Thank You!

This past May, I planned a 40th birthday party for a dear friend, Vera Cleveland. The theme was White Linen 40th Birthday Celebration. Everyone wore white of course, and the décor was all white with some silver accents. The room was elegant and breathtaking, and the event was a huge smash. Vera and her guests are still talking about it. To me that is a sure sign of a successful event. Vera took the time to send me a beautiful thank you note, which I'd like to share.

Dear Stacey,

I just want to thank you so much for making my 40th birthday a great success. You know in life we have choices. You can choose Tiffany's or Zales, you can choose Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts, Ruth Chris Steak House or Outback, Lexus or Honda, Or you can choose Ordinary or Extraordinary. In my case I choose you, EXTRAORDINARY. You are the best and I would validate that statement at any given time.

You know when we had our initial consultation, I knew what I wanted and you were right there with me. We were on the same page. You saw the BIG picture. You brought out the best ideas. You made my event FABULOUS (like me) the way that I wanted it. The place was beautiful. It was breath taking when you walked in. You greeted the guests with a warm welcome. Even in my moments of panic you took control and made me feel that everything was going to be ok. And really it was.

You just keep doing what you do and God will truly continue to bless you. You have a warm and loving heart and you make things better even when they don’t seem like it.

I enjoyed working with you and I look forward to working with you in the near future.

Love and blessing,

Vera Cleveland

P.S. Start getting ideas ready for my 50th. That is really going to be out of this world. The theme is going to be 50 & Still Fabulous. (LOL) I am looking for the yacht at this present moment.

Thanks

Vera, you are so welcome. I enjoyed working with you, and believe me, I'm looking forward to planning the next event!

Stay tuned for pictures.

Cut Cost Not Quality

Who doesn't want to have a beautiful wedding? I think it's safe to say that most, if not all couples have this as their ultimate goal. But with a beautiful wedding comes an extravagant price tag, right? Not necessarily. When planning a wedding or any type of event, it's important to remember that it's not all about how much money you have to spend. What makes the difference in having a beautiful wedding and not breaking your pockets to do so, is how you spend the money you have. Following are a few cost cutting ideas to consider when planning that beautiful wedding, without going to the poor house to do it.

Dress For Less
Shop wholesale
Check out E-bay for gowns
Consider renting vs. purchasing
Have gown made
Consider wearing an evening gown vs. a “wedding” gown
Shop for Bridesmaids dress after New Years or during prom season
Shop David’s Bridal $99 sale
Check out Jessica McClintock stores
Purchase a simple plain gown or dress and dress it up yourself with appliqués, trimming etc.
Consider purchasing a sample gown
Check out thrift shops or consignment stores
Borrow a dress
Buy shoes in summer where white shoes are everywhere and avoid purchasing “wedding” shoes
For the groom: Consider wearing a suit vs. tuxedo

Smile Pretty For The Camera
Don’t pinch pennies on photography
Use contracted time for ceremony & reception – forgo the at home pictures. Have friend or family member snap these shots
Have photographer take pictures at ceremony, photo location, and a few detailed reception shots. (Eliminate the need for at home pictures or staying during the entire reception)
Schedule cake cutting, dancing and bouquet and garter toss early and release photographer early
Provide disposable cameras to be used by family and friends to get candid shots at the reception

You're Invited
Print invitations yourself from computer
Consider purchasing standard, plain invitations, and dress them up yourself with photos, ribbon, etc.
Have a local printer or copy center print invitations from a disk provided by you
Use lightweight invitation cards with postcard response cards – to cut down on postage
Mail order or online order invitation vs. going to a printer

Party Time
Cut down the guest list
Serve juice and soda (non-alcoholic beverages) vs. liquor (dress them up to be beachy)
Serve cake and punch vs. a plated meal
Consider hiring student from the restaurant school to cater and serve as wait staff
Purchase your own liquor – wholesale (Make sure facility will allow you to bring in your own liquor) – Also you still need to have a professional bartender
Ask caterer about cheaper alternatives regarding desired menu

