Let Them Eat Cake :: Saturday, April 24th

Hey everyone! Just wanted to spread the word about "Let Them Eat Cake!", a fundraising event taking place at the Children's Musuem this Saturday, April 24th. If you like cake (I mean who doesn't, right?!), then this is definitely an event you'll want to check out! The event features a cake decorating and tasting contest, an open wine/beer bar, entertainment, and a silent auction. 

For more details about the event, check out the "Let Them Eat Cake!" Facebook fan page! 

2010 " Day Of " Discount!

Attn 2010 brides! We are almost completely booked for the 2010 wedding season...only a few more dates are left during the months of August - December. If you're considering hiring a " Day of " wedding coordinator, head on over to the Simply Perfect Weddings website for more info about our services (" Day of " services begin at $950). 

Curious as to what " Day of " actually means? Well, here's a look at our standard service level: 

• Two face-to-face consultations to obtain a clear understanding of your visions and goals for the day, discuss contracted vendors, and develop timeline of the wedding day.
• Unlimited phone call and email consultations
• Preparation of wedding day timeline 
• Communication with all vendors the week prior to the wedding to confirm arrival/delivery times. Also distribute final timeline to wedding day vendors.
• Provision of your personalized wedding day emergency kit (with everything you could ever need!)
• Full rehearsal coordination (up to 1 ½ hours) – Including: directing flow of processional, offering advice, communicating special seating requests to ushers, and distributing wedding day itinerary to family members and bridal party
• Full wedding day coordination (up to 12 hours) that includes the following:

• Delivery and set-up of all ceremony and reception items such as Guest Book, Card Box, Toasting Glasses, Table Numbers, Seating/Place Cards, Favors, Lighting Candles, and additional decorating assistance as needed. (Size limits apply)
• Direct wedding ceremony & reception
• Lining up and cueing wedding party for their walk down the aisle, along with introductions
• Assistance with handing out bouquets, pinning corsages & boutonnières
• Cueing both ceremony and reception musicians to ensure correct pace and timing
• Assisting your MOH with the bustling of your wedding gown
• Supervision of all onsite vendors to ensure everything is provided as contracted, including greeting vendors, overseeing deliveries, and answering vendor questions.
• Secure all gifts at the end of the evening to ensure they are going to the correct place
• Assist with basic clean-up of ceremony and reception sites

Promo :: The next 2 brides to book our "Wedding Day Coordination" services (for a 2010 wedding) will receive a $100 discount!

Simply Perfect Weddings Team :: Meet Danielle

Good morning everyone! A few weeks ago I introduced you to Meghan, one of the two newest additions to our team. Today, I wanted to introduce you to Danielle, the other new member of the Simply Perfect Weddings team. Both of these ladies are fabulous, and each bring a different element to the team. Watch out Pittsburgh, this summer the SPW team is coming to a wedding near you! ;)

Meet Danielle!

1. First off, tell us a little about yourself:

My name is Danielle, and I am from Mt. Lebanon, PA. I have one older sister who is living in Chicago, IL. Currently, I am working on my Commercial Interior Design bachelor’s degree from The Ohio State University in Columbus, OH. I love to go out to eat with friends and family. I am a born and raised Pittsburgh sports fan. Dancing has been a huge part of my life since I was three years old. I am very interested in creating atmospheres for people to have fun in!

2. If you had to describe yourself in three words, they would be…

Determined, Creative, Compassionate

3. What is one thing you absolutely cannot live without?

Hot or Iced Tea

4. If you could visit any location in the world where would it be, and why?

Italy, to see the old architecture

5. If you could have an endless supply of any food, what would it be? 

Any type of seafood

6. Describe your perfect day off – no work, no school, and no “to-do’s”. 

I would hope it is sunny outside to sit by a pool reading a magazine, working on my tan

7. Top 5 songs currently on your iPod/iTunes playlist? 

1. Bell Bottom Blues – Eric Clapton

2. Need You Now – Lady Antebellum

3. Carry Out – Timbaland/Justin Timberlake

4. Far Behind –Candlebox

5. Best I Ever Had – Drake

8. You just found a $100 bill {you checked & no one claimed it}, what do you do with it?

Go out to dinner!

