It Never Rains In Southern California

or at least, while I'm here!!! Hello from sunny San Diego - host city of The Special Event Conference and Tradeshow 2009!! I'm on the road this week, attending and participating as a workshop speaker for one of the most amazing and educational forums created for people in the special events industry.

TSE is a vast melting pot of ideas, practical management, networking and fun for those of us who make the magic happen in the industry. Attendees from across the United States and around the world have converged onto the lovely city of San Diego to learn more, up their game and have a good time celebrating our profession.

My flight was long and my body is still on East Coast time - however, I've enjoyed meeting new people, reconnecting with old friends and seeing what's new in the industry. The tradeshow floor will open today, so I'll be like a kid in a candy store, roaming the display aisles and feasting my eyes and creative mind on products to bring home and share with my clients!

I'll update you on all of the happenings here - stay tuned!!!

The "I DO Brunch" For Wedding Planners

The "I DO BRUNCH" is a networking event for wedding planners and coordinators that will offer an unprecedented chance to discuss in a open environment, the many challenges professional planners face in today's wedding industry. Beautiful decor, lively entertainment and great giveaways have been carefully orchestrated with some of the region's finest companies to make this a one-of-a-kind experience!

Held at the historic Savage Mill Manor in Maryland, this unique, fresh approach to serious professional networking promises to be a wonderful start to Spring! Please join our gracious hosts, Putting On The Ritz Caterers, as they showcase a marvelous feast of sumptuous cuisine and libations that will be one of the many highlights of this special gathering.

As wedding planners, we rarely have the opportunity to sit back and enjoy an event since we are always hard at work! The "I DO Brunch" is your chance to be catered to, appreciated and have a good time! We look forward to having you meet, greet and familiarize yourself with other professional planners in the Maryland/D.C./Northern Virginia area and to share the common bonds we all have in this hectic industry.

Because of the intimate nature of the venue and this event, seating is limited and on a first-come, first served basis. No tickets will be sold at the event and the final date for ticket purchase is March 21, 2009.

I look forward to see all you there!

FESTIVUS!

No secret - I am a big time fan of the Baltimore Ravens. And my boys are in the playoffs - we had the "fish fry" in Miami last weekend where we "cooked" and served up the Dolphins on a plate..now we are headed to Nashville to "BBQ" the Tennessee Titans :)

My friend and fellow wedding planning colleague, Kathy Strukel of Indiana-based The Perfect Solution, gave my hometown team the proverbial "shout out" on her blog today by posting the cutest garters, festooned with the colors and emblems of my Ravens. Made by the Garter Lady - these are a great way to bring your love of sports (for the many, many brides out there who are into football just like their men!) into your wedding celebration....

GO RAVENS!!!!

P.S. For those of you not familiar with the term "Festivus" - it's code for the word "playoffs". Former head coach Brian Billick would not let the team get caught up in the whole playoff/SuperBowl hype, so he forbid the use of the word "playoff". So the team came up with "Festivus" instead..with "Festivus Maximus" as the word for the Super Bowl..

The DIVA's DISH

The first "DISH" of 2009 is something that's near and dear to my heart - saving money! While I love nice things - I'm also frugal, which is one of the reasons my clients love me!

BravoBride.com is a totally cool resource that gives former brides (and grooms!) a unique opportunity to sell those wedding items they no longer have any use for AND offers the soon-to-be-wed a great chance to pick up things they need for their big shindig at significant savings!

Started by Susan Shapiro and her husband Mark, this online marketplace is the purveyor of all things wedding, from gowns to jewelry, decor to paper - you name it, and you probably can find it here! And to make it even sweeter, a portion of the proceeds from each listing goes to American Heart Association's Go Red for Women Campaign to reduce heart disease among women.

Whether you are in the market to buy or sell items for your wedding - check out BravoBride for some economically stimulating nuptial deals!!

