Thanksgiving Feast

So this year my family has of course put the "planner in the family" in charge of everything that has to be done with Thanksgiving from managing the guest list, to the food, to the decor. As if I didn't already have enough planning on my hands. But I love them, so here I am planning the schedule for our wonderful large Italian family Thanksgiving.

My Guest List:

My guest list includes my mom, my sisters and their significant others, my aunts and their families, my grandma, my dearest friends...and pretty much anyone who mom mom bumps into from now to then. (She's Italian and believes no one should spend a holiday alone, after all we "all are family!") So far my list is at about 30 guests!

My Menu:

Turducken (Turkey, Duck, and Chicken all wrapped up in one)

Turkey

Goose

Ham

Mashed Potato Bar (includes mashed potatoes with all the the toppings like bacon, cheese, scallions, etc. in bowls surrounding it, so each person can make their own special bowl of mashed potatoes)

String Bean Casserole

Yams (with a Marshmallow Crust)

Arlyn's Famous Cranberry Sauce

Stuffing

Salad

The Dessert Bar will include the following:

Pumpkin Pie

Mini Espresso Pumpkin Cakes

Mini Lemon Pies

Red Velvet Cake

Pound Cake

The Decor:

Hues of Cranberry and Gold will dress my guest tables, along with delicate White and Gold Accents.

#1 QUESTION ASKED BY BRIDES

The #1 question I hear brides ask is "what do wedding planners really do?" Well of course my typical answer includes how we help save them time, money, and stress. We help find the most perfect vendors, conceptualize beautiful tablescapes and room ambiances, do the budgeting, help with proper etiquette, create customized menus, etc.

I realized the other day that although my answer tells all you brides what I do overall, it doesn't demonstrate to you all things that could happen the day of your wedding that I deal with that you will never know about.

So, I thought it may be fun to tell you after each wedding the little things I did to make it a flawless event.

Here's my first exciting adventure to tell you about:

1. The bride forgot to include a vase for her son to pour the sand in their sand ceremony. We luckily always carry extras of certain things with us, like a small vase. I set it out with her other vases and put her son's sand it in before the ceremony began.
2. The linen company forgot pins to tack up the linens at the reception. We quickly fixed the problem by pulling out a box of pins from my wedding bag.
3. The cake got a hole in the side from either a guest trying to get a quick taste or who knows what. We noticed the hole, grabbed a butter knife, grabbed some icing from the back where no one could see, and patched the hole right up. No one noticed and the bride and groom had a picture perfect cake.
4. One of the bridesmaids had a terrible headache. The Advil in my wedding bag stopped her head from throbbing before anyone could say "I do."
5. The bride was suppose to supply the cups for the bar. However, she got so caught up in all the wedding bliss that the bar still needed to be stocked. Jen rescued the night by running to the store and buying cups before any of the guests arrived at the reception hall.
6. During the "cutting of the cake" the photographer ran out of room on her disk. I ran to her bag and grabbed an empty disk; she never had to miss a shot.

Of course, there were about a million more things that we tackled head first that day but it would take me all day to tell you about it. Hope this gives you a little insight.

Julie and Steve

Welcome Julie and Steve to the celebrate! family!! We are so excited to plan your beautiful day!

Their wedding ceremony will be held at the romantic Chapel in the Garden with an elegant reception following at the Riverside Pavillon. One of our favorite photographers, Leah from Leahjeanphoto.com, will be shooting this beautiful couple on their special day.

The wedding will take place next October and be dressed in beautiful fall colors. Julie loves chocolate so it will be incorporated from a chocolate fountain, to the linens, to the overall romantic look. Rachael and Kasie from Rachael Kasie Designs will be creating their beautiful floral masterpieces to accomplish their fall look.

We can't wait until the big day! Welcome again!

Vendors from A to Z: E is for Egomedia Photography

A few weeks ago I got a moment to talk to one of the most cutting edge photojournalist I know--Jennifer Cody from Egomedia Photography. Jen photographed one of our beautiful October weddings and we were absolutely amazed by not only her incredible photos but also her professionalism and attention to detail.Here is a little more insight to Egomedia Photography:

1. When & why did you begin egomedia photography?

We started egomedia photography officially in 2004. Sam had a background in film and was doing some commercial photography work for network television. I was working full time for the International Monetary Fund but found that photography was becoming an increasingly important part of my life. We made the final decision to begin photographing weddings professionally after having a very negative experience with our own wedding photographer. We were shocked by the lack of professionalism we encountered in the industry and resolved that we could do far better. And we believe we have!

2. What types of events do you photograph & which are your favorite?

We photograph weddings almost exclusively, making occasional exceptions for previous clients with other photography needs. Weddings are certainly our favorite.

3. Where is your favorite wedding site to shoot?

I certainly have several favorites - the Casa Monica Hotel, Meridian House, the Ronald Reagan building - but it's important to note that although location is important, every wedding has its own personality and that's what ultimately influences the images we provide to our clients.

4. What makes your photography skills & company stand out from other photographers & their work?

We are wedding photojournalists and it is our goal to capture stunning images from our clients' weddings and present them as part of a full body of work which will become a part of each couple's family's legacy. Everything we do is done to accomplish that goal. We are a full time professional studio and we pride ourselves on our responsiveness and attention to our clients. We process each image by hand in our studio before delivering them to our clients and all of our album designs are done by hand in-house.