9. Finish the sentence. “Never have I ever….”

 

. . . been over seas

10. If you could attend any celebrity wedding {past, present, or future}, whose would it be? 

Gwen Stefani

Photographer Spotlight :: Pamela Marie Photography

Our last (but certainly not least!) photographer in our 'New Faces Photographer Spotlight' is Pamela Sodini, owner of Pamela Marie Photography. I've had the pleasure of working with Pamela on numerous weddings, and have even worked with her one-on-one when she shot my business head shots last spring. I can tell first hand how much Pamela truly loves what she does! Pamela's passion and unique artistic style is clearly evident in every single image that she takes! To learn more about Pamela, check out her Q + A session below: 

1. First off, tell us a little about yourself:

I like to think I'm fun and refreshing. I stay open-minded and have the highest respect for others who do as well! I'm the kind of person who buys her jeans at Marshalls but will spend a grand or two on a camera lens. I like lying diagonal on the bed once in a while, just because. I smile a lot, think a lot, and take a lot of pictures. I'm curious about the world. I laugh at myself- I laugh a lot period!

2. How did you get started in photography?

I have a tendency to plan out my life. While in college I tried really hard to pick the perfect career for myself… through lots of interviews and about a million career path questionnaires. All along roaming the streets with my SLR camera and spending all of my extra cash on countless rolls of film! But photography just didn’t seem like a viable career path at the time, a very clear plan, and so I ended up with a very practical business degree.

Wasn’t it John Lennon who said life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans? Living in New York City and later in Los Angeles, I kept up at my photography “on the side,” enrolling in college courses and shooting actor headshots and sports coverage. Business grew, mainly from word of mouth, and I moved on to family portraits and formal events. But it was the photojournalistic-style event coverage that grabbed me. In particular, weddings. How exciting!! From there, the decision for me to resign from the corporate world and devote my career entirely to photography was relatively easy for me.

So I guess my photography business evolved all on its own, rooted in a simple passion for the art. And I’m ever so grateful!!

3. Describe your wedding photography approach and style.

I approach photography the way I approach life- with my eyes and ears wide open. Every wedding is different and reflects each couple’s uniqueness, and so it’s incredibly important that I get to know the couple and how they work together. Our engagement session is a big part of that, getting prepared for the big day.

On the wedding day itself, my biggest goal is to keep it fun! I understand that people sometimes view photography as the least exciting part of the day, and I challenge myself to change that view. :) The actual events of the day I cover in an artistic photojournalistic style, making sure to capture all the details. Then when it comes to the photoshoots, I encourage setting aside time so that we can create beautiful fine art images! Ultimately it’s your day and your schedule, but I can make recommendations within that framework to maximize time for your photography investment.

4. What do you like best about your job?

I love the excitement, the emotion!! Being able to create memories for my couples is such an honor! And one I don’t take lightly. How lucky am I to share one of the most important days in my couples’ lives??

5. What keeps you motivated?

I don’t overcommit. Limiting my workload to one wedding per weekend is critical! It keeps me excited about each and every wedding I shoot. I also keep up on my personal photography work and stay in touch with other wedding professionals. Ultimately my brides inspire me each week, because they are each unique and bring their own personalities to their wedding days. How fun to discover how they do this firsthand!

6. If you weren’t a photographer, what would you be?

I always thought I’d do well in a career that gave me a creative outlet, a certain amount of independence, and lots of helping people in tangible ways. So that said, if I were to have to give up my camera <*cringe!*>, then I think I’d enjoy counseling or perhaps being a nurse practitioner.

7. What is one thing you absolutely cannot live without?

It’s too obvious to say my camera, right?? ;)

Okay well then I’d have to go with my GPS. Which is odd, because I really do have a good sense of direction. It’s just that I bought the darn thing as soon as I moved to Pittsburgh about 2 years ago, and I’ve gotten so used to just following the directions. Now it’s completely crippled me- I still haven’t learned my way around!!

8. If you could photograph a wedding for anyone, who would it be?

My absolute favorite brides are lots of fun, vibrant, and full of creativity. They’re a bit offbeat, and they really care about their wedding photography. That said, I think Ellen and Portia’s wedding would have been a blast to do, or Julia Roberts, or maybe Gwen Stefani's. Wish I could have shot my sister’s but as MOH that would have been difficult! :)

9. Please share a few of your favorite photos with us: 

For more information about Pamela's services, check out her website and blog.

All images courtesy of Pamela Marie Photography.

