In Honor of Brooke Davis & Josh Wimberly

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I had such a great time being a part of Brooke and Josh's wedding.  They both live in Arizona, so I actually planned most of the wedding with Brooke's mom, Ginny.  Every part of this wedding was a blast!  I loved every single vendor, and in case you didn't know I used to work at Franciscan Gardens, so it was nice to be back!  Enjoy some of our favorite pictures below by Chris!

The Team: {Coordinator: Simply Sweet Weddings} - {Location- Franciscan Gardens} - {Photography: Chris Diset Photography} - {Florist: Jenny B Floral Design} - {Caterer: 24 Carrots} - {Entertainment: Elevated Pulse Productions}  - {Bakery: Simply Sweet Cakery} - {Photobooth: Foto Cabina}

  

Vendor Spotlight: Elevated Pulse Productions

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Ok...I absolutely love Brian Lee with Elevated Pulse Productions!  He is the perfect mix of fun and outgoing without being a cheeseball!  He is always blogging about new mixes and giving updates on music selections to the traditional choices.  Not to mention they also do really awesome lighting!  You must check out their website to see more than just the pictures we posted below!
  • Cat or Dog?  Dog….his name is Brady
  • Twilight or Harry Potter? Neither
  • Mac or PC?  Mac all the way!
  • Sweet or Salty? Spicy ;)
  • Beer or Wine? I enjoy both, but I am definitely more of a beer person. Especially in the summertime.
  • Mountains or Beach? The Beach! I moved to California to so I could see the ocean as much as possible, and be away from cold weather
  • Neat or Messy? I would say Neat, but my wife might think otherwise.
  • What is the last book you read? It was a book on how to use Logic Pro (my music production software).
  • Most embarrassing moment?  I’m not letting the cat out of the bag on this one :)
  • Favorite sports team? New England Patriots!! I grew up in New Hampshire.
  • What was the last movie you went to see? Horrible Bosses
  • Who would play you in a movie?  Hmmm tough one….maybe Jake Gyllenhaal?
  • What is your favorite drink? Nothing beats Virgil’s Black Cherry Cream Soda
  • What is in your refrigerator right now? TONS of leftover beer from a BBQ, some pasta salad, waters…gosh, we need to go grocery shopping.
  • What is your favorite place to eat? Right now, Lazy Dog Café for Sunday brunch
  • What TV reality show or game show would you go on? Family Feud
  • How many pairs of shoes do you own?  I have Dress Shoes, Chucks and flip flops….this would be more interesting if I was a girl.
  • Where did you grow up? New Hampshire
  • What is your advice to people planning a wedding? Give yourself plenty of time for the planning process, this way you get the vendors you want and avoid the added stress as the date gets close.
  • What is your best marriage advice? She’s always right ;)
  • One of your favorite wedding moments? I have seen so many amazing weddings, but the one thing that stands out in my mind the most was seeing my own gorgeous bride walking down the aisle
  • Anything else we should know? Elevated Pulse loves introducing clients to new music.  We act like a personal Pandora and provide individual recommendations based on artists and genres each client likes.  We are constantly searching for the best new music out there to stay fresh and up to date for our clients (any good DJ considers this a priority).
  • Tips:  we have several music mixes on our blog along with a series of blog posts called “Wedding Song Recommendations”.  Check back frequently for new ideas and creative suggestions from us!
  • Links to Mixes:
  • http://blog.elevatedpulsepro.com/2011/01/mid-week-mix-sessions.html 
  • http://blog.elevatedpulsepro.com/2010/11/mid-week-mix-sessions.html
  • Links to “WSR” posts:
  • http://blog.elevatedpulsepro.com/2011/06/wedding-song-recommendations-first.html 
  • http://blog.elevatedpulsepro.com/2011/06/wedding-song-recommendations-garter.html
  • http://blog.elevatedpulsepro.com/2011/03/wedding-song-recommendations.html
  • And finally, we LOVE our clients.  We seriously meet the best people in this business and feel blessed to be doing what we love every day!

