My Inspiration!

I love coffee. In fact, everyone who knows me, knows I love coffee. On most mornings, you'll find me at Starbucks ordering my Venti 3 pump Vanilla Latte. I even have a favorite shirt that says, 'coffeegirl' on it hanging in my closet. And what even makes this shirt better is the fact that it's Starbucks green...oh yeah!

So with this inspiration in mind, and a lot of help from Missy Meagan, whose idea it was for me to start posting a weekly Inspiration Board, I decided to use the images she sent me, along with my own, and make my 'Coffee' Inspiration Board. So, here it is!

I decided not to use one of the wedding websites, instead I chose Picasa, a Google program, to create my 'Coffee' Inspiration Board. It's a relatively easy program to use, although it did take me awhile to figure out just exactly how to use it. I'm not the most computer-savvy gal in the world, so I'm sure any of you who try it will have a much easier time than I did. Having said that, I did manage to master it...I think!

I chose to use their 'Picture Pile' option when creating my board because I didn't want all my photos structured. I wanted to be able to move them around and place them in the way that I wanted in order to give a more jumbled feel to my board. I'm not a very structured kinda gal so having the control to move them every which-way worked well for me. You, however, could use any one of their other options if you want your board to have a more linear feel to it.

Ok, back to my board. Why this board...besides the focus on coffee, that is? Well, I love 'fall'. I love everything about 'fall'. I love the change of the season when the leaves begin turning those breathtakingly beautiful shades of red, yellow, rust and orange. When there's that wee bit of 'fall' in the air, and the days finally start to get shorter. I love the warm and cozy feeling 'fall' gives me...and the fact that I can drink a lot more coffee as the autumn chill begins. LOL! And, truth be told, 'fall' weddings are by far my favorite! It just seemed natural to play off all those ideas to enhance this theme.

So, with that in mind, and the InnCredible center photo of the cup of cappuccino, and Meagan's fab pictures as my inspiration, I began. Once I had my 'key' photo in place, I went out and scoured the internet to see what else I could find to accent my theme. And, I was astounded at what I found! The perfect dress, fabulous shoes...oh my, the choices were endless. What fun! Kinda makes me wish I was getting married...hee hee...!

You'll notice I left a bit of space on the right side of my board. I did this just in case I wanted to go back and add more photos later on. Picasa actually gives you the option of editing your board once it's saved, which is great because I could easily go back and add these fabulous vintage earrings later on if I wanted to. Lovely!

Picasa also has a 'Blog This' button which I thought was pretty cool. Remember, I'm no computer whiz, so this was a great feature for me because when I clicked on it, it took me immediately to this blog. All I had to do was enter my 'user name' and 'password', and viola...it uploaded! Nice! Very nice!

Unfortunately, I did learn the hard way that 'reset' does not mean 'undo'. After I clicked on the 'reset' button, my entire board disappeared and I had to start all over again from scratch. Not fun! :(

So, there you have it. My first official 'Inspiration Board'. Tell me, what do you think? Be honest. I want your feedback. The good...the bad...and the ugly!

I also want your 'Inspiration Boards'. Isla Baker from East Linton, Scotland has already broken the ice with her InnCredible 'Inspiration Board'...so now it's your turn! Don't be shy!

(Isla's 'Inspiration Board')

It's easy. All you need to do is create your own 'Inspiration Board' and either email it to me at: www.info@InnCredibleEvents.com or click this 'Contact' link, fill out your information, then 'cut & paste' your 'Inspiration Board' into our 'Message' box. Piece of cake!

As promised, I'll post every one you send me on our InnCredible Events facebook page, and on this blog! In addition, your board will also be featured on our InnCredible Events Twitter page. Pretty Awesome, right!

I'm not sure what inspiration I'm going to use for my next board, but I think this time I'm going to try 'Squidoo' so I can compare the two programs.

Until next time...Inspire me!

Making your wedding InnCredible
InnCredible Events
949/887.9629

Inspired Fan!

Wow...when I published my last blog post on Thursday, I didn't think I'd get a response as quickly as I did. Amazing!

A very special Thank You to Isla Baker, all the way from East Linton, Scotland, for sending our very first official 'fan' Inspiration Board. Do you love it, or what? I think it's pretty InnCredible!


Through her beautiful, eye-catching board, you can clearly see that Isla loves the ocean, peachy/fall colors, romance and a wee bit of fun as well.
Personally, I love the heart shaped fried eggs. How cute are they?
And the shoe...Fabulous!
Oh, and the chandelier...we love chandeliers at InnCredible Events!
Such a wonderful display of your theme.
Great job Isla...I love it...love it...love it!

