.when good things happen to great people.

7.31.2009

One of my favorite things is celebrating the joys, accomplishments and successes of others. Really, I do. I know that this is a rare find...but I truly think that if you are happy for others, good things come your way and others can be happy for you.

I'd love for my blogging friends to get book deals... then I can go to their signings and have a gront spot in the line...or do their hair or style their clothes. I love when new businesses take off and become hugely popular thanks for social networking sites and their own personal triumphs.

So today, I am going to shout out my accomplishments....be happy if you want...post yours if you would like! Let's hear it for success!

My first ever article was published in Las Vegas Bride Magazine (Summer 2009). In meeting with the magazine to discuss wedding stuff, I asked for space and they delivered. So please, follow them on blogger and check out my article, The Nearlywed Report

I am currently blogging for myself (ahem...you are here) and three other FABULOUS wedding websites... again, congrats to those who have started these sites and have pursued making them the successes that they are!
In no order:
1. TweetMyWedding- This site had five bloggers who expand on one of the "Tweets" from the week. Happily, I can say that I am the first blogger on this site... my first post went live on Monday. There are four other talented blogger brides who write... so check them out daily!
2. Bridal Buds- I love this site! An inspirational place for brides, who are named after "buds". I love posting here and hope to continue well after I am a Misses. You can find my posts under the name of "Poinsettia" bud...along with all of the other talented brides.
3. Weddzilla- This site provides inspiration & insight to brides from brides. There are so many great posts from how to be a great MOH to e-pic ideas and beyond. My intro post is on August 5th, so stay tuned for great posts by Jennifer B. (that is my government name!)

So there ya have it! I am trying to make my way as a writer... anyone have any book deals they want to hand out?!? Ha...well if you do, who am I to say no!?

Share your recent joys with me! I'd love to be happy for you!

.couture, mi amor.

7.27.2009

Here is another I’ll admit moment. I want shoes. Not just shoes. Fabu, expensive shoes. Why? I don’t know- I’m not a super-flashy type of girl. But since I got such a fabu deal on my dress, I want some killer shoes. Yes, I know what you are thinking “Shut up about the damn shoes and just buy some”. I am. Eventually. You know how when you are in the hunt to find something, you can never find it? That is me.

In search of: D’Orsay style peep toe pumps, most likely a dyeable material. I will then need to find a jewel for the front if it doesn’t already come with one.
I drool over these:

.christian louboutin, d'orsay peep toes.
And I added these to my cart at least 6 times.....but never bought them.


.brian atwood vita d'orsay peep toes.

The good news? I can barely squeeze the front of my foot into Louboutin’s. Yay! Just saved myself at least $500.

Shoe fairly, won’t you please sprinkle some shoe buying fairy dust onto me?? PLEASE!
So this is my new plan of attack- I live in Las Vegas. There are tons of high end shops, I need to get my butt into one of these shops and try on some shoes. And while you are at it, shoe fairy—can you help me find a clutch and some other accessories? Thanks.

.service without a smile, part 2.

7.23.2009

::::::::::A follow up to this post.::::::::::

This will kept light, short and sweet. We had our venue walk through on Tuesday. Is it a bad sign that I was nervous? Nervous to walk into a venue that we’ve booked and are paying for? It wasn’t like we are sneaking into an Art Museum after hours, right???

Long story short…. Everything went well until we overstayed our welcome. I just personally feel like if you need something to do something unfavorable, there is a right way and a wrong way to address it. For example, if the room was being used for something else and we were still in there (after being told “psh, take your time”), instead of “If you need more time, you will have to book another appointment. We thought you were only going to be here for a few minutes” … Why not try, “Nearlywed, if you guys need more time to work on your details, would you like to use the couch in the foyer? We have to turn the room over for another event. Thank you”. Just my opinion.

When I was a wedding coordinator at Caesars Palace, I dealt with this all of time. Often, a couple who just booked a wedding or hot & tired tourists would use our chapels for a place of rest or planning. My line was, “Hi- we have a wedding starting in about 10 minutes [this is usually where people get the message and just get up and leave anyway] so I need to ask that you allow for their guests to come in. If you’d like, there are chairs in the office/hallway, etc.”

I totally understand that our venue is an active adult community, not an event venue, and that their residents are priority #1. Totally get that. My problem is how they interact with clients. Hopefully this uneasy feeling wears off…. Right now, I’m having awful thoughts and visions about the reception. Gawd, is this being Bridezilla-y?? Am I really becoming that bride? Or is there a difference between demanding that people cater to you and expecting to be treated a certain way, as a client???





On an unrelated note, my mom met M-Zilla at our GNO over the weekend.
Here is a pic of us all together- My face is rather large, isn't it?

.bridal beauty in the making, part dos.

