Come and support us...as a member of the Board of Directors & Chair of the Events Committee of the SEARCH Foundation, I would love to see you join us help people in the Special Events industry who are faced with catastrophic loss and illness. Good friends of mine have benefited from SEARCH and it is the only non-profit in this industry that helps us help each other. Please donate your time, your money, your silent auction items and give back to those in need.
ISES EventWorld is being held in San Francisco this year, if you plan on attending, please plan on spending your Friday night with us as the ISES Napa-Sonoma Chapter and ISES Northern California Chapter put on an amazing event
You can purchase tickets at the SEARCH Foundation website or at EventWorld...but buy early for the best rate.
The always amazing photographer Elizabeth Messina featured my good friend Kristen's wedding today on Kiss the Groom. The wedding is currently in the Fall issue of Modern Bride Magazine {thanks to Tony, et. al} and Elizabeth showcased even more of the lovely, lovely wedding! Kristen is the owner of Bliss Video Productions a boutique film company based in California.
it is with great happiness that i share with you the intimate photographs of kristen* & todd’s elegant summer wedding….you simply must pick up the newest issue of MODERN BRIDE, which has a beautiful four page spread on this truly unique & inspiring wedding….all the elements of this special day were brilliantly executed by sasha souza, an amazing event planner in northern california…..
the couple exchanged vows at nestledown a stunning location, literally “nestled” in lush foliage & beautiful redwood trees….it was the perfect backdrop for kristen’s vision of a wedding inspired by nordic mythology & art nouveau….their wedding felt like a A Midsummer Night’s dream soiree…..
this vintage london taxi was the stylish couple’s get away vehicle
kristen’s wore a beautiful hand crafted shrug over a stunning lace la sposa gown….the shrug was not only a work of art but a very special momento for the bride….it was made by holly stalder from lace that belonged to kristen’s great great grandmother….such a stunning and meaningful piece….
kristen* also wore a stunning one of a kind headpiece made by leah c…..todd wore a vintage suit, made by al’s attire…. kristen* & todd are such a beautiful couple…so sweet & incredibly stylish….
todd shielded his eyes as he waited to see kristen* for the first time….and at the ceremony, sasha souza created the most adorable “toss me” table for the couple…….the guests filled little cups with an array of beautiful flowers & herds & tossed them at the stunning couple as they walked down the aisle…
the amazing florals were created by northern california based leah lowery for sasha souza events
the guests dined on locally grown organic cuisine at stunning tables designed by sasha souza
kristen’s hair was an amazing nordic inspired updo with braids woven throughout….
at the end of the evening, the couples & their guests danced and celebrated inside a barn, adorned by sasha souza with beautiful fabric & candles…their art nouveau cake was created by san francisco based i dream of cake….and guests enjoyed hundreds of homemade cookies made with love by the bride’s mother and grandmother…. i hope this incredibly beautiful blissful event inspires your own….
Now that wedding season is in full swing, Ms. Gnomer has come out from under her toadstool to deliver the most interesting Oh No They Di'ints of the season.
Ms. Gnomer was mortified a few weekends ago when during the toast, the bride called the groom "Her Little Retard"
Not. Kidding.
Girls, do your toasts before you've had too much to drink AND don't take valium or xanax on your wedding day, it makes for some really questionable moments.
{sorry about the cruddy Ms. Gnomer image -- she forgot her camera}
It's no secret to those who know me that I have a Cole Haan w/Nike Air fettish. Mostly with the Carma Mary Jane Peep Toes :) But this one, is SMOKIN' HOT. Copper Crocodile? I'll take a 7.5 please!
We are gearing up for our next Team IDo phone conference call taking place in the next two weeks!!
We're excited to let you know that we've got a lot of great people and great content coming up but are having to now limit the size of our team because - it's wedding season!
So, if you're looking to upgrade your business, learn something new or are starting a new business. Drop me an email and we can chat about how we can work together to build stronger better businesses!
{image}
As an event designer, I love Photoshop.
As an event designer, I hate Photoshop.
Let me explain....
What I love: that photographers I can fix...adjust...tweak images. Make it more romantic, give it depth and feeling. Fix a myriad of sins. Make greens greener and blues bluer.
What I hate: that photographers can fix...adjust...tweak images. Make colors not what they really were in real life.
A tough conundrum to have because when a couple shows an image of roses and they want THAT EXACT color. I sometimes have to tell them that the color does not and never could exist. It's in the lighting and in the tweaking and the adjustments or actions that made it look that way in the image.
Are they disappointed? Most often, yes. Do they argue with me as to WHY?? Sometimes, yes.
I've arrived at a point in my career where I can almost always look at an image and pick out those that are not true to color or nature. I say MOST of the time because Photoshop is great with a light hand but more often than not it's not done lightly.
There are many times when I review images and see the adjusting on the images that I have painstakingly put our design touch on. The green just slightly more teal. The orange has a hint of red. Do I like it? Sometimes yes but more often I have lost sleep over whether or not that charger was the RIGHT thing to do. To see it not true, makes me kind of sad. I'd love to have my cake and eat it too. To see the images in their raw form and then again with the photographer's idea of a more beautiful event.
When we do a consultation with a couple and view their inspiration, Leah, my lead floral designer, and I will look at the images - turning them this way and that - trying to figure out *maybe* what the true color was of that orchid, the name of that rose. It's almost funny to watch to an outsider. It's taken me a lot of years to have such an extensive knowledge of flowers, colors and availability which has helped me understand images that are presented and process the information to best advise our couples.
So for the brides reading this - go easy on the tones of your flowers and how exactly you must have the rose match the bridesmaids shawls...
For event planners - sometimes the picture isn't exactly as it was...
For photographers - can you give me the option of seeing the real images, please? I'd love to see how my original vision turned out.
Although I am not a vegetarian myself, I have never understood what is so difficult about feeding a small minority of people something as yummy and visually appetizing as the entree being served to the majority of the guests. Before I started doing full event design, the caterers would provide a menu to the couple with the listing of the food being served. The vegetarian always said "Vegetarian Option Also Available" and most couples would simply smile and say "I think I maybe have 5 AT THE MOST".
{via Gallery of Regrettable Food}
I feel that those 5 {and any veggie vendors, your culinary minority, still deserved the same caliber of entree and not simply an entree of EVERYTHING BUT THE MEAT. You know, a bowl of side dishes as it were. Maybe some potato or rice and steamed or grilled vegetables without any sauce and they have to ask for butter.
Our menus even go so far as to create entirely different first courses and middle courses IF they contain meat, chicken or fish so that the guest can enjoy a FULL MEAL instead of skipping courses. Why is it important to take care of your minority? Because they are your guests. And if they came to your house for dinner you would have accommodated them. Why wouldn't you do that at your reception?
Is it really so hard for the hotel banquet director to instruct the chef to make a yummy and filling pasta course for the vegetarians? Pasta is a lot less expensive than say a slab of meat, pork or chicken. A little extra cutting, some fresh tomatoes, sauce and cheese and all are happy and well fed.
{via tastespotting}
Consider your culinary minority and you can ensure that all your guests will think you're the best hostess ever...
photo by Brooke Schwab via Life. Love. Lipstick. Blog. I wish I knew who made this gown. It's AMAZING!