Simply Perfect Weddings Team :: Meet Meghan

If you haven't heard the news already, I am delighted to announce the newest members of the Simply Perfect Weddings team, Meghan and Danielle. Meghan and Danielle will be assisting me with weddings for our 2010 season, and I thought it would be fun to introduce them to our clients and readers with a Q + A session.

Today, meet Meghan!

1. First off, tell us a little about yourself:

I am originally from the Altoona/Johnstown area but I now reside in Pittsburgh, where I attend school. You will almost always catch me in a pair of heels because I am only five feet tall! I am obsessed with fashion, cupcakes, frozen yogurt, and the 1940s. Yoga and dance are my preferred choice of exercise. I love quotes.. they cover my work space for motivation. Also, music is a huge part of my life. I have had the delight to play the role of wedding singer at numerous weddings over the years. Now I am tickled to be diving into my passion for wedding planning by joining Sumer and the SPW team! : )

2. If you had to describe yourself in three words, they would be…

Genuine. Sophisticated. Caring. 

3. What is one thing you absolutely cannot live without?

My newest little compact piece of technology: The Kindle. It holds 1,500 books.. perfect for my reading fix. It is great for vacation and long trips instead of carrying around a load of books! 

4. If you could visit any location in the world where would it be, and why?

Greece is very high on my list of must see places. The landscapes and history are unbelievable. And the locals’ zesty hospitality for visitors is a definite plus!

5. If you could have an endless supply of any food, what would it be? 

I am a huge fan of pasta—Fra Diavlo and Gnocci especially-- from a little restaurant in my hometown. But my real addiction might be the fresh bread before the entrée!

6. Describe your perfect day off – no work, no school, and no “to-do’s”. 

I would have to start off spending some quality time by the pool. Laying out and swimming is a must for a relaxing day! Then I would have a lovely appointment to have my nails done and maybe even a massage! Meet my girlfriends for lunch, followed by some shopping at Urban Outfitters and Ann Taylor Loft.

7. Top 5 songs currently on your iPod/iTunes playlist? 

Anything by Ingrid Michaelson...her cover of Can’t Help Falling in Love with You is by far my favorite.
Already Gone – Kelly Clarkson
Waking Up in Vegas – Katy Perry
It Feels Like Home – Chantel Kreviazuk
Break Even – The Script

8. You just found a $100 bill {you checked & no one claimed it}, what do you do with it?

Take my family out for a night..dinner and a movie!

9. Finish the sentence. “Never have I ever….” 

Traveled out of the country..but this summer that will change when I venture to Austria!

10. If you could attend any celebrity wedding {past, present, or future}, whose would it be? 

Hands down Giuliana and Bill Rancic (E! Network, The Apprentice). They had a gorgeous September wedding in Capri, Italy. (Such a romantic setting!) It was a small, elegant wedding with around 170 guests. The ceremony itself was held at Santa Sophia Church, built 500 hundred years ago. The architecture is absolutely breath taking. The elaborate reception had a 16 piece orchestra. Not to mention some of the celebrities on the guest list would have kept me highly entertained, especially my favorite comedian, Chelsea Handler.

Video Blog :: Economical Rehearsal Dinner Options

It's a long one today, but there were quite a few things I wanted to address regarding the topic of rehearsal dinners. Hope you enjoy it! 

Happy Friday!

After The Wedding Day :: Love, Milk & Honey

Today I wanted to feature one of my new favorite daily reads...Love, Milk & Honey. Love, Milk & Honey is not just a blog, it's an online community for couples beginning their journey together after the glitz and the glam of the wedding day is over.  

Lauren Kelly, who also happens to be a wedding planner is the author of Love, Milk & Honey. In her words, "This site was started because I frequently see those couples deep in the wedding planning of it all lose sight of what comes after the big day. Couples need to spend just as much time preparing for days 2 – the end, as they do for day 1. The whole point of a wedding is to celebrate a MARRIAGE. Are you preparing for it?"

Well said, Lauren! I wholeheartedly agree! I highly encourage all engaged couples, as well as newly married couples to check out Love, Milk & Honey. A wide variety of topics are discussed weekly...everything from health and fitness, work-life balance, communication, and my personal favorite, what makes a "we". All things that many newlywed couples struggle with in the beginning of their journey together.

So, what are you waiting for?! Head on over to Love, Milk & Honey and start reading! : )