Always a Blogsmaid

Zeppelin

I'm dog sitting this weekend, while my friend goes to a wedding and he is the cutest thing ever... Cute and really exhausting.  He's like a little baby!  Here we are in the office. 

Are we Cuter than Cute Overload????

We are SOOOO excited in the office today because we've been selected as a FEATURED typepad blog!!
I am in amazing company with some of my Favorite blogs like Style Me Pretty and the absolutely incomparable Cute Overload (if you are ever having a bad day, please visit the pony link.... I mean, talk about turning a frown upside down!!!)

TODAY: Cocktails for Camp!

Summer is coming ladies, and as we start making our plans for travel, relaxing and fun, let's think of the tons of kids that live around the city who don't have the chance to get out of the heat.  For tons of girls from economically strained backgrounds in NY (and cities everywhere, really), summer activities are limited to playing on their block or street and keeping busy while their parents are at work.  (or, if they have very bossy grandmothers, it involves going to typing classes all day long for 2 summers, but I'm not pointing any fingers, just typing REALLY, really fast)

The Lower East Side Girls Club  knows that, and so they created an amazing Camp Program to service the Lower East Side.  For 4 weeks, girls attend a day camp where they tend a community gardne, participate in art and culture projects and leadership building, all at the LES Girls Club center downtown.  THEN, and this the best part, the girls get to go on a sleepaway trip to the Adirondack mountains.  For many of the 50 girls who participate in the program, this is their first time out of Manhattan!!!

Camp is non-academic, and so it doesn't get funded the same way other programs do.  They rely on our donations to keep the program running AND tonight, is their major fundraiser.  Mayra and I will happily be there, and we hope to see some of you (please come up and say Hi!) there as well.  The suggested cost for tonight is $25.

Amazingly, it only costs $500 per girl to send a girl to camp.... Imagine if we all donated even just $5.... Again, the suggested donation for the cocktail party is $25, but you can make donations of ANY amount by visiting here.

WHAT: Cocktails for Camp Benefiting the Lower East Side Girls Club
WHEN: TODAY!!! JUNE 5th from 6PM- 8PM
WHERE: 56 E. 1st Street, (between 1/2)
AKA the LESGirls Club Art Space

SAVE THE DATE: Cocktails for Camp!

Hi Everyone! A while ago, I posted about Cupcakes for a Cause and told you all the splendors of The Lower East Side Girls Club, one of the only clubs of it's kind, that works to create programming for inner-city girls. Well, I was so impressed with what they were doing I signed up to volunteer whenever and if ever they might need me.

Fast forward a few months and I am serving on the host committee of their fundraiser Cocktails For Camp on June 5th at the Lower East Side Girls Club Community Gallery. The event tickets are $25, but the money goes for an amazing cause: it helps to fund 4 weeks of Day Camp and 1 week of sleepaway camp for up to 50 inner city girls. For so many of these girls, the week of sleepaway camp is their very first time leaving the city. As a city girl myself, I know how very important my first trip OUT of NY was for my growth and imagination.

I invite you, if you are in the city, to Save the Date. The Event will be held at 56 E. 1st Street, from 6PM-8PM.
I would love to see you there, and you can be sure I'll be posting a reminder closer to the date.:-)

If you are not in NY and not available, I ask you to consider donating. Or consider making a donation in lieu of a favor to the Camp Program. The cost per girl is only $500 for an entire summer's worth of fun! Donations can be made online at GirlsClub's website. Pledges can be made and paid out over time.

Self - Promotion

Ladies, I know I had mentioned that we had a photo shoot with Latina Magazine a couple of months ago...... Well the issue is out! In all of our glory, there we are, on page 96! I'm posting the clip here, but if you want to check it out in real life, it's the issue with Prima J on the cover.

Thank you Bean!

A few months ago, I posted about the Lovings, and the post was picked up and viewed a TON by the ladies over at Wedding Bee. Well, I wanted to take a few moments to say thank you to Mildred "Bean" Loving, who died this Friday at 68 years old. Mrs. Loving and her husband dared to defy convention and the law and blaze a trail for millions of couples who have been in love when in 1967 she and her husband fought for their interracial marriage in the supreme court. Loving v. Virginia overturned legal prohibition of Interracial marriage in the US. Here more about Mildred

At Your Service!

The Q:  My wedding is a few months away and I feel like I'm in good shape except for my being slightly overwhelmed by my  hotel block and  rehearsal dinner.  I didn't think I needed a wedidng planner, but now, I think I may need help.  What can I do?

The A:  Ladies and Gentleman, I'm so glad that I decided to ask myself this fictitious, but realistic question today! ;-)  It gives me the PERFECT opportunity to tell you ALL about our NEWEST service offering here at Always a Bridesmaid!  AAB's The Wedding Concierge!  I've not been this excited about anything regarding our business since we first started up nearly 5 years ago!

So, what is it? Well, it's a  concierge (read: errand and task and "random stuff") service exclusively for weddings.  Basically, it's meant to bridge the divide between hiring a wedding planner and DIY everything- a wedding expert that is able to efficiently, quickly and cost effectively knock out some of the wedding related projects that can be tedious to a busy bride who isn't used to scouting locations, calling negligent RSVPing guests, negotiating transportation for 200 people or booking hotel blocks.  Actually, if you name it, we can do it!

It is devoted to EVERYTHING wedding: so, that means helping we can go beyond just the reception to helping guys plan amazing proposals, to helping 'maids plan bachelorettes and showers.

How does it work? Well, we work on a project basis, with service billed hourly. So imagine if for months you've been looking for a caterer and you are simply STUCK finding a someone who is in your price range to do a sit down dinner for you, you can submit a request for an estimate/ get more info.  We  will let you know about how many hours we think it will take to fulfill your request and with the go ahead, we are up and running, calling around, giving your needs and requirements to vendors in our network and gathering proposals and information for you.  Most projects take between 1 hour and 5 hours on average, and on our website, we've listed some typical projects and estimates of how long they would take. 

