The Box of LOVE

So there is the week before the big day, when all the little details are falling into place and the bride and groom start looking forward to the day finally coming together! And there are always lots of little things that I need to make sure there are no missed details to worry about....and VIOLA- thus came the creation of the BOX OF LOVE. This box has all the items that have been collected in the planning process...so I have created a list of items for my ladies to help them pass the right goodies on to me for safe keeping and for completion of their thoughts and wishes for their day! Some of these are obvious, some are really maybe not....

Attire & Just in Case Attire

__Extra Lip Gloss

__ Extra shoes (flip flops, slippers)

__Extra outfit for after the wedding

Getting Ready

__Food and Beverages for the time while getting ready

Reception Details

__Cake Topper (if not previously delivered to cake designer)

__Toasting Flutes

__Serving Set

__Guest Book

__Card box

__Votives with candles

__Favors

__Gratuity Envelopes

__Marriage License

__Reception Stationary

Every Bride will have a variation of this, but will get you started on your BOX OF LOVE!

All of these goodies are to be exchanged at the rehearsal, so that on that day its all taken care of!

Newlyweds~ Mrs. & Mrs. Maxon

What a beautiful day!! I wanted to give my shout outs here this lovely Monday Morning to the wonderful team I had on 10.10 a.k.a Jenny and Marcus's wedding day!

The ceremony was , well, you had to be there! I'm still not sure if the Preist got their name's right. ( Poor Guy he was 92 years old and many times forgot we were there for a wedding). Everyone was amused, and as for my fellow vendors and I, we could barely keep from rolling on the floor.

Each side of the altar was adorned with beautiful gold trees 8' & 10' in height, in gold, dripping with white roses and candles... courtsey of THE GARAGE BY IVY.

And then the picture frenzy began, MANDY HANK PHOTOGRAPHY rockstar photographer, led the pack with 2 assistants, capturing some really fab pics!

The reception was at SCOTTSDALE RESORT & CONFERENCE CENTER. And I have to say, I'm going to just live in a casita there. Debbie Spencer is amazing!!! So refreshing to be at a property who is a "well oiled" maching and that still caters to a bride on her big day! I'm looking forward to many more events there! I cannot say enough about the banquet captain, Linda. What a pleasure to work with such a great team! And the amazing pin spotting from the ceiling made everything pop!!

The ballroom, was adorned in 100's of candles in pillars and gold mercury glass, ivory damask linen, gold chargers, and piles of petals. Each guest had the pleasure of previewing the night's fair on beautiful custom stationary from THE EVENT ESSENTIALS. Each menu, table number, candle accent, and thank you tag was created with a custom family crest that combined the two families elements- created by the groom Marcus Maxon.

The glittery favor table was accented by hand beaded gold couture linens from BBJ Linen. As were the head table and cake tables. Favors were individual gold godiva boxes of truffles, enhanced with the unique favor tags.

The night began with a unique suprise for the groom and avid lover of Opera, we brought in 2 opera singers from GOT YOU COVERED, in tuxedos and gold sequin gown to sing through a slide show created by Mandy including pics from the ceremony!

DJ Marcus from RAY THE DJ kept the unique guest list on the dance floor with great style...

And DANIEL WAGNER FILM PRODUCTIONS was there to capture the whole day !! I can't wait to see it all again!!

Specail Shout out to my assistant that day , intern Evelyn Kong at M2B, an absolute joy to have by my side!!

Congrats Jenny & Macus! Enjoy your honeymoon!!

Anniversary!

So it's been a very long while since I posted anything personal on my blog...I think the last time was when I posted that my brother graduated from ASU with and EVENT DEGREE! Boy that was SO long ago now! Update: he is working for AZ Pain Specialists - as a marketing guru!

I have the most productive year to date ...October is our M2B Events one year anniversary! Appearently, the one year anniversary is a the paper anniversary..so I'm getting new business cards to celebrate- Ms Kimmy and her bun in the oven from The Event Essentials are my creative source for all things PAPER!

Now we all know I've been dancing around this industry alot longer than that for sure! But, it is one year to date that I left SKM Entertainment and went full time with my fabulous clients at M2B!

I have had a tremendous response this year to M2B and have much love for my supporters in the industry, family, and friends.

Still looking forward to the productive fall season, more travel, destination events, and the growing possibility of take M2B across state lines....

