DIY: Doable or Unrealistic?

I always get asked this question. Since I'm a wedding planner, do I believe in Do-It-Yourself projects? Answer: ABSOLUTELY! As long as you have the time and commit to the projects. In every single wedding I've done, there has been some degree of DIY. Some people make their own invitations, decorations, centerpieces, linen overlays, etc. and I love that part of the planning. Not only is it a challenge, but it's also a chance for us to get creative.

Here are some past DIY projects I've done with my clients:

D&G Invites. To learn more about their invites, check out my past blog post about them. Photo on right by Ja Tecson Photography.

Whitney and Dustin's Table Card Names. They were a very hands-on couple and I loved that so much about them. We also came up with this wine bottle candelabra idea that went on every table as well as their sweetheart table to reinforce their Venetian Theme. Photos by Mollie Jane Photography.

Noel and Beverly's Wedding Favors. Their wedding was so much fun! Not to mention, it was in Hawaii that made it that much more spectacular. Check out these cool favors they made to go with there Hawaiian wedding, complete with a personal letter to their guests and edible ground up green mints for the sand! Photo by Ja Tecson Photography.

Fancy Friday: Fall Weddings

Fall weddings are absolutely beautiful! The weather is perfect, the leaves are starting to change color, and it's almost time for the holidays.

Warm hues like reds, oranges, and wood tones keep in line with the feeling of fall and are great for design elements! Check out this earthy and colorful fall wedding inspiration board.

Photo Credits: Martha Stewart, Beyond the Bride, Kuga Designs, Tim Tidball Photography, Soniasbridal.com, Sedona Wedding Cakes

Fancy Fridays: Green Wedding Ideas

One of my good friends, Heather, is one of the main peeps in charge of a great non-profit organization called Tech Go Green. Check 'em out, they're pretty amazing. She e-mailed me this week about getting involved with the organization in a little way, and I couldn't be more thrilled to help. Hopefully I'll be able to contribute somehow.

There are more and more services and products available for couples getting married that are Earth friendly. I'm a believer of trying to preserve our Earth and to do what we can, no matter how small, to help the environment. Here are some great "Green" wedding ideas:

1. 100% recycled paper for stationary. There are many options for recycled paper at your local paper store. Or, ask your printer/invitation designer for their recommendations for effective Green options. Check out these invitations from MewPaperArts on Etsy.

2. Eco-friendly party favors. I've coordinated events with great Earth-friendly favors. Personalized-planted thank you cards (check these out form Beau-Coup) or lucky bamboo favors (sold by DE for $5.00 each)

3. Venue selection. Hold your ceremony in a beautiful outdoor setting, at 4:00 when the light is beautiful (and not too hot!). Try to hold your ceremony and reception in the same venue so your guests won't have to drive to 2 locations. Use candles to set the mood and save on electricity. Check out this beautiful photo from Elings Park in Santa Barbara. This is a beautiful location! I've made many site visits there and it's a wonderful place to have a wedding!

More to come on "Green" weddings. Stay tuned!

Fancy Friday: Event Lighting

I love event lighting. Why? Something as simple as lighting can completely transform the look and mood of your event. Most of the time, your venue is limited to the chandeliers or "house lights" to brighten your event and to set the mood. Relying on these lights as a source of light for the guests is usually mainly for making sure it's not pitch black in the room and so the guests can see.

Event lighting adds to the room. It gives your white walls some character, texture, and/or color. It gives you a chance to personalize your venue, highlight beautiful design elements like the cake and centerpieces, get creative, and really make a statement.

A lighting designer will not only know how to spice up your room based on your wants and needs, but they will also know the required electrical to make sure there aren't any shorts and there is enough power going to all lights. Just like any other professional, they also know the latest and greatest in their industry that can make your event something that no one has ever seen.

Photo sources: Coverall Events, Think Like a Bride, Goldensound Ent., Prestige Lighting Events

Fancy Friday: Etsy!

For those that know about Etsy, you know what I'm about to rave about! This website is a great resource for not only everyday handmade/vintage things, but an AMAZING resource for weddings. I've used Etsy multiple times for different weddings to give a customized unique look. You can get practically anything!

Thanks to Doodlesbycarolyn, I was able to customize table numbers for a wedding.

Here are some great personalized gems for a wedding favor or place card by Sjengraving.

Here's an adorable head piece by Calexandra.

Here is a beautiful kissing ball design that would look great along the aisle or hanging on the ceiling for your reception. By Annemusingdesigns.

Fancy Friday: Inspiration Boards

Inspiration boards are the best idea! Not only does it help everyone see the big picture, but it helps professionals distinguish your personal style and what appeals to you. Here are some inspiration boards I've created:

Planning is a process and the initial inspiration board that you create isn't necessarily going to be what the end product will be. Life comes in, spices things up, gives you another great idea and things change. I love the evolution of ideas and how far we can push the bar to create something unique for every event.

Fancy Friday: Cocktail Hour

Here's some ideas to keep your guests satisfied during your cocktail hour without going flat.

