101 Blessings....In Loving Memory of Luisa Colon

I know this blog is a little different than the others but it is probably the most important blog we will ever write.

"Now that I have left, please try to go on and don't shed tears, be happy for me and think of all the wonderful times we've shared over the years.

Remember the times that brought happiness in our hearts, don't think of my life as ending because this is where it really starts.

When you ever want to remember me just look up in the sky, I'll be the brightest star shining, I'll always be close by."


That was the poem that was written on the cards in memoriam of our Great Grandmother Luisa Colon...better known to us as Lala. She was a remarkable woman full of life; she did live till a 101! She had the biggest heart I've ever known. She was as beautiful inside as she was outside.

Lala was an inspiration to so many. You just wanted to be a better person when you were around her. Family was the most important thing to her and she definitely passed down her family values to us all. She had a special bond with everyone in our family and believe me there are a lot of us! But that just showed once again how special of a woman she truly was.












We were so blessed to have so many years with her. Our children will always hear the word "Lala" and even though they are too young to remember her, they will never forget her through the stories that will be told. We will forever talk about the beautiful person she was and will hold these wonderful memories we have in our hearts forever. We love you Lala and will miss you always. Forever in our minds...Forever in our hearts.





Love,
Aelicia & Rachael

NNJWEP Mock Bridal Shower Tea Party!!

In this industry, we (event planners, photographers, florists, etc) work events and never get to experience them. Imagine if you could attend an event to get innovative ideas, showcase your business network with industry colleagues and have a fun time socializing. Invite your brides or mothers of the bride to attend!

This amazing, Mock Bridal Shower Tea Party experience is available only through the group NNJWEP, Northern New Jersey Wedding & Event Professionals.

The event will be held at the Harmony Tea Room (11 Bergen Street, Westwood, NJ) on April 16, 2011 from 11:30am - 2:30pm and features a vendor showcase (where you can come see us and some other fabulous vendors!) At 12 noon enjoy tea, sandwiches and other tasty treats!

$35 - NNJWEP members
$45 - non members/guest of NNJWEP member

Includes:
Freshly baked scone
Assorted finger sandwiches and savories
Selection of delectable sweets
Pot of tea
Fun and networking with Northern New Jersey Wedding & Event Professionals and clients

There are only 20 tickets available for this event so tickets will be sold on a first come, first served basis. You don't want to miss out!

To purchase tickets: http://mockbridaltea.eventbrite.com/

Spring is in the Air

Well sort of lol! It may be officially Spring but the weather wants to tell a different story. Well we are not going to let that damper our spring mood. We are looking forward to the nice weather and all the beautiful scenery that comes with it. Here are some inspirational photos to get you in the Spring mood!

A Valentine's Day to Remember

So we know that a week has gone by sine Valentine's Day but this was a story that had to be told.

Typically we talk about weddings and everything related to it. And why not, it's such a beautiful display of love. But there is one more thing that can top that...a parents love for their children! A friend of ours did the most amazing thing for his 2 1/2 year old daughter and we just had to share it with all of you.

Valentine's Day is a day to shower your loved ones with flowers, gifts and chocolate. But what do you do for your little princess on this special day? Well this father came up with a wonderful gift that will be hard to top. Children are very easy to please. Some of the simplest things, like bubbles, can bring the biggest smile to their faces. Balloons are no exception. Our friend filled a room with white, pink and red balloons. His daughter's face was priceless. And as if it couldn't get better than that, he had bowls of pink and white heart shaped confetti for her to throw in the air! So precious and we just had to share some photos with you. Hope you enjoy them as much as we did. Now the next question is, what will he think of for next year?! xoxo

Valentine / Red Inspiration Board

<3
Aelicia & Rachael

Valentines Day kick off!

