Profound Words...

Freakin' Fabulous Friday - Soup

Well we are almost to the end of our dining etiquette portion of our Freakin' Fabulous Fridays series, where we are highlighting some of the key points from Clinton Kelly's book Freakin' Fabulous.


Next on the menu, SOUP!

First tip: Hold your soupspoon, with the handle resting on the tops of your fingers and held in place with your thumb, NOT with all fingers grasped around like you were holding a baseball bat. Now you probably wonder why I would mention that??? And the answer is - because I have seen it done!


Secondly: Next the spoon enters the bowl closest to you, scooping away from you. You then sip (NOT slurp - that tip is from the Mom in me, sorry! Once a Mom, always a Mom) from the side of the spoon. Lather, rinse, repeat - oops wrong lesson. Anway repeat the process until the soup is gone.


Third Tip: If you want to get every last drop (BTW totally acceptable and a huge compliment to the host/hostess/chef) you will tip the bowl away from and scoop up the last tasty drop.


Lastly: If your soup is served in a soup plate (a very wide rimmed, shallow bowl with a plate underneath - typically used at a formal dinner) it is acceptable to leave the spoon resting in the bowl as it would be difficult to place the spoon on the plate underneath. If you are at a luncheon where a soup bowl is used when you have finished this course, you would rest the spoon on the plate below.

So, now that you have been following along for a few weeks, Are you feeling more confident and Fabulous?



All the best & 'til next time,







Featured Resource:

Paloma Blanca Trunk Show

Paloma Blanca has been servicing brides since 1937, offering expert fit, high quality fabrications, and attention to detail. Each of their gowns show their long-standing commitment to providing each bride with her dream dress. Visit Destiny's Bride and view the newest collection from this design house as they begin their first ever trunk show season.

This event is by appointment only.

Where:
Destiny's Bride
6166 N Scottsdale Rd.
Suite 609
Scottsdale AZ 85253

When:
Aug 28, 2009 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
(3 day event)




All the best & 'til next time,

Lora & Dane's Black & White Damask Wedding - Part 3 "The DIY Details"

Lora was such a crafty bride, there were so many DIY projects that I needed to devote an entire blog entry to cover all of them. So I am going to keep the boring words to a minumum and let you enjoy all of the details that made their wedding a personal labor of love. As with Part 1 "The Ceremony" and Part 2 "The Reception", all of the photos are courtesy of Michelle Meyer Photography, she did such an amazing job of catching all of the little details. Thanks Michelle it was such a pleasure working with you!

The ring bearer's bow tie and pillow.

The garters & her own bouquet.

Dane's tie, all of the boutonierres and corsages. Lora also painted the damask design on the black tub that contained their personalized water bottles.

This is probably my favorite of all the details that Lora incorporated, instead of a plain index card, she even included the damask motif and the words "I Do" on the cards that contained their personalized vows.

The fan ceremony programs and all of the table runners.

If she didn't paint the damask motif on one of the candles, she embellished it with ribbon. Lora even made her own veil which she removed after the ceremony and replaced it with her DIY fascinator and I'm sure saved a bundle on that little number alone.


I have to admit when Lora told me in our initial meeting that she was making a lot of the décor herself, I cringed just a bit. You see sometimes when brides take on so many of these details and DIY projects, they occasionally will get stressed, not finish and have a meltdown as the day appoaches. But that was not the case and to my delight everything turned out amazing. It was like Christmas morning as I opened box after box of all of the decor items! If she wasn't going to Med School, I would probably try to hire her to help out around here, she truly made their wedding gorgeous with all of the details.

I'm gonna miss you Lora & Dane, good luck to both of you in Med School and I wish you all the blessings this life has to offer!



All the best & 'til next time,

Lora & Dane's Black & White Damask Wedding - Part 2 "The Reception"

Well we are continuing with Lora & Dane's June 12th wedding celebration, if you haven't already read it, check out Part 1 "The Ceremony".


They started off their reception with all of the customary special dances on the black and white dance floor. Everyone loved that it was a welcome departure from the dated parquet dance floor, a BIG impact for just a few dollars more.














Here is Lora with her Dad, Tom, they had some really special moments just the two of them, both on the walk down the aisle as well as during their dance to Rascal Flatt's "My Wish". In fact, I found myself needing to go find something else to attend to, as I started to get a little emotional myself!






Dane and his Mom, Christy, had a little more fun with their dance. I don't think their was an inch of the dance floor that they didn't cover. While the Father-Daughter dance was really touching and emotional, the Mother-Son dance was upbeat, fun and what a way to get the party started!































In order to keep costs down, instead of a full dinner reception they had a dessert reception with all of the goodies you could imagine! Chocolate covered strawberries, fruit & cake kabobs, cream puffs, cheescake bites, chocolate truffles, as well as a family recipe of a frozen Torte that I was told was too die for, not to mention a ton of other sweets. Good thing I was too busy to nosh on some of this delectable goodness, I think I put on 10 pounds just looking at the dessert buffet.

