Aviva Events

You're Missing Out...

2009-04-30T08:19:00.004-04:00

Have you updated your bookmarks or blog reader with our new blog address? If not, here is what you've missed so far:

Our blog has a new home!

2009-04-11T10:27:00.001-04:00

We're in the process of moving our blog! From here on out, you'll be able to find it at: www.aviva-events.com/blog. Please update your bookmark/RSS feed/Google Reader accordingly :)

Thank you!

Say Cheese Photobooth

2009-03-16T16:11:00.003-04:00

As I was cleaning through my office drawers today for the requisite spring cleaning, I realized I had a problem. I'm an addict. What am I addicted to? Photobooths. Sad but true, I can't walk past one without jumping in. The problem started young- check out the 1st photo below of me with my dad and sister. But who are my current enablers? The team at Say Cheese Photobooth.

They seem to be everywhere, and with good reason - they are fabulous. Their booths are the highest quality, as are the prints they produce. The booths are "arcade style" rather than pipe and drape. What does that mean and why does it matter? Arcade-style photobooths have a solid wall behind the "seat" of the booth, whereas pipe-and-drape booths have only a curtain. Now, I'm not one to stereotype, but by the end of the evening those who have been living it up the most at your bar are often also those going back for more and more photos at the booth - just imagine your cousin Joe, waiting in line, leaning on the booth to steady himself -- I'm sure you can picture the chaos that will ensue as he falls on the curtain -- and the guests inside. Just something to think about :)

At Say Cheese, they print duplicate copies of every photo strip, so your guests get a strip, and so do you! For a small extra fee, they'll create a guestbook on-site, filled with your guests photos and well-wishes. The other reason I love Say Cheese: Frank and Pat - the father/son owners - are just simply great guys. Check out their website and let them know I sent you!

Say Cheese is currently running a contest to win $500 off your photobooth rental - check out their blog for details!

Photos L-R: The addiction begins, A Say Cheese Guestbook (image © Bluebird Photography), Pat and Frank Callahan of Say Cheese Photobooth

Sunday Wedding Cafés at The Bridal Studio

2009-03-15T14:43:00.005-04:00

My friends at the Bridal Studio are hosting three "Sunday Wedding Cafés": March 29th, June 28th and September 27th from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 pm.

Hosted by the Bridal Studio and featuring a panel of local, recently married brides who are willing to share their experiences, tips and best practices, the Wedding Cafés are an opportunity to enjoy a cup of coffee, ask questions and engage in a relaxed and informative environment with your peers.

Admission is free, but seating is limited so please RSVP to info@the-bridal-studio.com.

Allyson & Michael

2009-02-23T11:34:00.000-05:00

Allyson and Michael's wedding was my last wedding of 2008 and it was a true "Winter Wonderland" wedding - every detail was so gorgeous! Which is why I had such a difficult time picking photos from the many sent to me by their uber-talented photographer Neysa Ruhl for this blog post! But I think I've finally chosen my favorites, so away we go -

I first met with Allyson, Pam (Mother of the Bride) and Carly (sister and Maid of Honor) in December of 2007; they were referred to me by the wonderful Robyn Jones of the Hilton Netherland Plaza. (A year out may seem far to some people for "week-of coordination", but with professional consultants "day of" and "week of" often starts at minimum a month out, and many of us offer unlimited email and phone contact throughout planning, starting from the moment you sign on). Allyson was so "on it" even that far out - she already had the majority of her major vendors booked, and I could already tell it was going to be a great night!

As the planning went on, I learned all about The Dress. Allyson found and fell in love with a gown designed by Project Runway's own Austin Scarlett! It was every bit as stunning as I expected it to be, and I love the fur stole Allyson added, it was the perfect touch for this winter wedding. Fast-forward to December of '08 and I finally met Michael at our tie-down meeting with Robyn at the Hilton! The next week at the rehearsal I was dubbed "Agent Alison" (I'm sure something to do with my all-black attire and ever-present clipboard?) and we were at last able to get the celebration started. Many thanks to all of the vendors who worked so well as a team and helped the day go so smoothly...