How is this different from being an Always a Bridesmaid planning client? Well, a lot.  First, from a service level, while Concierge clients will of course benefit from our expertise in weddings and our knowledge of the market, we are really executing small tasks, vs. pulling together a wedding vision.  But from a financial consideration, the concierge service allows brides of all budgets access to professional wedding help!  You are only committed to one project at a time, with services starting at $75 per hour.  We gather enough information to execute the project and then, you are free to do everything else yourself.

Behind the Scenes: Back in 2002, when Mayra and I were toiling away at our corporate events job, we would distract ourselves from our misery  by helping  our busy  girlfriends with these overwhelming wedding tasks.  Sometimes it was finding favors, or booking buses or even planing a shower.  Being in the Special Events industry for years,  things that overwhelmed our friends were really daily tasks for us and offering them help was almost easy!  We enjoyed it so much, we thought, how can we do this for a living?  And Always a Bridesmaid was born.  Always a Bridesmaid was a very different business than our errand assistance that we used to do for friends, though.   We LOVE the relationships that we forge with our full service clients, but we always wanted to figure out a way to offer a version of our "girlfriends" service to more  than just our full service clients. The Wedding Concierge is, in some ways for us, fulfilling that vision!

Naturally, we will still be offering full service planning, event design and day-of coordination, but we are thrilled to ALSO offer something new! So, check it out and we look forward to being of service to  some of your girls in the near future!

      

NY Mag Event Recap!

It was great getting to meet so many of you! Including Vane from Brooklyn Bride (we took photos at Christian Oth's photo booth) and it was Hilarious. . Trying to get some of the video and photo that we took up on the site a little later today. We were absolutely WIPED out yesterday- I couldn't believe it!

New York Magazine Bridal Event!

Just a reminder ladies!  Tuesday the 2nd from 5PM -8PM at the Metropolitan Pavillion at 125 W. 18th Street, we will be participating in our absolutely favorite, chicest bridal event in the city: The NY Magazine Weddings Showcase.  Attached are the details.  The gift bag is always killer and please stop by and drop off your blog questions!  We actually made up little tip booklets with our favorite spots for wedding tasks, parties and chores as well as some of our favorite blog posts!  Anyway, if you are there, look forward to meeting you!!

Spring Cleaning, part 2!

Hi Ladies, the Always a Bridesmaid yard sale is back, bigger than ever!!!   Free advice and STUFF for your wedding/ home/ shower!  Now that we realized just exactly how much stuff we have, I can better report what's for sale!!!  The last time some brides really cleaned up....

First, there is RANDOM miscellaneous stuff- for instance:  wedding bubbles, pounds of silver glitter, sand, seashells, mini- chinese lanterns in orange, red and blue, Ring bearer pillows, tons of votive candles, tea light holders, lanterns- including these cool silver lanters, glass candlesticks and more.  PLUS vases.  These are HORRIBLE photos.... but here goes.

Here is the address and here are some photos.  Believe it or not, there is MORE!!!   Most are available in lots of 6 or more!  They are generally priced from $1 to $15 each (for the giant oversize martini glass things...don't ask)

SATURDAY, March 29th from 1pm - 4pm  (Beautiful Weather predicted) 33 Washington Street between Plymouth and Water in DUMBO, Brooklyn.  We're the lower level,Room 6.

 

Mayra has bad posture.

    We had a GREAT day at the sale on Sunday and it was so much fun to get to meet some of our blog readers!  Seriously, it was great to see how much creative and comprehensive design stuff you ladies are doing.  I also want to thank our only groom who came along for the ride!
      We sold a descent amount of stuff, but we had NO idea until we got there JUST HOW MUCH stuff we own!!!  I actually forgot about most of it.  It was EXACTLY like moving out of your dorm at the end of the school year: you have NO idea what you even have until you start taking it out of the drawers/ closets/etc.  I actually could hear my grandmother's voice in my head saying "But you KNEW we were coming!  Why did you WAIT to pack all of this STUFF?"  That said,  we are going to have a second sale and I'm going to do a little bit of a better job showing you all what, exactly, we'll be selling. 
    In other news, we are going to be featured in Latina Magazine this coming June.  They have a careers column and are profiling Mayra and I.  We are REALLY excited about it and yesterday was the photo shoot.  I have a pimple.  It's not a huge pimple, but it's there and I wish it wasn't.   
    I wasn't very concerned about it (the pimple) at all until I was at the gym Sunday night and ran into a friend who is in publishing. She just changed magazines and so we started talking about work and magazines and I mentioned the  piece and the photo shoot and needing to get home to do my hair. She was super enthusiastic  and informed me that their circulation is HUGE (I think she said over 1million?). She then wondered if I had realized how large the circulation was (I hadn't) and  then she paused  (and I swear, looked at the pimple, but I've been told that I'm being self conscious) and said "Well, Look cute."  I tried my best to uphold the mandate.

    I think we both looked fine. (I hope) We tried our very best to channel our inner Tyra - but that would have involved telling the photography all about the time when we pretended to be photographers- so we just decided to be ourselves. I think I'm out of coverup because of the pimple, but the MORE entertaining part about the whole thing was how MUCH trouble Mayra kept getting into about her POSTURE.  Seriously though, I tease her all the time about it because she loves to slouch, but it was like being in grade school. "Mayra, roll your shoulders back please"  "Mayra, we just need you to sit up straight".  "Mayra, can you relax your hand."    "Great, Great"  I was worried she was going to "storm off set" (kidding), but luckily set was in our office, so no where else to really go!

    So, keep your eyes out for the magazine if you can!  And, as a TOTALLY unrelated item, if you haven't seen any of the Real Housewives of New York City- I AM OBSESSED.  It's on Tonight on Bravo and I think you can probably catch up on the first two crazy episodes.

Spring Cleaning

****LADIES- The Second Date of the Sale will be THIS Saturday- March 29th, from 1-4pm!****

Brides to Be, we are having an inventory sale on some of our vases, votive holders, candlesticks and other great little items from weddings of days gone by!  Many are items you can check out on our galleries and most are priced from $2, $5 and $10 bucks.  We need to make some room for new things and we thought YOU might be interested in vases for showers, receptions or some cool stuff for your own house.  We generally have mutiples of at LEAST 10 of everything, but there is some random, cool stuff too. Mayra and I will literally be there, just entertaining each other this coming Sunday from 1-4- at our studio space in DUMBO, Brooklyn.  Stop by, get some wedding advice, check out Smack Mellon and the new event space at DAC and grab a great brunch at BUBBY's! 

