Tina here~

(To help get a kick-start to this blog, I'll be mentioning things from my own wedding from time-to-time)

Planning our wedding was an experience that motivated me to really dig deep to find my passion.  It was fun, it was interesting, and to be straight up honest, something I enjoyed.  It meant organization; sticking to one idea but changing your mind because you saw something better; it was full of research after research for big and little things that were to be included on this most incredible and most unforgetable day of our lives.

We set the tone with brown and ivory colors, with a dash of red to fall in between here and there.  There was no particular theme (except for this stamped-embossed floral image I used on our invites, programs, and even had the image done on our cake).  But we incorporated hints of our Filipino culture and added some "small-kine" Hawaiian island touches.  While searching for the perfect pillow or pillow carrier for Micah to carry our wedding bands in, and something to set our mini Bible for CJ to walk down the aisle with, we chose the Lauhala (Palm Leaf Eyelet Box) from Bliss Wedding Market.

 

These were perfect since there were two (the actual box and the cover) that were included for such a great price. Jay's sister helped by sewing our pillows to place inside them and tied brown ribbon around the outside part of the boxes.

We also used Bliss Wedding Market's Paperboard CD Case for our cd and program favors.  They have a video tuturiol online on how to create this wedding cd favor with the reception program inside. It was ideal for what I had in mind

I knew I didn't want to make it look too busy on the front, so I stood with the original thought I used for the wedding invitations (with the help from the creative mind of my cuzin Mar).  Story behind the floral image was she held a "Stamp It Up" party one day, and as I was perusing through the catalog, and came across this stamp with a flower shape.  It caught my eye for some reason, and made me think of my other homestate of Hawai'i.  Mar was so convincing that that was it; I needed to use that stamp in the wedding somehow.  And that's how the whole floral concept began.  I thought it symbolized what our wedding was and who we were from the moment our love blossomed in the very beginning in Hawai'i.  It was simple and not too complicating, but yet beautiful and full of Aloha.

"A Marriage Prayer"

"A Marriage Prayer" by Bud Henry Bowen
Bless our marriage, oh God, as we begin our journey down the road
of life together.  We don't know what lies ahead for the road turns and bends. But help us to make the best of whatever comes our way.

Help us to hug each other often...laugh a lot, talk more, and argue less.  Help us to continue to enjoy each other as we did when we first met.  Help us to realize that nothing nor no one is perfect and to look  for the good in all things and all people including ourselves.  Help us to respect each other's likes and dislikes, opinions and  believes, hopes and dreams and fears even though we may not always understand them. 

Help us to learn from each other and to help each other to grow mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.  Help us to realize that there is design and purpose in our lives as in the world and no matter what happens to us we will hold on to each other and know that things have a way of working out for the good.  Help us to create for our children a peaceful, stable home of love as a foundation on which they can build their lives.

But most of all, dear God, help us to keep lit the torch of love that we now share in our hearts so that by our loving example we may pass on the light of love to our children and to their children and to their children's children forever.

Amen

Concierge, huh?

Tina here~

And so it begins... I've contemplated for months of when I'd actually sit down & start typing away into the world of blogging for our BIZ. I can't express it enough how I've battled with all the different tasks that were (and is still) on my plate (and Courtney's, too).  But enough was enough with the self-talk and the fallicies we contemplate daily. We are here...Your Wedding Concierge ("ta-dah").

As much as I imagined myself wanting to finally get my act together in finding something I was passionate about--something that could showcase my talent and my skills...I never imagined how difficult it was to get things started.  Are there rules, laws, or step-by-step instructions of things we need to consider while starting up our own business? You really think it's easy? Do we think it's easy?  Unless you've outsourced your butt off to get people working for you, it's no simple task.  But we're up for the challange, we're here to serve, and more than willing to continue to learn. 

C&C Engagements came about just a couple months right after my September 2009 wedding.  As a typical bride with ideas spewing out from all places, steam coming out on stressful days, I have to admit that I was trying my best to be as calm as possible, and to show that I wasn't sweatin'.  But as I told other brides out there recently, it's OKAY to feel all sorts of emotions. Cry if you have to; whine if you have to; pout or take a quick pause, get up and stretch, turn up the music; and my favorite, drink a glass of wine after you've had a slight-bridezilla meltdown.  It can actually help you start rationalizing with your thoughts a lot more smoother. And then you won't have to snap or bite the head off your fiance' too soon. But from that point, I can see why people hire planners, and I can also see why people don't.  It will all depend on the couple.

Back to the very beginning, Courtney knew that she wanted to really get started on becoming a wedding coordinator (she in fact is almost done with her course).  As it became more clear that I needed to get involved with her in this biz, I didn't hesitate to agree more & more when she asked me what I thought, and ideas she thought would work for us. Mostly everything just made sense from there.  Now I've read some other blogs down-playing the whole "newbie-bride-turned into wedding planner"... and then I've read a few with lots of encouragement to learn the up and down-side to planning, not only based upon what you've learned from planning your own wedding, but what you can learn from others and grabbing insights from other experienced wedding planners. There's nothing wrong with that.  As I get my business education on, and she gets hers, we're solid about one thing: making "their" dreams come true...and making our dreams come true.

I believe everything has a place for it's start...and this is ours.

Join us will you...

[caption id="attachment_13" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Our first of many trips..."][/caption]