Monday, October 26

Holiday and wedding shopping - all in one stop!

When Halloween rolls around, it is usually my signal to start looking online and in catalogs for places to find unique gifts for my friends, family and vendors. Last year I came across a catalog in my mailbox called Uncommon Goods. I was thinking, okay, here's another random catalog that I just need to recycle. After I opened it up, and checked out what they had, I ended up purchasing five different Christmas gifts from them, and I couldn't have been happier with the reactions of the recipients! The great thing were these were items that no one had seen before, and wasn't something you would find at your local mall.

The great thing too is that they have some great wedding gifts, and also things that can be used at the wedding itself, such as the Wishing Wall Frame or the Handmade Copper Guest Book. They now offer a gift registry, which is a nice way to get some eco-friendly gifts like your own Kitchen Composter or the Eco Picnic Basket.There is so much to explore on this site, and I have already knocked off about half of my Christmas gift list just this morning. That feels good!

Happy Planning!

Friday, October 23

And that's a wrap!

Well, the 2009 wedding season is coming to an end tomorrow with our last wedding of this wild and crazy season. I will actually be a guest at the wedding tomorrow, with Brittani and Mia running the show. It feels good to be able to spend some more time at home, you know, opening the piles of mail, cleaning the bathrooms and organizing my closet that has been neglected since May. But, there is a part of me that truly misses our couples when the season ends. The email box isn't as full, my cell phone isn't getting all the funny texts and phone calls, and there is just a sense of happiness mixed with sadness. When you work with clients throughout the time spans that we do, and you go through the ups and downs that they are going through, it really creates a bond that sometimes ends so abrubtly. I sometimes feel like Jane Fonda in Monster in Law at the end when the happy couple is being whisked away in their limo, as she is standing there sad.

Don't get me wrong, I keep in touch with many past clients, go to their baby showers or even go and grab coffee together. Sometimes though, I just want to wake up in the morning and have that crazed email that came in at 1:15am wondering who will be taking their dog to the wedding. We had so many extremely grateful and wonderful couples this year that I am just feeling beyond blessed to have worked with them all and was able to create so many beautiful wedding celebrations for them!

Okay, enough of my trip down memory lane of the year. There were some very funny, crazy and awkward things that happened this year, and while I have never done this, I thought it would be fun to share some of the moments that we had this year and things I learned along the way:

* I got to plan a wedding with a couple that lived in South Africa, and most of the planning was with their parents. It was one of the smoothest planning experiences I have ever had!

* We had a wedding where the djay's smoke machine set off the fire alarm, and all were forced to evacuate. It was freezing outside, but luckily the fire dept cleared us quickly and we were allowed back in.

* I truly learned what the definition of "kosher" is.

* I had two weekends where we did back to back weddings. It is our rule not to, but things happened. I do not recommend it!

* We had a cake that had to be held up by a catering staff member because it started to sink backwards.

* I had a wedding where the limo driver didn't show. When I asked him where he was, he said he was at a bar in the Mission. Awesome!

* A guest at a wedding cursed me out because there was no cake.

* I saw two female guests get in a fight over how many favors each one took.

* I ran interference on many situations that I will not discuss, but definitely tested my patience and brought to use my Psychology classes from back in college.

* I worked a wedding while suffering from food poisoning, and no one was the wiser.

* I got to work a wedding at my very own tiny little Greek Orthodox church in Marin. There were 22 in the bridal party!

I'm sure there are more, and some that I simply can't discuss on a public forum, but I had such a great season, and I'm really looking forward to 2010. We have one more wedding in 2009 on New Year's Eve which will be a beauty. We still have many more real weddings to share from 2009, and more exciting news about the upcoming bridal tour in January. Plus, with my sister's very recent engagement, I'm sure I will be busy helping her plan her destination wedding as well! You will also be hearing more from our associate Brittani in the coming weeks, so stay tuned for all that is to come and thanks for following our blog.

Happy Planning!

Monday, October 19

Gail + Larry | Legion of Honor | Sept 6

Gail and Larry were such a sweet and dear couple to work with! The funny thing was that Larry was the one that insisted on having the traditional wedding, as Gail really would have rather eloped. With the battle won, the venue was chosen at the beautiful Palace of the Legion of Honor. All the other pieces fell right into place, and Gail & Larry had themselves a true team of professionals for their splendid wedding!

This was a colorful and vibrant wedding, and the wonderful Janae Shields was able to capture all the emotion, details and fun that it entailed. I have posted some of my favorites, but you can see the entire slideshow here. Enjoy!

The vendors that made this beautiful day possible were:

Catering: McCalls
Guitarist: Jay Alvarez
Transportation: Events West
Cupcakes: Kara's Cupcakes
Happy Planning!

Friday, October 16

New line from Monique Lhuillier

I got the news that Monique Lhuillier was coming out with a more affordable wedding dress line called "Bliss" and I just had to find out more about it. Her gowns are so unique yet classic all at the same time, and definitely one of my favorite designers. Bliss by Monique Lhuillier takes her classic, yet feminine style to a broader group of women retailing for $2300 to $3500! You’ll find the same distinctive characteristics for which Lhuillier is known featuring her hand-tufting, delicate embellishments, fine laces, and impeccable fabrications in silk satin and organza. Available soon, Bliss by Monique Lhuillier will premiere annually and consist of approximately 15 styles, and can be found through Monique Lhuillier retailers worldwide.

Another great find was her line of divine bridesmaid gowns (one of which I will think I will be purchasing for a wedding I am attending next year). I do love the look of a non-traditional bridesmaid gown, and these definitely fit the bill. Check their entire line out here.
Happy Planning!

Wednesday, October 14

Daily Candy Fall Wedding Guide Feature


We were so thrilled to be featured in the Daily Candy Fall Wedding Guide that came out yesterday! We were mentioned under the planner section, and our Dream Bridal Tour was the big feature. We are really gearing up for a huge event in January for brides to take part in our biggest tour ever, so if you are interested in being on our presale list, email us at bridaltour@dreamalittledreamevents.com. Information will be emailed exclusively to the ladies on our list in early November before the tickets are released to the public.

Happy Planning!

Tuesday, October 13

Taryn + Greg | The Bently Reserve | Aug 1

Back in August we were able to celebrate the wedding of one of my long time wedding assistants, neighbor and good friend, Taryn and her now husband Greg. We planned the wedding with her for exactly a year, and it came out just beautiful. She has such great style and grace, and she looks absolutely stunning in her Monique Lhuillier gown. I am loving the images that Joel & Cara Flory were able to capture of the day, and I'm so happy to be able to share this wedding! These are some of my favorite images, and you can also check out the entire slideshow here.

The good (but also sad) news is that the day after the wedding, Greg was offered a baseball coaching job at the University of Washington, and he moved to Seattle shortly after they returned from their honeymoon in Greece. Taryn is moving up this Saturday, and we will deeply miss her!




The other vendors that helped make this beautiful wedding come together were:
Florist: Passiflora Designs
Invitation Suite: Cardgirl
Djay: Patrick from Denon & Doyle
Cake: Jill Branch of Branching Out Cakes
Transportation: Coach USA
Looking forward to sharing many more of our late summer and fall weddings soon!

Happy Planning!