Isla used Wedding Wire, and said it was super easy and loads of fun!
If you don't want to use this link to Wedding Wire, you can log on to their website (www.weddingwire.com) and click on their 'My Wedding' tab. Scroll down and click on 'Inspiration Boards'. Simple!

Ok, the pressure is on...the ice has been broken. Now it's your turn...get busy and send in your Inspiration Boards.

(To submit, you can either send them to our email address: www.info@inncredibleevents.com, which is what Isla did, or you can go to our 'Contact Us' page, enter your information, and 'cut and paste' your board into our 'Message' section.)

I'm waiting to be inspired!

Making your wedding InnCredible
InnCredible Events
949/887.9629

Be Inspired!

I love...love...love Inspiration Boards. I really do! And by the looks of it, so do a lot of you brides out there. The wedding blogs are chalk full of samples for you to choose from. But, they're so much fun to create why would you want someone else to create one for you?

One of our brides described them as 'scrapbooking for brides,' and what could be more fun than that? Especially since most of the wedding websites now have programs in place where you can create and design your very own Inspiration Board free of charge through 'drag and drop' technology. Don't laugh...it's super easy!

(www.weddingwire.com)

I know, I know, some of you are thinking, the ones you see posted online are created by professionals, and while that's true, it doesn't mean you can't create your own fabulous Inspiration Board that rivals the professionals. All you do is sign up, get a password and get started!

(www.theknot.com)

But, before we jump in with both feet, lets first define what an Inspiration Board is, and how to use it...just in case there are brides out there who aren't familiar with this phenomenon yet.

Simply stated, an Inspiration Board is a mixed media collage of photographs, pictures, images and/or textures, that give a 'feel' to your wedding. These images can be from blogs, magazines, catalogs, personal photographs... anything that speaks to you, and helps you set the tone or theme of your wedding.

Your Inspiration Board is primarily a tool to help you keep 'on track' with the wedding theme you've chosen, but it can also be used as a tool to define your individual wedding style for your bakery, wedding planner, caterer, or anyone who is assisting in the design of your wedding. Having an Inspiration Board in hand will help vendors get a clearer picture of your vision, and thus help guarantee your big day will be InnCredible!

(www.stylemepretty.com)

OK...let's get started!

First...Define your theme!
Find that 'one' picture that is going to set the tone for the rest of your wedding. It could be a color swatch, a piece of furniture you absolutely love, your dress, or a flower arrangement...anything that grabs your attention. Then once you have that one picture, follow that theme!

When you look at this board it's easy to see that it's theme is definitely ruffly, romantic and peachy in color. Notice that all the pictures carry that same theme. They're all different, but still have the 'feel' of romance. And I would say the inspiration for this theme came from the peach card in the middle of the board. Agree?

While this board, on the other hand, is obviously more rustic, vintage and outdoorsy in its look and feel. I'd pick the fabulous rustic sign as the key picture of inspiration here. How about you?

OK...now that you've established your theme, let the fun begin!
It's time for you to start scouring for wee bits of inspiration to add to your board. Look through all your favorite magazines (and not just wedding ones), surf the internet, check out all the wedding blogs, visit the fabric/craft stores and begin collecting things that appeal to you and match your theme.

This bride used the colors in their favorite dessert to inspire the wedding theme. Yep, ice cream cones set the tone for this wedding. And, if you'll notice all the items on this board mirror the 'feel' of the ice cream cones.

And finally, once you have your images...start creating!
Here's a number of wedding websites that already have software in place for you to design and create your own personal Inspiration Boards online:

• www.weddingwire.com
• www.stylemepretty.com
• www.theknot.com

Now, if you want to steer clear of creating your Inspiration Board online and don't want to use a wedding website, you can use Adobe PhotoShop, Power Point, Picasa or Squidoo.

And of course, if you really want to do it the 'old fashioned' way, you can always use a piece of paper or cardboard, tape, glue and scissors!


No matter how you construct it, just do it. Making an Inspiration Board will make your wedding planning life a whole lot easier, believe me!

Of course, there's always method to my madness. So beginning next week, I'm going to pick a theme and create an Inspiration Board from scratch and post on both this blog and on our facebook page (www.facebook.com/Inncredible.Events).

And, I'm going to want suggestions from each of you as well...so if you're interested in seeing an Inspiration Board built around a certain theme or picture, send me a note and/or a photo, and I'll be happy to oblige.

