Engage!09::Something Blue

My inspiration for starting I Do Vow To came from attending "Engage!08:the encore"- the high impact luxury wedding business summit so it's only fitting that I attend the next summit in exactly one month. Engage!09:: Something Blue has been planned for Grand Cayman Island and will bring together the best of the best in the wedding industry from speakers to attendees.

Engage is for those wedding professionals interested in seeking advice and networking at a level not previously found at other conferences or seminars. Engage offers an intimate opportunity to interact, share ideas and candid conversation with speakers like Darcy Miller of Martha Stewart Weddings, Preston Bailey of Preston Bailey Designs, Randy Fenoli of Kleinfeld Bridal and Sylvia Weinstock of Sylvia Weinstock Cakes to name (drop) a few.

What makes this opportunity additionally fantastic is registration is limited so attendance truly is a privilege and should be an unforgettable experience. But first I have two destination weddings to coordinate then off to Engage.

I Do Vow To Coordinating Services

After viewing a fabulous marketing plan created by two very talented guys, I am moving forward with rolling out I Do Vow To not just as an added service to Fete Perfection but it's own entity. I can't wait to see the finished product and services but look for the I Do Vow To website and marketing materials targeting urban environmentalists that get excited about having a fabulous wedding but who are energized by making a positive difference in the lives of others long after their wedding.

I was able to preview the ad campaign which centers around I Do Vow To and can see this particular campaign will tug at heartstrings across the country. I can't wait! If all goes as planned this should be up and ready by June 21 - just before I head off to Engage:09 in the Cayman Islands.

Vintage Weddings - Vintage Gowns

I am so excited to attend the wedding of dear friends this weekend at Glensheen Mansion in Duluth. Besides being perfect for each other, they have a flair for everything vintage and classy. In fact they've themed their wedding in the 1920's era which is perfectly suited for the venue.

In my search for vintage wear and accessories I stopped into a shop I drive by at least weekly - Via's Vintage Wear at 2408 Hennepin Avenue in Minneapolis. Wow, what a place...they have clothing, jewelry, undergarments, outerwear, hats, gloves and accessories galore. I spent over an hour just browsing and enjoyed a brief history lesson at the same time. On most of the tags Vias has a brief history of the item or era from which it came.

They also have bridal gowns for sale along with a small collection of veils - all the items are authentic and not reproductions and come from customers who have these treasures hanging in closests or folded in trunks long forgotten. It seems that most of the items come to Via's when parents or grandparents move out of the family home after 50 years and younger family members are left with cleaning or organizing estate sales which means inventory changes often.

Check out Via's Vintage Wear for your next event or just for fun. Talk about recycling!

I Do Vow To - Coordinate a Wedding at Blue Hill Farm

While doing research for a great new destination couple I serendipitously happened upon an exciting venue probably unknown to most of us Midwesterners but very well-known to those lucky enough to live in the Northeastern corner of the US. Blue Hill at Stones Barn in Pocantico, New York opened in 2004 as a working four-season farm and educational center just 30 minutes from New York City.

Their mission, which aliens perfectly with our commitment at I Do Vow To, is to create a consciousness about the everyday food choices we make. Here is a little history taken directly from their website: "For family proprietors Dan, David and Laureen Barber, Blue Hill is the name both for their two restaurants, and for the farm that inspired them.

"I used to walk up Blue Hill Road every week, for years; sometimes everyday. I loved Blue Hill Farm more than anything in the world.

"Back then it was a dairy run by two brothers. What a mess! They had cows pasturing in the front yard, for god's sake... And the barn and house were run-down and so dirty I couldn't believe it. And you know what? I loved it. I loved the open pastures, I loved the backdrop of blue hills, I loved that I felt like a queen every time I came up here.

"But whenever I told the brothers I wanted to buy the farm, they just laughed. ‘Lady,' they'd say, ‘This farm has been in our family for three generations. We're never selling.'

"I'd return the next week, and they'd say the same thing. ‘Never selling.' This went on for years.

