Something Official

I've decided to get myself a business for the floral arrangements I do and for the future. I would one day like to have my own little floral and goodie store. I might as well get established now. Through a contest a name for my little business was selected. Now I just need to get a business license and finish the logo. I'm in no rush though. Right now it's just something I do on the side. But one day I'd like it to be a blossoming business!

Throwing A Shower - Step 4

Now it's time to plan for the type of refreshment you'll serve. This could be a simple dessert to a sit-down dinner. You have many options! Again.....it just depends on how much time and money you want to put in. The time of the shower will depend on what type of food you serve. Here's a list of things you could do for food.

Light brunch: fruit, pastries, juice, hot coco
Brunch: pancakes/waffles/french toast, breakfast casserole, etc.
Light Lunch: Salad, rolls, drink, dessert
Lunch: Sandwich, salad, fruit tray, dessert
Dinner: You could make it or go to a restaurant
Dessert bar: serve a variety of desserts - cookies, brownies, cupcakes, cake, pie, etc.

Cost Saving Tip: Have friends help you provide the food! You come up with the menu, just assign a friend(s) something to bring. This way, it will save you time and money!

Good luck and happy eating!

Throwing A Shower - Step 3

The next step in the process is to do invitations. You can make or buy them. I personally like to make them. I usually get my ideas from the scrapbooking store I go to. But there are many places you can get ideas from! When I make the invitations, I like to use the colors of the bride's wedding or that correlate with the gender of the baby. When you make cards the sky is the limit! You can do something really simple or elaborate! It just depends on how much money and time you feel like putting in. Making them can also be cheaper then buying them. But the cost will all depend on how simple or fancy you make or buy the invitations.

The same goes for buying invitations. You can buy something simple or elaborate. It just depends on how much you'd like to spend.

So get creative and produce some darling invitations!

Throwing A Shower - Step 2

The 2nd step is a pretty simple one as well! Get the guest list. Ask the bride or prego friend who they would like to have invited to their shower. If you know them, then you can get their addresses. For the ones you don't know, have your friend get those for you! Pretty simple right???? The next step is to do the invitations and really start planning.

Throwing A Shower - Step 1

This could be a bridal or baby shower. The first step is pretty simple! Coordinate with the person being honored, the bride or pregnant friend, to select a date and a time. You're doing this shower ALL for them, so the date and time you select needs to work for them. Weeknight evenings and Saturdays are usually the best. That's it! Once you have the date selected, then the real planning can begin!

Brunch

When most people are planning a wedding they usually just think of an evening/night time celebration. Only a few consider the possibility of a breakfast, brunch, or lunch. Ok, so a breakfast would be a little hard to pull off, but why not a brunch? It is definitely do-able! The brunch could start any time from 11am - Noon. I did a brunch and loved it!

The Benefits

• You don't have the whole day to sit around and get anxious or nervous. You just get up and get going!
• More people are willing to come, because it won't take up their whole day.
• Once your brunch is over, say 2-3pm, then your guests still have the rest of the day and night to do whatever they'd like.
• You and your husband won't have to rush to the hotel or airport. You'll have plenty of time to relax, go to dinner, a movie, or catch your flight!

So I highly recommend AT LEAST considering a brunch or lunch! It will save you a lot of stress on your big day!

Getting Addresses

As soon as you have announced your engagement and have started a guest/announcement list, start contacting people for their addresses. Today we have many forms of communication, so use them all! Send out a text, email, message on Facebook, etc.

This whole process will be easier and much more organized if you make lists! Excel works great for this! Have a list of those you are inviting to all events - ceremony, brunch, luncheon, dinner, reception, etc. Have another list for those you are just inviting to the celebration part - brunch, dinner, reception, etc. And another list for those you are just sending announcements to! Having separate lists will help keep you sane and make the invitation process easier!

Once you start getting addresses, add them immediately to your list. In your email inbox make a folder for 'wedding addresses'. Every email you get with an address, keep it in the folder! Keep your list and emails of addresses until you have mailed out all your thank you cards from the wedding.

Be persistent! If you asked someone for their address a week ago, go ahead and ask them again for it! Also, use other people to get the contact information for those you don't have. You can even ask someone for another person's address. Have your parents and soon-to-be-in-laws help too! They can get the addresses for family and their friends!

The sooner you get your addresses the better!

Step Away From The Line

In Utah it seems to be the tradition and norm to have a line at your wedding. Well.... actually the line is your wedding. Do you really want to STAND for 2-3 hours straight and talk to a large number of strangers???? You won't even know more then half the people that go through the line. Not to mention, it's awkward for the majority of your guests! They probably only know you or your husband and maybe a parent. They have to meet all these strangers and they don't even really get to see you! Not one bit of that sounds fun, for you or your guests!


