love and football

This Sunday is the day that the Packers and the Steelers play in a (hopefully) epic game of football. Or as this picture shows -- Clay Matthew dominating the Steelers. 

In preparation for the SuperBowl, and as a football lover myself, I thought I'd gather some inspiration from one of my favorite sports.

Here's what I found --

If you want to carry the theme all the way through your wedding, have your officiant dress like a referee.  And instead of a floral archway that you're standing under as you exchange vows, make it a goal post.

Photo Credit: Glasses: -- ThisNext

The gentlemen can rep their favorite NFL team on their feet, while the ladies can rep them on their ears!

Photo Credit: Shoes for the Groomsmen -- The Knot.  Earrings for the Bride -- Jegas Creations

Photo Credit: Smoke on the Square

Party favors anyone?

Stadium cake

I wonder how many people this cake can feed...

One trend that was seen towards the end of last year was the rise of sliders and "comfort food" at events instead of having your filet of fish or grilled chicken dish.  Use these as your appetizers, couple it with some sweet potato fries and beer, and your guests will feel like they're back at the stadium.

The stadium cake doesn't really need a cake topper, but for all the non-stadium cakes, here are some of my favorites!

Photo Credit: Wedding Cake Toppers 1. Party Favors By Design 2. Magic Mud 3. Splendorcity (Etsy)

A couple of my friends incorporated football into their engagement photos.  It really captured their love for football and each other!

Photo Credit: SimplyTwo Photography

Just because you're in a wedding dress doesn't mean you can't play a little pick-up game of football on your special day  Or take some pictures on the field.

My favorite -- the ladies doing the Heisman!

Photo Credit: Corey Anne Photography

Thanks for stopping by! Go Packers!

upside down cake

And I'm not talking about the pineapple kind, necessarily.  Typically, wedding cakes have gradually increasing tiers, so the bottom tier is the largest.  However, if you want to put a unique spin on a classic cake, consider these...

1. Cake, Hope & Love.  2. Jen's Bakery

Inverted pyramids gives the cake an edgier shape!

Love chandeliers?  Here's a beautiful cake just for you by Judy's Cakes!

Photo Credit: Judy's Cakes

But hey, if you want a pineapple upside down cake at your wedding, go right ahead.  Looks matter, but in my book, taste matters just as much.  And these cakes are delicious.

Photo Credit: Country Living

Happy Sunday everyone!

fashion: vera wang

Fashion has become a real passion of mine lately.  For me, it's fun to create different looks -- to combine what I have in new and unique ways that express my personality.  Sometimes I get so wrapped up in creating something new I take twice as long to get ready for work...

The same is true when choosing a wedding dress (I'm not doing this anytime soon, but I can't say I don't love looking).  The search for the perfect dress is not only about how it fits and what it looks like, but how it makes you feel -- if you feel like yourself in the dress.  Well, if you're a ruffle kind of bride, I think you'll love Vera Wang's 2011 Spring collection.  You may have already seen this around, but I thought it was too good not to feature.

It's no secret that Vera Wang is an extremely talented designer, so it's no surprise that her new collection showcases that talent.  A lot of times with high fashion some pieces are a far stretch for the average person to wear, but many of these unique dresses are not just meant for the runway.  And a lot of them aren't the conventional white -- also another trend we're seeing in the wedding industry.  Goodbye white, hello ivory, peach, silver?  Below are some of my favorites!

Ruffles.  With a twist.

A unique mix of textures -- and I'm really loving the peach color.  Such a soft look.

What do you think about this gray?

The 24th Annual Charles Dickens Dinner

December 10, 2010 -- The culmination of six months of hard work has finally come to completion and I could not be happier about the event.  The Charles Dickens Dinner has been on my radar ever since I stepped foot into the USC Thornton School of Music as a work-study student as a freshmen in the fall of 2006.  Little did I know that 4 years later I would be in charge of making this event a success.