They're Playing Our Song
Play taped music vs. having a DJ or Band
Designate a friend or family member to play CD’s

Let Them Eat Cake
Purchase a plain cake and decorate it yourself
Have a sheet cake vs. a tier cake
Get a small decorative cake for pictures and supplement it with a sheet cake
Have a friend or family member who bakes make the cake as a present
Consider having a tower of cupcakes with your initials on them to serve as cake and favors

Tip Toe Through The Tulips
Consider carrying one tropical stem with ribbon vs. bouquets
Let the venue stand on its own – take advantage of the site’s décor
Consider candles or small arrangements vs. elaborate flowers as centerpieces
Consider using local in season flowers
Use lots of greenery and filler and accent with just a few flowers
Opt for a small and simple bouquet
Forgo purchasing a toss bouquet – toss one flower from your bouquet, or toss the whole thing if you are not going to preserve it
Combine fresh flowers with silk flowers
Bride bouquet – fresh flowers, all others silk
Buy in bulk from Cosco’s, Sams, BJ’s
Purchase from a grocery or produce store
Use small Styrofoam balls decorated with flowers or seashells vs. bouquet for bridesmaids

Do Me A Favor
Make donation to a charity in each guest’s name
Favors and trinkets get left behind. Choose something meaningful and something guests will use

Taxi!
Have a family member with an upscale car chauffer you
Rent a car vs. a limo

With This Rings
Purchase from a wholesale jeweler
Consider purchasing rings from the Estate case
Consider catalog shopping

Etc. Etc. Etc.
Purchase your own make-up and have a friend or coordinator do your make-up
Have make-up and hair done by beauty school student
Ask around to see if anyone can donate to your cause – perhaps as a gift – either in service or lending you materials for decorations, etc.
Guest book – use a beautiful journal vs. “wedding” guest book
Utilize Coordinators knife, server, basket, pillow, glasses, etc.
Regarding the above items, do not purchase any “wedding” items – much cheaper to purchase these items not attached to the term ‘wedding” and dress them up yourself