33 Washington Street, (NOT AVE.) between Plymouth and Water Streets, Lower Level!

Here are some shots of some of the items we're selling off in action!

I'm accredited!

I'm happy to share the news that I have just been designated an "Accredited Bridal Consultant" (TM) by the Association of Bridal Consultants. Accredited consultants are members of ABC for a minimum of 3 years as a Professional Bridal Consultant (TM) before going through a proficiency exam and presentation to move to the next level. This is sort of like going from having a permit to a regular drivers license to getting a license to drive tractor-trailors. Only, with wedding planning. So, I'm proud to report I am now one of only 40 Accredited Bridal Consultants in the US.

New York Weddings

Hi Ladies, if you are in New York City, the New York Weddings Showcase is only a month away!  We are very excited to have a presence there and will be there taking your questions from our booth and showcasing some of our event design work.   Come with your blog q's and we'll be posting as we go! 

Tickets are $35 bucks, but, you really do get to check out some great vendors and gowns, there's tons of inspiration AND wine to be found there!  Register online now and be sure to get there early to snag a great gift bag!

Mr. Mittens

I was going to do a Valentine's day post today, but then yesterday Mayra and I started reminicscing about a wedding we worked on about a year ago and our thoughts ran to Mr. Mittens.

        Last year, around February 1st, we got a call from Ms. S.  Ms. S. and her fiance were entering into a second marriage for both and wanted to get married in about 2 weeks in a small home wedding here in the city.  The ceremony would actually be off site and they owned a gorgeous brownstone townhouse where they thought we could have the reception.  Our charge was to help them figure out how to make it look more "wedding like", decorate and help manage the day in general.   

      We headed up to the home, which was truly stunning, for a site visit.  It really was the perfect place for a small cocktail party with plenty of room for catering prep in the lower level and room for dancing and mingling on the parlor floor.  It seemed perfect, and frankly, almost easy.  As we were about to leave, she mentioned, also, the only other thing is that you'll have to keep our pets downstairs in the basement.

"How many pets do you have?" we asked.

At that moment I noticed the world's largest dog crate behind the sofa area.  I mean, Mayra and I could have easily gotten in there with the bride and continued our meeting.   The front door opened and in bounded Sam- a St. Bernard- trailed by the groom-to-be.

Very excited, Sam really REALLY wanted to greet us.  Ms. S. was horrified. 

"Sam!  Sam, please go to your crate."

Sam, very well behaved, proceeded to do just as directed.  Only, I think there had been a recent growth spurt because it wasn't exactly that smooth of a fit.   The effort was aborted and Mayra and I went home never getting to meet Mr. Mittens and Calico.  Luckily, I would have quite the chance to get acquainted.

The day of the wedding  came and I was never so happy to find out that Sam was a girl!  Apparently, while they were out at the rehearsal dinner, Sam's Aunt Flo came to visit.  All over the house. I can only imagine what the housekeeper had to deal with when she arrived earlier that day. But by the time I got got there, she was in a state over something else.  Mr. Mittens.

"I came in, that cats were in the basement, and I went downstairs to get some cleaning supplies and Mr. Mittens just ran right past me.  He was so fast and I've been searching forever and can't find him."

Realizing that this was OBVIOUSLY the work of a professional wedding planner, I got on the case.  I didn't realize that this house was so big.  I got to know it really well by going under beds, into closets and more.  Mr. Mittens was in the master bedroom, in a pile of sweaters.  He was unhappy.   He was also GINORMOUS.  He was the St. Bernard of Cats.  The house was big, but the pets were bigger! There was hissing, and teeth and eventually, I got Mr. Mittens (and a sweater attached to his claws) into my arms and back down to the basement. 

Alls well that ends well, except that the coat check was going to be in the basement. So each and every time a guest arrived and the caterer would hang up their coat, Mr. Mittens had the opportunity to escape.  And he took it.   He was not a creature of habit and never returned to the same place in this three story house.

Oh, the games we played with Mr. Mittens and I!  Once the guests arrived, I didn't want to incite any panic- he was so quick!  So I would, "excuse me, pardon me" my way to the main staircase and head on my hunt while Mayra maintained calm.  Moments, or hours later, I would emerge, cradling my good friend Mr. Mittens.   

My Basic Black Wedding Planner outfit was essentially a carpet by the time I left and, for good measure, as I went to get my own coat, Mr. Mittens made one more dash for the stairs!

Happy Anniversary Ms. S!!  We always remember your sweet and special wedding fondly! Please say hi to Mr. Mittens for me!

Things I'm Loving Now: Wedding and Non 2

Periodically, I'll let you all know about some things that I'm just adoring right now- wedding and non!

First, I am able to admit a great guilty Movie pleasure and for all you brides out there, it is 27 Dresses! If you haven't seen it yet, it's absolutely adorable, and a pleasant surprise.  It's funny, and romantic and a great thing to go see with all your bridesmaids if you can.  Mayra and I went the other night after work, and frankly, there must have been no women on the streets of Manhattan because nearly every single showing was SOLD OUT and there were literally 2 men in our theatre!  Who cares, it's a great time!

I've also been thoroughly enjoying the wonderful Martha Stewart Wedding Cakes book, which is sure to provide you all with tons of inspiration if you have a chance to check it out!  Featuring plenty of information on cakes as well as inspiring designs, it's a great addition to your wedding book collection!  I am anxiously awaiting my FETE weddings book, which should arrive today!   Being in the business, I have to admire the work of Jung Lee's firm, who have produced some events that have really given me inspiration when it comes to wedding decor.  I'm anticipating a really worth while read!   The cover features one of the most amazing wedding photos we've ever seen!

Better Homes and Gardens Magazine is launching a 12 week Wedding Planning Newsletter Course and launched a Bridal portion of their website and I have to say the website has some GREAT Tips for those of you getting started as well as some great real weddings!

