What to give for Valentines Day?

What to give for Valentines Day?  Valentines Day is one of those holidays in my family where we really don't exchange gifts, just give or do little things that say "I love you" what a better way To do that than a Book that says just that "Why i love you!"  Check them out http://www.couturephotocreations.com/ Link to the HM website and sign in for your Free account!  there is also a Video on the Sign up page that  will tell you all about Heritage Makers!  as an incentive to get you started we are offering a FREE premier Weekend!  Which Means you get all our Premier templates and embellishments for FREE!! 

http://www.heritagemakers.com/projectBrowserStandAlone.cfm?projectId=1594168&productId=5&projectSponsor=505662

Fixed the Problem!!!

I have been getting some really great feedback from my new webiste http://www.couturephotocreations.com/ but couldnt figure out why my leads were stoping there?  Well I figured it out.  My landing Page on my webiste wasnt quite working prperly.  It is now so go check it out and see what this company is all about!

Why hire a wedding planner?

Top 10 Reasons to Hire a Wedding Planner

 avisualguide.com

10.       Saves time – Planning wedding takes enormous amount of time.  In fact, the average couple spends well over 200 hours planning their special day.  A good wedding planner will save you time and energy by researching vendors, taking care of the many, many details, and coming up with various creative ideas to make your wedding amazing!

9.         Saves money – Weddings can be extremely expensive.  However, by hiring a wedding planner, couples can save a great deal of money.  Because wedding planners provide so much business to vendors, they are often able to negotiate discounts for their clients.  Wedding planners are also well-versed at helping couples set budgets and sticking to them.

8.         Saves relationships – Weddings are very stressful.  This stress often results in many arguments for couples as well as with family members and friends.  Wedding planners have been there time and time again and know how to avoid such problems before they begin as well as act as a buffer when there are conflicts. Wedding planners are also able to take on the responsibilities often assigned to loved ones so that everyone is able to enjoy the wedding.  Remember, you still want a relationship with your mother well after your wedding!

7.         Ensures dreams are made realities – Most have been dreaming of their wedding day their entire life.  Wedding planners work for the couple and ensure that all desires are met (and often surpassed)!

6.         Offers advice – Wedding planners have planned countless weddings and know exactly what works and what doesn’t.  They are also knowledgeable on wedding etiquette.  Furthermore, wedding planners are able to recommend competent vendors, based on personal experience.

5.         Acts as the “go to person” – The average wedding has at least 22 different vendors.  Combine that with the entire wedding party and all of the guests and that is a lot of people with questions and concerns!  By hiring a wedding planner, couples can simply tell others “talk to the wedding planner!”

4.         Creates schedules – There are so many events leading up to the big day!  Couple that with the many things that happen during the wedding and who can keep track?  The wedding planner can!  Wedding planners are well-versed at making detailed itineraries for all involved (including other vendors) and making sure that everything happens on time!

3.         Handles crisis – Whether we like it or not, most big events involve crisis.  Who really wants to deal on their wedding day with the bakery not delivering the cake on time or the flower girl throwing a tantrum?  No one!  Wedding planners know how to handle all unforeseen circumstances.

2.         Orchestrates from rehearsal through the end of reception – Do you want to be responsible for organizing rehearsal or making sure the bridal party is properly lined up?  How about making sure that the guest who had a little too much to drink departs safely?  Wedding planners orchestrate from rehearsal through the end of the reception, ensuring everything goes off without a hitch!

1.         Minimizes stress and maximizes fun! – Hiring a wedding planner ensures that you will have a worry-free and stress-free day, thus, allowing you to enjoy your day like your guests!

Make it Match!!

One of my favorite parts of planning weddings and designing events is the attention to detail that needs to be given.  Everything that you create for a single event needs to have at least one thing in common, an aspect that makes everything fluid.  One way of making sure this happens when planning your own wedding is creating your stationary to match.  Everything from Invitations to seating charts, thank you cards, save the date cards, wedding ablums, centerpieces and programs.  Heritage Makers is a great company that lets you pick and choose the products and create them yourself!  This is a great tool for all thoes DIY brides out there who need to have their hand in their wedding!  Check you the website and feel free to contact me if you have any questions!!
http://www.couturephotocreations..com/

Formal Wedding Album
12x12 Storybook
View this project

Formal Parent’s Album
8x8 Storybook
View this project

Wedding Story
8x8 Storybook
View this project

Formal Sign In Book
11.5x8.5 Storybook
View this project

Formal Family Fold
5 Panel Family Fold
View this project

Change of Address Cards
Playing Card Deck
View this project

Wedding Poster
18x24 Poster
View this project

Click here to go to the template gallery.

http://support.heritagemakers.com/comm/promo/2009/wedding/index.htm

Photography Trends in 2011

A wedding photo is meant to preserve your fabulous day for the rest of your life -- it's not just your new profile pic on Facebook after all! But nuptial shots can look stiff and boring if you're not careful -- or worse, just like everyone else's. How can you make them unique? Here are new wedding photography ideas that'll take you from pre- to post- "I do."

