Photo of the Day

This is just amazing.. Not to mention Audrey Hepburn is so timeless anyways. Simply stunning.

Photo of the Day

Okay this is fun. I love to surf the net and look at great new or old photos of past weddings or new ideas as so on. SO this will be a new thing for me the Photo of the day... Each day I will post my favorite photo found. Today it will be these AMAZING chair covers. These are just awesome for a black tie glam wedding. I love them..

New site..

Oh well I guess it is time to make my site a bit more exciting, I can not help it. I will love it for a little while than I get so bored with it I have to change it. These changes will be really nice though I am very excited to start working on it. I know everyone will really like the new look.

FORGOT....

While I was on the topic of funny.. I forgot what I was going to post.. For all those brides out there that are having a bride-zilla moment or just a darn bad day here is some funny reading..
Named GOING BRIDAL : confessions of a bridezilla all real bride posts.. he he he.. funny stuff

Funny stuff!!

So I am obsessed SOWHAT!!! I love weddings and I can not help it! So that is what makes me a good planner.. maybe but I think the real reason that I am a good planner is the fact that I also Love craziness. I love stress and I deal with it in a weird way. For example... (my husband loves this story and reminds me of it OFTEN!!!) One time about 5 1/2 years ago.. I lived in an apartment above my sister in law. This was/is a two family home my family being the renters and my sis in law the owner and lower level tenant. So she was out and it was winter and as many of you know I have a fam.. we are the proud parents of three obnoxious little people.. two of them being a set of twins which at this time were like 6 pounders each..LOL.. about 4 or 5 months old.. ANYWAYS.. (my story telling skills suck) so being the involved mother that I am I was on the floor with my set of mini-me's and i smelled smoke.. hmm. that is odd but living on a farm i just chalked it up as my sis in law burning something (no she is not a pyromaniac) but she does make one mean bon fire and I mean being seen from across the river, call the fire department, bon fire (ha ha) one again off topic). sniffing some more.. hmmm. that seems like it is inside.. very odd. so i get up to investigate. OOKAY THIS IS INSIDE.... ok so my maternal instincts immediately say pack up the kids and get the heck outta here..OKAY easier said than done.. anyone who has tried packing three kids and a load of animals out in about 4 seconds knows what i mean.. lol.. so I frantically dress my twins ( meaning throwing about 5 outfits on top of them in their car seats) while calling 911 top report FIRE, and my oldest daughter who at the time is 5.. buckle them in so the thrashing of carrying two car seats and a cat dragging a 5 year old and a dog behind me does not knock the poor babies out of the seat or unconscious for that matter.. run down the stairs sit the kids on the barn porch run into my sis in laws house to see one what the heck is burning.. and 2 where are her dogs (she is a vet and owns about 7 dogs and a litter of cats) okay so her fireplace is on fire and not in the fireplace area.. more like behind it in the wall.. hmm.. that is probably not good.. okay COME ON DOGS get the BLANCKITY BLANK BLANK OUTTA HERE. Of course they really are not interested in me barking orders at them. the house is totally full of smoke and I am like yeah okay my babies are outside you stupd dogs and i am risking my life for creatures with fur.. SO I am now leaving.. (they follow) for any p.e.t.a. readers out there. I did not leave the dogs to burn.. the fire dept arrives who happens to also be our mailman.. Oh hey you must be moon lighting.. LOL.. yeah i am funny under stress too. We live in the country so nothing seems out of the ordinary really... so they are handling the in wall fire by means of beating the wall apart.. Hmm. that is not gonna leave a small hole.. that is gonna be a wall-less area of the house.. Oh HEY there is my sis in law.. Okay this is the part my husband loves... So she pulls up and is on the phone.. I was always taught to never interrupt someone while they r on the phone.. so she pulls up and i walk over to her truck and she is talking and i whisper very calmly "hey sis in law. did you know your house is on fire?' WHAT HUH HOLY CARP.. drops her phone take off in a panic. (okay so I thought maybe she knew since we live in the country she is a vet maybe someone called her to tell her) I DUNNO!!! but anyways it is a running joke.. hey did you know your house is on fire.. very calm.. yeah that is me I rarely get excited over fires. WHATEVER!! lol.. there is my funny non wedding related blog post..

Breaking up is hard to do!

It is really just starting to hit me that I don't like "breaking up" with my brides! It is horrible! I mean each month I am loosing girls that I probably spent the last year planning this amazing event with and really we have become friends to a certain point. As a planner we have to really get involved with the one who's event we are planning in order to get a real grasp on this persons personal style and her vision for her wedding. I mean this is the most important event this gal will ever hold next to the birth of their first baby! So it HAS to reflect them as a couple and it HAS to be everything they or she has dreamt of. I say SHE because generally the groom does not "dream" of their wedding day. Some may! But most do not.
ANYWAYS back on track.. I have been one lucky planner because I can honestly say that I have had nothing but amazing brides and grooms. And as the wedding comes and goes I get sad to see my bride go! I mean after a year of talking back and forth usually about fun girlie stuff like flowers and fashion and makeup and hair and so on what can one expect when they are no longer there! Thank goodness there is not shortage of brides. It is just truly a sad day when the ones you have grown to really like go off and get married. ha ha. It makes me tear up at every wedding!

Button Bouquets!!

Button Bouquets!!
How cute are these!!! For those brides looking for something different or crazy or whatever these are great!! I love them! The can be found at the Etsy Shop called princesslasertron.etsy.com. These are handmade and can me made to fit your colors as well. I love finding new and cute ideas!!!

Signature Drinks..

