Most wedding arrangements need a bit of green in them, and all too often it tends to be run-of-the-mill filler flowers and leaves selected to keep down costs.  Saving money is great, but why not give each element meaning too?  Add local herbs to your bouquet for foliage that adds to both the look and the aroma of the day. Rosemary, lavender, and mint all especially lend themselves to floral arrangements well. Try pairing rosemary with white blossoms, lavender with tulips in bold shades, or mint with pink peonies or dahlias. Ornamental oregano is a stunning plant on its own (see photo at the bottom of the post) or paired with blooms. You can find all of these and more at a local store or farmers market, but don’t be afraid to experiment with what you find in your own back yard.

Then, take the herbal theme to the next level and incorporate it into other elements of the day. Offer lavender sachets or soap as a favor.  Fill your caterer in on your plan, and serve food and drink like rosemary chicken, lavender scones, or minty mojitos.  It’s a great way to give guests a taste of the local flavor without hurting your wallet.

Planning a wedding can be much tougher than it seems, and when you are looking for help you would probably like to turn to your best friend.  You should make Stephanie Anderson from One Fine Day Event Planning your new best friend.   She works closely with her brides to make their wedding special and unique by focusing on their visions and coordinating with the vendors to make sure the day goes without a hitch.

Focus Photo Tahoe

Stephanie started in event planning in college with an internship for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, and assisted in coordinating their star-studded events.  After college, she worked in the hotel industry helping grow their wedding business.  Eventually, she decided to branch out on her own and formed One Fine Day Event Planning, based in both the San Francisco Bay Area and Lake Tahoe.  Aspiring event planners need to be able to multi-task (how many brides do you think can you juggle at once?), stay organized, and work on a number of different styles, and Stephanie possesses each of these qualities.  Her events are formed around the inspiration boards she and the brides create using ideas pulled from a variety of sources, with these boards focusing on what the bride wants incorporated into her special day.

Catherine Hall Studios

For Stephanie, the best part about her job is being able to work with every client on their vision, creating the look and feel of the wedding, and putting all the pieces together to make sure the wedding runs smoothly and is exactly what the couple wants.  One tip she has for brides is to determine first the number of guests, and then make an excel spreadsheet with your budget and estimate the number of dollars you intend to spend on each category (flowers, cake, venue, etc.).

Focus Photo Tahoe

One Fine Day is the perfect choice for every bride because packages are offered regardless of how much (or little) you already have planned.  If you have all your vendors, then Stephanie will be there to coordinate with each vendor and give them time lines for the wedding day and be their go-to person day of, taking the pressure off the bride.  For brides who are just starting the planning process, Stephanie is happy to help with vendor suggestions.  Packages of all types range from $1,500 to $7,000, and everything is customized around your needs.

If you are feeling overwhelmed or do not know where to start, you should give One Fine Day a call.

Stephanie Anderson

http://www.onefinedayevents.com/

sa@onefinedayevents.com

Lake Tahoe: (530) 386-1609
San Francisco: (415) 350-9639

While planning our wedding I have been thinking in the back of my mind that my own grandmother probably won’t be attending. I love her dearly and was very close to her as a child. You are probably thinking why isn’t she going to attend? And no it’s not because we aren’t inviting her or that she doesn’t like my fiancé. My grandmother is unfortunately a fatist. Yes, you heard it right. She discriminates against fat people even though she is large herself.  She doesn’t tolerate people who are fat especially anyone in her family.

It makes me sad to share this news, however I hope this will help remind everyone that a fatist is a negative attribute. Our culture has made it clear that judging someone based on race or culture is wrong, but the same societal pressure is missing for the differently sized. I hope to get across this point to my grandmother so she can accept the millions of other things I am and not push me out of her life because I have gained an extra twenty pounds.

I have not had a chance to reach out to my grandmother however, today I hope I helped shape a young mind. A friend’s four year old asked me “why is your tummy big?” I took the opportunity and told her “because everyone’s bodies are different shapes and sizes, I like my round tummy and I like to eat. That’s why I have a tummy.” She smiled and hugged me as she said “I love it, it makes you so cozy.”  It was pure and simple.

So my task for you this week is to see how often you judge someone for his or her size. Then stop and instead try to think of something that is positive about that person. Remind yourself to not judge by appearance, especially something as vulnerable as someone’s size.

