Ho Ho Ho!

The thing about Monterey is that we don't get much snow. Okay, let me rephrase that, we never get any snow. However, that doesn't stop me from loving winter weddings. Here's just a little holiday inspiration for your Christmas afternoon.

And, in the holiday spirit, a little Dr. Suess.

"And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more."

Merry Christmas, y'all!

Homer Would Be Proud

Instead of the ever-present candy station what about an espresso and doughnut station? It'll give your guests a nice little shot of caffeine and sugar to keep the dancing going all night long. Plus, can you really get any better than doughnuts? Not really.  
Mmmm, doughnuts.

Sparkly!

Love, you say? Love is a Tacori engagement ring. At least... that's what I love. But, to be honest, diamonds in general are a good thing. I'm sure Martha Stewart would agree.

Sweet Succulents!

Succulents... I mean, really. Can you get any better? No, no you can't. Not really.

I want to take this wreath and place it on a table and put a plethora (didn't see that word coming, did ya ;) of white candles inside of it. They are simple but beautiful. Current obsession right there. You're welcome.



Music Makes It

How cute is this first dance on the basketball court?

The wedding from this weekend was held at a private residence in Carmel Valley, Ca and I can't wait to see the pictures. But, in the meantime, I'll share a little bit about the musical aspect of the event since it was such a huge part of the entire evening.

Our bride and groom are quite a pair of music buffs and that fact was evident throughout the event. Their table names were named after some of their favorite bands such as Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Kooks and Johnny Cash. 

Their first dance was to a bootleg version of the Bob Dylan song "If Not For You". If you haven't heard it before, go look it up. It's been stuck in my head all day!  Their dance was later followed by a fabulous Mick Jagger impression by the typically introverted groom. A truly memorable moment in their wedding!

Honestly, their wedding had the best music out of any wedding I've ever done. Some Rolling Stones, Prince, Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations... I was (quietly) singing along the whole time. It was just all such great music! Many thanks to our awesome D.J. Andrea with DNA Entertainment. She rocked it!

So that's that. Hopefully I'll return soon with some more photos. Hope ya'll have a great start of the week!

Star Wars? At A Wedding? Yes.

For those nerds in your life. These cuff links would make a truly awesome groomsman gift, don't you think?

*** Trooper Cuff Links ***

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!

Hometown Shout-Out

I love the idea of having a "shout out" to your roots. Some of you may not know that I spent my formative years in Mississippi which makes me a huge fan of Southern weddings. But no matter where you're from or what your heritage is, I think it's important to give a nod to it. Whether you're from Kansas and wear sparkly red shoes under your dress or from Vermont and give maple syrup as favors, it's a cute and thoughtful touch to your big day.

No Pinching With This Rock!

In honor of St. Patrick's Day. What more can I say? How about "yes, please".

Hope all of you have a happy day filled with lots of green :)

**Find this ring at www.alvr.com. Jewelery store out of New York**

Rentals Can Be Fun?!

Excuse the shaky shot. There are, believe it or not, reasons I'm not a photographer. That and when all I have is coffee all day I tend to be a bit shaky ;) Anywho...

Now guys, I have to give another shout out for the outstanding vendors I worked with for the Central Coast Bridal Fair. Chic Event Design was an absolute pleasure working with. The white taffeta draping, the up-lighting and the hot pink linen were all thanks to Chic. Just like Connie, they're amazing. One thing you'll learn about me is that the people I like to work with have to be friendly, professional and genuine. They're all three. Not to mention that they have a really fun showroom in Monterey that you can go visit.

Check 'em out!

http://www.chiceventdesign.com/

831.375.1055

Sparkly Shoes

Soo...I kind of have this thing. It's not a huge thing or anything it's just... I love sparkle. I think most women  probably do. The thing about me loving sparkle is that if anything is sparkly or glittery or pretty... I have to touch it. You don't want to see me in a department store.