7.19.2009

This trip for the MOB and FOB has been quite productive. Since they booked their tix, I wanted MOB to have her hair turned fabu by my stylist, Andeen, and she obliged. MOB is a girlie girl like me, but she doesn't get to come out to play too often. So we took our before pic....and went to get our hairs did.






Andeen is the most talented hair guru I've ever met and what I enjoy the most is that she will take the time to ask what you normally do with your hair, how you normally style it and then create something new that will not conflict with your lifestyle or willingness to be high maintenance. She also takes the time to teach you how to curl, style, dry, whatever your hair. Everything that I've ever learned about cute hair was taught to me by Andeen. If you need a stylist here locally, she is who I recommend, hands down. Hair tools, will travel.

What she created for MOB was amazing.... And here is our "after" photo, before GNO (Girls Nite Out)





I also thought that it would be nice to start looking at shoes for MOB's dress. I should have known that the first pair she tries on would be the winner, just like her fabu dress. I will show pics of the shoes....but not the dress. Is it just me or are MOB dresses soooo matronly these days?? Anyway, I delivered several boxes of silvery shoes to MOB and she gracefully tried them on. Like with the dress, I will give my opinion but the decision truly comes down to what makes MOB feel the most glamorous and most comfortable. It will be a long day in a dress that constricts breathing and makes you squirm.
So I leave you with this..... some fabu shoes.... that quite possibly after the wedding will be a new, something old just for me!

.who presents this bride.

7.18.2009

Last nite Flo and I took MOB and FOB to our ceremony venue and having our own little walk through. According to our sales coordinator at Caesars, the new garden chapel is underway. Ground has been broken. So the chances of us getting married here are slim, but it was still fun.

.practicing the "who presents this bride?".

.we do.

.we can't wait.

Nine months and one week to go, it is getting super exciting. Tuesday is our reception walk thru. We actually got that worked out, if you read my previous blog about the service we were getting at our venue, you can rest easy knowing that they "accommodated" us, (begrudgingly) and that we are going there on Tuesday (at the time I first requested). Imagine that- taking your client when it's convenient for them. We will see how this one goes.... if we walk out of there without bucking horns, no more words will be written.
PS: I won $22 on one spin! Sweet!

.to do this weekend.

7.17.2009

With my parents in town for the next eight days, I want to get wedding stuff done. The problem with that? I don’t know what to do! Seriously.
We finally set our venue walk-through appt. I could think of so many things that are more pleasant than trying to get an appt there, but I think that we now have an understanding. That takes place on Tuesday.

Tonite, we may pop in and see how the ceremony venue is coming along. Supposedly at Caesars, they are constructing a new garden….if not I’m more than happy with the “old” garden.

Tomorrow, MOB and I are getting our hairs did. Mine is just the maintenance trim. It’s been bothering me to not have fun, perky hair style for the next few months, but now that I have a dress…. The need to grow my hair super-crazy long isn’t such a must-have. MOB needs some updating to her hair and my hair stylist, Andeen, is so perfect. Plus, we can talk hair and hair pieces! YAY!

While they are in town, here is our tackle list:
-Update registry with mom- but the “hands-on” things like bedding and towels
-Decide on size of bottles for the favors
-Look through my binder and show MOB what’s been inspiring me
-Go to see both venues
-Hopefully hit Megabux
-Show FOB the tie that I’d like him to wear

That sounds like a pretty active list… in between, we will hope to hit Megabux.

.diy or die, vol. 2.

7.14.2009

The wedding map. Where it all begins. Since I’ve fallen in love with the loads of amazing wedding blogs out there, I decided that I did want some of the projects to be DIY. This coming from a person who has no craftiness, no designing skills, nothing. I’ve searched high and low through blogs, websites and magazines for DIY advice and help. Narrowing down what I won’t do was easy- I won’t Gocco anything, wont attempt to print my own invites, make my own centerpieces or bouquets, but here is what I will try:

Bathroom Baskets- come on. How difficult is it to grab some (ok, probably an over abundance) toiletries and toss them (neatly) into a basket (decorated, of course) and slap it (arranged and centered) on the bathroom counter? I mean really, some mouthwash (probably in a pump along with some disposable cups), a few tic tacs (in all varietals) and call it a day! Ok…who are we kidding? I am a queen of over packing, so you know that these baskets will probably be the first thing someone wants to take home. Screw the centerpieces, let’s grab the free tampons!

DIY Map- This is somewhat of an idiot project for me but something I felt that can be accomplished. Here is why: any locals who are coming will most likely know where the venues are. If not, they have phones and Google maps. Any OOT guests, we are providing transportation from point “I DO” to point “Let’s PARTY”. So really, who needs this map? No one, I just think that it will be a fun project for me!
his is how the map currently looks. As I finish it, I will save step-by-step directions. In the meantime, you can search all over the web for ideas on how to put your own together. It seems daunting, at first, but if I can do it...anyone can!