My assistant Amanda started the day early with me as we picked up lunch at Servatii for the bridal party. When we arrived at the hotel, Kelly Ledford of CinciMakeup and Missi and Kelly from Allyson's salon were already there working their magic. Your Chauffeur Limousine transported the bridal party in separate limos to the ceremony site: Norman Chapel at Spring Grove, where Kristen Sekowski and her team at Yellow Canary had just put up their finishing touches. Pro Art Music's quartet greeted the guests with music as they arrived. Pastor Tammy Jo Reiser of Waynesville United Methodist Church officiated the ceremony, and a classic 1964 Rolls Royce awaited Allyson and Michael to whisk them off to their reception at the Hilton's Continental Room. The cutting of the beautiful (and delicious!) cake from Dessertworks started off the reception and Fred Caldwell, owner of DJ Butlers and friend of Allyson's family, kept everyone on the dance floor. Keeping with the time of year, Allyson & Michael provided small ornaments to all their guests as favors. Neysa Ruhl and her fabulous second shooter Karen were there to capture it all...

Allyson and Michael, Amanda and I had such fun working with you and your wonderful families! We hope you enjoyed your wedding as much as we did and then some! Congratulations!

Lucky Designs

2009-02-12T15:13:00.002-05:00

Lucky Designs has a newly designed blog site - FILLED with tons of great ideas and inspiration. The Cincinnati-based designer started her "Lucky Me" blog after being inspired by the many blogs she turned to during her own wedding prep. Check out eLuckyMe.com!

Lucky Designs is currently hosting a contest to win a FREE custom monogram! To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment describing your favorite feature of the new blog by Friday, February 27th (midnight EST)! Click here for more.

Special Offer from Take-One Studio

2009-02-11T18:21:00.013-05:00

I just got an e-mail from Patti Needham of Take-One Studio, letting me know about a new service they are offering, the "Bridal Bailout". It is a stripped-down version of their fantastic wedding videos, for brides who know they want an excellent wedding video but are being cost-conscious due to the economy.

Patti's description of their special offer: "We know the economy is hurting everyone right now and we would like to help out. So we are offering your clients our "Bridal Bailout". A very simple concept. We will film a wedding with a 3 hour minimum for a single camera @ $200 per hour & two cameras at $300 per hour. Wedding will be filmed in widescreen format and delivered on 1 DVD. Of course we will definitely edit the wedding. It will have our name on it! :) But the editing will be a straight documentary. No special effects or music dub. It will be titled and the DVD will have chapters. Just think of us without all of the bells and whistles. Delivery of DVD to client will be in 3 - 4 weeks guaranteed!"

This is an amazing deal! I encourage you to check out Take One's website and view the sample videos in the "Screening Room". Please let her know we sent you :)

Brideface Open House | February 15th

2009-02-11T18:21:00.009-05:00

Come meet the lovely ladies of Brideface at The Bridal Studio on February 15th from 12-4. What a perfect opportunity to sample professional makeup, have some munchies and mimosas and hobnob with other brides. Nancy, Mollie, Jenny, Jasmine, and Penny will all be there showing off their skills!

Have you always wanted to see what you look like in false lashes? Dying to try a smoky eye? Toying with a retro look to go with that birdcage veil? Looking to pick up a few tricks or tips? Maybe you are just on the fence about whether you want to hire a pro for the Big Day. Here is your chance to play! Tell all your engaged friends that this is where they need to be.

Sunday, February 15th from noon to 4 at 714 Madison in Covington (direction available on The Bridal Studio's website). RSVP to Nancy@brideface.com or on their Facebook page.

Hope to see you there!

Bridal Event at Newport Aquarium

2009-02-06T08:43:00.004-05:00

The Newport Aquarium (Currents Ballroom) is hosting a free bridal open house on Sunday, February 22nd, from 3pm - 6pm. All future brides and their guests are invited to attend!

