Mexico has always been one of my favorite places to vacation. The people are friendly, the beaches are beautiful and the atmosphere guarantees a good time! I recently was given the opportunity to travel to The Riviera Maya and Cancun to explore the area, resorts and vendors for destination weddings. I had the most incredible time and I’m excited to share it with you!

The resorts in Mexico are magnificent and the views are beyond belief. I feel privileged that I got to tour and meet with catering managers at over fifteen resorts including The Ritz-Carlton, Le Meridien, The Palace, The Marriott, Le Blanc and Hotel ME Cancun. From glass chapels on the beach to gazebo ocean views, each resort offers its own unique qualities. I’ll let these pictures speak for themselves!

A large portion of my stay was geared towards meeting vendors and building valuable relationships that will benefit both me as well as my clients! I was particularly impressed with one vendor who sat in front of me and crafted the most amazing art. You will see in the pictures below, this photo booth background is to die for! The detail and time that went in to creating this is so unique!

Another reason Mexico is fabulous for destination weddings is because of its activities for your wedding guests! From swimming with dolphins (which I am doing below) to The Mayan Ruins, your guests cannot help but have the best time!

Here, Jeff Hendlin (Publisher of Bridal Guide Magazine), my mother and I head to Xcaret Park for a show!!

This is only a sneak peek into what Mexico has to offer. For further information on destination weddings and events, please do not hesitate to contact me! I am very much looking forward to planning many events in this paradise that is conveniently located so close to home!

Thanks,

Halloween is around the corner! Here is a little decoration inspiration for your parties!

Thanks,

I recently had the honor of planning my sister Candace’s 30th birthday dinner! When I first started planning, I wanted to do something extravagant for her (it was her 30th birthday after all and I’m an event planner :)) but she quickly nixed the idea!! Unlike me, she doesn’t like lavish parties thrown in her honor! So my search begun for a restaurant in the San Diego area with the perfect ambiance that would represent her. Thanks to city search, I came across Old Venice in Point Loma, California. The pictures online looked great and we heard amazing things about their food from friends who had been there. We had such a fabulous time and the restaurant now ranks on my top 5 for dinner rehearsal locations in the San Diego area! Here are some pictures from the evening!

My sister Candace and I


Fabulous desserts courtesy of Cupcakes Couture, Manhattan Beach!

It’s always such a treat working at the Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel! Not only is the resort absolutely gorgeous, but the staff is so great. A special thanks to everyone who contributed in making the wedding a success, especially John from Iris and Light who so kindly sent me these pictures for a sneak peek!

I hope you all are enjoying your first day of summer! Can you believe The Fourth of July is less than 2 weeks away?!?! Today I began planning my Fourth of July party. The invites went out and now I’m putting together my vision board and beginning to think of what food and cocktails I’ll serve! When planning my own parties, I always turn to the amazing Martha Stewart for inspiration. See my vision board below! Hopefully it will inspire you for your 4th of July party!

(all images from Martha Stewart)

Happy Summer 🙂

To all my lovely brides.. you don’t have to do a typical fold over escort card to inform guests what table they are seated at. Being creative with escort cards adds a fun detail to your wedding and is cost friendly! Think creatively! Here’s some inspiration:

Thanks for visiting 🙂

Happy Monday Everyone! Hope you all had a fabulous weekend and are ready for a new week! I am 🙂 As a Wedding Planner, I am constantly looking for new ideas for my clients. Whether that be new design concepts for their table scape or a creative way to display placecards, I am constantly trying to better myself with unique ideas for my clients! I often times get asked “What’s a great gift for my bridesmaids?” One of my favorite gifts for a bridesmaid is some sort of accessory that they can wear on the wedding day and then keep and wear for years to come. I actually still have my pearl bracelet my sister got us for her wedding and love it!! Picking out the perfect accessory can be tough though since all your bridesmaids have different tastes. So when I came across these one-of-a-kind clutches by Sara Lloyd, I instantly fell in love! Sara works with the bride to create clutches that fit the personality and style of each individual bridesmaid. Not one clutch is the same. So not only do each of your bridesmaids get a fabulous clutch, they get a gift from you (as the bride) that was specially designed for them with love. Fabulous idea right?? Check out the clutches below!

Pictures Provided by Zeke Smith and Lauren Rayner

Love these bags and want one?? Click here to contact Sara!

Thanks for reading 🙂

Oh what a week!! First I am thrilled to have my newly designed blog!! Like it?? Hope so! Ellie at Rainy Day Templates is so sweet and she was so patient with me during the entire design process. Thanks Ellie 🙂 Oh and she’s a Wildcat!!

Another weekend is upon us. For many of you this means play time!! For me however, during this busy month of May, it means another wedding! Today I have a rehearsal for a wedding tomorrow in Los Angeles. As I go through the timeline, it brings me back to all the little decisions we’ve made along the way. There are so many details that go in to this special day and I’m so honored to be able to make a couples vision in to reality! Below is a little inspiration from my bride and groom for their wedding tomorrow. They love manzanita branches and flowers submerged in water 🙂

Have a fabulous weekend!

I’ve always had a special place in my heart for Cinco de Mayo!! I don’t know if it’s the chips and guacamole or the fact this it is the only day I can get away with wearing an over sized sombrero….but every time May 5th rolls around, all I want to do is sit outside and enjoy margaritas and cervesas with mi amigos!!

How are you celebrating Cinco de Mayo this year?? Below is a little inspiration to get you in the fiesta mood!

Here are some decor ideas for your fiesta!!

Very Traditional:

Martha Stewart’s version of Cinco de Mayo:

Easy to do, homemade pinata!

Don’t stress yourself out in the kitchen. Enjoy your fiesta. Having a taco or nacho cart at your fiesta will impress your guests and make your life easier!

Margarita Madness!! Lets face it… we all love Cinco de Mayo because it’s the one day we can splurge on a margarita… guilt free!! Now although I love my skinny girl margarita from time to time, a fiesta is not a time to count your calories. So treat your guests to a variety of flavors such as strawberry and mango!! Yum 🙂

Details Details Details!! Such a cute touch:

Squeezing 1,000 limes for ONE margarita can be a little tough on the hands and time consuming…(trust me, I have gone that route and it’s not worth it!!) If you have a big guest list, order a margarita machine to do the work for you!

Or even better.. The Margarita Man 🙂

And last but not least, if your budget allows for it, splurge on a mariachi band!! Your guests will LOVE this and you’ll feel immersed in the Mexican culture!

HAPPY CINCO DE MAYO!!

🙂

From my family to yours… Wishing you all a very Happy Easter Sunday!! Below is a little inspiration for your Easter parties! Enjoy 🙂

A special thanks to Martha Stewart and Southern Living for continuing to inspire me! More ideas can be found on both their websites!

🙂