Mark Your Calendars!

Experience The Four Seasons at Meadow Wood Manor's Bridal Showcase!

Sunday January 20, 2008
3:00pm-7:00pm
$10/per person, all proceeds will be donated to Breast Cancer Awareness
RSVP by 1/10/08 to 973-537-5454

Meadow Wood Manor
461 Route 10 East, Randolph NJ



Visit www.meadowwoodmanor.com for more details!




Come check one of my favorite wedding locations, showcasing overlays and centerpieces that highlight colors and designs for Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall! Plus, get advice from the following awesome vendors:


As You Wish Wedding & Event Design
Infinity Entertainment
The Marriott Hotel
Eloquent Studios Photography
Sweet Peas Flower Shoppe
Warren Country Flowers
A Touch of Elegance
Gourmet Touch Bakery
Fuse Hair Salon


This is a Must-Attend event for brides at every stage of the planning process! Email us at stacey@asyouwishwed.biz if you have any questions. We'll see you there!

Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays from
As You Wish Wedding & Event Design!

Wedding Planner Seminar -- Location Announced!

Do You Want To Become A Wedding Planner?

Come join the staff of As You Wish Wedding & Event Design for an insiders look at how to get started in the Wedding Planning industry. We’ll give you all of the information on wedding schools, professional associations, internships, and the ins-and-outs of the job. Enjoy light refreshments while learning everything you need to about becoming a successful wedding planner!

January 8, 2008 7:00pm

Location: ZAK & Company

14 Central Avenue, Midland Park, NJ

$65 in advance, $75 at the door

Email us at Stacey@asyouwishwed.biz to sign up or be put on our email list to receive further information. Checks can be made out to As You Wish WED and sent to:

As You Wish WED
139 Highland Avenue
Midland Park, NJ 07432

If you are interested in full time employment or a summer internship, please bring your resume.

Just Flat Out Cool!

I love taking the little wedding details and doing something really great to get your guests talking. One area where you can take something traditional and ordinary and turn it into show-stopper is the Guest Book. For years, guests have signed a small, blank journal with their names and a few congratulatory words. Take this opportunity to do something really great that your guests will keep talking about. Include something that will encourage your guests to write a special message and something that you'll want to cherish for the rest of your marriage. Here are some great ideas:


Special Photo:

www.weddingchannelstore.com

Choose a favorite photo, and have it framed with an extra wide matte. Attach a marker and let guests sign all around your photo. This will make a beautiful addition to your new home!

Photo Book:

www.clsinfoservices.com

Websites like Kodak Gallery and Snapfish offer low priced photobooks that you can create from your own collection of favorite shots. Make sure to leave every other page blank for guests to sign. For a more glamorous book, have an engagement photo shoot done with your photographer and have him/her create the album for you.

Guest Book Tree:

www.weddingbee.com

You can adapt this idea in so many ways to fit your wedding. Your florist can provide you with branches (even better if they are an element in your centerpieces). Leave small cut outs of your particular shape and writing utensils under the tree. Once guests write their message, they hang it on the tree. If you're having a fall wedding, have leaf cut-outs. For a winter wedding, use snowflakes. Summer weddings can use flowers. There are so many ways to personalize this idea!

Aisle Runner:

www.charmelevents.com

If you're using an aisle runner during your ceremony, have a responsible parent or attendant transport it from the ceremony to reception to act as the guestbook. Talk to your aisle runner vendor beforehand to make sure that you have chosen the correct type of fabric. Go to a local craft store and get permanent markers that will easily write on cloth, and have your guests sign the runner. After the wedding, you can have it professionally preserved or turned into a quilt.


For any more information on where to find these products, email us at stacey@asyouwishwed.biz. Email us or leave a comment if you have any great guest book ideas to share!

Just Flat Out Cool!