Each bride will receive a Currents remembrance gift...and be eligible for some great door prizes. You can sample complimentary hors d' oeuvres from their exclusive caterer, Cuisine by Jean-Robert, and also enjoy a special wine tasting. Meet several of Newport Aquarium's preferred vendors including florists, photographers, DJs & others.

If you are looking for that unique space, then you should attend this event! Currents Ballroom offers your guests an extraordinary experience they'll never forget. Enjoy breathtaking views of the Cincinnati skyline and the Ohio River through their floor to ceiling windows or from their outdoor deck. Depending upon your desired setup, Currents can provide seating for up to 240 guests for dinner or up to 200 guests for dinner and dancing.

Interested attendees can RSVP by calling 859.815.1427 or emailing Margaret at mtimmins@newportaquarium.com.

I will definitely be attending, and I hope to see you there!

Cincinnati Wedding Seminar Recap

2009-01-24T18:18:00.007-05:00

I had such fun today on the panel for Cincinnati Wedding magazine's seminar, "Planned Perfection", at Joseph-Beth Booksellers. The four other wonderful wedding planners and I fielded questions from the magazine's marketing coordinator Amy Knueven and from the members of the audience. Here are a few points that we discussed.

Budgeting! And more specifically, the importance of knowing your budget ahead of time and being upfront with vendors about what spending range you would like stay within when you meet with them for a consultation.
Priorities. In timelines: booking your venue and photography early to insure you get the vendors you want, and in budgeting: spending more in the areas that are important to you and less in the areas that aren't.
Suggestions. We gave suggestions in a number of categories including ceremony musicians: Lyrica, Pro Art Music, and CCM Students.

I stayed for the second half of the seminar, "Timeless Beauty", to serve as a model for Jenny Costello of Brideface (I use the term 'model' loosely!). Jenny made up one half of my face before the seminar started to illustrate the difference between everyday makeup that you can do on your own and professional application. It was the perfect way to show what a huge difference it makes! Jenny, along with Shane Weber and Chenese Bean, gave some great advice regarding hair and makeup. Some key points from their part of the day:

Proper skin care. It was suggested to start a regular skin care routine well in advance of the wedding day to make sure that your skin is in perfect condition! It was also recommended to try to get your groom in on a skincare routine as well (easier said than done, right?).
The importance of a trial run. All professional hair stylists and makeup artists will do a trial run (it is sometimes included in the cost of your wedding day service, and other times billed as a separate cost). It was recommeneded to do your trial no sooner than a month or so before the wedding, so that you don't change your mind a zillion times in between.

I'll admit, being my opinionated self, it was a tad bit difficult to be just a model and not pipe in with my 2¢ during their part of the seminar, but I kept my place and stayed quiet except to say one thing: that it is ALWAYS worth it to hire a professional to do your hair and makeup. The cost of their services will be a small percentage of the cost of your photography, and if you are spending thousands on photography there is no reason to not spend a small amount on ensuring that you look and feel your best. Professional makeup artists are aware of how makeup looks in photographs and are experts at creating looks that are natural to the naked eye but still pop in your pictures. So I stated my case in that area and then hushed back up to let the experts continue with their tips and tricks! :) Chris Ohmer, the magazine's marketing director, was kind enough to send this pic of Jenny and me:

Perhaps the best part of the afternoon was that Maribelle Cakery, one of the best bakeries in Cincinnati, provided very generous samples of their delicious cakes. I highly recommend considering them for your wedding day! Contact Seth to schedule a tasting appointment -- you will not be disappointed!

All in all it was a great afternoon, and I hope everyone that attended found it beneficial.

Guest Post on Brideface

2009-01-23T11:08:00.005-05:00

Hop on over to the Brideface Blog to read my guest post with tips on how to organize your wedding day before the ceremony to make sure you are relaxed and ready to walk down the aisle stress-free!

