{Free Printable!} Newlywed Problem & Solution Cards

Posted on January 9, 2013 by

By popular demand….. you ask, and you shall receive!

I didn’t realize how popular the activity I created for a bridal shower would be until all of your comments came flooding in requesting the newlywed problem/solution cards!

So Happy Wednesday Hump Day! Here’s your free printable.
Great for any bridal shower, this activity involves all of your guests and provides a great memento and takeaway for the bride-to-be. Lay the cards out on a table or in a basket and invite guests to pick one. Through their experience (through hearsay or personal :) they can then provide the bride-to-be advice, words of wisdom, encouragement or just a bit of humor to get through the possibly prickly situation in her newlywed life.

Note that there are about 60 cards with a few multiple repeat situations, as sometimes more than one person may have great advice for the same circumstance! :)

Click here to download your free printable!

Blog-Newlywed Problems

Instructions are on the first page of the printable. And remember, please use only for your personal use! Enjoy!

Posted in Bridal Shower, Inspiration, Tips for the Bride, Wedding Cards, Wedding Planning, Weddings | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Jenna + Pedro, Tom Ham’s Lighthouse Reception

Posted on May 7, 2012 by

I love San Diego.

Not just for its beaches, sunshine, and 75 degree weather all year round – but also because there’s so much variety in San Diego – beach, mountains, valley, you name it. But of course, the best part of San Diego is definitely its scenery and weather. :) There’s so many places to have your wedding and almost any day out of 365 would be a beautiful day for a wedding day in San Diego. But of course, who can resist summer weddings by the water? Which brings us to Jenna and Pedro’s beautiful summer wedding.

After their ceremony on Sunset Cliffs, we head to Tom Ham’s Lighthouse to party on for the night. If you’ve never been to Tom Ham’s, I would suggest it! Not only a beautiful wedding venue because it’s right over the water with a gorgeous view of the San Diego skyline, but they are also open for brunches and meals so you can enjoy it on any given day!

The view overlooking the harbor is enough beauty at Tom Ham’s, but we accented the natural beauty with vintage linens, cascading florals and a few antique personal items like a typewriter and camera.

Jenna and Pedro’s reception had all the right elements: good atmosphere, good food, good music, great guests! Their photobooth was a hit and a few props I brought along for the fun added a lot of flair to their photos.

What I loved most about their reception was that everybody danced! The live band, Brain Buck-it - complete with saxophones and trumpets, got everybody moving, and everyone had good moves! We practically had to cut off the line for their honeymoon dance, because everybody wanted to dance with the bride and groom… not once.. but twice!

And after wearing out their dancing shoes, we ended the night with a cake, hand-made with love by Jenna’s own family.

Congratulations Jenna and Pedro! You two are so much fun and your wedding reflected your personalities and your style. Enjoy each other, always. :)

Posted in Day Of, Decor, Floral, Inspiration, Photography, Reception, Wedding Planning, Weddings | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Disney-infused Wedding!

Posted on March 19, 2012 by

When Tim and Chris asked me to be their wedding day coordinator last year, their email came about one week before I publicly announced that I was expecting our first child (with their wedding date one week before my due date!). So I wrote a cryptic response declining the offer and left it at that. Little did I know that they had suspected all along… because as friends go, Tim and I go way back till college and there was no “good reason” for me to really decline their wedding with no explanation (true indeed). So once I went public, we revisited the wedding discussion because I was eager to be a part of their beautiful day in some way or another.

Well lucky me, because Chris’s sister is allergic to pollen. That meant no real flowers, which gave me the perfect opportunity to get creative with bouquets and boutonnieres for their bridal party!

Working with Chris to create her “florals” was so much fun! We had so many great ideas flowing for unique, beautiful, non-floral pieces. In the end we decided on “floral” bouquets that I created out of ribbon.

A great alternative to real flowers, these were unique, could be and were made in the wedding colors (because we all know how impossible it is to have real blue roses) and best of all….. they last forever!

You might be wondering about the polka dot bows…. hint: two words: Minnie Mouse. :-)
To say that Tim and Chris are Disney fanatics would be an understatement. I don’t know any other couple who go to Disneyland so much that sometimes they go and just sit there reading a book. But then again, Tim did use to work for Disney… ah, the perks :-)

Which brings us to the groomsmen boutonnieres!
Suggested by Chris, these were inspired by the Disneyland name tags that all employees have. I ended up printing on canvas for the name tags and adding a Mickey Mouse bow to each :-)

Coordinating ribbon rose bouts and corsages for parents, ushers and helpers – as modeled by the handsome Josh Chen. :)

Needless to say, their wedding was infused with Disney elements throughout – fun, unique, but in no way overdone.

The bridal party - photo by Simply Two Photography.
Click photo above to check out their Disneyland engagement shoot!