Paying for Your Honeymoon

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After planning a fantastic wedding, you and your spouse deserve to have some alone time on an amazing honeymoon. Whether you choose to go to Europe or an Island in the Caribbean, you want the memories to last a lifetime, not the bills. So with a little bit of planning, you can have a perfect getaway without breaking the bank. Here are some tips from Martha Stewart Magazine about how to pay for your honeymoon.

World Sites Ranking

Start Saving Early
Before you and your fiance get too carried away dreaming about romantic beaches, cozy casitas, and foreign capitals, have a heart-to-heart about where you want to go, what kinds of activities you want to enjoy, and how much you think it's going to cost- do some internet research before you sit down to talk. Ideally, you'll start planning-and saving- six months to a year before the honeymoon.
Don't forget about all the daily expenses. Tally all of your expenses, divide that number by the number of months until your wedding day, and start setting money aside each month. Some couples like to incorporate their honeymoon into their overall wedding budget, but it may be easier if you set up a separate honeymoon account!
Make the Most of Rewards Programs
It rarely pays to finance your honeymoon with credit cards, but it may make sense to apply for a credit card that earns points toward free hotel stays or upgrades when you charge wedding expenses. Look for cards with low annual fees, low interest rates, and bonus points for signing up. You can earn enough points for a couple free nights just for acquiring the card. 
If you're using airline miles, book your flight six months ahead; that's when airlines set aside rewards seats. The best available flights are most likely on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday.
Hire a Travel Professional
The honeymoon is one trip for which for which even savvy travelers may want to enlist the help of a travel agent. Some agents charge clients a flat fee or a percentage of the booking, while others are paid by the hotels or resorts to which they send business. Still, you could save money by working with an agent, particularly for an international trip where insider knowledge is key to finding deals. Good agents can steer you to off-season discounts, book the best accommodations for your budget, and give you tips for saving on everything from train fares to local cuisine. Better yet, they can help arrange for newlywed perks, such as room upgrades and complimentary gifts- like Champagne!
Be Your Own Online Agent
Determined to plan your own trip? There are dozens of websites designed to help couples find honeymoon hot spots, search for hotels, and book flights. Sign up for the FareWatcher at travelocity and get e-mail alerts when prices fall on the routes you're monitoring. At sidestep, search more than 150 travel sites simultaneously to track down the best deals. You can book luxury hotels around the world at luxurylink. There is an auction feature that is a great way to find accommodations that might otherwise be outside of your budget.
There was a time when airlines upgraded honeymooners to first or business class. This is now a rare occurrence. But many hotels still give newly married couples first-class treatment so let the hotel know it's your honeymoon when you book it! When you check in, kindly remind them. You may not score the honeymoon suite, but you might get a bigger room or an ocean view!
Register for Your Honeymoon
If travel is as important as new place settings or fine linens, create a honeymoon registry with a travel agency or directly with a resort. When registering for travel, you generally book your trip, then set up the registry. If booking with Starwood Hotels and Resorts, for example, you can register the trip on Wedding Channel; then guests go to your registry and buy you "Honey Money" to help pay for your stay. At Distinctive Honeymoons, guests can shop for specific items on your honeymoon registry such as spa treatments and dinners.


Hope some of these tips help you save some money on your first vacation as husband and wife!

Vendor Spotlight: D.Park Photography

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I'm so excited to be blogging about D. Park Photography!  Drexelle interviewed me for her blog last November and took some really fun headshots for me!  We had such a fun time together. They are both such talented photographers and an even more amazing couple. They are so talented and passionate about capturing the perfect moments on your big day. Because they're best friends and husband and wife, they work great together and make whoever they're shooting feel comfortable in front of the camera. So check out these, "modern classic wedding photographers for the truly original, authentic and timeless love stories."  They won't disappoint!  

