The First Kiss

With Valentine’s Day being this week, the topic of kissing has come up on more than one occasion. There’s so much more to a kiss than just the act of kissing. It can spark something in you that you never knew existed. Something can also happen if you have a bad kiss. No, seriously…have you ever ended a relationship because the person is a bad kisser? Um…guilty.

I had a friend who had heard that when you kiss someone, you close your eyes, lean in and stick out your tongue. The guy she was supposed to kiss just stared at her like she was a freak show. Bless her hearrrrrt.

I waited for my “boyfriend” until after track practice. Neither of us were in track. We walked out to where the buses usually parked and it happened. TJ and I had our first kiss. I was so nervous that I only remember up to the kiss…not the actual kiss. It’s probably for the best.

Do celebrities have the same experiences? They sure do!

• Celebrities think back to their first kiss (video)
• How about Jessica Alba, Reese Witherspoon and even Justin Bieber (slideshow)

What was your first kiss like?

The Vow – A Real-Life Movie

You fall in love and get married. All is well and life is happy. Then there’s an accident. Any memory of the person you are married to is lost. Can you fall back in love with that same person?

The Vow is in theaters and this story has been occupying my mind since I first heard of the movie. The story is real. Read about it HERE.

Circumstances in life bring us together. Influence, feelings and even our surroundings play a part in who we choose to spend our life with. If we went back in time, to a moment when we were single, would we choose to spend the rest of our lives with the same person in our lives?

Would you? What would be the one thing that could capture your heart one more time?

Green: You Have 388 Choices

Choosing your wedding colors is kind of fun, right? It brings everything together to create a cohesive look and feel. When someone asks you what your colors are, what do you say? Believe it or not, even when you type in black, you get options. It’s a tad bit overwhelming.

Once you find your specific color, things will become a bit more simple. You can color match anything you want! Instead of saying “green” you can say, “Pistachio Green”.

There are some really great color resources to create your just-right look (look at me sounding like a pro).

• Pantone: Of course, this is the be-all, end-all of color resources. Personally, I can take it or leave it. They are just colors and not all look great on me. With that, I just browse for what I like. *gasp*
• ColourLovers: LOVE this site! You can search for individual colors, look at color palettes, search or create patterns AND get ALL of the color information and codes for your personal use. They even have a wedding section. It’s all free.
• Paint swatches at the store. Don’t be shy. Head on into your local hardware store, or even WalMart and start picking out some of your favorite colors.

What colors do you want to try at your wedding?

Finding Vendors You Like

Finding vendors for your wedding is no small task. It seems there are billions. Once you find a website that has a listing, you hear of another with a listing, then another, and another… You get what we’re saying. Planning a wedding is basically like taking on another job but one that plays on all your emotions, takes an incredible amount of brain space and is something where you’re terrified of doing something wrong. What’s worse than being yelled at by yourself?

OPTIONS

While there are a lot of options, there are only a few options for you. That’s meant to sound encouraging. Not every vendor is for every couple. There’s a lot that determines what kind of vendor you’re going to hire. You’ve got to consider budget, style, location, personality, services and more.

RESOURCES

We have some websites that are favorites because they make the searching process very clear. You don’t have to search through pages and pages of businesses, you can see who is your style almost immediately. These include Offbeat Bride and StyleMePretty. It’s a huge contrast. Want a more personal connection? Search within your city to see if there’s a planning studio available? It’s free and easy and you get to meet the vendors right there.

BEST BET

1. Referrals. We have two ways that we recommend finding the vendors you want. Follow if you’d like or blaze your own trail. It’s your choice. We like referrals. We can find one person we like. Take the caterer, for example. You had great food at a friends wedding and you want to hire them. They are within your budget, are creative, kind and know how to take care of you through your ups and downs. That’s a great match. Who do they work with? This is a good way to find similar vendors. You may even get to tap into an “unknown” group of professionals that won’t be found at every wedding this summer.

2. Credits. The second way we find vendors is by searching through our favorite photographers weddings and then looking at the credits. Most times the photographers list who they worked with for that particular wedding. Like the flowers, cake and decor? Contact those people by clicking on the link your photog has provided.