If you live in the Tri-State area, you're starting to experience those first few weeks of chilling cold. Winter is almost upon us, which means so are winter weddings. One way of bringing a little winter warmth into your wedding is through your signature drink. When we think of signature drinks, we usually think of a "Welcome Drink" that's usually a bellini or appletini. Try straying from the norm and including a hot signature drink, like warm cider or hot chocolate (if you're doing a Christmas wedding, do a peppermint hot chocolate). Here are a few classic warm drink recipes:

Mulled Wine

2 bottles dry red wine
4 ounces port or brandy
12 whole cloves
4 cinnamon sticks
1 large orange, zested

Serving suggestion: Garnish with cinnamon sticks or freshly ground nutmeg

Combine ingredients in a large pot and bring to a simmer. Do not allow mixture to boil. Heat for 20 minutes and serve in a large, heat resistant punch bowl.

Hot Toddy Recipe

8 tbsp honey
6 glass tea
16 shots brandy
8 slice lemon

Brew tea and fill a tall glass 3/4 full. Mix in honey. Mix in brandy shots. Add lemon slice and enjoy. Makes 8 servings.

Hot Buttered Rum

8 oz light rum
8 tsp sugar
4 tsp butter
32 cloves

Add the sugar, butter and cloves to a coffee mug. Pour the rum, and stir well. Fill with boiling water. Stir again, and serve. Makes 8 servings.

Don't hesitate to take a favorite drink or something special to you as a couple and work with your caterer to make it happen. If you guys always go to Starbucks and drink Pumpkin Spice Lattes, ask your caterer to come up with a similiar recipe. You'll be surprised at how willing they are to help you create that extra special personalized touch.

There are no rules stating that your signature drink must be served in the beginning of your reception. A nice winter idea is having a "to go" bar, with coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and your special drink. Complete the "take home" buffet with to-go cups, sugared spoons, and tea bags that have your monogram on it. Guests will thank you for the special treat all the way home.

Check out www.brandedcups.com for personalized "to-go" cups and http://www.beau-coup.com/personalized_tea_favors.htm for personalized tea bags.

Have any hot drink recipes that you'd like to share? Or more suggestions for a "to-go" bar? Leave a comment or send us an email stacey@asyouwishwed.biz.

Mark Your Calendars!

Do You Want To Become A Wedding Planner?

Come join the staff of As You Wish Wedding & Event Design for an insiders look at how to get started in the Wedding Planning industry. We’ll give you all of the information on wedding schools, professional associations, internships, and the ins-and-outs of the job. Enjoy light refreshments while learning everything you need to about becoming a successful wedding planner!

January 8, 2008 7:00pm

Location TBA in Northern New Jersey

$65 in advance, $75 at the door

Email us at Stacey@asyouwishwed.biz to sign up or be put on our email list to receive further information.

Featured Vendor

Last month, I threw a small get-together with a small group of my mom's closest friends for her 50th Birthday. We planned a relaxing "Spa Day" and had a nice brunch followed by a relaxing afternoon by the hot tub. I had a makeup artist, Jillyan Scarpa, come and give my mom a full makeover. Then, she talked tips-n-tricks, holiday makeup, and anything else the ladies wanted to know with the group. Once the girls were all glammed up, their husbands came over for a big BBQ. It was a really great event and I was so fortunate to have Jillyan be a part of it. She made each of the ladies completely comfortable and did a phenomenal job with their makeup. To top it off, she was sweet, funny, and a pleasure to have in our home. I trusted her with my mom, and I definitely trust her with my brides. Here are some fun facts about Jillyan:

Name: Jillyan

Business: Skin Bar and Paint Studio

Website: www.skinbarandpaint.com

Location: 98 Main St. Little Falls, NJ

Type of Vendor: Makeup artist/skin care (i.e facials & airbrush tan)

How Long In Business: 10 years

Work Style: Professional,fun & high energy!!!

Training: M.A.C. Cosmetics,Artistic Academy (esthetician's license) & life!

Favorite Color: Purple & Black

Sports Team: Dallas Cowboys/Chicago teams!!!

Languages: English(some Italian)

Favorite Food: Italian & Mexican

Hidden Talents or Favorite Hobbies: My family/shopping/Bon Jovi

Home Town: Chicago,Il.

Favorite Place: Beach & New York City!!!

Pets: 2 Shi-Tzu's Gizmo & CoCo

Favorite Holidays: CHRISTMAS!!!