The pièce de résistance was the absolutely gorgeous white & black damask cake provided by Monica with Sugar and Bliss Bakery.










Thanks to Steve with FX Entertainment the dance floor was full the entire night.

To add more entertainment and lots of smiles to the evening's festivities Lora & Dane brought in a photo booth provided by Phoenix Photo Booths. There was a line all night long!

Lora and Dane planned almost everything, she was so organized and made my life so easy. I came in as her Day of Coordinator, but one of the things she was having difficulty finding was a unique form of transportation, they didn't want the standard limo. After chatting with Dane about the slim number of choices of classic cars (especially in the summer), I suggested London Luxury Car and to my delight found out that Dane's family would get a kick out of the choice due to their occasional trips to London. So, the evening finished off with Lora & Dane being chauffered off by none other than Miss Lisa Schifano.

Come back tomorrow, as we feature all of the DIY projects and amazing details that Lora incorporated into her Black & White Damask Wedding!

All the best & 'til next time,







All photos provided by Michelle Meyer Photography.

Lora and Dane's Black and White Damask Wedding - Part 1 "The Ceremony"

We are going to flashback to June 12th and the wedding celebration of Lora and Dane.

I know, I know wasn't that a while ago? Well, yes it was, I like to make sure I give plenty of time to devote to writing these pieces, after all it is hard to summarize a wedding celebration in just a few words and photos. Plus, I have been swooning over all of Michelle Meyer's photos as well as Lora's DIY fabulousness and contemplating which details to showcase and the answer is a BUNCH!!!

Here is Lora (aka Bean) with Jacob, the ring bearer. They had such an amazing bond, at one point in the evening Jacob told Lora, "Bean, I'm gonna love you no matter how far away you live" OMG - there wasn't a dry eye within ear shot, luckily it was after the ceremony 'cause it took a few minutes for everyone to gain composure and fix their eye makeup, me included!

Instead of traditional bouquets each of the bridemaids carried a beautiful candle. The romantic wedding ceremony was performed by Jerry Law, From this Day Forward and in honor of Dane's Celtic heritage, here the couple is participating in a Hand Fasting Ceremony.

To further capture the theme of the wedding decor, in their wedding invitation, they asked all of their guests to wear black & white, don't they all look sharp!

This silhouette photo is probably one of my favorites, after the ceremony and the group photo (which was a must have for Lora) the lighting was perfect. Lora and Dane headed back up the hill, while their guests settled into the reception and Michelle caught this amazing shot! I just love how the sunlight is peeking thru the trees, as the new Mr. & Mrs. capture a moment to reconnect.

Well that is it for the ceremony, watch for our next couple of posts, as we recap the reception and all the fabulous DIY details (too much for one entry)!

All the best & 'til next time,

Arizona Bridal Week is Coming!

Arizona Bridal Week has teamed up with the best bridal designers and top local wedding vendors to create a week of events devoted to the brides and grooms-to-be. Events are designed for engaged couples to talk personally with vendors, view high-end runway fashion shows and win numerous give-a-ways all week long.

There are 8 amazing days chocked full of eye candy and wedding planning goodness planned all across the valley, so if you can't attend every event, try to catch one or two in your area.

If you buy a ticket valid for all 8 days you increase your chances of winning a Cornelis Hollander gift certificate valued at $500-$1,000 ! They'll be giving away one gift certificate at each of the 8 events and you must be present to win!

All the best & 'til next time,

East Valley Bridal Show

If you are still in need of some vendors for your upcoming wedding, there is a new bridal show in town, The East Valley Bridal Show will be held on Sunday, August 16, 2009 from 9 AM - 3 PM at the

Mesa Convention Center
263 N. Center
Mesa, AZ 85201

*FREE PARKING AT THE MESA CONVENTION CENTER*
Please visit the convention center's website for directions

Tickets are available at the door for $10.00 each or in order to save a few bucks purchase tickets on-line for $8.00 and pick them up at Will-Call on the day of the show.

Here are some tips for attending a bridal show:

• Register and purchase your tickets before the show in order to save a few $$$
• Wear comfy shoes, resist the urge to wear your cutest and go for the comfort factor
• Bring along a few friends or close family members, not the entire bridal party, you want to have the opportunity to chat with the vendors in order to get a feel for their personality and style (you get to see the vendors after a long day on their feet, possibly a rough load in and set up and with a lot of people up in their grill - potentially similar to the conditions on your wedding day - how do they present themselves?)
• Bring along a larger tote bag - of course you will most likely get the standard paper bag at the door or from one of the tuxedo rental companies, but often these tear after being loaded down with all of the marketing material you will pick up and the handles can seriously cut into your hands after a while!
• Come prepared with labels that include your Name, wedding date, complete address and e-mail address
• Bring along a pen and note pad, as well as post it notes, if you see a florist's designs that you like or taste a wonderful cake, make a note or put a post it on that vendor's brochure, that way when you get home and you are perusing the mounds of postcards and flyers you will be reminded of your likes and dislikes
• Don't bring along your checkbook - I know every vendor is probably going to hate me for this one, but as a wedding consultant I want you to make sure that you are choosing the right vendors for your wedding. Take the time after the show to visit with a few vendors from each category, check out their websites, ask around and educate yourself on each vendors offerings and qualifications before signing on the dotted line.

