Spring Cleaning Planning Sale

Here we go!  Time for some Spring Cleaning.  This year I am dedicated to bringing up a TON of new things for my beloved brides.  We have so many amazing things in the works I can’t wait to share them with you.

 

But, I have to make room for all of the NEW by getting rid of some of the OLD.  Therefore….drum roll please….

 

Introducing the First Ever Spring Cleaning Planning Sale.  Taking our own planning programs and some specially created consulting just for the sale, we have given you the opportunity to plan with us no matter your budget or your style.   Here is just a glimpse at what we are talking about:

 

Full Planning is normally $7500…………………………..now yours for $3750

Partial Planning is normally $4500………………………now yours for $2250

Day of Coordination is normally $1500…………………..now yours for $750

 

and there is more!

 

After this sale we will be blowing up our website and changing our programs to go with our new beginnings.  That being said, I wanted to give you the chance to grab one of our beloved programs before they are changed FOREVER!

 

But hurry, the Sale ends May 16 at midnight. Click here to see the programs and consulting opportunities in detail.

 

I also advise you not to wait because there are only so many spots available for each of these programs. Email us right away to see if your date is available.

 

We are simpifying and starting new over here and we can help you do that with your planning.  Bringing in a passionate professional will shake up your wedding planning for the better!  Let us help you polish your wedding to make it truly shine (now that sounds like more fun than polishing silver).

 

So give us a call at 818.419.8494 or email us at info@theweddingleague.com so we can start polishing together.

I Got a FEVER!

I got a FEVER!  No I don’t need more cow bell or even a Tylenol.  I have Spring Fever and the only way to cure that is by doing a little Spring Cleaning.

I have to admit, I don’t always enjoy Spring Cleaning.  Last year Kurt and I tore up the entire house to clean all the nooks and cranies.  Not my idea of a good time.  This year Spring completely snuck up on me.  I didn’t see it coming!  No cleaning, no organizing, not even spring dress shopping was planned.

It actually hit me that spring was upon us when I was reading about the Royal Wedding.  Kate and William decided to get married in spring and the wedding was just days away.  When they first made the announcement it felt like forever before it would take place.

Kate and William chose spring for a reason and I think that suites them just fine.  It is the perfect time of year to start their lives together because with spring comes new beginnings.  Talk about a new beginning for Kate!  One day a Miss and the next a Princess!  As I sat there daydreaming about Kate and what her spring wedding dress would look like, my mind started to wander even further into the realms of the blossoming season.

My birthday is in Spring.  Kurt and I want to be married next Spring.  Wedding season starts in the Spring.  So much happens!  And I always thought I was more of a Fall kind of gal.  Go figure.

So then I started thinking further (never a good idea my sister always says).  If Spring prompts you for new beginnings then I am going to fall head first into it!  Yesterday I ransacked my closet, made an appointment to get my hair done, and set a date with my gal pals to go shopping.  But why stop there!?  I decided to take it further into my business and that is where the inspiration of this week’s article came from along with a brand new sale: The Spring Cleaning Sale.

So enjoy and tell me all about your new beginnings!

With Wonderful Wedding Wishes,

Nicole

Theme Baby Theme

Every wedding needs some sort of a theme even if it is something small.  A wedding theme can be a simple as Romantic to as elaborate as a Gone With the Wind theme wedding.  The purpose and importance of having a theme is to have a foundation for all of your wedding planning needs.  The theme of the wedding will help you decide everything from here on out including color scheme, venue, dress, vendors, and many more.

 

One of the biggest fears a bride has is that she is afraid that her wedding will look cookie cutter and soon be forgettable.  That is why I have developed a system that I use with my clients that brings out their personalities and helps them pick a theme that is right for them.

 

The first step in this process is to make a date with your fiance to spend a couple (or more) hours talking about your wants, needs, and desires for your wedding.  It is crucial to find out in the beginning how many guests you want, will children be invited, do you want an indoor or out door wedding, and many other questions.  The purpose of this date is to set the structure of your wedding or a blueprint.

 

From this discussion you will learn a lot about each other and what you are looking for on the day you get married.