Favorite Quote: Life is limitless... & truely living is each of us following the paths to be who & what our hearts dare us to be!---by "Me"

Best Part Of The Job: I love what I do---people are made to feel beautiful inside & out!

Make sure that you check out her website: www.skinbarandpaint.com for more about her new salon and her makeup services! Here are some pictures of Jillyan working her magic and my mom's big day!

If I Could Do It Again

Here's some real advice from a recent Newlywed.

If I Could Do It Again, I Would:

I would double, triple, and quadruple check my contracts, even during the last week leading up to my wedding. I knew basically what I was entitled to with each vendor, but knew no specifics and forgot to bring the contracts with me. When my limo arrived, the driver would not let me in until full payment was recieved. I had arranged for my Future Father-In-Law to handle payments and tipping and he wasn't due to arrive for another hour at a different location. The driver refused to let me in until one of my bridesmaids finally volunteered to give him a check. It was a stressful and terrible experience. Make sure that you read your contracts, bring them with you so that you have backup, and talk to your vendors in advance to confirm the timing of the payments and make sure that things run smoothly!

Happy Halloween!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN FROM
AS YOU WISH WEDDING & EVENT DESIGN!

Featured Vendor

This weeks Featured Vendor is one of my absolute favorites. Tania Lezak of Lezak Photography is one of the most gifted photographers I have ever worked with. She is a complete joy to have on-site and I look forward to all of my weddings that she shoots. She is a ton of fun, as you'll see from reading her blog, but she is also so genuine and really cares about capturing the best moments of your day. I found Tania after she shot my cousins' wedding (Check out Christine and Marks wedding in Wyndham on her blog!), as she is a close family friend. She has since worked with me on my weddings and has done another cousin of mine as well (Check out Patricia and Mike's wedding in Germany on her blog -- it's a MUST SEE!).

Tania: Thanks for all of the support you have given me as I grow into the wedding industry. You have no idea how much help you've given me in this first year!

Name: Tania Lezak

Business: Tania Lezak Photography

Website: http://www.lezakphotography.com/ And of course, the blog!: http://photosnaps.lezakphotography.com/iBlog/

Location: Philadelphia, PA area

Type of Vendor: Photographer!

How Long In Business: I’ve been shooting professionally for about 11 years now, but weddings have been my life for the past 3-4 years.

Work Style: Creative photojournalism

Training: Learned a lot about shooting, processing, and Photoshop while I was a photographer at the Daily Collegian (Penn State’s newspaper), but I’m mostly self-trained!

Favorite Color: Pink & blue (no surprise that they’re also my business colors!)

Sports Team: Red Sox -- I’ll always be a Boston girl

Languages: Spanish & a little bit of German

Favorite Food: Ice cream & burritos (but not together)

Hidden Talents or Favorite Hobbies: In the winter, when the wedding season slows down a bit, I throw pottery. I love digging in and getting my hands dirty!

Home Town: I grew up in a little town in Massachusetts, just outside of Boston.

Favorite Place: This is a tough one…..I’ve been to so many incredible places! I don’t think I could pick a favorite, but I love how the landscape in Utah feels almost alive…. I love the lushness and peace of Kauai…. I love walking the streets of Moscow at night…. I love riding my horse at sunset through the fields at home…. I love exploring the northern coasts of Spain…and there’s still so much more I have to see and do!

Pets: Jake (my horse) and Sully (our crazy blonde lab)

Favorite Holidays: Christmas!

Favorite Quote: I don’t know if I have a favorite quote, but this is one I always find inspiring… “If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right.” (Henry Ford)

Best Part Of The Job: I love watching the whole day unfold….from the hair curling and tie-tying in the morning until the last dance. I love that I get to be there for all of the smiles and emotions….through the hectic times and the sweet times….on such an amazing day! It’s a huge honor to be invited into a couple’s wedding day.


To see more of Tania's work, check our her website: www.lezakphotography.com and her blog: http://photosnaps.lezakphotography.com/iBlog/! See the post below of Joey and Erans wedding for more examples of Tania's beautiful work.