Or, better yet, if you've put together your own Inspiration Board, complete our 'Contact' page, then cut and paste your Inspiration Board into the 'Message' box, or send it to me at info@inncredibleevents.com, and I'll post it! Be sure to include your name, email address, wedding date, location, etc., so I can give you credit. (I promise I'll never post your personal info!)

It'll be so much fun to see what our readers are creating. So, send your Inspiration Boards my way!!! Can't wait!

Until next time...

(hint hint!)

Making your wedding InnCredible
InnCredible Events
949/887.9629

Post It!

Wedding websites are all the rage! In fact, even our favorite Royal couple, Wills and Kate, have their very own website! Yep, it's true, just go to: www.officialroyalwedding2011.org to get all the latest details about the upcoming Royal nuptials.


But back here at home...across the pond...couples are also stepping up and designing their own personal wedding websites to keep family and friends informed about everything having to do with their upcoming weddings. And with the world going to the internet for all the up-to-date information, it just makes sense for today's couple to join in the fun. You can even coordinate all your wedding stationary around your website, if you wish!

And, it's really fun to do! There are several sites out there that will let you design your website for free. Some have more options than others, so depending upon how involved you want to get, and how often you want to update your information, there is a site perfect for you. And the best news is, they are all very easy to do. No over-the-top computer knowledge needed. Each site will walk you through just exactly how to go about designing your site to meet your needs.

I'm going to give you a 'sneak peak' at three different wedding websites, but it's best if you log on and check out each for yourself to see which one works best for you.


'Wedding Wire' has probably the biggest selection of options...at least that's what their 'Wedding Websites' page says. Simply go to weddingwire.com, click on 'My Wedding'. When the tab opens you'll see the option for 'Wedding Website.' Click this prompt and you'll immediately be taken to their wedding website home page. Here you can click 'View Designs' and see everything they have to offer.

They offer over 20 different designer collections from 'Vera Wang', 'The Green Kangaroo' to 'Wedding Paper Divas' and 'Martha Stewart,' plus everything in between. When you click on your preferred designer, it will open up the entire collection of choices; 120 to be exact. You can even test them all out without registering first. And that's kinda cool. I did that with a number of the 'options' and had a great time.

Each collection also offers you the option of ordering coordinating stationary as well. And most of these include an intro page as well, and some have moving video. Again, whatever is your choice and it's absolutely free.



'The Knot' is another one of my favorite wedding sites and they too offer couples free wedding website design. It is a little more difficult to find the 'Wedding Website' page on 'The Knot'...but it's totally worth the search. When you get to the 'Home Page,' you can either click on the 'Tools' tab or go to the prompts on the left side of the page, look for the 'Planning Tools' category, then click on 'My Website'.

If you click on the 'Tools' tab, the 'Planning Tools' page will come up, scroll down until you see the picture with 'wedding website' written underneath. When you click on this, you'll be asked if you want to set up your own personal web address...mind you, if you don't choose one, they will choose one for you. From there you'll be taken to a questionnaire. When you click 'preview,' the 'Our Wedding' page will appear. You can't add any information on this page, you have to scroll down and click the 'Edit This Page' button in order to post any information at all.

If you go through the side prompts, you're taken to some of The Knot designs, then to the personal web address page, then the questionnaire...and so on. Even with all the steps, it's pretty simple!



Lastly, Get Married has their own free wedding website tools as well. Go to their 'Home Page' and click on the 'Wedding Tools' prompt and this will bring up several options for you to choose from. Click on 'My Wedding Website' and you'll be taken directly to their design page.

You must register before you can get in to see what they have to offer. And since I am not getting married, I didn't register so I'm not too sure what their process is like. I did press their 'Get Started' button and it took me to a page where I could list all my personal and wedding information. From here, I could go no further. They say they have 100's of options to choose from and they'll even send you a 'free' 'Get Married' magazine just for registering.



These are just three websites of the many websites available. If you do a google search on wedding websites, you'll come up with a number of other ones. Whichever site you choose to go with, the trend is definitely leaning towards today's couples having a wedding website. They are a quick and easy way to keep guests informed, give hotel information, driving directions, or let them know where you're registered; and all this cuts down tremendously on paper. Yeah!

Just remember to include the website address on all your wedding correspondence and direct guests to check your site regularly.I hope this gives you a bit of inspiration to start your own wedding website. And here's another cool thing, a number of Wedding Planners will even set up your wedding website for you. Again, another great reason to hire a Wedding Planner to make your wedding dreams come true!

