Saturday

Favor

I rarely discuss religion on the blog, as a matter of personal preference, but today, as a way of documenting exactly how I feel, in THIS moment, it is a necessity.

One word.

Favor.

As the east coast prepares for hurricane Irene, and those around me are in a total state of chaos, television and radio stations are flooded with news of her impending arrival, flights delayed, friends evacuated and family on edge in general, I feel incredibly blessed.

Highly favored.

I woke up this morning, a bit deviated from my usual state of wedding day mind. I looked at my husband and said "I'm scared". My husband responded "do you have to go" to which I answered "it's MY couple". I think he got it.

In the many years we've been fortunate enough to plan events, we have been blessed to never miss one. Through the storms, blizzards and even, the hurricanes. I think back to Toni & Rodney's wedding, which also took place during a hurricane in 2008 and how my team overcame the many obstacles we faced that day.

I think of my colleagues like Candice Capolla of Jubilee Events in Connecticut, who was able to help her couple move their wedding 5 hours ahead to try to avoid the storm. I think of the ladies of A Garden Party Florist, who missed our latest Wish Upon A Wedding event on Thursday, after receiving a phone call that their couple scheduled to get married today, were moving their wedding to that same day (Thursday). How they dropped everything that we were doing and drive drove 1.5 hours to Cape May, to deliver for their couple. I think about all of my facebook friends, twitter family and colleagues who are sacrificing today. The guests who are driving to attend events today and witness, even if just for a little while. The brides & grooms who are sitting patiently hoping for the best...and I realize, just how BLESSED I am.

Today, more than ever, I am so proud of my community. The community of event professionals who always get it done. Who deliver regardless of circumstance and regardless of fear because we specialize in how not to REACT but to move into action.

Every. Time.

With that, I will sign off as I finish preparing for the marriage of Sandi & Terrance. If you are on the roads today, please proceed with caution and be safe. For those of you who are home, please do the same. I pray that as a community we survive this hurricane and remain bonded in our strength to get past all of the "natural" disasters that come our way.

xoxoxo

Friday

Share my world: The Morning of...

I last left the planner plans series here. Since the wedding, many of you have reached out to me to ask if I was going to continue the series with recaps and well, truth be told, I looked up and 8 months were gone. So without further ado, I introduce my recap series, "Share my world"...

1...

It was finally here, the day before the big day. I would spend the day caravaning picking up my bridesmaids arriving by air, bus and train. I could hardly contain myself knowing that my "rocks" would all be with me to get me down the aisle.

Rental car, check. Pick up dress, check. Rehearsal dinner gifts, spa day confirmation and out of office autoreply-check, check, check. It was official...I was off. One day before the wedding and I was determined to spend it with the girls I've known the majority of my life at the spa.

Oh universe, if it was only that simple...

Instead, Mr. Charming didn't quite realize that he would be the one driving to pick up our seating chart and instead made other arrangements. So instead of relaxing, I spent the day on the phone-worried about my bridesmaid whose flight was delayed from LAX and who would pick her up and how we were going to pick up the seating chart,check-in AND make it to rehearsal on time.

My friend, colleague and amazing wedding planner, Deidre, called and told me not to worry...suddenly I found peace.

My gorgeous bridesmaid took a taxi from the airport to surprise me at the spa, the boys drove the turnpike and picked up the seating chart, we made it (almost) on time to the rehearsal and had a great time at the rehearsal dinner at Kabuki Japanese Restaraunt.

My world was right...

The next day I opened my eyes at 4:00am. In a hotel suite full of girls not a peep could be heard. I opened the blinds and called Mr. Charming who also couldn't sleep. He went to his window and we watched the sunrise. It was so amazing. I felt so amazing.

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(this is the actual sunset from that day snapped with my cell phone)

The rest of the day seriously flew by.

First on the agenda was hair and makeup. In true non-diva fashion, I hopped in the car with 2 of my bridesmaids and drove over the bridge to my regular salon. After a quick chic-fil-a run, we were headed back for makeup. The one requirement I had for the girls was that they all had their makeup professionally done. As gorgeous as I think my girls are, it was important to me to have that moment of bonding and to put the "finishing touch" on the ladies...all nine of them.

Throughout the morning I received lots of calls, texts, facebook messages and tweets of good luck. My best friend Sophie who couldn't attend from Atlanta due to surgery, also called to wish me well.

