Wednesday, July 14th, 2010

Well, I guess that all of the puzzle pieces have come together. Another member has joined our team!! It is almost like writing an event. Each puzzle piece of the event is individually selected for the way that it will fit in with the pieces around it. Linens are selected to set a tone in the picture. Florals accent the linens...lighting and drape accents the venue. Most people put a puzzle together starting with the edges. Me...well, that seems too easy. I have always put puzzles together starting with the largest elements. In an event it would be draping, lighting, staging...then I would move on to the smaller elements of the puzzle......linens, florals, furniture. So...another puzzle piece has been added to the big WHE puzzle. I guess that the corners are coming together. Now, for the crazy middle part of the puzzle!! Lord ONLY knows what that looks like!! Hopefully there is a glass of wine somewhere in there!

Tuesday, July 6th, 2010

Today I had the pleasure of working on a bridal ceremony site, and it donned on me how important that 30 seconds is...her walking down the aisle. It is the first time that the groom is seeing the love of his life as his wife. It is the last time that her father is her "protector." It is the first time that she is seeing her groom as her husband. It is in those 30 seconds that all eyes are on her (let's be honest...the poor groom takes a backseat at that particular moment). Every bride that I help day of, I have to keep reminding her to WALK SLOWLY. So many brides get so excited that they nearly bolt down the aisle. Walk slowly...strut your stuff. For you, for your father (or other honored person to walk with you)...even for your groom. Remind him all over again why he fell in love with you.

Sunday, July 4th, 2010

I know that it has been quite a while since my last post...my apologies in advance for that! It has been a CRAZY few days getting offices ready, attending crazy meetings, taking care of an amazing bride.......however, from this day forward I will let each of you into my daily thoughts...no longer the voice behind the curtain!

That being said, today is July 4th. I don't ever recall the fourth of July being a four-day holiday; however, this is apparently the case this year! And, it is today, that the party-planner in everyone comes out. Red, white, and blue paper plates - any other day would be considered "cheesy" - today, is a staple of every backyard bar-b-que. The "Bobby Flay" in every man rises to the surface. I just walked outside (mind you, it is still over 100 degrees here in Phoenix) to the smells of bar-b-que ribs, burgers...you name it coming from the neighborhood. Today is truly a day to spend time with friends and family - throwing the party of the summer! Just please do me this favor...when you live in a state that is as hot as he!!, let's keep the LIVE flames to a minimum, okay?!?!?

Saturday, June......something, 2010

So, today the new office started to come together. Got the email and Blackberry "in sync." The desk is put together and printer hooked up. Now, this is going to sound crazy, but at the age of 31, shopping for office supplies never gets boring. For some crazy reason there is something exciting about buying new pens, brightly-colored post-it notes, and file folders. Why is that?? Is it because the thought of being all organized is quite rewarding??? I am not sure, but of course, when I bought the stapler "Office Space" came to mind! I felt the need to build a basement (and, of course, paint it red).

So, for the next few days, "real-life" is taking over the creative side of me. The new office should be fnished tomorrow. Then, well, let's roll!

Friday, June 25th, 2010

Ahhh.....where to begin!! Moving offices is one of the craziest things in the world to do. New blackberry...check. Setting up new email server (who knew that a Principal Designer and Managing Partner / short blonde girl could do that), but.......check. Moving furniture and getting organized......well...........sort of. We have set a goal to be RACING through the world by the end of next week. Do-able? Well, for those of you that know me, CLEARLY do-able. For those that don't........

Hi. I am the Principal Designer and Managing Partner of a company that I was proud to build. I do my best designing working out and drinking wine (no, not at the same time). I tend to push the limits, but play by the rules (Fire Marshall's rules, that is). I can look at a 33,000-square-foot ballroom and mentally fill it in five minutes. I guess in one word I'm.......humble.

Wednesday, June 16th, 2010

Our design team has started putting together one of the larger events we have ever done and, in the "dreaming" aspect, the size of our venue HAS to be taken into consideration. Ironically, I can dream a BIG dream, but if I can't make it happen, what good does it do me?? Unfortunately for all of us, there are rules and regulations to event planning. Fire marshall, safety measures that have to be in place...boring (and oftentimes not pretty) stuff. But, all do respect, if I do my job right, I should be able to "shrink" my dream down into a size that will fit the venue it is going into.

In like most things...........um............size matters!

Sunday, June 13th, 2010

The past few days I have been contemplating what aspects make up a truly "special" event, and each event I recall had incredible lighting. Just like draping, lighting will transform the environment of an event into something extraordinary. Now, don't get me wrong...I am not talking about bright white, Stadium-like lighting (let's face it...NO ONE looks good in that lighting). I am talking about golds, ambers, no color pinks...beautiful colored-lights. Uplights will mask the most bland airwall and turn it into something with pizzazz. Moving gobos will not only given people something to watch...it will also give the drunk ones something to focus on!! Either way, don't think that linens and florals alone will get the job done. If the lights aren't on, who will see them? And the worst part of it all, not even the best digital cameras will do lighting justice. Until "they" make one, this random thought will have to go without a picture!!