  • Cat or Dog?  We love both!  We’re actually in search of our first dog as hubby and wife.  Stay tuned!
  • Twilight or Harry Potter? Harry Potter, hands down.  We’re going to the midnight showing on the IMAX.  Though, I [Drexelle] can’t deny I love Twilight.  Read all the books.  Can’t wait for the last movie!  When pressed, David will admit he’s more Team Edward than Jacob.  Ha!
  •  Mac or PC? Mac for tasks requiring design. PC for tasks requiring organization.
  •  Sweet or Salty? Sweet!
  •  Beer or Wine? Depends on our mood but David loves great beer (he’ll actually be going to Germany for Oktoberfest), whilst I [Drexelle] prefer wine.
  • Mountains or Beach? Beach (sun, clear waves, warm weather) 
  •  Neat or Messy? Monica Geller neat.  Don’t know if that’s a good thing…
  • What is the last book you read? Purple Cow by Seth Godin [Drexelle] and How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie [David
  •   Most embarrassing moment? Ooooh, these can be painful to share. Haha!  Tons of those.
  • Favorite sports team? N/A 
  •  What was the last movie you went to see? Bridesmaids!  So funny! 
  • Who would play you in a movie?  David would love to play a warrior in an epic movie.  We’ve been watching through Lord of the Rings on blu-ray and he just loves the swords they use.  Meanwhile, I would personally love to be in a Glee movie. 
  • What is your favorite drink? David: Primitivo wine. Drexelle: Pepsi
  • What is in your refrigerator right now? An assortment of goodies from Trader Joe’s
  • What is your favorite place to eat? Our special place with the best memories: Storyteller’s Café in Grand Californian Hotel.  Place with the best food:  The Penrose Room in the Broadmoor in Colorado
  • What TV reality show or game show would you go on? I [Drexelle] was on Wheel of Fortune and that was so exciting for me.  But I would dream of being on Dancing with the Stars or American Idol. If David had a chance, he’d join Bear Grylls on a Man vs. Wild trip or try out for Ninja Warrior.
  • How many pairs of shoes do you own?  David has more!  He’s the shopper.
  • Where did you grow up?  David grew up in Anaheim Hills.  I grew up half the time in LA (‘til after the riots) and then in Garden Grove.
  • Where have you gone to school?  David and I both went to UC Irvine.
  • What is your advice to people planning a wedding?  Firstly, plan for your marriage.  The average couple spends 500 hours planning a wedding but may, at most, read one book on marriage.  Plan for your marriage.  Have the hard conversations.  Have date nights.  Invest in each other’s relationship.  Secondly, for your wedding, it’s one day you won’t get back.  You deserve the best.  Hire the best.  It will make all the difference on your wedding!  We have more tips on our Type A Bride Minute page here (includes great tips from the lovely Holly from Simply Sweets)!  Here’s also a great reference to help you out:  Fall in Love with the Right…Photographer.
  • What is your best marriage advice?  In marriage, you will learn how strong, how hard, how amazing love is.  It will be difficult.  There will be challenges.  Feelings will go up and down.   But it is one of the most incredible things on this earth: being the other half of another person.  You’ll be growing up the rest of your lives, together.  There are tons of stuff out there to help you build your marriage! Commit to building up your relationship to be stronger.  You’ll be amazed at what it will do.
  • One of your favorite wedding moments? Two moments:
    • 1)   The minute the father of the bride sees his baby girl all dressed up as a bride for the first time.
    • 2)    The minute the groom sees his gorgeous bride for the first time
    • Both moments are incredibly emotional and we feel so blessed to be able to capture them.  For me [Drexelle], they were my favorite moments at my own wedding.  Brings tears to my eyes just to remember it!
  • Anything else we should know? A little bit about us
    • We’re David and Drexelle. 
    • From best friends, high school sweethearts, to husband and wife, we were complete opposites. God amazingly brought us together, two kids who were scared of marriage but now passionate about a lifetime committed to love – the good, the bad, the crazy, the lovely. 
    • We’re not only here to capture each moment and to celebrate your incredible love story.  We’re here to inspire people like ourselves who were jaded about love through incredible imagery that celebrates love and marriage – lifelong, lasting