Current Weddings

Vital Statistics
Bride: Joey
Groom: Eran
Location: Kutz Camp, Warwick NY
Flowers: ZAK & Company
Photography: Lezak Photography
Catering: Bridge Creek Catering

I recently got the pleasure of working with a really great couple from St. Thomas. Kutz Camp holds a special place for the bride's family, as the Father of the Bride works at the camp and the bride and her siblings went to the camp as children. They had a gorgeous day in early September. Tania Lezak took these photos. She is PHENOMENAL and I'll be featuring her tomorrow on the blog. I can't thank her enough for sharing these pictures!

The ceremony was held in "The Willows" in between two gigantic willow trees. The guests then followed the path of lanterns to "The Theatre," where the reception was held out over the lake.




The bride and bride's sister hand made their placecards. The lanterns above were used throughout the theatre. We strung them all along the sides of the reception space to create lantern-lit windows. Guests looked through the lanterns out onto the gorgeous lake and mountains.

Their Ketubah was fabulous! It was so intricate and ornate. It was such a beautiful piece of art.

The only thing Joey really had her heart set on was the rose petal aisle. It was a beautiful touch. The guests all sat on camp provided benches, which were painted different colors. It really brightened up the space and gave the ceremony a very personal feel.

Along with the beautiful Hazelnut Genoise Wedding Cake with Chocolate Ganache Filling (yum!), they had a "candy bar" filled with candy in their wedding colors. The guests could fill mini goody bags with the candy of their choice.

All in all, it was a gorgeous day and it was so great to be a part of it.

If you have any questions about where to get anything seen in this post, email us at stacey@asyouwishwed.biz!

Reader Q & A

Q: Can you give some solid guidelines of how much to tip your vendors? I thought that all vendors were tipped, but read an article saying only certain vendors do.

A: The wedding vendors that you definitely should tip:

• Head caterer, maitre d', banquet manager: 15-20% of the total food and drink bill
• Waitstaff: 15% of the total food bill (should be given to banquet manager to distribute)
• Bartenders: 15% of the total drink bill (should be given to banquet manager to distribute)
• DJ/Musician: $30-$50 each
• Limousine Drivers: 15-20% of the entire transportation bill
• Hair Stylist: 15-20% of the bill
• Makeup Artist: 15-20% of the bill
• Bathroom and Coat Check Attendant: $1 per guest (place a sign stating that gratuities have been taken care of)
• Valet Parking Attendant: $1 per guest (place a sign stating that gratuities have been taken care of)
• Delivery truck drivers (catering, florist, cake baker): $10 each

The wedding vendors that you have the option of tipping:

• Photographer: 10% of bill
• Videographer:10% of bill
• Wedding Planner: 15-20% of total bill
• Organist: $20-$50
• Soloist:$20-$50
• Altar boys/girls: $10
• Wedding Day Ceremony Coordinator: $20

The wedding vendors that do not get tipped:

• Florist
• Cake Baker
• Stationer
• Religious Officiant (if you'd like to tip a religious officiant, donate the money to the place of worship)

A few things to remember when tipping your wedding vendors:

• Double check every one of your contracts before deciding on tips. Many vendors include a gratuity charge built right into the bill. If this is the case, you do not need to give any additional tip on your wedding day.
• Tips were designed to show appreciation for a job well done. If you feel that any one of the vendors that do not typically get tipped did an outstanding job, feel free to tip them as well.
• The bride and groom should never be in charge of tipping on your wedding day. Assign this task to a parent or responsible attendant.
• Tips should be given towards the end of the evening. You need to make sure that there is a job well done before you hand out that reward.

Just Flat Out Cool!

Bridal magazines are stuffed with ad's for bridesmaids dresses. After awhile, you get numb to them and barely notice, because they are all so similar. Check out this website: www.lynnlugobridal.com. This designer not only offers a fresh look at the bridesmaids dress, but lets you custom make your dress with an awesome online tool. You choose the silhouette, colors, fabrics, and details.

Consider using different shades of color and complimentary colors when choosing your gowns. Having more than one color adds tons of interest and makes for great photos! It also keeps you away from everything being too "matchy-matchy" and gives you more freedom is using color throughout the rest of your wedding.

Just Flat Out Cool!