Wedding Planning and Wedding Beauty Seminars

2009-01-21T21:47:00.005-05:00

Cincinnati Wedding Magazine requests your presence at two free wedding seminars at Joseph-Beth Booksellers on Saturday, January 24, 2009.

PLANNED PERFECTION: Noon - 1:00pm, tips & tricks from local bridal consultants, including Aviva Events.

TIMELESS BEAUTY: 2:00 - 3:00pm, hair & makeup tips for flawless style

Following each seminar, enjoy refreshments and meet with Steve Smith, Cincinnati Wedding editor, and the guest experts.

Seating is limited. RSVP with the link below or contact Chris Ohmer at 513-562-2777 or cohmer@cintimag.emmis.com.

http://www.cincinnatimagazinewedding.com/promotions/promotion.aspx?id=27860

My pals at Brideface have asked me to stick around for the beauty seminar to serve as their "model", so I'll be there all afternoon! I'll be a great example of how they really can make ANYONE look amazing! :) I hope you'll stop by to pick my brain as well as the brains of the other wonderful planners who will be in attendance.

See you Saturday!

Color Inspiration

2009-01-14T09:06:00.004-05:00

Struggling with color inspiration for your spring wedding, shower or party? Pantone regularly releases their "fashion color reports"; and I love their Spring '09 Top Ten. These colors are such a great "wake up" from winter!
My personal favorites are Slate Grey, Palace Blue and Lucite Green (can you tell I'm craving a beach vacation???). Which are your favorites? Any predictions for what will make their list for Fall 2009?

20 Brix + Wagner Photographics

2009-01-10T09:19:00.000-05:00

One of the great things for me about this time of year (other than meeting with so many great new clients!) is having a bit of downtime to catch up with other vendors. Yesterday I met with Cindy Wagner, the amazingly talented owner/photographer of Wagner Photographics, for lunch at one of my favorite restaurants, 20 Brix. Cindy has a great aesthetic, and I love looking through all the pictures on her site and her blog. They are always so vibrant and tell the story of the day so beautifully! She is also great at getting those detail shots that I crave as a planner. Equally important, she is incredibly sweet : ) Photographers - particularly fabulous ones like Cindy - book up fast, so I always recommend booking them as early as you can in your planning process. Here are a few other things to keep in mind when looking for a photographer:

OPTIONS: What is included in their package? Do you get prints or a disc or both? How many hours will they be with you? Do they have an assistant or 2nd shooter? Is an engagement session included, or is it extra?
STYLE: What is their shooting style? If they're more photojournalistic, do they mind doing a handful of traditional portraits during the day as well? You can get a general idea of this by browsing their websites and blogs, and if you're still unsure, ask to see an album of a full wedding start to finish.
PERSONALITY: Whenever possible, meet with them in person! This is someone who will be around you ALL day on one of the most important days of your life... even if they are a great photographer, if your personalities don't mesh you may want to look into some other options.

Also - a quick note about 20 Brix. It is a fabulous wine bar/store and restaurant in Old Milford (just east of Cincinnati), with amazing food and a huge wine selection. They host wine and beer tastings regularly - a great idea for a unique bachelor or bachelorette party! And also just a great spot to unwind with a glass of wine. Check it out!

Here we are at 20 Brix... yes her photo of me of course came out much better than the one I took of her. Can I blame my iPhone? ;)

The Opposite of Bitter

2009-01-05T16:48:00.005-05:00

That's what this video is; whatever is the opposite of "bitter". (Which, I suppose technically speaking, is "sweet").
For those who aren't aware, I co-chair and co-produce the annual Bitter Bridesmaid Bash along with The Bridal Studio and Beth Brigger of All Occasions. The event is a dress drive and benefit for Kenzie's Closet, which provides prom gowns and accessories to economically disadvantaged high school seniors.

Many thanks to Steve Zugelter of Glass Eye Video for putting this together for us!

Enjoy! We'll post details about the 2009 Bash sometime soon.