With that said, you can imagine how I felt when I found these shoes. I love Louboutin. Period. A-dore. Add a couple thousand crystals to it and I just about go into a very happy sparkle coma. Saying that I want these badly doesn't do justice to how much I really do want them.

Anyway...that's a little peek inside my girly brain. But can't you just imagine these with a gorgeous wedding gown? Ah! Love it!

Barbie Does Bridal Fair...Becomes Reality

Hopefully, some of you came out to see me and some of Monterey's most amazing of wedding vendors at the Central Coast Bridal Show at the Hyatt on Sunday. It was a really fun show that I'm so happy to have been a part of.

My booth was, as one of my fellow wedding professionals said, like barbie does bridal fair. It was pink, to say the least. I was blessed to have had some wonderful people making my vision a reality.

One of those wonderful people is Connie Moore. Connie has been working with flowers for many years (I'll let her tell you how long! It's unbelievable!) and her talent shines through in everything that she does. I received so many compliments on her work that I thought that I should give a proper shout out to her and her talent.

So, brides, give her a call, shoot her an email, check her website out.

http://www.conniejmoore.com/

conniejmoore@aol.com

831.688.6698

**Check out Sarah Ward Events facebook page for more photos of the show!

Too Many Candles? What?

I’m going to be short and sweet on this one. No. No, you can’t have too many candles.

Okay, fine. I guess, technically, you could. You could burn the place down with too many candles. Which...I've seen come close to happen. Oh the stories I have! But I digress. Let's just say that, within reason, you cannot have too many candles.

Candles are amazingly romantic. Not only that but…everyone looks fabulous in candlelight! Need any more reasons to add a few more candles to your tables? Didn’t think so.

On Fire!

One of my very favorite quotes goes a little something like this...

"Love is friendship set on fire"

I think that's one of the best things about finding that one person for you. Not only are they your "love bunny" but they are also the person who's got your back no matter what.

Love is great and all but here's to having a honey who'll laugh at your jokes even when they're not all that funny.

Happy Friday, ya'll!

A Pondering...

I love pink (if you couldn't tell from my logo) but I'm not convinced that it's completely appropriate for a wedding. Maybe appropriate is the wrong word. Fitting? Well-suited? Either way...

Here's the argument. Most weddings involve a groom. Men usually don't care too much for pink. He is the person you're marrying so should you really have a wedding built around a color he doesn't like? On the other side of the argument is...he probably doesn't care that much about the colors. He probably just wants what is going to make you happy and if it's a pink wedding...well, okay. That is why you're marrying the sweet man. And if he's really so sweet then maybe picking a color he likes too would be nice on your side?

Thoughts? Jury is out with me. I think a wedding would be perfectly lovely with pink details but... I do have girlish tendencies so I don't know that I can be a fair judge.

Happy Rolled Into A Flower

These flowers just make me smile. Besides tulips, nothing says S-P-R-I-N-G quite like ranunculus.

Mad Libs? At a Wedding? Yes!

I remember spending hours with my friends playing Mad Libs when I was little. We'd try to think up the most outrageous adjectives and nouns to make truly hilarious stories. Well, they were hilarious to a group of 9 year-old girls. Can't say they'd still be laugh-inducing. Eh, forget that, I'm sure they would be. I'm a sucker for cheap comedy.

So when I ran across this idea I immediately fell in love. What a great keepsake! So much better than a stuffy ole guestbook! I love taking something ordinary and turning it into something truly special. That's what your day is all about after all!

"But The Carpet Is Hideous!"

Sad but true fact? Most all venues have hideous carpet. I don’t know what the deal is and who gets to choose the carpet but…it’s usually someone who has no real interior design background. Shocking, right?