So I decided that a great topic for this post would be Signature Drinks. I think they are a wonderful way to cut down on bar costs yet add a touch of personalization to your event. You can choose your drinks by color, by taste, by liquor, whatever you desire. There are a zillion drinks out there and a great website to narrow them down as well called Cocktail Times.

Below are some tips taken from The Cocktail Guru's Blog to give you some ideas on how to choose and why!

1. The theme of your day – Whether it’s ‘Hamptons beach party’ or ‘70’s retro-disco’, align your specialty libation with what your day will hold forth.

2. Color – If this is a large part of your theme, consider it for your cocktails: Purple, pink, yellow, green, silver – all colors can be recreated in the liquid form.

3. What liquor do I use? – Ask yourselves what your favorite spirits are, and decide from there. The possibilities are endless. A trend nowadays is back towards classic cocktails, so if you’re lovers of Gin, Rum, and Rye or Bourbon, think about using those as your base spirits.
Garnish – Maybe it’s your favorite fruit or flower (make sure it’s edible!), or just simply maraschino cherries (because on your first date you impressed your partner by tying a knot with the stem using only your tongue), make it meaningful and always keep in mind what flavor your garnish will add to your cocktail. A garnish serves dual purposes – to look pretty and to add flavor to a drink. Remember – we taste with our eyes first.

4. Save $$$ - By offering one or two specialty cocktails, you can limit your guests’ drinking habits. Even better, offer only your specialty cocktails during cocktail hour, and beer and wine during dinner.

5. Ease of preparation – If you’re fortunate enough to have caterers who are experienced in fine dining, you may not have an issue with this. But for the most part, catering bartenders don’t have much experience with specialty cocktails, let alone custom-made specialty cocktails. Think about using simple, ready-made and easily accessible ingredients. Even submitting a recipe for a batched or pitcher version of your drink would ease the bartender’s nerves, and ensure a perfect, consistent cocktail every time.

6. What about Uncle Frank who doesn’t drink, or Cousin Susie who just graduated 5th grade? – Always have non-alcoholic versions of your alcoholic cocktails readily available for your guests. It usually just entails eliminating the alcoholic portion of the drink, and adding in a bit more of the mixers.

If you’re too stressed and can’t even think about adding this to your long list of to-do’s - Hire a professional! Nowadays, specialty wedding cocktails are almost the norm, and there is a slew of catering companies that offer this service. Independent and special event ‘mixologists’ are also another good option (yours truly, wink, wink). The service is personal and special, and you can be assured that nobody else in the world will have the same cocktail that’s being served at your wedding (unless, of course, you choose to serve a classic).

The Fiance Cocktail
2 oz. Hendrick’s Gin
1/2 oz. Elderflower Syrup
Splash of Moet et Chandon Champagne
Directions: Stir the above ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain into a chilled champagne flute.
Garnish: rose petal

Blushing Bride
1 oz. 10 Cane Rum
1 oz. Pama Pomegranate Liqueur
1/2 oz. Fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/2 oz. Mint-infused simple syrup
Directions: Shake all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and strain into a chilled martini glass.
Garnish: mint sprig and lemon twist

Tables

I love nothing more than either square or rectangle tables for wedding receptions. I know many people immediately think VFW hall but that is so not the case. When I get a bride who says she wants something different I immediately think long tables. (budget allowing) A long table that has been properly "tablescaped" is absolutely gorgeous. Linens and chairs also make or break the look. I currently have a bride who is so cute and she is having a small destination wedding of only 12 guests. So to create a feeling of comfort we are taking three 6 foot tables to make a square and sitting everyone including the bride and groom together. I can not tell about the centerpieces because they are soooo amazing that I want to cry that I will not be there to see it but luckily the photographer will show me the masterpiece. Usually I am not a floral designer but in this case where the budget is not being broke and i have such a vision for this couple I totally got her and know this will be the look she will love! She loves a clean fresh look so we will be doing white linens on the square table for 12. We will also be doing white Chiavari chairs with a white cushion. Her colors are a pale green and pale pink with some dark ivory almost champagne. There will be place cards that will be hand written in calligraphy and tied to a starfish that will sit on the table along with the napkin (color undecided) with the menu card. WE have yet to decide on the charger plates but I am guessing a white maybe square plate. That is where I am on my destination wedding. You all will love this wedding once we get it together and completed. I can not wait for the photos and the wedding has not even happened yet! haha!

But that brings me to the part where I want to stress that finding a coordinator that really gets you and your ideas is sooooo very important. Because a good coordinator will be able to take your ideas and mesh them into something gorgeous.

So here are some amazing long tables as I call them but they are just beautiful.

Oops I forgot

You can still visit my old blog for some old info at

http://blog.yourweddingbyjen.com/

Corri and Tim

This was a great wedding. I loved them and their family. They were so easy to work with it was not even funny.

Chad Moon did these photos and I mean to tell you that man is on the ball he had these done today! I am very impressed plus he and his wife are totally awesome. I love cool vendors and it seems that there are quite a few in this industry it is hard to pick favorites!

DETAILS:

Below are some great detail pics from this wedding I love the flower girls name embroidered on her sash.

This table is amazing. Here we have trumpet vases filled with blue glass rock with the monogram lit with floralytes, blue colored water with a live beta fish inside that the guests could take as favors. Topped with a white lamp shade adorned with crystals and a votive inside of it for a bit of added light. The napkins were folded in the shape of a heart. Simply amazing. All of these items are available for rent or use if you are one of my brides :)

MUCH BETTER!

So everyone who followed my previous blog I hope you appreciate this much nicer and cleaner version. Cleaner meaning not so cluttered. My old blog will still be available but I will not be updating it any longer.
Also some more news. I am working on the event planning aspect of Your Wedding by Jen. Will it involve a new name? I hope not but stay tuned for more info!!!