objective about what we need.

I received an email from a colleague this morning (and if he reads this he'll know who he is - love you, guy!) apologizing for not getting back to me "sooner" because he'd taken a day off yesterday. I'd like to point out that it was a relatively innocuous email, nothing that required immediate attention, and it only took him 13 and a bit hours for him to respond. 13 hours! That's it. I wish all of my emails to vendors, clients and family members were answered within 13 hours. 

So I'm reflecting today on behalf of all of my colleagues who are small business owners - do we take enough time for ourselves? And as I type this (this is a very impromptu post so I'm wingin' it!) I think back to what I've done this week alone: I've sent several dozen emails on behalf of my clients, I've followed up with past clients, I've attended (and got to host) a meeting for a non-profit organization (shout out to Wish Upon a Wedding - woot!), I've made head starts on future events and I attended a celebration for another colleague who is celebrating 10 years in business (can I get another "woot woot" for Bauman Photographers)... and that's just what I remember. Sure, there are some wonderful things in there but a lot of it is work related. Where's the time for me?

Because of this work-centric review of the past few days (months, really) I'm putting this challenge out to all of my colleagues: take some time for yourselves this week (and don't apologize for it). If you meet up with friends, especially if they're friends from the industry, talk about you, not your clients or your ROI. Spend twenty minutes lying on the floor just scratching your dogs belly or grab your favorite person, a bottle of wine and a cheesy movie and just turn off for a few hours. Literally - turn off: cell phones, iPad's, laptops... whatever bings or beeps or chimes at you and takes you away from your relaxing. Just take care of you. 

To my colleague I reference above: kudo's to you, my friend, for taking care of you! I have decided that because I have a few spare hours today that I'm going to bake some cupcakes. And then I'm going to serve them to my colleagues who are coming over this afternoon. We'll have a glass of wine, some gossip, and a little R'n'R (that's "Rest and Repair") to see us through until the next time we take a few hours for ourselves.

What do you think you might do to take care of you? Remember the old adage: We work to live, we don't live to work. Until next time...

You cut the cake; I'll cut the chaos!

Image source: http://www.vinodnarayan.com/my-two-cents/the-time-to-relax-is-when-you-dont-have-time-for-it/

Wedding Tip: City Site Permits

With oodles of beautiful sites in San Diego, and the hundreds, if not thousands of permits granted to couples each year, one major misconception seems to go uncorrected with regard to the Park Use Permit. So today, let's set the record straight. 

When  couples decide to marry at any one of San Diego's outdoor spaces such as Calumet Park, Sunset Point, or even some of the grounds in and around Balboa Park that are owned by the City of San Diego, it's a requirement to obtain a permit to use the space. These permits range in cost but are generally in the mid $200's for the use of the space, and are often limited to 4 hours of use, including setup and tear down of the venue (chairs, decor, etc.). One thing they do have in common, though, is their limited ability to use the space.

In short, what this means is that you, as the permit holder, may use the space - you have full permission to be there and no one can kick you out of the space for those 4 hours. What it doesn't mean is that you have permission to kick other people off of the site. It's been my experience that this subtle directive is often missed being told to a couple when they have their permit granted. 

With that said... and there's always a silver lining... many people of the general public, when notified that a wedding is about to occur and would they please stay out of the way of guests and vendors, are more than happy to let a couple have their moment without interruption. I'm reminded of a moment at this past weekend's wedding where the mother of the bride demanded that all patrons of the park not a guest of the wedding be removed from the site as her daughter would "freak out" if she saw them. I explained to the mother that we had permission to use the space, not remove people from it. I explained further that yes, you have a permit to use it, but no, you do not have permission (or the right) to demand people leave. All's well that ends well as the couple of people still on the site were more than happy to vacate when I asked them if they wouldn't mind stepping away for 20 minutes on behalf of the bride's request. I realize that it doesn't always happen this easily, but on this particular day, we were lucky.

If you wish to submit a permit to host an event at a city space, click here to be redirected to their online application form. For more general information about park use visit their website by clicking here. And lastly, for more information about fees associated with the use of the city parks, click here. Until next time...

You cut the cake; I'll cut the chaos!

Announcement: Sweet Cheeks Baking Co. Takes the {cup}Cake

Every week I record "Cupcake Wars" on my DVR and every Wednesday morning I get up to watch it (barring meetings, of course). But this week was different - THIS week I couldn't wait to get home from my night out to watch it. You see, one of San Diego's rising-star bakeries was competing: Sweet Cheeks Baking Co.!!!

To my utter horror when I got home after our night out I found out that my recorded episode had errors on it. PANIC! I quickly searched the guide and found that another episode was being aired at midnight. Tragedy averted. I could go to bed, wake up refreshed as I always do, and watch it first thing in the morning. But then I was hit but another thought: my morning ritual of grabbing the ol' BlackBerry and trolling Facebook before I roll out of bed would thwart my attempts to watch the show without knowing the winner. Surely one of my colleagues, or Sweet Cheeks themselves, would post about their winning. So I tossed and turned in bed until 12:40am at which point I decided there was nothing to do but go out on the couch and watch it.

And watch it I did. It was a nail-biter. Kristy had me convinced once or twice that her time was done. And then the hosts statement at the end made me think that Hillary, the other contestant, had won it. But no-siree! Kristy and the Sweet Cheeks Baking Co. were victorious and took home a win that would make any San Diegan proud. 

Congratulations to Kristy and Katrina who put up a big WIN for the whole Sweet Cheeks team! It was worth staying up so late to see such a sweet victory! Until next time...

You cut the {cup}cake; I'll cut the chaos!