Hail To The Cheif!

We love you Mr. President, and we are praying for you and your family. You make us proud.

Sneak Preview "Unique Wedding Invitation"

Check out this great idea I found over on J.Bailey Occasions. I fell in love with this cool Save the Date card, which is designed to look like a movie premier poster, featuring guess who? That's right, you the happy couple. Trust me your guests will not toss this aside or forget where they put it. It's absolutley a wonderful concept, especially for couples who are movie buffs.

The Rules of Engagement - (Engaging a Wedding Planner, That Is)

As a Wedding Planner it is my job to see to it that you have a flawless wedding. But let's face it, there is no such thing as flawless, at least not in the world of wedding planning. The harsh but true reality is that some things will not go according to plan. However, as a professional planner (and I stress professional), my job is to operate under the assumption that the best plan is plan B and in some cases, C, D and F, so that no one will ever be the wiser that catastrophe prevention is taking place behind the scenes. Therefore it seems to me that when thinking about hiring a wedding planner, the question should not be if you should hire one, but rather what you should be considering in the planner you do choose to hire.

Rule #1 Be Sure To Hire A Planner Whose Personality Compliments Your Own
Simply put, you should like your planner. Generally speaking, your planner will spend hours with you as you go through the planning process together. You want to make sure this time is spent with someone you get along with, someone who understands your vision for your day, and someone you trust, which brings me to rule #2

Rule #2 Trust Your Wedding Planner’s Judgment
Although each wedding is different, yours is not the first wedding your planner has planned. Because she or he is a skilled professional, they will be able to determine what will and will not work to make your wedding day run smoothly. Trust their judgment and suggestions. After all, their expertise in executing beautiful events is one of the benefits of hiring a professional wedding planner.

Rule #3 Communicate Your Vision and Make Sure Your Wedding Planner Is On The Same Page, and Does Not Have Their Own Agenda
You have been dreaming of this day forever, so it's important to be able to articulate the vision you have for the most important day of your life. Your planner should not dismiss your wishes or push her own ideas. Of course, there will be times when your planner will make suggestions that based on her experience will help things to run smoother, but those suggestions should be made to make what you have envisioned better, not different.

Rule #4 Be Realistic In Your Expectations
Although your planner is working for you and on your behalf, you are not her only client. Also remember, your planner has a life outside of planning your wedding. Calling her 50 times a day or at unacceptable hours because you can't make up your mind about where to seat your favorite aunt is not a realistic expectation of what the role of a wedding planner is.

Rule #5: Make Sure You Are Ready, Willing, and Able To Relinquish Some of the Control
By this I mean, let your planner do the job you hired her/him to do. So often brides hire a planner and then proceed to do all the work themselves. If you wish to do the planning, my suggestion would be for you to do it, and bring in a Day-Of -Coordinator to carry out the plans you have made for your wedding day.

To avoid a situation where planning your wedding becomes a nightmare and your wedding planner is featured as Freddy (from "Nightmare on Elm Street"), keep these "rules of engagement" in mind when seeking the assistance of a wedding planner to help make your day an Affair To Remember!

Selecting Your Attendants

A word of caution here, keep in mind that those who stand with you on your wedding day are a representation of you. Please choose your attendants with care. Be cautious about choosing out of obligation or duty. You'll want to select people who love you and have your best interest at heart, and you'll need to have people who are supportive, reliable and willing to lend a helping hand. This sounds like a no brainer, but you'd be surprised at the ugliness that rears its head during the planning: jealousy, sabotage, and the oh so familiar premadona attitudes. Questions to ask yourself when making your choice:
Why am I asking this person to stand up with me at my wedding?
What part of my life has s/he shared?
Will I be happy (or irritated) by this person's presence?

The bottom line is to choose people who you have shared your life with, those who live in your heart and share your dreams for a life of love and happiness.

Post Election Day Tag

I've been tagged by my colleague Randi Martin at Always Fabulous Events. The topic is Election Day Experience. This was one of those moments you'll never forget where you were when you heard the news. Of course everyone had a different, yet memorable experience this election day, and I am interested to know yours.

Here are the instructions: answer the questions below and tag at least 3 other people and indicate them in your tag. Let's keep it going.

1. Did you vote?
2. In which state are you registered?
3. What time did you go to the polls?
4. How long was your wait?
5. Did you incur any problems?
6. What was your reaction when you heard the news that Barack Obama won?
7. Who was the first person you shared your reaction with?
8. Who will you tag ?

Here are my answers.

