Tiffany is ridiculous: RIDICULOUSLY sweet and unassuming, RIDICULOUSLY gorgeous, RIDICULOUSLY kind (she’s an ER pediatric nurse).  People adore this girl.

Alan is painful:  PAINFULLY gracious, PAINFULLY hard working (he’s a successful entrepreneur), PAINFULLY in love.  Everyone loves him.

Seriously, a Match Made in Heaven.

I had so much fun planning this wedding with Tiffany.  She was open to all my ideas and knew just what she wanted.    Tiffany and Alan decided to have their ceremony overlooking the Bay side of Sandestin with lots of traditional roses in shades of pink and touches of tropical green cymbidium orchids.  It was the perfect complement to their Kentucky roots and their Florida beach nuptials.

After the ceremony, we arranged for a shuttle to take the wedding party over to the beach where Candice K captured some of my all time favorite shots while the guests enjoyed an amazing outdoor cocktail hour.  The salmon colored bridesmaid dresses from JCrew looked spectacular on the beach right before sunset!

Some sweet personal touches included the Bride’s brother officiating the wedding and her sorority sisters gathering around the Bride and Groom during the reception, hand in hand, serenading the happy couple.

I’ll let Candice’s gorgeous photography tell the rest of the story, but since everyone loves to hear the behind the scenes stories, here are a few reasons we were glad Tiffany had a Wedding Planner!:

~ The Bride and Bridesmaids were enjoying a lovely pre-ceremony photoshoot outside of the Bride’s vacation rental, when we discovered the Groom and Groomsmen were going to be driving right by on their way to the ceremony.  A quick phone call to the Best Man’s cell kept us up to date on their location so I could quickly grab the bride and hide her behind a bush as the guys drove by, completely oblivious!

~ The wind picked up before the ceremony, causing concern for the rose petal aisle that was planned.  Not to be deterred, our rockstar floral team whipped out a can of spray adhesive and those petals didn’t move one bit!

~ The assistant to the pastry chef inadvertently placed the cake on his standard cake plate and delivered it during the ceremony.  During cocktail hour, before the guests had come into the reception, I realized the oversight.  I don’t even want to know how, but he was able, in less than 2 minutes, transfer the cake, completely unscathed, to the cake plate the Bride’s mother had dropped off to the kitchen earlier in the week before anyone was the wiser.

~The adorable flower girl, although prepped and rehearsed, caught a case of stage fright at the very last second.  Without hesitation, we calmly instructed the rest of the Bridal Party to casually walk right past her and continue the processional without any incident or commotion.   Amazingly, Miss Flower Girl stood perfectly still and let everyone pass her, and then calmly walked to her mother and sat down.

LESSON:  Nothing is perfect and things WILL happen, but your Wedding Planner will save the day!

Seriously…are you following Mix Mingle Glow on Facebook? Cuz, here’s the deal:  Every Tuesday I feature a handy-dandy party-planning/entertaining/helpful tip that shows up automatically on your NewsFeed (aptly named “Tuesdays Tips”).  Now I don’t mean to brag, but the people are kinda loving it.  I just hate for you to miss out is all I’m saying.

OK NoW hErE‘s ThE fUn StUfF:  Kimberly totally inspired me several months ago when she featured the supercool idea of doing Random Acts of Kindness in honor of her own birthday, and asking friends to join in the fun as a gift to her on her blog.

{You see where this is going, don’t you?}

So I am spending Saturday doing 38 Random Acts of Kindness with my family in honor of my 38 years of life.  I personally can’t wait.  Since many friends were asking what I’d like for my birthday, I have asked them to each to ONE thing and share it with me.  If you are feeling festive between now and the end of the weekend, I would be honored if you would leave a comment describing something you kindly and unexpectedly did for someone else.  Wouldn’t it be wonderful if 38 of you did it?  What if even MORE did?? Please, please oh please consider it.  It would honestly be the best birthday present ever!

I’ll be back after this fun weekend (and the crazy Mad Scientist party I am designing for an adorable little girl on Sunday!) to give you the play by play of the weekend events!!  Thanks friends!

My darling sister recently moved back to the States after living several years in Singapore.  She loved the time she and her family spent over there.  I did not.  Her adventures in Thailand, Bangkok, Australia among other far off lands while living in Singapore afforded her many interesting stories and artifacts that she very much longed to share with her American friends.  This, of course, was a perfect excuse for a party, I explained. 

Singapore is a unique mix of Thai, Indian and Chinese cultures (with a little bit of American thrown in), so we made sure the food reflected a bit of each.  In addition to asking sister lots of questions, I did a bit of research to learn as much about the country as I could to help give me some party planning guidance.  Tropical flowers and citrus were easy, beautiful, natural accents to the rich tapestries and exquisite souvenirs that decorated the space.  Tealights in small sake cups were a pretty touch.

Foods were clearly marked with the name of the dish along with what country it was from, since many of the guests were self-proclaimed unadventurous diners.  We used some of the gorgeous fabrics she had collected as table coverings as well as large tropical greenery like monstera leaves for accents under the Bambu plates and utensils. 