    Speaking of the web, I have to take a moment and say Thanks to the Bees over at Wedding Bee! We were soo thrilled to see that Miss Jasmineis a fan of our blog!  She gave us a little nod while I was sunning down in Cabo!  and then I was so very happy to see that our Lovings post really struck a chord with Miss Tulip.  Despite always having client wedding on the Brain, I'm always so excited to see what other ladies are planing, especially outside of New York and I'm a regular visitor of the Bee.  When I'm not thinking wedding or at the Movies, I like to zone out over at Dlisted.  I know that people love Perez, but frankly, know one can make me laugh quite like Michael K.  He's just the snarkiest person that I could possibly wish to know! Lately, with Britney fever running high, he's been my go to for pop culture.
    
    More questions and answers tomorrow, but in the meantime, happy planning!  If you have a moment, we've updated our own website's gallery this week, with two of of our fall weddings.

After the Lovings

Being a New York City based planning company, it's a regular and frequent thing for us to work on interracial and interfaith weddings. Indeed, it's probably a specialty of ours. So, I was very touched yesterday when I was watching my Oprah on TIVO to learn about the Lovings. The Lovings were a young interracial couple living in Virginia in the 1960's who fell in love and wanted to get married. Only, interracial marriage wasn't legal at the time in their state. They travelled to DC and eloped, only to be arrested upon their return and banned from Virginia for 25 years.

The Lovings- appropriately named, I must say- fought the case for interracial marriage all the way to the supreme court and in 1967 Loving vs. Virginia resulted in reversing laws prohibiting such relationships. Considering that in the years since, nearly 4 million interracial couples have wed, it's hard to imagine life before the Lovings. Having been a part, as planner or personally, of wonderful unions of culturally and racially different brides and grooms, I'm thankful to have been a part of life after the Lovings.

More Always a Blogsmaid

Brides to be, our New Year's Resolution here at Always a Bridesmaid is to BLOG more! Starting this week, we'll be taking questions and posting ideas Monday - Friday. More great distractions from work!!! We look forward to getting (and answering!) your pressing wedding dilemmas!

Real Simple Weddings: We're an Expert!

Several months ago we were approached by Real Simple Magazine to act as an Expert Consultant on their upcoming Weddings Book.  Well, happy were we to finally get our hands on a copy!!!  It's a pretty helpful little guide which has some of our FAVORITE tips. We're featured in the company of some great experts and we got a little love on the Real Simple Website as well. The book is on sale at Crate and Barrel- I hope you can check it out!

The Perfect Honeymoon: My Vacation and HoneyMoon Suggestions

Brides and Grooms! My deepest apologies. January, in it's general shortage of weddings here in NY, is the perfect time for a planner to get away and I did. With all intentions to blog, blog, blog, I found that there is no internet or business center in paradise! (FABULOUS, FRANKLY!) There are also REALLY horrible movies on HBO Latino, but no matter. It was a fabulous holiday with my DH and I made a discovery for all of you To Be Weds out there: Cabo Azul!

My husband and I stayed in Cabo San Lucas for our honeymoon a couple of years ago and had a really great time. Since then, my family in law have all made the cross country trip to Baja California Sur and fallen in love. We were lucky enough to get to stay in a family time share in the FAR MORE ROMANTIC Cabo San Jose. While we were on a beach walk I was absolutely STRUCK by the AMAZING BEAUTY of Cabo Azul Resort.
The architecture is stunning. I insisted on a tour (my husband rolled his eyes, though he had to admit, it was swanky and just my style) The entry from the beach is secluded, private and stunning and they are in the midst of building an indoor outdoor chapel for ceremonies, which is stunning. .
Carved wood pillars are illuminated from the inside to create an artistic glow in the central areas of the resort.
The rooms each feature full eat in kitchens, as well as flat screen televisions, terraces and even some suites with private hot tubs. We befriended some guests visiting from Chicago who mentioned that the SPA is absolutely amazing, and many services INCLUDED in the room rate. The rates online aren't cheap, but they are running a PRE opening special at 50% off, so check it out.

Cabo San Jose is perfect for honeymooners: Luxurious, secluded and quiet, it's a strip of resorts and private homes about 25 minutes away from the more party heavy scene in Cabo San Lucas, but all the resorts run shuttles back and forth (and at night) so you can hit up Cabo Wabo with the best of them!

On the Radio! (or your ipod!)

The Q: "Xochitl, we enjoy your blog posts so much, if only we had a chance to hear your voice! Where could one go to hear that?"

The A: Haha! Ok, that question is COMPLETELY fictitious, but I couldn't think of another segway to let everyone know that we are know available on itunes for a DOWNLOADABLE podcast interview with The Wedding Planning Audiocast.

Recently "Always a Bridesmaid" had the pleasure of being interviewed by Ralph Mucci the executive producer and show host of Wedding Planning Audiocast, the Internet's resource wedding planning talk radio show. Every bride out there knows there are so many great bridal magazines filled with hundreds of pages of great material but sometimes it can be a tedious task searching for this material, because most magazines are hundreds of pages thick. With the Wedding Planning Audiocast you can listen to their shows through your computer or download their shows and listen to them through your ipod, zune player, mp3 player or any device that will support their shows. How easy is that! Apparently some of the biggest
names in the wedding and beauty world have embraced this new technology as well with such guest appearing on their shows as Colin Cowie, Marcy Blum, Linda Kessler, Jennifer Brisman, Ceci Invitations, Tavern on the Green, Sylvia Weinstock, Ron Ben-Israel (my personal wedding industry obsession!), Carmindy from the Learning Channel's #1 hit show "What Not to Wear," and the list goes on and on.

Since the Wedding Planning Audiocast is always looking for something unique & different to share with their audience on our show I inform their audience of the many other different avenues of venue locations couples may take to hold their special day. I also take their listeners on a step-by-step process as to everything they need to know and what to expect from their wedding specialist.

To listen to The Wedding Planning Audiocast's shows visit their website at
www.theweddingplanningaudiocast.com

Martha, Martha, Martha

From time to time, we get an invitation or two to a little soiree or a bridal fashion show, or some other cool kind of thing.  Last week, Camille in our office went to check out a Spa-rty Party, I got so busy in the office I unfortunately had to miss a great event at the Carlyle hotel, and I think next week the Knot is hosting a little get together for wedding vendors.  But, occassionally, an invitation comes through the mail slots that we MUST clear our calendars for.  Which is exactly what happened when we were invited to a Martha Stewart Weddings Bridal Market Celebration also honoring Marcia Miller, the founding publisher of Martha Stewart Weddings.