Moulin Rouge: Attire

Today, I want to talk about attire for the wedding party (bride, groom, bridesmaids, and groomsmen). I let the movie Moulin Rouge inspire the attire for the clothes.
Starting with the bride, I decided to actually use Nicole Kidman’s dress that she wore at the end of the movie. The dress is actually Hindi-inspired, but I just felt that it was beautiful and unique and perfectly in line with the theme of the wedding and reception. The dress is an ivory color used with silk fabric and customized embroidery and beading. I thought that this dress would be well-paired with a vintage-looking birdcage veil.
I really wanted to have the red dress that Nicole Kidman wears in the movie to be a part of the wedding party attire. I found a dress on http://www.davidsbridal.com/ that looks very similar to the beautiful gown in the movie. The dress comes in the color “Apple” and is described as “sleeveless flat taffeta tea-length dress with ruched empire waist and tie back.”
There is a “Build-a-Tux” feature on the Men’s Warehouse website that I decided to use to illustrate my ideas for the groom’s tuxedo and the groomsmen’s tuxedos. For the groom, I wanted his vest and tie to match the color of the bride’s dress to make him stand out among all the groomsmen. Back in the 1900s, men would wear jackets with coat tails for formal events. Instead of doing full dress tails, I decided to go with a cutaway jacket. The vest and euro tie is called “diamond cream.” I also decided to use an ivory wing collared shirt under the vest.
For the groomsmen, I used the same cutaway jacket. However, the vest, tie, and shirt are different from the groom. The vest and tie, in order to match the bridesmaids, were colored in “primetime red.” Under the vest, I used a white point collar shirt.
I hope this information was useful. Come back again on Thursday where I will talk about flowers for the wedding!!!

Moulin Rouge: Stationary

I’m back! I apologize for the delay in posts, but I’m back again with some great wedding stationery ideas for the Moulin Rouge- inspired wedding. I will begin by talking about the “Save the Date.” The tone of the wedding begins with your “Save the Date” so I thought you could use the song, “Come What May” from the movie to inspire you. I created a template using a movie still from the movie seen below. I chose a picture that shows the main colors that I will be using for the entire wedding—red, black, and blue. I’ve seen a lot of “Save the Dates” and many couples really like to personalize it. I even thought that the couple could take a picture in that kissing pose and use Photo Shop to place their own photo to the “Save the Date.”
Next is the invitation! I have included a picture of blue paper that, I believe, perfectly mirrors the dark blue sky from the movie. I thought that the blue picture could be used as the envelope for the invitation. Then, I decided to incorporate the black and red using a damask pattern to continue the deep, dramatic effect. I used a dark blue font on the invitation and to highlight the dark blue, I wrote the names in black.
Finally, I added a picture of a place card idea and an idea for displaying table numbers. I thought that a great way to bring blue to the table would be to hand out stems of blue hydrangea flowers and tying a small piece of paper to it, indicating the name of the guest and the table number. That way, when the guests are sitting at the table, the place cards will add blue to the décor. Also, because the movie Moulin Rouge is not only set in France, but there is a lot of Hindi elements to it—Hindi elephant, the play was set in India, etc. So to add the Asian flare to the table, I thought it would be creative to put the table number on black folding fans, instead of the traditional table number cards.
That’s all for today, but come back next Thursday for great ideas on attire for the bride, groom, and wedding party!!! Thanks for stopping by…

Summer is winding down....

So it's time to hit the ground running again...and while the temperatures are still certainly in the triple digits, us wedding professionals are beginning to wrap our heads around the fall season! Personally my favorite season for weddings ( less freak rain storms to deal with) I am ready and anxious to get the show on the road! Lights , camera, action!

One last look back at a beautiful spring/summer season ......

GuestBloggerSeries: OOOH LALA!

Hi there! My name is Evelyn and I am doing an internship with Meant2Be Events .I just recently graduated from Arizona State University with a Communications degree and I applied for this position due to my passion for weddings and event planning. I started this position early in July and I am so excited about the tasks that I have been given. As part of the internship, I will be doing a five-blog series. During these five blogs, I will be talking about creating a spectacular wedding extravaganza inspired by my all-time favorite movie—Moulin Rouge In the next five weeks, I will be discussing…
· Invitations and wedding stationery
· Attire (for the bride, groom, and wedding party)
· Bouquets and flowers
· Decorations
· Types of food to incorporate at the reception.
I have some really great ideas for you all so please come back every Thursday for ways to create this Parisian-themed wedding. See you next week! YAY!!!