 

The next step is to think about what defines you as a couple and this is usually the place that you will find a good theme idea.  For example, if you two love to travel then maybe you have a travel themed wedding.  Maybe you met while out salsa dancing and you want to add that bit of fun into it so you add a salsa flair with performers!  Perhaps you studied in France for a year and want a Parisian themed wedding and therefore it is only fitting that your honeymoon is in Paris.

 

The third step is to look at your personalities.  If you are both fun, loud extroverts maybe you will have a very upbeat wedding with lots of surprises and dancing.  Or maybe the two of you are so laid back that you want a quiet and more intimate setting.

 

All and all the theme really comes from within and defines who you are as a couple.  These days weddings come in all different shapes and sizes and it is important to pick one that will reflect the two of you.  You can go as big as having a Star Wars theme or 1920’s wedding to as easy as doing a garden wedding.  Whatever it is that you chose, you have to make sure that is a great combination of the two of you.

 

You want your guests to walk out thinking, “Yes!  That was totally Jon and Susie.”

 

Nicole’s Bridal Advice

 

The important part is to have fun with it!  You know who you are as a couple and the things that make you tick.  How do those things translate into a theme?  It isn’t just about color.  It is about the feel and the vibe.  It is your wedding, get creative!  No cookie cutter for you.

Valentine’s Day on a Budget

It is that time of year again.  Candy hearts, boxes of chocolates, and red & pink decorations everywhere.  Valentine’s Day is upon us!  It is the perfect opportunity to grab some quality time with the person you love the most in this world.  Let’s see what shall we do?  A romantic dinner at a four star restaurant?  A weekend getaway to a bed and breakfast?  Oh how lovely that sounds.  But let’s face it, who can afford to be extravagant on Valentine’s Day this year?  There is a wedding and a honeymoon to pay for (not to mention all the other day to day bills in our lives and this crazy economy).  Not to worry.  The Wedding League team has come up with a list of romantic Valentine’s Day ideas that won’t break the bank:

• Cook each other dinner: Together plan out the menu and go shopping for the food.  To make the menu special, consider having a three course meal comprised of salad, an entrée, and dessert.  Go through your cookbooks and find a new recipe, like my Chicken and Artichoke Hearts with Penne which is delicious, elegant and inexpensive, or fall back on an old favorite.  Set the table and create a romantic atmosphere by dimming the lights, lighting some candles and playing some soft music.  And guys, help your lady with the dishes.
• Movie Marathon: Order some take-out, pop some popcorn, grab a box of Junior Mints and curl up on the couch together to watch a few movies.  Go for some old favorites, catch up on this year’s Oscar picks, or try some of People magazine’s varied Valentine’s Day movie selections from their Feb. 14^th, 2011 edition: When Harry Met Sally, The War of the Roses, Date Night, or Sabrina.  Basically, just relax and cuddle.
• Spend time together outdoors by taking a hike.  Try to find a spot where there is a waterfall, pretty stream or meadow.  Take lunch with you and enjoy the simplicity of nature and being together.
• Make yourselves a picnic at a park or the beach.  When Nicole and I were little we used to go to Lacy Park in San Marino.  With its open space, walking paths and rose arbor, it really is a lovely little spot.  Bring the dog and enjoy walking in the sunlight.
• Instead of just spending the day with your significant other, why not spend it with some other couples?  Have a few of your couple friends over for a potluck and game night.  You share the cost of food by everyone bringing something (same goes for drinks, but please be responsible) and then have some fun playing games.  Some of our favorites include Taboo, Outburst, SingStar and Beatles Rock Band. 
• Share the love.  You have already found someone to love for the rest of your life.  Why not share that love with others this Valentine’s Day?  Instead of going out to dinner, go serve food at a homeless shelter or work at some other charity.  You will still be together and you get to help others.
• About presents: If you want to limit how much you spend overall on Valentine’s Day this year, then make a deal not to get each other presents.  Just spend a little money on an activity together or save that money for your honeymoon.  And of course, at the end of the day there are always mutual massages! 