In Honor of Neha Soneji and Harin Contractor

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I was so excited to book my first Chicago bride Neha!...and over the telephone!  So you can imagine my anticipation the first time I finally got to meet her, Harin, and her parents for our timeline meeting.  We of course had even more fun than I imagined talking about snowboarding, and other sports they enjoy.  Neha and Harin are truly some of the most genuine people I have worked with and I feel so special to have been part of their day.  I must say, I am starting to become quite attached to Indian weddings!  All of the bright colors and energy makes "work" even more fun!  I hope you enjoy some of their pictures below....they are absolutely stunning!
The Team: {Coordinator: Simply Sweet Weddings} - {Location- Hilton Waterfront Resort} - {Photography: David Crane Photography} - {Videographer: New Classic Films} - {Caterer: Jay Bharat} - {Make up/Hair/Mhendi: My Fair Bride} - {Entertainment: Kumba Entertainment} - {Rentals: Elegant Chiavari Chairs} - {Bakery: Simply Sweet Bakery}







  

Vendor Spotlight: Fusion Linens

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Such an important part of your wedding is your reception! Obviously! This is where you and your guests will be spending the most of your time, so you want to make sure the room is absolutely gorgeous! One way to do that is to use specialty linens and napkins, upgrade your chiavaris, and my personal favorite...a white dance floor. Fusion Linens has some of the most amazing table wear to make your reception room pop. Feel free to contact Danielle Spraker if you have any questions! Check out some of her tips to picking linens as well as some pictures of their fabulous table wear below!

  • Cat or Dog?  Dog
  • Twilight or Harry Potter? Harry Potter
  • Mac or PC? PC
  • Sweet or Salty? Sweet
  • Beer or Wine? Beer
  • Mountains or Beach? Mountains
  • Neat or Messy? Messy :)
  • What is the last book you read? The Bible
  • Most embarrassing moment?  Sent a text message to the person the text was about!
  • Favorite sports team? Green Bay Packers
  • What was the last movie you went to see? Pirates of the Caribbean on Stranger Tides
  • Who would play you in a movie? Emma Stone
  • What is your favorite drink? Diet Coke
  • What is in your refrigerator right now?  Home-made ice cream mix
  • What is your favorite place to eat?  Gabbi's
  • What TV reality show or game show would you go on? Jeopardy
  • How many pairs of shoes do you own?  Oh man, over 10
  • Where did you grow up? Orange, CA
  • Where have you gone to school? Orange, CA and Santa Rosa, CA
  • What is your advice to people planning a wedding? Don't take the fun out of the whole experience by stressing on the details. If you have many moving parts that need to come together then definitely invest in hiring a wedding coordinator. Keep your eyes on the prize, remember that this is only a party commemorating your lasting union to the love of your life.
  • What is your best marriage advice? As a newlywed my best advice is choose your battles wisely, you have to live with this person:)! Treat your spouse with the respect that you want to receive and say "I love you!" every night before bed
  • One of your favorite wedding moments?  My father gave a speech that brought me to tears, that was by far one of my favorite moments in my life..
  • Anything else we should know? Weddings can be overwhelming and turn the sweetest person into a stress case. Try and enjoy the experience as it will all be over before you know it. Input can be a big help but don't be afriad to put your foot down if your ideas are being over shadowed.
The process of selecting linens is made easier when a client has a good idea of what feel he or she wants to create in the room. For example, a bride that wants a fresh clean feel would be well suited to a white linen. The centerpiece plays a large role in design and décor so having an idea of what the florals will look like will help me recommend the best linens to create the desired table scape. When choosing a linen company it is important to be aware of what services the venue will provide and what services are left up to the clients. A bride getting married at a hotel may not need a linen company to set up her linens, whereas a bride getting married at a golf club may need a linen company that can offers the labor to handle the setup.  Linens are a great finishing touch to any event, but they should not be the main focal point.

What's the Right Print for Your Invitations?

