What happens though, when appearance and surface-related qualities are all that have ever mattered?  As mentioned in my last post, Dr. Karyl McBride’s book, Will I Ever Be Good Enough, addresses this phenomenon beautifully. After some depth into how a narcissistic mother can lead to an adult daughter feeling a sense of emptiness and powerlessness, Dr. McBride describes how these unresolved issues can re-emerge when attracting romantic partners. It’s almost like trying to subconsciously re-write a new happy ending in each relationship, because of  unhealed wounds brought on from an abusive parent.

So what are the superficial qualities we should be aware of? Dr. McBride suggests that we throw away our old list of criteria. Such qualities could have included things like:

• Sex appeal/physical appearance
• Income and earning potential
• An inclination to spoil with material things
• Type of car the person drives
• Type of home the person lives in
• Type of career and drive the person has
• Level of prowess in the bedroom

Sure, it’s totally ok to be with someone with positive marks in some or all of the above! It’s that je ne sais quoi of which romantic comedies (and reality shows like The Bachelor) are made.

The problem is, judging a partner on how well he (or she) measures up on such a surface level, does not compose of enough substance for a lasting relationship. Will hotness and a nice car hold any value if you suddenly grew ill or were facing an unforeseen tragedy?

We need to consider how wonderful this person is on the inside. The saying may be cliche, but it’s true: beauty is only skin deep. What happens when one of you hits a rough patch, or gets old, or sick, or fat, or loses his/her job? If you are looking for longevity and are ready for an adult relationship, the following factors are what need to be considered first. These questions are lifted directly from Will I Ever Be Good Enough. Please note that Dr. McBride uses “him” for simplification purposes only, as these qualities are applicable for anyone involved in romantic relationships.

• When you are with him, is he kind and compassionate?
• Does he act with integrity?
• Does he have the capacity for a lifetime of learning and growing with you?
• Is he capable of genuine empathy? Is he interested in working through problems?
• Does he have an identity – hobbies, interests, etc. separate from yours?
• At the same time, do you two share some common interests where you can be playful and hang out together?
• Are most of your worldviews similar?
• Does he make you laugh? Is his humor good-natured and not mean-spirited?
• Is he your best friend?
• Does he talk about his feelings? Is he aware of yours?
• Can he handle ambivalence and shades of gray and not be too rigid about failures and weaknesses in you, himself and others?
• Do you love being around him?
• Does he bring out the best in you?

These questions are an excellent way of evaluation, especially as you enter serious relationship territory.

Truth be told however, it’s most important to first make sure that you are comfortable in your own skin, have healed from past wounds and are strong and whole in your own right. It is so much better to be single as you work through your issues than to look outside yourself for someone who can fill that void within. I once read a self-help book from Tony Robbins where he says, “You take you with you!”… so true.

So what does it take to know if there are any issues lurking beneath the surface? Brutal honesty and self-awareness. Look through things that have happened in your past to uncover behavior patterns from different lovers and friends.

Possess all the qualities you wish your soul-mate to have and you will attract him (or her) in no time!

If you were ever a victim or were on the receiving end of a person with narcissistic personality disorder and would like to find a way to heal, I urge you to read Dr. McBride’s book. It has opened the door to a massive amount of enlightenment in my own life and I believe it can do the same for people the world over.

I stumbled across the following list of NPD personality traits on a funny, tongue-and-cheek, yet highly informative blog called thepsychospere.com. See below if these apply to anyone in your life.

NPD is diagnosed when someone meets five or more of the following nine criteria:

1. Has a grandiose sense of self-importance (e.g., exaggerates achievements and talents, expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements).
2. Is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love.
3. Believes that he or she is “special” and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people (or institutions).
4. Requires excessive admiration.
5. Has a sense of entitlement, i.e., unreasonable expectations of especially favorable treatment or automatic compliance with his or her expectations.
6. Is interpersonally exploitative, i.e., takes advantage of others to achieve his or her own ends.
7. Lacks empathy:  is unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others.
8. Is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of him or her.
9. Shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes.

Luckily, I’ve only ever attracted well-adjusted clients (hooray!). Sometimes, however, I can sense strong personalities in parents, sisters, guests and even other vendors. How we approach and handle high-pressure situations vary. No matter what type of stress you or someone you are working alongside is under, I think it’s important to stay mindful and empathetic about the source of the other person’s shortness. Unless someone has full blown NPD, he/she probably is not being jerky intentionally. Yesterday, I stumbled across this hilarious post on psychosphere that better describes my sentiment.

I am not going to pretend to be a psychotherapist or any sort of expert in the field of NPD. The work of Dr. Karyl McBride really hit home for me and spells out how NPD can affect relationships. Her book, Will I Ever Be Good Enough, Healing the Daughters of Narcissistic Mothers, describes to a “T” exactly how narcissism causes serious, long-lasting emotional harm to children as they grow and develop into adults. If left untreated, the narcissism you were exposed to growing up endangers your sense self/worth, leads to co-dependency or dependency in relationships and leaves you feeling empty or never good enough inside.

I am happy to report that neither one of my parents have NPD. But I now recognize the traits in some of the people I was exposed to regularly as a child- how impressionable I was, how easy it was for me to be such a target for bullying  and why I can’t stop myself from feeling ‘less than’ or guilty around others.

If you found that you’ve grown up in such an environment, I highly recommend Dr. McBride’s self-healing book. Dr. McBride even goes as far as to give you a step-by-step outline on how to address and recover from the childhood pain you experienced and break the cycle in your ever after. You can stop attracting unhealthy relationships and know what it’s like to feel good about yourself. The recovery process she outlines does not sound easy and may take (a long) time to complete. But it’s so worth it. You’re worth it.

Of course, allowing your light to shine is your soul’s calling. You need to have confidence in yourself, to work hard, to own your talents, share your gifts and be the absolute best you can be. Marianne Williamson’s quote says it best… and manages to bring me to tears every time I take a moment and digest the words.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

I hope you decide to check back in for subsequent posts. I will be sharing insight on the real traits one should look for in a life-partner as well as a coping strategy on how to deal with your narcissistic mother during the wedding planning process.

I love my clients and love being indispensable to my couples. I’m not sure why I get so much enjoyment out of wedding planning as it is definitely NOT for the faint of heart. But my soul is satiated when I go home knowing that I’ve done a good job and that my couples are happy.

I love my husband. I love him a lot! I love that he knows how to fix everything around the house and makes me feel safe. I love that we laugh at exactly the same things and share inside jokes. We bicker every now and then. But we resolve our issues quickly. Neither one of us are the “grudge-holding” types.

Speaking of family, I love our new cat, Whitney…. yes, named after THAT Whitney. It’s kind of corny to admit, but this little creature has brought so much joy into our lives with her cute face and spunky personality. I love chasing her around the house and cuddling up next to her in front of the TV.

I love my stepchildren too. I know our relationship is still evolving, but they’ve taught me so much about flexibility and compassion.

I love my parents. They’ve sacrificed so much to allow me and my brother and I a chance in this amazing first-world country. I am eternally grateful for that. My bother is pretty cool too. I love his humor. Did you know he got me a Golden Girls T-shirt for Christmas this past year? And my husband received an ‘I Like Turtles‘ one.

