Hop on over to the Brideface Blog to read my guest post with tips on how to organize your wedding day before the ceremony to make sure you are relaxed and ready to walk down the aisle stress-free!

Struggling with color inspiration for your spring wedding, shower or party? Pantone regularly releases their “fashion color reports”; and I love their Spring ’09 Top Ten. These colors are such a great “wake up” from winter!
My personal favorites are Slate Grey, Palace Blue and Lucite Green (can you tell I’m craving a beach vacation???). Which are your favorites? Any predictions for what will make their list for Fall 2009?

One of the great things for me about this time of year (other than meeting with so many great new clients!) is having a bit of downtime to catch up with other vendors. Yesterday I met with Cindy Wagner, the amazingly talented owner/photographer of Wagner Photographics, for lunch at one of my favorite restaurants, 20 Brix. Cindy has a great aesthetic, and I love looking through all the pictures on her site and her blog. They are always so vibrant and tell the story of the day so beautifully! She is also great at getting those detail shots that I crave as a planner. Equally important, she is incredibly sweet : ) Photographers – particularly fabulous ones like Cindy – book up fast, so I always recommend booking them as early as you can in your planning process. Here are a few other things to keep in mind when looking for a photographer:

• OPTIONS: What is included in their package? Do you get prints or a disc or both? How many hours will they be with you? Do they have an assistant or 2nd shooter? Is an engagement session included, or is it extra?
  
• STYLE: What is their shooting style? If they’re more photojournalistic, do they mind doing a handful of traditional portraits during the day as well? You can get a general idea of this by browsing their websites and blogs, and if you’re still unsure, ask to see an album of a full wedding start to finish.
• PERSONALITY: Whenever possible, meet with them in person! This is someone who will be around you ALL day on one of the most important days of your life… even if they are a great photographer, if your personalities don’t mesh you may want to look into some other options.

Also – a quick note about 20 Brix. It is a fabulous wine bar/store and restaurant in Old Milford (just east of Cincinnati), with amazing food and a huge wine selection. They host wine and beer tastings regularly – a great idea for a unique bachelor or bachelorette party! And also just a great spot to unwind with a glass of wine. Check it out!

2008 was a fabulous year and I have my many wonderful clients and colleagues to thank for that. I love love LOVED being a part of so many wonderful events and was inspired by everyone I worked with. But as much as I have loved 2008, I am equally READY for 2009! I am so excited for the events that are already in the works, as well as those that I don’t even know about yet. I’m looking forward to all of the stories and surprises that the new year will be bring.

My New Year’s resolution is the the same as it is every year – to put my gym membership to actual use! If there are any Urban Active members out there who want to help me with my resolution, let me know! I’m much better at going to the gym when someone else guilts me into going. And if YOUR resolution is to have a stress-free wedding or event, then contact me and I can make sure it happens :)

A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone!

Best wishes,

At my last wedding of 2008, the bride and groom commented to me multiple times how surprised (and happy!) they were that the day was going so smoothly and seamlessly. Their secret? Very simple – they chose high-quality, professional vendors (more on that to come in their recap which will be posted soon). On your wedding day, your wedding vendors work as a team to make sure that everything happens precisely the way you envisioned, so having a team of professionals that complement each other in style and process is key.

That said, what if you could have two high-quality, professional vendors for the price of one? For the month of February 2009 only, Lifetime Video is offering complimentary wedding day coordination with any package booked. The process is simple – when you book Lifetime Video for your videography, you’ll receive complimentary wedding day coordination from your choice of 3 companies (including Aviva Events) as well as special discounts from Brideface. For more details, contact Matt Pine – (513) 231-0080 or matt@lifetime-video.com.

Please spread the word – it’s a deal to good to be missed!