I'm obsessed with Martha, I won't lie. I think any good wedding planner worth her salt should probably have at least a minimally healthy fascination with the woman who blends personal style, detail orientation, business savvy and hard work with such amazing success.  After all, to me that sums up the job of wedding planner. 

The event was set for after "work".  6-9PM.  I was quite excited for the party, but a little stressed as I had a tasting with two of our newer clients earlier in the evening.  The plan was that I would head over as soon as it was done and meet Mayra there. The evening before, I layed out my clothes: tweed romper with metallic threads and a pinstripe blouse underneath it with matching ballet flats.  The morning of, Mayra did not. 

Xochitl: "Did you FORGET about the MARTHA party?"
Mayra: "Oh, crap.  I'll buy something."

So, we ran out (luckily we're a stone's throw from Soho) and turned her casual office outfit into an after work cocktail ensemble of olive green slacks, a headscarf and sensible accessories. 

Mayra: "I feel like a gypsy in this thing."
Xochitl: "Headscarves are very in right now."
Mayra: "I look like stevie nicks."
Xochitl: "Do you have time for a blowout?"
Mayra: "I'll live with the scarf."

Hours later, while we sat at a wonderful tasting at Thomas Preti caterers (where we had the most amazing dessert I've ever had) I could sense the frenzy that my blackberry was being whipped into. Calls, emails, texts- name the vibration pattern and it was doing it.   When we were finally piling into the car and our gracious clients were driving me to the event, I check the phone.  5 missed calls from Mayra, 10 frantic emails and texts.  I immediately call her back.

M: "Everyone is in BALL GOWNS!!! You didn't tell me that this was a Formal Cocktail party!!!! NO one wants to talk to the GYPSY in the head scarf! I just tried to talk to two girls and they ignored me."

X: "I didn't know!  The invite didn't specify attire. I'm sure most people are dressed for post-work.  You must have just arrived with some VIPs from the Magazine. I'm 5 minutes away, where are you?"

M: "Hiding in a bush in Central Park."

X: "Oh, come on now, it's not that bad."

M:  "Someone wanted to introduce me to Martha, and as I was walking up to her, anticipating her scolding me for my too casual attire, when someone else, in a gown, spilled a glass of wine all over my blouse."

X: "Oh. wow."

M: "Now I look like a gypsy from hooters!"

X: "are you crying?"

M: "Martha was there and I looked like a gypsy!"

When I finally arrived and walked inside, I didn't really see what the fuss was about.  Tons of other ladies were there, enjoying the cocktails and the gorgeous atmosphere and music, all dressed pretty much like they were enjoying cocktails after work.  I called Mayra.

X: "Where are you?"
M: "Waiting for my shirt to dry."
X: "People are totally dressed normally you know."
M: "They weren't when I got there! I knew you were going to say that!"

To her credit, when we finally mingled our way through the party, there were CLEARLY lots of people who were dressed quite formally, but there were also people that made our little gypsy queen look like she was ready for a black tie ball. Clearly, her prompt arrival put her in prime view of the evenings most illustrious attendees like Martha, Mark Ingram ("Xochitl, Mark Ingram is in a TUXEDO and I am wearing a HEAD scarf.") and Darcy Miller, who is just as adorable and petite in real life as she seems when she does her Today show or Martha appearances.  It was a great party: amazing cake, wonderful favors, a terrific band, and of course cocktails!  We ran into a lot of industry friends, weary from Bridal Fashion week and eventually soothed Mayra's fashion traumas by finding a corner and sipping vodka sodas.

X: "You know, I can't believe you ALMOST met Martha."
M: "Not like this. Not in the head scarf. I think the woman who spilled the wine did me a favor. I don't want to meet Martha dressed like a gypsy."
X: "She might have scolded you: Despite the fact that my Halloween issue IS on Newstands, this isn't a costume party."
M: "We'll have another opportunity to meet her. I'm sure of it. From now on I'm just doing what everyone else in New York does, I'm just going to wear all black."
X: "Let's hope we get invited again Gypsy."
M: "You picked the scarf you know!"

Anyway, here are some photos from Last Night, courtesy MSLO and I. Goris.

Here is The goddess, with Mark Ingram, Darcy Miller and Monique Lhullier And, AAB's very own Gypsy! (LOL!)

Where I've Been!

The Q: Where have you been? No new posts in ages!

The A:  Oh, I know! We so apologize! We've been so very very busy!  August and September was a whirlwind of craziness, from Chris and Evelina at Peter White studio (they were SOOO happy with their decor!) Cappy Hotchkiss shot the wedding, which was, as always, our pleasure to work on with her!  Then we had our first wedding at the Tobacco Warehouse with one of my very favorite couples (miss you guys!) and then the very next day, our friends and family gathered to for my 30th birthday party equipped with a birthday party cake by Cheryl Kleinman - delicious as usual! I had gone through the horrors of turning 30 several months ago, so I feel like by the time the party came around, I was totally relaxed.  And October has just been crazy, crazy crazy!  Between the whirlwind of weddings and several other special events, I've totally neglected the blog. But no worries, I'm back!  For your viewing pleasure, some photos!!!

Chris and Evelina see their reception room for the first time!

   

 

Lauren and Tim's wonderful Tobacco Warehouse Wedding- Detail shots to follow!

Me and Mayra with the Cheryl Kleinman cake they conjured up!

My Cousin Benny: Saturday, August 25th

The Q: Do you ever get stressed out on wedding days?

The A: This past Saturday we had a wedding at Peter White Studios here in NYC (www.peterwhitestudios.com) It's one of my favorite venues to work in.  We were amazingly organized- anticipating the many challenges of planning and design a loft weddi6ng- lots of big idea, limited set up time, blah blah blah.  But I don't think we were anticipating WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED.  This is a long one, but a great way to find out about a day in the life of a wedding planner.