I love sharing any new-found knowledge, anecdotes, funny jokes, inspiring stories or messages of love with the world and love connecting with people  – both new and old through Facebook! It’s awe-inspiring how technology has transformed the way we work, communicate and do things.

I love feeling like the possibilities are endless. My wish is that everyone will learn to be kinder to themselves. Judgement of others would cease if we could just forgive all of our own mistakes.

It’s good to be grateful, to celebrate being alive and to hold close everyone that is important to you. I hope you all feel the same too! XO

Currently, we are not accepting applications or have positions to fill. I really appreciate your interest regardless. Feel free to reach out to me. If you are ever curious about Diana Ma Weddings & Events and want to learn a bit more, I am happy to provide guidance or answer any questions you may have.

Best of luck in all of your pursuits! XO

Each and every stunning image is courtesy of Rodeo and Co Photography. The mastermind designer behind all elements was the bride herself, Vanessa Finger of Giftable Designs.

This just an overview of Vanessa’s and Mike’s glorious wedding day on June 4, 2011 at One Harbour Place (complete with Sperry Tents and Sperry installed lighting). These are a few more shots from their wedding coverage as highlighted in Martha Stewart Weddings. This is also a continuation of my previous post about being featured in the magazine.

Vanessa’s and Mike’s was my first wedding where the photos have actually moved me to tears. It was soulful and personalized in every possible way. You can actually get a sense of who Vanessa and Mike are and how palpable their love for one another is. It’s plain see that they are each other’s soul-mate in every sense of the word. Their wedding was only icing on the the cake, as their love and commitment runs miles deep. I feel incredibly blessed to have been a part of it somehow.

My heartfelt thanks and appreciation goes to Vanessa and all the wedding vendors involved in this. Your dedication to customer service (for actually surpassing expectations by leaps and bounds) and love for your jobs was apparent. I am humbled and honored to have been so integral in such an exquisite celebration. Kudos to each and every one of you! Please see my previous post for a complete list of vendors.

MSW really showed only a sliver, a tip of the iceberg for what their wedding day was really like. This is a wedding I will never forget! See for yourself below.

Getting Ready

Vanessa’s dress was the “Fiesole” by Melissa Sweet for Priscilla of Boston, purchased from the Priscilla’s in New York. Her custom-made headpiece was courtesy of ban.do and those fabulous shoes are by Something Bleu from BHLDN.

The women got ready at the super chic, Ale House Inn right next door to One Harbour Place. The Ale House is a cozy inn that is beautifully lit, tastefully decorated (love the urban and modern elements throughout) with spacious rooms. Very fitting that these young city-dwellers from Manhattan would choose the Ale House as their number one choice of lodging whenever they were visiting Portsmouth (they loved Portsmouth so much that they have since found residence there!).

My favorite make-up artist of all-time, Joanne McDonough of Joya Beauty was on-hand to ensure everyone looked their most radiant. Jen Macek of JMC Weddings was the amazing talent behind all of the beautiful hairstyles.

Mike and his groomsmen got ready at the Portsmouth Sheraton Harborside and walked over to the Ale House in time for the couple’s first look (which took place at the Inn’s main sitting area).

First Look

The Personal Flowers

All flowers were courtesy of the Flower Kiosk right in downtown Portsmouth. The bridal bouquet was a mix of peonies, roses and lisianthus in pale shades of pink and dusty miller. Vanessa’s handle was wrapped in bright teal ribbon and secured with a family heirloom pin from Mike’s Mom.

The bridesmaids bouquets were more mixed, with brighter pink roses, carnations and tulips as well as peonies and dusty miller. They were tied with silver ribbon to balance out the bright pink.

The Ceremony

How gorgeous was their huppa?! Flower Kiosk dressed up a basic brass arbor with variegated ivy, Italian ruscus, white spider mums, magenta peonies and spray roses in both pale and fluorescent pink.

The ceremony took place at Goodwin Garden on Strawbery Banke. Mike wrote and designed the ceremony, officiated by David Tomkinson. These shots are from the beautifully written handfasting portion, where David asked both the bride and groom a question and then draped a ribbon atop their grasped hands. For each vow, another ribbon. And at the end, he asked the crowd for confirmation and draped a final ribbon. He then tied the ribbons to bind the bride and groom and then they unclasped hands, dropping the ribbon to represent that they were only a symbol as their real commitment, not shaped by anything physical, is what will always carry them.

Commuting from Strawbery Banke to One Harbour Place

The bride and groom showcased their free-spirited personalities by riding off to cocktail hour on borrowed bicycles from Ale House. Most guests elected to do the 10-minute walk from Strawbery Banke to cocktail hour, held on the dock at One Harbour Place. Few guests opted for the trolley ride that was provided by Seacoast Trolley Company.

Cocktail Hour

How iconic are Sperry Tents becoming for weddings? Just a couple of beautiful shots of the white flags and sweeping arched walls. Star lanterns were purchased from Paper Lantern Store and installed the night prior by the Sperry Tents staff.

Cocktail hour took place on the lower dock-level of One Harbour Place. The couple included a variety of locally brewed beer, like Red Hook photographed above.

Their signature cocktail was a frozen whiskey sour… aren’t they beautiful? The cocktails were mixed by a NH Margarita Man machine and consisted of margarita mix, whiskey (instead of tequilla) and enough blue curacao to turn the mixture teal. How’s that for attention to detail?!

World-class catering was courtesy of immensely talented Evan Hennessey of Flavor Concepts. Evan put together a meat-free wedding feast (as Vanessa and Mike are vegetarians).  For hors d’oeuvres,  bites of fried goat cheese, local heirloom tomato tartlets with smoked salt, and a bean and corn succotash over a grilled tomato puree on a cracker were served.

The Reception

The escort cards (as well as the invitation envelopes, photo 2 from the MSW web site) were hand-calligraphed by NYC-based calligrapher, Tucci Cursive. The escort cards were inserted in a pair of old shutters that belong to Betsy at Flower Kiosk, who agreed to allow Vanessa to paint teal for the sake of the wedding!

Vanessa found a teal-lined vintage suitcase on etsy to collect wedding gifts and used a teal-colored guitar (accompanied by silver pens) for guests to sign in lieu of a guest book.

Centerpieces were filled with the same variation of flowers used in the bridal and bridesmaids bouquets. Vanessa collected vintage teal-colored mason jars and glass containers and arranged for pre-delivery with Betsy, of Flower Kiosk, to fill for the reception. I have take a moment and give props to Betsy…. she came back to the tents the following morning to collect leftover flowers to deliver and donate to a local nursing home. It’s that rare combination of natural talent and a big heart that makes me love working with her. XO

Vanessa designed and produced the table signs, as well as all stationery elements for the wedding (she owns the fabulous design firm, Giftable Designs). The table signs were named after Portsmouth neighborhoods. How cute is that? All elements of the wedding were tied together perfectly, from the teal, pink and silver color palette, to starting anew as married folk in the city they love most. Ugh… I’m tearing up as I write this! The level of personalization that went into this wedding is beyond incredible!