101 Facts About Me

1. I am a Christian
2. I believe in and love the Lord Jesus Christ
3. My Mother is my best friend
4. I love to read
5. I'm a creature of habit
6. My favorite movie is "Pretty Woman"
7. My favorite colors are yellow and purple
8. I am a middle child
9. I am a hopeless romantic
10. I love all things wedding
11. I was born in 1976…oops I mean 1967 (-:
12. I'm a stickler for being on time
13. My favorite number is 21
14. I'm 5'7" tall
15. I've never broken a bone in my body
16. As long a I can remember, I've wanted to own my own business
17. I love Oprah Winfrey
18. I drive a Honda Civic
19. My pet peeve is people who don't take responsibility for their own actions
20. I will break out in song anytime any place
21. I like to do Sudoku puzzles
22. I've been friends with my best friend Sonya for over 27 years
23. I like country western music
24. I eat chicken everyday
25. I have two sisters: Stephanie and Candie
26. I am a Dallas Cowboy fan
27. Although I live in Philadelphia, I cannot stand the Philadelphia Eagles
28. I like hot cake and cold pie
29. I'm a chocoholic
30. I like dogs (the smaller the better)
31. I don't like cats, I think they're sneaky
32. I took my first cruise this year, and now I'm hooked
33. My anchor bible verse is Romans 8:28 (look it up for yourself)
34. I'm very fickle (it drives my friends and family crazy)
35. My middle name is Mellynn (my mother liked the spelling)
36. My aunt Sweet Pea named me Stacey
37. I can't stand to be hot
38. Even though I need to do more of it, I hate working out
39. I recently lost 30lbs.
40. I'm a music lover
41. I wouldn’t mind going on vacation alone (in fact I think I'll do that next year)
42. I enjoy my own company
43. I like to make people laugh
44. I hate constant complainers (not the people but the act of complaining…it reveals an ungrateful spirit)
45. I get excited about each new bride & groom I plan a wedding for as though they were my first client
46. Although I love shoes, I hate wearing them...in fact they are the first things I kick off when I come through the door
47. I'm an organized person
48. I'm a pack rat (is that an oxymoron?)
49. I'm good at what I do as a wedding/event planner
50. Secretly, I'm very competitive
51. My favorite ice cream is Butter Pecan
52. I go to the 6:30a.m Sunday morning Worship Service
53. When I was 14/15 I packed my bags to run away to marry Erik Estrada
54. My girlfriend Gail who does my hair, named my alter ego Stasha, because that's who emerges when my hair is done
55. My signature scent is Cherry Blossom from Bath & Body Works (thanks Donny for turning me on to it)
56. I've kept a diary since I was 12
57. I will meet Oprah Winfrey before I die
58. I love corny jokes (the cornier the better)
59. I refuse to get a PDA (I'm going to always stick to paper)
60. I have a burden for women and girls with low self-esteem (we are all fearfully and wonderfully made)
61. I am not a morning person
62. My favorite cartoon character is Lucy from Charlie Brown (I just wish she would let poor Charlie Brown kick the football…just once)
63. My favorite wedding planners on Whose Wedding Is It Anyway are Linnyette Richardson-Hall (The WeddingDIVA) and Mary Dann
64. I'm the life of the party…in fact, the party doesn't start until I arrive!
65. I'm deathly afraid of mice, rats, (anything with a tail)
66. I believe in "me time", and I believe you have to take it, because no one is going to give it to you
67. I love to take long drives on beautiful Spring and Fall days
68. I hate text messaging (I can call you and say what I have to say quicker than I can text it)
69. I'm confused about what people did before cell phones. Why is it that in a crowd of 10, every other person is on their cell phone? I don't get it….and it's just plain rude
70. I hate to admit it, but I am an emotional eater...Admitting it is the first step(-:
71. My favorite season of the year is Fall
72. If I should ever get married, I will plan for an October wedding
73. My nick names are: Stacey-Lacey, Stacey-Lacey-McPacy, Miss Stace, Strick, Strickee, Miss Thang, The Queen, Baby O, Face, Stacwa, Stasha, Auntee, Diva, The Brat, Hollywood, Fabulous, Wedding Planner Extraordinaire and recently in Dunkin Donuts, a perfect stranger named me Cherry Blossom…I like that
74. I've been on one blind date (and that's all it took…never again)
75. My most productive day of the week is Friday…I know that's strange
76. My favorite type of movie is a romantic comedy of course
77. I hate making small talk
78. My favorite book is…oh who am I kidding, there are way too many to count
79. I tend to be a workaholic
80. I don't make excuses, I make things happen
81. I equate myself to a swan, because on the surface they are beautiful, calm and graceful, but underneath the water, their little feet are paddling like crazy to get to where they are going. That's how I feel most days
82. I love babies
83. I'm Just A Bill is my favorite School House Rock (but isn't it everybodies?)
84. Did I say I love Oprah (-:
85. My favorite flower is a tulip
86. I enyoy writing
87. My favorite subject in school was art
88. My least favorite subject was and still is math….yuk!
89. Staying in bed all day is one of my guilty pleasures
90. I am an HGTV junkie
91. I cried on my 30th birthday and rejoiced on my 40th (what a difference a decade makes)
92. I absolutely love fish, they calm me
93. I love the water (can't swim a lick, but it calms me too)
94. As I've gotten older, I believe that when it comes to make-up, less is more
95. I've been planning weddings for over 14 years
96. While everyone's eyes are on the bride as she makes her entrance, I always look to see the groom's expression….it's priceless
97. I want to take ballroom dancing lessons
98. I hate drinking out of plastic cups
99. I jump start my morning with a cup of Dunkin Donuts coffee, medium extra, extra
100. Blogging has become my new obsession
101. It's not easy being me….but no one else can do it better (-:

Who Should You Invite?