At 4:30 in the morning on Saturday, after "sleeping" for a few hours, I woke up in an anxiety attack.  Mayra was already up. I had a weird feeling about today. Something told me it wasn't going to be as easy as all of our organization implied. 

We got the space at 1:30, and the event started at 5:30.  The plan was simple.  Mayra was going to stay at 28th street where our floral studio is to supervise the load out of all of the centerpieces and accent pieces, etc. She'd then head to the ceremony. I would go with all of our staff to the venue itself and assist the caterer in setting the tables up because that would mean we could set out the decor that much sooner.  The flowers only needed to go 5 Manhattan blocks and we had secured a large truck to take everything quickly and at once.  The truck was to arrive at 12:30. I started my staff meeting with the usuals: about the couple, about  the look of the day , about everyone's duties and  about my anxieties.  I am often anxious.  Today, I was anxious about  the tree we were constructing from branches  in the center of the cocktail room, about the faux shrubs and  alley of white pipe and drape we were using in the entry way.  Everyone on our team knows i"m always anxious, so this is nothing new.

At 12:30, Mayra went to meet the truck, but instead found Cousin Benny and a van.  Cousin Benny is not my cousin or Mayra's cousin.  He, I'm sure is SOMEBODY's cousin, but we call him that because in the 3 years that we've used this service we have often had Benny pick things up and drop things off for us and he is NEVER happy about it.  He always seems disgruntled and annoyed that we called him (at a service) for him to "do us the favor" (for money) of picking up our stuff.  And he's really vocal about it ("Do you need me to pick you up again?")  Saturday, so it seemed was no different.  Except that we needed a truck, and they sent Benny and a van and Benny really did not want to be there. 
Benny: "I'm not feeling well today, and they called me to work and now you have ALL THIS STUFF.  This is ridiculous...."
Mayra: "Well, OK, Benny, so you load out the first stuff, it's only going 5 blocks and me and the other guy (let's call him Julian, just to protect the innocent) will take down the rest of the stuff.  It will be over before you know it." 
Benny: "Ugh, I'm really not feeling good."
Mayra: "Ok, just take this stuff down on the elevator and come back up when you're done."
45 minutes later, no sign of Benny and his handtruck.  Several frantic calls from me later, I get an update.
Mayra: "Hey, I'm having some problems with Benny over here.  All this stuff isn't going to fit, we're going to need to take two trips and Benny's not feeling so hot, so it will be a few minutes."
What really happened is Benny went a little ballistic . He loaded up the truck and then proceeded to have a tantrum.  He sat on the ground, he threw his phone, he banged some vases around.  He was upset.  Finally, at 1:45 Mayra was able to coax him into the van and he and Julian were off.  They arrived at 2:30.   No one knows what happened.   Mayra called his boss.  "Benny's not feeling well, maybe you should send another guy over to help out.  It only needs to go 5 blocks."  Benny arrives with some of the flowers but NOTHING for the cocktail hour- which was stupid since that was the room that we needed to access first.  He returned for the 2nd trip to get the rest of the floral pieces.  The clock was ticking and I vomited a little in my mouth.

In the meantime, back at the ranch, we were trying to build a wall of white pipe and drape only to discover that black drape had been sent instead.  Interesting.  With all the tables popped and no sign of Benny and the flowers, and the clock ticking, I did what you could expect of me: I turned around in circles freaking out and calling people.   Suddenly I realize that it is almost 3:15. Benny  has not come back for the 2nd trip.  The new pipe and drape did arrive and so my new project was moving around the plastic shrubs (which everyone kept telling me looked real, but I didn't believe it). The shrubs were heavy, I am small and the next thing you know there was blood.  As Andrea White band-aided my wounds, I called to get a Benny update.  My tree- the centerpiece of cocktail hour- was still not in place and the anxiety was now palpable by me, our team, and the 3 bartenders waiting for the tree to set up the bar.  The news on the other end of the phone was not good.

Xochitl: Where is BENNY???? I need my branches!!! Cocktail hour is in 2 hours- is he on his way???

Mayra:  Benny is crying.  Benny is sitting on the ground crying and our flowers are all over the street on 28th street. 

Xochitl: Where is Julian?

Mayra: He and Benny just had a fistfight.

Xochitl: I don't understand. 

Mayra:  Benny told me that I ruined his life.  He threw his phone down, he kicked some vases, he started to cry.  Julian tried to get him to finish and then he punched him.  Julian had to defend himself.  Then he told me that I didn't care about him as a person and I told him I only cared about my flowers getting t o where they needed to go.  I just loaded the stuff into another van that someone in the building offered to let us use, so someone is on their way to you, but I need to go to the ceremony.   

Xochitl: But where is Benny?

Mayra: Benny Quit. And he told me that he would see me next Tuesday.  I have to go.

     At 3:45 Charlie (our new delivery guy) and Julian (I couldn't believe he stuck around) arrived.  I hugged them.  I handed them all the cash in my pockets as a sign of gratitude.  I demanded my branches.  In the scuffle, many of my branches were ruined, so the arrangement was going to be a challenge.  We got started, only to realize that my vase was also a victim of the melee.  I again started to vomit in my mouth.  Water seeped out everywhere from the vase, and I stood there cradling branches while we looked for a  new one.  Suddenly I was on a ladder. It was 4PM, but for the first time things on my end seemed almost under control. 

    For Mayra, at the church, not so much.  Everything was in place, the organist was playing, the groom was at the alter, the bridesmaids lined up and the bride was being brought out of her car.  We were ready to roll.  Only the bride needed to pee. 

Mayra: You are going to have to wait though, because there is no way to get you into the bathroom at the church without everyone seeing you.

Bride: I can't wait- I'll pee in my pants!

    So, like Mary and Joseph, Mayra took her bride and started ringing doorbells on 71st street looking for a restroom.  An opthamologist's office took mercy on them and let them into their manger.

Bride:  Don't worry everyone, I'm not cutting the line- I just need to use the bathroom.

    By 5:45 most of the guests arrived and I was collapsed in a corner, literally nursing my wounds.  Mayra returned with Bride and Groom in tow.  She cried at how beautiful the reception looked.  This made me feel better.  We hugged and they said how really gorgeous it all looked.  She loved the tree, she loved the shrubs.  I felt relieved.  During a quiet moment at cocktail hour, I said to Mayra.