Your wedding is about YOU! Not about how many people you can invite, getting a lot of gifts, or accommodating your parents. Think about it, all the people you don't really know aren't going to give you good gifts anyway. You'll end up wasting a lot of time and energy trying to figuring out what to do with those unwanted gifts!

So move away from the idea of a line! Actually, don't even consider it at all!!! Why wouldn't you want YOUR day to be about you, surrounded with people you know and love?! Granted you won't know everyone at your wedding, but your other half will know the ones you don't. You want this to be the best and most memorable day of your life, and what better way then to have a sit-down meal?!


By having a sit-down meal the numbers have to be cut down because you won't be able to afford to feed a ton of guests. Cutting your numbers down means that you'll only be inviting the people that mean the most to you in your lives (this includes your parents too). Yes, you'll probably have to invite people you don't really care to or that you don't really know, but you will still come out knowing the majority of them. And like I said, the people you do not know, your husband will know.

A sit-down meal creates a more personal and intimate setting. There is usually a short program where toasts are given and the bride and groom get the chances to thank everyone. This also avoids the whole line situation. As soon as you are done with your meal (you get served first), then you can walk around to each table and talk to every guest there. It makes it much more personal and you have more time to actually talk rather then just say "hello".

A sit-down meal is also an event, not just a place to stop on the way to dinner. Having a line typically creates the feel that you just stop by to say "hi", grab a treat and some punch, then leave to start your evenings activities. A sit-down meal IS the event for the night (or day). Your guests come to have a meal, talk with friends, and celebrate with you on your big day. They also stay to see you cut the cake, dance, toss the bouquet, and fling the guarder. They are there for the whole event, start to finish. They are actually apart of your wedding!

One is a party, a celebration; with eating, laughing, talking, dancing and more. While the other one is standing on your tired legs and aching feet for 3 hours straight hardly getting to eat anything and saying "hello" to strangers. Hmmmm....I wonder which one sounds better? There's no contest! Clearly a sit-down meal is the winner!

So do yourself a favor; step away from the line and move to the sit-down meal and celebration!

The Dress

Finding your dress can be one of the biggest pains or one of the best things about the whole process! It could take you days or even weeks to find the dress. But if you're one of the lucky ones, like I was, it will only take you an hour or 2! Here are a few tips for when you're searching for that "perfect dress".

Tip 1
Before you even go shopping for your dress, you need to set a budget. If a store is beyond your budget, don't even go there! You don't want to be tempted to break your spending limit.

Tip 2
The wedding dress shopping usually starts with looking through magazines and online. This will give you an idea of what you like and narrow the selection down before you even go to the stores.

Tip 3
What you like in the pictures and have in mind, you may not end up liking on you. If this happens, be open minded! Try on a variety of styles. Through the process you will narrow it down to a couple of styles you like.

Tip 4
Dresses look a lot different on the hanger then on you! Since this is the case, try any and everything on! You may be surprised what looks good on you and what you like!

I used all these tips to find my dress! I had an idea of what I liked by looking through magazines. Then by trying on a variety of dresses, I was really able to determine what I liked and what looked good on me! And I found "the one"! Thank you Alta Moda bridal and Pamela (the wonderful seamstress that did the alterations)!

Like "the ring", you'll know when you've found "the dress"!

By keeping these tips in mind, finding "the dress" will go more smoothly for you! Good luck and enjoy the process, it only happens once!

Aruba, Jamaica, Oooo I Wanna Take Ya..... On A HONEYMOON!

When I say "honeymoon", what comes to mind? I'm gonna go out there on a limb and say a hot tropical beach. For most, but not all, that is the ideal getaway for a honeymoon! But the budget will determine where you go and what type of honeymoon you end up having.

Some will say that a cruise is the best route to take if you're seeking that tropical escape. But you need to ask yourself a few questions. Do you want to be in the middle of the ocean for the majority of your honeymoon? Do you want to be in close-quarters everywhere you go with a bunch of strangers and dare I say it - kids? What if you get sea-sick? Those are just a couple of things to think about when considering a cruise.

Now for what I deem is the best option for a honeymoon! An all-inclusive resort!!! There are a lot of tropical all-inclusive resorts. Mexico, Jamaica, Costa Rica, and much more. Like a cruise, an all-inclusive resort has all the food and drinks you can desire and all tips are included! I can't tell you how nice it is to eat at a restaurant and just leave without paying, or so it seems. Or when the bell boy takes your luggage to your room you don't have to tip him! There are many aspects of an all-inclusive resort that are better then a cruise. Your room will be much bigger! The resort itself is bigger, so you aren't running into people everywhere you go. And better yet....if you go to an adult-only resort you won't have to hear any kids yelling and crying! All-inclusive resorts also have numerous pools, not just 1 or 2. They have a variety of activities you can participate in throughout the entire day. They also offer other activities outside the resort; snorkeling, guided tours, hikes, zip-lining, and more. Most resorts are located on the beach so you get the best of both worlds; staying on stable land and frolicking about on the beach and in the ocean!