In my 14 years of planning weddings, it has been my experience that the number one area of contention between the bride and groom during the planning process is the dreaded guest list (second only to the budget of course)! To help ease the stress of deciding who to invite, and hopefully eliminate those awkward disagreements in front of your wedding planner (wink, wink), following are some tips to consider when developing your guest list:

• Remember, the idea is to surround yourself with the people in your life who are the nearest and dearest to you. Your weddings is no place for mere acquaintances or strangers.

• Keep in mind that the number of guest you invite will affect the cost of your wedding and where you want to hold the ceremony and reception.

Steps To Developing Your List

1. Start with close friends and family and expand from there.
2. Determine if single guests will be allowed to invite an escort to the wedding.
3. Will children be welcomed to attend?
4. Keep in mind your budget, location, and desired ambience.
5. Keep a list of those you would like to invite (B List) but can’t due too constraints such as budget, room size, etc. As people send back their regrets (from A List), mail out additional invitations (from B List). Expect that perhaps 25% of those invited will not be able to attend.
6. Discuss how many names the groom, bride, grooms family, and brides family will be allowed to contribute to the guest list. Try to divide the list evenly between bride and groom. Each parent should be able to invite 1/3 of the guests.
7. Remember, the invitation list should include immediate family, officient, wedding party, and their guests.
8. Think about this: How many of the 300 people you have on your list, have you actually seen or spoken to in the last 5 years? Humm….

Good Night, Sleep Tight

I have been inspired by one of my favorite blogs, Hostess With The Mostess, and I can't wait to plan my next baby shower using this adorable "Bedtime Story" theme. I'm telling you, this idea is too cute! I wish I could take credit for coming up with this idea. Check out the tables which have been decorated to look like beds. That's simply a genius! The other suggested decorating idea of using framed pictures of sleeping babies brought Anne Geddes to mind. You know she takes the best pictures of all those precious babies posed in cute outfits and different props. Just think of what a wonderful conversation piece this idea would be in addition to serving as a unique decoration element.

Oh, and let's not forget to include your favorite bedtime story. Do you remember what it was? Mine was "The Little Engine That Could". I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...I knew I could, I knew I could, I knew I could...

Oops, sorry I digress, but you get the idea. So much can be done with this idea, and I can't wait to get started.

Love Is In The Details

Oprah has been quoted as saying "love is in the details", and I certainly agree. Wedding/Event Planning is all about details. Of course there are the details of coordinating logistics, programming, timelines, etc., but there are also the details of incorporating theme and style elements that make you say "why didn't I think of that?" I'm talking about the "WOW Factor", you know, the "little things" that people will be talking about long after the wedding or event is over. This type of detailing requires just a little imagination, a smidge of creativity, and the ability to "think outside of the box". Again, it's all about the little things, for example, consider Personalized Gift Wrap, which I found on NameMaker.com. Imagine walking into a birthday party and finding a very simple centerpiece consisting of varying sized boxes stacked in the center of the table, wrapped in pretty personalized paper with the guest of honor's name on it, and adorned with pretty ribbon and cute embellishments. Something so simple, yet the impact would be memorable.



Or imagine having your gift to the honoree standout from all the rest by wrapping it in Personalized Gift Wrap from you! How cute is that?

The idea here is to make a statement. It doesn't have to be bold and over the top, but it should be creative and well thought out. You know what they say…it's not the gift but the thought that counts!

YIKES!!!!!