Xochitl: So, what really happened to Benny??

Mayra: I don't know. He freaked out. He told me that I was the worst person in the world, and that he would See me next tuesday.

Xochitl: But why would he see you next tuesday if he quit?  He ruined everything.  I feel badly that he wasn't feeling well, but they should have just sent someone else and it's not our fault that he had to come to work.

Mayra: No, Xochitl, he'll SEE YOU NEXT TUESDAY.

Xochitl:  Well, I'm not going to see him EVER!

In the end alls well that ends well.  Today is Tuesday, so I guess I'll see if he shows up.

Here are some photos of the venue Dante sent over- just some ambience shots, but we're pretty happy and so were the couple!

Cocktail hour was a Candy stripe theme with Red Roses and Dahlias

The Reception Room was Designed in Greens and Whites with Navy Accents.

We added in a lounge for after dinner relaxation.  I wanted to sit there!!!
 

Nostalgia for Brides of Weddings Past

The Q:  Do you miss your brides when the weddings are over?

The A:  Current Mood:  A little Blue.

    Let me start by saying this:  Growing attached to clients is an occupational hazard of this job.  I have a dozen best friends at any one time and all of them are wonderful women (and a few wonderful groomzillas) and as one of my grooms said to me this week "So, after Saturday, is this like an awkward breakup, where we say we're going to be friends but if we meet on the street we don't know what to say?"  Mayra has conditioned me to not become too attached (this is sort of the wedding planning version of "don't kiss on the mouth" from Pretty Woman) and I do my best to be proud of our weddings and hug our clients and know maybe we'll keep in touch and maybe they'll get busy....
    But this week, for some reason, I am feel some longing for Bride's gone by.  This weekend past we lost (or completed) one of our favorite brides to the forever after of wedded bliss. We called her J. Monty (an abbreviation of her email address- a common source of nicknames in the office) and we loved her.  There was something about J. that made planning her wedding a completely thrilling experience- and I think part of it is because she just was totally and but SO EXCITED to be having this day.  And maybe part of it was because it was simply so BIG.  Rhinestone aisle runner: check.   Thousands and Thousands of flowers: check.  Two gowns: check.  Live dancers performing for her and her fiance: check.  Anything and everything that she could think of we worked to make it happen.

   When she first came to our office, I actually was really surprised that she wanted to work with us.  Mayra and I are sort of minimalists by nature, and that was TOTALLY not the look J. was going for.  This was the moment of her life and she wanted it to convey who she was- and that person was not a minimalist.  Somehow, in planning her wedding with her I think we were able to figure out who that person was and it really helped us to do our job so much better.  She was young, motivated, successful in her career, family oriented and a caretaker.  Both J. Monty and I were raised by our grandparents and knowing that she wanted to make the day feel special for her grandma became a mission to me as we were doing our job. Suddenly, I wanted everything to be big.

     Have I mentioned that I cry at weddings?  All of our clients weddings.  Even when we did Day of coordination, and I'd known them for two weeks: crying.  I don't do the ceremony anymore ever because I just sit in the back and cry (Mayra is tough and she handles it).  Well, on Saturday, I cried like, 5 times.  Part of me thought it was  because we were sleep deprived from planning this wedding and handling all the flowers and decor.  But then last night, when we wrapped up our day Mayra turned to me and said "I miss J. Monty" and I realized we were just happy that she  had been happy!
     I wanted to blog about her because I think job satisfaction and making a difference is something that we all hope for and want in our lives, right?  I mean, that's why we started this company.  But sometimes in getting busy, we forget that. But J. Monty really made a difference for me: personally and professionally. She not only reminded me of why I do this, but she helped make me better at it.  We can do BIG with the best of them!  Thank you J. 
I dropped some photos in that our decor photographer took.  Orchids, Orchids, Orchids. (I had to stand on a milk crate to create these :-)

Better than Christmas: It's Wedding Season!

The Q:

The blog has been sparse lately, and you have yet to answer the question I sent you!!!

The A: I know, I know.... As my 9th grade English teacher Gail Katz would say, "30 lashes with a wet noodle for you!" As Owen Wilson so aptly said in one of my favorite films: "It's Wedding Season!" Ladies (and occassional gentlemen) we have been swamped- Central Park Boathouse, Manhattan Penthouse, Peter White, Russo's on the Bay- and I'm sorry to say that my advice doling has suffered somewhat.

I'm not complaining! Several years ago Mayra and I were probably sitting around looking at each other all day this time of year imagining a business, so I think it's safe to say we're happy about it, but I did just want to tell you what weird things Wedding Season does to us here.

We are not tanned: we are usually working this time of year and suddenly realize that we're still a little un-sunkissed.

We hum "We are Family" and "Play that Funky Music" unconsciously under our breath.

I have safety pins attached onto or in the pockets of all of my clothes, sweaters, jeans, etc. "Just in case!"

When in Saks, I automatically go into the bridal salon on auto-pilot, even if I am not there for a fitting or a dress exploration or anything related to work. It's pavlovian reflext.

So, I guess because we get into this around May and it doesn't ease up till October or November, we both decided that we should take a break each in July. I've been doing this for a while- girlfriend weekends, etc. But this year I decided to visit some friends in Europe who I haven't gotten to see in a while. I did a really quick trip to Holland and to London- a first time for me.

And that is where, I discovered for myself for the first time, the most magical retail emporium I could have ever imagined. It was store, grocery store, amusement park, Princess Diana memorial. This magical place is called Harrod's. I mean, it was like a near religious experience for a shopper like myself! I've been dreaming about it. There were wax figures! There were Sphynxs! There was a "HALL OF LUXURY"! I signed a memorial guestbook in honor of the People's Princess! I ate lunch - they have a sushi bar! They had a giant sale. Granted, given the pound to the dollar, I didn't buy anything except for the aforementioned lunch.

Because it's wedding season, I couldn't help myself and I did see some really COOL wedding dresses and MOB stuff there though at "The Wedding Dress" including some OUTRAGEOUS designs by GALIT LEVI. ONLY for those who have A LOT of confidence!!! Check her out here!

Freeze!

