In Loving Memory of Alfonso, my brother....

On November 6th. 2009 my brother Alfonso was tragically murdered at the age of 39. Since then my life has been turned upside down and the world around me has become obscure. To lose a loved one is one thing, but to have them taken away from you so abruptly is another and words cannot begin to describe the pain and emotions that my family and I have felt over the past 38 days.

While I am no stranger to death having lost my mother 5 years ago to Cancer, I never imagined I'd lose a sibling this way. I was always that person who watched the news and felt empathy for others who lost their loved ones through violent acts of crime and now I find myself being "that person". In the days following my brother's death I received several calls from people who had caught word of his tragic passing via the news and couldn't believe that this had really happened to him and to our family. I too shared in their disbelief and I didn't want to come to terms with his death.....till now.

I've thought long and hard over the past few days as to whether or not I wanted to share this story on my blog and with my readers. After much contemplation I realized my blog is an outlet, a way for me to connect with others through stories, images and fun tidbits. While this particular story is a sad one, it's what makes me human. I can no longer hide underneath my sheets and pretend as if this hasn't happened to me, because it has and I've recently come to terms with that, as hard as it may be. I don't wish this type of pain upon anyone, so while I am sure you've heard this many times before; cherish each day with your family, friends, and loved ones because tomorrow is never promised. We are all currently living on borrowed time and we need to ensure that we make the most of our time here on earth. Live your life to the fullest, laugh more, tell your mother, father, brother, sister or friend that you love them, help those less fortunate than you and always, always be grateful for what you have, whether it's a little or a lot.

I had the opportunity to see my brother one last time before he was cremated and I fell short for words at the time, so here are a few words that I wanted to express to my brother Alfonso:

"I used to think that being your baby sister was the worse thing in the world, now I realize it was a blessing because you and Jeff took care of me. Now I am left with only one brother, when there was two, and the memories we shared are gone but not forgotten. I want to thank you for loving me, even if you had a hard time showing it. I want to thank you for loving my daughter whole heartedly and showing her a side of you that many of us never had the pleasure of knowing. While I can't even begin to think about life without you, know that with each day that passes I will do my best to preserve your memory. Everyone may have known you for who you were on the exterior but I knew you for what you were on the interior. I love you Alfonso and I will continue to Celebrate Life in your memory."

Your baby sis,
Michi

Image of the Week | Cameron Ingalls Photography

Delightfully sweet is the best way to describe this week's image of the week, courtesy of Cameron Ingalls. I love the angle, the light of the day and the sweet romance this couple exudes, I hope you feel the same!

Fab Find Friday | Ay Mujer's Papel Picado

Papel picado (perforated paper) is the Mexican art of paper cutting into elaborate designs. A popular art form with roots in the country's ancient cultures, the Aztecs used the bark of wild mulberry and fig trees to make a rough paper called amatl. Amatl was used to make flags and banners to decorate temples, streets and homes.

Ay Mujer is the creation of Yreina Flores, a talented graphic designer I found on Etsy who creates custom papel picado banners and flags for weddings, bridal showers, birthdays and many other celebrations. Her work has recently been featured in the following publications; Martha Stewart and Brides magazine and all of her creations are hand crafted with lots of love and attention to detail. Yreina's desire is to share her cultural pride and bring beauty into the world through her art.

For a fun and festive addition to any celebration look no further than Ay Mujer!

Vendor Spotlight | Firefly Events

We recently conducted an interview with Nadine Sandeluss of Firefly Events, a company providing bachelor and bachelorette services for the San Francisco, Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego areas. Firefly Events allows you to build your own Bachelor Party, Bachelorette Party, or Bridal Shower package or choose from one of their pre-packaged deals. I just love their tag line "get ready to make memories, not secrets".

What makes Firefly Events so unique from the rest? Hmmm... it's not James' winning smile... so it must be because we eliminate the stress of planning a high class bachelorette or bachelor party. We spent a lot of hours finding the best vendors for each bachelorette package we offer. We've made the calls, visited the venues, and simplified the process for our customers. After deciding on a package, The Maid of Honor or Best Man can send out an email invite through their custom event page. Each guest can then log-in and pay for their own seat and contribute toward the bride or groom's seat. In addition, we give them access to a deals page full of discounts from our favorite bachelor/ette boutiques, information on the area (late night munchies, pharmacies to buy headache pills at 3 in the morning, clubs ,pubs, etc), and a list of who's going. They can also print off their itinerary for the day(s). Our job is to handle the details so they can have some FUN!


What is your most popular bachelor package? Our most popular Bachelor package is probably False Starts, it's a mini grand prix on go-Karts then a tour of some local breweries and yes, they have to go racing BEFORE the drinking. You'd be surprised how many people ask that.


What is your most popular bachelorette package? Our most popular Bachelorette package is: Platinum - Chocolate Vixens - Chocolate Making and Pole Dancing - Who can turn down that much chocolate and a little female empowerment? Can you mix and match services? YES! We're here to put together a bachelorette package that you want. We're not going to force feed you something we think you want.

Do you create custom packages? YES, you can customize any bachelor or bachelorette party package free of charge. If you don't see what you don't see what you are looking for or the location, just ask. If we don't have it, we'll find it!

How did Firefly Group Events get started? Coming from England, stag and hen weekends are massive, everyone organizes their bash through a company like Firefly. I really wanted to work for myself. I love event planning and I have a background in Team Building and travel. This business seemed like the perfect fit. James works on a lot of ropes courses when he's not programming or designing. He mentioned that we could run bachelor/ette parties through the ropes courses. Once I told him about the bachelor party businesses in England we started devising our plan to conquer the world. We brainstormed, researched, and then James started building the website. While he worked on that I tracked down all the vendors that we use today. During all that we also met with the owner of a similar company in London. He helped point us in the right direction. It was a LOT of work but we wanted to make sure we could offer a solid product.