Well there you have it folks, the Wedding League guide to Valentine’s Day on a budget.  Just remember, this holiday is about celebrating love.  As long as you make some time in the day for each other it will be special.  There is no reason why you need to spend a lot of money on Valentine’s Day this year, especially because your engagement is all about celebrating your love for each other.  Which reminds me, fun though planning your wedding is, it can be stressful at times.  So on Valentine’s Day do not discuss your plans for the wedding, just relax and enjoy each other!

Wishing you lots of love and a happy Valentine’s Day,

Heather

Your Wedding League Savvy Wedding Captain

I’m Engaged!

Well!  Let me tell you!  I am a rare breed in my industry.  Most wedding planners get married and then decide that they love planning weddings so they become wedding planners.  Well I was single when I started my company.  Until about two weeks ago…

 

I have been with Kurt for about 5 and a half years now.  I absolutely adore him and have known for awhile that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him.  So it all started with us going to Disneyland one  Sunday evening (we have season passes).  I didn’t think anything of it because we randomly pick up and go to Disneyland all the time.  We ride all of our favorites until it is time for the fireworks.  You haven’t experienced a true firework show until you see the one at Disneyland.  It was magical and romantic.

 

As soon as the fireworks were done he suggested we go on “Peter Pan” and in order to do that we had to walk through the castle.  Well they have the entire castle roped off during the fireworks show and for about 15 minutes afterwards to make sure everything is ok.  We ask some of the employees if we can sneak in and take a picture with the castle behind us before they open the ropes.  They ask us to wait about ten minutes and then they’ll see if they can work something out.

 

Ten minutes later one of them comes over to us and says “Excuse me sir, are you the one who wanted to take the picture?”  We say yes and they let us sneak in.  Now at this point there is a pretty big crowd gathered waiting to be let into the castle.  It still doesn’t hit me why they are only letting us in.  Duh Nicole.

 

We get in position to take the picture and when the guy snaps the camera Kurt tells me to go check it to make sure it is ok.  As soon as I walk a few steps I notice that he kneels down.  I turn around and there he is.  On his knee!  At first I don’t understand and I think he is either tying his shoe or about to be sick.  And then I see the huge smile on his face and the sparkly ring he is holding. 

 

The picture above is him asking me and you can see that my hands flew to my face because I can’t believe what is happening!  After the initial surprise and rush of emotion, I of course say yes.  He goes on to tell me that he has planned an entire day at Disneyland the next day and he made us reservations at one of the Disneyland Hotels.  What?!  The next morning we go to eat with Mickey and I am surprised by my sister and best friends jumping out from behind the buffet.  After having a wonderful breakfast we start to walk into the park where I am greeted by my parents who flew down from Northern California for the occasion. 

 

The day was so full of love, surprises, and emotions!  I wanted to share this story with you because I knew you would understand my utter bliss.  I can’t wait to plan my wedding with you! 

 

I would love to hear about your engagement story!  Let me know, I am always listening

 

With Wonderful Wedding Wishes,

 

Nicole

Chicken and Artichoke Hearts with Penne

At the Wedding League, we not only help you plan your wedding, we also like to provide you with tools to help you go from single to spouse and to improve or maintain your health.  To that end, from time to time we will be sharing recipes with you that are healthy, tasty and that you will feel good making for your spouse and in-laws.  Today’s recipe is Chicken and Artichoke Hearts with Penne, one of my favorite dishes to make.  The recipe, which I have made some slight tweeks to, came from Cooking Around the World All-in-One for Dummies, which Nicole and Kurt gave me for Christmas one year (Sadly I have not explored this cookbook as much as I would like, but I did find this gem).  This is a delicious and healthy recipe that you can make for any old week night or for when you have guests over.  Give it a try and let us know what you think:

Ingredients

 2 cloves garlic minced, plus 2 cloves crushed      

¼ cup olive oil

2 tsp. dried parsley                                              

1 ½ lbs. thin cut chicken breast (or chicken tenders)

1 medium tomato diced                             

¼ cup flour

Two 8 oz. cans artichoke hearts, drained            

Juice of 1 lemon (about 3 tbs.)