I don't think I've ever worked so hard on any event. Ever.  And in the week leading up to the event, I think it's safe to say my mind was thinking about Dickens 24/7 (and maybe still is -- hello 2011).  Literally.  I had an ongoing to-do list in my head, a desk that was covered with brightly colored post-it notes (If you don't know already, I love bright colors so the bright colors definitely help make the to-do lists less daunting. And putting a huge red sharpie check mark once they're done -- best feeling ever.)

I think one of the measures of a successful event planner is that way in which they react to problems once an event has begun.  There are two options -- freak out and stress everyone else out in the process, or react in a calm, positive demeanor.  One of my goals as an event planner is to treat people with respect and manage others with a positive attitude because I've found that people respond to direction better when it's not coming from a power-driven and demanding place -- and hopefully my team felt that throughout the planning process.

The best thing someone can say to me on the event day is that they felt at peace, and relaxed. My job is to ensure that everyone else involved doesn't feel stressed out. So hearing how relaxed everyone was, how relaxed the Dean was, that it was "the smoothest Dickens" from a banquet captain that's done the event for 3-4 years and my boss, that I looked so calm -- it was all extremely humbling and overwhelming.

Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine to have planned an event of such capacity at the age of 22. I think I'm still in shock at all that I've accomplished since graduating -- its been 6 months and I've planned two weddings and a major fundraising gala.

The Dickens Dinner was not only a success for the Thornton School of Music, but also a huge milestone in my career, and for that I'm extremely grateful.

Needless to say, this event would not have been possible without the help of an amazing team. I couldn't even begin to take credit for all the work because the reality is it was a team effort. Thank you to everyone who helped -- I could not have done it without you!

For additional coverage of the event, read this article by Alice Dubin of Biz Bash -- Crowd of U.S.C. Musicians Enlivens Annual Fund-Raising Dinner

Merry Christmas everyone!

 

 

VENDORS

Catering, Valet, Venue: Millennium Biltmore Hotel, Valerie Lehman -- a great wedding venue too!

Costuming: K-Gals, Jacqueline St. Anne

Graphic Design: Leslie Baker Graphic Design, Leslie Baker

Flowers: Dellarobia Design Studio, Jolene Reynolds

Lighting Equipment: Angstrom Lighting Inc.

Linens: Elegant Design Specialty Linens, Jannette Galindo

Photography: Steve Cohn Photography

Print: Greens Printing, Janet Green

Production: Thinkwell

Rentals: Classic Party Rentals

Sound: PRG Audio

dickens week

It's time to take a short break from weddings and switch gears to ... fundraising dinners?

For those of you who don't know, I've been working for the USC Thornton School of Music as a Development & Events Coordinator for the past 5 months, which basically means that I help plan fundraising events, and anything related to donor stewarding -- aka making donors happy.  I love my job (which I know doesn't happen with most first jobs) but I definitely feel really blessed to have it.

Our biggest event of the year is The Charles Dickens Dinner.  No one really knows why it's called that, so just roll with it. But it's a festive holiday-themed dinner that honors individuals who have made a significant impact in the world of art and philanthropy.  The evening is highlighted by costumed carolers, a musical tribute by student performers, and the awards presentations.  This year is our 24th year, and we'll be honoring James Conlon, David Bohnett, and John C. Herklotz.

One of the perks of my job is interacting with VIPs like USC President C.L. Max Nikias, Randy Newman, and many USC Trustees. The other day I got to drive Danny DeVito and his wife to his car.  I think it's fair to say it made my night.

Dickens is by far the most challenging event I have ever worked on, but it has also been a huge growing experience. 

If I had one piece of advice to give to anyone planning an event, it's to follow-up.  Even if you trust that person completely to finish their job, it doesn't hurt to give them a courtesy reminder.  By phone, email, once a week, every day -- whatever it takes to ensure that everything get done.  I think I probably called Chick-Fil-A about every other day last week about whether or not they could donate sandwiches.  And who doesn't love Chick-Fil-A?

As an event coordinator, it's your responsibility to ensure that everything is in place when the event happens, that every detail has been thought through and every problem anticipated.  Someone "forgetting" is not a good enough excuse for a component falling through.  The challenge with new events is knowing what to anticipate.  Having never fully attended a dinner, it's hard to know what could go wrong, whereas with weddings, I've been to enough to know common mishaps (i.e. forgetting the rings -- trust me, its happened).