You have spent (or will spend) countless hours making sure that you choose the perfect wedding stationary. You'll find the perfect Save The Dates, Invitations, and Thank You Cards. So much time and effort will be out into the color scheme, fonts, and calligraphy. Little to no time will be spent on the stamp. After all that work, do you really want to ruin the effect of the beautiful writing by putting an ugly orange quail stamp next to it? Nope!

Check out this website: http://www.pictureitpostage.com/. Click the "Get Inspired" tab and head to the Wedding Section. You can customize your stamp to match the theme of your wedding stationary! If you're doing a themed Save The Date, include a coordinating graphic. On your Thank You Notes, include a wedding photo! If nothing else, pick something plain that doesn't clash with that great first impression your invitation is making.

If custom stamps aren't in your budget, head over to http://www.usps.com/ and choose the Wedding Heart stamps...anything to avoid that quail!

Featured Vendor

A few weeks ago, I was contacted by a new company that just started in my hometown. I get contacted by literally hundreds of new vendors per week, but this one caught my eye. I met with them, heard their story, and LOVED their concept (and loved them, they are such fun ladies). AJ Amore does In-Home Demonstration parties. They are the new and useful alternative to the overdone engraved bracelet and flask. They offer a fresh and unique spin on the bachelorette party, shower, or attendants gift. You can show your appreciation for your bridal party by having them over for a party, or you can give them gift certificates to have parties of their own. Here's a little bit more about them:

Name: Allison Hill & Janet Lennon

Business: AJ Amore Website: http://www.ajamore.com/

Location: Midland Park, New Jersey, 07432

Type of Vendor: An In Home Food Demonstration and Dinner Party Planning Service

How Long In Business: 2 of the best months of our lives

Work Style: Casual with a dash of flare…

Training: Between the two of us we have 38 years of parenting, cooking and entertaining experience

Favorite Color: Allison: Purple Janet: Brown

Sports Team: Allison: Giants Janet: Yankees

Languages: English, Love, and children

Favorite Food: Pasta, Bread & Cheese. We wouldn’t survive without these in our diets

Hidden Talents or Favorite Hobbies: Allison: Singing Janet: Painting

Home Town: Allison: Ridgewood Janet: Bogota

Favorite Place: Allison: My Bed Janet: Her Beach Chair

Pets: Allison: Bella the cat Janet: Buster the cat & Buddy the crooked dog

Favorite Holidays: Christmas, Christmas and oh yeah….CHRISTMAS!

Favorite Quote: "One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well." -Virginia Woolf

Best Part Of The Job: Laughing like no one is looking. We spend an awful lot of time together not to be having fun. Hopefully our clients are having as much fun as we are. We try to insist upon it!

Check out their website, www.ajamore.com to see more of the great services that they offer. Email them to be added to their newsletter mailing list! It features some really awesome stuff!

UPDATE: AJ Amore selected As You Wish as their Featured Vendor! Check it out: http://www.ajamore.com/FEATUREDVENDOR.html. Thanks ladies!!

Reader Q & A

Q: Am I obligated to leave Welcome Baskets in all of my guests hotel rooms? Only a few guests are staying in a hotel and I don't want to give them something that the other guests aren't getting because we appreciate them coming an equal amount.

A: There are no rules about giving guests Welcome Baskets. Most guests won't enter their hotel rooms and immediately search for a gift from you, but it's certainly a nice surprise that will make them feel appreciated. The theory behind a Welcome Basket is to thank those guests who traveled and put in the extra effort and expense to get to your wedding. They generally spend and sacrifice more than your local guests. Some have to take extra days off of work, drive long distances, or pay for airfare.

Destination Weddings are a whole different ball game. All of your guests are making huge sacrifices to get to your wedding, so you should make them feel extra special and appreciated when they arrive. Some "must haves" for a destination welcome basket: itinerary of any activities that the hotel is offering and local attractions, itinerary of any activities that you have set up for your guests, a map of the area, important phone numbers, and some special local items. Getting married in Hawaii? Include some Kona Coffee or Macadamia Nuts. Getting Married in Ireland? Include miniature umbrellas. Getting married in the islands? Include sunscreen and flip flops. Getting married in Napa? Include wine from a local vineyard.