Of course it goes without saying that the Signature Cocktail of the evening was none other than the famed Singapore Sling, which originated at the Raffles Hotel in Singapore.  Glasses were garnished ahead of time with orange slices and cherries so that they could be easily filled (and refilled!) with the premade pitchers of the yummy cocktail that we made earlier in the day and stored in the fridge.  It was fun to tell guests the story of the Singapore Sling as we poured their drinks.  I love to learn something new at parties, don’t you?

For dessert we just had to bring in the adorable and delicious cupcakes from the Shabby Chic bakery.  After all, there is a bit of American culture mixed into the Singapore lifestyle, although the real reason was that we just wanted a good excuse to try all the amazing flavors Shabby Chic bakery had to offer!  Suffice it to say, no one was disappointed!

While the party was the perfect time for my sister to get reacquainted with old friends and share her adventures, photos and memories with them, it is also the perfect example of how simple it is to throw a party for just about any occasion.  A bit of research (thanks Google!), simple decor, yummy, interesting food and a Signature Cocktail are all you need to host a fun gathering for your friends.

Want to see some more photos from this Singapore Party?  Hop on over to our Facebook Fan page and check them out in the online gallery.  While you’re there, become a Fan and maybe you’ll be the next recipient of our Every 100 Fans Giveaway for a $100 gift card!

Recently I heard about Maria and Evan, an adorable couple who were married in November 2009.   The night after they had their engagement photo session, Evan stopped by the store to pick up a couple of items and was hit by another driver, splitting his car in two and throwing him into a concrete wall, resulting in a fractured neck at the C2 vertebrae, an injury that is often fatal.  Doctors told Maria that Evan would probably not be able to walk down the aisle.

After enduring many complications, lots of hospital time and a risky surgery, they were elated to learn Evan would eventually make a full recovery.  It was a long year but you can imagine how sweet that Wedding Day was when it arrived and Evan not only walked his Bride down the aisle, but took her hand for their first dance together as husband and wife.

Sadly, the newlyweds soon learned that they were drowning in medical bills and in addition to trying to find a teaching position and taking up odd jobs, sweet Maria decided to sell her beloved Maggie Sottero Vienna wedding gown.

“At first I didn’t want to part with my dress. But then I realized that it’s just a thing, and that I was already holding onto the best part of that whole day — Evan!  Now I’m glad that someone else will get to enjoy my beautiful wedding dress, and I hope it brings them the same joy that it gave us.”

Recycled Bride is hosting the sale of this gorgeous dress for the discounted price of $1000 and has generously offered to cover all packing, insurance and first class shipping fees.  You can buy the dress at the rockin’ Recycled Bride website (all my current 2010/2011 Brides, take a look!)  I would L-O-V-E to have one of my own precious Brides wearing that dress on their wedding day!!

Due to the inquiries of so many kind, generous people, an account has been set up for anyone interested in making a donation to Maria and Evan.  (How awesome would it be if they received enough donations that Maria didn’t end up having to part with her beautiful dress at all?!)

Now listen….if there is one thing that I am more passionate about than designing and planning special occasions, it is giving to others in their time of need.   I am assuming if you are a fan of this blog, you feel the same way.  So if you don’t need a new wedding dress but want to help a young newly married couple when they need it most, then CLICK HERE and make a donation.  It can be $1.  Or $25.  Or $100.  Whatever you can do, do it.

 “I am only one, but I am one.I cannot do everything, but I can do something.  And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I CAN do.”  -Edward Everette Hale

January isn’t really brimming with party-worthy holidays, which isn’t a bad thing, given the overdose of celebrating between the end of October and December.  It’s nice to get the house back in order, return life to some semblance of normalcy and allow the comfort of routine to set back in.  With the chill in the air (never-you-mind, my Aussie & NZ readers!), it’s easy to just stay inside and hibernate a bit.  But there are a bunch of fun, oft-ignored reasons to celebrate right here in January that might be just what you need to put a little pep back in your wintery step.

Did you know that January is also:

National Hot Tea Month

photo courtesy of frolic!

Invite some friends over one morning this month to sample some fun flavored teas like Mint Chocolate, Cinnamon Spice, and Peaches & Ginger.  Find out if you really prefer “one lump or two”, or mix it up and sweeten your tea with other options like maple syrup, brown sugar, honey or agave syrup.  Add a few scones, biscotti and muffins.  Visit Harney & Sons to order some yummy REAL tea (not your average grocery store variety).   Print out this clever list of 101 Uses For Tea(who knew?) for each guest on cardstock with a tin of teabags as a thoughtful reminder of this underappreciated “holiday”.

National Oatmeal Month

photo courtesy of Simply Seleta

Baby, it’s cold out there.  Get the kids off to school and invite a few friends over to enjoy a bowl of Irish Oatmeal that you (wisely) put in the crockpot the night before, topped with brown sugar and bananas or fresh berries and cream.  Throw caution to the wind and watch a morning movie while sitting with Exfoliating Oatmeal Masks on your faces.  Or just ask some neighbors to come over and whip up a batch of oatmeal cookies together over a pot of coffee.

