Catching Up with Technology

So for any of you who know me, you know that I stink when it comes to spell check, computers, new applications and basically anything having to do with technology. You also know that 34 Events is mainly based on recommendations from past clients versus marketing or advertising......I have a bride who recently asked me if I was on YELP......oddly enough, I had no idea what it was. I have been playing around on www.yelp.com since I met with her and realized that there are so many reviews on basically everything under the sun. Why not have 34 Events join the party?

I am happy to say that 34 Events is now on YELP. You can review me all you want and I will be adding some reviews for vendors (i.e. photographers, floral design etc) that have proven to be worth taking a look at for your next event.

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving Holiday and that Christmas and the new year bring you just as many blessings.

Love,
Jen

34 Events and Room to Read

When I was asked to coordinate my first wedding, I really didn't plan on continuing down the road which has led to an actual creation of our business, 34 Events.

I continue to do very little promotion or advertising as word of mouth and referrals mean the world to me. I also wanted to do more with the revenue. I wanted to give back in a special way.

Dave and I talked about various ways in which we could use 34 Events to become more involved in our own community and globally. We had a few charities that we had fallen in love with. Some had special places in our hearts because loved ones were living and surviving with Cystic Fibrosis, some we loved because they devote themselves to pursing and ensuring education in third world countries and some are just because....

Lauren and Josh have chosen Room to Read as the charity that we will donate to in their name. We feel so blessed to make this donation in your name. Below is a link to the Room to Read web page, they are amazing and one of my best friends is the San Diego Chapter Leader. We hope that we can continue to make donations, one person at a time, we do make a difference.

www.roomtoread.org

Lauren and Josh, July 10, 2010

Lauren and Josh were married at a private residence in Ramona, Ca. near Mt. Woodson. The location could not have represented their love and vision more perfectly. Although you want your wedding day to be unforgettable and unique, you also pray that it is an example of your love and the life you are striving to live together every day thereafter. Lauren and Josh got this......

They were so easy to work with, so accommodating and so laid back. Lauren was beautiful and Josh a true hero to his new bride and everyone in attendance. So many times we forget about who the bride and groom actually are, not just what they look like on their special day. Lauren is a teacher, committed to making a better way for children. Committed to demonstrating patience and grace to each student that walks through her classroom door. Josh is serving our country in the United States Marines and committed to protecting each one of us in ways we cannot. They are both, together, committed to loving the Lord and living each day with that at the center of their marriage.

It was a true pleasure getting to know Lauren, Josh, their families the owners of the private residence and all of the wedding party. So much fun and such a privilege for me to share the day with you.

Photographer: Sean Walker http://www.seanwalkerphotography.com/

Sean has been one of the easiest photographers I have worked with. He has an amazing eye, great detail and a huge asset to have capturing days like this

Catering: Anne Taylor http://www.annetaylorcatering.com/

Anne has not even celebrated her 21st birthday but this girl has ambition, organization skills and a vision. Her staff and her were a blast to work with

Cake: Twiggs Bakery in Ramona, Ca.

DJ: The Kelley Company

Baby Dominic and Mommy Erin

Dominic William Clugston is almost here......

Erin is a previous bride (see her wedding pictures on http://www.34events.com/) and we were so excited to be part of her baby shower held last weekend. Funny enough, we also did her little sister, Kiley;s, baby shower in June. Kiley welcomed, Petyon Riley who I may say is one of the prettiest little girls I have ever seen.

The shower was held lake side in Canyon Lake in the evening. Great sunset, amazing food and drinks and a great group of girls to help welcome in Erin's baby boy. Thanks to Faithfully Focused Photography for the pix! www.faithfullyfocused.com

Thanks for letting us be a part of your special day!

xoxoxoxo

Inspriation Boards...........

Inspriation Boards!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A new idea for wedding planning is creating inspriation boards. You can have one board for all of your wedding ideas or multiple boards per wedding item (i.e. ceremony board, reception board, honeymoon board etc).

On the page attached, you will see a 8.5x11 idea of an inspiration board posted by http://www.theknot.com/. You can create boards online with The Knot by uploading pictures and ideas.

I created a board with a past bride and used a 20x22 poster board. We included fabric swatches, magazine pictures, cut out words that captured how she wanted her day to be, monograms, flowers etc. Th board was displayed on an easel for her and the groom to be....

You inspiration board is just that an INSPRIATION.....it keeps you excited, motivated and looking forward to you big day.....

I Will......I Won't.......

There are so many details, opinions, schedules, dresses, table settings (the list goes on and on) to consider when planning your wedding. My job is to point out a few things that you should put on the back burner as "I will do this" and "I will NOT do this".....

I will not do anything... before the guest list.
It's not the most fun part of planning (and to be honest, it's one of the most likely to lead to a fight or two or twelve), but you shouldn't make any BIG decisions before you have your wedding guest list somewhat firmly in place. Why, you ask? Well, do you want to have a nonrefundable deposit down on that cozy restaurant room that fits 75 when your mother-in-law's additions bump your list up over 200? Exactly. Once everyone's in agreement, then you can move forward. That said, this means that one of the parts of your wedding you can plan immediately (or at least talk over with your fiance) is what kind of atmosphere you'd like for your wedding. Do you want an intimate, close friends and family-only affair, or do you want to throw the event of the season for 300-plus people? Later, when you're in the guest-list trenches, this bit of planning will help back up your gut instinct about whether to say yes (or no) to guest-list additions.

