I heard this at a wedding and thought is was a good thing to pass on---it was nice to see the parents of the couple reading it especially since they both have been married for over 30 years!
The Art of Marriage
A good marriage must be created.
In the art of marriage the little things are the big things...
It is never being too old to hold hands.
It is remembering to say "I love you" at least once each day.
It is never going to sleep angry.
It is having a mutual sense of values and commong objectives.
It is forming a circle of love that gathers in the whole family.
It is speaking words of appreciation and
demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways.
It is having the capacity to forgive and forget.
It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow.
It is finding room for the things of the spirit.
It is a common search for the good and the beautiful.
It is not only marrying the right partner..
It is being the right partner.
~Wilferd Arlan Peterson
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Favorite Wedding Songs Right Now!
There are some pretty good songs for weddings right now! Stop look and listen to them:
Raise Your Glass- P!nk
Marry You- Bruno Mars
Just The Way You Are- Bruno Mars
Don't Think I Can't Love You- Jake Owen
Every Morning- Keb' Mo'
And don't forget about these oldies but goodies (but might be new to some!)
I Want You to Want Me- Cheap Trick
100 Years- Five for Fighting
True Companion- Mark Cohen
Father and Daughter- Paul Simon
Feels Like Home- Randy Newman
If you have not seen the Glee episode where Marry You was featured, you might consider watching it. For all you wedding nuts out there, it was pretty entertaining to watch!
Until next time~
Amy
Raise Your Glass- P!nk
Marry You- Bruno Mars
Just The Way You Are- Bruno Mars
Don't Think I Can't Love You- Jake Owen
Every Morning- Keb' Mo'
And don't forget about these oldies but goodies (but might be new to some!)
I Want You to Want Me- Cheap Trick
100 Years- Five for Fighting
True Companion- Mark Cohen
Father and Daughter- Paul Simon
Feels Like Home- Randy Newman
If you have not seen the Glee episode where Marry You was featured, you might consider watching it. For all you wedding nuts out there, it was pretty entertaining to watch!
Until next time~
Amy
Preferred Vendor Lists
What exactly is a preferred vendor list? Who has them? And how will it affect my wedding?
I get asked these questions ALL the time! So it only seems appropriate that I address them.
What exactly is a preferred vendor list?
Preferred vendor lists can be many things.. Most importantly, it is a list that an event planner "works off of" to recommend their clients to.
How does a vendor "get" on a vendor list?
Theoretically, they should be on the "list" because they are the best value for their dollar. Notice, I did not say the "C" word (cheap) as I can't stand that word. This is all about a value. For me, I do not have a "list" that someone can just merely be added to. The vendor needs to have either worked with me or have an outstanding reputation in the industry (and yes, all event people "talk" so we do know what everyone is up to. Although we take the "talk" with a "grain of salt", do know that if you start hearing the same bad things over and over again, one "grain of salt" must be "true"). Therefore, it is not appealing to risky my reputation on that.). You would be shocked at hte number of phone calls that come into our office asking "how do I get on your list". Well, since it is a common question, and we are not "selling space" on our "list", the best thing for you to do is your job, do it WELL, work hard, be prompt, don't abuse the system and your business will prosper.
How will th vendor list affect my wedding?
If your consultant/planner/vendor personally recommends other vendors, do understand that person is willing to put their repuation on the line. Being that weddings and events are a one shot deal (well in most cases), a bad recommendation can ruin the wedding and put the recommender in a very uncomfortable position. Therefore, everyone will guard the "list" very closely. Do understand that if a consultant is operating their business on a "kick back" premise, (this means they are getting paid by the client and then "skimming off the top" of the vendor), the list might not be in your best interest becuase you are being taken to vendors who are paying for the recommendation. This will not allow you to get hte best value for your dollar so you will want to keep a heads up on that issue.
Quote of the Blog
If I take care of my character, my reputation will take care of itself"~ Dwight L. Moody
Until next time~
Amy
I get asked these questions ALL the time! So it only seems appropriate that I address them.
What exactly is a preferred vendor list?
Preferred vendor lists can be many things.. Most importantly, it is a list that an event planner "works off of" to recommend their clients to.
How does a vendor "get" on a vendor list?