A Welcome Basket doesn't need to be something that breaks your budget. It can be as simple or elaborate as you'd like. It's important to theme the basket in some way. It doesn't need to be an exact replica of your reception, but it should tie into your big day or you as a couple in some way. Remember to include a personal note from you and your fiance thanking your guests once again.

A new twist on this idea? Have some comfort food delivered to guest rooms during your wedding, so it's waiting for them when they come back. Some ideas we're loving? Milk and cookies. Hot cider and donuts. Warm robes and bubble bath.

Get creative! Your guests will absolutely appreciate the extra effort you put forth to thank them.

Just Flat Out Cool!

Picture This: Your boyfriend invites you over for dinner at his place. He cooks you his specialty: hamburgers and hot dogs hot off the grill. (What did you expect?) But when he puts his Oscar Mayer specialty down in front of you, you notice that this dog is wearing something other than mustard. Something big and shiny. It's a diamond ring, right around the hot dog. Your mind blanks out, and when you come to, he's down on one knee saying, "I want to be your weiner for the rest of our lives." Although cheesily poetic, it wasn't quite what you had imagined.

Now, Picture this: You and your boyfriend are on your annual apple and pumpkin picking fall excursion. After a long day of hauling pumpkins that you'll never carve and apples that you'll never eat, you decide to take the hay-ride back and enjoy some apple cider and donuts. When you get there, one of the picnic tables is beautifully decorated. Upon further examination, you realize that not only are there cider and donuts, but your favorite wine is on the table. There is a place card with your name on it. The table is dressed in all of your favorite colors and favorite things about fall: your favorite season. Your boyfriend sits down at the table, and invites you to join him. A crowd starts to gather around you, as your boyfriend slowly moves from his seat and gets down on one knee. He professes his love for you, places a gigantic rock on your finger, and everyone around you starts clapping and cheering. Suddenly, you realize that there are paparazzi like flashes all around you. He has even arranged for a photographer to secretly follow you all day, so that every moment would be captured. Much better.

The day a girl gets proposed to is one of the best, if not the best, day of her life. Although guys are fantastic, sometimes they need a little help with romance and details. We just launched a "Proposal Planning" package. You may be thinking of the TLC show of the same name from a few years ago. And I'll be honest, I loved that show and that's exactly what inspired me to create this package. Proposal #2 was our first creation. All he did was come up with the idea, buy the ring, and show up. We especially loved how he had a photographer capture the day. We'll help you do all of the secret dirty work for your proposal. You come up with the idea (we can even help with that) and we'll make it happen. Brides: Don't you want your single friends to have an amazing proposal just like you did? Tell their boyfriends! Have them contact us today.

We want to hear all about how your fiance's proposed to you. Please leave us comments with your proposal stories, or email us at stacey@asyouwishwed.biz. Keep checking back as more people leave their stories!

Reader Q & A

Q: I heard about a couple who registered for upgrades on their Honeymoon. My mom says this is tacky. Are many people doing this?

A: I get asked this question all the time. Honeymoon registries are becoming extremely popular, and it's definitely NOT tacky. It's a really unique and different take on the traditional wedding registry. Honeymoon Registries are just like a registry at BB&B, Williams-Sonoma, or Pottery Barn. Rather than registering for a blender, you register for things like massages, room upgrades, water sports, and excursions. It gives the couple a chance to think through their honeymoon and pre-plan their activities. This is an especially great idea for couples having their second marriages or couples who have been living together for a period of time and already have the typical household items usually found on registries. It's also a great way for guests to give gifts that you'll really remember and get to enjoy. Keep in mind, it shouldn't be the only registry that you have. Register for some more traditional items for the guests that may not be comfortable giving such a cutting-edge gift.

Google "Honeymoon Registry" and some really great sites will come up. Our pick? www.thehoneymoon.com.


Need our advice? Send us your question at: stacey@asyouwishwed.biz!

Featured Vendor!