Soon2Bes: Eliana & Julio

So I am starting a new feature on my blog of planning advice and updates from my "Soon2Bes"!

The first of these is from my Eliana & Julio- their date is in the fall and planning is beginning to wrap up!

Here are her thoughts so far....Thanks Mandy for the great pics!

When I first got engaged I went to “plan-mode” instantaneously! I wanted nothing more than to be surrounded by gorgeous dresses while sipping champagne, tasting amazing food and planning my romantic honeymoon. Reality soon set in as I realized the tremendous amount of work that actually goes into planning a wedding. I didn’t want a cookie cutter wedding I wanted something different, something that exemplified my fiancé and myself. I realized I couldn’t do this on my own so I called Regina, aka my savior. She has not only made the process effortless but she’s made it so much fun! The months are flying by and my wedding is only 3 months away! What I’m looking forward to the most is seeing my incredibly unique/dream wedding! Regina is extremely creative and detailed! She puts me at ease and is willing to help with anything. She took the time to get to know my fiancé and myself so that she better understood us and could anticipate what we’re wanting. I’m very excited for my wedding and for my family and friends to celebrate with us! I owe a HUGE thanks to Regina for everything she’s done for us so far and for what she continues to do!!"

Thanks E&J- its been my pleasure!

No ID Required: Fajita!!!

Ok so Ive been on a little stay cation!! But I'm back with a vengance~

So here's another great idea for the Mexi lover in all of us Phoenicians!

THE FAJITA BAR!!

So this requires lots of bright color linens and a strong tolerence for the spicy!

With 2 6ft tables, all the fajita staples including chicken, beef, onions, peppers, even squash, definately cheese, and a very talented chef - you too can have a fiesta to wow your guests!!

Here are some suggestions to decorate your fajta bar!




















Bright Linens in primary colors from BBJ Linen, paper flowers, mocahete bowls will help make your bar more enticing! Ole!

Paparazzi...

Well I have to give a shout out to .....me! I was recently added to the Mandy Hank Photography Blog as a Spotlight Vendor! Thanks Ms Mandy for the love, kind words and capturing my good side!

No ID Required: I Scream, You Scream...

Now those who know me know...I DON'T have a sweet tooth, but I LOVE the childhood memories that come up with this idea!

We've seen the candy bar...but what about a SUNDAE BAR! With your favorite flavors in mind and some creative glassware you too can have a really fantastic ice cream dream!

You will need a few different flavors of icecream, and the old favs work great for this. Decorative bowls for the toppings and sundae glasses for each creation.

I found this picture from Brides.com, however I think they were going with an rootbeer float (note the coca-cola and not rootbeer...)

Colorful napkins and linens will help bring in all the whimsy of this great concept! And don't forget the cherry on top!

Ranting & Raving

So I am now late at night after a very wedding day re-evaluating venue relationships. And I know I am probably just tired and a sore ( I broke my toe during cocktail hour setup and have been throbbing ever since)...but alas the show must go on!



But, I had one of the BEST VENUE experiences at a that I have had for a long time!

There has been a general consensus amongst vendors, that some venues due to short staff and long hours in a difficult economy, have become...well...." a case of the cranky pants". All of a sudden, if you ask for a little team effort, or even "hey, do your job??" it's either more money or no way "we don't do that"....
For example, I had a beautiful wedding at a beautiful property. AMAZING DETAILS! And on a scale of budget, this was a $$$$$. Do you think I could get anyone to fold a napkin? With all the thousands of dollars you are profiting you could find it in your heart to do your job? Hmm, or because instead of your yucky polly wasn't used and I have thousands of dollars in custom and couture linens coming in you all of a sudden won't give me the cumberbun I asked for? I mean, really!

Now, I have a wedding that would be like a $$. And its a moderate property, with a catering mgr who has changed 3 times..and was given a super quick turn. Because the ceremony was at a church, I was at the property for prep in a seperate room, then left. I arrived 5 minutes into the cocktail hour and about 25 minutes after the room opened at all for set.

Can I tell you I was RELIEVED!! I had left the napkins, seating chart, signing platters, cocktail arrangments, candles, favors, table stationary, card box and candy for each table in boxes. I came in and the WHOLE THING WAS DONE! What an amazing thing to walk into! I had to direct on where certain items went, but because of this I was able to set my uplights and attend to my brides eyelash glue drama. And that , quite franky, is what I get paid for. It's not to fold napkins. Or to supervise the OBVIOUS.