You can buy a “Fatism Sucks” button here:  http://www.cafepress.com/+fatism+buttons

Yesterday I got an education in wedding planning from Bay Area bridal professionals at Wedding University, presented by Wedding 360 at the Four Seasons Hotel, Silicon Valley.  Wedding University, now in its second year, is a new and different take on bridal shows.  Rather than a ballroom filled with vendors who inundate you with business cards, samples, inspiration, and temptation and leave you feeling confused and overwhelmed, Wedding University provides advice and guidelines from industry insiders with years of experience.  The goal is to educate and empower you, not to sell you services (though, of course, they are always happy to have your business).

Topics covered include photography, music and entertainment, decor and design, and much more.  It’s a full day of “classes” with frequent breaks during which the Four Seasons catering staff plies you with tasty treats.  From the mimosa brunch to the sliders and cake it’s a day chock-full of food and information.  Always a star student, I made sure to take notes and from them I’ve compiled my top tips from Wedding University. Sharpen your No. 2 pencils and get ready to learn!

Top Ten Tips From Wedding University:

1) Consider a bridal planner, says Mary Dan-McNamee, author of Wedding Wisdom. “We get married 20 or 30 times a year” compared to your experience as a newbie.  It helps to have a seasoned veteran on your side.

2) We all want that “glossy magazine” look for our wedding.  But know what you are looking at, says McNamee, “The weddings you see in magazines cost $700-$1000 per person.”  Suddenly your guest list is looking shorter, right?  Don’t worry, with good help and a creative eye you can host a similarly lovely wedding for roughly $300-$500, or even less if you are willing to compromise.

3) Define your wedding style clearly—you may want a “modern” wedding, but what does that mean?  “Pop modern,” “sweet modern,” “glam modern,” urban modern?”  Bring stacks of magazine pages with the style you like to any initial vendor meeting.

4) Avoid photography trends like coloring the bouquet or a fish eye lens, says photographer Kevin Chin.  In just a few years they can make your photos look dated.

5) Paul Kuhn, Director of Catering at the Four Seasons Silicon Valley, had great suggestions for the bar: “Don’t be afraid to ask about pricing,” Kuhn says, “at some venues soft drinks and juices can be a surprising $6 to $8 per glass.  You’ll want to be prepared for that.”

6) Don’t assume anything about a venue, advises Kuhn—be sure to ask if refills will be given if people drink too quickly during toasts, and ask about a venue’s policy on tip jars or any other details.

7) When it comes to your wedding soundtrack, DJ & Master of Ceremonies Ron Grandia warns:  Avoid horns during cocktail hour and speeches.  Did you know that a saxophone occupies the same space in your head as conversation does?  This makes voices more difficult to register.

8] Give your Master of Ceremonies the keys to succeed.  Your parents names’ may be Robert and Kimberly and their last names Wilson, but introducing them as “Robert and Kimberley Wilson” will make folks uncomfortable when “Mr. Robert Wilson and Ms. Kimberly Wilson and her husband John” is more appropriate.

9) Thinking of hair extensions for the big day? What looks great then might look a mess after a week on the beach.  Stylist Armando Sarabia recommends clip-on extensions to avoid newlywed bed head later.

10) Tuck aloe-free baby wipes in your emergency kit, suggests Gabrielle Medrano-Contreras of Gabrielle’s Bridal Atelier.  They’re great for removing a multitude of smudges and stains on wedding dresses, even lipstick.

My first thought was to turn one moment from the video into a photo.  Unfortunately, it seemed as though choosing one shot was just not enough.  Finally, I came up with the idea to make a flip book.  I planned to print out a bunch of successive shots and have them bound together.  Fortunately, when I searched online for ideas and tips, I came upon a website that could do it for me!

There are a number of sites that come up when you search for flip books.  The one I used (www.flipclips.com) seemed the most straightforward and required only three steps!

1. Upload your video
2. Pick the cover, size, and quantity
3. Enter your billing information

The only downside to this site was the limited amount of choices for the cover.  Instead of allowing me to create my own, I had to choose from a limited number of pre-made designs.  It worked nicely for mine because there was a wedding option, but if you want to add in your own photo or design you may have to search for a different site.

It took five minutes to upload my video and place my order.  Two weeks later I showed up at the engagement party with the ultimate in personalized gifts!  In addition to a great gift for the bride or groom, a flip book could make a cute shower or wedding favor.  Not everyone has a video of their engagement, but I’m sure any couple would appreciate personalized flip books made from videos captured throughout their courtship.

Bay Area Bride Guide aspires to become your resource for local bay area wedding tips, advice, and a place for you to interact with other brides-to-be. Our group of inspired and active bloggers includes recent brides, local vendors, brides-to-be, and even a maid-of-honor.

We hope to inspire and introduce you to Bay Area wedding resources and hidden gems.