On the Eleventh Day of Christmas

On the eleventh day of Christmas my wedding planner gave to me...

A timeline!


As you prepare for your big day, you will want to confirm of all your vendors and final details (or have your wedding planner do this for you). You will also want to create a complete wedding day timeline; which will outline in detail the events of your wedding day from beginning to end. Such as when you will have your makeup done, when vendors will arrive and setup, when photos will take place, when you will have your first dance, when toasts will happen, when you will cut your cake, etc....down to when you have your send off and the vendors strike. 


The timeline will keep everyone involved in your wedding on track, it will help all of the moving parts stay organized and aware of the days' events. It will also tell those involved in your wedding (your bridal party and family) where to be, when to be there, and how to be there (for example- all groomsmen at the venue at 4pm, dressed and ready for pictures). Your timeline is essential for a smooth wedding day. 


Contact us for a FREE consultation and/or assistance with your wedding day timeline by emailing info@deaniemichelleevents.com with 12DaysXmas as the subject, or by calling 214.810.4024 and mentioning the 12 days of Christmas. 

On the Ninth Day of Christmas

On the ninth day of Christmas my wedding planner gave to me...

Patience and Clarity!


Through all of the planning and all of the engagement madness, take a moment every so often and remember why you are doing all of this wedding planning in the first place...love.


While the pretty flowers and yummy cake and fun parties are great, planning a wedding can be stressful and I bet there will be moments when you and your hubby-to-be won't see eye to eye over the details. That is why it is so important to take a step back from the wedding plans and to refocus your energy on yourselves and on your love for one and other. 


During the course of your engagement schedule in some "me time". Get a spa treatment, workout, take a yoga class, meet a friend for coffee, read a book. Take time away from planning your special day to help rejuvenate and gain clarity. 


When your love and you aren't seeing eye to eye, take a "time out" from the wedding planning, and do a non-wedding planning activity together. Go for a walk, watch a movie, meet friends for a drink, play a game, exercise. Again, anything to reinvigorate yourselves and to gain some clarity. 


Doing these small, and fun, things will help you stay focused on your love and why you are getting married in the first place. It will also help you to be patient with your man and with everyone around you. Because let's face it planning a wedding can be tough, and it can be stressful. 

So remember, patience and clarity will help you thru this crazy exciting journey that we call engagement (and planning a wedding). 

Ivy & Charles

We had a great time working with Ivy and Charles. They were so fun, down to earth, and full of love for one and other. It was truly beautiful to see, and it was an honor to be a part of their special day. 


Charles is in the navy so he and Ivy actually had a civil ceremony at the courthouse last summer. But both Ivy and Charles still wanted to have the big traditional Filipino wedding ceremony in a church...and what an incredible ceremony it was at St. Thomas Aquinas in Dallas. The sweet couple also wanted to have a big traditional Filipino wedding reception, which followed the ceremony and was held at the Hyatt Regency North Dallas. Causha, Erin, and the entire staff at the Hyatt were a delight to work with. The couple danced the night away with friends and family, to the sounds of well-known Filipino DJ, Fitz Llauder. At the end of the night Ivy and Charles teared up, for their entire day was beautiful but also bittersweet as Charles' upcoming deployment loomed in their minds. We wish Charles safe travels!


And we can't forget to mention our wonderful friends over at Dallas Digital Events, who photographed Ivy and Charles' day. Thank you Chris for the beautiful images.

 

Alice in Weddingland

Last Thursday was the premier event we have been blogging about, the Groom Sold Separately launch party. Groom Sold Separately is a fabulous new blogsite that connects brides with wedding industry professionals. A few of our fav features of the blogsite are the forum and the classy-fieds where you can buy and sell wedding items. To kick of their launch Groom Sold Separately had a party at The Ryan Manor. The party was Alice in Weddingland themed, after Lewis Carol's Alice in Wonderland. Damany and Jason of i-entertainment provided the jammin' sounds of the night, Robin with Di Firori provided the florals and decor, and J. Dorian provided a magical Alice in Weddingland Mad Hatter cake. We were thrilled to support Groom Sold Separately as a sponsor of the event, and we had a great time celebrating at Alice in Weddingland. Best of all the event proceeds benefited Brides Against Breast Cancer. Here are some amazing photos of the night provided by Tony Valdez of FlashBox Photography. 

