Combs For A Cure!

The girls over at Pink Comb Salon are hosting another amazing charity event this month: Combs For A Cure! Stop by the salon on October 24th and win a ton of prizes donated by the best in the wedding business while supporting a good cause. Last year, we donated a Day-Of Coordination package. The winner just got married this past week (photos to come!) and it was a BLAST! This year we are donating a Site Design package and two hours of Consultation Hours. Please come to support a worthwhile cause and bring your family and friends!

Real Wedding: Kristin & J

Back in May, we coordinated a really fun wedding at Studio 450 in New York City. It was the windiest day imaginable, but Kristin & J were total rockstars. The images from Kristin & J's wedding, shot by Vanessa Joy Photography, are some of my favorites of all time.

It doesn't get more beautiful than these two shots!

Rob Adams was also on our team that day and played this awesome same-day edit during the reception.

Kristin and J - SAME DAY EDIT from Rob Adams Films on Vimeo.

Thank you Vanessa and Rob for sharing your beautiful work!

Inspire Me Monday: Photobooth Props

Photobooths are a popular and fun item to have at your wedding reception. Add a fun twist to your photobooth by providing photobooth props for your guests to pose with. Maro Designs has everything from beards, to mustaches to lips. If you have something specific in mind - they can create it for you!

Photo courtesy of Maro Designs.

Designer Spotlight: Modern Trousseau

I love wedding gowns that are a little bit different but not too over the top. Modern Trousseau is one of my favorite designers who fit just that style. They are simple gowns with really stunning details.

Photo Credit: Modern Trousseau

Inspire Me Monday: Composite Rose Bouquets

Your bouquet is an area where it's difficult to stray from the norm. It doesn't seem like there are many options out there. If you do want a floral bouquet but want to do something different, try a composite rose bouquet. The bouquets are handmade from rose petals and are stunningly gorgeous. Above are two of my absolute favorite bouquets of all time.

Looking for some non-floral wedding bouquet options?

Photo Credit: Trent Bailey Photography and Tania Lezak Photography

Bouquets by Opalia Flowers and Beautiful Blooms

Real Wedding: Gina & Gregory

Gina & Greg's Same Day Edit with reactions from Dave Williams on Vimeo.

A few weeks ago, Gina & Gregory got married at Crystal Springs Resort. Check out the same day edit by our super awesome friends at CinemaCake! Not only do you get to see the video but you get to see the bride and groom's reaction as they watched it live during their wedding!

Check out Dave and his team at CinemaCake! They are an absolute joy to work with. Can't wait to share the pro pics from this wedding - coming soon!

Inspire Me Monday: Wedding Sparklers!

Sparklers are a cute photo accessory to include in your wedding. They make for awesome portraits, like above, or can be a fun "getaway" idea if you want to include all of your guests. Make sure that you speak with your venue to make sure it's legal in your area as well as your photographer to ensure that they bring the proper equipment!

This photo is of one of our July '09 couples, Michelle & Dan. Photo Credit: Kella MacPhee.

Fall Intern Needed!

We are looking for an energetic, organized, and creative person to work with our wedding planning team during the fall semester (September-December).

All applicants should live near Northern New Jersey with the ability to meet in Midland Park for one weekly meeting. Applicant must have internet and phone access and be available for projects from home as well as on wedding days. Applicants must be proficient in Microsoft Office and Internet programs.

The ideal candidate will possess the following:

• Positive Attitude
• Flexible schedule
• Ability to multi-task and problem solve
• Ability to operate independently and in a team setting
• Ability to work in a high-stress setting, under pressure, and with time constraints
• Exceptional communication skills
• Commitment to total client satisfaction
• Have the ability to work a varied schedule that may include some evening and weekends

Job Details:

• Research projects
• Phone and email contact with vendors
• Assistance with PR and advertising work
• Day-Of Wedding Assistance

To Apply:

Please briefly answer the following Application Questions:

• What wedding-specific experience do you have (if any)? Include any volunteer experience and the dates of service.
• Describe a stressful situation you’ve experienced while working and how you handled it.
• What unique qualities will you bring to the As You Wish team?
• What does style mean to you?
• What do you hope to gain by working with As You Wish Wedding & Event Design?
• What is your current work and school schedule?
• Do you have a reliable car and the ability to meet once a week as well as work 3-4 weekends during the semester?