I know it's usually the guy that plans the honeymoon, but it wouldn't hurt to do your own research and give him suggestions! I did all the research for our honeymoon. I'll give you my HIGHLY recommended all-inclusive resort. Secrets Resorts & Spas. They have 6 resorts; 3 in Mexico and 3 in Jamaica. We went to Silversands Riviera Cancun. This place was off-the-hook!!! And I am sure that all their other resorts live up to the same expectations. We were a little nervous that their awesome pictures online wouldn't live be reality, but they exceeded it! It was the honeymoon dream come true! Silversands is only 10-15 minutes away from the airport, so that was a huge plus! Everyone there was so nice and helpful, ready to serve you at your beck & call. We also got a great deal! They had a promotion going called 1 2 Free. So every 3rd day we were there it was free, which brought the cost down by a lot! Here are some pictures of this amazing resort! Enjoy and seriously considering going there honeymoon or not!
Sorry the pictures are just the ones I took, I can't copy them from the website. Here is the website to look at their photos.
http://www.secretsresorts.com/silversands/photo.asp

Floral Arrangements I've Done

BYU's World Family Policy Forum 2007









Valentines 2008



Travis & Natalie's Wedding 2008






Travis & Natalie's Open-house 2008







Yumi's Wedding 2008



My Wedding 2009



Valentines 2010









Birthday Flowers for a Broker at Axiom Financial

Getting The Best Bling For Your Buck!

The only way to get the most bling for your buck is to shop around! Just because it's a "big name store" doesn't mean it's going to have the best diamond for the best price. It's usually the other way around! You'll pay more money for a lesser quality diamond at a "big name store". Since this is the case, go to a bunch of different stores to find that sparkler to top off your band!

The jewelers will educate you on all the characteristics of a diamond - The 4 C's Carat, Color, Clarity, & Cut. Let me give you a tip in this regard. Compromise clarity (also known as flawlessness) for color. You can have a couple, even a few flaws and you will NEVER see them! Well.....you'll see them under a microscope, but with the naked eye you won't. The whiter your diamond is, the brighter it will look. The other big factor to making your ring really sparkle is the type of cut it is! The better the cut, the more facets it will have, giving you more blinding power. And well the carat size is up to you. Bigger isn't necessarily better. Sometimes a bigger diamond on a certain band looks funny. Just keep that in mind.

Just be sure you shop around so you get the best diamond for the price you're paying! One last little tip: you don't have to buy the band and the diamond at the same store; I didn't!

Paint A Clear Picture

All brides have an image in their head of what they except their wedding to look like; well at least an idea. In order to have that image become reality, you must clearly describe to all those you're working with what that image looks like. You don't want to be disapponited because something wasn't clearly explained or understood. At times it may take a lot of explaining, but don't be afraid to keep going over it until it's right. Just don't turn into Bridezilla if you do have to go over and over things. Then for sure you won't get what you want :).

Be paitent and understand everyone is trying their best to make your dream come true! But YOU also need to keep an open mind that the image in your head just might not be duplicated exactly like you want in reality. Expect and be accepting of little bumps or changes, and everything for everyone will be so much more pleasant then the alternative Bridezilla!

What's Most Important?

When you begin your journey of planning your wedding, you want to start off knowing what detail(s) are the most important to you. For everyone it will be different. It could be the dress, cake, flowers, photography, invitations, bridal party, food, decor, etc.

Once you have prioritized everything, then you can figure out how to cut costs on the least important things. This way you can really put the money into the things that are at the top of your list.

Let's take me for example. The invitations, photography, dress, and brunch were at the top of my list. So in order to get what I wanted with these 4, I down-sized a couple of things. I didn't have a huge reception; just a smaller, intimate brunch with friends and family we ACTUALLY knew. We just wanted to "cut the cake", so we had a single 9 inch round cake made. We didn't want to spend a ton of money on something that might not even get eaten. We also didn't have a bridal party, so we didn't have to worry about spending money on the flowers and wardrobe. I didn't feel jipped by down-sizing or cutting these details out. It's actually how I always wanted it. Less stress and money if you take out the bridal party and the number of guests you invite. By making these modifications,I was able to spend more money on the dress, invitations, photographer, and brunch to have them just the way I wanted.

So just be sure you know what's most important to you! Once you do, then you can cut costs in the other areas to really splurge on the important things!