Save those heels from sinking in grass & get grass stains out of your heels!

Okay Ladies it's time to share an age-old problem that I've encountered too many times at other weddings as well as my own.

It's sinking in the grass.

We all dread it, but we love our heels and wouldn't go without them on the grass because:
A. it's a wedding. You've got to have your photos look nice
B. heels make our legs look amazing

So as badly as our heels turn into cleats on a lawn, we all love a pretty pair of heels, grass be damned. What's a girl to do? don't say switch to flats, get Heels Above!  I not only got married outside, I had a million photos taken outside with my bridal party.  I had ivory shoes (can you say grass stains) and they had silver.  It had rained the entire week before my wedding so the grass was pretty damp.  I would have loved to have these.  It's so hard traipsing around in a big dress while you're sinking every step.

these shoes had removable embellishments

Still dealing with grass stains on your beautiful wedding shoes?  Here's what I did to fix it.
I took a scoop of oxyclean and put it into a big plastic bucket (the kind you find in a home improvement store) and filled it with water to just cover the shoes.  I let the shoes soak overnight in the bucket (my shoes had no embellishments, they were strictly fabric.  Not sure if this would rust shoes that have bling).  Then I took the shoes out of the soak and threw them in the washing machine on delicate and threw in another big scoop of oxyclean.

What Makes an Event Magical?

Fairy Sparkle Dust	magical lights	romantic cake with a surprize

Sometimes I amaze myself how I operate in life (reality) when I daydream so often. I live in a world of hope and fantasize of something better and more beautiful than what is given to me. Give me a word and I'll write you a story.

The best way for me to explain it is that some people see what is, but I see what can be.

Yes, I know I'm a hopeless dreamer and it does get me into trouble sometimes. I sometimes get overwhelmed because I want to draw out into reality what I envision in my subconscious; it's an almost impossible task.

Because I'm driven by hope, I push on and try to bring my vision to life. I'm a creator and can't shake those tendencies.

Now that you know how I operate, let's get back to business...What makes an event magical? Well, It's about a culmination of many elements. The most important things are the idea and the experience.

What's your Party personality type?

Image: photostock / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

 Ever wonder why you struggle planning a party?  Or maybe you wonder why you're so stressed?  If you've ever wondered how to host a better party, you might need to start with figuring out what personality type you are.  You can easily determine the type of personality you have when it comes to planning by the list I've put together of Party Planner personality types.  Which one are you?

Just as every party is unique in its own way, so are the individuals that host them.Once you know what type you are, you can be better prepared in how to handle planning a party.

You can better determine you plan of action with my guide to dealing with your personality type below.

The No-Fuss Party planner:  You're a casual type of person.  You don't like drama, you don't like worrying about the details.  All you want is for your guests to have a good time.  You're idea of setup is throwing on the radio, putting out some cold appetizers and making sure your alcohol is refrigerated.
The Benefits: The relaxed and casual environment is nice for guests and friends.
The Problems:  You have to choose your audience wisely.  You probably can't mix your rowdy friends with your uptight grandparents if it's a BYOB type of party.
The Solution: Hire an event planner for your party.  They can take care of the details you don't want to stress over and can suggest great ideas to keep your party low-fuss but still feel more personalized than just turning on any music and serving basic foods.  It will be the extra touch to make guests feel special and the link that will make mingling between ages and personalities possible.

Looking at your Wedding as a Brand

An interesting thought today is considering your Wedding as your very own brand.  As a graphic designer, event planner and marketer it's just part of my whole process.  If you're not use to this way of thinking, it's a great way to gather your thoughts into your personal style.

"There's so much wedding information floating around out there on the web, that it becomes hard to sift through everything." 

We get bombarded by color themes, cakes, flowers, etc.  How do you go picking out what you like?  And worse, what if it all doesn't go together?  You may like a pink rose bouquet, but your favorite centerpieces might have tiger lilies.  Your favorite color may be purple, but your favorite bridesmaid dresses might be green.

An Elegant Invitation from Minted

When you come up with a central theme, it can help a great deal.  How do you go picking a theme?  Well imagine your perfect wedding day.  Picture it in your mind.  Do you want elegance, romance, something modern?  Once you have that down you can begin to break down what that means into your ideals.  Lace is romantic, while a plain satin dress is modern.  Neutral palettes are elegant and timeless, while bright color palettes are more modern.

"You may find when you're done choosing your theme, what you end up with for wedding choices are much different than you originally expected." 

Tip 1. Don't feel bad about what you like.  If your thing is roses, go with it!  It's what makes you, you. Trust me you and your guests will "get it" if everything is consistent and goes well together.  You'll also feel less overwhelmed by all the stuff out there to sift through. If you were to go with a theme like this, you could deck out your invites with roses, have an all rose bouquet and find a gown covered in roses!  Don't be ashamed of it, embrace it.

Bachelorette Party Ideas

Since I recently posted about my fun day with my girls at Truro Vineyards, I thought it would be nice to put together a list of activities to do with your girls if you're planning a Bachelorette party.

If you're looking for some fun things to do with the girls, here's a list of some fun ideas:

• Pub Crawl (make up t-shirts & have games to play at each stop!)
• Do a City Scavenger Hunt (Have a lead person make a map with things you need to collect at each stop.  Whichever girl/group finishes first with the most stuff wins!)
•  Have a Spa Day (Either book a place or do at-home pampering with drinks, music and lots of options)
• Visit a Vineyard/ Winery and spend the day sipping and taking notes.
• Booze Cruise: Make sure you get one with a band/dj, food & drinks!  This actually is a great idea if you're doing a combo bachelor / bachelorette party.  I used this for a friend getting married that was stumped on what to do for a combo party.
• Male Encounters: If you want to embarass your friend or just have fun with the girls, this can be a funny thing to go to (especially when you see the little old ladies having fun!)
• Ceramics painting party: Lots of these places let you book a table ahead of time and bring your own wine.  You all grab a cast piece to paint (from plates, to mugs & more) and enjoy chatting and painting your pottery however you want.  They fire it for you and you get a nice piece to use in your home or give as a gift!  Note:  It's really nice if all the girls collectively purchase pieces in a set and paint them to give to the bride to be.  She'll have a collection of say--desert plates from all her maids that are hers to cherish.