Now in defense of the guilty, I have to say that there are many vendors who are afraid to do the OBVIOUS because other planners have been known to act like "ballroom natzis" (not my term, but I find it high descriptive of exactly what I am not, and why so many vendors comment- "oh you actually have fun at your job- thats refreshing!?") So rather than to jump in and make it work better wait to hear what the general says.

Well here's my overhelming order to the troops: Take intiative. I will adjust what is necessary for the happiness of the client I have just spent 9+ months with creating a vision. But when I walk into a ballroom with more than 30+ candles on each table, we are 10 mintues before doors open and you are sitting at a table, rather than picking up a lighter...are you were waiting for direction? It makes me very sad for the brides who trust their most important day to a venue that won't allow me to take care of the personal details like eyelash drama, or family drama, or any drama that may occur for that matter. Instead, my clients have paid me to do the OBVIOUS, and to tell others to do the same.
Why when a planner is involved to be the voice of our client is everyone "on vacation"?

So what is a bride to do?
Talk to a pro first. We know who, what, when, where, and why. That is our job. Let someone know what is important to you - who can do something about it. No matter your budget, hire a planner. It will be the best money you spend on your wedding. ( and then you'll actually know the other pennies were well spent too!)

Major props to Eileen and the entire staff at the Hilton East Mesa for honoring your commitment to service and hospitality! You exceeded my expectations and I will make sure EVERYONE knows about it.

For everyone else ( you know who you are) here is a lesson from my good friend WIKI:

Hospitality refers to the relationship process between a guest and a host, and it also refers to the act or practice of being hospitable, that is, the reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers, with liberality and goodwill. Hospitality frequently refers to the hospitality industry jobs for hotels, restaurants, casinos, catering, resorts, clubs and any other service position that deals with tourists.
Hospitality is also known as the act of generously providing care and kindness to whoever is in need.

No ID Required: Salad Martini Bar

Couldn't have a blog series created by a vegetartian without suggesting my favorite foods ever! SALAD! Iam a rabbit and my day is not complete without a fabulously created salad with all the great veggies and fruits that spice up even the most freshest beds of lettuce!

The newest trick of the trade is the presentation of the these items at a martini bar. Guests are able to hand select there most favorite salad toppings and place them into the martini shaker- then add the dressing and SHAKE BABY SHAKE!!

Voila! Evenly coated morsels of veggie goodness! Enjoy!

Candice & Kevin's aTuscan Dream Wedding

On May 23rd, I had the pleasure to be apart of Candice & Kevin's wedding at Villa Siena~It was absolutely stunning...

From the dripping orchids that hung from the every chandelier to the most sweetest guest baskets every detail was meticulously chosen for the most descriminating tastes...

Candice had a very good friend come in to do a piano accompianment to the DJ- to songs from Akon and Usher! It was a blast!

Their first dance was a perfect C&K version of the evolution of dance started with streamer canons and ending with an energetic version of Jai Ho!!

It was an amazing night! For more pictures check out the website!

Many thanks to the cast:
One Fine Day Photography

Peice of Cake
Event Essentials
Bon Cuisine

Executive Limo
Dolce Salon

BBJ Linen
Safen'Sound Pianos

SKM Entertainement
Elegant Creations Backdrop
Bloom
Daniel Wagner Video

and of course M2B!

M2B Events featured by Fabulous Events

I was notified by my bride Trista, that her wedding was featured by her linen company for it;s top notch fabulous-ness! Whoppee - cheers Trista & Jason!!

Here is a snip-it from the Newsletter from Fabulous Events!

Event Showcase

Trista Dunagan and Jason Schlosberg get married!
May 2, 2009Hotel Valley Ho - Scottsdale, AZ

After more than a year of planning, Jason and Trista were finally married on May 2, 2009 at the Hotel Valley Ho in Scottsdale, AZ. From the start we had a clear vision of where our wedding should be located and what we wanted the ceremony and reception to look like. We booked the Hotel Valley Ho quickly - it exudes that retro "Rat Pack" vibe, but is modern and chic at the same time. Finding the right team to bring everything else together took a little longer. Regina Osgood from Meant2Be Events was a godsend. She got our vision and ran with it! The team from Table Tops, Etc. and SKM Entertainment brought the drama together with the lighting and florals. Tri Rentals provided the perfect chairs. F. Ferguson Photography was all set to capture the event on film. With all of that in place, we still hadn't found a vendor for our linens. I will admit that I had something very specific in mind, zebra print linens to the floor! After four months of searching and coming up with a dead end we finally found Fabulous Events. Lyle and the team were lifesavers! Our linens were beautiful - they were the perfect finishing touch to my Dream Wedding.