Rentals were provided by Be Our Guest in Boston, MA.

The Candy Buffet/Dessert Table

The candy table showcased a whimsical mix of teal and pink candies displayed in vintage teal glass containers. The children (shown above is Mike’s baby brother who was also the ring bearer) especially enjoyed helping themselves!

Meg had a lot of fun with their rings, using vintage “V + M” blocks Vanessa scored at a flea market. The blocks were used decoratively on the candy table.

This is the design put together by my favorite cake artist of all time, Jeanne Kalman of The Well Dressed Cake. It is the computerized version of the hand-drawn sketch Vanessa showed Jeanne. Vanessa expressed that she had envisioned fresh peonies as a cake topper.

What about the attention to detail on the bottom layer? Jeanne insisted on the tiniest of tiny gumpaste bows affixed with even more tiny dragee pearl centers. Uniform and flawless as usual.

Jeanne, being the exquisite craftswoman she is, strongly encouraged Vanessa to allow her to make sugar peonies instead. I would say she just about nailed it in the accuracy department!

The Party

The dancing took place in a second Sperry Tent.

Grandpa’s 90th Birthday

Vanessa insisted that we build in time in the schedule to celebrate her grandfather’s 90th birthday. Cupcakes were also created by The Well Dressed Cake. Here, she describes all that her grandfather has meant to her (I feel the tears prickling again!).

The cupcakes were for my grandfather’s 90th birthday which was later that month. When he was a kid, instead of having cake he would always have a watermelon, so that was where the design came from. They were pink velvet inside to match. FWIW, he was a policeman in Miami until about four years ago when he got very ill. He and my grandmother (my only remaining grandparents) are two of our major life role models, so having them at the wedding was extremely important. When he got sick, I thought it wasn’t going to happen, and when he came out of the hospital we decided to do the wedding as soon as we could to ensure that they would be there. So it was a really special moment we got to have when we presented him with the birthday cupcakes and the whole family was around.

Vanessa and Mike, words cannot express how much gratitude I feel for allowing me to be involved on such a huge occasion in both of your lives. You are both beautiful, intelligent and incredibly kind. Your love for one another is so pure and inspiring. May you prosper in love and happiness. Above all, I’m thrilled that you’ve made your move to NH permanent so that we can see each other again!  Here’s to a LIFETIME of happy memories. XO

Images provided by Rodeo and Co Photography.

If you happen to follow me on Facebook, you would have surmised as much from all the excitable posts (complete with at least 17 exclamation points a pop)!

Somehow, the phenomenal imagery of my June 2011 clients Vanessa and Mike Finger, caught the attention of the powers that be at Martha Stewart Weddings and poof, this fabulously chic couple were included FIRST in their “Scenes from Celebrations” section in the current issue (*eeeeeeeekkkkkkkkkkkk!!!!!!!!!*).

Vanessa’s and Mike’s wedding was the perfect combination of cool, young, beautiful, stylish but still very timeless in its own way. Vanessa has taste like you wouldn’t believe….. no detail was left unchecked and the event itself was like a work of art from start to finish. It was an absolute joy being a part of their decision making and day.

You can get all the goods in the Spring 2012 issue of Martha Stewart Weddings (pages 114 and 116) on newstands right now!

Please enjoy a few sneak peaks Meg Hamilton of Rodeo and Co. Photography on the MSW web site!

My next post about this event will include the entire wedding story from beginning to end.

The local vendors hired and utilized in this inventive, highly personal wedding are listed below. Thank you so much, from the bottom of my heart for your amazing work and professionalism, Everyone! YAY TEAM!!! XO

• Invitations and Wedding Stationary, designed, crafted and created by the bride herself at her company Giftable Designs, Portsmouth, NH
• Wedding Coordination by yours truly, Diana Ma Weddings & Events, Hooksett, NH with assistance from Terri Steadman from Favors with Flair
• Hotel Room Gift Bags courtesy of Maine-Ly New Hampshire, Portsmouth, NH
  Calligraphy by Tucci Cursive, New York, NY
• Catering by Flavor Concepts, Dover, NH
• Signature drink machine provided by NH Margharita Man
• Floral Design from the fabulously fab The Flower Kiosk, Portsmouth, NH
• Wedding Cake by The Well Dressed Cake, Epping, NH
• Officiant, David Tomkinson, North Hampton, NH
• Photography by Rodeo and Co, Landaff, NH
• Hair and Make-up in Dover, NH by Jen Macek and Joya Beauty
• Bicycles borrowed from The Ale House Inn, Portsmouth, NH
• Ceremony at Strawbery Banke, Portsmouth, NH
• Reception venue at One Harbour Place, Portsmouth, NH
• Tents and star lantern installation provided by Sperry, Portsmouth, NH
• Rentals by Be Our Guest Party Rental and lounge furniture from AFR

I grew very attracted to the idea of the home facial with all natural ingredients for two reasons. One, I realized the high liklihood of irreversible damage to both my skin and health, daily usage of hydrocortisone was causing. I stupidly have been applying the steroid treatment to my face every day, both day and night for the last several years! Two, the amount of preservatives and chemicals added to the many face creams on the market today was what probably led to my eczema prone condition at the onset. Of course I HAD to try every new product and sample that was promoted in the Seventeen’s and YM’s of my youth.

So I whipped together the following skin regiment only to wake up with a fabulously radiant, smooth, glowing complexion. This is a must try on a rainy night in, Ladies! I’m not sure if this will work on all skin types – as I am hardly the esthetician – just vain and frightened of aging! But I can tell you, it was not at all irritating to my horribly sensitive, eczema prone skin. In fact, when applied, it felt great!

Materials
Burt’s Bees Orange Essence
Cera-Ve moisturizing cream – but stick with the nighttime moisturizer that works best for you!
Ester C vitamin tablet
Handful of brown sugar
Couple squirts from a lemon (divided)
Pot of boiling water
3 clean towels – one hand sized, 2 bath sized
One tablespoon each of: full fat Greek plain yogurt, fresh avocado, ground rolled oats
Raw honey
Two cucumber slices or warm tea bags (black or green tea is best)