Making your wedding InnCredible
InnCredible Events
949/887.9629

EPIC

What a Weekend! Ya know what...it really doesn't get any better than this!
This past weekend, Marjorie and I had the honor of 'hob-nobbing' and 'rubbing elbows' with some of the wedding industries brightest stars at ACPWC's E.P.I.C. conference in San Francisco. And we're talking some big names... Alan Berg of The Knot...Natalie Bradley, founder of Bride Attraction....Andy Ebon, the Wedding Marketing Authority, and the one-and-only Sasha Souza from Sasha Souza Events and Sparkliatti.com.
My goodness, there was a lot of talent in that room! Talk about feeling intimidated! LOL!

(Andy Ebon & Me)

(Marjorie & Andy Ebon)

Even with the record breaking cold temperatures and the threat of snow...the first predicted in 30 years, mind you...we hung in there, learned a tremendous amount, and were able to talk one-on-one with industry greats we had only viewed from afar at other conferences. Needless to say, it was very exciting!

(Natalie Bradley & Me)

One of the most important things I learned was how to get our couples featured in the major wedding magazines. Becca Brett Leish, Director of Marketing and Communications at 'Get Married Media', was a wealth of information on exactly what the publications and blogs are looking for in the weddings they feature. It's no longer solely up to the photographer or videographer to submit weddings for consideration. Media sources are taking submissions from couples, wedding planners and other wedding professionals, as long as they have permission to use the photos or video. This opens up a whole new world for couples who are interested in getting published, like our darling Roz who's 'Singing in the Rain' video went viral on 'Style Me Pretty.' It's particularly exciting for us because, believe it or not, there are photographers who aren't interested in submitting photos for publication, and in the past, that would leave the bride and groom without a way to showcase their wedding. Thankfully that's all changed now!

(Marjorie, Sasha Sousa & Me)

But, the high point of the conference had to be when Marjorie and I got the chance to talk to Alan Berg, VP of Marketing Intelligence for The Knot, about our marketing materials. What a great guy! He's so unbelievably generous with his time and talents. He is, by far, the expert in his field and absolutely loves helping people produce the best product they can. Believe me, he gave us some fabulous ideas, which I'm anxious to implement. Many, many heartfelt thanks to Alan for all his wonderful suggestions!

(Marjorie & Alan Berg)

(Alan Berg & Me)

Sadly, all good things must come to an end...and the EPIC conference was no exception. However, this conference wrapped things up in style! The ACPWC ladies hosted a fabulous 'Celebration Gala' on Saturday night with an InnCredible band, great dinner and lots and lots of dancing. But, I have to say, the highlight of this gala evening was when darling, Jessica Williams, from 'Get Married', was serenaded by one of the band's gorgeous singers. It made all of our nights, that's for sure! And embarrassment aside, I don't think she'll ever be the same!

(Jessica Williams, Get Married)

With all the fun behind me, the time has come to put all the things I learned at the conference into play...so stay tuned for more wedding planning tips and tricks of the trade in my upcoming posts. And as always, if you have a topic you'd like me to cover, just drop me a note...

Until next time...make it an InnCredible Event....

Making your wedding InnCredible
InnCredible Events
949/887.9629

DIY or DIY-aster?

I love weddings! I especially love DIY (Do It Yourself) weddings! I love it when the bride and groom put their own personal stamp on their wedding by bringing together family heirlooms or items they've made to make their wedding their own. But what saddens me is when there's no direction to their theme, and a couple's well-intentioned ideas go awry because no one has thought the concept through completely. And unfortunately this is something we see all too often...ones fabulous DIY wedding reduced to a DIY-aster.

So to keep this from happening to you, here are a few tips to keep in mind.



1. Think your ideas through completely. And once you've done that, ask friends and/or family for their opinions. Then listen to their suggestions. Remember, other people see things differently than you do. It's better to find out early on that something is not going to work together instead of on your wedding day when everyone's in a rush to get things set-up.

And, if you're a really ambitious and organized like our bride Roz, try putting together a wedding binder with all your great ideas inside...that way you can keep them all together and actually see if your ideas work with each other.


2. Make an Inspiration Board. These are great because they allow you to actually compile all the ideas you're dreaming about on one page. And maybe, once that concept is in front of you, it may not be as spectacular as you envisioned in your mind. If that's the case, your Inspiration Board can be easily changed.

You can either put together your Inspiration Board from scratch, or you can use the fabulous new one 'Get Married' just launched on their website. Go to www.getmarried.com/inspiration-boards to start yours. It's fun and easy...and there's a tutorial!


