Saw this photo and loved it...Would be an idea for your day-after shoot.
~Happy Halloween Monday!
Inspiring Photo No. 34
Fall Fashion | 6 Ways To Tie A Scarf
I walked into our office the other day and Stephenie confessed she was jealous of my scarf-tying abilities. I have to admit, I was quite proud of how perfectly laid out my scarf was that day- just the right amount peeking out of my blazer. However, I did have to come clean- I had just found this tutorial on 6 different ways to tie a scarf, and I tell you, it has changed my life. Alright a little dramatic, but I was pretty excited about it:
Now this can be your secret too- go out and make people jealous with your perfect scarf! See the full tutorial here.
~Have a fabulous Friday, safe Halloween, and overall fabulous weekend!
A Day At The Circus
It's that time of year again, where my baby turns another year older. Where does the time go? Can't believe the little munchie is going to be 3 years old. So what's a party planning mom to do? Go all out and have a big to-do of a birthday party, of course. And this year? We're having a circus. His party will debut next weekend and can't wait to show all the cute photos (and insanely cute invitations from Ampersand Studios), but until then, here is some wedding-related circus themed wedding inspiration for you to take in:
Images via Love And Lavender
Stay tuned for the photos and details....
~Happy Thursday!
Carlie + Matt's Winter Engagement Session
Carlie and Matt just recently came to us for their December wedding (yes in about 6 weeks!), with lots of ideas for their wintry, rustic-romance affair. They'll be getting married in a barn surrounded by candles, pine cones, and cotton. Yes, Carlie is letting me play with cotton for her wedding. Couldn't ask for anything more out of December :) These beautiful photos from Tana Photography are just a precursor to the dreamy wedding photos to come- enjoy!
~Happy Wednesday!
On Agreeing To Disagree
This season we had a first happen to us. We and the client agreed to part ways, and the agreement was canceled, as in, we had to pull out our cancellation policy, go through the motions, and get legal. What had been just a clause in our agreement was now something we realized was pretty serious. And we hoped it was good enough. The short version of the story is this: we and the bride agreed to disagree on our agreement terms and what was to be upheld by each party. It was a sad experience, because to me, wedding planning should always be fun...but I learned a lot. And while I hope this never happens again- and never happens to you- I've realized there were many reasons it did happen.
1. Clear Expectations. This was my first mistake. I know for a fact that had I set clear as day expectations and steps, and made sure the bride and her family were aware and agreed to those terms, there never would have been any situation to speak of. Outlining the process, steps, and what we were responsible for, as well as what the family was responsible for absolutely needs to happen. Ask them 15 times if you have to- "do you have any questions or reservations about this agreement?"- don't let there be any questions left on the table.
I now outline everything in my proposals, which then become an attachment to my agreements. Makes for a longish agreement, but I'm ok with that.
2. Make sure your cancellation policy works for you. Read the clause you currently have in your agreement- if you ever had a situation like this arise, would the terms your agreement holds you to work for you? Are you actually keeping tally of every single minute, hour, fax and phone call you've spent on this bride? If you had to show a detailed log, would you be able to? And the retainer policy- what does your current clause outline for the amount of money owed by the client or you at certain points of the planning process?
We found out that our original cancellation policy was actually a little too vague, and may or may not have held up in court. And we also found out that providing time logs sucked. Even though we are fairly meticulous on keeping track of the amount of time we spend on each wedding- it's part of how we figure out how much money we really made on an event- it still took way too much time to transfer all of those conversations, notes, etc on to a legible spreadsheet to provide. Finally, we found that our retainer policy had major loop holes in it- so it could go either way if we were to go to court. End of story: we ended up giving some money back, even though our time logs clearly showed we were owed money, because we were in the middle of intense wedding season and I just needed the situation to go away. Now that sucks.
3. Read this post on choosing the right client. After all was said and done, we realized she really wasn't our perfect client, and who knows, all of this may have happened eventually no matter what. Set your boundaries and expectations for yourself and your company- who you'll work with, and what conditions you'll work under. It will save you a lot of heartache.
Finally, make sure you have your agreement reviewed by a professional. The agreement is meant to protect you and the client, so it needs to work for you both.
What other advice on dealing with agreements and clients have you found along the way?
Wintry Market | Handmade For The Holidays
My good friend Kristin is the co-founder of a new holiday marketplace here in Boise, called Wintry Market. Held on Saturday Nov. 5th and Sunday Nov. 6th at Ballet Idaho, this event showcases the best local artists, all presenting handmade crafts just in time for holiday decorating, wearing, and gifting.
Not to be confused with typical craft bazaars, Wintry Market will have unique and artistic items for sale that will tickle your eclectic fancy- from wares like vintage silverware jewelry to wooden toys and lovingly crafted decor. If anything, come down to experience Boise's best and expand your horizon on gift-buying this season.
For more information about Wintry Market, vendors, and hours, visit their blog here. And if you have an extra moment, check out Kristin's interior design blog too.
~Happy planning!
I Need This.
via
Do you have the same problem I have? It's like Christmas on a daily basis as I find random lip glosses in each of my purses, and my bathroom drawer often looks like an explosion (world war pink??). An organizer like this would solve almost all of my problems, and the clear lucite is nice.
You want to know what else I need? This:
I have wanted a Frenchie for I don't know how long. I have a super cute, but loud, beagle already- but she would love to have a little French friend. Maybe he could teach her some manners.
~Happy Thursday!