The moment we walked into the ballroom it was MAGIC! A big heartfelt "THANK YOU" to the Fabulous Events team! We couldn't have had our dream wedding without you!

Trista + Jason Schlosberg

Scottsdale, AZ
Photography Courtesy of Fred Ferguson - Scottsdale, AZ

No need to go too far......

So there is a popular concept here in AZ that many of us local "phoenicians" too brain fried from the sun to think logically enough to get the heck out of dodge at the first signs of triple digits. It's just too hot to have our neurons firing the right way to somehow get the message "oh since I could fry an egg on the sidewalk, might be a good idea to find cooler sidewalk". Hmm...

Since I am one of the sad sunburned people who stick around for the summer, its a great time to take advantage of the amazing deals that my fabulous partners in the industry offer the suffering hope that you can actually "beat the heat".

And since so many of the locals are not really locals (all transplants from Chicago & Ohio- what's up with that? Is 150 degree heat better then these regions? Two less places I need to travel to appearently!) The term for this band-aid on our weather is called "Stay-cation".

Let's visit the all important pop culture phenomenom , Wikipedia, for help.

A staycation (or stay-cation, or stacation) is a neologism for a period of time in which an individual or family stays at home and relaxes at home or takes day trips from their home to area attractions. Staycations have achieved high popularity in current hard economic times in which unemployment levels and gas prices are high.[1][2]
Common activities of a staycation include use of the backyard pool, visits to local parks and museums, and attendance at local festivals. Some staycationers also like to follow a set of rules, such as setting a start and end date, planning ahead, and avoiding routine, with the goal of creating the feel of a traditional vacation.[3]

So while I don't really know what a "neologism" is, I'm pretty sure it means "go to a resort and have sangria by the pool".

Stay-cations have been a regular part of my routine growing up and now that I am an event professional (extrodinaire), I try to part take in this most fabulous of concepts a few times a year regardless of what the thermosat says.

SO, for all my wonderful "soon to bes" and my colleauges...pack some sunscreen and a great pair of flip flops and take the weekend off! You deserve it! Cheers see you at the pool!

The Sweetest Thing....

This is for those of you with a sweet tooth! This has been a treat we have seen for a while in the wedding industry- the candy bar! Jars line up filled with delicious treats all color coordinated to the big day offer temptations to your guests that willl delight those of any age!

I wanted to hightlight this bar this week because I want to make sure that those brides interested in this candy creation that there are professionals who provide this bar that I would consider FIRST before attempting on your own! When I provide a candy bar to my brides or anyone else- I bring custom linens to match the decor, candles, scoops, candy and beautiful glass apothecary jars, and coordinating bags for the guests to bring their goodies home! Becuase I rent this out, I am able to get better quality goodies, high end jars, and gorgeous textiles that would cost anyone else more than just a few chocolate coins! My cost is $4 a guest....and for that you will get a priceless memory of your sweetest thing at your big day! And maybe a cavity too, it's a risk you'll have to take.

Let me know if you need some sugary goodness....

Preview on Kelly & Panos

I had the pleasure of doing a wedding at Gainey Ranch Golf Club a few weeks ago and it was an absolute JOY! GRCG goes completely out of the way to take care of its clients and a WP really apprectiates the attention given to their clients!

I met a new photographer that day and she already has some pics available for us to enjoy! So here's a hint of what is to come....

Cristi Owen Photography

Trista & Jason- on the wild side!

Thanks "T+J" it was absolute joy to be a part of your big day! What a beautiful room, hot pink uplights, ice chivaris, Zebra linens, and pinspotted fabulous centerpeices! Wow!

Can't wait to see the video!

We have to do a doggie play date soon! Congrats!

The Cast:
Hotel Valley HO
Fred Ferguson Photography
Daniel Wagner Video
Table Tops Etc
Fabulous Events Linen
SKM Entertainment
Tri Rentals and of course M2B!