Steps

1. Cleanse face with Burt’s Bees Orange Essence. Massage the cleanser onto the skin and tissue off eye make-up with the cleanser still on skin.  Rinse cleanser off with lukewarm water and use a clean hand towel to pat dry (remember to pat, don’t wipe!).
2. Have a small bowl of brown sugar beside you at the sink. You will need about 1 tbsp’s worth. Squeeze a bit of the quarter lemon into the sugar and mix slightly. Scoop the sugar onto your palms and massage into skin. Massage in a circular like fashion, being sure to target your forehead, around your nose and chin. The sugar and lemon juice are exfoliating dead skin cells off your face. Be sure to avoid your eyes while doing this.
3. Rinse off the sugar with ice cold water. I’ve read that using bottled water when cleansing or rinsing your face off is best, but I just used the cold water from my tap and it seemed adequate enough!
4. Pat your face dry with clean towel.
5. Prepare a pot of boiling water. As the water comes to a boil, make your mask. Mix one tablespoon of plain Greek yogurt with a tablespoon each of fresh avocado, ground rolled oats (I bought my oats from a bulk bin and ground a tablespoon amount in the blender) and a squirt of lemon juice in a small bowl.
6. As the water is still coming to a boil, crush an ester c vitamin tablet into a tablespoon of Cera-Ve moisturizer. Keep contained in a small (preferably new) dip-sized tupperware.
7. When the water boils, it’s time to steam your face to open up those pores! Fold one of your bath sized towels on a table (I used a coffee table), resting your pot on top. Position your head over the pot with a towel over your head to trap in the steam. You will want to stay like this for 20 minutes or so, so get comfy with pillows for both your back and bootie.
8. Once the 20 minutes of steaming are up, apply a thin layer of raw honey all over your face – avoiding your eyes.
9. Once honey is applied, apply your face mask over the honey.
10. Keep the mask on for another 20 minutes. You can opt to lay down and close your eyes with a cuke slice over each (tea bags also work great for treating the eyes). I chose not to eye-treat last night because I was multi-tasking the facial with the latest ep of American Idol.
11. After 20 minutes is up, wipe off your face with a tissue or clean towel. I did this step over my kitchen sink so as to not clog the bathroom drain.
12. Once the mask is wiped, rinse your face clean with more ice cold water. Pat dry with clean towel.
13. Apply vitamin c/Cera-Ve mixture to face, concentrating the amounts around the eyes.
14. Wake up the next morning to a more noticeably radiant complexion.

I have also listed a few benefits each ingredient provides the skin when applied topically, below. I find natures-health-foods.com to be extremely helpful when wanting to learn more about natural remedies and solutions for looking one’s best. Why shell out hundreds of dollars on the latest and greatest face creams when beauty secrets that have been passed on from one generation to the next so often involve ingredients you can find inexpensively at the grocery store?

• Plain yogurt – Read more about how yogurt can reduce pore size, improve overall skin texture, and give you a healthy glow on natures-health-foods.com.
• Raw honey – Read more about how the hydrating and antioxidant properties of honey traps and seals moisture, all the while rejuvenating and cleansing your complexion on natures-health-foods.com.
• Avocado – Read more about how rich in nutrient waxes avocados are. Nutrients include proteins and minerals as well as vitamins-A, D and E. The anti-inflammatory avocado is the perfect nutrition for dry and damaged skin, eczema, psoriasis and sunburn. This heavy fruit-oil penetrates deeply into the skin and is beneficial for wound healing. Read more about it on natures-health-foods.com.
• Ground oats – Read more about this natural remedy to acne on ehow.com.
• Vitamin C – Read more about how this potent vitamin can decrease sun damage and enhance collagen production if it’s in an effective, stable form on natures-health-foods.com.

You can also get more advice on my previous post, 6 Easy Steps to Great Skin.

If you are the experimental type, I hope you do give this little recipe a try. But please do not try any NEW skin/beauty programs within 1 month of the wedding day… you don’t want to find out of a new allergy or flukey reaction so close before the big event that things don’t heal in time!

And be sure to circle back to report how it worked!! Happy rain (or if you live in New England, SNOW) day, Everyone! XO

 It wasn’t very long ago, when I finally accepted that the daily habit of applying hydrocortisone ointment was causing me irreversible damage, despite temporary relief of topical inflammation. I was in love with the smooth, even texture the hydrocortisone consistently gave me, but now know these results come with a hefty price tag. After a simple Google search, this article scared me straight!

So, I resolved to find a way to cleanse and moisturize my skin that did not irritate my ridiculously sensitive face. I am prone to eczema and my skin gets easily inflammed and itchy, especially if I am not vigilant about self-care.

And I don’t claim to be an expert either. I just wanted to pass on my own personal insight. Writing and sharing about the subject also helps justify my excessive vanity as being beneficial!

Check out the six new habits I’ve adopted in maintaining a healthy complexion. The best part of all this…. these habits are all totally affordable and easy to do!

• I adore getting facials, but with the new addition of bootcamp to my monthly expenses, I simply can no longer afford to get them regularly. So what’s a girl to do? I’ve been giving myself once per week home facials, while saving for my next pro-treatment (which will be of the Dr. Hauscka variety from none other than the fab Julie Cooke, owner and master esthetician who conducted my back facial a few years back, at Lotions ‘n Potions). A simple Google search will direct you to the 5 basic steps for a home facial. About.com provided me with steps I’ve adopted. Basically, you will want to:
  • Organize your materials (products and wash cloth)
  • Remove your make-up 
  • Cleanse
  • Exfoliate 
  • Open your pores (I prefer to steam my face). To do this, boil a pot of water and sit over it with a towel over your head for 20 minutes. This will allow your skin to be more receptive to the products you are about to massage into it.
  • Apply mask and treat eyes with 2 cucumber slices for 15-20 minutes
  • Rinse or wipe off the mask with the wash cloth
  • Splash cold water on your face
  • Moisturize
• Hydration is key. Down at least eight 8 oz glasses of water a day. If you add ice and a half squeezed lemon, it will also detox and purify your liver. Limit your caffeine to 2 cups of coffee per day and supplement with hot green or black teas.
• Stay away from salt and alcohol at least 3 days before an event where you will be photographed or expected to look amazing.
• But life is short so go ahead and party/indulge every once in a while! Try to alternate 1 iced water in between drinks. Before bed, committ to downing 2 large glasses of water before you sleep. Do remember to wash the make-up off, though! And be heavy handed in your night cream application before your head finally hits that pillow. 
• Research and try out some home facial mask remedies instead of dipping into your pocket for the latest and greatest cream and treatment. I stumbled across The Beauty Cookbook at a used bookstore a few weeks ago and fell in love with the recipes! For instance, according to this book, you can create your own potent wrinkle cream by crushing a vitamin C tablet into a small amount of your favorite moisturizer. I haven’t tried this yet, but will as soon as I get home tonight.
• Always remember to get plenty of sleep, adopt healthy eating habits and excercise regularly! Excercise increases circulation, therefore nutrients to the face. Also, remember to actually be the person you’d want to date or befriend. Have you ever met a content, positive, happy, even-tempered person that was not also radiantly gorgeous? Didn’t think so.

Best of luck and happy grooming, everyone! XO

I thought it would be helpful to keep a running tally of such pearls of wisdom and inspiration found from all over the internet. Please feel free to take a gander below and be sure to check back in every now and then! I intend to keep this list updated. For up-to-the minute findings, don’t forget to like Diana Ma Weddings and Events on Facebook!

On Keeping Your Sanity Throughout the Wedding Planning from Real Brides and Industry Experts

• 6 Valuable Lessons from an Encore Bride: Off Beat Bride
• Keeping a Zen Approach to Wedding Planning: Etsy
• Beating OCD from a Real Bride: Bridal Guide – Wedding Obsession
• Perspective from an Industry Expert: Susan Schneider, Editor of Bridal Guide and Author of the Wedding Writer from Boston.com

On Why Wedding Services Cost as Much as They Do

• Photography Pricing: Kristen Booth Photography
• How Cakes are Quoted: Stacey’s Sweet Shop

On Free Not Being Synonymous with Best

• Non-professional wedding photography that will scare you straight!