I had a very traumatic experience this week, and this picture from Cats-Mania.com accurately depicts how I felt as a result of it. Wednesday marked my 7th year anniversary at my current place of employment. Every document, every spreadsheet, every report, every-single last thing I've typed and prepared over the last 7 years have been stored on an external drive. So imagine my horror on Monday, when I went to open up this drive to retrieve a document, and it was nowhere to be found! After picking up my heart which had fallen to the floor, I tried all I knew to do to locate/reinstall the drive. After racking my brain, I called our IT person in hopes of solving the problem. Long story short, he did all he knew to do, but after various attempts to retrieve my files nothing worked, and it did not look good when we left the building on Tuesday afternoon. He took the hard drive with him and said he wanted to try one other thing. I must say, I had given up hope, and went home devastated. I was a zombie. That evening, actually, in the wee hours of the morning, after waking up and not being able to go back to sleep because I was worried, I did the last thing I knew to do. I prayed and asked the Lord to help me. When I walked into the office on Wednesday morning, my assistant Deborah informed me that Troy, the IT person, had called to say he had good news. I am absolutely ecstatic to report that God, through Troy and Justin at IBS Communications, restored every-single last file. When I got the news, all I could do was cry, because I knew God heard me and answered my prayer immediately. He was just waiting for me to get to the office to give me the news. Thank you Troy, thank you Justin for all your hard work, persistence and commitment to retrieving and restoring my files. I was and still am elated and eternally grateful.

This also was a trying week for my sister Candie, who turned 39 on Thursday. She too experienced computer problems to devastating proportions. On her birthday, her computer, which she's only had for 6 months, decided to CRASH! Gone, Caput, Bye-Bye…you get the point. Fortunately, there's a happy ending to her story as well. Dell expressed a new hard drive to her, which she was able to get installed quickly, and she is now back up and running. She lost some of her more recent work, but through back and forth email communications, and back up files from her previous computer which crashed 7 months ago, she was not at as much of a loss as I would have been had it not been for a miracle. So the moral of my story….BACK IT UP and PRAY!

Cover Girl - At Last!

Can you believe it? Finally I'm a cover girl! Before it hits the newsstand, you get the opportunity to see my first magazine cover. LOL...I wish! This is such a cool favor idea. You can create a magazine cover featuring yourself or a loved one for a birthday party, wedding, retirement party, or any event celebrating life. It's perfect and easy to do. Simply go to YourCover.com, upload your picture, select your background color, layout, and insert your desired text, and Bamm...you're a cover girl (or person). Tyra Banks...watch out, here I come!

Whatcha Think?

Recently, I came across this cool website called PosePrints.com. This site allows you to create personalized stationary by designing a look-a-like image of yourself that can be printed on invitations, notecards, save-the-date announcements, thank you cards, etc. Of course I tried it, and Voila, here I am! So, how did I do? She is cute...just like me don't you think? Smooches!





Get Your Own Pose @ www.PosePrints.com

Yellowicious - What A Bright Idea! - Inspiration Board #1

This will be the first of many inspiration boards to come. I felt inspired to share my appreciation for the color yellow, not only because it's one of my favorite colors (purple is the other), but because it is such a cheerful color. Although yellow occasionally shows up as an accent color at weddings, or color splash throughout a wedding, these days yellow is not widely used as a predominant color when brides are selecting their color schemes. This is sad because I think yellow is perfect for an outdoor wedding or for a spring time wedding. Yellow just makes you happy, and no better time to communicate to the world your state of happiness than on your wedding day, and no better color than yellow. Give it a try.

The Wedding Day To-Do List Of A Wedding Planner

A Wedding Planner wears many hats, and I'll speak more about the roles of a wedding planner in a future post. Because I am a list maker (I write lists to direct me to my lists), I thought it would be interesting to create a to-do list for the wedding day, of some of the things a wedding planner actually does, to give a glimpse into all of the wedding day details that are involved in executing the big day. So if you think you don't need a wedding planner, tell me what you think after reading this list. Keep in mind that this list does not take into account any pre-wedding day planning or post wedding day services offered by wedding planners.