Hello, 2009

2008-12-31T19:55:00.005-05:00

2008 was a fabulous year and I have my many wonderful clients and colleagues to thank for that. I love love LOVED being a part of so many wonderful events and was inspired by everyone I worked with. But as much as I have loved 2008, I am equally READY for 2009! I am so excited for the events that are already in the works, as well as those that I don't even know about yet. I'm looking forward to all of the stories and surprises that the new year will be bring.

My New Year's resolution is the the same as it is every year - to put my gym membership to actual use! If there are any Urban Active members out there who want to help me with my resolution, let me know! I'm much better at going to the gym when someone else guilts me into going. And if YOUR resolution is to have a stress-free wedding or event, then contact me and I can make sure it happens :)

A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone!

Best wishes,

Fabulous February Deal

2008-12-30T21:23:00.014-05:00

At my last wedding of 2008, the bride and groom commented to me multiple times how surprised (and happy!) they were that the day was going so smoothly and seamlessly. Their secret? Very simple - they chose high-quality, professional vendors (more on that to come in their recap which will be posted soon). On your wedding day, your wedding vendors work as a team to make sure that everything happens precisely the way you envisioned, so having a team of professionals that complement each other in style and process is key.

That said, what if you could have two high-quality, professional vendors for the price of one? For the month of February 2009 only, Lifetime Video is offering complimentary wedding day coordination with any package booked. The process is simple - when you book Lifetime Video for your videography, you'll receive complimentary wedding day coordination from your choice of 3 companies (including Aviva Events) as well as special discounts from Brideface. For more details, contact Matt Pine - (513) 231-0080 or matt@lifetime-video.com.

Please spread the word - it's a deal to good to be missed!

Happy Birthday, Steph!

2008-12-28T21:43:00.003-05:00

Happy Birthday, Steph!

In Cincinnati, we're very lucky because there are an outrageous number of photographers, and within that outrageous number there is somewhere between 7 and 10 that are (in my opinion) truly amazing artists. Steph Carson definitely falls in that "artist" category, and today was her birthday! She celebrated by having a surprise (on the guests!) party at her newly opened studio downtown. Purple was the theme, to celebrate her new logo/blog design (or maybe she just really loves purple? or both?)... Nancy was on hand to prettify and purpleify the guests before they each got a photo taken on the purple couch, and purple champagne was popped just for the occassion. Now if I were smart, I would have broken out my brand new Flip Video (thank you, Seth) which was in my purse and taken some quick shots of the fun to share with everyone. But I'm not used to having my awesome new technology yet, so I didn't even think to until after I had left. But-- Matt Pine of Lifetime Video was there to document it all, so be sure to check his blog!

Steph, I'm glad I got to see your new space and celebrate your birthday with you, even if I didn't get to stay as long as I would have liked to. I hope you had a truly fantastic day!
*** had to update to include this pic, which I stole (yep, I'm bad) from Steph's blog. LOVE it.

Nancy & Rich

2008-12-24T21:00:00.000-05:00

Nancy and Rich were married in late October at her parent's home, which was the perfect setting for this small wedding. We lucked out with PERFECT weather, and the small group of guests (about 40 of their closest friends and family) gathered on the deck to watch Nancy and Rich exchange their wedding vows. Nancy's children were included in the ceremony as well, and when they were asked if they would accept Rich as their dad, there was not a dry eye on the deck! Beautiful, beautiful ceremony.

To transform the Dawson's home and yard into a 'wedding venue', we rented tables and chairs (and a porch heater) from All Occasions (thank you Beth & Kristen), and draped the porch and yard with string lights and hanging lanterns. Loads of candles both inside and out helped to warm the space and set the mood. Much credit has to be given to Nancy's father for all his work on the lighting scheme! Additional small porch heaters were purchased from Target to help keep the porch space warm enough for guests to dine comfortably.