Flip Flop Basket- I hate feet. I would probably rather eat a mustard and cilantro sandwich than touch or even look at feet. So to see tired and bare feet at the wedding is going to. Drive. Me. Nuts. I will have flip flops for the ladies who wish to slip on something a lil more comfortable. My DIY here is going to be buying the flops, putting them into some sort of container (beverage tub?) with a cute little sign about using them… and I’ve been inspired by other brides to put a tag or some thing to announce the size of the flop!


.photos courtesy of project wedding, summerbride2009.
Candy buffet- YES! Let them eat candy! Let the diabetic have a candy buffet! Haha. Enough said. As I lay this out and begin to purchase the sweet treats, more "along the way" photos will be posted.

One thing that I’ve learned is that every wedding may have the same ideas and the same cute things- a photo booth, a candy buffet, a flip flop bin. The great thing is that you can see a photo of others displays projects and ideas. Think that buffets and flippy floppies are too played out? Like Paris Hilton and her Chihuahua?? Think again savvy bride- most likely your wedding is still unique to your guests. Yes, who cares that you were in a wedding last month and they had a photo booth also…. Was your grandma at that wedding? What about Aunt Helen? To them, it is fresh, new and unique. So DIY away, sisters!


.license and registration.

7.12.2009

One of the things I’ve always looked forward to in wedding planning was starting (and now finally finishing) the registry. In my vision, we’d pick our stores, sign up and then spend an hour or so scanning the items we’d like. Boooop—boooop—boooop and done. The reality could not be further from the dream. Sheesh.

Our registry is set up currently with two stores. We spent one hour in one store and I was done. I mean stick-a-fork –in-me kind of done. It was exhausting. I’m not much of a shopper- yeah, I know difficult to believe, but I am not a leisurely shopper. I get what I need and then bounce. This was exhausting! Whew… So needless to say, I haven’t stepped foot back in the store, all of the work was done line, with the exception of linens and towels. Some things are best left to be experienced before scanning.


Flo has been a trooper. He scanned, he compared brands and colors and crapped out at the same time I did. At least we are in the same pod when it comes to attention spans.


Moving along…I intend to finalize the remainder of items within the next week while MOB is visiting.


The registry is no task to tackle on one’s own. I enlisted the help of my sister, who could take down Martha Stewart any day, and A-Zilla, who can give Silvia Weinstock a run for her sugar flowers any day. Each of them are rock stars in the cooking and baking fields, respectively. They were sent my password and give carte blanche to have their way with our registry. So what does S-Zilla do? Tell me that I have too many vases and not enough sheets and towels. Ey-yi-yi. Regardless, I am much appreciative of their assistance, recommendations and assistance with this daunting task.


Today, MOB and I are talking about her vacay to Vegas (vacay starts tomorrow! Whoot Whoot) and she had received a phone call from a relative stating that they had received our STD! YAY!


Sidebar: The STDs are being received and six days after sending them, we did not receive any “return to senders” back! Sweet! And we are getting nice feedback on them. Double yay! That deserves a Chardonn-yay!


Resuming: Well the relative said that she had gone to the website- no it is unknown if this is our wedding website? Or our registry sites? And the comment was “The stuff on there is so expensive.” Ey-yi-yi. Yea, I did register for a Dyson vac. And all-clad cookware. And a wine fridge. But I also registered for a kitchen timer, a garlic press, a pancake turner and wine charms.


This goes back to my thoughts on how the worst of people come out to play in the best of times. The comment wasn’t, “MOB, we got the STD and it is very creative, very nice, they look great, etc. Too bad I can’t make it to Vegas.”


Ok- this may sound ungrateful, bridezilla-y, etc. But my comment back to MOB was, “They don’t need to get us anything. If they want to get a gift and the registry is overpriced, that is fine. Don’t get anything.” The reason nearlyweds do take the time to set up a registry is for the showers and for friends and relatives who wish to get the couple a gift. This way, they are getting exactly what they wanted, the colors, the brands, etc. It is actually a helpful tool for those who are feeling generous at gift giving time.


I have advice on making the registry process less daunting… but it is late and I am tired. So in the meantime, I will leave you with two photos of the excitement that was registering in store.




.HISpiration.

Since the inception of this blog, I thought it would be great touches to have Flo write some pieces. The thoughts of a groom, how he deals with the bride and her decisions, how he picks his attire for the day, etc.

This piece is in the works. I promise you that…. An entry from Flo is just mere days or weeks away… I told him to write about whatever… I am sure that wedding planning through the eyes and mind of the groom will be an interesting addition to The Nearlyweds Blog.