1. Make sure bride, groom, parents and entire wedding party are comfortable and have all of the attention and service they need while getting ready for the big day
2. Receive deliveries from vendors
3. Pick up any last minute items
4. Greet vendors and give direction
5. Distribute copies of the complete wedding day itinerary to all vendors
6. Oversee proper set-up and design of ceremony and reception
7. Accept and assist with the distribution and pinning of all corsages, boutonnieres, wedding flowers and flower-girl baskets
8. Ensure proper placement of place cards, wedding favors, ceremony programs, menu cards, disposable cameras, bubbles, unity candle, etc. – according to brides instructions
9. Make sure any guests with special needs have someone to help them without making them feel uncomfortable or like the center of attention
10. Greet guests and direct them to the ceremony
11. Make sure guests sign the guest book (at ceremony & at the reception)
12. Seat bride's family & friends on the left side, groom's family & friends on right side unless otherwise instructed
13. Calm down the flower girl and ring bearer in preparation for their walk down the aisle
14. Line up and cue the wedding party when it's time for them to walk down the aisle and make sure they look great, are smiling, paced perfectly, no hands in pockets, no chewing gum
15. Let the bride know when it’s time to walk down the aisle, make sure she is ready for her big moment. Make sure her dress and train are perfect and send her on her way down the aisle with her escort
16. Make sure all ceremony musicians have the correct musical selections for guest arrival, family seating and also the correct processional and recessional musical selections
17. Come to the rescue of the crying flower girl or ring bearer during the ceremony when Mom and/or Dad happen to be in the ceremony
18. Organize the receiving line and keep it moving
19. Direct guests to the cocktail reception
20. Assist the Photographer in gathering the wedding party and family members for pictures as needed
21. Make sure the bride, groom and entire wedding party get cocktails and hors d'oeuvres during your photography session
22. Make sure the entertainment has proper electricity, shaded seating, staging, etc.
23. Cue entertainment for guest arrival, ceremony and all scheduled special events
24. Make sure all finishing touches are complete and are just as the bride and groom wish before allowing guests to enter reception area
25. Make sure all candles are lit and remain lit throughout the entire reception
26. Answer guests' questions and concerns throughout the day
27. Bustle wedding gown at reception
28. Assist DJ /MC in guiding guests through the day and onto the next scheduled event making sure that no one misses these events
29. Organize the grand entrance and get everyone lined up outside the reception area in correct order
30. Cue the DJ for introductions and grand entrance of wedding party at the reception
31. Always let bride and groom know what's next so they are never caught off guard
32. See to it that parents and very special people are given special care and their every need is catered to
33. Make sure the dietary needs and requests of guests such as allergies, vegetarian and vegan requests are followed through accurately
34. Supervise and communication with the chef and catering staff to ensure superb and timely service
35. Make certain that everyone involved in toasts or special events during the day are cued and ready
36. Take an accurate head count of those at the reception
37. Be sure to have the bride's comfortable shoes ready for her to change into if she desires
38. Make certain that the bride and her shy groom do not get left out in the middle of the dance floor for an entire very long first dance…
39. Or, make sure that the bride and groom are the only two on the dance floor to show off those moves they learned in those dance lessons they took over the past year
40. Make sure the grandmothers of the couple get a great spot for the cake cutting and first dance, etc.
41. Come to the rescue with a damp cloth when the groom isn't as nice as he promised to be during the cake cutting
42. Be there by the couple's side, ready and available for any emergencies or unexpected occurrence
43. Guide them graciously through their day, keep things running on schedule
44. Distribute final balances and gratuities to vendors on behalf of the couple
45. Keep track of, organize and pack everything up for couple, at the end of the evening
46. Make sure centerpieces are given away according to couple's instructions
47. Collect disposable cameras, gifts, guest book, pen, toasting glasses, cake top, etc., and take everything to the couples honeymoon suite, designated room or designated car
48. Arrange getaway transportation, make sure it is present and on time
49. Know exactly when the bride needs a soft voice to calm her (one other than her family or close friends)
50. Be the one person to give her a little laughter when those people nearest and dearest to her are driving her nuts
51. Box or bag up additional wedding cake
52. Facilitate the send off of the bride and groom
53. Make sure the bride and groom receive a food basket from caterer to take to the hotel or honeymoon suite
54. Take care of all of the above details so the bride and groom won't have to
55. Make sure the couple has an Affair To Remember! (I threw this one in for good measure)….Smooches!

