• Vendor Spotlight,  Wedding Pro Tips

    You had me at wedding CAKE!

    If you know me, then you know that the way to my heart is wedding cake! Just put a piece of cake in front of me and I’ll say “yes” to just about anything, lol! Which brings me to my topic for today…wedding cakes! And who better to talk to than Anita Algiene, the owner of The Midnight Sun Cakery about cakes! If you have never had one of her cakes, then you are surely missing out, and I am not exaggerating! Years ago I attended the Fall Wedding Show and Anita was a vendor there. She served samples of an almond cake that was to die for. Normally, almond…

  • Wedding Pro Tips

    The death of “Day-of-Coordination”

    For years in the wedding planning world, there has been a lot of discussion on not using the term “Day-of-Coordination.” “Day-of” suggests that a wedding planner will come in on the day of your wedding and magically work his or her magic, without ever learning or assisting with the details before the actual day. And the fact is, that’s not how it happens. Because in all actuality some of us come in a week prior, a month prior, or even two months before to start assisting with a wedding. More and more planners are using “Wedding Management” to replace “Day-of-Coordination” or in my case, I use “Wedding Direction.” After I…

  • Life in Alaska,  Real Alaskan Weddings,  Wedding Pro Tips

    After Wedding Photos

    Getting photos back from a wedding are like Christmas morning for wedding planners! So, when I got my hands on Heather and John’s wedding photos from July, I was ecstatic, to say the least. I knew they were going to be ahhh-mazing because the wedding and the couple were just gorgeous, to begin with!  To my surprise, there was a little something extra in this batch…after wedding photos. What are after wedding photos? Exactly as it sounds, photos taken the day or days after your wedding. Whenever I have had couples do a photoshoot after their wedding they have turned out gorgeous, and it just brings a different element to…

  • Wedding Pro Tips

    Hey Mr. DJ!

    There are two things that you can tell me that make me die a little bit inside. One is that you don’t want to hire a photographer, and two, you don’t need a DJ! Yes, you do to both! But we are only going to talk about one of these right now…the DJ! I often hear people tell me that they don’t need a DJ because their guests are not a dancing crowd, and that ends up being the opposite. Not only does a DJ get the crowd fist-pumping but they have so much more that they bring to the table. 1. They provide music and sound for your ceremony.…

  • Wedding Pro Tips

    The tipping point!

    One of the most dreaded questions that I get asked by my clients is, “Are we supposed to tip our vendors?” It’s one of those awkward moments for me because I almost feel like they are asking if they need to tip me. But part of starting this diary was to not only communicate the good but the bad and the ugly right? Or shall I say “the uncomfortable?” Look, I get it, weddings are expensive. And now on top of that, you hear that you need to tip your vendors. But in short, the answer is no, you don’t have to tip anyone if you don’t want to. None…

  • Behind the Scenes,  Wedding Pro Tips

    Strike a pose!

    So, I did a little thing the other day, I finally got professional photos taken for my i do Events website. I figured it was time to switch out that old selfie for a proper photo! Part of the reason why it took me so long, as I was waiting for the right moment, you know the moment when you’ve lost all that weight and you are feeling sexy and you know it? Yeah well, I determined after 8 years, that moment was not coming anytime soon! So I just needed to “just do it!” Thanks, Nike for the motivational quote! I think the hardest decision for me was who…