Book Themed Wedding - Sneek Peek

Photo Courtesy: http://www.cheriefoto.com/

I love a good book. Don't you? Molly and Travis started their romance through their love of books. When they began planning their home wedding, all they knew was they wanted a garden theme with purple flowers. Once I learned more about them, I proposed the idea of incorporating their love of books into their day. They fell in love with it, and gave me carte blanche to have fun with it. Molly's father owns hundreds of beautiful books. We raided his bookshelves, and used them on tables instead of table numbers, filled them in a vintage bookshelf with place cards, even made a base for their cake on books. The images are gorgeous. For now, I can only give you a little teaser.

The image was provided by Cherie Steinberg of CherieFoto. She's not just a photographer, but an artist. I dying to share all the images with you. Check back soon.

A Scarlet O'Hara Moment



Photo Courtesy of Picotte Photography

 I had to share this photo because I adore it. My bride Rita allowed me the honor of lacing her into her wedding gown. She had only had one bridesmaid, and she lived out of state. Her beautiful A-Line gown featured a stunning lace corset down the back. Since her attendant couldn't attend the final fitting, the honor was all mine. I love how Suthi Picotte of Picotte Photography captured my intensity. I'm not gonna lie...my hands were shaking at the outset. But once I got going, it was a breeze. How did I do?

Last week, I attended my bride Krisi's final fitting. She also has a lace corset on her gown. Guess who get's to lace her in? That would be me. It's these little moments that I love about my job.

Lacing a corset is not as easy as it looks. If your gown requires you to be laced in, make sure you take along your maid of honor, or someone you trust to handle the pressure on wedding day. Or, just call me...I'd love to be of service.

Sneak Peek - Wynn Las Vegas Danielle & Terry

We had the honor of coordinating the details of Danielle and Terry's wedding at The Wynn/Encore Las Vegas last Saturday.

Write Shot Photography provided us with a sneak peek of the newly married couple. I had to share it with you, because it exudes the joy they felt immediately after they were pronounced man and wife. Soon you will be experiencing this feeling! Aren't you excited? Ahhh Love!

A million thanks to Tracey Kumer-Moore, the genius behind Las Vegas Wedding Concierge. She designed and planned this wedding for Danielle and Terry who hail from New York. Tracey asked us to finalize the month of details and coordinate the wedding day, while she traveled. We were so proud to care for her clients. The team Tracey brought together, was a superstar line-up. Special thanks to Kassi Weist of Encore Catering, and Jalan Arnold of the Wynn Wedding Salons.

Congratulations Danielle and Terry...may you celebrate a lifetime of magic!

Cultural Wedding Magazine - On Newstands This Summer

I've been planning CULTURAL WEDDINGS for 10 years. A common complaint of cultural brides is that there are never enough resources to assist them in planning these heartwarming weddings. Recently a colleague of mine, told me about the amazing blog WEDDING NOUVEAU. I was so happy to see that there is a blog that focuses on CULTURAL WEDDINGS. The team at Wedding Nouvea, focuses on cultural and multi-cultural weddings. Rich with vendors, photographs and inspirations boards, it's the best representation of information on the web, for couples wishing to honor their traditions.

Excited? Well, it gets better. Better you say? How can it be better? Well Wedding Nouveau announced today that they are coming out with their own wedding publication. Yup...a glossy magazine that will hit the newstands this summer. If you're a proud cultural bride, REJOICE! You now have another choice for inspiration that speaks directly to you. The pages will be filled with brides who look like you. You'll see ideas that come from your culture, find vendors that understand your families, and be inspired by colorful and traditional REAL WEDDINGS!

Check back to get updates and find out when and where you can find this magazine. I'm so happy I could share this happy news. Finally Cultural Weddings are getting the attention they deserve. Thank you Wedding Nouveau. You've made this planner very happy. Imagine all the brides you will touch!