Thank you for your interest in working with As You Wish Wedding & Event Design!

Please send your most recent resume, cover letter, and application questions in the body of an email (no attachments will be opened) to stacey@asyouwishwed.biz.

Destination Wedding Wednesday: Ring Shot!

As you can tell by now, I am obsessed with cool ring shots. Use your wedding location to come up with something unique and special.

Photo by Gabriel Boone. Click here to see the full wedding!

New Office Hours

As a wedding planner, I like to be available to my clients whenever they need me. Lately, that has meant in the mornings, in the evenings, and even in the middle of the night when I often get up and respond to emails (NOT a healthy habit!). In order to be a better wedding planner, I need to create a little bit of balance while still being available to my clients when needed. I have come up with brand new office hours. Since some clients are only available in the mornings or at night, I have created a schedule to please everyone!

Starting September 7th, here is when you can reach me:

Monday: 4pm to 10pm

Tuesday: 4pm to 10pm

Wednesday: 9am to 3pm

Thursday: 4pm to 10pm

Friday: 9am to 3pm

*Saturday & Sunday are by appointment only based on our wedding schedule.

During the times above, you'll be able to call us, email us, or schedule meetings with us! In the other times, you can find me working on my business, reading my nook, drinking a glass of local wine, or traveling - all things that I look forward to doing this fall in between planning some really, awesome weddings!

Inspire Me Monday: Yellow & Magenta

I adore the pairing of yellow dresses with magenta shoes. These bridesmaids look absolutely adorable. Don't be afraid to stray from tradition and use fun colors that will really make your girls stand out!

Photo by Amanda Wilcher. Click here to see the full wedding!

Real Wedding: Tamara & Jorge

It has been insanely hot in New Jersey and I am dying for some cooler fall weather. To get in the cool weather mindset, here is one of our awesome real weddings from last September at Florentine Gardens!

I love this ring holder. It screams fall and is such a breath of fresh air from the typical ring bearer pillow.

These beautiful pictures were taken by Jose Reyes Photography. Thanks for sharing, Jose!

Destination Wedding Wednesday: Ring Shot

I absolutely love this ring shot in the sand. It's so clever and fun!

Photo by Funky Town Photography

How I Would Plan Ali & Roberto's Wedding!

Last night on The Bachelorette, Ali made her decision. Overlooking the gorgeous water in Bora Bora, Roberto proposed to Ali. They have plans to wed next spring and I have already planned out the details for them!

I think that Ali & Roberto should have a tropical wedding, possibly right back where they solidified their love for each other in Bora Bora. The wedding will be full of vibrant colors to match Ali's sunny personality. The wedding details will be tropical inspired using pinks, oranges, yellows and greens. The flowers will be straight from the tropics: hyacinths, orchids, and plumeria. Given Ali's personality and dress choices on the show, I think she'd look beautiful in Coco by Amsale. It's the perfect mix of fun and tradition in a casually elegant way. Her hair should be loosely curled with a tropical flower to complete the look. Most importantly, Ali & Roberto would be surrounded by their friends family enjoying great food, drinks and of course........dancing the salsa!

What details would you choose for Ali & Roberto?

Photo Credit:

Tropical Drink ~ Wedding Cake ~ Watercolor Hibiscus Wedding Invitations by My Personal Artist
Tropical Ceremony ~ Coco by Amsale Wedding Gown ~ Plumeria Bouquet
Juicy Couture Flip Flops ~ Hairstyle ~ Reception Centerpieces

Inspire Me Monday

Signature drinks are such a fun way to spice up your cocktail hour and introduce guests to your event. Have fun with it. Step outside the cosmopolitan box and have fun with your signature drink!

Photo Credit:

Cotton Candy Martini ~ Spiked Arnold Palmer
Wheelbarrow Lawn Drinks ~ Pink Grapefruit Mojito

Destination Wedding Wednesday

To see the full gallery of photos from this destination wedding in Cabo, click here. Photo credit: Anna Kuperburg.

