I really like when parties include some element of surprise. This event included a cigar roller demonstrating how to make and roll cigars that many of us enjoy from time to time. There were people on hand to answer questions on the various stages of rolling. I even got some education on storage without a humidor. This was a nice break from the bar and the dancing, and I had a chance to chat with various people who were also standing around watching the demo.
Utterly Engaged Holiday Party 2010 was utterly inspiring! They know how to party! I got to see a lot of my wedding industry friends that evening, and also got to see some great work by fellow designers and event planners. These professionals do some terrific work, and I am glad to be in their company! Very inspirational and eye catching.
I’m sure that Utterly Engaged e-zine will be coming out with their entire feature of this party, but I’ll just post a couple sneak peeks for now.
Beautiful work everyone! I can’t wait to read all about it in the next Utterly Engaged e-zine.
Who’s coming to this great party tomorrow night?? I will be there for sure and can’t wait to see all of the great work by my fellow wedding industry friends. The awesome bridal e-zine Utterly Engaged is putting together a great party in Anaheim, at the Astor Classics Event Center.
Last chance to get tickets today for this great show. All you brides and soon to be brides out there, you’ll be able to see first hand the work of some great industry people and get some inspiration for your own weddings.
http://utterlyspankinparty.eventbrite.com/
Thanks to my friend Shopping and Info for telling me about this New York Times article, “Carpe Diem? Maybe Tomorrow” by John Tierney. The author discusses how we as human beings tend to put off pleasureable activities to wait for a better time in the future when the enjoyment might be even more hightened. Findings show that “once you start procrastinating pleasure, it can become a self-perpetuating process if you fixate on some imagined nirvana. The longer you wait to open that prize bottle of wine, the more special the occasion has to be.” – exerpt from John Tierney. I’m sure that we are all a little guilty of this type of behavior. Perhaps you’ve held onto some vouchers for a discounted show or dinner, or held off on having that special celebration event or party for a significant birthday or anniversary. Maybe you’ve even been holding off on a brand new business venture because of this reason or that reason.
This really resonates with me. I know that I constantly hold onto my gift cards for a long time, or hold off on that spa day because I’m just too busy working. How about those romantic dinners that I postponed simply because we didn’t want to spend the money or deal with crowds on a date night. It’s so important to start living for today and living for yourself. What’s the point of working your butt off only to never enjoy the benefits? People do need time off to recharge and to continue to grow and maintain their personal relationships.
What about those of us who wanted to start a new business but had fears of making the leap? I think 2010 should be a great year to fund those creative ideas into something more than just a concept. I hate to feel like a cliche because this time of year is always about resolutions, but I feel like we are getting a fresh start so why not push yourself that extra mile.
I know what I’m going to do for myself and my husband for 2010. I want to try visiting some more parts of this great California. Often, I just bypass everything except for the major cities. I want to drive up and down the coast and see what adventures can be found.
What do you plan on doing?
It’s only January of a new decade. It’s time for a change.
This is a photo of my family’s Christmas tree this year. The majority of the gifts you see are for my 5 year old niece.
I was fortunate enough to get some early information from a very good friend that he was going to propose to his girlfriend on Christmas day! He is such a good friend, that he even married me and my husband at our wedding two years ago. I was so excited to receive a phone call from my friend about a week before Christmas, where he very coyly asked if I could join him for dinner after the holidays to celebrate his engagement.
I’m still waiting for the full story to unfold when he gets back from his vacation home, but in the meantime I’m imagining that he proposed around the Christmas tree with her family in the next room waiting. This is such a sweet story because my friend and his now fiance endured a long distance relationship (Los Angeles to Japan) for a year. I can’t even imagine how difficult it was to maintain a relationship from such a long way across an ocean, and many time zones. My friend is strong willed and really knew what he wanted. I knew things would be different with this girl, seeing as my friend couldn’t stay away from LA for more than a few months at a time.
I really love that my friend shared such important information with me, regarding his relationship. I know that he trusted me enough to keep this information safe and when he was ready to make the move, that his fiance would be completely surprised and so happy. I know from personal experience that I wouldn’t want it any other way either.
Congratulations to my dear friend and his new fiance. I can’t wait to celebrate the great news with you!
This is my sweet start to a beautiful 2010.