On Fun and Clever Ideas

• Save-the-Dates from Bridal Guide
• Appetizers from Preston Bailey’s Blog
• Shot of a Bride and her Bridesmaids modeled after the Movie, Bridesmaids captured by the gorgeous wedding photographer, Leah Haydock. In this case, the shot was used as a Save-the-Date!

On Helpful Hints

• Wedding Invitations, Stationery and Wedding Web Sites
  • Sarah Parrott of Parrott Design Studio gives great tips on how to achieve affordable letterpress on Prepare to Wed.
  • Gus and Ruby Letterpress also offers amazing advice on wedding web sites, like what to include, examples of affordable sites to check out and how having one will cut down on extranneous printed pieces in your invitation suite.
• On getting gorgeous from the inside out (including home made face masks and key nutrients that will make you healthy and beautiful)
  •  Natures Super Foods
  • The Beauty Cookbook
  • Delighted Momma Blog

On Doing the Right Thing… Listening to Your Gut, No Matter How Uncomfortable the Situation May Be

• I’ve toyed with the idea of writing a post about not being afraid of your authentic self – to trust your intuition when you think you might be marrying someone who is completely wrong for you. The truth is, I found amazing posts that really hit the nail on the head for calling off a wedding from both the groom and bride perspectives! Remember ladies – despite who breaks it off with whom, return all your gifts, the ring and commit to paying back the cost that was sunk to family members who were financially responsible!
  • Groom’s perspective is by Michael Arnot – Founder of GroomGroove.com.
  • Bride’s perspective is by Vanessa Raymond on HowtoDoThings.com.

It made me think about this woman, someone blatantly bestowed with incredible blessings – an angelic voice, beauty, success, money – how she could still feel such a well of hollowness. So much so, that she believed her only comfort could be found in the addictions that ultimately claimed her life.

The truth is, each and every one of us are blessed. We’ve all been showered with God-given talent and gifts. It’s just that for some, like in Whitney’s case, the gifts are obvious. For others, it takes a bit of soul-searching and self discovery. But by and large, something special and unique is within us all.

As humans, we have all experienced void and emptiness to some degree or another. It takes strength and an openness to truth to realize how utterly false this emptiness is. Connectedness and love is available to everyone. Prayer and reflection does wonders in getting yourself out of the gutter. And you don’t necessarily need to hit rock bottom to realize this either.

I’m no expert on addiction. But I truly believe that in all its forms – from drugs to pills to alcohol to spending to eating to sex to unhealthy relationships to gossip to work to physical appearance to people pleasing to obssessing – stems from this void. The sad thing is, we are wasting our energy and placing misguided importance on a state of being that does not really exist.

I realize that these thoughts have very little to do with wedding planning. But know that a happy marriage and a happy life boils down to grattitude and counting your blessings. Be grateful for the point in your life you are in – to have found your soulmate, to be embarking on a brand new life stage, to be able to celebrate your [healthy.. I hope!] love before all of your friends and family.

I will continue to pray for Whitney and her daughter. I will also vow rise above false feelings of emptiness that is sure to come up in my day-to-day. I hope that you will join me and do the same.

Late last summer, I was involved in a color-focused photo shoot at Rivermill at Dover Landing in Dover, NH. Rivermill is a really cool, urban space with high ceilings, exposed brick walls and comes complete with fabulous river views.

Seacoast Weddings collaborated with Kate Parker to organize seven teams consisting of photographers, cake/dessert designers, florists, wedding planners, stationery specialists and dress/gown boutiques.

Ours was team white, which consisted of:

• Christine and Peter Martin of Elizabeth Bradford Photography
• Jeanne Kalman of The Well Dressed Cake
• Brad Harrington of Harrington Flowers
• Cara Linehan Esch of Dear Rose Studio
• AJ Silva of Bravo
• Me

Our model was Kaetlin Parent – a breathtaking woman – inside and out. Kaet was Miss Maine USA in 2008 and our muse for the shoot. She also happens to be funny, sweet, smart as a whip and a salt of the earth person through and through. Thanks so much for your time and participation, Kaet!

Pick up your copy of Seacoast Weddings today! It is the 2012 issue on newsstands NOW. Grab a copy and see the fruits of each of the seven team’s labor and be inspired to infuse color into your special day.

Team white is located on page 95, the first page of the feature. I’ve scanned the page here.

The ad for Diana Ma Weddings and Events is located on page 36 and displays more images from our shoot.

We decided to interpret white as sexy, sophisticated, elegant and modern. I wanted to go opposite of ‘cute’. I imagined that the couple who’d want our interpretation of all-white as very glamorous, but with a bit of an edge- think George Clooney, Gisele Bundchen, Angelina Jolie, Sofia Vergara, Christian from Nip/Tuck and P-Diddy. Gee, it’s hard to tell that I’m totally addicted to celebrity tabloids, huh?

Here are more incredible images from the shoot. The tables, linens and chairs were provided by Be Our Guest in Boston, MA. Spectacular hair by Lena Hartford of Hair that Moves in Berwick, ME and make-up by Kathy McDonald of Beliza Spa.

The following photographs are all courtesy of the fabulous Elizabeth Bradford Photography.

The Table, Centerpiece and Gorgeous Calligraphy

I was honored that Cara Linehan Esch of Dear Rose Studio wanted to be a part of this shoot. Her work is spectacular as seen in these hand-calligraphed menu cards. For something a bit more artisan and unexpected, consider getting your own escort cards, table numbers and menus hand calligraphed. In Cara’s words, the process she uses to create calligraphed menus is similar to a process commonly used in the White House:

The way I do menus is I do one then scan it into a electronic graphic file, and format and print from there. So I can do 10 or 20 and it would be the same amount of work. It still is hand lettering – some people get nervous when I say I use a computer for this – but I actually use the same process to do this that the White House uses for their menus, programs, invitations, so I promise it still is hand done – it’s just electronically duplicated!

They say you learn something new everyday… how neat of a trick is that? And the same process as what’s used at the White House? Why didn’t I think of this for my own wedding?

I thought Christine and Peter were ingenious to trick the lighting to display how the table would look as the day gave way to evening. I wanted to show a side-by-side comparison. Isn’t it incredible what candlelight can do to enhance table top decor? It’s pretty dramatic. LOVE IT!

Brad Harrington was the force behind the flowers. Brad is highly creative, skilled and just incredible at what he does. Check out his own technical description how the centerpiece was put together:

The flowers in the design were New Zealand Cymbidium Orchids ,White Phalaenopsis Orchids and Steel Grass. This style of design is called sheltering. I designed using the flowers in rows (lines) I wanted there to be strong lines to draw attention to the low centerpiece.The steel grass was used to reinforce this. The satellite pieces were done as an accessory to enhance the square glass design dish that we used and give it more drama.

Whoa… I am so thankful to be able to leave floral arranging to the experts as this totally went over my head! I think I’ll just stick to planning, thank you.