I will not end up on YouTube for the wrong reason.
Adorable processional dance? Totally acceptable path to stardom. Bridezilla freak-out on the florist who delivers hyacinths instead of hydrangeas? Not so much. On your wedding day, all eyes (and camera phones) will be on you, meaning your every move is subject to instant Internet infamy. Mind your manners and keep your panic attacks quiet to avoid the wrong kind of publicity. But that video of your dad doing the worm during your father-daughter dance? Internet gold.

I will not realize that grape isn't my color -- with two months to go.
You should feel free to rethink, redo, and revamp any element of your wedding that you want -- This doesn't have to mean yet another huge investment or reneging on a bunch of contracts -- you'll be surprised how easy it is to make simple additions or subtractions and change your whole style. Already ordered those pastel bridesmaid dresses? Think about adding a bold sash or accessorizing with chandelier earrings to liven them up a bit. Unsure about the color scheme you chose? Pay an extra visit to your florist and work out changes to your bouquets and centerpieces -- adding new blooms in all of your arrangements will introduce a new color throughout the room. Same thing if you've already ordered the linens -- spice them up with bright table runners or overlays. If you decide you really can't live with it, chances are you can go back on your first choice -- just remember that it will have a cost. A good rule of thumb is that if you've already signed a contract or seen a proof, you will have to pay extra for any changes or additions you make. But if it's still relatively early in your planning process, don't be afraid to make the change. Remember, you're getting married to your husband, not your centerpieces.

I will not use my Facebook status as a personal wedding journal.
Okay, we know you're excited about planning your wedding, but that girl from your college history class couldn't care less that you finally booked a reception band (not to mention understand that passive-aggressive comment about the best man). We're not saying the everyday details aren't interesting -- we'd just recommend a different platform. Instead of overloading your Twitter feed with wedding details, create a wedding-planning blog for those who want to keep tabs on the ups and downs.

I will trust my vendors and wedding coordinator.
Before you start micromanaging every decision your wedding planner makes, remember one thing: You're paying them for a reason. Consider their experience and expertise an opportunity for you to relax. They want you to love the result (after all, MY recommendation hinges on it!), so we're going to strive to please. And wouldn't you rather help someone who trusts your abilities rather than second-guesses everything you do? There's no harm in giving a good amount of direction at the outset, but asking for daily progress reports is overkill.

I will not feel guilty about having an adults-only wedding.
Whether you're worried about babies crying during the ceremony or just can't afford to seat entire families for dinner, it's your decision whether or not you want to invite the little ones. As long as you're consistent about this rule (no exceptions for your closest friends!) and upfront in your invitations and on your wedding website, you shouldn't feel bad if you have to tactfully put the kibosh on your second cousin who tries to RSVP for her toddler triplets.

I will attempt (at least a little) DIY.
Even the least crafty bride can undoubtedly personalize a few details of her wedding, and the bragging rights -- not to mention the savings -- will be well worth the effort. Try your hand at creating your favors or ceremony programs. If those tasks seem to daunting, keep it simple: Put your excellent penmanship to use and write out the escort cards, or make your own welcome bags for out-of-town guests with maps of the area and a few local goodies.

I will acknowledge that some people might not want to be the "guest book attendant".
You can't put all your friends in the wedding party, but there are usually a few people left over that you still want to honor...so you create "special" jobs, like cake servers and guest book attendants. Our advice: Unless your guest book is especially complicated, an attendant probably isn't necessary. Honorary jobs are still jobs, and chances are, they'll have a much better time if you just let them enjoy the party rather than having them stand guard by the guest book.

I will actually eat the dinner at my reception. (That includes cake!)
Make sure you take time with your new husband to really enjoy the party you worked so hard to plan. If you spend your whole wedding day directing the photographer and making sure the bridal party makes their entrance on cue, you'll be missing out on a lot of amazing memories. Even if you don't hire a day-of wedding coordinator, put a trusted relative or bridesmaid in charge of making sure things go smoothly on the big day.

I will look on the bright side -- no matter what.
Did your outdoor ceremony get rained out? Instead of panicking, throw on some cute rain boots, grab a big umbrella, and start posing for some adorable rainy-day photographs. The DJ played the wrong song for your bridal party's entrance? Chances are no one else noticed. After months of obsessing over the details, it's easy to get lost in them. Loosen up, keep in mind what's important (you're getting married!), and we promise that, even if the caterer serves twice-baked potatoes instead of mashed, it'll all be great in the end.

The hard part about being the bride is that you typically won't realize how much fun the planning is until it is over! Enjoy this time,schedule lunch and dinner dates with your bridal party, family and most importantly your soon to be spouse......it will make each and every detail worth it!!!!

Happy 2010!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I haven't posted a blog since 2009! I cannot believe we are already 1/2 way through January....I hope this blog finds you all well and that you stay safe and healthy in 2010!

The following article rounds out the trends from 2009 (The Wedding Report) and how couples were saving money and going green. Follow the posts closely because I will be adding some ideas for keeping a wedding under $10,000.....

1. Smaller weddings with fewer guests.
2. Destination weddings or destination type weddings closer to home.
3. Accent colors on dresses and cakes with the most popular being greens and blues.
4. Increased reliance on family and friends to help plan, pay, and provide some of the services.
5. Increased use of green and echo friendly products and services
6. Simplified decorations, centerpieces and wedding invitations.
7. Increased use of online RSVP’s vs. traditional mail-in RSVPs.
8. Off-peak weddings;Mornings, Afternoons, Fridays, Sundays, October becomes the new June.
9. Buffet meals, Hors d’oeuvre, and cocktail receptions.
10. Cheesecakes, cupcakes and miniature cakes.11. All-inclusive packages.

Stay tuned for cool ideas for 2010!!!!!!

xoxo, Jen