1 cup white wine (Kendall Jackson Chardonnay goes well I find and it is yummy to drink as you cook)

Salt and pepper to taste 

1 Box Penne Pasta (use any extra penne for another dish in the days to come)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cook the penne according to the instructions on the package.

In a medium bowl, combine the minced garlic, parsley, tomato & artichoke hearts.  Season with salt and pepper, mix and set aside.

In a large oven-safe skillet, heat the olive oil and crushed garlic over medium heat.  Cook until the garlic just starts to brown, 2 to 3 minutes.  Season the chicken with salt and pepper and lightly dust them with flour.  Place them in the skillet and cook until lightly browned on one side, 2-3 minutes.  Turn the cutlets over and cook for another 2 minutes.  Then drain any fat from the pan.  Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces.  Return the chicken to the pan and add the lemon juice and wine and continue cooking until the liquid has reduced by three-fourths, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the artichoke mixture and cook for 3-4 minutes.  Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.  Cover the skillet and transfer it to the oven.  Cook for ten minutes.  Serve it over penne pasta and enjoy!

“Love is in the Air! Special”

I’m engaged!  I cannot wait to really start planning my wedding.  However, there is one rule I gave myself awhile ago: even though I am a wedding planner I will hire someone to coordinate my day.  Yes, I will hire a wedding coordinator for my wedding.

You may be thinking, “But Nicole, why spend the money when you can do it all yourself?”

And that’s true up to a point.  But I simply can’t do EVERYTHING by myself.  I have been dreaming about this day since I was a little girl and I don’t want all of my hard work and dreams to go to hell in a handbasket.  I want to just be a bride on my wedding day and not a coordinator.

Since there is all this LOVE in the air I thought The Wedding League could do something to celebrate it.  Every bride deserves to have her special day.  But most importantly she deserves to be a BRIDE on her special day.  Can you imagine running around putting favors on all the tables?

For two weeks only we are having our “Love is in the Air! Special” because I am so in love! I know you are too so let’s celebrate it and make your wedding day fabulous!

My fiance (don’t you just love saying that!) thought I was nuts to do this but I am basically giving away my day of coordination program for $500 (usually $1500)!  I am opening up 5 slots for 5 lucky brides to get their wedding day taken care of.  In this $500 day of program you will receive:

• 2 One Hour Monthly Phone Calls (Starting Two Months out of your wedding)
• 1 As needed Hour Call
• Monster Checklist: At the beginning of our planning you will receive a monster checklist to make sure we have tackled everything.  During the planning calls we will dive into the checklist and keep everyone up to date.  This crazy thing deals with details you never dreamt of!
• A Virtual Timeline Meeting: The bride and groom will work with their planner to come up with a unique and personalized timeline for their wedding day.  The Wedding League will provide a timeline to all vendors, parents, and bridal party at the rehearsal.
• Vendor Coordination: We will gather all vendor information from you at the beginning of our planning period and make sure everyone is on the same page.  They will receive the timeline and we will all coordinate who needs to be where and when so there are no surprises or stumbles on your wedding day.
• Attendance at the Client’s Rehearsal
• Collection of all Tangible Items: So that the bride and groom only have to worry about bringing their attire on the Day Of
• General Wedding Set Up: including escort card table, favors, etc.
• Wedding Day Coordination: The event planner will be available to the bride and groom the entire day of the event.  The Wedding League will stay until the cake cutting.
• Bridal Assistant: We will provide you with an assistant who will stay with you the bulk of the day to make sure you have everything you need and assist you in whatever you you desire.

Contact us right away to nab your spot because our weekends fill up fast over here (Your wedding must be in 2011)!  Love is in the air! For only $500! The deadline to book your date is February 16th at Midnight (I’ll give you a couple of days to recover from Valentine’s day).

Call me at 818.419.8494 or email me for questions.  I can’t wait to work with you (and talk wedding!)