So as I prepare for this huge milestone in my event planning career, I will be tested emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually, and it is my hope that I act with grace, patience, peace, and joy in the midst of probably one of the most high-stress, pressure-filled environment I've been in yet.  Part of the reason I'm in this profession is to help minimize that stress for everyone involved and to create a positive environment that enables people to perform their job with ease.  So this week, instead of complaining, demanding, or yelling, I will smile, laugh, and enjoy and take advantage of the opportunity to showcase this supernatural peace I've been given.

Stay posted for pictures and a post-event update!

nicole + seth

I met Nicole and Seth through my community group with Reality LA.  As with every wedding I've coordinated so far, it always starts with an offer to help.  Little did I know how much of a blessing I could be to the both of them and it was such a privilege to serve both of them on their wedding day!

It's always so special for me to get to work with couples whose relationship is centered in Christ, and it is so apparent how much God is present in Nicole and Seth's relationship and I'm excited to see the ways He is going to work through the two of them together.

Of all the weddings I've attended so far, theirs was by far the most unique.  Set in a random warehouse in downtown (Seth found it while scouting locations for his job), it was awesome to see the place transformed into an elegant rustic environment with mason jar centerpieces, handmade boutonnieres and headbands made by the bride, and lots of other details that made their day true to the couple.

The cupcakes and appetizers were graciously provided by Sanaz of Fixa Catering.  She did an amazing job, and I loved the use of bricks and empty pictures frames for the display.  Food was provided by Crepes Bonaparte, a fun and cost-effective alternative to the typical banquet menu!

Of course, no words can ever describe the beauty of each wedding, so thank goodness for excellent photographers like Jenny and Joseph Llanes of Llanes Weddings who captured their wedding day amazingly.  Check out these photos belows -- be sure to check out their blog for more pictures!

On top of everything, they had the sweetest getaway car EVER!

Thanks Seth and Ziza for letting me be a part of your special day!

vic + jake

We prayed for sunny days, but got a light mist instead.  But even the weather could not even dampen the joy that was surrounding Jake and Vic's wedding day.

I was so excited when Jake and Vic asked me to help coordinate their wedding!  I never expected to be fully coordinating a wedding so soon -- I had every intention of putting wedding planning on hold because I just started a new full time job, and for me, well, weddings could wait.  But I guess God had different plans in mind.

I met Jake and Vic through Athletes in Action.  From the start it was apparent how much Jake and Vic desired to glorify God through their relationship, and I feel so blessed to have helped them on their wedding day.  I loved that in moments where Vic and I both felt stressed out or overwhelmed, we could stop and pray for peace -- because the only reason I have peace in stressful situations is because of God.

With every wedding or event I coordinate, I always learn something new.  I learned a lot of "somethings" at this wedding that I'd like to share with you!  After all, this blog is a way of documenting my journey.

1. Double check who's going to have the rings on the day of the weddings.  And ALWAYS check to make sure the rings are on-site.  They happen to be one of the most important parts of the wedding ceremony, but even the bride and groom tend to forget about them on the wedding day.  Entrust them to either the best man or maid of honor.
2. Anticipate, anticipate, anticipate -- even when you feel like you have all your bases covered, keep looking for ways to over prepare.
3. Rain doesn't ruin everything. Okay, well it does create some difficulties, but the overcast sky can create some really awesome lighting (so check out the amazing pictures below!)

I still have so much to learn about this industry, but I'm excited to continue to grow in my abilities as an event planner. 

Now for my favorite part -- the pictures, graciously provided by Michael JT Photgraphy and Montana Dennis.  They're both awesome photographers with great energy and enthusiasm to their work -- I had so much fun working with them!  Be sure to check them out if you're looking for a photographer!

 

 

 

 

Clearly, we had lots of fun! (Montana, Me, Mike -- L to R)

For more amazing pictures, check out his blog!