What new trend have you seen or started for bachelor/ette parties?
A lot of people are interested in joint bachelor and bachelorette events (Jack and Jill) - cooking parties and ropes courses are the most popular. They have a joint party in the day and then go their separate ways in the evening. We're also seeing a lot of people that are trying to avoid the traditional drunken mess. They're looking for a way to have some fun and make some memories, not secrets. Lately there's been some interest in documenting the party by having a professional photographer along as well.

Image of the Week | Poser Image

This week's image comes to us courtesy of Poser Image, another talented professional who was at Engage09, the Encore. While our encounter was incredibly brief, Erik sent me a very nice email last week to say hi and introduce his work. I had a chance to check out his website and blog, where I found this very cool shot.

Enjoy!

Lovely Details | Bridal Bouquets

Welcome to my new series: "Lovely Details", where I will feature items that make me feel all warm and tingly inside. This week's lovely details are bridal bouquets, one of my personal favorites....enjoy!

1st. pic: Image by: Tu Photography, Bouquet by Asiel Design
2nd. pic: Image by Stephanie Williams, Bouquet by JL Designs






















1st. pic: Image by Lyndsay Undseth, Bouquet by Amy Burke Designs
2nd. pic: Image by Jennifer Skog, Bouquet by Asiel Design






















1st. pic: Image by Lisa Lefkowitz, Bouquet by Nancy Liu Chin
2nd. pic: Image by Angie Silvy, Bouquet by Hunt Littlefield

Fab Find Friday | BE WED, A Modern Wedding Planner & Organizer

I often times get asked by my brides; should I purchase a wedding planner even though I have you? I always say yes, because while I will keep them on track from the time they hire me to the moment they walk down the aisle, a good planner keeps them personally organized and allows them to create their own personal to do list for the wedding. While perusing the web for fab finds I came across Evotive, a website that offers BE WED, A Modern Wedding Planner & Organizer.

BE WED is the first eco-friendly wedding planner that helps couples ensure their wedding planning process is strategic, sustainable, and personal. A snippet from their website; "Whether you’re planning the wedding yourselves, or working with a consultant, this creative system has everything you need to be inspired, informed, and organized while you design a meaningful event that’s a true reflection of your relationship and commitment."

This statement could not be more true, as I am a firm believer of creating unique events that are a true reflection of who my clients are as a couple. For those brides looking for something clean, fresh and modern, BE WED is the planner to buy!

Image of the Week | Brandy J Photography

I recently got back from Engage09, the Encore in Las Vegas where I had the pleasure of meeting a slew of talented professionals, one of them being Sticky Rammel of Brandy J Photography.

While we only chatted for a brief moment, I made a mental note to self to check out his website upon my return home. After checking out the work of Sticky and Brandy, who is his wife, I came across the most charming image I've ever seen of a flower girl with the ring bearer.

This husband and wife duo sure know how to pick em and who knows maybe they'll be capturing the wedding of these two 20 years from now...enjoy candidness at it's finest!

Events | Most Ridiculous Event Ever & Engage09 The Encore

I have a busy week ahead of me....I am beyond excited to be attending the Most Ridiculous Event Ever, hosted by Mindy Weiss in L.A. and then I am off to Las Vegas for Engage09 The Encore, a luxury wedding business intensive hosted by Rebecca Grinnals and Kathryn Arce.

The Most Ridiculous Event Ever: I am very much looking forward to hearing such talented professionals whom I've admired in my industry for quite some time now speak. I am eager to learn from such pros and get to know what sets them and their events apart from the rest. I am hoping to broaden my knowledge in this industry by learning from those who are considered experts or trend setters in their field.

I am very much interested in the design aspect of a wedding, since aside from planning and coordinating events, I also offer event design. This is a passion for me, as I am most proud of creating events that are a true reflection of who my client's are. While I am looking forward to hearing all of the speakers, I think the two people I am most excited to hear speak, are Antonia van deer Meer, who will be discussing Upcoming Trends for 2010 and Elizabeth Messina, who's work I've admired for several years now. I was quite fortunate to hear Elizabeth speak last year in Las Vegas at WPPI and she was so inspiring. Another important topic being discussed that will help me as an event designer is “Getting your Wedding into a Magazine”. As I continue to build my brand and submit weddings with my photographers for editorial consideration, it is important to understand what editors look for when publishing weddings.

For those seeking personal and business development, Engage09 the Encore is the place to be. This luxury intensive offers a more intimate setting to engage and network with experts in our industry. I will be joined by 100 other wedding professionals from around the world, who like me seek to continue success in their business by means of personal and professional development. I am very much looking forward to seeing Sean Low again, who I had the pleasure of meeting a few months ago at my local WIPA meeting. His talk was so inspiring that I made immediate changes to my business plan and the services I offer shortly after. Sean made me realize that what we do is an art, and we need to define and own our art. Joining Sean on the panel of speakers will be other seasoned professionals, such as Marcy Blum, world renowned event planner and entertaining expert and Simon T. Bailey, author of the book Release Your Brilliance, the Four Steps to Transforming Your Life and Revealing Your Genius to the World.

Simply Wed | Stacy and Mark

Congratulations Stacy and Mark....stay tuned for images of their beautiful day!