National Blood Donor Month

photo courtesy Mix Mingle Glow

Gather a group of buddies for a good cause!  Visit a local blood drive and donate together.  Then, skip the standard stale cookies and apple juice offerings and spike your blood sugar with a dessert party back at your house.  Set up a sundae bar or ask everyone to bring their favorite baked goods!  Eating dessert AND saving a life??  Super sweet!

National Hobby Month

photo courtesy of Ashfield Council

Surely you have some crafty friends.  You, yourself are quite the clever girl.  Call up a few and ask them to show you how they do what they do.  What I love about this is that you really just need one “teacher” at a time.  Maybe everyone admires Rosemary’s newfound knitting skills.  Ask her if she can teach you and few friends her fabulous hobby.  Everyone brings their own knitting needles and you provide the fun yarn.  Next time inspire everyone to dig out their scrapbooks they haven’t touched since Y2K to do a little updating.  I have a friend who loves to use stamps to create beautiful cards and stationery.  Personally, I wouldn’t take it up as a hobby, but it sure is fun to play with her stuff every now and then!  Be sure to invite the pal who’s hobby is baking so you’ll be guaranteed to have some treats too!

Sure it’s fun to get together for the big, expected holidays.  But I find the spontaneous, silly, informal get togethers are often the most memorable.  Don’t let this month pass you by without at least one chance to invite those you love, and who love you, into your home to experience your wonderful hospitality!

Several months ago I had to make the switch from coffee to tea and was less than thrilled, to say the least.  Being a true Southern girl, I do so enjoy a tall glass of iced tea, but hot tea has always been the equivalent of brown water.

“You just don’t know how to make it,” my health-conscious, tea-loving friends would say.  I tried all different ways; with and without a splash of milk, honey, flavored tea varieties…all just left me yearning for my beloved java (with flavored creamer, if you please).

One day my sister sent me a package, claiming its contents would change my life.  Several large tins of HARNEY & SONS TEA along with small purse-sized “tagalong tins” were inside.  Thus My #1 Favorite Thing of 2009!

My all time fave is, without question, the Hot Cinnamon Spice sweetened with (surprise!) AGAVE SYRUP (see My Favorite Things #2).  The secret is to let it steep a while…in fact I keep my teabag in the cup the entire time I drink it.  Because I take it with me in my tagalong tin, I can have it anywhere a cup and hot water is available and have had more than one stranger stop and ask what I am drinking and where they can order it (it smells almost as good as it tastes!).  There are more varieties of tea available from HARNEY & SONS than you can imagine and the only drawback is that they have ONE brick and mortar location in upstate New York so you have to go there if you’d like to partake in their fabled Tasting Room.

At the My Favorite Things party, our third  Action Station consisted of  several types of teas where guests could create their own labeled tagalong tin with their favorite flavors for themselves or to give someone else around the Holidays.

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I truly hope you have enjoyed reading about My Favorite Things and that you’ve been inspired in some way.  My wish for all my readers is that you have and give the gift of hospitality in 2010.  I hope you all have a warm, happy, blessed Christmas!

If I haven’t already mentioned it, I have a sweet tooth.  LOVE it.

A couple of years ago while working on some events in Los Angeles, a celebrity client mentioned to me how it’s common knowledge in Hollywood that sugar breaks down the collagen in your skin and speeds up wrinkling.  I immediately Googled this factoid and sadly the results agreed.

I decided that I would swear off the white stuff and Splenda would be my new sweetener of choice.  Thank goodness it is widely available.  I must have ingested buckets of the stuff over the following year.  Then I started reading how maybe artificial sweeteners are really too good to be true; maybe really NOT good at all.

So this year I swore off all artificial sweeteners and decided to just try to ingest sugar in moderation.

I discovered AGAVE SYRUPquite by accident- a recipe I had called for it.  Later I tried it in my tea and a few other dishes that called for sugar.  I found it to be quite delicious.  So I did some research and what I discovered, in addition to it’s caramelly-goodness, made AGAVE SYRUP one of My Favorite Things of the year.

*Agave syrup is 100% natural, coming from the agave cactus plant (same plant we get tequila from!)

*While Agave syrup does not have fewer calories than sugar or other natural sweeteners, it is MUCH sweeter, which means you don’t need to use near the amount of sugar you would normally use.

*Agave never crystallizes like honey.  It never spoils or expires in your pantry.  Ever.

*Due to its quick dissolving, Agave syrup is quickly becoming a staple in cocktails and a bartender’s favorite ingredient.

*Agave has a low glycemic index, which means it won’t cause your blood sugar to spike.

I always keep a bottle on hand at home but was thrilled to find individual AGAVE SYRUP sticks to keep in your purse for your on-the-go coffee and tea stops!

See you tomorrow for the last day of My Favorite Things!

UPDATE:  Thanks to Leslie from Leslie Manning Events who alerted me to the fact that some people may have an allergy to the agave cactus plant.  If you have ever had an adverse reaction to tequila, or if you experience any type of allergic response after trying agave syrup, stick with your tried and true sweeteners instead!