Skinned knees, Pinwheels, and Friendships

Yesterday marked the first big event for StellaBlueDress, but more importantly it was the day two dear friends married. As exciting as it was to be their event planner for the special day, it came with a price of skinned knees, the test of friendships, and plenty of pinwheels. Sarah, the bride, has become a very dear friend of mine as her husband and I have been friends for quite some time, as acquaintances in junior high,  later finding ourselves at the same college, and then crossing paths in friendship during adulthood. So it felt like a no-brainer when they asked me to plan their wedding.

One thing I have learned in event planning is that the lines get gray when taking part in a wedding for friends. You want the best for the event and as your friends, you go above and beyond the call of duty because you love them, but that usually means you can't say no.

Sarah and Dave's wedding was a blast to plan. Sarah and I talked about color schemes, found the pinwheel design and then all fell into place from there. And when I say fell, I also mean that literally. Upon arriving at the wedding reception yesterday, I had my hands full of important things. My camera, phone, the table card display, among other things. Walking in with my boyfriend (who doubles as my assistant/partner in crime), he also had his hands full. Needless to say, as I was not feeling well yesterday, my body just gave out and I went tumbling to the ground. I am sure it was quite hilarious to watch as it felt like slow-motion. But in all reality, it did hurt. My tights ripped. My knee was skinned up. And everything fell. Though I am ok today (other than being sore and having a skinned knee) and nothing broke (other than my ego), I think about my journey as an event planner. There are often bumps and skinned knees along that way that make the job of an event planner challenging. The job is often thankless. The hours are long. And the stress level rises. Not everyone shows their best side during a major life event such as a wedding. But as the event planner, it is my job to get back up and assure everyone that everything is ok. You want the guests to enjoy their time and for the bride and groom to have a smile on their faces throughout the day. And when you say your goodbyes at the end of the night, you want to know you did all you could to make the day memorable, but also wonderful.

At the end of the day, I pinch myself and think...I am so thankful that I got to be part of a new beginning. I got to help a man and woman become a Mr. and Mrs.

a look back on 2011

2011 was a year full of weddings and special events. Showers. Surprise parties. Weddings. The year was incredibly busy and I feel so blessed, but there are definitely a lot of things I learned in the last year. I have the top 3 listed here for now.
1. Weddings and events are not glamorous for the planner. Countless hours of work and planning go into each event. There is a lot that happens behind the scenes that people don't realize, so what the guests may see is definitely glamour galore, the work is not. People always ask if I am like J-Lo with my earpiece as seen in the movie. No. If I wore an earpiece, there is nobody on the other end to hear what I am saying.

2. Events definitely create amazing memories and the people you meet along the way are incredible.

3. Wear comfortable shoes. at the end of the day, you will pay a dear price for those oh-so-cute heels you just had to wear to go with your outfit.

A thousand thank-you's go out to those that allowed me to take part in their special day this past year. Thanks for letting StellaBlueDress become a reality.