Golden Globes Decor

One fun fact about me is that I am a HUGE movie fan.  Even as a little kid I would watch Disney movies for hours.  Now, I put a movie on in the background to work instead of putting music on.  It is a darn good thing then that I am dating an actor.  One of our favorite things to do together is go to the movies and we do it almost every weekend. So when the award shows come around it is a pretty big deal.  I remember, one year for the Oscars we threw a party at our house.  We had a red carpet, fake oscars, and our own version of “Best of’s.”  The crazy in me came out when I decided to hang hundreds of golden strands of ribbon from the ceiling.  I’m telling you it was covered!

 

So needless to say, when the Golden Globes were on this last weekend it was a big deal in our house.  We couldn’t watch it until Kurt came home from work and when we did start to watch it we would constantly stop the DVR to give our guesses as to who we thought would win.

 

I do have other passions besides movies however, and one of those passions is decor.  Did anyone see how they decorated the Beverly Hilton for the Golden Globes?  I was loving the way they lit up the entire space with bling and crystal!  It was during my time watching the awards ceremony that I came up with the inspiration for this week’s article “Location, Location, Location.”

 

Nothing says old Hollywood like Beverly Hills and the glamour was everywhere from the actors to the stage setting.  It was important that the personality and feel of the Golden Globes took place in a space like the grand ballroom at the Beverly Hilton–could you imagine it at a Best Western?  I think not!  You and your fiance have a personality and a style (just like the Golden Globes) and finding the right venue for your wedding will certainly reflect that.

 

I hope you enjoy the article and remember, I am always listening

 

With Wonderful Wedding Wishes,

 

Nicole

Before You Say Yes to the Dress

Alright, who watches Say Yes to the Dress on TLC?  Because Nicole and I love it.  We talk practically the entire time, commenting on the dresses, the brides, and the crazy bridal entourages.  It is a fun show to watch, but it has also taught me a lot about shopping for a wedding gown.  Every girl dreams of what she will wear on her wedding day, but I bet many of them do not think much about the logistics of wedding dress shopping.  Well ladies, before you go shopping for your dream gown, you need to consider what I have learned from watching Say Yes to the Dress.

As with every aspect of planning your wedding, you need to go into wedding dress shopping with a budget.  Know how much you want to spend and make sure you tell your consultant that number.  You do not want to be trying on $10,000 dresses when you can only afford to spend $3000.  And let’s face it, if you try on a more expensive one, you will probably fall in love with it and nothing at your optimal price point will do.  So stick to your budget.

A word about who pays for the dress.  If you are paying for the dress yourself then you may skip this paragraph if you want.  For everyone else whose dress is being paid for partly or completely by someone else, a word of warning.  Since someone else is paying for your dress, you may feel obligated to take that person’s opinion strongly into consideration.  Yes, it is polite to have the payer come shopping with you and to ask their opinion, but this your dress.  It is great if an aunt or godmother or whoever offers to buy your wedding dress, but that does not mean they get to pick out the dress.  It is your dress and you need to be happy with it.  For those family members or friends or whoever who is paying for the dress, you are doing a very kind thing, but it is not your day!  Let the bride get what she wants.

On to another practical preparation.  When you go to try on wedding dresses wear nude undergarments.  You don’t want to be trying on a slightly see-through corseted Pnina Tornai gown and have your black bra distracting you from the overall look of the dress.  It is also a good idea to wear a strapless bra if you want a sleeveless or strapless dress.  You should also bring/wear a part of high heels shoes.  The shoes by no means need to be the ones you will wear on your wedding day, but they should be approximately the same height.  Lastly, it is a good idea to wear make-up and have your hair looking decent.  This will give you a better idea of how you will look on your wedding day.  And it makes you feel that much more beautiful!

 Now I must talk to you about who you bring dress shopping.  What Nicole and I have come to realize from watching this show is that the smaller the group the better.  The more people you bring, the more opinions will be given, and let me tell you, their opinions on what you should wear often do not mesh with what you envision.  Bring at most three people whose opinions you really trust.  These should be people who really know you, like your parents and siblings.  If you have to bring a large entourage then make sure you bring your backbone with you.  What I mean by this is you need to be prepared to stand up for what you want.  You may come out in a dress you love and know is the one, but for whatever reason your entourage is not thrilled with it.  It is so sad on the show when a bride comes out, her face all aglow, and as a viewer you can tell she has found her dress, but the negative reactions of her group make her doubt her decision.  Be clear with your group what you want to look like on your wedding day so they can get your vision of you in their heads instead of their own vision of you.  This is your wedding and you will wear what you want! And to all those invited to help a bride pick out her wedding dress, it is not your day, it is the bride’s day.  Let her get the dress she wants!