It's our first Featured Vendor post! Before highlighting anyone else's work, I figured it'd be best to feature myself. Not only as a shameless plug, but so that you get to know the person writing this blog! All of the Featured Vendor posts will be in the same format. Some questions are serious, some questions are fun. Send us suggestions on questions you'd like to see vendors asked in the future! So, here it goes:

Name: Stacey Kallenberg

Business: As You Wish Wedding & Event Design

Website: www.asyouwishwed.biz

Location: Northern, NJ and serving New York City, the Hudson Valley, Connecticut, and all destination locations

Type of Vendor: Wedding and Event Coordinator

How Long In Business: We just passed our one year anniversary

Work Style: Your wedding day is one of the most personal days of your life, so I like to make sure that all of my clients include as many personal touches to their big day as possible. I help them to look past the wedding magazines and trends and help them discover and incorporate details important to them as a couple

Training: I got my Business Degree from Sacred Heart University and a Certification from the Association of Certified Professional Wedding Consultants. From there I worked for the amazingly brilliant and talented Andrea D’Angelo over at New York Event Planning & Design. I learned almost everything I know in the short time I worked with her. My success and any future success I may have is because of her. I tried out the corporate event planning thing afterwards and realized it wasn’t for me, so I started up As You Wish! Nothing better than doing what you love while being your own boss!

Favorite Color: Pink, Green, and Brown

Sports Team: the Giants! Blue blood runs through my veins!

Languages: I spoke French fluently in high school and missed it so much recently that I bought a ton of French Language CD's and practice in the car (Yep, I'm that girl you drive by who is literally having a conversation with herself!)

Favorite Food: Bruschetta and Eggplant Parm – anything with garlic!

Hidden Talents or Favorite Hobbies: I love cake decorating in my spare time and I'm starting to take up photography -- I aspire to be all of the other professionals in my field!

Home Town: Third generation of family from Midland Park, NJ – and third generation of family still living in my house!

Favorite Place: my bed, my hot tub, Paris, and St. Maarten

Pets: A Soft Coated Wheaton Terrier named Abby, but dreaming about a new Yorkie or Dachshund soon

Favorite Holidays: I love all holidays – but I am a Christmas fanatic! Halloween is a close second

Favorite Quote: “Only she who attempts the absurd can achieve the impossible…”

Best Part Of The Job: Leaving a wedding that went completely flawlessly, with a happy bride and groom who got the wedding of their dreams! Oh, and going to parties for a living isn't so bad either ;)

What's To Come

There are so many new and exciting things happening over here at As You Wish! I'd love to share some of what's happening in our world, and let in you on ways we're going to help you over in yours!

Here are a few regular pieces that we are going to feature here on the As You Wish WEDding Blog:

1. FEATURED VENDORS: I work with so many fantastic vendors on a daily basis. Without them, my weddings wouldn't be nearly as successful. As a planner, there's no better feeling than having vendors that you know will not only show up, but do a fabulous job. I can't wait to share them and their work with you.

2. CURRENT WEDDINGS: Usually, my brides become close friends. My brides have such fantastic taste and are so creative, that I want to share their big days with you. I can't wait for you to see some of the amazing days that we have put together!

3. FUN, NEW PRODUCTS & IDEAS: Through all of my research and work in the field, I come across so many cool products and ideas on a daily basis. From hair clips, to photography styles, to reception decor, I'm going to keep you "in the know" on all of the newest items and trends.

4. IF I COULD DO IT AGAIN: The best person to get advice from is someone who has been through that situation before. So who better to get wedding advice from than a newlywed who has just gotten married? My brides will weigh in on what they would do over if they could. Have a great "If I Could Do It Again" story? Email us!

5. YOU TELL ME: I want to know what YOU want to know. Have a question? Need Advice? Have something to share? Email us any time and let us know what you want to see on here.

I promise to post at least once a week, if not more! I have so many great ideas to share to make your big day the best it can possibly be. Please send this to any other bride-to-be that you know. If you'd like to be included in our email notification list, shoot us an email with your address.

Have a great weekend!

As You Wish WEDding Blog

Welcome to the all new As You Wish WEDding Blog! Thanks for checking us out!

We are working on getting our first post up very soon! Please check back frequently!

In the meantime, check out our website at www.asyouwishwed.biz! Have a great day!