Being her fabulously stylish self, Nancy of course put a lot of DIY work into her wedding. When I spoke with her the morning of the wedding she said to me "I want it to look like Anthropologie threw up in my living room". She succeeded (in the best of ways, of course!). She found a great vintage-inspired fabric online and had a local seamstress create table runners to liven up the simple linens provided by her caterer. Nancy also hired an etsy seller to create dresses for her daughter and niece using some of the same fabric - they were ADORABLE.

In the screened-in porch and connecting living room we combined banquet tables to create long, family-style seating to best suit the space and to compliment the slightly more casual feel of the event. The center of the dining tables were lined with small potted plants, mercury glass candlesticks, small bell jars, and other 'found' objects -- the final effect was beautiful, and very "anthropologie-esque". Nancy's bouquet was created by Courtenay Lambert, and I have to say that it is one of my absolute favorites from all of 2008.

Funky's Catering provided the beyond-delicious dinner and desserts (displayed on silver cake stands we found at one of many post-meeting trips to Home Goods), and the backyard fire pit was put to good use as a S'mores station... way too much fun for both the kids and the adults. Tine Hoffman (tm photography) photographed all the gorgeous details (all the images in this post I have swiped off her blog as well as from Nance's facebook - sorry/thanks Tine!) -- and had the very first s'more of her life that night!

It sounds a bit trite but it is absolutely true, it was a beautiful wedding for a beautiful couple and family!

Congratulations Nance & Rich!

Happy Holidays

2008-12-24T09:10:00.002-05:00

Are you sick of seeing "ElfYourself" cards from your friends and family yet?
Too bad, because here's another one - Happy Holidays from the Aviva Events team! :)

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Wedding Day Makeup

2008-12-23T10:39:00.004-05:00

OK so I have to admit that I'm a bit of a blog addict - clearly not in the writing sense of things, but in the sense that I have about 25 blog feeds directed to my inbox that I check on a regular basis. So this morning when I checked to see what the the two new posts from Style Me Pretty were... I was SO excited to see that one of them was a feature on my dear friend Nancy of Brideface! It's a great post with some quick tips from Nance on how to look your best on your wedding day (quick tip from me: just hire Nancy).

The Style Me Pretty post also reminded me that I'm totally overdue on blogging Nancy's wedding! I promise to post something by end of day tomorrow. :)

Stylish Yumminess (the best kind of yumminess)

2008-12-12T14:34:00.006-05:00

This has nothing to do with anything, although I can pretend that it does by telling you that these would make such a lovely favor for a winter wedding. Which if you're going to bother with a favor (less and less couples are these days), make it edible! So few people save the trinkets like mini picture frames and whatnot.

Anyway back to the yummy picture at right... isn't it gorgeous? I swiped it from Design*Sponge, which is my favorite daily read of all the (perhaps too many) blogs that I follow. What a great example of how putting a simple twist on a basic concept can completely personalize it and make it all the more special without much (if any) more effort or expense. And we all know that everything tastes better when it's fancified.

So when planning your next event, keep that in mind, and swap out the white linens for something colorful or patterned, serve a signature drink instead of plain old wine (just rename your wine something fun if you're short on time!), or cut your dessert cookies into anything other than a circle. Life's in the details and the details should reflect you!

Now I'm off to attempt to make some cookies. Anyone have any good (and more importantly, easy) recipes? Please share!

Sarah & Adam: Revisited

2008-12-11T17:00:00.009-05:00

Sarah and Adam's wedding was way back in July, and while I already blogged about it with my non-pro pics, I am just now finally getting around to posting some of the pro pictures from the wonderful Geri Ciulla of Ciulla Photography. Gorgeous! The ceremony was held at St. Monica-St. George in Clifton and the reception was held at the Krippendorf Lodge at the Cincinnati Nature Center.

Holiday Loveliness at Poeme

2008-12-10T22:49:00.004-05:00

The other day, Amanda (the very talented associate coordinator at Aviva Events) and I had a field trip afternoon. We lunched at Potbelly (a favorite of mine for catering small, casual lunches -- YUM) and then visited a few venues that Amanda had yet to see (mostly park properties, managed by HPM). But in between lunch and the venue lesson, we stopped in to Poeme on Michigan Avenue for some general perusing of merchandise and annoying of Phil (co-owner with Kristen).