Theoretically, they should be on the "list" because they are the best value for their dollar. Notice, I did not say the "C" word (cheap) as I can't stand that word. This is all about a value. For me, I do not have a "list" that someone can just merely be added to. The vendor needs to have either worked with me or have an outstanding reputation in the industry (and yes, all event people "talk" so we do know what everyone is up to. Although we take the "talk" with a "grain of salt", do know that if you start hearing the same bad things over and over again, one "grain of salt" must be "true"). Therefore, it is not appealing to risky my reputation on that.). You would be shocked at hte number of phone calls that come into our office asking "how do I get on your list". Well, since it is a common question, and we are not "selling space" on our "list", the best thing for you to do is your job, do it WELL, work hard, be prompt, don't abuse the system and your business will prosper.
How will th vendor list affect my wedding?
If your consultant/planner/vendor personally recommends other vendors, do understand that person is willing to put their repuation on the line. Being that weddings and events are a one shot deal (well in most cases), a bad recommendation can ruin the wedding and put the recommender in a very uncomfortable position. Therefore, everyone will guard the "list" very closely. Do understand that if a consultant is operating their business on a "kick back" premise, (this means they are getting paid by the client and then "skimming off the top" of the vendor), the list might not be in your best interest becuase you are being taken to vendors who are paying for the recommendation. This will not allow you to get hte best value for your dollar so you will want to keep a heads up on that issue.
Quote of the Blog
If I take care of my character, my reputation will take care of itself"~ Dwight L. Moody
Until next time~
Amy
Friday, March 26, 2010
I recently was in a meeting where someone suggested I write about my life's lessons. Not weddings, but life. This is a little odd for me since I feel most people coming to a wedding consultants blog will want to read about weddings. Trust me, there are enough wedding blogs where consultants showcase their work and that is fantastic. But sometimes, there needs to be more. What is that consultant about? Who are they as a person? and Why are they truly doing this a profession? These are very important questions each bride needs to answer. Therefore, I am going to start to do this or maybe something of the sort. Welcome to unconventionality!
Being an event/wedding planner does have many perks, however it also has its downs. Over the past 20 years or so, I have learned how to be a better person. Through working with the bride on her most special day, you truly realize one of the many marvels of life. Passion. I have been able to find passion in what I do and I truly believe that you need to be passionate about life. If your passion is sitting in a cube job and answering phones during the day for 30 years so you can retire, more power to you. I personally would be on the brink of suicide. I cannot imagine doing the same thing day in and day out and hating going to work. My job is fun because I make it fun. I have had the distinct pleasure of seeing some bat sh** crazy things happen at weddings. I have had the distinct pleasure of meeting almost every type of bride there is out there (notice I do say almost since, well , quite frankly I am constantly given new opportunities to deal with special brides). Why do I smile about this since weddings are not always puppy dogs and rainbows? I have a unique quality of being able to make the best of a situation. The reason why I say that it is unique is because I have come to learn that many people do not have it. I could be stuck in a funeral home and most likely make friends with everyone (if you are getting my sense of humor-- that means people are dead). Why? because just the thought of sitting amongst dead people would depress the heck out of me! YOU make the best of what you are given. No one will make your life better for you, except you. If you do not like what life has dealt you, then move on and find something else. Life is too short to be upset!
I try to begin each day with the feelings I had on my wedding day. Passion, love, excitement, happy fear of the unknown, adventure and fun. It is possible to say that "well, today will be a sucky day" and then it most certainly will. We are in control of our own destiny. On the days that I wake up in a bad mood, my husband and kids are in a bad mood, my clothes look awful, my email will not work, the car is falling apart, and my gray hair is sticking out all over. So how is it that the days whne my attitude is bad, everything is bad? Well, I can only believe that I dictate how my day will be. By losing the passion, excitement, love, adventure, fun and happy fear of the unknown, I have predetermined myself to miss out on teh best things in life! I will miss the joy of my husband, kids and my personal successes. Man, that is a HUGE thing to miss out on. It is not easy, so do not think that "well, she is one happy freakin' ray of sunshine" because it is not true. I feel that I make a conscious decision to take on my day and be the best person I can be. That one small act willmake the most extraordinary impact on your day.
Make sure you are extremely aware of your surroundings. That will allow you to internalize the most crazy of craziest things! There is always going to be someone better than you, wealthier than you, skinnier than you, fatter than you etc. but if you are not dead, you should be contributing to society. I was at the grocery store the other day when there was a bagger packing groceries. He thought it was s good idea to pack bread underneath cans of soupl. The customer went nuts on him. She said insults that were so impressive that I had to listen. Sure, he should have thought about how he was packing groceries (afterall, it is his job) but I truly wanted to record her on my phone since the insults just rolled off her tounge. As I carried on through my day, I looked at the silver lining and thought "well at least I do not have to go hom with that lady tonight" and I hugged my husband as he walked through the door. See, you have many opportunities during the day to see life. Good/bad/indifferent? That truly does not matter. It will allow you to appreciate what you have an how you can be a better person.
So, I will wrap up my first entry patting myself on the back (since that is quite frankly what wedding consultant blogs do:)) I had a wedding featured on the Style Me Pretty Blog. Go to Ashley and Drew's wedding. It was in November 2009 at Laguna Gloria Art Museum and it was pretty fantastic! Sure, it was a bang out event-- but more importantly, they were truly a unique couple. What I appreciated most about them was that although there was a fantastic wedding planned, paid for and executed, they truly had passion for eachother and I look forward to attending their 50th anniversary party.
Amy
Being an event/wedding planner does have many perks, however it also has its downs. Over the past 20 years or so, I have learned how to be a better person. Through working with the bride on her most special day, you truly realize one of the many marvels of life. Passion. I have been able to find passion in what I do and I truly believe that you need to be passionate about life. If your passion is sitting in a cube job and answering phones during the day for 30 years so you can retire, more power to you. I personally would be on the brink of suicide. I cannot imagine doing the same thing day in and day out and hating going to work. My job is fun because I make it fun. I have had the distinct pleasure of seeing some bat sh** crazy things happen at weddings. I have had the distinct pleasure of meeting almost every type of bride there is out there (notice I do say almost since, well , quite frankly I am constantly given new opportunities to deal with special brides). Why do I smile about this since weddings are not always puppy dogs and rainbows? I have a unique quality of being able to make the best of a situation. The reason why I say that it is unique is because I have come to learn that many people do not have it. I could be stuck in a funeral home and most likely make friends with everyone (if you are getting my sense of humor-- that means people are dead). Why? because just the thought of sitting amongst dead people would depress the heck out of me! YOU make the best of what you are given. No one will make your life better for you, except you. If you do not like what life has dealt you, then move on and find something else. Life is too short to be upset!
I try to begin each day with the feelings I had on my wedding day. Passion, love, excitement, happy fear of the unknown, adventure and fun. It is possible to say that "well, today will be a sucky day" and then it most certainly will. We are in control of our own destiny. On the days that I wake up in a bad mood, my husband and kids are in a bad mood, my clothes look awful, my email will not work, the car is falling apart, and my gray hair is sticking out all over. So how is it that the days whne my attitude is bad, everything is bad? Well, I can only believe that I dictate how my day will be. By losing the passion, excitement, love, adventure, fun and happy fear of the unknown, I have predetermined myself to miss out on teh best things in life! I will miss the joy of my husband, kids and my personal successes. Man, that is a HUGE thing to miss out on. It is not easy, so do not think that "well, she is one happy freakin' ray of sunshine" because it is not true. I feel that I make a conscious decision to take on my day and be the best person I can be. That one small act willmake the most extraordinary impact on your day.
Make sure you are extremely aware of your surroundings. That will allow you to internalize the most crazy of craziest things! There is always going to be someone better than you, wealthier than you, skinnier than you, fatter than you etc. but if you are not dead, you should be contributing to society. I was at the grocery store the other day when there was a bagger packing groceries. He thought it was s good idea to pack bread underneath cans of soupl. The customer went nuts on him. She said insults that were so impressive that I had to listen. Sure, he should have thought about how he was packing groceries (afterall, it is his job) but I truly wanted to record her on my phone since the insults just rolled off her tounge. As I carried on through my day, I looked at the silver lining and thought "well at least I do not have to go hom with that lady tonight" and I hugged my husband as he walked through the door. See, you have many opportunities during the day to see life. Good/bad/indifferent? That truly does not matter. It will allow you to appreciate what you have an how you can be a better person.
So, I will wrap up my first entry patting myself on the back (since that is quite frankly what wedding consultant blogs do:)) I had a wedding featured on the Style Me Pretty Blog. Go to Ashley and Drew's wedding. It was in November 2009 at Laguna Gloria Art Museum and it was pretty fantastic! Sure, it was a bang out event-- but more importantly, they were truly a unique couple. What I appreciated most about them was that although there was a fantastic wedding planned, paid for and executed, they truly had passion for eachother and I look forward to attending their 50th anniversary party.
