The Cruisin' Life

A few months ago one of our good friends decided she was no longer in love with the Sonoma, CA wedding she had been planning for the past six months. She wanted to do something fun and outside the box and make a weekend long celebration for her friends and family. A radio advertisement for Carnival Cruise Lines caught her attention and before she knew it, she had crossed out "Sonoma, CA" on her Save the Dates and replaced it with "We're going on a cruise!"

She asked us to tag along with her and her fiance on a trial run of the cruise to help with the logistics of planning a cruise wedding in Mexico. Next thing we knew, we were on the Carnival Fun Ship, Paradise, in route to Ensenada, Mexico.

We decided that getting married on the boat was less than ideal so we toured around Ensenada the day we were docked to look at potential wedding venues. Out of four lovely venues, they decided on a beautiful hotel overlooking the beach. Guests would be shuttled from the ship to the hotel for the wedding and reception and then taken back to the ship to continue the celebration. The perfect situation.

Things we learned about the cruisin' life:
-24 hour soft serve ice cream is heaven on earth
-Having a windowless room is bizarre but ok since you don't spend any time there
-Talking on your cell phone while at sea costs $2.50/minute but if you sweet talk AT&T they will reduce your bill
-You will walk a lot getting to different areas of the ship...but not enough to counteract the effects of the buffet
-Bingo is a rip off
-Alcohol is expensive on the ship so bring your own in your suitcase. They don't search it!
-There are different dress codes for different nights. "Cruise Elegant" for example means every woman over 50 wears 10 pounds of sequins. We had major outfit envy.

Sex and the City: Lessons in Love and Commitment

Ok first things first. We LOVED the Sex and the City movie. It was a great wrap up of a fantastic show. How could you not like it? We feel like we have been following their lives for what seems like forever. It was like catching up with old friends.

We walked away from the movie feeling like the main message was about forgiveness and the importance of good communication. Miranda initially seemed to give up on her relationship too easily. She had been hurt and that's all she cared to think about instead of the events and attitudes leading up to Steve cheating. We can all relate to this but we were glad that they were able to work it out and stay true to their commitments and their family.

We also found it really interesting that one of the main reasons Big was having such a hard time getting himself down the aisle was that he didn't want a big showey wedding. While Carrie didn't necessarily want that as well, she was easily persuaded to wear the fancy dress, increase the guest count, and make it into a bigger production.



We have seen this happen in the past where the groom isn't as involved and the bride takes their details to a whole other level. Instead of basing decisions on the interests of the couple, the event turns into a vehicle for showing off money and taste. It makes "my" wedding more important than "our" wedding. This is not a good way to begin a life together and we think its essential to enter into this lifelong commitment as partners.

We encourage all the couples we work with to make decisions together. The modern wedding is no longer all about the bride which has been a great cultural shift. We love that people are celebrating in a way that reflects their individual personalities but also who they are as a couple. After all, weddings are about coming together and the joining of families. We do everything we can to understand who are clients are as individuals as well as a couple and cater to their specific needs. Planning only 12 weddings a year allows us to become great friends with all our clients which we feel very lucky about. We have been known to share a cosmo or two during our planning sessions... : )

Mother's Day Thoughts on Including Mom

Sunday is Mother's Day, and what better time to talk about ways to include Mom in your wedding? It's always interesting to watch the dynamic between brides and their mothers. And more than one bride has ended up feeling like mom thinks it's their special day.

Proactively including your mother in the planning can go a long way towards making her feel like she's a part of things. But don't be afraid to gently remind her that it's your wedding and that you get to make the final call.

It's also nice to include your mom in the ceremony itself. Having both moms light a unity candle is a lovely symbolic tradition. But since a lot of destination weddings take place outdoors, a candle might not be practical.

Both moms could pour sand from two separate containers into a clear glass container symbolizing the same thing as the unity candle, the coming together of two families into one--which is an especially nice touch if you come from two different coasts. Or you could borrow from the Mexican tradition of the wedding lasso and have your moms encircle you and your husband with rosary beads or a flower "rope."

Depending on your relationship with your dad, you might even prefer to have your mom walk you down the aisle. (Especially if you have both a dad and stepfather you're close to and don't want to have to choose between them!)

Remember: the more you include your mother, the less likely she'll feel like she has to insert herself into the proceedings, and the more likely the event will be a treasured memory rather than end up being a sore spot.

Now: go call your Mom and tell her you love her!

Sometimes Wedding Planners are Bridesmaids, Too!

As a wedding planner, most weddings I attend are for work. But this past weekend, I got to be a bridesmaid in the wedding of my very dearest friends, Charlotte. It was so much fun getting to just relax and enjoy the weekend and not having to act in an official capacity. It also gave me some good insight to look at things from a different perspective.

One thing I really appreciated is that Charlotte didn't put us to work like a lot of brides do, especially since weddings are usually all about work for me. It was so nice to just be able to hang out before the wedding and not have to frantically rush around following all the bride's orders. (Believe me it happens.)

We had a blast at the welcome party, which was an informal gathering on the beach across the street where all the guests were staying. The ceremony and reception were at Charlotte's parents house, which, as you can see, was right on the water.

The food at the reception was served buffet style, and I have to say it gave me a whole new appreciation for buffets over a formal plated sit down dinner. There was lots of variety and everything was delicious, plus it

made everything feel really

relaxed.

Another thing I really loved was the wedding favors, she gave each guest a book of love poems by Pablo Neruda. It was a unique and romantic touch, and the book had a great design that fit perfectly with the tone of the wedding.

The DJ, Dave Baily (who was flown in from San Francisco and whom I work with all the time) rocked it out all night long till we jumped on the open-air trolley back the hotel.

Everything was perfect- I could not have planned it better myself!