First things first- their window displays are always so freaking cute. Makes me want to buy lots of paper and make cute things out of it. I guess that would be the point, of perhaps I am just very much their target demographic. (Good work, Kristen and Phil!). Secondly, the store is filled with a GREAT variety of holiday cards (not to mention of course stationery, wedding included), and lots of fun gift choices, too. My personal favorite line of cards that they carry (other than Kristen's own Cardiology, of course) is by a company called Uncooked. These cards are NOT for the faint of heart, and are definitely not sweet in any way, shape or form. They are more snarky, tongue-in-cheek, and in my opinion wonderfully funny. These are the cards that you know you can only send to certain people! Love them. Some are nicer than (and some are less nice than) this one below:
My PSA for today is to let you know that Poeme is offering 20% of all boxed holiday cards now through December 24th. BUT the offer is only available to those who subscribe to their email list. Not a subscriber? Sign up! Need the email to print off? Let me know... I'll forward it to you. :)

Thankful

2008-11-27T09:02:00.002-05:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope everyone is having a great day of family, food and football*. In case you are wondering, that at left is Seth's "nephew" Rambo at last year's Thanksgiving. He's wearing a pilgrim hat (what, it wasn't obvious?). *ok I know nothing of the football part, but I can still wish you all a good game!

I'm thankful for many, many things that probably can't be covered in a simple list but I'm going to try anyway.

1. Family. My grandma Bess for her style, strength and sassiness. My grandparents Lee and Jane for their kindness and their stories. My many cousins for creating adorable babies for me to play with at all of our holiday functions. My sister for trusting me to plan 100% of her wedding this summer. My brother-in-law, Colin, for putting up with my sister. My parents for, well, everything. My Seth (who is not officially family, but may as well be), for his amazing support and for allowing me to play mommy to Priscilla (his tabby cat). Priscilla, for keeping me company in "the office".

2. Friends. My Seth (again), for being my best friend, always making me laugh, bringing me treats from UDF, the list could go on and on. Kate, for allowing me to be snarky and for always being down for going to a movie. Moira, for understanding the importance of 'investing' in one's wardrobe and for many many dinner dates. Holly, for always having the best gossip and for joining me in the MAA. Jamie, for iChats. Robyn, for appreciating dessert just as much as I do. Nora for having fabulous advice and always so freely loaning her accessories. Angela, for encouraging me to get to the gym (and not getting mad - I hope - when I rarely do). Lauren S, for never failing to ask me when I'm going to "get married already". Lauren K for always inviting me to trivia even though I rarely know any answers. All my wedding&events-industry friends, for "getting it". For their support. For keeping me laughing. For doing AMAZING work for my clients and making me look even better in the process. For many lunch dates. For giving me so many reasons to love my job.

3. Clients. My spectacular clients for being fun, funny and not afraid to show their personalities in their weddings and events! For proving that the term Bridezilla was made up by the media and doesn't really exist (at least not in my world). For trusting me to take control so that they can live and enjoy each moment. For sharing their wonderful ideas. For providing me with fabulous stories; some beautiful, some funny, never scary. For keeping in touch after their events are over. For the kind, kind words of thanks they send my way, which remind me that my job is far from frivolous and includes the best of both worlds: helping others and having fun/being creative while doing so. For letting me in their inner circles on Very Important Days. For cracking me up.

4. Silliness. Such as: Celebrity gossip, iPhone apps, Twitter, Photobooths, Shoes and lots of them, Zip's Cafe, Facebook, Mad Men, Gossip Girl, Other people's blogs, Sky Miles, and Fireplaces.

Oh wow that's a lot to be thankful for - and it's just skimming the surface. Last-but-not-least, I am thankful for "scheduling" settings on Blogger so that I can post this without taking pause from watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade :)

What are YOU thankful for?