Tim and Chris… thank you for the opportunity to add a lil’ wedding planner magic to your day. Your wedding will always be extra memorable to me because 1- I don’t know any other couple who took the time to write a personal note to each wedding guest (with a guest list of over 300?!) to share how much they cherished them in their lives. It was very touching, that is what wedding days should be like, and 2- nine months pregnant with baby expected to come in just a few days and I was getting my groove on, on your dance floor…. your wedding will become a part of my story to my children and grandchildren forever!

Congratulations. You two are so beautiful – rock-star beautiful.

Posted in Bridal Fashion, Ceremony, Decor, Floral, Inspiration, Wedding Planning, Weddings | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

“Project X” aka Suprise Engagement Proposal!

Posted on June 10, 2011 by

I had the joy, along with a few friends, of being asked to ‘create the magic’ for a friend’s engagement. I dare say that what I think I enjoy more than a wedding itself… is a proposal!

A proposal is SO special. Each one is even more so unique than a wedding, because you really have no idea how, where, and what is going to happen. A Proposal is so suited to an individual’s personality and a couple’s unique and personal character that NO two proposals are ever the same. ::sigh::

Alright, I’m swooning again already. Congratulations to Tim and Chris! Enjoy the beginning of the most amazing journey together. And savor this engagement time!

When planning the color palette we would use, I asked for favorite colors and Tim said Chris’ favorite was red and so was his. So, RED we went! Not only was it perfect (since red is the color of love and passion, and good luck in Chinese…!), it made it romantic as well.Tim didn’t have much to say in the way of how it all “looked”. This guy only had his eyes on the prize… getting down on one knee to ask the girl he loved most to marry him. :) So he just said he wanted the room to be “romantic” and include “sunflowers (Chris’ favorite color), candles and other nice girly things”. Ok, romantic here we come! Nothing beats romantic than soft candle and twinkle lights. :)

THE RING was buried inside a jar of sand and hidden under Chris’ seat. A throw-back to their first date,  I LOVED this as I’m truly a sentimental girl at heart :)

And after all is said and done… the magic is truly when she said.. YES! :)

Surrounded by family and friends, we got to surprise Chris – and it looks like she was still surprised too! :)

Congratulations Chris and Tim. What a beautiful day it was. And what a beautiful couple you two are. :)

And for those of you who hung tight throughout this entire post, the best is yet to come! Pictures say a thousand words but moving video says millions!!! :) Here’s the proposal video shot by Lawrence Hui. Thanks to everyone for all of the folding, hanging, blacking-outing, cooking and helping!

Posted in Decor, Engagement, Floral, Inspiration, Wedding Planning, Weddings | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Venue Spotlight: Borrego Springs

Posted on May 16, 2011 by

Desert romance. What do you think of when you think of the desert?

I had the chance to head out to the Anza Borrego Desert, just about 2 hours east of San Diego and visit Borrego Springs Resort. Being a girl who usually likes to be surrounded by lush green trees, ocean and rivers, the desert was a unique experience. Its landscape is in a world all of its own – sandy hills, oasis in the most unexpected places, and a sky so black that when you look at the stars in the night, you wonder if you’re looking at diamonds scattered across velvet above us.

Needless to say, it’s a breathtaking view at times, and a beautiful place if you’re looking for a wedding venue that is unique. So here I am to share ….

My visit to Borrego Springs began with grapefruit trees greeting me upon my arrival! I was so surprised that these trees were scattered around the resort. The desert landscape was beautiful and made us feel like we were so far away from the hustle-and-bustle of every day life. *sigh, time to breathe and relax*

The best time to have a wedding in the desert is in the early Fall – September, October and November are perfect times. It’s a great temperature in Borrego, while everywhere else is starting to cool down. Of course, Borrego Springs has two pools (a main one and a spa-guests adult only pool) that are great for cooling down any time of the year!

Before wedding festivities, spa time at the Borrego spa on the resort is a must for any bridal party! Sign me up for a massage, facial or mani/pedi any day, please. I loved the plush bathrobes as well, also in each guest room to use during your stay :)

A ceremony at Borrego Springs Resort can be held inside their ballroom or outdoors in their patio overlooking their golf course, or on the golf course. Don’t think you’ll just be looking at sand-colored desert dunes here, there’s plenty of landscaped greenery and palm trees for your eyes to feast on while you tie the knot.

Party away during your reception in the ballroom, grand dining room (with grand piano) or outdoors enjoying the desert fresh air. And last but not least, remember to take in the view of the night sky when the stars come out. If you’ve never seen a desert night sky – you’re in for a treat! It still takes my breath away when I see the amount of stars sparkling in the pitch black night.

A perfect setting to eat, drink, be married and be in love. :)

What do you think? – Are you a desert destination kind of bride?

Posted in Ceremony, Day Of, Inspiration, Reception, Wedding Planning, Weddings | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment