Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

All,

Here is my Dear John to state that I apologize for not blogging as much as I wanted to so that I could provide you with all of the information that I have been learning but I have done somethings to fix this and hopefully not put any strife in my own marriage. Santa Claus has sent me my very own laptop so that I can express my creativity (like so many others), online. Also, making things wireless in the house has added a great deal of convenience to the work that comes along with wedding planning.

OK, now that I completed the formalities, let me bring you up to speed. Wedding Arrangements, LLC will be in full effect in 2009 as planned with a Delaware business license, marketing paraphernalia, and technology to keep me electronically connected at all times. My assistant and I are excited to move into 2009 with one definite wedding and one potential at this time. Don't let my calendar fill up without you contacting me regarding your upcoming wedding!

I have researched two potential wedding venues within the last five days.

The first was Saint Anthony's in the Hills which is located on Rte. 7 right before you get to Rte. 41 in Pennsylvania. This venue is truly for the outdoor couple because it does not have indoor accommodations available. I took a look at the "peacock" area because the upcoming wedding party that I have is less than 100 people. This location has covered platform with decorative iron bars on all four sides. It has a mini-kitchen with only a table and refrigerator so any caterer that comes on the premises have to be prepared. The nice thing about the sight is that it has the covered platform along with the gazebo area directly across the platform. Also, if there are children in attendance and the wedding will be scheduled during the day, there is a playground in the area, in the event, they become restless and do not want to be around the adults. Check them out at www.stanthonyinthehills.com.

The second was Historic Houses of Odessa which is located on Rte. 299 right off of Rte. 13. It is on Main Street in Odessa. This venue has a rustic feel to it when you enter into its beautifully renovated homes which are potential locations for small wedding receptions/ceremonies but my main focus during my visit was the outdoor area where there is a dedicated area for outdoor wedding ceremonies, which is just beautiful. The wedding party will walk down a cobble/brick walkway through an array of flowers to a grass opening where the groom and pastor is waiting. There is a large area to the left of the ceremony area where the couple can place a tent for an outdoor reception. Check them out at www.historicodessa.org.

Lastly, I did not visit this site but am aware of it from past experience is the Rose Garden in the Brandywine. If a bride wants to have a wedding at this location, she will need to contact Delaware Park and Recreation to obtain a permit so that there are no issues if a Park Ranger approaches the event.

There are two free promotion spaces left, please do not hesitate because a wedding planner is an essential part of making your wedding day flow as you have always envisioned. Contact us today!

Happy Holidays!

It is funny how time gets away from you when trying to start something "new". I kept telling myself that I am going to type in the blog and when there is a spare moment, I start reading something and the moment passes by. I have even heard of a "ghost" blogger.... Has this section of technology become so big that people want to participate but can't and actually pay someone to type up their thoughts?? How can that be? Well, it is definite that there is no one that can type my thoughts up but me because I have a hard enough time getting them together myself.

So here I am on the blog after a month, I have to apologize to any reader that is discouraged but keep the faith because I am getting better.

I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving. Later on tonight, I am going to upload a photo of a nice inexpensive Thanksgiving arrangement that I created for a dinner party. This is to inform people that it is not expensive or difficult to become a DIYr if you enjoy what you do.

Well, Christmas is around the corner and I have some cute Internet deals that I have been reading about that I can share as well. Maybe I will post those later tonight as well......

Delaware had some nice galas this past month, that I was not able to attend but Delaware Today has detailed so eloquently that I felt as though I was there. That is a good magazine to glance at when you get a chance to get to know the "whos who" and the "whats what" in Delaware (primarily Greenville area).

Remember that Wedding Arrangements, LLC is having a 2009 promotion, pass the word to your friends!! Check out the website http://www.weddingarrangementsllc.com/!

2009 Promotion!

Guess who has a 2009 promotion......

Wedding Arrangements, LLC is seeking out three brides to offer free wedding planning services (Level II Arrangements).

Check out http://www.weddingarrangementsllc.com/ to view details and hurry before someone takes your free coordinator.

Who needs a NEW wedding dress??

It has been a while since my last posting but I have been doing some research for potential brides. SO stay tuned....

Everyone is familiar with David's Bridal because of its location and building size but have you been in there lately. It is a nice place to visit but not during the prime hours when there are more brides than consultants to assist. If you do need a dress from David's Bridal visit them during your normal working hours (this may involve the use of some of your vacation time) because most people want to visit them on the weekends. Nice collection of dresses with quick service but it is impersonal. Check out some of the smaller boutiques like Anastasia's Boutique in Greenville, DE.

For those that are not connected to the thought of having a new dress, check out the following sites:

http://http://www.preownedweddingdress.com/, the equivalent of Craig's list for brides that want to sell their expensive dresses at a reduced price. It is a benefit for both parties (buyer and seller).

http://www.resaleboutique.net/Bridal_.html, this is a resale boutique on Philadelphia Pike (Wilmington, DE). Check them out, they have a variety of wedding items.

There are many more resources to help potential brides reduce their overall costs for their wedding.

As I opened, stay tuned.....there will be more.....

So many colors........

You know when I speak with potential brides, the colors of their upcoming weddings are sometimes a mystery to them. I have a trick that can apply to your upcoming wedding or even that next meal that you have to prepare.

I have the pleasure of taking the drive up Rte. 52 in Delaware every morning, it is a relaxing nature drive in the midst of the morning rush but the amount of natural color that I pass by always amazes me. Too many of us, ignore the obvious that sits in front of us. The Earth has sprouted out its own color palette of beauty that we can draw inspiration from. The next time you are walking or even for a drive take some time out to appreciate your surroundings and take note of the color combinations that you see so that your wedding can be that unique event that you want it to be.

Isn't the above image beautiful... it displays the different shades within the Yellow and Orange family with a hint of Sky blue to break up the monotony.

Now the tip for your next dinner is similar. I used to have a friend in college that worked with me in the Library (hey, something had to help pay off the school loans) and he would always ask for advice on what he could make for dinner. My advice to him would be envision your plate and think of the colors that you will be placing on the plate because lets face it, we only eat what LOOKS appealing to our eye. He would say I am going to make steak with grilled onions but I don't know what else to make with it. My first instinct tells me that there is not enough color on his plate so I would advice him to make a roasted seasoned red potato (with the skin) and a steam mixed vegetable medley (seasoned with olive oil(for sheen and slight flavor) and preferred seasonings) . You want you plate to pop with color so that you mouth cannot wait to take the first bite! MMMmmm...Good!

The shrimp dish below illustrates my intent around the use of color to make a platter appetizing:


Look at the color combinations: Lime and Peach; Yellow and Orange; Green and Lime....if you keep looking you can come up with many more combinations.

Check your surrounds for your upcoming wedding colors, you may be surprised at what you see.

Let me know your thoughts....

Look at how simple!

I wanted to illustrate to everyone the simplicity of adding color into your wedding without spending alot of money.

The attached picture caught my eye because it was a nice basket (beautiful shade of green) with bright hot pink napkins and matching forks. From a far, it looks like a flower arrangement.

See simple but nice without the large price tag! You can use something like this to bounce other decor off of to create a sort of shabby chic wedding decor......guest will think you spent alot of money.

Having worked some weddings, I have seen some things that couples will/can appreciate re: saving them money on their nice wedding.

Remember that perception is everything. I have noticed that couples are purchasing these beautiful cakes and after they do the initial slice of the cake, they do not see it again until they have a slice on their plate back at their table after they have completed dancing. Wonder want goes on in the back with the cake...... Well, it is sliced up (of course!) but the question is, is all of the cake used at the wedding and the answer is "no" the slices of the cake are not that large that all of the cake is used. The couple can do one of many things:

*The extravagant cake can be purchased and you perform your initial slicing of the cake but request that your wedding planner ensure that the venue or caterer save the cake that is not sliced or slice extra pieces of the cake for the cake table for guests that would like to enjoy an additional slice. You can ask the baker for the box that the cake came in or for them to supply you with a box so that the cake can be packed up and sent home with you along with your gifts. Otherwise, the remaining cake is discarded with anything else that is left at the venue.

*You could have a tiered cake created with the bottom tier being the only "real" cake. There are bakeries that will be accommodate this requests. If you need to have additional cake for your guests purchase a regular sheet cake to ensure that everyone enjoys cake.

*Remember that cake is part of tradition and if you truly want to be unique with your wedding why not change up the dessert. Who is to say that you cannot have cupcakes, assorted donuts, pies, assorted homemade cakes, and even a ice cream/fruit bar. Your wedding should reflect your lifestyle so do not get caught up in the tradition of a large wedding cake.

Sunday, September 22nd Wedding

I am working on gaining experience at planning weddings by working at the Winterthur Museum as a bridal attendant. This is a wonderful experience that was a true blessing and a joy to work, not only because of my co-workers but the couples with the families are very nice.

This Sunday, I assisted Elaine and Joe Dillion with their wedding reception. This was a laid back couple that was appreciative of everything that was being done for them. They were not nervous at all and kept smiles on their faces the whole time. It was a small intimate wedding, full of love, elegance and simplicity. They were married outside at the Winterthur Museum reflecting pool at 6:30, right before the dusk of the day and when the sun went down the group stayed outside for a while and mingled with cocktails and hors d'oeuvres by candlelight. The Gallery was converted into a lovely dinner party style atmosphere with beautiful floral arrangements by Flowers by Yukie (http://www.flowersbyyukie) and the Winterthur (http://www.winterthurweddings.com) had some new brown and turquoise linens that were just lovely.

The wedding and reception was over by 10:30 PM which gave the couple ample time to change and prepare for their honeymoon trip. It was truly a lovely night where the weather agreed with the event and the couple truly exemplified their love for each other the special guests that they invited.

Growing Pains

My sister turned sixteen and it was automatically assumed that I would be the one to organize her party within a month of the event date. My mother did most of the correspondence with the vendors and has been a great resource in finding local vendors that are affordable............................ because expensive to mom is reasonable to me so she is the perfect asset to the business.

We had everything ordered and contracts were signed and then.... it rained on the night of the party. It was nice all week long and even predicted to be beautiful after the party but not the night of. Oh my where do we start with the phone calls that occurred that day, we had the make-up artist state that she was not coming out in the storming rain. The DJ got lost but did not want to admit it. He kept on saying that he was 10 minutes away and when he finally got to the venue, he circled the place for another 5 minutes. The caterer had just started a new job which had her behind schedule and she came just before the party girl and than she brought the raw food (on ICE) that she was not able to cook because she had to work late. The decorating crew miscalculated how long it was going to take us to decorate the hall so we were all rushing to get changed right before the "ON TIME" guests arrived.

This is why this posting is called "Growing Pains"... everyone starts out somewhere and most of these vendors were new at their craft which does not mean with more practice they will not get better but a chance was given so that they can learn where their weaknesses are and the areas they need to strengthen.

I wanted to illustrate that even though the event was a success there are some things that the planner has to endure and rectify to make the party keeps going because when the day of the event is here, IT IS WHAT IT IS!

The Sweet Sixteener had a nice time at her party and she is still receiving rave reviews, in light of the preliminary events that she and her attendees were not made aware of.

The only thing that I could not anticipate was the way that the new generation dances these days. Some wanted to battle on the dance floor whereas others were having close encounters that needed to be monitored.

Look at what I have gotten myself into....... I will post some of the party pictures on a later post.

You have to start somewhere....

To start a formal business or do it on the side...... That was the question for a long period of time. Until I turned thirty, had two children, and finally got to a place where me and my husband can begin to grow together.

2008 is the year of new beginnings and that is what I have done. I have begun the process to have a fully publicized small business in the state of Delaware. Wedding planning utilizes my skills in a different manner than my full time career does within the Corporate/Engineering realm; it brings color and design to an ordinarily drab "thing" called organization and planning. You have to deal with every member of the family, not necessarily just in the wedding but throughout the course of a wedding planning career, you will meet a ......-zilla of some sort.

I wanted to take this journey on but not do it alone. As I accomplish different milestones, they will be shared on this blog for your education (so you learn from my mistakes) and enjoyment (everyone needs to learn how to laugh at themselves every now and again!)