Cultural Wedding Traditions - The Mexican Lasso

Bridget & Alex, celebrating the Lasso Ceremony at Wayfarer's Chapel in Palos Verdes

Wedding Jeannie embraces couples who recognize their culture, and infuse their traditions into their wedding. I've been honored to be a part of cultural weddings including, Latin, Jewish, African American, Indian, Persian, Chinese, Korean, Japanese....only to name a few. To honor CULTURAL WEDDINGS, I have created this recurring blog post. From time to time, I will feature another tradition that my clients have shared with me. I hope you'll check back often and enjoy each new feature.

Today's feature is the Mexican Lasso. Traditionally a white cord/rope in a figure eight is used, but most commonly, it is a double rosary. The lasso itself signifies the love that binds the couple in marriage.

To signify UNITY, the lasso is placed around the shoulders of the bride and groom by a designated couple, usually referred to as "Padrinos" (sponsors). In modern times, we find that our couples are choosing to give this honor to the persons in their lives that mean the most to them. In the case of Bridget and Alex above, they chose Bridget's sisters. For the remainder of the service, the lasso remains on the couple's shoulders, in unity. At the end of the ceremony, the lasso is removed by either the couple which placed the lasso on the couple, or the priest. The lasso is given to the Bride as a memento of her becoming the mistress of the groom’s heart and home.

This is one of my favorite cultural wedding traditions, because it is a reminder of the responsibility both the bride and groom will share in their marriage. They are intertwined during the ceremony, and reminded that this invisible yet indelible bond lives with them forever.

Not only Mexico observes this beautiful tradition. It's shared by the many Latin American cultures, such as Guatemala and The Phillipines.

Cultural Wedding Traditions - Persian Sofreh Aghd

Persian Wedding at The Westlake Village Inn

Wedding Jeannie welcomes you to the recurring blog feature, called CULTURAL WEDDING TRADITIONS. Living and working in Los Angeles has given me the opportunity to work for clients from many interesting cultures. Most often, our clients are blending two cultures, and rely on me for advice in doing so. They understand that I embrace my own Latin Heritage, and I encourage them to incoporate their culture into their wedding. You're invited to come by from time to time, and learn about the beautiful traditions my clients have shared with me along my journey as a wedding planner. So grab a latte, or a glass of wine and let's begin with a Persian Wedding tradition.

Persian Wedding Sofreh Aghd

Afsoon & Henry were married at The Westlake Village Inn. They had a very elaborate and elegant Sofreh Aghd. The Sofreh Aghd is the legal ceremony in the Iranian culture. The Sofreh altar (spread) is a detailed display of items believed to bring the bride and groom blessings in their life and marriage. The altar is displayed on the floor, facing the east, with the couple facing the light. Cushions are placed in front of the altar, as the bride and groom are seated throughout the ceremony. Each item on the sofreh has symbolism for the qualities the couple should possess in their marriage. Common items may be honey, coins, spices, candles, a mirror, and The Koran. Traditionally they are placed in a specific order, shown below.

Whether a sofreh is elaborate or modest, is the personal choice of the couple and their families. Symbolism of the items is what carries the most importance. The ceremony itself is filled with meaningful traditions that may not be fully understood if two cultures are being blended. For that reason I recommend a ceremony program that explains the importance of the sofreh, and the ceremony order.

Afsoon and Henry's wedding was so meaningful to me. How lucky I was to experience these amazing traditions. Afsoon's generosity in teaching me about her culture and her family traditions were a gift to me. She gave me the ability and confidence to plan Persian weddings in the future.

The beautiful photos of Afsoon and Henry's wedding and sofreh were provided courtesy of Simon & Martin Photography http://www.simonemartin.com/

Resources: Persian Mirror Magazine http://www.persianmirror.com/

You're Engaged! Now What?

