Uriah & Kikie Jumped the Broom 9-13-08

This past weekend, I had the pleasure and honor of witnessing a childhood friend marry his longtime love.

We all ~ except the Bride & Groom ~ had worries about the forecasted cloudy, shower filled weather. After test shooting during the rehearsal (a dreary, drizzly Friday evening), the photographer, Stephen Evans (my hubby), was overly worried that the little Dorsey Chapel could not provide enough natural lighting for the photographs. Alas, the show must go on. Uriah & Kikie were not concerned with the weather or the photographs and tried to calm our nerves; their attitude, “we’ll just go with the flow.”

Fortunately, when I arose that morning to prepare for coordinating this event, the skies were blue and clear.

September 13, 2008 turned out to be a nearly perfect day (save for the humidity).

Sure, setting up the reception hall, Adelphi Mill, traveling between multiple locations, and trying to stay Fabulous the entire time, was a challenge, pure work…but for these two dear friends, I would do it every day.

I cannot begin to express the amount of love I witnessed that day. This day was reminiscent of what this tradition of marriage is all about. It was far removed from the big business the Wedding Industry has become and brought you back to the basics, when weddings were not a business but a family affair. Every family member of the Bride & Groom that were present was integral in orchestrating this event. And I mean EVERY family member: Uncles, Aunts, Cousins, Moms, Dads, Sisters, Nieces, Nephews, Grandparents and dear Friends. From the chair covers (whew that was a doosie!) to the centerpieces, to the delicious meal prepared by the Groom’s father, the decorations, the music, the cake…ALL was provided or set up by family and friends. Not a complaint or a question (except for “What else needs to be done?”) was heard. We did it for love; we did it with a smile (and a sweat).

And when it was all said and done, I believe every single guest, rolled up their sleeves and began helping with the take down. That is what family is about. This is what true love is about.

Congratulations Uriah & Kikie! Happy 3 Day Anniversary! I love you both truly, deeply, madly!

Enjoy your preview.

To see more pictures from this event, go to DigitalPharaoh.

Exclusive Couture Bags by Susej Designs, LLC

This past weekend, while showing my Cookie Lee Jewelry, seeing and buying wares from various vendors at various crafts shows, I was priveleged to meet an artist/designer, Dionne Green.  Dionne is the amazing creative force behind Susej Designs, LLC.

Susej Designs, LLC is a  “luxury goods company, produces products that are meant to speak to individuals artistically, culturally, and spiritually. Based in the Washington, D.C. area, the company currently offers a limited edition handbag collection that currently consists of 21 pieces, as well as a bridal collection, consisting of four pieces.”

Tangled Tulle 1

The limited edition handbags are so utterly fabulous, beautiful, unique and a MUST HAVE for the Couture Bride.

The pictures from their website are very nice, but do the work no justice as in person.  The feel of these bags are heavenly, real leather.  The detail of each bead and persona is exquisite.

The bag depicted here, a sultry sista with a banging afro has a 3-dimensional dress, made of tulle, giving texture, depth and movement to the artwork.

And now….let’s get to the Bridal Collection.  Each bridal bag can be customized with the wedding date and Husband to be’s name.

These Susej Designs, LLC Limited Edition Bags are available online at their website and are priced at a modest $400-450 per bag.  Also ask Susej about personalization for the bride or her maids.   Imagine YOUR face artistically recreated on your very own Susej! Clutches are also available.

Wedding Planning: 5 Tips To Help You Get Started

As you prominently display the 3rd finger on your left hand…the news hits your mother, your best friend, your sister…and the screams begin. YOU’RE ENGAGED! You are on cloud nine. Everyone is so happy for you. And EVERYONE has planning advice, tips and referrals for you. Usually starting with, “my neighbor had ABC Company do her flowers”, “my sister-in-law had invitations done by XYX”, “and your 5th cousin Hilda’s wedding was beautiful in the highlands of Scotland.” Just a moment ago, there was excitement and happiness thinking about this milestone and your impending future. Now, there is nothing but lists, lists, lists. To-do, To-call, To Buy, To Decide. Pretty soon your head will be swimming and your own vision for your wedding may begin to fade. So, how do you get your vision and your happiness back? Follow these 5 tips to help you get started planning your wedding:

1. Calm Down & Get Organized – A little bit of measured breathing never hurt anyone. Breathe. Now purchase a Wedding Planner Binder. There are 2 types of wedding binders, pre-made or self-made. Pre-made Wedding Planner Binders can be purchased at stationary stores such as Hallmark or book stores such as Barnes & Noble or Borders, Books & Music. Some big retail discount stores such as Target and Wal-Mart may have some as well. A self-made binder will take a little work and a little time. Here are the supplies:

(1) 3-4 inch 3 ring binder
(20-30) Tab Dividers. Advice: buy the most tabs per set (ex. 8 tabs are better than 5); look for printable labels
(50-100) 3-hole punched clear page protectors
(1) Heavy Duty 3-Hole Punch

Instructions for assembling a self-made wedding planner binder are as follows:
Locate wedding planner pages or software online. Some will be free, yet un-customizable and others will need to be purchased.
Print all pages associated with the wedding planner.
3-Hole punch all pages. Tip: Buy 3-hole punched paper to save you time
Label each tab according to each section of the planning pages.
Assemble your binder.
The first 2 sections in your binder should be, phone numbers/contacts and any variation of a checklist, preferably counting down to the wedding.
Each section should contain 2-4 empty page protectors for information, brochures, swatches, proposals, or contracts. Now that you’ve either bought or made a Wedding Planner Binder…DUPLICATE IT! That’s right, you will need 2 binders. The reason for 2 binders is backup. Just like your computer, your wedding planner binder needs a backup. One binder will be kept at your home or in a safe place with all of your valuable and final information. The other binder will be to carry along with you to meetings, fittings and tastings.

2. Make a Preliminary Guest List – A preliminary guest list will give you a rough idea of the size and cost of your pending nuptials. You may not think you have a big family and everyone fit a grandma’s dining room table during your childhood Thanksgivings but how many people have had children, gotten married? On your own and in private…start jotting down names and numbers. This can be as simple as one name, “Jane plus 3.” Do the same for your fiancé’s family & guests. You don’t have to know their full names and addresses. Just “Uncle#1 plus 2” or “Grandma 1 & 2” will do.

3. Research – The most expensive aspect of any wedding is the food/catering, topping out at 45-50% of overall budget. With your rough guest count, you will need to find out what the average cost per person for catering is in your area. To accomplish this, you can call various caterers on your own, solicit referrals from friends and family if they are willing to divulge their expenses, or you can call a Wedding Consultant. Simply Beautiful Concepts offers its potential clients a customized Simply Beautiful Bridal Presentation based on their initial free phone consultation. This package will include a preliminary vendor list and quoted pricing for services. The package is the client’s to keep, even if they do not select Simply Beautiful Concepts for their wedding. If you have your heart set on certain aspects of your wedding, location, accessories, décor etc. research those items as well.

4. Finalize Budget – Now you know what a realistic budget may look like. Sit down with your family and/or fiancé and decide on a budget. My advice to brides is to build in 10-15% variance on their set budget. Until you start looking at all the proposals and finalizing contracts, there is the potential for any one service to be more or less than anticipated based on the market, time of year and location.

5. Plan – Now you’ve got your wedding planning well on its way. Grab your wedding planner binder and start with the basics, ceremony location, reception venue and wedding consultant. Follow the checklist provided.

Happy Planning.