Luckily, there is a bright spot amidst all the terribly outdated color combos. Once your tables & dance floor are down, you’re barely going to be able to see the maroon paisley design on the carpet. Promise. Just focus on the walls and the lighting. The carpet is the least of your worries. Flourescent lighting is a much bigger foe. However, even that can be solved. If the location fits your specifications and you like the staff, book it! Those are two of the most important factors of your venue choice. A little ugly carpet shouldn't stop you from having the wedding of your dreams at an otherwise perfect venue!

A Kiss

"A kiss is a lovely trick designed by nature to stop speech when words become superfluous."
-Ingrid Bergman

True words spoken by Casablanca's leading lady. Here's hoping that all of you are lucky enough to receive some of nature's lovely tricks. Words can be highly overrated!

A Little Taste of Wonderful

Current obsession/craving/addiction...french macaroons. I had my first of these tasty little morsels while down in L.A. a few months ago and since then I've been on the hunt. Colorful, delicate, delicious...what more could you want? What's even better... I think they make adorable wedding favors. Tres chic!

Now, if only I had the patience to bake these for myself...sigh.

Why Hire a Wedding Planner?

We’ve all been there. We’ve all planned an event before. Whether it was hosting Thanksgiving for your entire family or a simple dinner party for your closest of friends. It’s stressful, right? You spend weeks planning the menu, picking the perfect wine pairings and selecting just the right centerpieces & décor. You’re trying to live up to your guests expectations all while trying not to completely throw your budget out the window.


On the day of your event you’re running around like a mad person making sure that everything is just right. Timing has to be perfect on all of your specially picked recipes. Your house has to be immaculately cleaned with candles lit and music on. Oh, and then there’s you. Time for getting dressed and ready? Sure. No problem. Ha! If you’re like me you barely get your hair under control and only the most essential of make-up on before guests are there.

Once your guests arrive your mind is in a million different places. “Does everyone have a drink? Are we going to have enough ice for the night? Shoot, I need to take the potatoes out of the oven. Did I put hand towels in the bathroom?”. And somewhere among all of this insanity you hopefully have a chance to enjoy your friends and family. Even in the midst of the event your mind is elsewhere. It’s thinking about whether or not the meat was overcooked. If it was, did anyone notice? Did everyone enjoy themselves? Was the music okay? Of course my head is also usually thinking, “Oh-dear-god, I don’t even want to think about the kitchen!”. Stressful? Yes. Fun? Sure. But next time you are definitely having another family member of yours host Thanksgiving.

Now, I just gave an example of a simple at-home party. Let’s think about a wedding. It’s all of the above plus crazy/intense emotions, much more family input and oodles more money on the line. The question isn’t whether or not you can plan your own wedding. Of course you can. The question is whether or not you’re going to be able to enjoy it to the fullest if you’re having to attend to every little detail. Boutonnières didn’t arrive with the bouquets? Somebody is going to have to call the florist. Your Uncle Bill ended up bringing his girlfriend even though he didn’t r.s.v.p for her? Someone is going to have to make a last minute table adjustment in order to fit her at the table. The d.j. can’t get your montage video to work and needs a different format. Luckily, he can just use your laptop. Is it in the car? Who’s going to go have the valet bring it ‘round and take it to the d.j.? The cake is late? Oh boy. Along with all the other emotions that are pumping through you, you don’t want to have to worry about why the darn cake is late and if it’s going to actually show up. Meanwhile, you’re supposed to be getting into your dress and getting ready to take pictures.

The point is that your wedding day is about joining your life with the one you love. It shouldn’t be about stress. It shouldn’t be a day filled with you or your family having to take care of those little things that will inevitably pop up. Let someone else handle that for you, someone who has dealt with all the craziness that weddings entail. This way you can sit back, get pampered, drink a little champagne, enjoy those closest to you and most importantly…focus on marrying your love.

Allowing a professional to come in to hold your hand through such a monumental day is just a step in making sure that your day is magical and flawless. Not that you couldn’t totally pull it off yourself but this way you actually get to enjoy it. After all, what’s the point if you don’t even get to enjoy your day?