It's February!! Hearts are being hung, cards are being bought and for some, plans are being made. You have 14 days left! So if you are thinking about proposing we would love to help! Here are 14 proposal ideas we thought were fun and romantic. We would love to hear from you too, share your engagement story with us to share even more ideas! (Bride to be's, check out our Romantic Giveaway on our website)

1. On Valentines Day give her a heart shaped box of chocolates, with one chocolate missing and an engagement ring in it's place. When she opens the box, get down on one knee and pop the question

2. Use the little heart candies and spell out the words 'Marry Me' with them. For extra romance, only use the hearts that say 'Marry Me' on them

3. Buy a card that says "To my fiance on Valentine's Day". As she opens the card, she will be surprised and then you get down on your knee and propose

4. Get a dozen (or even 2!) of roses and tie the ring to one of the stems. When she notices it, ask her to be your Valentine for life

5. A message in a bottle expresses excitement, desire, and eternal love. Choose a bottle and write your love letter proposal. If you're at a loss for words, there are dozens of romantic templates to choose from. There are companies that can help age your letter, placed in the bottle and delivered in an authentic wooden treasure box. If you want to add an a little something extra, you can engrave a special message to your sweetie on the bottle as well. This is a proposal that she'll treasure forever.

6. Slip the ring on her finger while she's sleeping then wake her with your special proposal

7. Make her breakfast in bed and place a romantic card on the tray with your proposal

8. Freeze the ring in an ice cube and drop it in her glass, while you are at your favorite restaurant. When she realizes what is in her drink, get down on one knee and ask her to marry you.

9. Go to a local bakery. Instruct them to bake a cake with a marriage proposal on it and put it in the window. Take her on a romantic nighttime stroll right past the bakery, and point to the personalized cake in the window. Drop down on one knee, pull out the ring, and ask her to marry you. This way you can have your cake and eat it too, literally.

10. Bring her to one of her favorite restaurants. Make a menu with your proposal printed inside of it. Then have the waiter deliver the menu to your sweetie. As she opens it, ask for her hand in marriage

11. Make a rose petal trail from the front door to the bedroom. Create a heart shape with rose petals on the bed, and put the ring in the middle. Tell her to go see what is in your heart.

12. Deliver one rose to her every hour for 11 hours. On the 12th hour show up to meet her and propose

13. Put the ring in several layers of boxes so that each box fits inside another to create an illusion of a giant present. Have her unwrap it until she finally gets to the ring, and ask her to marry you

14. Invite her for some games at home. Use Scrabble letters and spell out "Will you marry me?" Have the diamond close by.

Best of luck to those planning on proposing!
Rachael & Aelicia


“Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own.”
--Robert A. Heinlein

Yay! My Wedding Proofs Are In! I have 800 Pictures That I Love. Now What?!

The day has come and gone. The day you have planned for months and months is over. You are now left with all those amazing, breathtaking, wonderful memories. You talk about your wedding for days to come, still feeling magical. Then the day you have waited for, your proofs are in!! A reminder of every single moment of your wedding day, all captured in 600-1200 pictures. And this is when you realize, you thought planning the wedding was hard?! How can you possibly pick 60 pictures out of 800?! The task seems nearly impossible.

I was inspired to write this today after coffee with my girlfriends over the weekend and looking over proofs from one of my friends wedding. Almost 600 pictures that have to be cut down to 70. It seems so overwhelming...yet another wedding stressor! But it doesn’t have to be with a little help and some tips from us! With a little time and some planning and categorizing, your wedding album will tell the most beautiful story of your perfect day! So get some wine, sip it far away from your proofs, and enjoy telling the story about the day you married your best friend.

Here are some tips to help you along the way:

1) Get 4 different colored small sticky notes. 1 for "Yes", 1 for "Maybe", 1 for "No" and 1 for "Do Not Use" (eyes closed, not looking etc). Start by marking every single picture you like and every one that is a Do Not Use. After you mark them, count what you have so you know where you are starting at.

2) Break down the day by category in chronological order. For example:
The proposal (ring, invites etc)
Attire
Bride getting ready
Bride
Bride with her family, bridesmaids, MOH, flower girls
Groom
Groom with family, groomsmen, best man, ring bearer
Ceremony
Bride and Groom
Family and Bridal Party
Reception with traditional events: dances, cake cutting etc)
Candids
Dancing

3) Keep going back through all of the yes’ and little by little move them to maybes and no’s always counting so you know how you are doing.

Also remember that your photographer will help with picking pictures and the layout and size of pictures, that is what they are there for and what they love doing. So when you have a pretty good idea of how you want the album to look, make an appointment with your photographer to make all the final touches. Be prepared, this appointment can be 2 hours long pending how big of an album you have.

We hope these tips inspire you to create the wedding album you now dream about…or have nightmares about lol...and enjoy it for the many many years to come!

‘True love stories never have endings’.  ~Richard Bach

XOXO,
Aelicia and Rachael