So, how's that for a to-do list?

Breathtaking

Beautiful centerpieces that make a statement but don't overwhelm the table are hard to come by. While browsing various websites for centerpiece inspiration, I came across James Abel Events and found this beautiful masterpiece. I just think it is breathtaking. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

What's Your Bridal Style?

During my first meeting with a bride who has signed on as a client, one of the many questions I ask her is to give me 3 adjectives to describe her dream wedding. Some of the responses I have gotten are: romantic, elegant, sophisticated, fun, festive…you get the idea.

The reason for asking this question is to get a feel for her bridal style, to be able to pull together the style elements for her wedding. Each bride has her own bridal style, but getting her to articulate what it is in a way that can be translated into her dream wedding, is not always an easy job. What I have found to be helpful in gathering this information is to provide her with the following style categories and associated descriptive words, which paint a picture that really gives a feel for her sense of style and the direction in which to proceed in planning her wedding. The following list is highlighted in the book "Whats Your Bridal Style? by authors Sharon Naylor and Casey Cooper.

Adventurous Bridal Style
Thrilling, Risky, Daring, Gutsy, Bold, Unabashed

Classic Bridal Style
Timeless, Definitive, Quintessential, Legendary

Contemporary Bridal Style
Trendy, Cutting Edge, Modern, In Vogue, Current

Elegant Bridal Style
Graceful, Classical Music, Chic, Classy

Fairy Tale Bridal Style
Enchanted, Magical, Imaginative, Princess Gown

Glamorous or Glam Bridal Style
Gorgeous, Sexy, Alluring, Feather Boa, Glittery, Extravagant

Romantic Bridal Style
Candlelight, Champagne, Violins, Lyrical, Fairy tale

Understated Bridal Style
Simple, Modest, Unpretentious, Low-key, Quiet

Another cool tool that I recently came across can be found at Kate Aspen's Website. You can take the Unveil Your Bridal Style Quiz and be directed from there to some really cute favors that match your style. I took the quiz and unveiled that I am an Elizabeth, which falls right in line with the above Classic Bridal Category.

Omazing

Oh my God! I'm so excited. Thanks to one of my dear friends (Louella Gray), I got the opportunity to see Oprah Winfrey live and in person. Oprah was the keynote speaker at the 20th Annual Whitesboro Reunion Festival on Saturday, August 30, 2008. Stedman Graham, Oprah's longtime beau, is a native of the small town, and on this day the town officially named August 30th as Stedman Graham Day.

In true Oprah fashion, she was soooo inspiring. She encouraged us to "vote" for ourselves, and exhorted us to dream about the impossible, to execute the impossible and recognize that with God all things are possible. She shared her daily morning prayer "to be used in service for that which is greater than herself". She made it clear that the key to her success has been hard work and keeping her hands stedfast in God's hand. She painted a very clear picture of her surrendering her desire to be apart of the Color Purple, and rejoicing when God moved after her surrender. In the words of Obama…."I get it".

On top of all this she donated $220,000 as the first installment of her $1 million dollar donation to the Concerned Citizens of Whitesboro scholarship fund. That was awesome. I'm not even from the town, and I was one of the first to get on my feet in applause to her generosity.

I have to tell you, this was a surreal experience for me, one I won't soon forget. Thank you Louella…Love Ya Girl!