A Premiere Wedding - Izabella & Dave

I was honored to act as the wedding coordinator for my assistant, Izabella, as she wed David Downs on a chilly December afternoon. Izabella has been with me for the past three years and is one of the most beautiful people (inside and out!) that I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. If you saw the episode on Style Network's "Married Away" where I was producing a destination wedding in the Grenadines - then you also saw Izabella, who graciously flew all of those miles to help me pull of that event. Oh - the stories we can share about that trip!!

It was that trip, however, that introduced Izabella (and me!) to the amazing photographic work of Ruth Rackley. When we saw the images from the island wedding, Izabella was adamant about having Ruth capture her special day on film. Izabella & Dave were engaged last Thanksgiving in front of Macy's in New York - they both play for the Baltimore Ravens Marching Band..and Dave proposed to her on bended knee in Heraldry Square - the rest is simply amazing.

From the deeply spiritual and traditional Catholic mass, complete with beautiful music and songs to the festive, Latin-inspired reception where everyone got down on the dance floor, this was a wedding full of love, emotion and glorious color! We even had a few snowflakes dancing around for good measure!! Check out the slideshow on Ruth's blog for the complete photostory...

Izzi & Dave - I wish you all the best!!!!!

Wedding Logo Design Giveaway

Kendra at Motif Designs is giving one lucky bride (or groom!) a chance to win a custom designed wedding logo for their special day! This is an awesome way to put a very personal stamp on your celebration - and it can be used in so many ways throughout your printed items, GOBO - the possibilities are endless!

Visit her blog and fill out the entry form - the deadline is this Friday, January 9th. Good luck!!!

Internship Applications Now Available

(some members of the 2008 Internship Rotation)

Premiere Event Management is now accepting applications for our 2009 Internship Program. Additional details about this unique opportunity can be found on our website - the deadline for application submissions is February 1st.

Interns within the program have the opportunity to immerse themselves into the business of managing weddings and other specialized events. From initial consultations through the final moments of a wedding reception - our interns participate fully in the planning process. Successful applicants have the ability to multi-task, assimilate ideas and concepts quickly, are true "team players" and are willing to put in the hours and work necessary to learn about this business. We are looking for serious applicants - those persons who truly wish to gain more comprehensive, "hands-on" knowledge about professional wedding and event planning. While prior experience is not a requirement for selection into the program, we look for individuals who have the motivation and desire to plan magnificent events.

For me - the bottom line is simple: I want people who are willing to work and learn. This is not a paying gig - but the potential for what you can gather and understand about this profession is huge. I am a taskmaster and a stickler for detail - I expect everyone who works with me is of the same mind. We are not slackers - we work HARD and we are dedicated to the craft of planning and managing absolutely amazing weddings for our clients. When you see Team DIVA on the job - trust and believe that we have come to take care of our business...

I also value loyalty and honesty - so if you think hooking up with my company is going to get you the wedding planning world handed to you on a silver platter - think again. In plain English - lazy, umotivated, non-ambitious, trifling, rude, dispassionate people need not apply - and that's the unvarnished truth. I didn't say it would be pretty, but I'm brutally honest about who and what I want in my business sphere.

I absolutely love what I do and I love my profession. I offer this program because I am totally committed to building and creating a better breed of wedding planner. My associates, assistants and interns who are currently on my team and those in past rotations will be the first to tell you that I hold fast to that mantra.

So - if you are interested, I encourage you to apply. For the right person - it can be an experience unlike any other......

Ladies & Gentlemen - Start Your Engines!

Happy New Year! Although we are officially "back in the office" on Tuesday, January 6th - I thought I'd stop in and say "Hi!".

My team and I are so looking forward to this new year and all of the excitement it promises to bring! There will be a couple of new features here at Confessions Of The WeddingDIVA - and I hope you'll enjoy them. My expertise and repertoire is pretty extensive - so I want to share more of what I know with my readers and hope that it will make you go "Hmmmmmm...".

I'll also be introducing you to my team - there's more than "one of me" to go around when it comes to managing an event, so even if I'm not available on your date - trust me, we've got you covered! I'm happy and honored to work with so many talented women - who have the same drive, passion and love of elegance as I...it makes for some pretty interesting team meetings!

So, put the keys in the ignition and rev those engines - we're about to take off on an amazing ride!!!!