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One of the first things guests will see from your wedding are your invitations! So it is extremely important for them to reflect you and your wedding. There are many different elements that go into the invitations and one of them is what the right print is. Some options include letterpress, laser, thermography, engraving, and so much more. Beau-coup created an amazing outline of a bunch of different ways you can print your invitations to tell people about your special day! I've put some explanations of what each one is and what is less expensive than others. Also, here are tips from The Knot to make the perfect invites!
Laser $
Wedding Paper Divas
These prints produce remarkable results based on digitally-rendered files. The native digital file is sent directly to the digital printer, losing no image quality. Colors can cover the entire rainbow spectrum, and are as bold, vibrant and as comparable to color offset printing. The printing appears as a flat image. Recommendations: This type of printing is most commonly used for smooth or lightly textured papers. It is the most economical way of printing (next to printing yourself on your own inkjet or laser printer) and a perfect solution for those wanting professional print quality at reasonable prices.
Letterpress $$
Letterpress Wedding Invitations
This type of printing utilizes a movable type machine. The inked raised type is stamped onto the paper. The various typestyles on the market today are not available with this printing process, since the characters are preset and determined based on the machine itself. It's not easy to find printers that will provide this type of printing but if you find one that will, the effect will look best on handmade paper. Recommendations: This process is used most commonly for invitations that have unusual textured paper and is much more expensive than most other types of printing. 
Thermography $$$
Invitation Diary by Event House
No ink is involved with this method. Metal plates that are etched with letters are stamped into paper so what is left behind is the imprint of the letter. You'll be able to see this printing type on the borders of many invitations, addresses, and monograms. Recommendations: Embossing is best when used to accent an invitation, such as with borders, monograms, motifs, and the return address on the envelope flap. Thermography is an added cost, but well worth the visual 3-Dimensional effect it creates. You will only want to order embossing if you have 3-4 weeks to wait for your invitations to be printed.
Engraving $$$$
Louella Court
This process is the oldest form of printing. It begins by etching the design and/or text into a copper plate from a negative. The paper is placed on the press face down above the inked plate. It is then printed by pressure coming down on the back of the sheet while the front of the sheet meets with the plate. This "sandwich" effect creates the raised lettering on the front and bruising on the back of the printed paper, which are both classic features of engraving. Typically you will receive the actual copper plate used for printing as a keepsake. Black ink is usually the best color for this style. Recommendations: This type of printing is quite a bit more expensive than thermography, so engraving is usually done for ultra-formal wedding invites, formal parties in general, or when there are few budgetary constraints. Engraving is also suitable for events with a large guest list since it becomes more cost effective in larger quantities. You will also have to allow for longer printing times, up to 4 weeks with some of brands.

Vendor Spotlight: Green Leaf Designs

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Shelby Nolan from Greenleaf Designs is unbelievably talented!  She's based in Huntington Beach and has a super cute style that I absolutely love, hence why I am so excited to highlight her on the blog this week.  Enjoy her Q&A and awesome pictures below!  Be sure to check out her website to see more of her work here!


• Cat or Dog?  Cat
• Twilight or Harry Potter? Neither right now it's the Karen Moning Fever series
• Mac or PC? Mac
• Sweet or Salty? Salty
• Beer or Wine? Beer
• Mountains or Beach? mm thats hard, I guess beach
• Neat or Messy? Neat
• What is the last book you read? Right now I'm reading The Help
• Most embarrassing moment?  I would never tell  ;)
• Favorite sports team? Denver Broncos
• What was the last movie you went to see? It's been so long I cant even remember.
• Who would play you in a movie? Charlize Theron
• What is your favorite drink? Green Iced tea from subway
• What is in your refrigerator right now?  Fruit, yogurt, ground beef, juice boxes and GO-gurt.
• What is your favorite place to eat?  The polish village cafe in Hamtramck, Michigan.  SO fun and YUMMY!
• What TV reality show or game show would you go on? I don't know, i really don't watch to much reality TV. I do wish they would do a show on flowers, like a chopped version for florist.
• How many pairs of shoes do you own?  about 20
• Where did you grow up? Huntington Beach
• Where have you gone to school? Well other then the basics, I did a little time at Orange Coast Collage and received my floral certificate from Golden west collage.
• What is your advice to people planning a wedding? Bring your personality in the wedding! And have fun with it! Such as signature drinks, naming your tables after memorable dates, place you go to.  Have a favor or dessert bar with family treats along with which side of the family it came from and maybe a little story with it.
• What is your best marriage advice? A marriage is not 50/50, it's 100/100! Give everything you have and make each other laugh! Marriage has it's ups and downs, don't give in or up during the downs, because the ups are amazing and will make your marriage that much stronger!
• One of your favorite wedding moments?  Seeing a bride cry from happiness!

• Anything else we should know? Have fun with planning your wedding, don't get overloaded and overwhelmed.  Break it down one step at a time.