The Q: O M G, I heard you found the MOST amazing, instant wrinkle reducing cream?"

The A: O, I totally did! Not since I went to a Barney's event and got the Tracy Martyn eye patchy things have I been this excited about a beauty product. I had a little freak out! Saturday, Mayra and I were doing a walk through of the boathouse (amazing day here Saturday, btw) and decided to pop into Saks because we got lovely gift certificates there from a past client (yay). I walked in with a gift certificate and still managed to walk out spending a decent amount of my own money, but that's the lure of Saks for me. It's cryptonite to my check book really.

Anyway, I had a new bag under my arm and was thinking about my impending "MAJOR" birthday and the bags under my eyes when I saw it! The FREEZE 24-7 counter. I'm not a big beauty product person. I still use Oil of Olay basically, and I think I look pretty good for my age, but the impending birthday is playing a mind trick on me and late nights at weddings, etc. etc. I thought I'd try it. I SAW AMAZING IMPROVEMENTS RIGHT THERE!!!!

Before we could even tell the woman what we did for a living she was telling us how great this product is for under your make up on a special occassion like a WEDDING and how it's so much like a lotion that she, as a make up artist has put it on a few grooms' faces who over did it at their Rehearsal Dinner!

The results on my left eye were so great that Mayra tried it too and the next thing you know I was at home doing demonstrations on my husband. "Don't I look younger??"

For $115 for a 6 month supply it's a daily way to feel a little fresher and a little more firm, even if it's just to get you over the hump of your wedding stresses!

www.freeze247.com

Guest Etiquette 101

The Q: Since I'm learning on your blog daily how to be gracious host, what tips can I learn about being a gracious guest?

The A: Oh, so much! Weekend after Weekend, (hold on while I get on my soapbox) I am APPALLED at the horrible behavior that I witness at our clients weddings- all of the atrocities of etiquette committed by guests. It's like our polite society is CRUMBLING before my very eyes!
(sigh) Anyways, I guess I'm not the only one who feels this way because the gals (and I'm sure there are some guys there too!) at WeddingChannel.com have just posted a Wedding Guest Guide! It answers such questions as "How do I know if I was invited with a guest?" or (and they phrased it more politely- "Should I get hammered at a wedding?" I will say that the issue that they tackle that is closest to my heart is "Are there colors that are inappropriate to wear?" The answer is, naturally, DO NOT WEAR WHITE. In fact, honestly, they weren't firm enough about it! The question should have said "I shouldn't wear white to a wedding, should I? and the answer, if I were an editor there would be "ABSOLUTELY NOT, buy, borrow or steal another dress to wear if you ONLY own white dresses, do NOT wear a white dress." I cant tell you how many weddings we've gone to where guests - one time it was a MIL!!! - wore white to the wedding. So many people committed this sin last summer that I started to think I was going crazy, entering a secret world where there were no rules!

Ok, back to weddingchannel! They did a good job, I hope people read it- it has smart things like "Don't verbalize complaints to the bride and groom." If I could make one addition, I think it would have to be "Should I dance on the dancefloor during the first dance?" To which I would have to say "NO" and retell the story about practically tackling a couple who never go the "Don't get hammered" memo a couple of years ago as they tried to "join in" the 1st Dance.

Check out the guide and "politely" send it to your guests :-) Kidding.
(Guest Etiquette Guide

Return of the The Wedding Wonder

The Q: I appreciate reading your advice, but what happened to your old blog- it was very entertaining?

The A: To my surprise, several readers have let me know that they are enjoying this blog, but they miss my old blog (www.theweddingwonder.blogspot.com) that I kept up from when Mayra and I were planning our wedding. I often refer to it as OUR wedding, when in actuality it was MY wedding to MY husband. However, my husband cared about two things (like most grooms): the music and the food. Everything else was pretty much up to Mayra and I.

Anyway, after the wedding, I didn't have nearly as much personal stuff to say, or I was afraid of incriminating myself and talking about clients (not that I would ever have ANYTHING bad to say about clients) so I sort of stopped and figured this stuff was more useful than personal stories about trying to launch a wedding and event company in New York. I was sort of wrong, because a couple of people have asked for more personal stuff about trying to get our business going. So, because I generally find change confusing, all personal musings on weddings and work, etc will be filed under "The Wedding Wonder" category. And I promise I won't fill this page up with two much of what's on my mind.

Especially because what's on my mind is SOO boring! I'm in our new office space waiting for a furniture delivery! Mayra and I take turns with the sort of stinko jobs like this and this time it's my turn. We finally moved out of our little office in the back end of my apartment to a very cute, not really that small of a space on Canal Street. Once you get past the many MANY many people trying to sell you handbags (I mean, the sales tactics are uncanny- the other day I thought that I was bleeding or had toilet paper sticking on my shoe or something the way that this lady chased me down, "Lady, Lady, Lady!" She was literally running towards me so I got nervous that something was wrong and stopped. "Yes?" I said. "Gucci, Prada, Chanel?" she responded.) it's really a very cute, adorable space with lots of room for our invitations and vases and some of our linens.

I say it's not so little because, like typical NYC dwellers, we both assumed it was smaller than it is and opted to not buy too much furniture so as not to "clutter it up". We also wanted to be sure we "left room for everything". The result: Our desks are so close together, in one far end of the room, while there is about 350sf left of nothing but floor space and boxes. The boxes are filled with items that didn't fit anywhere else because we didn't purchase enough shelving. And thus, here I am, one month later waiting for more furniture.

I'm finally getting adjusted to working out of the home again, an experience which I thought was HORRIBLE (everyone always would say "oh, you must be so lucky to work from home"). I just never really got a handle on it. I could never figure out when to go to the gym, or when to shower or when to start and stop working. As a result I spent 3 years in Gym clothes all the time, seemingly eating constantly and ALWAYS working. I was either about to go to or just coming from some form of excercise. And then I would feel badly for how long I took at the gym and so I would wait to shower until I had to be somewhere. Or I'd feel badly because I was busy and never go to the gym. But then I'd feel so anxious because I'd just spent the whole day working.

Anyway, our cabinets are here (from the exotic Bronx- a ShabbyChic Craigslist find!)