3. Check out the wedding blogs. There are literally hundreds out there to choose from and they're chalked full of great ideas. The professionals behind these great sites spend hours and hours searching, researching and collecting ideas to help you make your 'dream wedding' come true. They know what works together and can give you the tools to make your ideas come to life.
You probably have your favorites, but if not, here are a few of the ones I like:

• Style Me Pretty -www.stylemepretty.com
• Wedding Wire - www.weddingwire.com
• The Green Bride Guide - www.greenbrideguide.com
• DIY Weddings Magazine - www.diyweddingsmag.com
  
• My DIY Wedding Day - www.mydiyweddingday.com
• Ruffled - www.ruffledblog.com
• Ever Ours - www.ever-ours.com
• Elizabeth Anne Designs - www.elizabethannedesigns.com/blog

4. Decide on a theme and stick with it! Nothing spells DIY-aster than going from one idea to the next to the next. Weddings take a long time to plan and when you keep changing your mind, things can go wrong very quickly. So again, take the time to decide on a theme and stick with it!


5. Do a dry run. This is probably the easiest way to see if your great DIY ideas are going to be a hit or miss. Set your table with all the elements as you see them. Bring your items to your venue and place them where you've envision them. Then step back and take a look. Sometimes when things are in place, they aren't as magical as you pictured them, or they may not hold up the way you thought. Many times we have seen a brides great idea collapse on her wedding day because what looked good on paper didn't hold up at the event. For instance, the weather was too hot for candles, the fabulous banner wasn't long enough, glue holding the pictures together melted, the centerpieces were way too tall, etc. Again it's better to be safe than sorry...test things out before your big day!


6. Always make extras...always. It never fails that something is going to go wrong...you miss counted, someone extra shows up unexpectedly, or something breaks...so it's a good idea to over estimate the number of things you're going to need. Believe me, there is nothing worse than trying to recreate something hours before the wedding with a minimum amount of time and supplies. So be prepared for the unexpected. Oh the stories I could tell...


7. And for heavens sake, hire a Wedding Planner. They are worth their weight in gold and they'll be honest with you about your DIY designs. They've done lots of weddings. They've seen the good, the bad, and the ugly...and they'll tell you whether or not your ideas work. And best of all, they'll be able to anticipate the things that you can't even begin to imagine, so do yourself a favor and put a Wedding Planner in your budget.

Keeping these few tips in mind could mean the difference between having an InnCredible DIY wedding and a DIY-aster! Happy Planning!

Making your wedding InnCredible!
InnCredible Events
949/887.9629

Tag..You're it!

(QR Code from our InnCredible Events WeddingWire site)

I love these little guys! QR codes and Tags are literally popping up everywhere...especially in all your favorite magazines. In fact, in my newest issue of 'Get Married' magazine, I counted 20 Tags; beginning with one right on the front cover.

I first learned about these cuties at the Wedding MBA conference in Las Vegas last year, and have been fascinated by them ever since. They're quickly becoming a necessity for the busy bride on the go because they allow her to scan and capture information on her phone. Amazing!

So, what exactly are they codes and tags and how do they work? Well, I'm not expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I'll try to explain as best I can...

A 'QR Code' is a simple square image made up of black and white geometric designs that's captured by your cell phone and automatically connects you to information without any typing. Originally designed in Japan for Toyota, QR Codes have been around for about 15 years, but in the past year, have become extremely popular. Below is the QR Code for our InnCredible Events blog. And once you have the app on your phone, you can check it out.'Tags', on the other hand, were developed by Microsoft and tend to be more colorful, but do the exact same thing as QR Codes. According to Microsoft, 'When you scan a Tag using the free Tag Reader application on your mobile phone, it will automatically open a webpage, add a contact to your address book, display a message, or dial a number.' Cool, huh?

And Tags can be customized so they take on a 'fun' look, allowing companies to put their personal stamp on their Tag.
In order to use these Codes and Tags, you first have to download the apps on your cell phone. There are several different options available, and all are free. I have an iPhone so I used 'QR Code Reader and Scanner' and 'Tag Reader' as my apps of choice. 'Get Married' magazine recommends 'gettag.mobi' as a Tag reader. Check your App Store for the options available on your specific phone. And if you were lucky enough to just get a new phone...good news, these apps are already installed for you.

Once your app is downloaded the rest is simple. Just open the application on your phone, center the QR Code or Tag in the square on your screen, and depending on your application, either snap a picture or let the application do the work for you. The rest is magic! Your phone will automatically bring up whatever is contained within the cute little box you just scanned. Again, amazing!

Now that you know about this new technology that seems to have exploded on to the scene, see how many of them you find as you go through your day. I hear they are even being used on electronic billboards in NYC to help companies market their products. Wow! What's next?

Making your wedding InnCredible!

InnCredible Events
949/887.9629