Now on to the actual picking of the dress.  I am all for combing through magazines and going online to find dresses you like.  I think it is a good idea to go into your dress appointment with an idea of what kind of dress you want to wear and what you want to look like on your wedding day.  Another big thing, though, I have learned from watching Say Yes to the Dress is that bridal couture is different from every day style.  You may go in thinking that a certain dress style will look great on you, but you put it on and it looks terrible.  My advice to you is trust your bridal consultant.  Your bridal consultant, if she is good, is trained to know which dresses will look good on you.  Let her know what you are looking for and then trust her to find the right dress for you.  And be open to her suggestions.  She may bring something into the room you would never have picked out yourself, but when you put it on it may be exactly what you wanted.

I want to address a common assumption of wedding dress shopping.  You will often hear past brides say they knew their dress was the one as soon as they put it on.  For many women this is true.  There face will light up, they compare all the other dresses to that dress, they cry.  But some women just don’t have a quick, definite feeling.  If you don’t have the feeling, that is okay.  My advice is trust your gut.  Know how you usually react to clothing and big moments.  Let your emotions guide you.  Try to envision yourself on your wedding day.  Can you see yourself in this dress?  Do you like the way the dress looks on you or are there things you want to change about it?  Ask yourself these questions, and as I said before, trust your gut. 

One final piece of advice.  When it is time for your fittings, be prepared for the dress to not be perfect right away.  First of all, it will have been a long time since the day you purchased your dress and your first fitting.  If you are able to take a picture of the dress at the time you buy it, then look at that picture from time to time to remind yourself what the dress looks like.  Secondly, know that almost no dress arrives perfect.  At least some adjustment must be made.  But do not freak out!  The alterations lady will know what needs to be done and will get the dress done on time.  Trust them.  Don’t just get upset and blame them for the dress being wrong.  Take a deep breath.  It will all work out.

Well ladies, there is my advice for wedding dress shopping.  Know your budget, chose carefully who you bring with you, trust the consultant and alterations ladies, and above all, get the dress you want!  Enjoy this special time.  And remember, even if the first dress you try on is the one, it is okay to try on a few more just to make sure and to extent your time as a princess.  Just don’t waste the consultant’s time!  I hope you find my advice helpful and I wish you lots of fun shopping for your dream wedding dress.

With lots of love,

Heather Nassief

Business/Event Manager of The Wedding League

Follow Us!

Wow!  2011 is proving to be a BIG year for The Wedding League.  We are constantly trying to find ways to improve just for you!  Here are some of the things we have planned:

• An entire Do-It-Yourself section for the bride who wants to plan her wedding herself but may need a little guidance.  We are coming up with mulitple levels for you to choose from including: a how to book, a DIY infoproduct with audio recordings and templates, and a brand new DIY Bridal Coaching program!
• A new division of the company (stay tuned for the name reveal), which focuses on those other really important social events in your life with lots of design!
• I am teaching other wedding planners how to have a thriving business as well.  In fact, I am planning an event with my mentor and coach, Ciara Daykin called Rockstar Wedding Planner Live Grace and Luxury: Attracting, Working With, and Getting Referred by the High End Bride.  Curious?  Click here to find out more about this fantastic event.
• A TV type channel with instructional wedding planner videos along with some other fun shows.

We definitely would love it if you followed us on  Facebook or Twitter, .  By doing so you will stay updated on all the amazing things we are doing this year.  You will also be able to take advantage of any contests, promotions, discounts, and much more.

 

I would also like to invite you to follow my blog Attifood to see how staying healthy and having the right attitude can really change your life for the better.  A lot of the lessons I am sure to learn I will turn right back around and teach you.  Pst…you can follow MyAttifood on Twitter as well!