Amy
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Things we learned from our last wedding
We had a great time at our last wedding on August 15,2009. We are giving a big shout out to the following vendors who did an outstanding job!
The Driskill Hotel- Brooke Engle and Emily Taylor
Transportation Consultants- Bill and Ruben
First In Last Out Productions- Howard, Dave and Nick
Westbank Floral- Keith, Connie and the Gang
Marquee Event Group- Rachel, Mandy and Paula
Premiere Party Rental- Lydia
Floyd Domino (pianist)
Crescent Video- Gary and Diane
Innovative Photography- Darcie and Chris
Wolf Stuntworks- Steve
We had a great time at the event. It was nice to see it all come together however as with every event, we learn some new things. If we knew everything, we would not be interns! here are our top 10 things we learned at the wedding.
1. when carrying 100 gift bags up 2 flights of stairs, if you use a broom stick to put 10 bags on at a time, it makes the trips much easier.
2. elevators are not always the quickest way to travel in a hotel.
3. when you blow power at a reception site, it is best to have an engineer stay throughout the evening in the event that it happens again.
4. bride's do not like to get their hair messed up eventhough they have requested to ride in a convertible.
5. the Driskill makes outstanding cookies.
6. we now know why Amy does not tie chair sashes on chairs.
7. when having an event a the driskill, and if you have the band in the ballroom, setting up speakers on the mezzanine level make sense.
8. august is a very hot month to get married.
9. guests do need help getting on the buses. therefore, hiring a transporation consultant is well worth the money.
10. fireworks at a wedding are the perfect finish. drunk guests with sparklers are not the perfect finish.
until next time-
the interns
The Driskill Hotel- Brooke Engle and Emily Taylor
Transportation Consultants- Bill and Ruben
First In Last Out Productions- Howard, Dave and Nick
Westbank Floral- Keith, Connie and the Gang
Marquee Event Group- Rachel, Mandy and Paula
Premiere Party Rental- Lydia
Floyd Domino (pianist)
Crescent Video- Gary and Diane
Innovative Photography- Darcie and Chris
Wolf Stuntworks- Steve
We had a great time at the event. It was nice to see it all come together however as with every event, we learn some new things. If we knew everything, we would not be interns! here are our top 10 things we learned at the wedding.
1. when carrying 100 gift bags up 2 flights of stairs, if you use a broom stick to put 10 bags on at a time, it makes the trips much easier.
2. elevators are not always the quickest way to travel in a hotel.
3. when you blow power at a reception site, it is best to have an engineer stay throughout the evening in the event that it happens again.
4. bride's do not like to get their hair messed up eventhough they have requested to ride in a convertible.
5. the Driskill makes outstanding cookies.
6. we now know why Amy does not tie chair sashes on chairs.
7. when having an event a the driskill, and if you have the band in the ballroom, setting up speakers on the mezzanine level make sense.
8. august is a very hot month to get married.
9. guests do need help getting on the buses. therefore, hiring a transporation consultant is well worth the money.
10. fireworks at a wedding are the perfect finish. drunk guests with sparklers are not the perfect finish.
until next time-
the interns
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
NEAWP Meeting @ The Vineyard at Florence
What is NEAWP, you ask? Well it stands forNuptial Essentials Association of Wedding Professionals. It's a group of great professionals in the wedding industry and provides networking, resources and support for Professional Wedding Consultants. NEAWP also offers continuing education through Nuptial Essentials Curriculum & Education (NECI), which Bethany and I are currently enrolled in! For more information or to become a member, check out the website and blog!
Anyway, NEAWP holds monthly meetings, and this one was at The Vineyard at Florence. Below are some fabulous pictures (courtesy of Eric Hegwer) of our June meeting! We toured the new event facility, vineyard, spa, cafe, and future winery in Florence, TX (yes it is all in one!). The Vineyard at Florence is just a short drive north of Georgetown and was the lifelong dream of the two owners. Both were traveling Air Force wives with dreams of moving to Italy and opening a vineyard. A few years and kids later, they found a way to make their dreams come true in no place other than Florence, Texas.