DME Loves: Brooch Bouquets

Looking for something out of the ordinary, wanting to add some glitz and glamour to your wedding day, or trying to find a way to incorporate friends and family into your special day...than these brooch bouquets by Amanda Heer are a must see! These are not your ordinary bridal bouquets, although Amanda does do fresh floral bouquets as well. But what really has our eyes sparkling and our hearts a flutter are Amanda's brooch bouquets. 

Send her 50-60 pieces of brooches, cuff links, earrings, and pendants from your friends and family. Send them to Amanda, and she'll turn your box of items into a gem of a bouquet. Best of all, unlike fresh floral bouquets, these brooch bouquets will last a lifetime and make for one heck of a sentimental heirloom. Bouquets cost $350 each, and take a week's time for turn around. 

Images courtesy of Daily Candy Weddings 

DME ♥s: New Must Reads for Brides and Industry Professionals

New Bridal Magazine - The Brides of North Texas
Last Wednesday I had the great pleasure of of attending the launch party for a fabulous new Dallas bridal magazine, The Brides of North Texas.The launch was held at the new NYLO hotel in Las Colinas. Stunning lighting by Lite Dallas, the great sounds of DJ Andy Austin, o-so-yum food by the NYLO, and behind the scenes teaser videos by Hamik Sons Films made for a great time and a great lead up to the big reveal of the magazines first issue. The gorgeous cover shot was photographed by friend and great talent, John Livas of John Christopher Photography. It was a fun night indeed, chatting with fellow industry professionals, sipping champagne, and meeting The Brides of North Texas publisher Ashley Bowen Murphy. A super fun surprise at the end of the night, in addition to getting a copy of the first issue, was seeing my good friend Tally Goldfarb's wedding in the magazine!

The magazine itself features all local information, vendros, real weddings, photos, and inspiration. The inagural issue hits newstands this Friday, Feburary 5th. It is definitely a must "read"!

Daily Candy is going Down the Aisle
I was beyond excited when I got my daily dose of candy yesterday, and learned that Daily Candy will now have a newsletter dedicated solely to the wonderful world of weddings! I've been waiting and anticipating for his day to come. For those unfamiliar with Daily Candy, it is a newsletter (via email) with local and national editions dedicated to informing readers on activities, deals, events, shopping, travel, and trends. Daily Candy Weddings is sure to be another must read for both brides and wedding industry professionals.

But the good news doesn't stop there, Daily Candy has partnered with Crate & Barrel for a contest that will give one very lucky couple an ulitmate wedding worth $100,000!

Happy reading!

Help-Portrait 12/12/09

Last Saturday Deanie Michelle Events had the pleasure of being involved with Help-Portrait. Help-Portrait was a first-time international event that was held on 12/12/09, with one simple mission- find someone in need, take their portrait, print their portrait, and deliver their portrait. Deanie Michelle Events was so touched and moved by the efforts of Nashville photographer, Jeremy Cowart, that we immediately knew we wanted to be a part of this worldwide event. With the gracious help of Family Gateway in downtown Dallas and Dallas photographers Ben Quintanilla, Christina Quintanilla, Jared Rey, Catie Ronquillo, Don Mamone, and John Harris Deanie Michelle Events put together Help-Portrait Dallas for the wonderful families at the Family Gateway shelter. Makeup artist Kristen Brown was on hand to provide hair and makeup for the beautiful women of these families. It was truly heartwarming to see these families beaming with joy over something most of us take for granted; the memories and happiness that comes from something as simple as a photo. Many of these families had NEVER had their photos taken, and the majority of the families had NEVER had a family portrait taken before 12/12/09 and Help-Portrait. A HUGE shout out to Jeremy Cowart for the fabulous and inspiring idea of Help-Portrait, and for all of your effort in spreading the word and making Help-Portrait the international event that it became! Here in Dallas, we are already excited for Help-Portrait 2010! Giving back truly is a beautiful thing. How are you giving back this holiday season? Share your stories with us by leaving a comment below or by emailing info@deaniemichelleevents.com. Happy Holidays!

Photos clockwise from top left: Deanie of Deanie Michelle Events with Susan and Sharon of Family Gateway and some of the fabulous kids at Family Gateway, 2 Family Portraits, Makeup, The Crew- Ben and Christina Quintanilla, Jared Rey, Jess, John Harris, Deanie Yuska, Crystal, Catie Ronquillo, Emily Mamone, Don Mamone, Ladies doing Makeup,  Portrait of Kids, Family Gateway Kiddos. Thank you Jared Rey Photography for the wonderful photos!