5. Tell us something funny that has happened while photographing a bride or groom:

LOL well there are some stories that are less than appropriate but I'll share one amusing anecdote. We were photographing the first dance at an outdoor wedding when we noticed that the wedding cake was covered with ants! We discreetly let the catering manager know and they took it from there :)

6. What is the most gratifying thing about your job?

I think what is most gratifying is the knowledge that for the rest of their lives our clients will have beautiful images of their wedding to show future generations of their family. Long after the day is over and they've forgotten many of the details they will be able to relive the day through the beauty of those photographs - as a couple and as a family.

To get Jennifer or one of her other photographers to shoot your special event, contact her at:

Egomedia Photography

http://www.egomediaphotography.com/

jen@egomediaphotography.com

tel: 410.353.0631/703.431.0037

Welcome Alyson and Corey

Welcome Alyson and Corey to the celebrate! family. We are so excited to start planning your special day.Corey and Alyson live in New Mexico and are doing internships at Los Alamos National Laboratory. They plan to wed as soon as Alyson's internship is completed. No set date yet,but they plan to have a wedding dressed in colors of champagne and gold with a splash of color. It is sure to be a magical event.

Vendors from A to Z: D is for Daytona Limo

This past week I sat down with Byron from Daytona Limo and had a great chat with him about his company.

Daytona Limo is an amazing limo rental company in the Daytona Beach area. They have exceptional service and pay impeccable attention to detail. We recently used their services for one of our brides in October and we are now hooked!!!

Below are some of the things Byron and I chatted about that I thought you would enjoy to learn about:

1. When & why did your company begin?
Daytona Limos was created by Jason Grant and I, Byron Hebert, in the spring of 2007. Having both grown up in the Daytona Beach area over the years we saw a real lack of service in the local limousine market. Many of the other local companies offered older limousines which lacked the amenities and features that most people would expect in a limousine. The service we received from other companies over the years was questionable at best. We researched the limousine industry for about two years prior to opening the doors at Daytona Limos and decided we could offer better vehicles and better service.

2. What makes your limo service stand out from other companies?
Daytona Limos takes a client centered approach to our service. Everything we do is aimed to please the client. We offer many features and services the other companies simply won’t offer. When we add a limousine to our fleet we make sure it has all of the state of the art equipment that people have come to except, such as Satellite Direct TV, XM radio, I pod connections, Play Station 3, Laser Light shows, and sound systems that rival most night clubs. When it comes to wedding service we always provide a professional chauffeur who is properly dressed for the occasion. Daytona Limos chauffeurs are attired in full black suits, complete with chauffeur caps. Our wedding packages include roll out red carpet service, just married

flags and magnets, and like most things with Daytona Limos it is included complementary.

3. What is a unique fact about yourself?
I have any extensive background in marketing and have Bachelors degree from Florida State University in marketing.

4. Tell us what you like most about your career:
The best part about the limousine business is dealing with so many happy people. When we interact with clients it is for some sort of special occasion in their life. Rarely in the limousine industry do we encounter upset or unhappy people, it makes coming to work a new exciting experience instead of just another day on the job.

5. How can people get into contact with your company?
Our website is complete with rates, limo pictures, and videos of our entire fleet. http://www.daytonalimos.com/ or you can call us at 800-296-1990 or 386-795-LIMO (5466). Feel free to stop by and see us at 294 S Yonge Street, Ormond Beach, FL 32174

THANK YOU!!

Dear Jen and Jenna,


The wedding was perfect! It was everything I could have possibly imagined it to have been and then some, and I know that would not have been the least bit possible without you both!!!! And I must say, you ABSOLUTELY, WITHOUT A DOUBT were worth EVERYTHING and then some.
The flowers, were gorgeous! You know I am not good at imagining what I wanted, and somehow the wedding turned out to be exactly what I wanted, and I never even told you. You made everything I imagined into a reality---and THANK you for that. You girls took care of everything and really made my day a day I did not have to worry about anything except looking nice and enjoy getting married! Instead of worrying about the details, I was able to enjoy the details!

I think Heath said it best to me, when we left the next day and that was “Jen and Jenna did such an incredible job. I can't believe how easy everything was and not having to do anything was wonderful, I got to watch the game and hangout with the boys!”

I wish there was some other way I could tell you how important you both were to me on that day and how truly thankful I am that you were there to be apart of it. Your business is amazing and you could NOT be doing any better of a job at it!!!!!


I love you both!!!!!! and *THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*
-- Serena Khorsandian






Photos by: Jennifer Cody from egomediaphotography.com

Great New Find

So I found the most amazing item!!!! Its called SOLE MATES!!!

Sole Mates are little plastic covers that you place on the heels of your shoes to keep your heels from sinking into the ground. This is perfect accessory to help you walk down the aisle at your outdoor wedding.

Go to thesolemates.com for more info and to keep yourself from sinking on your wedding day!

Get Out and Vote

Today is the BIG DAY, ELECTION DAY!!!!

Make sure you get out and vote. Your vote counts!