The Cake

Can you tell which are the real Phalaenopsis Orchids vs. sugar? I was there and it was hard for me to tell! Jeanne Kalman at The Well Dressed Cake is a sugar artist PHENOM. On top of it all, her cakes taste HEAVENLY! If you appreciate and love the skill involved in carved cakes and desserts, I highly recommend her. To say Jeanne is ridiculously talented feels like the biggest understatement of all time. She’s just brilliant. Be sure to check out her design sketch in my earlier post about the shoot.

The Bride, Gown and Bouquet

This is a snapshot of Kaet as she reapplied gloss during a break from the shoot and totally encapsulates the aesthetic and style of Elizabeth Bradford Photography: sexy, glamorous, cool, beautiful with a bit of edge. I was floored when I saw this preview image!

AJ, one of my dearest friends and industry mentor owns BRAVO, a unique womenswear and accessories boutique located on 97 North Main Street in Concord, NH, provided the dress and jewels. He didn’t just provide – he designed and created this spectacular dream of a dress in less than 24 hours! Everything you could want and more in a wedding gown – sexy, gorgeous, full, lightweight, fun, flattering. An artist with incredible intuition and keen understanding of a woman’s body, AJ makes everyone he comes in contact their most beautiful.

Our relationship came to be when I approached him to create my wedding reception dress and eventually, my ceremony gown. He is one of a kind and a dear, dear person. Please, if you are ever in the Concord, NH area, I highly recommend that you visit…. your self-esteem will thank you!

I still can’t get over these luscious cascading white Phalaenopsis Orchids. Elegant and chic to the max! Brad Harrington is amazing, folks.

A special heartfelt thank you goes to each and every one of our vendor participants. You all embraced the concept and vision flawlessly- nailing it with stunning, sexy, sophisticated and contemporary work. I love you all and cannot thank you enough for your time, effort and monetary investment. I am humbled and honored that you chose to spend the day and those many hours of creating for this shoot.

Bottom-line – no matter how big or small my wedding crises were, everything worked out. Issues that naturally arise in weddings, or anything else, always find a way of working themselves out. Remember that, brides and grooms! Laugh at the problem(s)… as huge as they may appear now – they’ll be mostly forgotten as time goes by.

Relax, enjoy and be confident. Be happy. Life is short. You don’t want to spend too much time wallowing in everything you did not do, couldn’t afford or simply did not speak up about.

Reflecting on the day, my relationship with my husband and how I’ve grown, there isn’t a single thing that I regret about the wedding. I am happy and lucky because I chose to marry my best friend. We’ve designed our lives to be about freedom and laughter and joy. A single day has yet to pass, where we haven’t been doubled-over in tears from laughing so hard at least once.

More importantly, we made a commitment to be each other’s mirror. In this way, we are always providing much needed input that helps us mature, learn and evolve. Marriage is certainly not for everyone. And I don’t necessarily think you need it to achieve fullness in your life.  But for those blessed enough to find and marry their soul-mate, realize the marriage will only strengthen your own personal journey.

Try not to take yourself too seriously! Life can be fun if you choose the drama-free path.

I wish each and every one of you a lifetime of happiness. Remember that despite the particulars of how the wedding day goes down, you will look back on it with fondness. Even if everything veers away from plan.  Be grateful that you’ve got a fun story to pass along to your children and grandchildren.

From the bottom of my heart, I want to congratulate you on this huge milestone. I hope it’s a blast and that you and your husband- or wife-to-be laugh until your stomaches ache everyday! XO

My favorite photos from our wedding are the goofy ones. It’s just who we are. No one is giving a second thought about details. We’re all happily in the moment.

Photos courtesy of Elizabeth Bradford Photography.

Wow…. I took being in the moment to a whole other level here.

All photos featured were from 3 past weddings I’ve done, one of which was my own. Feel free to get in depth about Lisa and Brian (Maine Seacoast Wedding) and Jaime and Bryan (Northern NH Wedding) too.

The story ran on Sunday, January 15, 2012 and was featured as the cover story for the Union Leader bridal section. It’s been scanned and inserted below. Check it out for yourself!

Many thanks to Melanie Plenda for the wonderful opportunity!

And deep, heartfelt appreciation goes out to the fabulous photographers who’ve captured all three weddings: Deb Zoe Photography, Rodeo and Co Photography, Elizabeth Bradford Photography.  You are all rock stars! XO

Lisa and I went to high school together at The Academy of Notre Dame (wooo-hooo, Lancers in the house!). So it was a pleasant surprise when she reached out to me for wedding planning.

Please enjoy the following photos from their July 23, 2011 wedding from the insanely talented, Deborah Zoe Photography. I can go on and on for days about how sweet, funny, down-to-earth and easy to work with Deb is. I’ll save that for another time! For now, enjoy a snippet from Lisa and Brian’s day and how she captured their love and essence.

As gorgeous as they are on the outside, Lisa and Brian are just as beautiful on the inside. As a service provider, I pray for clients like these. I miss working with Lisa and Brian so much! But I am thrilled about ALL of my current clients too.

How cute is Brian’s lobster claw boutonniere? Brian’s best man as well as the fathers of the bride and groom had a mussel shells as their boutonnieres. The couple came up with the ingenious idea and Betsy at Flower Kiosk executed!

Gorgeous flowers were done by the fabulous Flower Kiosk in Portsmouth, NH.

Lisa’s earrings and bracelet are from the Middleton and Livingston Collections at Adorn. Check them out, if you get the chance! We are also pleased to offer an exclusive 10% off coupon too.

It kills me to see people you love, in love. They’re so beautiful!

Beautiful, Maine-themed invitations and wedding day stationery to go with Lisa and Brian’s Maine wedding. Letterpressed and fabulous work courtesy of Gus and Ruby.

Adorable lobster lollipops that served double duty – wedding favors and escort cards! They were inserted inside a foam core that fit snuggly inside a shallow wooden box. The bottom was lined with dark pebbles to hide the foam core. Lollipops were courtesy of Plimoth Lollipop Company. Calligraphy was provided by Ashley Osgood.

Jessica Parrott from Nothing Bakes Like a Parrott, provided all of the day’s desserts and sweet treats, complete with takeaway boxes that made it easy for guests to wrap up as to-go snacks. Check out the Red Sox jersey sugar cookies! As you can see, Deb got creative with the ring shot here too. One particular favor paid homage to Lisa’s summer job as a teen at Congdon’s Donuts in Wells, Maine… the donuts themselves. They’ve been voted Maine’s best for a reason and guests were more than appreciative of the sentiment!

Lovely shot of their signature cocktail… the very chic and urban Manhattan, which the couple dubbed the “Saturday Night Special”! Don Draper, watch out!