Inspire Me Monday

Ring shots are a great detail to out in your wedding album. Turn one of your favorite hobbies into a great memory!

Featured on Merci New York. Photo by Jean Tsai.

Reader Question: Should I invite all my bridesmaids dress shopping?

Question: I have a large bridal party of six girls. I am having a hard time coordination schedules. Is it important to have all of my bridal party with me when I go dress shopping for my dress and their bridesmaid dresses?

Answer: Having a group of your nearest and dearest friends and family members seems like the ideal way to pick out dresses. In reality, it can be a huge stress. With so many people, it's unlikely you will easily find a date when everyone can attend. More importantly, when you have too many people you have too many opinions. Oftentimes you'll end up going with what the group thinks you should buy over what you really want. Although their opinions are valuable, it is your wedding. Bring your mom, Maid of Honor, or close friend. Narrow it down to a few choices and then bring the other girls in for the final decision.

Destination Wedding Wednesday

Turks & Caicos

Photo Credit: B Brilliant by Tropical Imaging

Inspire Me Monday

Photo Credit: Intimate Weddings Blog

Reader Question: Can I invite guests to the shower who aren't invited to the wedding?

Question: My daughter is having a small wedding with just close friends and family. Is it OK to invite guests to her shower that will not be invited to the wedding?

Answer: The short and sweet answer here is NO! When you get an invitation to the shower, you can expect to get an invitation to the wedding. It is considered extremely discourteous to invite a guest to any pre-wedding event but not the wedding. It will come across like the guest is good enough to give a gift at the shower, but not important enough to be invited to the wedding. If she is keeping the wedding guest list short, keep your shower guest list just as short.

At the end of the day, you don’t want people to look back and think that their “presents” were welcome but not their “presence.”

Thanks to Susan for the great question! Do you have an etiquette question for us? Email us at stacey@asyouwishwed.biz!

Non-Floral Bridal Bouquets!

Flowers aren't for everyone. For brides looking to do something less traditional and super fun, consider a non-floral bouquet!

Photo Credits:

Lollipop Bouquet - Button Bouquet - Clutch Bouquet
Brooch Bouquet - Seashell Bouquet - Feather Bouquet
Love Nest Bouquet - Origami Bouquet - Pinwheel Bouquet

Cinco De Mayo Inspiration Boards

Happy Cinco De Mayo!


Photo Credits:

Margarita Cupcake from Sugar Bomber, Maracas from Paloma Images, Mexican Feast from Presidente Restaurant
Tablescape from Social Couture, Custom hot sauce from beaucoup favors, Dancers from Fun Themed Party Ideas
Day of The Dead from Daisy Varley, Tablescape from Daisy Varley, Pinata Bride from wish special events
Placecard by Evrim Icoz Photography, Churro Bar from The Flirty Guide, Mojito Bar from Squidoo

Eventology Wrap-Up!

This week I was in Indianapolis for Eventology 2010, an educational conference for wedding professionals. I met over 100 amazing planners and professionals from all over the country while discovering a city I had never visited before. I learned more than I could ever have imagined while at the conference. The lineup of speakers was perfectly balanced between the business side and the creative side of wedding planning: Linnyette Richardson-Hall, Ali Phillips, Harmony Walton, Saundra Hadley, NaShara Mitchell, Sasha Souza, Terrica Skaggs, & Lara Casey.

We were lucky enough to have the entire event documented by the talented Epic Motion (Day 1 & Day 2) and Jen Lynne Photography.

The best part was all of the new friends I made. I met some of the coolest people and now have a nationwide support system. For any planners debating whether they should attend next year, I whole-heartedly say yes!

Lisa Green, Me!, Aletha VanderMaas, & Tammy Golson

Wish Upon A Wedding!

Wish Upon A Wedding was founded in San Francisco, CA, in January of 2010, by a group of wedding and business entrepreneurs and is America’s FIRST nonprofit wedding wish granting organization, producing weddings and civil union ceremonies at destinations across the United States for individuals facing terminal illness, regardless of sexual orientation.