1. Absolutely
2. Pennsylvania
3. 6:45 A.M.
4. I don't know what my official number was in line, but I estimated that I was number 150. Once the line started moving it took 35 minutes to get into the booth to cast my vote.
5. Everything went exceptionally smooth. There were no problems. Perhaps everyone was on their P's and Q's because CNN was broadcasting from our polling location.
6. When I heard the news, I sat up in bed, and gave all praise, honor and glory to God.
7. I called my sister who lives in New York. She had turned off the news because she was too nervous to watch, so I was able to break the awesome news to her. I on the other hand had no doubt.
8. I'm going to tag:
Nicole @ Your Champagne Wishes Events, LLC.
Sony @ Bridal Bliss
J. Bride @ The JTA Experience

Oh Happy Day

Yes we can, and yes we did! A change is here, hope has a new face and the future is now. I am still reeling over the history making victory of Barack Obama being elected as the first black President of the United States of America.
Although we as a people (black people) are experiencing a sense of euphoria over witnessing this historic event, for me, and I think I speak for most in saying that this is absolutely not about skin color, but as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said in his "I Have A Dream" speech, it's about the content of his character.
Barack Obama ran a pristine campaign. He stayed on target, he did not stoop to name calling and mud slinging, and he spoke to the needs of the American people offering a plan to heal a hurting nation. I believe he will be a great president, and I hope you will join me in praying for him and his family over the next four years (and beyond) as he leads us in the right direction. Praise the Lord, and God Bless America.

FALLing In Love - Inspiration Board #4

Fall is my favorite season and October is my favorite month. I love the coolness of the breeze in the air and the beauty of the changing colors of the leaves. I also believe that October has become the new June as a very popular wedding month. So in honor of Fall and October, I hope you enjoy this inspiration board which showcases the beauty of Fall, and gives wonderful planning ideas for your fall nuptials. Although I can't take credit for creating this board, which I found on Bridalcanvas.com, I hope to be able to inspire your creative juices to flow as you begin to plan for your wedding.

Make A Note Of This

Finding useful favor ideas is a job in and of itself. I think this little notebook wedding favor, which I found on the GetMarried.com, is a great idea. They are perfect to keep in the car or your purse or just about anywhere. They can be personalized with your choice of color and "LOVE NOTE" label with your names and wedding date. Each time your guests reach for this practical favor, they'll think of you and the beauty of your special day. Now how cute is that?

Hair Comes The Bride

Ladies, on an ordinary day our hair is our crown. Let's face it, we just feel better when our hair looks good and is behaving nicely. A bad hair day is definitely not something you want on your wedding day. I found these great bridal hair tips over on USABride.com, and thought I'd post them to help with better planning for your do before you say "I do".

Six months before your wedding, have a major consultation with your stylist. Bring along your headpiece and a picture of the dress if possible. The more the stylist knows about the mood of your wedding, the better he/she can create the perfect hairstyle.
During the "test run," walk around with the hairstyle you plan to wear to determine it's comfort level. A good rule of thumb is: the simpler, the better, since pins can hurt, and intricate styles are often delicate.
Consider the time of day and type of wedding when choosing a style. Loose styles are appropriate for informal or daytime weddings, while up-dos portray a formal, evening look.

Remember that some hairstyles can add inches to a bride's height, and shorter brides may want to use this to their advantage.
Do not have any chemical treatments the day of the wedding. That is not the time for surprises!
Hair color looks its best during the first two weeks. So have hair colored a week or two weeks before the wedding.
If a permanent wave is necessary, have it done a month prior to the wedding. Hair that is too fine and over-conditioned does not style well, so deep conditioning treatments should not be used within four days of the wedding.
For best styling results, shampoo hair lightly the day before the wedding and if possible, do not wash hair the day of the wedding.
Stylist do their best work in their own environment with their own tools, so have your wedding party meet at the salon a couple of hours before they need to be at the ceremony for pictures. This increases efficiency, (and usually cost less!)

It's In The Bag

I saw this adorable bridal bag at Simply Beautiful Words, and thought is was the cutest thing in the world. What bride wouldn't want to carry such a beautiful bag, which elegantly announces her bridal status?

For that matter, who among us wouldn't want to carry this unique and stylish bag, which gives the world a glimpse into our sense of fashion savvy? Visit the designer Dionne Green at Susej Design, LLC to see these beautiful creations. She only makes 100 of each design in her limited edition. Why not be one of the fashion forward few to own one of these beautiful bags? I sure am.