Before the Reception...

1. Become the Center of Attention
Instead of flowers, fill photo cubes with different shots from your dating history or world travels and then use them as table centerpieces. It's a great conversation-starter and a nice way for guests to learn more about the early stages of your relationship. And unlike fresh blooms, you can decorate your home with these afterward. Make a deck of playing cards with your pictures on them and leave them on the table for your guests to play with an aww over! Use a photo tile as your certer piece they are cheap and you can make them as large or as small as you want.  Check out http://www.couturephotocreations.com/ for more tips on making yourself the center of attention. 

2. Be the Favors
Have your photo imprinted on cookies and leave one at each place setting. Opt for a black-and-white, vintage-looking image so it doesn't come out cheesy. Wrap the cookie in wax paper and tie with a ribbon. Then let guests eat their hearts out -- and your faces off!

3. Head to the City
Engagement cityscape shoots are popular because of the iconic quality of posing by recognizable landmarks. No skyline? Shooting against an urban brick wall can convey the same message. Use your favorite image in your save-the-dates or, use Heritage Makers to create a one of a kind guest book with your pictures from your engagement shoot. You can display it in your home for years to come and its not just a bunch of names on paper.  http://www.couturephotocreations.com/ 




During the Reception...
4. Ditch the Formality
Try some casual shots, like the bride sitting on a staircase right after the ceremony breathing a sigh of relief, with champagne at her feet. Or consider finding an "unofficial" setting. If your reception is at a country club, take pics on the golf course. Ask your photographer to get candids of your group making their way there. It's those between-the-moments photos that always turn out best.



5. Go Behind the Curtain
Rent a photo booth and a technician to troubleshoot. Have guests tape wacky shots next to their messages in the guest book. Or create a DIY photo studio in a section of the reception room. Hang a nine-foot-wide seamless paper for a backdrop and bring a printer so guests can take photos home.

6. Let it Slide
Run a slideshow of images from the ceremony and cocktail hour from your photographer's laptop and project them on a screen during dinner. Guests will love looking at what they just experienced, and they'll have plenty to talk about at the tables. 

After the Reception...

7. Go Digital
Instead of mounting a few photos on a wall in traditional frames, display a bunch in a single digital frame. Upload multiple images from a memory card or your computer and watch a slideshow of your day. You can even add music. It makes a great gift too.

8. Book 'Em
Skip the traditional album (the one with thick-as-cardboard, single-photo pages) in favor of high-quality coffee table books, like Heritage Makers.   The images are printed on paper, and the layout is more like what you'd see in a magazine. You can add embelshements and even make douplicates for parents.  Its a much more classic look and less stuffy than a traditional album.


9. Learn to Preserve
Enlarging some final prints on Heritage Makers website and making some great galley wrapped canvanses is a great touch to your home!   When archiving your photos and negatives, choose acid-free boxes, negative-sleeves, and binders. They're pricey, but the absence of acid prevents your photos from yellowing or deteriorating.

Photos from top: Almasy Photo; Modern Wedding Photography; Kristin Spencer Photography
 Stephanie Emma Pfeffer
http://www.theknot.com/

Come Check out what Heritage Makers is all about!  Check out the YouTube video!

Heritage Makers’ unique concept of storybooking continues to grab attention from people everywhere. With over 6,000 consultants, more than 100,000 clients, and 40,000 plus pieces of art, Heritage Makers meets the demands of a fast growing business while providing treasured keepsakes that preserve family stories and legacies.

Founded in 2005 by Doug Cloward, President of Heritage Makers, and Sharon Murdoch, Heritage Makers Co-founder and board member, Heritage Makers has become the leader in personal publishing. This direct-selling based company teaches others how to preserve their heritage through storybooking. Heritage Makers’ online program allows clients to personally design books, cards, calendars, posters and more that highlight their families and friends.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-VN9uRk23c

Shannon Oakley
Personal Consultant
509-723-3970
http://www.couturephotocreations.com/

Creating a Party

You have an event coming up and you want to celebrate but your not sure you know how....stress no more here is an easy check list for you to go by.  You can make an EXTREMELY intricate, a simple gathering or anywhere in between.  Just follow this guide and you'll be great! 