"Then one day I arrived at the top of the hill and one of the brothers came running over to me. ‘Ma'am, do you still want to buy this farm?' I couldn't believe it. He didn't even let me answer. ‘My brother and I have gotten into the biggest fight. If we don't sell it now we're going to kill each other.' I told them I was interested. ‘Ma'am,' he said, ‘we're selling it now, or forget it. Right now.'

So there you have it straight from the horses mouth - what a great story. I can't wait to visit so I'm going to try to get there in May. I think there's a lot more than meets the eye...

Earth Friendly Wedding Albums

Although I'm a day late in posting for Earth Day, it's never too late to promote an environmentally friendly product and conscientious service I believe in. Renowned photographer, Ruth Harper of Happily Ever After offers Earth Friendly wedding albums made entirely in the United States with 100% recycled archival pages.

Contact Ruth at ruth@happilyeverafterphoto.com or check out her website Happily Ever After for more information. Thanks Ruth, for sharing this valuable tip for not only brides and grooms, but wedding planners and others in the wedding industry. You are definitely a trendsetter in the world of environmentally friendly weddings.

Humanitarian Award

If I were to give a humanitarian award to one person in the wedding industry, it would go to Andrew Vick of Vick Photography. Andrew is a man with deep convictions and unending faith and love for people. He travels extensively shooting destination weddings but what makes him an inspiration is he spends at least four weeks a year traveling to impoverished countries building homes and schools.

His wedding photography business keeps him booked almost year round, however he always carves out time in two week increments to travel to third world countries to live among the citizens, get to know them and help any way he is able. One of these ways is through building.

I share studio space with Andrew at Living Room Studios so I see first hand the intricacies involved in scheduling and planning these trips. Often the journey just to arrive to the location takes over 24 hours and for most, that would be discouraging but not for Andrew. He thrives on the challenge and gains energy from the experience and from what I hear, the lives of those he touches will never be the same. Check out this blog posting from one of his most recent trips to Guatemala.

Andrew you are truly an inspiration and if the opportunity ever presents itself, I nominate you for the Humanitarian Award.

Our I Do Vow To Commitment

Our commitment at I Do Vow To is to not only help couples plan the wedding of their dreams, but also to create a wedding experience that has implications into the future. A couple's wedding day is a time they will remember and cherish hopefully into their twilight years, but the day is just that...one day.

After the flowers have wilted, the linens returned and the guests have gone home the wedding day is over. It's a lot like Christmas with all the hard work, all the anticipation, cooking, wrapping, cleaning and finally it's here...but just for a few short hours, then suddenly gone.

While Christmas will return again, your wedding day will not. However, a wedding designed and coordinated by I Do Vow To will provide the assurance that the impact of your wedding day will be felt long after the day has passed. For example, I Do Vow To will commit to eliminating waste in two ways. We will not knowingly waste valuable dollars on unnecessary or frivolous purchases such as favors, nor will we contribute to the ever growing piles of waste in our landfills.

While I love the world of weddings, I also recognize how terribly wasteful they can be. I have posted previous blogs about wedding waste and favors, so will not repeat myself except to say, I believe we can reverse the wasteful trend and start a new one.

For example, I agree that Save-the-Date cards are a great tool for couples, but they are another wedding product that ultimately ends up in the trash. Why not prepare an online, interactive Save-the-Date invitation like my friend and colleague, Andrew Vick did for his upcoming wedding. Bookmark the link on your computer and you have everything you need to save-the-date.

I believe couples can make another important and long lasting impact while planning their wedding by being selective with the vendors they choose. Every vendor that I Do Vow To recommends is involved in philanthropic work in one form or another. For example, Laurie Schneider of Laurie Schneider Photography volunteers time and pledges funding for Home For Life an animal rescue in Wisconsin where all animals are kept until they are adopted or there to stay. These animals are never euthanized but are loved and cared for and these animals are truly Home For Life, forever.

Andrew Vick of Vick Photography sponsors a child for one year through World Vision in the name of each couple that hires him for their wedding photography. That couple has the option to continue the sponsorship at their anniversary.