Chapters:

Wish Upon A Wedding is now boasting twenty chapters nationwide, headed by some of the industry’s most renowned leaders with plans to expand to over 40 chapters worldwide.

Presidents:

Sasha Souza, National President & SF Bay Area President

Kevin Covey, LA/Orange County

Stella Inserra, New York

Ivy Robinson, The Carolinas

Eliana Baucicault, Atlanta

Mary Alice Sublett, Tennessee

Mark Kingsdorf, Philadelphia

Saundra Hadley, Indianapolis

Heather Hamilton Sims, Houston

Shelby Tuck Horton, DC

Elisa Delgardio, Orlando

Ali Phillips, Chicago

Daniela Isabella Ferdico Fagét, Seattle

Forming Additional Chapters:

Other chapters opening soon include Boston, Colorado, Arizona, Portland, Miami, St. Louis, Ohio and Nevada. We are also planning to open to chapters in other areas depending on need including international chapters. If you wish to start a chapter, please fill out the online form for consideration.

Who Is Behind Wish Upon A Wedding?

Many influential people in the industry are beginning to endorse Wish Upon A Wedding & you can find those endorsements on the website. There are also amazing people sitting on the Boards and Advisory Panel throughout the US such as Dana Larue Stiebel “Broke-Ass Bride” {LA Chapter PR Chair}, Leila Khalil {National PR Advisor}, Beth Helmstetter {National Outreach Director} just to name a few. They would love to have you join as well either as a board member or wish granter!

How We Grant Wishes:

To qualify for Wishes, applicants must be unmarried legal citizens of the United States, over the age of 18, who have been diagnosed with less than three years to live. Couples can be granted wishes either in the chapter where they live or in a chapter of their choosing as long as they are able to make the trip.

Couples can simply apply online to request one of three wedding types:

URGENT (Up to 10 guests, in hospital or at bedside);

BOUTIQUE (up to 25 guests, in home town of applicant);

ROMANTIC (Up to 50 guests, at any WUW destination)

How Can You Grant Wishes?

As the organization is building, Wish Granters are needed in all locations. Please apply online today to start helping Wedding Wishes come true. In two weeks, Wish Upon A Wedding will be granting the very first wish. To read more about that wish and the couple please visit the website.

Please use this info on your own blog and during the course of this week...if you have the time and the room on your blog this week.

It will help build a network of very important people in this industry whose main goal is to help these very deserving couples. After all, if you are in the business of creating lifetime memories, we are now asking you to help us create memories for those who are left behind because these couples do not have a lifetime together.

Real Wedding: Carla & Cian - The Details

Carla and Cian held their tented wedding at a private family residence in Glen Ridge, NJ. They wanted a personal, relaxed and fun fall wedding. We incorporated wheat throughout, the Christian symbol for prosperity. Check out some of the incredible details of their day:

All guests were greeted by trays of spiked Arnold Palmers in mason jars (which became a crowd favorite which flowed all night!).

The bride and groom wanted their guests to be comfortable, so Cian provided his close friends with matching Chuck Taylors!

The menu was upscale bbq cuisine including ribs and corn on the cob. We created custom wetnaps to keep the guests fingers clean!

The centerpieces were in mason jars to tie in with the signature drinks.

I had the perfect team behind me to make Carla and Cian's day flawless.

Hair & Makeup: I Do Hair & Make-Up
Flowers: Flowers by Connie Reimer
Photography: Tania Lezak Photography
Stationery: Designs By MK
Monogram and Favor Tags: Peekaboo Paperie
Wetnaps: As You Wish Wedding & Event Design
Catering: Culinary Creations
Candy Apples: Carol Weaver (email us for information)
Table Numbers, Mr. & Mrs. Signs, and Carla & Cian signs: The Back Porch Shoppe

Thank you Carla & Cian for being amazing clients! I was truly honored to be a part of your day!

If you have any questions about anything you have seen here, email us at stacey@asyouwishwed.biz! Photo Credit: Tania Lezak Photography