Define the event- If its a wedding Obviously the wedding is for the bride and groom but is it also "for" the guests?  What I mean by that is are you creating the event according the guests needs and wants.  For example, the music choice are you making that based on what the bride and groom listen to or what is appropriate for all attendees?  The cuisine,  is it something every one will enjoy or simply what the bride and groom want? 
If its a child's Birthday, who is the audience the children or the adults?  This is more difficult the younger the children.  For example for a child turning 1 or 2 you can do either a child's party with children food and activities or you can have an adult party with adult food and decor but make it child friendly.  Neither way is correct they are just different, and it is important to define the event before planning because you will be essentially defining your audience. 


Choose a Venue- based on your audience and the space requirements for all your attendees

Choose a theme-  No matter how big or small the event their needs to be at least one consistency throughout.  If could be as simple as a color or as complex as a movie theme.  This will help when you pick out your decorations and essentials that you will need. 

Choose activities,  There are many things that can be done at parties, dancing, eating, talking, singing, playing, opening gifts, eating cake, watching a presentation etc.  You will want to make sure you have outlined these in advance to make enough time to get everything done you want to get done.  Even eating is an event that needs to have time allotted to.  If you are having a gathering that is lacking in activities you can create topics of conversation by adding things such as silly questions attached to the bottom of every ones drink glass or have extreme decor and decorations that will spark conversation on their own. 

If there will be food and drink at your event:  PLAN.  there are so many things that can go wrong with food and drink that everything needs at least a run through in your head.  Everything from temperatures food and drink should be served at to what plates/platters/cups/glasses etc.  needs to be used.  Make sure you know where everything is going to be set out and that there is enough room for everything.  If possible and important to you make sure everything is visually appealing.

Clean- Make sure there is a place for Jackets/Purses, People to sit, trash receptacles, restrooms,  etc.  There is always going to be things that come up but you need to make sure your guests feel comfortable in a clean and tidy environment. 

Remember to have fun!!!!!

Bridal Fest 2011

Come to the Bridal fest at the spokane Convention Center this weekend the 8th and 9th.  Ill be there with bells on!!

http://www.bridalfest.com/

A New Year a New You

Happy New Year!!

A new year brings about the opportunity to better yourself!  We all have things we wish we were better at and now is the time.  We can all look back and say 2011 is the year I started being the best me I can be.  That could mean so many things to so many people, and lets face it resolutions don't work.  So instead of a resolution I am making a declaration " my intent for the year 2011 is to better myself"  These are the ways I am going to make me a better Self, Mom, Wife, Daughter, Sister, Employee and Co-Worker:

Remember 99% of the things I stress about don't happen

Have a positive attitude towards life

Make time for Make-up

Pay more attention to Grace's bed time routine

Make time for our Marriage

Books are better than TV

Blog more often

Call my friends not Just FB or text. 

Send more cards

Pay attention to my body

Learn something new every day (and attempt to remember it)


Let me know what your aspirations are for the New Year!

"Souper" Bowl parties coming up!!

With Christmas and the new year over its time to start thinking ahead to the up coming 2011!  Super Bowl is on the agenda and what could be better than a "Soup-er" Bowl!!!   That's right, this year we will be having a party that is not only focused around football but also around great soul food, SOUP.  The play on words will lend a great hand to your cuisine.  Chili's, Jambalaya, Stew, Chowder, almost anything you can put in a pot can be a soup!! 
"A Super Bowl party is not the time to fuss too much with decorations – food, drinks, and of course the game will take precedent for this occasion. However it’s still a theme party and what’s a theme party without themed decorations! Just keep it simple and make it fun (Julie Mulligan) http://blog.1800flowers.com/vhosts/blog/julie/

Check out these great pictures from last years super bowl by Julie Mulligan! Check her Web page out.  She does GREAT arrangements!




These fun little arrangements are so inexpensive and you can put them all around the house, on the buffet, even in the bathroom. The container is an actual can or bottle koozie that I found. I lined the koozie with the bottom half of a disposable water bottle. You can even give one to each guest at the end of the party as a parting gift!





Can you believe that this mug of beer is actually an innovative fresh flower arrangement? You can find this Beer Mug of Blooms at 1-800-FLOWERS.COM. It would be a great, unexpected gift to send to a friend that you are unable to be with on Super Bowl Sunday. Let them know that you are together in spirit!

For a dessert that is as much fun to look at as it is to eat, make a football cake using a football cake pan. To display the cake, I used a Clementine crate. The ends of the crate reminded me of goal posts. I reshaped the scanned image of the Super Bowl XLIV napkins and scaled it to fit the sides of the crate. You can fill the crate with wheat grass or green paper shreds to mimic the football field.