These are the commitments and focus that drive I Do Vow To and I sincerely hope you agree that we can plan a fabulous wedding for you but at the same time make a lasting difference in this world for children, animals and us all.

Huge Cost Savings

I love do-it-yourself projects but only if they don't end up looking DIY. You know what I'm talking about - silk bridal bouquets, for example, that look silk and homemade. Personally, I'm with Geri Wolf of The Style Laboratory...silk doesn't belong in weddings unless of course you're talking about Shantung, Dupion or Taffeta as in your bridal gown.

My friend, Merina sent me a couple photos of her wedding complete with this DIY for her ceremony and reception. She used one roll of high-quality sod, and 100 feet of galvinized rain gutters to create this mock-wheatgrass decor. I love the look and better yet, love the price. Her DIY project cost $50 big ones - that's it. This same look in wheatgrass was estimated at $750.

The easiest part of this project was cutting the sod to fit the gutter. Place the sod on a flat level surface, green side up please and press the metal edges of the gutter down on top of the sod. Pushing slighty, the sharp edge of the gutter slices through the grass and soil and gives a straight clean edge. Flip the gutter upright and place the sod snuggly down into the gutter. There....finished!

Sprinkle with water to keep the grass hydrated until use, don't over water and just after placing the grass at your ceremony or reception sites, have your wedding coordinator {hint, hint} spray lightly for that fresh, finished and professional look.

Good luck and enjoy saving significant dollars on this DIY project.

Free Design Ideas

When searching for a way to organize photos for posting on either of my two blogs, I discovered Bridal Canvas. Simply put it's an online tool for organizing photos in collage fashion or better yet, it can be used as inspiration for brides while designing the look and theme for their wedding. The best part of Bridal Canvas is brides can see how their ideas, colors and details coordinate in one cohesive photo. They can play around with backgrounds, images and themes until they've captured the perfect design.

I've put together some of my own canvases from real weddings which you will see as the last image, but the top three are samples off inspiration boards. The uses and ideas are endless and best yet, it's free. Take a look at some of these canvases by real brides...some depict bridal fashion, jewelry and accessories, while others focus on just cakes or just reception decor. There is no right or wrong way to create your own canvas.

There is a helpful tutorial to get you started but the more you play with it, the easier it becomes. Bridal Canvas makes anyone look like a professional designer...Good luck and happy designing.

Design Tips

I admit I'm a freak about specialty linens and can spend hours touching, draping and experimenting with hundreds of luxurious linens at some of my favorite suppliers such as Linen Effects, Aarcee Classic Events & Festivities. I have to force myself to leave or risk being arrested as a squatter. No really...it's that serious.

But not every bride loves linens like I do, nor can every bride afford some of the price tags on these beauties - locally expect to pay $35 ea or more for high end tapestries and damask or as little as $12 for solid colors. Even $12 linens make a huge difference in pulling together all elements of design by serving as the foundation for the "look".

If renting linens, even basic white or ivory, I recommend 120" round for 60" round tables. This gives the linen a nice drop to the floor and covers the unsightly table legs. For 72" tables go with the 132" linens and for 6' or 8' banquet tables try the 90" x 156" conference cloth. These tend to be oval but with 4 florist pins and table pad, the corners can be pulled up and pinned into an elegant drape.

If floor-length linens aren't in the budget, try something I learned years ago...double up your linens. In other words, two 81" x 81" square linens for one table. Most banquet facilities use just one per 60" round table with the points strategically placed at the legs but the look is more industrial with the linen draping at guests laps instead of the floor. However using two per table allows for creative folding with draping then to the floor. So far you haven't spent an extra cent but have the look of floor length linens. Now for the finishing touch - use table runners down the center of the table to cover the seam and to add extra depth and dimension to your table.

Table runners can be rented at much less than specialty linens, or do what I do, shop at antique stores or Ragstock. Ragstock has an amazing selection of Obi Sashes used in traditional Asian kimono dress. These sashes tend to be 12" to 18" wide with sufficient length to elegantly drape over the table. What a great way to add interest and color to each table without breaking the budget.

Hope this helps.