I know that he reads this blog, so now that I put him on blast, he has to act. Hi Flo.
Stay tuned….

.service without a smile.

7.10.2009

I didn’t want this blog to be a ranting place because my fear was coming off all Bridezilla-y. However, it’s been plaguing me about some of the craptastic service I’ve encountered so far in my planning.

We will start with the dresses… When I booked my ticket to the East Coast in March, I immediately contacted a few stores to set up gown appointments. The week before my appointments, I called to confirm my times and voila! One place did not even have me in their books. I kindly explained that I will be traveling across the county and have a very tight schedule so this appointment needs to happen. It was a no-go. So I told her to fuggggeddaboutit and moved along. After jostling my schedule they call back saying “ohh we had an opening!” Yay. Psh. So like a sucker, I took it.

My next dress gripe was follow up. Only once, yes, one time….wait, I lied, twice, has a store called to follow up on my visit. If a bride cries, wants to take photos or calls her BFF and her parents while she is in a gown in your store, chances are you can sucker her into buying it. No, really, you probably can. Of ALL the places I’ve visited and filled out a customer card and they’ve written down the dress that brought me to ear to ear grins, only two ever called to check in on me and see if I was still interested.

Maybe my business skills are of a different set than others, but customer service should always be the prime goal, correct? This should be your goal, regardless of what state the economy is in. However, in this especially solemn economy, one would think that service standards would be stepped up a bit? It is a battlefield for business right now, isn’t it???

Lately, I’ve been having issues with my reception venue. Emails aren’t being returned and when they are, they are cold and hard. I had requested a time to come in and show my parents the venue, I said that my schedule is open but need something later in the afternoon, like 4 or 4:30. Recalling that they shut down and the coordinator was less than enthused to ever work up until 5 pm, I tried to squeeze out the latest appt possible. Today, I feel combative with our reception contact. She point blank said, “My office closes at 5 pm. I do not schedule appointments that late in the day.” Maybe she has afternoon recap meetings? Maybe afternoon tea or a nap? I’m not sure how one can read an email and respond with that and not even say, “Let me check, maybe one day I can adjust my schedule to accommodate that.” As an event planner myself, there are days when I come in early to accommodate event set up for a regular client. There are times when I am here on a Saturday at 4:30 in the AM for a charity walk. It ain’t pretty, but our clients are satisfied and that is what matters.

I called the community and found someone who is willing to help us out! She has asked that we forward the emails from our coordinator that say, “My office closes at 5 PM and I will not take appointments that late.” Since when is 4 pm late when your office closes at 5??

Stay tuned for the update.

.stuffed, stamped, sealed and delivered.

7.06.2009

Today marks our first big milestone in the planning process. Well, maybe not THE first…but a pretty big one. Our Save The Dates were mailed!!!

They have been stuffed (thanks, Flo), stamped (thanks, Flo), labeled (thanks, Flo) and sealed (thanks, me!). And Today, Flo dropped them at the Post Office. I wanted to be there taking a photo…but since today is my turn to pay the bills, I had to go to work. So instead, here is a photo of them.



This was definitely a team effort once we received them via UPS. Flo and I collectively, stuffed, hand addressed, made the mailing labels, stamped, labeled and glued them shut! Getting all of the addresses was less than easy. For some reason, I ended up with about 10 of the Groom’s side not having an address. We had to practically harass MIL to get these addresses for us. It wasn’t her, though, she’s been harassing the guests. What? You don’t want to be invited? Sweet- I can use some extra space on the guest list! Speaking of… in reviewing our STD list, MIL added one more name! Ahhh!!!!!! The guest list is still about 50 over where we wanted it but have pretty much stuck a straw in and sucked it up.

Once again, these were designed by Ellie who also had them printed and shipped out to us. We had ordered 100 card and 100 envelopes. We ran out of envelopes but still have cards left! HA! I hand addressed them. However, my hand moves faster than my brain, so some states were abbreviated. Some said Mr. So and So and Ms. Such and Such. The woman’s name always goes first. And no “and” is needed between two lines. I had to Google “addressing etiquette” as we have some doctors, some people who are married and kept their own name, some people who are divorced, widowed, attorneys, etc. For the invites, I am leaving the addressing up to the pros. That is way too stressful to tackle on my own.

So it begins- the STDs are in the mail (no, they did not come with penicillin) and we are fully underway with planning.


Sometimes, I look at the calendar and think that nine months is still a ton of months away, then I log onto my wedding website drug and see other brides who are “date twins” starting to make lists and get everything in order and buy things. Am I slacking or do I just know that it isn’t stress out time? A little of both, I presume.

My wedding map is in progress and now that I’ve gotten the hang of it, it is quite fun. Stay tuned for my next post where I talk about the DIY wedding map.