Posts Tagged ‘About Us’
We are extremely proud to be the newest members of the Bliss Collection – A select group of wedding vendors specializing in Northern Virginia weddings! I am thrilled. We went through a rigorous application process.
Take a look at the website .
I am so looking forward to my bliss blogging- blogging about N. Virginia weddings and all of my wonderful Bliss colleagues!
Happy planning!
Over the past 9 years, I have very much enjoyed offering Wedding Day Coordination services. I have met some very wonderful couples who I would not have otherwise met, if I hadn’t offered the service. I grew from knowing them.
However, as things change, and Elegant Event Planning and Design is making transitions so that we able to best help our clients – and to provide exceptional service – we will be phasing out our Day of Coordination services over the next several months, and not offering it after January 1st, 2012. We are refocusing all of our attention – hearts and energy to our partial and full planning clients – becoming Elegant Event Planning and Design an Event Management Firm.
This is something that we have been considering for many months, and I feel it’s the right time to implement these changes.
Of course we will still provide Day of Services to our planning clients.
Even though we will go through this one major change, there will be no changes in our ability to customize individual packages to meet the individual needs of our clients. Meeting the needs of our client’s is of number one priority and the major reason we are instituting this change!
So, if you are considering us for your day of needs, I appreciate it! It’s an honor to hear from couples who are interested in our services! However, now is the time to call us and set up an appointment.
I will still support others in providing clients with exceptional Wedding Day Coordination, and will refer you to a planner who has the highest standards, integrity and will provide you with the same level of service our clients are accustomed to. Wedding Day Services are so important – they really are. It’s a much needed service for EVERY SINGLE couple. Everybody should have a professional on their day to ensure things run smoothly and according to plan.
Happy planning!
Besides Wizard 101, I would say that Tennis is my only vise, the only thing that will trump wedding planning. What can I say? I am human.
I’m a die hard Roger Federer fan, so it seems fitting for me to say something now that the tournament is over – for the Men’s singles anyway. I have had a few days to digest the defeat of “my man” in the semifinals – to Novak Djokovic ( or Da Joker as Brad Gilbert calls him) – the eventual Australian Open champion.
Blah.
It started 3 days ago when I got up at 3:30 – yes in the morning – to see my man send off Da Joker in elegant style – like he has done to so many of his opponents. I had my laptop in hand, writing my blog – to see the horror unfold before my eyes. My man was given the beat down. Really. He wasn’t the better player on Thursday.
Double blah.
What can I say? He was beaten by the better player – on that particular day anyway. It doesn’t happen often.
It reminded me off a time when Andre Agassi said
“He has to loose sometime. No one can always win – and this is just as good of a time as any”.
Of course he said this right before Federer sent him off in elegant style in the 2005 US Open final.
Ha!
I like to look at things on the bright side, cause if I didn’t, life would be just way too depressing.
He lost the battle, but a battle is just a moment in space and time. You loose a battle, it hurts but you shake it off and keep your eyes on the prize, to win the war – just a series of similar small battles.
It’s life.
No excuses.
I guess it’s a long way of saying “persevere”. Your all court game, sheer power, finesse around the court, and beauty on and off the court
Oh Yeah!
Makes you a joy to watch and a wonderful player – whether you win or loose.
Happy playing!
I hope everyone had a safe and very happy holiday.
Since we are nearing the end of the year, I thought I would post a video of myself speaking about Elegant Event Planning and Design.
Happy planning!
I suppose it’s that time of year. The college students are in the thick of finals – and are thinking about summer jobs and people are thinking about career changes. As a result, I get bombarded with tons of emails and phone calls inquiring whether I am hiring.
The long and short of it is, that I am not hiring – so stop the calls and emails. They will be ignored and/or deleted. I am not interested in resumes, no matter how much experience or lack of experience you have.
My road to wedding planning was not easy. It was a lot of hard work and sacrifice, and I do not expect anything less from the people who work along side me. I have a select group and anyone just won’t do. Typically, serendipitously, I find the right people – because it’s meant to be. If I ever do hire, I will post it on my blog. Any interested candidates can and will get the information here first.
I definitely support and understand the anxiety of life changes. However, If you are right, I will find you.
Happy planning and searching!
It’s that time of year again. I have been very fortunate in that I have been getting many calls and emails from lovely couples who need assistance with their 2011 weddings. It’s such a wonderful time filled with excitement as everybody is planning for new lives with the people that they love.
In conversations with couples, I have been getting the same question over and over so I thought I would respond here, with the hopes that it would actually be read. Here is the question…
If I hire you, will your vendors offer us discounts?
In my experience, discounts on money means discounts and shortcuts on service, and to me and the clients that typically work with me – that’s unacceptable. You never get something for nothing. I think I’ve said this before, but I am not a discount wedding planner. I work with vendors because they provide my clients with the quality of service that’s unmatched in the industry. I don’t choose them because they offer me or my client’s a discount. Unfortunately, you never get something for nothing. I work with the vendors that I do because they are the absolute best at what they do, and they provide the type of customer service that I expect for my clients.
That’s the bottom line – it’s pretty simple. They will exceed your expectations. It’s nice to know that during the process, and when you look back – there will be no regrets.