There is actually a very personal story behind the SNS. In Lisa’s own words:

The name of our signature cocktail was “Saturday Night Special” and the actual drink was a Manhattan.  We decided to feature the Manhattan as our signature cocktail to celebrate the life of my grandmother and our first date.  The Manhattan was my grandmother’s (Louise Bowles) choice cocktail. She always had a Manhattan once a week on Saturday nights and she called it her “Saturday Night Special”.  My grandmother played a big role in my life and shaped me into the person I am today – I wanted to find a way to make her a part of our special day.  When Brian & I went on our first date, he ordered a Manhattan.  It turns out that the Manhattan is also Brian’s favorite cocktail.  It was from that very moment that I knew he was going to the be the one!  I felt like it was a special sign from my grandmother to let me know that I finally found the one.  Gus and Ruby created our signature cocktail sign and they had the NYC skyline in the background with bold lettering “Saturday Night Special” and the ingredients of the Manhattan.  Towards the bottom of the sign we had the “Two Shots To One” and below it, it said In Memory of Lousie Bowles and Lisa & Brian’s First Date.  My grandmother would try to give us instructions on how to make the best Manhattan and she would often use the phrase “Two Shots To One” so my family and cousins often joke and laugh when we hear that phrase. 

How clever is this? In lieu of a guest book, Lisa thought of having guests fill out messages to be placed in 2 bottles – both styled after their Maine-inspired wedding of course! One bottle was designated for messages meant to be read on their wedding night (or very soon after!). The second bottle was designated for messages to be read in 5 years. Cute, huh?

York Harbor Reading Room is a stunning private club that is ideal for weddings. The last photo in this series illustrates the view that guests can enjoy from the boardwalk leading up to the club. It’s just spectacular!

A huge congratulations to the beautiful Lisa and Brian or “Brisa” as their friends like to call them. “Brisa” was what guests were chanting at the eleventh hour of their wedding too. It truly was a magical day and night!

And that’s not all! Check out more beautiful photos from their wedding day on Deb Zoe’s blog (see part 1 and part 2).

Here are the fabulous vendors that were used for the day:

• Complete Wedding Stationery (Invites, Save-the-dates, Table Numbers, Wedding Signage, etc.) – Gus and Ruby Letterpress, Portsmouth, NH
• Bakery- Wedding Cake, Dessert Display and Treats, Nothing Bakes Like A Parrot, Portland, ME
• Escort Card Display, Lobster Lollipops- Plimoth Lollipop Company, Westford, MA
• Ceremony and Reception Venue- York Harbor Reading Room, York Harbor, ME
• Wedding Favors- Takeaway Donuts from Congdon’s Donuts, Wells, ME
• Antique Car Transportation – Kennebunkporter, Kennebunport, ME
• Wedding Planning- Diana Ma Weddings & Events, Hooksett, NH
• Calligraphy (Escort Cards)- Ashley Osgood, Boston, MA
• Floral Design-  The Flower Kiosk, Portsmouth, NH
• Make-Up- Joanne of Joya Beauty, Dover, NH
• Hair- Lena of Hair That Moves, Berwick, ME
• Suits- Tommy Hilfiger, Vineyard Vines
• Music- Live Radio, Boston, MA
• Dress- Amsale
• Jewels- Adorn

Photographs courtesy of the fabulous Rodeo and Co Photography.

Katharine and Heath are the lucky winners of our 500 Facebook fan contest for free wedding planning coordination! [See contest details for reference.]

Adventurous, fun, capricious and sweet…. we’re elated to have randomly selected such an exuberant couple and could not be more excited about their May 26th, 2012 nuptials at  Mills Falls at Church Landing in gorgeous Meredith, NH!!!

Just look at how gorgeous these two are! Have I mentioned enough how much I love my job?

Much thanks to the radiant and gifted Meg Hamilton for the fab engagement session.

Image on the right courtesy of Elizabeth Bradford Photography.

By now, it should be easy to surmise how much I love Adorn. Every woman is entitled to a little bling – even if it’s just for a once in a blue moon occassion like GETTING MARRIED! Read up on my personal experience with them here.

I am thrilled announce an offer of 10% off to brides or special occasion mavens looking to add tons of sparkle to their ensemble. Right now, Adorn is offering my readers an exclusive 10% off your next order!

Simply enter DianaMa during check-out and watch for a 10% cost savings from the ENTIRE order. How cool is that?!

And don’t forget to circle back and tell me how your experience with them went! Adorn is a first-class company and fabulous group of people. Nadine, your product and service is truly second to none. Thank you for making me feel glamorous. I love you guys.

XO

Diana

As promised in my earlier post on the topic “Engaged and On a Tight Budget“, I randomly selected one lucky 2012 bride from a drawing.  And I’m stoked to report the winner…. Katharine and Heath, who are to marry on May 26, 2012,  Mills Falls at Church Landing. Katharine was over-the-moon and I could not be more touched. Stay tuned, as I will be posting engagement photos of the two of them so you can all have gander at their sweet love (not to mention treat you with the visual eye-candy Rodeo and Co. churns out with every one of their photographs)!

After quickly touching base via phone, I felt a huge sense of gratitude for being in a position to lighten the heavy load brides and grooms are faced with. A modest budget among these tight economic times is the norm. I am thrilled to be able to give back and relieve stress while the happy couple soaks in the day by getting pampered, visiting with loved ones and enjoying every exhilarating moment as newly married.

Thank you so much, from the bottom of my heart, to everyone that threw their name in the hat! I so appreciate your participation and hope to provide you with valuable insight, inspiration and advice from now until your wedding day. XO

With love,

Diana

Seven teams were instructed to design at least one table scape, one dessert table and have a bride model gowns and accessories focused around one single color. Our team color was white and let me tell you, I was humbled and honored to share the task with such fabulously gifted teammates and fellow vendors. Team white was Christine and Peter Martin of Elizabeth Bradford Photography, Jeanne Kalman of The Well Dressed Cake, Brad Harrington of Harrington Flowers, Cara Linehan Esch of Dear Rose Studio, one of my best friends and industry mentor, AJ Silva of Bravo and me.

Just to give you a flavor of the photos to come, I wanted to share a glimpse (aka non-professional snap shot) of the cake that was created (design, then completed product)…. yes those are orchids, and no they are not real flowers…. they’re delicate sugar flowers, baby! Check out the intricate detail and gorgeously clean lines. Jeanne’s work leaves me awestruck every time.

The Well Dressed Cake also happened to have supplied the cakes at my wedding. You can see more of her sugar flower artistry here.

Stay tuned for more details and images to come from this spectacular day. We’re going to hit you up with the table layout and decor, the gorgeous calligraphy menus, the stunning flowers, and of course…. the most fabulous and frothy wedding gown I have ever set eyes on. You want to talk about a “wow” factor… wait until you see this dress!

I have so much respect and love for every single person across all teams that participated. Creative minds, pushing themselves at what they do best…. it just does not get any better! Experiences like these make you just so grateful and in love with life. Thank you so much to the organizers and participants from the bottom of my heart! XO

You can find an example of a general wedding day timeline here.

How I arrive at each client’s wedding day timeline is by first channeling their event and working through every hour of the day. In most cases, I throw in things that need to be accomplished earlier in the week as well: tent set-up/breakdown days, rental drop-off/pick-up days, rehearsal, rehearsal dinner start times and covering every person (wedding party and parents) that will be introduced right before dinner, all family and friends that need to be pulled aside for formal photographs during cocktail hour, all announcements by the band/DJ that need to be made… to name a few.