Special Edition: Bridal Fashion Week | Our Favorites
It's the fall edition of New York's Bridal Fashion Week- aka Bridal Market- and as usual, we're impressed with the new gown collections set to grace the stores soon. Like Fashion Week, Bridal Market showcases brand new, never-before-seen designer trends for the upcoming season. While I was not one of the luckies that were invited to see the show in person, you can bet I've been following them daily. Here are a few of my favorites that I felt made the biggest impact:
Monique Lhuillier. Need I say more? She never fails to take my breath away with the ethereal qualities, and her ability to design dresses that make anyone look amazing. Her newest collection didn't disappoint, and I was happily surprised to see this gauzy number (right)- a nice change from her famous lace creations.
St Pucchi took the cake for me this year- especially since I'm not normally the St. Pucchi type. The dresses are always awesome, but their signature nude effect with boning and over the top skirts and embellishments just aren't my style. But these dresses from the new collection stopped me in my tracks- almost modest, but not, yet strikingly elegant at the same time. Love.
Vera Wang- I'll never get enough. Vera threw traditional white out this year and replaced it with nudes and *gasp* all black gowns. Remember the black gown trend a few years ago? I never could tell if the fad took off and turned into a trend back then, but what are your thoughts- think it will turn into a 2012 trend this year?
~Happy Wednesday!
How About A Photoshoot...
....With your bridesmaids?
Wedding photography is leaning toward a trend of having an editorial quality to it- and I like it. So many brides are used to heading to a park for pre-ceremony photos, but what if you were to find a brick wall and have some props like a couch or table there? Or if you scoped out a commercial space to use? It would add a touch of fashion to your wedding album without going overboard or smothering your traditional wedding portraits.
These photos are from Smitten Magazine- have you discovered this online e-mag yet? If not, you must! What are your thoughts about adding an editorial-style photo shoot to your wedding album?
~Happy Wednesday!
Bridal Accessories From New York
Just swooned over these bridal hair accessories and sashes- I love the ethereal quality of the big flowers and the romantic sparkly sashes. Untamed Pearls is an online boutique in New York that ships worldwide so even Boise brides can wear a statement piece on their wedding day.
Be sure to take a peek at their website for the entire collection, from bridal headbands to jewelry to flowers- you'll be glad you did!
~Happy Friday!
Fall Inspiration Board
This design board was what we created for one of our September weddings this year, but the feeling and style of the wedding could easily translate into any fall party too. In Boise we'll likely see mild temps last through most of October, so wouldn't a crisp backyard party like this be in order?
Photos: Top Row- Orange Dahlia Boutonniere | Just Married Bike- unknown | Fall Bouquet- unknown |
Bottom Row- Signature Mason Jar Cocktails | Patio Lights | Hay Bale Seating
Inspiring Photo No. 32
Go ahead and own your glamorous self. And we give you permission to wear your heels on your day off too!
~ Happy Monday!
Brandi + Kurt's Fall Engagement Session
We're loving fall so much around here, and this Soiree bride's e-session is just in time. A perfect mix of fall and city, Tana Photography couldn't have made these photos prettier. Brandi (yes we share the moniker) is such a beautiful person- always smiling, and what's better than one? Two! Brandi is an identical twin, and I had the pleasure of having them both in my office for Brandi's design meeting last month. We can't wait for Brandi and Kurt's lushly pink March wedding- stay tuned for a sneak peek at their design board! And now for the pretty photos...enjoy!
I know no one actually looks out a window, smiling like this in real life. But this photo looks like it's straight out of a movie scene- isn't it beautiful?
~Happy Wednesday!
After The Wedding
Via Everything Fabulous
If you had a summer wedding then you're either still floating on wedded bliss or you're starting on the descent back to reality, and if you'll be having a fall wedding you're so excited for the big day yet not wanting it to be over at the same time. There are actually statistics on what has been called the wedding blues- not so far away from the baby blues even. After all, a typical engagement rivals a 9 month pregnancy, and just like a soon-to-be mommy, a bride has spent all of those months focusing on one thing only. So, now that the day is over, besides back to work, what to do? Here are some tips to help ease you back into every day life:
1) Develop all of your photos from the honeymoon. Yep- get started on that honeymoon album right away. Get your sweetie to help you arrange and pick them out- it will be fun to reminisce. Plus your life will only get busier from here on out.
2) Throw a dinner party. You just received oodles of really nice cookware. Serving dishes from the likes of Pottery Barn and Crate and Barrel are itching to be used, and it will be nice to spend time with friends without boring them with having to talk about wedding plans.
3) Sell any remaining wedding paraphernalia. Sites like preownedweddingdresses.com, Emmaline Bride, and 100 Layer Cake all have market places for brides to sell their gently used wedding items.
4) Start focusing on something else. Start looking at interior design blogs, Pinterest, and/or nesting blogs to begin settling into your house and life together. Even if you lived with your fiance before the wedding, you now undoubtedly have new accessories, towels, bedding, etc to play with. By focusing on designing your home, you're making a smooth transition from wedding design to life design. Can actually be quite exhilarating.
5) Allow yourself to be on the wedded bliss train for a while. It's ok to still be excited and careening from the best day of your life. Just trying to stuff the feelings in a drawer and heading to work is just going to backfire. In fact, we give you permission to continue following wedding blogs and to wear your designer heels you bought for the big day to work one day too.
What was your experience after the wedding? Were you happy it was over? Sad to see it go? What did you do to keep yourself busy once the planning was done? Do share!
Inspiring Photo No. 31
Fall is here! While I love me some sun and water, there just comes a point when I'm ready to break out my boots and scarves. I also just love a fall wedding. You've probably seen this photo before, but I thought it was so perfect. Here's to walking amongst colorful leaves with your sweetie this fall!
Happy Monday!
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