Sap Isn't Just From Trees...

"Soul meets soul on lover's lips."

-Percy Bysshe Shelley

A little sap for your Tuesday afternoon...

Country Wedding...With A Side Of Preachin'

A very key factor to a successful wedding:
Hire Vendors That You Enjoy; Equally Important: Hire Vendors Who Can Play Nice With Other Vendors

For Carrie & Tim's wedding I had I blast. Now, a large part of that was due to the fact that Carrie & Tim are an amazing couple. They are happy and in love and were focused on having fun. Enjoying their family and friends company was their top priority. How can you not have a great wedding with an attitude like that?

The other part that added to the smile plastered on my face all day (aside from the fact that, typically, that's just my m.o.) was that the group of vendors working their wedding are amazing. They were courteous, friendly and just plain happy people. Which just plain made my job so much easier and my day that much more enjoyable.

When hiring your professionals, take a moment to ask yourself, "Are they a team player or only out for themselves?" Yes, your photographer has to get the perfect shot of you as the sun is going down but the catering staff is only there till a specific time and we've got to feed your guests first. Or, yes, the time for set-up is a bit of a close call but it's all we've got to work with so...you know, deal with it. Make it work. And don't take the stress of the job out on your fellow vendors (or more horrifically, on the bride!). There is no room for prima-donnas in this business.

Your vendors are all a part of a very important puzzle. If they don't fit together, it's going to be a mess and more likely than not, will cause you or your family stress. And that is the last thing any professional wants for you on your big day.

I digress...let me get off of my soapbox...

Point is, it was a fantastic, beautiful day. Dying to hear who contributed to the success of this particular wedding? Thought so.

Venue: Holman Ranch; ph.# 831.659.2640 or info@holmanranch.com
Photographer: Unique Photography; ph.# 916.705.3107 or jeff@uniquephotography.net
Videographer: Jensen Films; ph.# 916.334.9999 or weddings@jensenfilm.com
Florist: Country Essences Flowers; ph.# 831.7224549 or linda@countryessencesflowers.com
D.J.: DNA Entertainment; ph.# 831.372.5555 or anthony@dnaent.com
Ceremony Pianist: Robert Brinzer; ph.# 408.210.8222 or robert.brinzer@gmail.com
Cake: Layer's Cakes; ph.# 831.655.1544 or tonynuovo@layerscake.com
Catering: Paradise Catering; ph.# 831.659.3417 or nancy@paradisecater.com
Pies: Gizdich Ranch; ph.# 831.722.1056 or http://www.gizdich-ranch.com/

 Thanks to all of you who made Carrie & Tim's day. You rocked it.

Would You Go Hungry, Black & Blue?

Music is one of those things that can deeply touch my little ol' soul. I recently stumbled across Adele's version of "To Make You Feel My Love" and it's quickly become my favorite version of the song. Her voice is almost hauntingly beautiful and the lyrics couldn't be more romantic.

"I could make you happy/ Make your dreams come true/ Nothing that I wouldn’t do/ Go to the ends of the earth for you/ To make you feel my love"

First dance material? I think so...

Pie, You Say? I Don't Mind If I Do!

Ya'll...it's confession time. I love sweets. Like, I could quite possibly eat a danish for breakfast, cake for lunch and pie for dinner. However, in my love of sweets, I do have some favorites. Berry pie is one of them.

My lovely wedding last night opted to serve a small traditional cake along with several pies made at a local farm here named Gizdich Ranch in Watsonville, California. Now, most guests at a wedding are expecting a piece of cake and most aren't particularly thrilled about it. However, they know that it's par for the course when attending a wedding. You should have seen these guest's faces last night when they realized they were getting pie. There is just something about pie that brings a smile to a person's face.

Needless to say, we had left over cake. Moral of my story? Let them eat pie.

And save me a piece.

Would You?

After sharing with a friend of mine that a local coordinator (whom I just adore!) spoke with me about coordinating her own wedding, he asked why she was having someone else do her wedding since she coordinates weddings for a living. My immediate response was, "because she knows how important it is". Then he asked if I would hire someone for my own wedding. Again, and immediate-without-thought-response. Hell yes. I had to add the "hell" before the "yes" because I'm that serious about it! Why? Because I want to be able to sit back, get pampered, drink champagne and enjoy my family and friends without being a basket case about whether or not the flowers have arrived yet or if the placecards are set out correctly or if my cake is actually what I ordered.
Hiring a professional ensures a stress-free (well, aside from any family issues that might cause stress- but let's be honest, that's what champagne is for!) and flawless day. So yes, I coordinate weddings but I will not be coordinating my own. Which, I think should speak volumes to those of you on the fence about whether or not to hire help. Whether it be day-of coordination or full on hand holding, it's just best to have someone who's got your back. Agreed?

Cinco!

Hope you're all enjoying an ice cold margarita in honor of Cinco de Mayo. How, you ask, am I going to be able to relate drinking margaritas to weddings? Why, by suggesting a margarita bar at the reception, of course!

A couple of ideas:

~Blood Orange Margarita

~Pomegranate Margarita

~Mango Margarita

~Blue Hawaii Margarita

~Classic Margarita ('Cause you just can't improve a classic!)

Of course, it wouldn't hurt to have a tasting session prior to your big day...Enjoy!

The Art of Marriage

by Wilferd A. Peterson
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 a day.
It is never going to sleep angry.
It is at no time taking the other for granted;
the courtship should not end with the honeymoon.
It should continue through all the years.

It is having a mutual sense of values and common objectives.
It is standing together facing the world.
It is forming a circle of love that gathers in the whole family.

It is doing things for each other,
not in the attitude of duty or sacrifice,
but in the spirit of joy.

It is speaking words of appreciation
and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways.
It is not expecting the husband to wear a halo
or the wife to have wings of an angel.
It is not looking for perfection in each other.

It is cultivating flexibility, patience,
understanding and a sense of humor.
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 establishing a relationship in which the independence is equal,
dependence is mutual and the obligation is reciprocal.
It is not only marrying the right partner,
it is being the right partner.
 
One of my very favorite weddings had this read during their ceremony and it was one of those things in life that struck me deeply. Marriage is so much more than saying you love another person. It's all of these things in the poem.
 
Cheers!