To keep things simple, below is a sample timline and thought process for a typical wedding day, assuming a 5 PM ceremony start time and an 11 PM reception end time.

• 9:00 AM Planners arrive on-site to set-up escort card table, place bathroom signs, place candles and linens on all tables {Ideally, furniture placement and any hanging decor would have been complete the day before}
• 11:15 AM Bridesmaids and mothers meet bride for hair and make-up
• 11:30 AM Make-up and hair appointments begin {I like to calculate 1 hour of hair and 1 hour of make-up for the bride. 45 minutes of hair and 30 minutes of make-up for everyone else}
• 1:30 PM Florists arrive to reception site to place centerpieces for reception tables and cocktail hour tables {plus any additional arrangment that may have been requested: cake table, escort card table, bars, bathrooms}
• 2:00 PM Catering staff arrives at reception site to prep for cocktail hour (passed and stationary hors d’oeurvres), bars, and dinner
• 2:00 PM Planners change into dressier attire
• 2:00 PM Photographers arrive for getting ready shots {depending on your preference, the photographers may split up to capture both sets of getting ready photos}
• 2:30 PM Bride hair and makeup begins
• 2:30 PM Florist arrives at Church to set up floral décor
• 2:45 PM Planner checks in on bride while getting ready occurs {assistant stays at reception site to field vendor questions while head planner floats}
• 3:00 PM Band/DJ arrives for load-in and set-up
• 3:15 PM Florist leaves boutonnieres with the planner, then departs
• 3:15 PM  Planner arrives at Church to set up welcome/lemonade stations
• 3:30 PM Florist drops off wedding party personal bouquets at bride’s getting ready location
• 4:00 PM Hair and make-up completes; bridal party pictures begin
• 4:10 PM Shuttle begins pick-up of hotel guests
• 4:20 PM Ceremony musician arrives to set-up prelude music as guests arrive
• 4:30 PM Cake is dropped off at reception {kept chilled with catering staff if possible}
• 4:40 PM Bridal party departs for Church
• 4:40 PM Shuttle drops-off hotel guests
• 4:40 PM Officiant arrives at Church; first guests begin to arrive; prelude music begins
• 4:40 PM Boutonniere placements occur as groom and groomsmen arrive
• 4:56 PM   Officiant and groom, and groomsmen arrive at altar
• 4:57 PM Bridesmaids and bride are lined up for processional
• 5:00 PM Processional begins
• 5:30 PM Ceremony ends; officiant and ceremony musician depart; exit to reception {remember to arrange for your marriage license and self-addressed envelope… the officiant usually asks for these items at the end of rehearsal}
• 5:30 PM Shuttle service begins for hotel guests to reception
• 5:30 PM Family photos followed by bridal party photos begin at Church
• 6:00 PM Cocktail hour begins at the reception site; band/DJ play background music
• 6:05 PM Shuttle departs
• 7:15 PM Guests are asked to find their seats at reception area
• 7:20 PM Wedding party introductions begin
• 7:25 PM First dance begins
• 7:30 PM Toasts begin {if you have special toasting glasses, please give them to your planner at rehearsal}
• 7:50 PM Dinner service begins with dinner music playing in the background
• 8:50 PM Father/daughter dance; mother/son dance
• 9:00 PM Cake is cut {will you have a special cake knife set? Don’t forget to give it to your planner at rehearsal}
• 9:05 PM Dancing begins
• 10:00 PM Bouquet toss {a tradition that is becoming less of a must-do}
• 11:00 PM Reception ends; band/DJ breakdown
• 11:05 PM Shuttle returns to pick-up hotel guests

It is good to consider these items when planning around things that may take up a lot of time: lots of family portraits and speeches that may run long or even surprise toasts. Keep in mind that the longer dinner is held off, the less time you have to dance. Remember to pay attention when you are venue shopping as a lot of places have a hard stop time and will charge a per hour overage if the party does not end as their rules state. Doing one of these schedules is a great reality check for folks as they prioritize “must-dos” for their wedding… for instance, will there realistically be enough time for a fireworks display?

This schedule also calls to the forefront how quickly the day passes. Keeping this in perspective will help reign in out of control spending.

Writing out this list has also made me realize how critical it is to hire an amazing photography team for your big day. They will capture all the tiny, carefully planned out details you will inevitably miss from visiting with guests and loved ones. Speaking of which, you should also build in 30 minutes before the ceremony start time so that reception details are captured… before jackets are left on chairs, escort card displays are disturbed and beer bottles are left on tables.

Regardless, always remember to have fun, let go of things you cannot control and enjoy every minute of getting married…. it’s a celebration!! XO

What a dream come true! The September/October issue of Bridal Guide – on newsstands NOW (flip to page 268!)- featured our very own Jaime and Bryan in their latest issue!! What an incredible 4th of July it was. All amazingly stunning photographs courtesy of Rodeo and Co. Photography, of course!

Here is just a tiny sample from their gorgeous day!

This is a ‘101′ lesson in how a kids’ table should look like, folks! Jaime went all out when prepping for her children’s entertainment: sippie cups, paddle ball and chalk boards among the tiniest few of the details! AND the kids’ seating was done up with padded hay bales thought up by ingenious and fabulously stylish bride, herself… who would not want to sit on a cushioned hay bale… child or not?

In honor of 4th of July and the bride’s favorite holiday (not to mention the groom’s and his brother’s and sister’s shared birthdays… no one is a twin or triplet, BTW!), red, white and fun, young, vibrant turquoise were all part of the festivities.

The wedding was held at The Rocks Estate in Bethlehem, NH. Rock candy was a natural and perfect choice for favors!

Jaime thought of the ingenious love notes, that were suspended from twine on clothes pins. In lieu of a guest book, guests wrote out their best wishes for the couple and hung them up for display.

Emily Herzig Floral Studio, right down the street, provided ALL floral! Is there anything Em cannot do? SHE IS THE BOMB!!!

Jaime, the bride, helped everyone else before caring for herself. Selfless, beautiful,amazing…. is all I have to say.

Gerber daisy plants as take home gifts….. who WOULD NOT WANT THESE?!

The cutest flowergirl EVER! Instead of a floral arrangement, Jaime thought she’d enjoy a ginormous lollipop. Her instinct is spot on. How much fun can a small child have? LOTS… and it showed!

The bride being escorted down the aisle by her eldest son to Queen’s “Somebody to Love.”

Cute stems!

Other vendors for the day included:

• Cake/cupcakes, Rehearsal Dinner – Miller’s Fare and Bakery, Littleton, NH
• Wardrobe and Dress Pressing/Steaming – Sew Much More, Littleton, NH
• Rentals and Linens- Abbott Rental and Party Store, Littleton, NH
• Wedding Planning – Diana Ma Weddings & Events, Hooksett, NH
• Hair and Make-up – Fresh Salon and Day Spa, Littleton, NH
• Justice of the Peace – Bill Melekas in Franconia, NH
• Wedding Day Caterer – Chef Joe, Sugar Hill, NH

Congratulations, Jaime and Bryan! I am still honored to have been a part of your stunningly flawless day. I wish you nothing but the best and tons of prosperity! XOXOXO