Lindsey & Jonathan celebrate at the Valley Regency

On May 10th, Lindsey & Jonathan were married at the Valley Regency in Clifton. It was a lovely ceremony and a GREAT party. I swear, the newlyweds were on the dance floor all night!!

Here is one of the first photos of the newly married couple. Lindsey was wearing a designer dress, and the designer was actually in attendance! She was in tears seeing how beautiful Lindsey looked in the gorgeous dress!! This moment is the reason I do what I do...




Their wedding had a gold theme, which was carried out spectacularly in the ballroom, with rented linens and these amazing centerpieces! As you can see, votives hung from the centerpieces with gold ribbon, and the vases were filled with banana leaves. When the lights were dimmed, the room had a glow that was breathtaking.


As the evening came to a close, Lindsey & Jonathan had a kiss bar -- all different candy containers filled with hugs and kisses. They even had framed photos of themselves, hugging and kissing! Each guest was given a bag to fill up, with the sign "Hugs & Kisses from the new Mr. & Mrs." You'd be amazed at how full the bags are when the guests leave (especially the older ones!)!


I hope these photos and brief details of a lovely wedding inspire you!


Until next time, happy planning...

Wedding Ceremony in the garden

On May 2nd, I had the pleasure of attending the wedding ceremony for one of my clients. It's a very long story, but they chose to get married now, and then have a formal church wedding and reception at a later date. So, I actually was able to be present at their ceremony instead of my normal mode of worrying about the next several steps ahead and making sure everything was on track!

Being there, in their moment, reminded me of exactly why I became a wedding planner. I simply adore weddings! The love shared between the couple is so tangible - it spreads to all the guests and fills everyone with hope. Sure, there will be bumps in the road, but remembering all of the love shared on your wedding day will help you weather whatever lays ahead.

Vivian & Luis looked so beautiful on their wedding day, and the gazebo and gardens were just so lovely! For my very first picture on my blog, I wanted to share with you the first few moments after they were married:

Congratulations!!!

Until next time, happy planning...

Take time

This week, I want to write about something that is totally essential to planning your wedding. In fact, it may be one of the most important things that you do during your engagement! Take a break!

That's right, I mean STOP planning every last detail of your wedding for at least a weekend! Go away somewhere with your fiance, or with your girlfriends. Cease obsessing over which way the pocketfold in your invitation should face, and step away from the wedding planning bubble!

I think I just coined a new phrase -- "wedding planning bubble." I now claim the copyright to that term! How apt?! Perhaps more so for some couples than others, but everyone gets caught up in the bubble. Which is totally fine! But, sometimes you need to get out of the bubble and experience things that don't directly relate to your color scheme or favor choices. Re-enter the world outside of your wedding plans, and re-connect with your friends on a totally different plane.

When you return from your weekend "outside the bubble" guess what? All of your choices still will be waiting for you - and you'll be better able to make the right decision for you, simply because you are refreshed. So, take some time and get away!!

Until next time, happy planning...

Rhonda to be locked up!

Next week, on April 30th, I am going to be arrested, put in a paddy wagon and carted off to ... Pal's Cabin in West Orange. My only hope of being released is to raise bail!

Sounds like an episode of CSI? Well, not really! The fantastic cause behind my arrest is the Muscular Dystrophy Society - all bail money will go toward research and to providing assistance to those in need.

For more information about my Lock-Up, please visit my webpage.

Thanks for letting me go off topic this week! Until next time, happy planning...

Wedding Day Timeline

On the day of your wedding, how do you know what needs to be done at what time -- or plan for all of the little details? The answer: a wedding day timeline!

As your wedding planner, about 1 month before your big day, I create a timeline that shows who needs to be where doing what, when. I create this by reviewing all of your vendor contracts, and putting in the times they are supposed to arrive, set-up, etc. It is filled in with the traditions you want to observe, such as the tossing of the bouquet, parent dances, etc. When we meet to go over it, we make sure everything is set out exactly the way you want your day to go. Then, I create individual timelines for each vendor, which I send to them the week before your wedding.

While not the most glamorous part of wedding planning, the wedding day timeline is probably the single most important document needed to ensure your wedding day runs smoothly. While there are times put in, the times become more of an order of events during the reception - but they are strictly adhered to in preparing for your ceremony! I put all the little details into the timeline (if your fiance is allergic to nuts, I make a note of that so that the caterer doesn't give him any toasted almonds on his vegies!) in order to eliminate the need to interrupt you during your celebration to ask a question. Plan ahead so you don't have to worry on your big day!

Until next time, happy planning...

Your invitations

One of the fun things to do when planning your wedding is selecting your wedding invitations. This allows you to be creative with the physical papers used, and to bring in your theme. As your invitation is the first introduction to your wedding that your guests will physically receive, you need to make this selection with care.

The first thing to think about is style. Are you looking for a more traditional look - think cream cards? Is your theme contemporary - how about a pocketfold? Do you want to stress a black tie theme - send the invitation in a black pocket with a white bow. Or, are you having a formal and extravagent event - how about sending your invitation in a boxed presentation?

After you come up with your invitation's style, the next step is to select colors for the papers used and the ink. If you are working with a custom invitation company, there may be literally hundreds of choices for you! Hint: keep with your color scheme to tie the invitations to your wedding.

The next step is wording. There are tons of websites out there that can give you suggestions for your wording. If you're working with a wedding consultant (which you should be!), then she or he can offer you suggestions. There are few hard and fast rules in today's society about wording, but a great resource is Emily Post.

Finally, you'll want to select the font for your printing, which you can use in both the invitation and envelope(s). Once again, there are millions of choices out there, but go with something that's easy to read and goes with your style.

Until next time, happy planning...

A new life together

Right now, as I write this post, my husband and I are in the middle of preparing to put our house on the market. We are now undertaking the most difficult process -- clearing out the clutter and straightening up the closets!

You, as an engaged couple, are about to start your new life together. Some of you may be living together already in the home you will share as a married couple. Others will be moving in together once you say "I do!" Either way, you should step back from wedding planning and make sure you are both ready to purge your old baggage and begin a new slate.

Believe me, I was filled with trepidation before conquering (or at least starting!) the "junk room." Over the past 8 years that we have lived in this house, there always was this one room that just ended up being the place where things ended up. And this room was in shambles! It took one weekend, at least 3 huge garbage bags, 1 huge recycling bin and a lot of patience to go through and get rid of the stuff that we didn't need/want. "Why did I keep that?" Funny to see what you felt was important at one time in your life - turns out to be trash later! But at the end of the weekend, how amazing was it to walk into the "junk room" and see its true beauty!

Before you get married, take a bit of time to get rid of the old stuff - be it literally or figuratively. Cleanse your house, and get ready to enjoy the endless possibilities!

Until next time, happy planning...