Destination Palm Springs!

In the past seven weeks, I have been in three states and four countries...Texas, North Carolina, Louisiana, Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, and Cozumel! As if that weren't enough, I am now on my way to Palm Springs! Yes, I love to travel!! Some of this travel has been for personal vacation, and some travel has been for destination weddings. After I return from Palm Springs I will be sure to post pictures and stories from my previous travels. This upcoming trip is for a fabulous destination wedding for Courtney and Chris. They live in Carmel, California and found me because I also got married at the venue they are getting married at this weekend, the Miramonte Resort and Spa!

Laurel McConnell had written a blog article about me nearly a year ago, and Courtney had found it after she googled the Miramonte Resort to find any feedback she could while she was researching venues. In the blog article, I had mentioned that the Miramonte is my favorite venue of all time, so Courtney gave me a call and the rest is history!

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First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes…changing your name!

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If you are planning to change your name after you get married, check out this fabulous online name change service - MaidenNameChange.com. As many former brides can attest, changing your maiden name can be time-consuming, confusing & frustrating.

You have to deal with all the government agencies, banks, etc., and you’ll find there is very little quality guidance available to help you through the process….until now!

MaidenNameChange.com is the only complete online name change service that will help you get your name changed in every part of your life, from updating your Social Security, driver’s license, and passport to changing your name with banks, at the office, with frequent flier programs, and much more! They even provide and fill out the forms for you! You just print, sign, and mail them in!

This site was started by Pam Sherman, a former bride, who created this site with her husband after they were totally overwhelmed by the hassles they went through during their name change process. The website is everything she wishes was available at the time for her but wasn’t.

The site just launched in Nov ’07 but has already helped brides all across the country. Membership to the site is just $29.95. Enjoy!

Prosecco, Dancing with the Stars, and Grandma's Homemade Petits Fours

Congratulations Sarah and Shahram!

What a fun couple Sarah and Shahram were! They met while attending med school at the University of Washington. Not only do they share a passion for medicine and their careers (Sarah is an OB/GYN and Shahram is a Plastic Surgeon), but they also share a great love for the Pacific Northwest. What better venue to hold their wedding than the Center for Urban Horticulture at the University of Washington!

Sarah and Shahram had planned most of their wedding long-distance from Washington D.C., with the help of Sarah’s mom. A month or so before the wedding, Sarah called me to ask if I could help pull all of her details together for her special day. She realized she needed a coordinator to help so that she and her mom could completely relax and enjoy the day. Mission accomplished, as Sarah was one of the most relaxed brides I’ve ever seen! She was so laid back the entire day, and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of her wedding!

Here are just a few ways that Sarah personalized her wedding:

• Sarah’s grandfather kicked off their toasts by raising a glass of Prosecco that he made himself the year Sarah was born. He saved this Prosecco all these years, knowing that he wanted to give it to her as a wedding gift someday. What a special gift!!


• Sarah opted out of the traditional wedding cake, and guests enjoyed her grandmother’s home- made petits fours and delicate cookies for dessert – along with the ice cream sundae bar, these desserts were a hit!


• After dinner, Sarah surprised guests and changed into a sassy salsa-dancing dress full of beautiful shimmers, and she and Shahram enjoyed their first dance as husband and wife while doing a tango/salsa type of dance. They were amazing and looked like they should be on Dancing with the Stars! :)
  
  Vendors they selected:
  Ceremony and Reception Venue: Center for Urban Horticulture
  Catering: Herban Feast
  Band: Johnny 5
  Florist: Juniper Flowers
  Ceremony musicians: Windstrings
  Hair: Gene Juarez
  Photographer: Family friend, Liz Hair

New Addition to the Sweet Pea Team!

I am very excited to announce that I have a new addition to the Sweet Pea Events team! Kirsten Lile comes to Sweet Pea Events with over 5 years of experience planning and designing events. Most recently she worked for World Vision where she was responsible for marketing and events. Prior to World Vision, she worked for Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle, focusing on auctions and other fundraising events. Kirsten has been coordinating weddings for several years and brings her creativity and organizational finesse into every wedding she plans. Her clients rave about her work and often express that Kirsten becomes a friend to them throughout the planning process. She looks forward to the opportunity to help grow the Sweet Pea Events business and taking on new clients!

Outside of work, Kirsten enjoys spending time with her husband Adam, and 1 year old baby girl Taylor. She personally got married on Maui, Hawaii and loved every minute of her destination wedding. (Side note - Laurel McConnell Photography not only took Kirsten's head shot pictures, but also traveled to Hawaii with her to capture her wedding photos!) Kirsten also loves running, traveling, and planning weddings! Oh, and her favorite coffee drink is a tall, soy, caramel latte. :)