Congratulations on your engagement! You're in love, and you're embarking on a life as soul mate. Right now you're on cloud nine. On your finger rests the promise of the future. I bet you've never felt so alive. What should you do next? Here is my best advice:

• LIVE IN THE MOMENT: Enjoy the feeling. Revel in the joy that you and your fiance are feeling AT THIS MOMENT. For now, simply enjoy the outpouring of LOVE from all of your family and friends. Show off the beautiful engagement ring on your finger. You're still staring at it....aren't you? Good, that's what you should be doing.
• DREAM: Once the dust has settled and you've shared the big news with everyone, start dreaming. Buy magazines, surf the web, imagine yourself as a bride. Two of my favorite websites for inspiration are http://www.projectwedding.com/ and http://www.weddingwire.com/. They both have great ideas and photo galleries to get you started. Another great resource for inspiration are wedding blogs. My favorite is http://www.styleunveiled.com/ 
• ORGANIZE YOUR IDEAS: Make an inspiration binder. Use the tabs for categories such as gown, venue, decor, music, food and beverage. Pull pages from the magazines, and print photos from websites. Now start filling your binder. Having your ideas organized and in one place will save your sanity. There is no reason to keep stacks of magazines filled with inspiration you don't need. Only keep what you do need and discard the rest. When you get rid of the clutter, you avoid confusion. With so many decisions to be made, confusion is your enemy.
• BUDGETING: Next step is setting a budget. Not fun and pretty, I know, but it's necessary. Get the money issues out of the way and let the fun begin. Before you can start planning your dream day, you must know what you can and can't afford. The budget will be the roadmap for every single decision you make. Whether you're paying for your wedding yourself, or getting support from your family members, you must decide what the overall budget is. Only then, can you begin choosing venues, vendors, and even your wedding gown. Don't blindly think you can begin spending, without knowing if you can afford it. Once contracts are signed, there is no turning back. Especially where venues are concerned...they often require food and beverage minimums. You don't want to figure out later that you can't afford your dream gown because you've gone over budget at the start.
• HIRE A WEDDING PLANNER: The earlier the better. By getting a jump on the planner's experience, you'll avoid costly mistakes. Her fee will pay for itself when she helps you to make every penny of your budget work for you. As a planner I know how to take your budget, your priorities, your individual style and theme, and break down your budget. This means you get the absolute BEST for your hard earned dollars. Allocating your dollars to the proper categories, shows me which vendors are "right for you". A planner's years of experience and respect in the industry will also garner YOU preferred pricing and extras, you could never negotiate on your own.
  
  Don't trust a budget tool on a planning website to know what YOU want. Thousands of other brides, using that tool are NOT YOU. You're an individual. While your priority may be food and beverage, another bride may be more focused on floral decor.  Planning websites use a standard formula based on the national average to break down your budget. Are you average? I doubt it. I haven't met one couple yet, who's budget is the same as another.
  
  Rely on a planner's hard earned resources. Sure planning websites have vendor directories. The best of those even have real reviews. But, have you looked at any yet? In just the category of photography, one site listed over 75, in Los Angeles alone. Orange County has 60! Do you have time to visit countless websites, make dozens of phone calls and attend meetings to figure out which photographer is right for you? Of course you don't. Now imagine doing that with venues, gown salons, florists, bakers, DJ's, caterers...and on and on.You shouldn't have to waste time and be frustrated. After all, time is money. Planners work hard to know "who's who" in the industry. She'll save you time and money by streamlining the process for you. She'll only send you to vendors who are reputable and capable, which prevents stress for you. Half of a planner's VALUE to you is her database and resource list. The other half is the ability to execute those resources into a magnificent, and stress free day.

These are just a few tips to get you started. I offer you a FREE CONSULTATION to determine your needs and explain how my expertise can be of VALUE TO YOU. My heartfelt congratulations to you and your fiance.

Now....go stare at that shiny ring some more, and shower your fiance with love and kisses. Then call me to set up your consultation. It would be my honor to become your partner in planning.