Happiness is…
Celebrating holidays with the special people in your lives.
My parents gave me these champagne glasses a few years ago. They told me that these are the actual glasses they used at their own wedding almost 40 years ago! These are really special to me, and tonight in honor of my parents and New Years Eve 2009, I will be breaking these out to use for the countdown.
Happy New Year!!
I made this little arrangement for my mom for Christmas. It’s no professional job, but I just wanted to show you the pretty red berries that I found at the florist today.
I wish everyone a happy and safe holiday season, and a joyful New Year! I am grateful for all of the new friends I’ve made this year both professionally and personally. I love the feeling of actually being able to call these great people friends of mine. I really hope the best for all of my new and old friends for 2010 and beyond. I can’t wait to find out what’s in store for all of us as we start over again in January.
To my family – I am looking forward to all of the great holiday festivities and all the great FOOD!!!
Thanks for sharing the link to your wedding film, Taylor and Chris! It was a beautiful day in May at Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills. Watch them do something extra special for their guests. You’ll have to follow the link to see the film.
Filming by Luv Boat Films
I think I am starting to like these reader questions. It’s getting me to flex my brain a bit and help people out there who need some tips and advice for their special events.
My boyfriend just asked me to marry him and goal is to get married in a few months. I am hoping for a late fall wedding but we have not finished much preparation. I was any ideas for when is the good time to buy the wedding dress?
Congrats!!! That’s so exciting that you are engaged! I’m sure you guys are still in your happy phase and trying to get started on your planning for the wedding.
Courtesy Carolina Herrera
As for your question regarding when to buy a wedding dress…
According to some of my recent wedding dress salon visits, there is about a 4-6 month wait for your custom fitted gown once you make a decision and put a deposit down for THE dress. This is if you decide to go the traditional wedding dress shopping route…you’ll have to backtrack your time to find out when you need to get out to the salons to try on some dresses. Obviously, if you know yourself well enough that you’ll be somewhat indecisive, make sure you start your shopping early enough to make some of these deadlines for ordering.
If you are lucky enough to be in a sample sale city, LA or NYC, or are willing to travel you can try to make some of the major designer sales going on during specific times of the year. Unfortunately, the Monique Lhuiller sale just passed for the winter, but they’ll be back in the late summer time frame. Have no fear though, there are so many great dress designers out there for all sorts of budgets, and you have to be patient enough to wait to go to sample sales. My client just bought herself a beautiful sample sale gown for $800!!! It is possible to get something great at a budget price.
A third option would be finding a dress off the rack. Places like J Crew, Nordstroms, Macy’s, etc. will have some line of bridal looking dresses, or just start carrying white or off white dresses in the Spring / Summer.
I guess my final answer would be, it depends. Try to decide what type of dress shopper you are…casual, traditional, budget and bargain shopper? I firmly believe that you don’t have to shop trends for wedding dresses. I’m totally in favor and a fan of a classic look and I believe you can find that at any point of the year, even at sample sales or just retail store sales. Keep your eyes open and don’t get discouraged. You’ll be so happy you took the time to find something that will be perfect for YOU!
Hope that helps.
Please send questions to: blog (at) typeaplanning (dot) com. I would love to respond to you and provide some advice on your planning and event needs.
I have another question from a reader on the blog:
Dear Type A Planning: I love the American Girl Party idea. Any suggestions for a low-key party for my 5 year-old daughter? We’d like to rent a jumper and have some activities, but her birthday is in January and we fear cold weather or worse (rain)!
You are right to fear the uncertainty of weather in January, even in Sunny Los Angeles! I personally think the jumper might be a bit chaotic and depends on how the weather will work out for that day. It’ll be a hit or miss, and if it misses, you’ll have a very disappointed 5 year old little girl on your hands.
Have you considered hiring an entertainer like a magician? How about for activities you can include some face painting or maybe other arts and crafts. These types of things could be done indoors or out. If you have a budget to get an entertainer for a couple hours, I think it would be well worth it to keep the kiddos laughing and having fun. Don’t forget to feed them some yummy goodies for lunch and of course some cake! The great things about 5 year olds is that you don’t have to get overly complicated and go all out for them, if its simple and fun, they’ll love it.
Hope that helps!