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As makeup was wrapping up, our photographers handed me a card from the hubby...and then they started. Tears, lots of tears.

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The moment finally felt real.



I looked over into my crowded suite and with the music blasting, my sister, friends and family dancing, my dad playing paparrazi, I knew that even if everything went wrong from this point forward, I was content. Lucky for me, the day only got better.

The girls gathered around and all helped me get dressed. Yes..ALL. Which is hysterical b/c with 8 sets of arms plus my mom, there really wasn't too much room. One would push tighter, the other looser and eventually we just burst out into laughter
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Mom gave her once over and seal of approval.
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The clock struck six, fireworks began and our photographer Angie said "sweetie, it's time to go". The she took this shot.

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It was Finally.My.Time. Giddy is an understatement.





Thursday

POSH Event: Katie marries JP

Infectious. That's the one word that describes her smile and their love. Make that two.. Incredibly.Infectious.

I remember the first time they sat across from me in the studio, talking about their wedding. Lots of laugh, lots of paper and many memories exchanged. Katie and JP were actually guests at Kelly & Vinnie's wedding the year before. When they said they didn't even know I was there, I knew it was a score for the home team.

Fast forward many months, meetings and memories later to wedding day. We walked into the suite at the Loews hotel and in typical Katie fashion, all was calm and not a thing out of place. My assistant Malakeia and I literally did a double take and I blurted out "this can not be a bridal party suite".

By the evening, the ceremony was underway and in a ballroom surrounded by over 100 of their friends and family, the couple with the infectious love, the infectious laughter and too many memories to count, were married. In that instant, everything was new, yet felt so familiar.

I've had the honor of working with so many couples over the years. Many who have since become friends and Katie and JP were an easy addition to the list. Seriously, are they not the cutest couple ever?

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(First Look)

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(Bride's Bouquet)

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(Guys in black)

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(Nightime Ceremony underway with a view of the Philadelphia Skyline from the 33rd floor)

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(First kiss)

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(I'm usually not a fan of cake smashing but I just love the way they love)

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Smoking hot...notice the groom's custom "I do" Nikes.

All pictures courtesy of the phenomenal Andrew Todes Photography

Special thanks to all of my vendor partners in crime
Loews Philadelphia-Ceremony & Reception Venue
Andrew Todes Photography-Photographer
Steve & Co-DJ
Synergetic Light and Sounds Inc-Ballroom draping & lighting
Journeys of the Heart-Officiant
Leigh Florist-Florist
Shutterbooth- Photobooth
POSH Events-Wedding Planner

Tuesday

Sneak Peek: Jennifer marries Randy

You can tell by the way he looks at her...

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(Courtesy of our friends at Clair Pruett)

Thursday

Preservation of a different kind-Florals

I loved my wedding bouquet. Loved. Truth be told, I was obsessed.

Working with Denise of Leigh Florist over the last six years really taught me to let the experts do what you pay them to do. Though giddy, there were many moments where I borderlined being totally removed. Florals was one of these areas.

I recalled walking into the studio, sitting down telling Denise my budget and to do what she does best. She looked at me, laughed and said I had a little homework to do. As the weeks grew closer and closer to the wedding, I must have visited Denise atleast 4 times. With changes. Ridiculous changes.

On the last visit she politely told me to step away...

I gladly did and on the morning of 12/31/10 when I arrived back to my suite at the Hyatt, this is what I saw:

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(Image from Entwined Studio, invitation-LePenn Designs)

*Insert tears here* . Literally.

I cried overjoyed that what I had in my head, unable to communicate into words for months was sitting right in front of me. When I say I fell in love that day, second to my husband was definitely my bouquet. My line item on the budget that I told myself "didn't mean too much"...I found myself crying over. Then it died.

Anxious to leave for our honeymoon, I did what I often advise my brides NOT to do, put my bouquet in a vase and happily went on my way!

Lucky for me, I know the florist so requesting a replica is no big deal. Truth be told though, the concept of florals in a box just leaves something missing for me. So...what do you do when you want something a little different?

Insert Dori Spector Fine Art. Dori was referred to us by one of our current grooms and has found a way to offer brides the ability to preserve their wedding imagery, via fine art.

Love, love, love!