No compromises on that.
Happy planning!
There is nothing more important to us than our clients. We strive to make our client’s happy and it warms our hearts when we receive an un-requested testimonial.
This one is special because it says so much. I wanted to share it with you.
Lisa Nelson has the calm presence of a therapist and the organization of a NASA launch team. Her very reasonable fee was the best money I spent on my daughter’s wedding.
I was initially reluctant to engage a “day of coordinator,” believing myself to be a well-organized person who could accomplish the same thing. However, from the moment I decided to hire Lisa, I realized how much more smoothly everything would run and how liberated I would be from the pressures of directing things on the day of the wedding. With Lisa coordinating, every member of the wedding party was fully able to be present in the moment, and not looking at their watch or giving orders. Also, Lisa brought a wealth of experience that I lacked. She ensured that details I had not even thought of were covered. Her timeline brought order and calm to a very packed day by allowing adequate time for everything.
When difficulties and misunderstandings arose with our venue in the final two weeks, Lisa was an invaluable consigliere and go-between. I always knew she was on our side and would do everything she could to produce, in every detail, the wedding we envisioned.
Late in the process, we worried that we would need a replacement for our officiant. Lisa’s familiarity with clergy to provide interfaith weddings enabled us to relax in the knowledge that a back-up plan would be found if needed. (It wasn’t.) Three days before the wedding, we feared we would need a rental chuppah to replace the hand-crafted one the father of the bride had built. Once again, Lisa calmly devised a Plan B, which, happily, we need not need.
Although the service we contracted for is called “day of coordination,” Lisa provided so much more than that. In addition to directing the rehearsal with a gentle touch, responding immediately to scores of emails, interfacing smoothly with other vendors, devising a detailed timeline with room to breathe, and bringing breakfast to the wedding party, Lisa came to a dry-run at our home to learn how to set up our chuppah and brought her characteristic calm to the situation when unexpected problems arose.
Lisa provides a fabulous service in the most professional way possible. Her calm, low-key personality spreads serenity at a time of stress. I cannot recommend her services highly enough.
Eileen
Thank you to everyone who allows us to help them with their most treasured moments!
Happy planning!
The firm has changed and grown so much over the 9 years in operation (as I suppose it should). The face and ideals of the firm have not changed – our client based has changed – the most. As our clients’ change, the vendors that we work with have also changed. The vendors that we worked with at the inception of the firm, do not work anymore. I suppose it’s not a surprise. Budgets have changed, the desires of our client base have changed – times have changed – thankfully!
We have grown in scope and experience. I am grateful for that. I feel that I am blessed to be able to do what I love. It’s an honor and a privilege to work with each of our clients and we look forward to years of better service.
Just this year, we have created milestones. This year has been a transition for Elegant Event Planning and Design. Lot’s of positive changes that we look forward to developing and responding to these changes over the coming year. First and foremost, we have had more same sex couples this year than in all the 8 previous years combined! WOW! Because of this, the face of our vendor list has also changed.
It is our goal to work with vendors who will work with all of our couples. Every single one, without regard for race, color, creed or sexual orientation. Vendors who are uncomfortable working with same sex couples will no longer work with us, and also have no place on our vendor lists.
All of our clients can have the confidence that all of our vendors are the best in the business and give our clients’ the best possible customer service and quality of product available in the Washington DC Metropolitan area.
Of course, we realize that the needs of each individual client is different – budget and style. It’s our experience and abundant resources that allows us to be able to match the perfect vendor to you.
We are a very small firm and only do one wedding a weekend for a reason.
This past weekend, we could have been a reality show – as I was given a very big dose of reality.
After logging 836 miles, traveling from the beautiful green hills of Pennsylvania to the serenity of the Shenandoah Valley – and back – I learned one thing.
I will never ever do that again.
Ever.
More importantly than that, we were truly blessed to have been able to work with 3 different – and equally lovely families. From that, it was worth it. Each of them made us grow in so many wonderful ways – that I can’t imagine not knowing anyone one of them – which is the reason that I did it.
It’s really difficult to say NO to a wedding, because each one presents unique opportunities for growth and enlightenment. Each one of our clients are uniquely special – and I am truly humbled and honored to be a participate in their special day. Just this weekend, we were able to do a beautiful home wedding in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania. The Bride and Groom restored an old barn and turned their day into magic. They got married surrounded by two mature willow trees – and what a dream it was. We were also able to work with the upscale 2941 restaurant. The gorgeous location, glorious food and wonderful staff made the moment magical for the Bride, Groom and family alike . Then in the Shenandoah Valley, another one of our clients got married surrounded by 2 willow trees (I’m seeing a willow tree theme this weekend) on the family farm. More casual in feeling, the father of the Bride made an arch out of bamboo. It was an eco- and animal friendly day!
What’s better than that?
I didn’t say it wasn’t worth it.
Even though I will never do 3 weddings in one weekend again…
ever…
this weekend confirmed the reasons I love planning and coordinating weddings. The magic of the moments are undeniable. Families are in their happiest. The smiles, the laughs, the joy. The exhilaration of knowing that we helped to create a dream.
I wouldn’t change anything.
Happy planning.