The facility and food were amazing. They have future developments and homes being built now and will eventually bottle their own wine. We also had a mini wine tasting lesson from the hysterical sommelier Jane Nickles. Jane is currently writing her second book and gave us plenty of tips on how to sound like we know what we are talking about while tasting wine. I learned that most white wines contain the flavors lemon, lime, green apple and apricot and red wines usually have the flavors berry, cherry, smokey, and spicy. So if you're ever at a cocktail party and you want to impress the people around you, you can just tell them you believe your wine to have those four flavors!
My favorite part of the meeting however was talking to the other members before it got started. It was my first NEAWP meeting so I didn't know many people when I arrived. However, I quickly learned some amazing stories of how these people followed their dreams to do what they were passionate about in life. Photographers, chocolatiers, wedding consultants, you name it, many of their stories are truly inspiring.
The meeting was a blast, the people were great, and the drive was relaxing (with a gorgeous view of overgrown Texas wildflowers). If you get the chance you should check out this place even if it's just for an afternoon lunch one weekend.
John John The Wedding Butler & Bethany
Amy!
Amazing Delysia Chocolates!
Entrance to The Vineyard
Enjoy the pictures! Check out Eric's blog for more, and stay tuned..
-- Amy's Interns,
Natalie and Bethany
Anyway, NEAWP holds monthly meetings, and this one was at The Vineyard at Florence. Below are some fabulous pictures (courtesy of Eric Hegwer) of our June meeting! We toured the new event facility, vineyard, spa, cafe, and future winery in Florence, TX (yes it is all in one!). The Vineyard at Florence is just a short drive north of Georgetown and was the lifelong dream of the two owners. Both were traveling Air Force wives with dreams of moving to Italy and opening a vineyard. A few years and kids later, they found a way to make their dreams come true in no place other than Florence, Texas.
The facility and food were amazing. They have future developments and homes being built now and will eventually bottle their own wine. We also had a mini wine tasting lesson from the hysterical sommelier Jane Nickles. Jane is currently writing her second book and gave us plenty of tips on how to sound like we know what we are talking about while tasting wine. I learned that most white wines contain the flavors lemon, lime, green apple and apricot and red wines usually have the flavors berry, cherry, smokey, and spicy. So if you're ever at a cocktail party and you want to impress the people around you, you can just tell them you believe your wine to have those four flavors!
My favorite part of the meeting however was talking to the other members before it got started. It was my first NEAWP meeting so I didn't know many people when I arrived. However, I quickly learned some amazing stories of how these people followed their dreams to do what they were passionate about in life. Photographers, chocolatiers, wedding consultants, you name it, many of their stories are truly inspiring.
The meeting was a blast, the people were great, and the drive was relaxing (with a gorgeous view of overgrown Texas wildflowers). If you get the chance you should check out this place even if it's just for an afternoon lunch one weekend.
John John The Wedding Butler & Bethany
Amy!
Amazing Delysia Chocolates!
Entrance to The Vineyard
Enjoy the pictures! Check out Eric's blog for more, and stay tuned..
-- Amy's Interns,
Natalie and Bethany
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
RPE Carnival
Last Friday, we helped at an annual elementary carnival with Amy (that had over 1,000 people in attendance!). It had everything kids could dream of from cotton candy, snowcones, and popcorn to men on stilts, face painting, a "hair parlor", moonwalks, electronic games and even a rock climbing wall.
Everyone looked like they were having a lot of fun, especially the kids who won some extra sugar at the cake walk (their parents, I'm not so sure about). Natalie and I had Dagar's BBQ (which was fantastic) and took advantage of the photo booth brought by Say Cheese. Needless to say we also had a blast. While enjoying some ice cream, I couldn't help but wish I had a carnival like that when I was younger. All the kids friends and parents together on a warm Friday night, having a great time and anticipating summer. What a great opportunity to provide for the community and help out.
We greatly appreciate all the help from the volunteers and especially everything Amy did in putting the event together. I would say, another successful event by Platinum Weddings and Events.
Everyone looked like they were having a lot of fun, especially the kids who won some extra sugar at the cake walk (their parents, I'm not so sure about). Natalie and I had Dagar's BBQ (which was fantastic) and took advantage of the photo booth brought by Say Cheese. Needless to say we also had a blast. While enjoying some ice cream, I couldn't help but wish I had a carnival like that when I was younger. All the kids friends and parents together on a warm Friday night, having a great time and anticipating summer. What a great opportunity to provide for the community and help out.
We greatly appreciate all the help from the volunteers and especially everything Amy did in putting the event together. I would say, another successful event by Platinum Weddings and Events.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