1. People love a place to sit. Aside from having tall cocktail tables, play with heights and have some short 2-seater tables and furniture with coffee tables to keep the area interesting. Instead of centerpieces on the tables, maybe put pictures from your engagement session and simple bud vases with your logo on the table


2. Get food that is easy to eat and compliments your entree menu. You don't want people to get full during the cocktail hour, so doing a "bite size" is not only economical but makes for good looking food. Another big trend is an elegant finger food, something that doesn't require extra utensils.



3. Drinks. Signature drinks are all the craze. Calling it something creative that ties in with the color scheme/theme of the wedding is a minor detail that can go a long way. Don't have the budget for a signature drink? That's ok! Take a popular cocktail and rename it! Having a wedding in the city? Serve Cosmopolitans. What about a beach wedding? Serve Mai Tai's. Vineyard wedding? Serve wine. These can be your main offerings during your cocktail hour and can save a ton on your budget!

Fancy Friday: Bridesmaids have Feelings too!

I know it's your big day. And, theoretically, you can have the bridesmaids where whatever you choose. But 99% of the clients I have worked with have never wanted their bridesmaids to look tasteless in their gowns. These girls/women are, after all, the ladies that have stuck by you through thick and thin. Through the good times and the bad. Here are some new ideas (and classic time and true designs) that will make your bridesmaids happy and will make your overall wedding experience more enjoyable (I promise!).

The Twist Wrap Dress. I think this is an awesome idea. I'm even considering (keyword: CONSIDERING! My Bridesmaids, it's not a for sure decision yet! lol) What's great is the versatility of this dress. Ceremony: everyone wears a certain style. Looks great on pictures, there's a cohesive look, your girls look fabulous! Reception: people can change up the style to make them comfortable. They can go strapless, a-symmetrical, sleeved, there's a style for everyone. On top of that, the versatility goes well beyond the day of the wedding and this is ACTUALLY something that they can wear to other weddings/events (and it's actually true!). Check out these ways to twist and customize your dress by the Dessy Group.

Another great way to make your bridesmaids feel confident in what their wearing is to pick a color scheme, fabric and let them choose a style. What's great about this is bridal stores have set this up so the colors match as close as possible and there are a variety of styles to choose from. Check these styles out in "marine" by David's Bridal (note: these are just some of the styles to choose from!).

Sometimes footwear can also be an issue. Sometimes people don't feel comfortable wearing really high heels, some people feel more comfortable in a pump than an open toe, there's too many options! How do you keep them cohesive? There are the Dyeables, which will be good for the wedding day (as long as it doesn't rain) and will be good for pretty much that day and maybe one more. You can tell them to go get shoes in a certain color (i.e. black, silver, etc.) that you think will match the color scheme. Or, you can get everyone to wear one shoe and allow them to change into sandals for the reception. Here are some very cute sandals that would still look good over the good ol' flip flop.

Fancy Friday: Saving on Save the Dates

Save the Date cards are a great way to tell your intended guests for your wedding that it's coming up! Like any aspect of the planning, you want to make sure you put your best foot forward and make a statement. This will be one of the first things your friends and family will see, after all. Here are some ideas for save the date's that won't break the bank.

Post Cards. These are a great way to save! Postage is much less ($0.28 within the US). If you're having a destination wedding, beach wedding, outdoor wedding, or live in a major travel city these are a great idea! Many of these designs I found on Etsy (awesome site for hand made/crafted items!).


Good design will really make the statement. No matter how simple the concept, the design of your save the date will really make the difference.



Do you have guests that are more internet friendly? Send out a save the date newsletter! There are many different newsletter providers that are available and are quite affordable. With the newsletter, you can also keep your guests updated with your planning progress and send out announcements with ease! Not only that, but they're so easy to customize! Here are a few examples:



Got guests that are more interactive and really want to do something unique? Make a save the date video! With the ability of video sharing, you can do almost anything you want! From a slide show to an actual video, there are so many possibilities. Best of all, it's free to send! Just send the link of your video to your guests and let them sit back and enjoy! Here are some cool ones:

D & G: Their Amazing Invites Part II

So I promised that I'd post the final product of Debbie and George's wedding invites. Finally, after my huffing and puffing about how great it looks...it's here! Well actually, I received it weeks ago and I just haven't blogged about it. Shame on me.

Their invites are sheer genius in graphic design/print form. When they told me they wanted to make a real statement with their invites while keeping simplicity at the same time I knew we had to be bold. Thanks to Jeanelle (my co-coordinator for their wedding), we came up with the concept of going chocolate brown with these invites. I knew that texture and color would play a huge role in these invites so the challenge was figuring out how to make print pop on chocolate brown paper. I knew thermography or letterpress would give it texture and we came up with the idea with adding the green satin ribbon not only for design but functionality.

Great ideas D&G! I'm glad you liked the outcome of your invites and I hope your guests enjoy them as well!

p.s. Sorry for the sucky pictures. I'll update to better ones 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