If you want to stop by and say "Hi" or "Holla", I will be camped out in the Arizona's Finest Wedding Sites & Services booth helping Terri & Suzi hand out magazines and drumming up attendees for next weeks Bridal Tour.

All the best & 'til next time,

Freakin' Fabulous Friday - Patience is a Virtue!

Wouldn't it just be Freakin' Fabulous if all waiters were as efficient as this guy! Well as much as we could hope and dream that most likely is not the case.

Proper dining etiquette, not to mention just plain old good manners, dictate that when you are at the dining table whether it is at a restaurant or a wedding reception or even the family dinner table, you want to be patient and wait for everyone seated at your table to be served before starting to eat.

If for some reason one of your dining companions has not been served, just wait patiently, if the diner with the absentee meal mentions "Please get started before your food gets cold", assure them that is fine and you can wait. If they become insistent, then eat slowly, you don't want to finish too early, making the last to be served feeling awkward as they are the last to finish eating. Keep the conversation flowing, being careful not to exclaim how delish the food is or that you thought you would starve if you waited a second longer. That would just be RUDE!

So hopefully you have been following along on our journey to a more Fabulous You!

All the best & 'til next time,







Featured Resource:

Independent Wedding Coordinator Or On-Site Coordinator - What's the Difference?

Many times when I visit a hotel or a wedding venue for a tour of their property, I hear from the on-site coordinators pretty much the same thing... "I am so happy [or excited or pleased] when an independent wedding planner or coordinator is involved." You see many times a couple may misunderstand what the venue's on-site coordinator or on-site liaison's role is. Well rather than tell you myself, you can read for yourself...

This article was written by Natasha Miller, the on-site liaison for Boojum Tree and reprinted with her permission.



There are many times when a bride books a wedding site and misinterprets what the site affiliated coordinator does or is responsible for. The planners that are included with your venues are merely there to assist you with questions that you may have and act as the communicator between vendors the day of the event.

They may go above and beyond for you by helping with the setting up (centerpieces, favors, guest book, and other details like that), getting the bridal party lined up for the processional, moving your gifts and helping with the clean up. This is something that you want to go over with your liaison from your selected wedding site. If they don’t do it, then guess who does… a friend, family member or even worse you! Trust me when I say you do not want that stress the day of your wedding. Give yourself the ability to enjoy and relax that day. So hire a professional coordinator!

A coordinator will work with you in a close partnership for all phases of your wedding. They will guide you through your decisions and help you plan from A to Z. These wonderful professionals will also attend vendor meetings, assist with ordering supplies and contacting vendors. They can keep you calm and organized so you will not stress on the happiest day of your life.

Believe it or not but a wedding coordinator may also be able to save you money. They already know, have worked with and have created a strong relationship with vendors. So they will be able to get the best deals and steer you straight to what you are looking for.



Thank you so much for your insight and information Natasha and remember if you are looking for an absolutely gorgeous venue for your nuptials, be sure to give Natasha a jingle or visit their website!


All the best & 'til next time,

Congratulations Mr. & Mrs. Gutierrez

On May 16th, Guy & Myriam along with their combined six children by their side, tied the knot at Cibola Vista Resort. When Myriam first called me in March, she had just come from placing her order for their invitations at the mall and with only about 2 months remaining, she was a little stressed at the thought of pulling together the rest of the details. The intimate backyard wedding that they originally started to plan, bloomed into a slightly larger event, but they didn't want to loose the intimacy and coziness of a celebration at home with family and friends.


They had already booked the event lawn at Cibola Vista, ordered their invitations, lined up a band and Myriam had bought her gown, so we just helped to pull together the remaining details and here are the results through the lens of Kate Wall Photography .

Guy & Myriam wanted to include all of the children in their ceremony, so a blended family sand ceremony was planned. Here (photo to the right) is Vanessa, Myriam's oldest daughter, helping Anna, Guy's youngest daughter pour her sand.

The entire family!!!

Here is a closeup of Guy & Myriam enjoying a few minutes to

themselves. You can also see the earrings designed by Lani

McEvers of Customer Jewelry by Lani. You can also read a

previous post to see why Lani was in the Spotlight and why

these earrings were so special, thanks Lani you were a lifesaver!!!

Guy & Myriam only wanted a photographer for the most important part, the ceremony, so we don't have any photos to share of the reception, but trust me, Guy, Myriam and their guests had a blast. They kicked off their shoes and danced late into the night on the soft grass to the tunes of Artifax, a local band from one of their hang out spots. The band belted out tunes from the 70s, 80s and 90s, in fact you could even see some of the resort guests rocking out by the pool as well.

Even though we were smack in the middle of the resort, Guy and Myriam still got the intimate, backyard wedding ambiance they were looking for.

Congratulations, Guy & Myriam, I wish you all the blessings this life has to offer!!!

All the best & 'til next time,