RIP: The King

I actually feel like this is late, since he passed away a few weeks ago. I guess now is when I'm ready to write about it. Watching the memorial yesterday probably helped a bit too.

I'm going to do my best to not say what everyone else has (he's the greatest entertainer that ever lived, he will be missed, condolences, etc). But that will obviously be difficult due to my feeling of desolation and contemplation. I guess I'll just try to keep that section short. I'll just say that the first song I remember was "ABC 123" because of my Dad. It's amazing to me how MJ effected the lives of my Dad, my older cousins, me, and my younger cousins through his music. I still remember the performance I saw that made me respect him more than an entertainer. Everyone I talk to remembers Michael Jackson for Thriller, Billy Jean, Beat It, his Jackson 5 days, etc. But no, not me. Though as a dancer myself, I of course loved his talent in all those numbers and all his performances, that goes without saying. But what I remember most is his performance at the Super Bowl singing "Heal the World." Why? I'm not quite sure. I just remember that I saw true care for young people, old people, the world, and everything in between in his performance. I really respected that about him. He put others before himself many times. He was very selfless and giving, something I aspire to be.

Michael, millions pray for you and miss you. I guess I'm just another one of those million lives you touched. A person like you puts me in awe. What an amazing feat to be respected, admired, and loved by so many people by doing what you love. You bring people together from all walks of life, you inspire me to be a great person and to give 100% in everything I do. Thank you.

D & G: Their Amazing Invites

Dolce and Gabana? Nah, Debbie and George. Their invites (printed by moi and Charlie's wholesale companies) and designed by Deb and George themselves have finally arrived! I love their sense of style, very similar to mine: modern, sleek, simple, and in your face. We had a mini-invite party last week to put the assets together and this awesome DIY bride got through them and finished the following day!

These chocolate brown invites were letter pressed and the inner pearl pages were laser printed. The green ribbon is hand-attached to complete the color-scheme and give a softer look. The envelopes are hand-stamped with a gold return address and addressed with gold labels to keep the design cohesive. Awesome design down to every detail!

I'm waiting for my invite to come in the mail. More pictures to come when it arrives!

Technology and Events -- Part I

I wrote an article about 2 years ago about technology and weddings. I honestly can't believe that in that short amount of time there are now even more technological avenues to utilize. As a business owner and being involved in the wedding/event industry, it's exciting how the world of technology is having a direct effect on things in the bubble I call my life.

As a business woman, I believe you have to keep up and be resourceful. I'm a technology geek (not full blown, but pretty interested). Technology is quite different even from a few years ago and the internet has been such a useful resource to me. Because of the internet, I can connect with friends that I haven't seen/heard from in years, I can keep in contact with family and friends all over the world, and they can keep up with me. The endless ability to reach people far and wide is jaw dropping. Here are just some of the things that I've seen or am a part of.

Blogger. (of course)

Myspace.

Twitter.

Facebook.

LinkedIn.

Wedspace.

Those are the ones just off the top of my head. There are so many more, and that's just for my business/event planning life. Why is this important you ask? It may not be. But to "techies" like myself, it's a way to stay connected and to put a face on a company. I've never been one to impose my services or personality on anyone, but if someone is interested I'm not afraid to share a little bit of myself with another person. I'm a pretty open book. I believe in making a connection with people and I believe one of the only ways to do that is to share some of yourself. I guess that's why I'm in the business that I'm in.

What's important to me is to establish a personality for my company. I want everyone to know that with my company, comes my style, persona, quirks, and all. In a business like mine, working with different personalities is a way for me to further discover things about myself. The challenge of getting to know a person and understanding their likes and dislikes is exactly why I believe that personality is so important.

A website can show a little bit about you, but isn't as personal as a blog, or a profile. Through the evolution of websites, I feel that a company website is just meant to brush the surface and give enough information to intrigue. With social networking, I feel like you can get a taste of what I'm about, and hopefully because or despite those things you find out about me, you can make a decision.

Debbie & George

When Deb sent me these pictures that Ja took, I swooned! Their lifestyle shoot was amazing. In my opinion, these 2 pictures sum it up.

I have to mention that this couple is loads of fun. We have so much in common and so much fun not only planning the wedding but hanging out. Thanks to Ja and Bev, I had the chance to meet this couple and work with them on their special day. Can't wait for their amazing wedding, it'll definitely be one for the books!

To see more about them, check out their website: dgfinally.com

Photos by Ja Tecson

The Wedding Planner's Engaged!

I think the headline sums it up pretty well. And it gives me a chance to put it out there: yes! I'm a wedding planner that plans weddings because I love weddings, not because I planned my own wedding. And for those that have asked, of course I'm hiring a wedding planner! =)

As you can see in the picture, we're excited! We were engaged in April, and no, not sure when the date is yet. We're still talking with our families to figure out what dates works best for us. Thank you to everyone that has sent their love and support, we really do appreciate it!

ABC-GLA meeting: Liene Stevens

This was my first meeting with ABC. In my own right, I was a bit nervous and didn’t know what to expect. The traffic getting to the Andaz was causing my anticipation to build and caused me to keep running different scenarios in my head. Thankfully, when I got there, my nerves eased while I walked around the room looking at the snacks, centerpieces, and little details of the event. The pieces you see above were creations by Carissa (yes, we share the same name!) of JL Designs. The other picture is the beautiful view from the penthouse level of the Andaz.

I have heard of Liene but never have really looked into her company, who she was, or what she’s done. I must say, she knows her stuff! I learned a lot of things that I didn't know and admire her knowledge, advice, and realistic approach to planning and speaking. I’m really glad I went to hear her speak and to check out the Andaz venue. It was nice to meet everyone and I hope to meet more of the members soon!

Wedding Cake Ideas

(find these cakes on theknot.com and read more about them!)

People often forget about this part of the “tiny details.” The cake is an important part of tradition in weddings. These traditions date back to the Roman era when loaves of bread were used and broken over the couple to signify prosperity and long life. The guests would also try to take pieces of the loaves so they can also share in the prosperity of the couple.

Since then, cakes have transformed into a very important part of the reception festivities. The act of slicing and sharing a piece of cake together signifies unity and care for each other. The cake itself an edible work of art.

I’ve been surrounded by cakes my whole life. My aunt has been baking cakes even before my days walking this Earth working at the family bake shop in the Philippines. Since then, she’s honed her craft and recently opened a shop in Granada Hills with my parents to carry on the legacy here in the US (www.ninongspastries.com). She taught me that cakes have to be 2 things: DELICIOUS and BEAUTIFUL.

Sometimes cakes aren’t the most important thing to people, but I believe it is. This is one of the important parts of the celebration of a wedding, and it’s something that you share with the guests that mean so much to you.

There are so many ways to get creative with cakes. The shape, the flavor, the cake topper, the colors, the embellishments, the base, the height, the list goes on. Designers have definitely been pushing the bar with their cakes and moving from the traditional white/off white cake. Some are in full color, some with hints of the traditional with a new modern twist. Some cakes are all edible with gum paste flowers and decor, some cakes have fun non-edible embellishments.

The world of weddings is changing, but the growth in the creativity of wedding cakes is amazing. The future of wedding cakes is limitless and will continue to evolve as the years go by. I can’t wait to see what else people will be coming up with.

Photo sources: The Knot