If you’re looking for great referrals or a way to just get started, let us know. We’re here…and completely unbiased.

Who is your favorite wedding vendor?

Nice Cover!

At one time, we had this whole planning pack. We included a 3-ring binder, post-it notes, page flags and more. By doing so, we were offering all the pieces to stay organized while planning your wedding but the price got to be insane…for you. There are many wedding resources available both online and in bookstores but they become outdated so quickly. In fact, some of the most popular planners are 9 years old! A child born in 2003 is now in 3rd grade! Austin Powers was one of the biggest movies and Justin Timberlake won a Grammy for “Cry Me A River.” You get our point. A lot has changed in 9 years. A lot has changed since last year.

Not only does our life change at a superfastcanbarelykeepup pace, wedding planning, trends and unique ideas are always evolving. We want what is now. This is why we no longer create a hardback version of the wedding organizer, we need to offer something you can rely on as being the most up-to-date. The answer: Digital. While the book is STILL evolving and becoming even more user-friendly (and more mobile-ready -shhhh), it’s constantly being updated based on what your wants and needs are throughout the planning process. Feedback is ALWAYS welcome.

Enough about us, let’s talk about you. The reason for this post is because we found something AWESOME! It’s a blend of what we used to offer and what we currently offer: A customized binder to carry ALL of your planning papers, swatches, notes and business cards. Zazzle offers pre-made designs or a blank slate. You can go to town! You can download My Big Day Planner and then put it in your sassy new binder. Viola, you have a hardback wedding organizer that’s just your style.

Should we create designs to match the digital book covers?

Happy planning, friends!

Be Original

Preston Bailey is a genius…and a kind person. In fact, I haven’t heard one negative thing about him. At this point, even if you told me something that wasn’t positive, I wouldn’t believe you. What? Have I met him? Nope, not for one second. Funny where “talk” will get you. One of the things that makes Mr. Bailey so successful is that he follows his heart. he’s not interested in what others are doing, he does what he wants to do. How else would he be able to make such a design impact? He recently posted the message of originality on his blog. This has stuck with me and just keeps making it’s way to the surface. Time to share. With so much outside influence which includes media, friends, family and *gasp* tradition, it’s tough to remember what we want.

Being original. The great thing about this is that you already know how. No resource, inspiration board, or magazine will give you this information. At the risk of sounding too whimsical, look inside yourself. It’s all there.

“You were born an original, don’t die a copy.” – John Mason

What is the most unique thing about you that you’d like to include in your wedding?

DIY Seating Chart that Won’t Make You Nuts

From SomethingTurquoise.com

Heading down the DIY path is overwhelming. The money savings is definitely a benefit and a huge accomplishment but the hours of research, trial-and-error and “it didn’t come out like I thought” projects are the sacrifices we make.

My Big Day Planner has a goal: Take the clutter out of wedding planning. The process is fun if you stay organized. After you download the super-awesome-amazing-ePlanner…then what? Well, we’ll be there, too. We will help you research how to take on each task of planning.

This week: Seating Charts. Regardless of the size of your wedding, people will need a place to sit. Of course you can leave it up to them or you can kindly guide them to a place where you  know they will feel comfortable and you won’t have to deal with any feelings of awkwardness. We know, it’s your day so it shouldn’t matter, right? Well, we’re all human and when something feels “off” it’s like a magnet for attention.

A tutorial for this very simple seating chart can be found HERE. In my words, here goes:

Gather the following items:

• Poster board
• Sticky page flags (in however many categories you are dividing your guest list)
• 2 pens (different colors)
• A highlighter
• Your guest list divided into categories (i.e. mine, his, family, have to for political reasons, etc)
• Something the shape of your tables (to outline)
• A drink with a lid (you’ll need this along the way but won’t want it to spill on your artwork)

Make table shapes however you plan the seating arrangement to be set up at your reception. Start writing names on your page flags and start stickin’! Take a drink here and there so you can trick yourself into thinking this is a leisurely experience.

What DIY tricks have you tried that worked well for you?