Week 2

I am about to go to sleep and when I wake up in the morning, it will officially be week number 2 of being self employed. Last week was wonderful. It will take some getting used to as far as not having a strict schedule, but I love the freedom and the ability to meet new people and accomplish things on my own time.

I have mainly been working on seminars for a financial advisor, but also squeezed some wedding stuff in on Friday. The first seminar is October 13, I am really excited! I know it will go well, I am visiting the restaurant tomorrow to make sure that everything will go as planned. After the visit, I am going to do my favorite thing ever... make a CHECKLIST! I love checklists!

It will only get busier from here... get excited!

Hey Des Moines! Calling all Wedding and Event Vendors!

Des Moines is such a great place to call home. Being a central Iowa native, I have seen Des Moines and West Des Moines go through many changes. I have enjoyed seeing the East Village develop and currently live in another developing area, the West Glen Town Center. The best thing about these two places is the amount of small, independent business owners. Take the time to walk around the aforementioned areas and you will discover several shops and eateries all locally owned by someone who very well might be your neighbor.

My point in carrying on about all of this is that because Des Moines already has so many small business owners, it is a great place to be a small business owner. We all know that networking is absolutely vital. The idea is that maybe if I help you, you will help me. Possibly, somehow we could make a connection that could benefit both of us in ways that we haven’t even thought of.
Bottom line is I want to help others, and I need help as well. One of my goals for some-think-pink is to have a reputable list of wedding and event vendors that I know and trust to recommend to my clients.

So now I ask you, are you a vendor? Do you know any? I would love to learn about your business!

Big Leap

I am going full time! I can not believe that I am actually going to be doing what I love... all the time! Thank you to everyone who has helped me along the way; it has been quite the journey.

Please keep me in mind for weddings, events, and meetings too. I am currently working on a wedding for one of my very best friends, and in the near future will start planning some dinners and seminars for my newest client. Also look for updates on one of my first large events, an awards banquet for a local horse club.

Recently I attended two bridal shows in West Des Moines, met so many talented people and gained some really great ideas. Look for these ideas in the upcoming newsletter at www.some-think-pink.com. There will also be a new article under the advice tab about bridal party members and their roles!

Thanks for following!

My First Wedding

The first wedding was a success! It was more than a success! On top of everything running smoothly, it proved to me that this is really what I want to do for the rest of my life! I am so excited to really delve into the industry here in central Iowa.

There were many kind words exchanged at the ceremony and the reception. Friends and family were toasting the couple and sharing with them how much of a difference each one of them has made in their lives. It was nice to hear and I am looking forward to sharing more special days like this with other brides and grooms and those they are close to.

After the wedding, the mother of the bride wrote me a very nice note in which she expressed her gratitude for what I had helped with and some encouragement for the future. She said that I "have a calming effect on people" with my "kind and helpful ways." She added, "that's a great talent in dealing with brides and their mothers during a fun but stressful time."

I am so excited my first event went so well. I wish the bride and the groom all the best and look forward to soon meeting a new couple that shares similar qualities!

I Love You Man

I saw a really great movie tonight. “I Love You, Man” is hilarious! Laugh out loud in the theater and don’t care who hears you kind of funny. If you have not heard, the story behind the movie is that Pete purposes to Zooey and discovers that he has no one to be his best man. He goes on several “man dates” to find his best man and the plot ends with everyone living happily ever after.

The film also ends with; you guessed it, a wedding scene. What is so special, and blog worthy, about this wedding is the fashion. Yes, the wedding gown worn by actress Rashida Jones is gorgeous. The bridesmaids dresses are also very tasteful, all women are wearing a bright yellow, just above the knee dress, with a slight v-neck. Very summery.

The best part, however, is the tuxes worn by the groom and groomsmen. Over the past several years, the trend of bridesmaids wearing different dresses but all in the same color or all the same dresses but in different colors, has been very popular. In this movie however, the groomsmen are all wearing different tuxes. It is a very cool look. The groom is in blue and his “attendants” are in black. Some of the tuxes are pinstriped, some have bow ties, others have neck ties; but what seems like it would look really confusing and messy actually looks quite elegant!

Found Things

I found heaven yesterday. Actually, I found three white glass saucers, two red beaded glass votive candle holders, a glass plate, and an (almost) complete set of fine china for… under 25 dollars! All of these items (and more if only I would have been able to carry them) were at Found Things in the East Village of Des Moines. As a young adult looking to move on from college dorm room style to first apartment style, I was excited about how the finds would look in my space, however, weddings are never far from my mind and I soon began to think about how these antiques could look at a spring reception.

The three white saucers would look so elegant with one or three cupcakes put on each one and placed in the center of a table (thanks Marsha!). I can envision the votive candle holders mixed and matched with more contemporary candle holders to create a unique look and in the basement of Found Things, there were several old glass bottles that, with the addition of a single bloom, would transform any table.

With ceremony and reception ideas aside, any bride could find her new set of dishes, a dining room set, and much, much more at Found Things. Visit Found Things to discover your heaven!

http://foundthingsdsm.com/

http://www.some-think-pink.com/

Weddings on a Budget

If any of you are like me, you are sick of hearing about the poor economy and how everyone needs to go on a budget. For goodness sakes, even Oprah is dedicating entire shows to the topic of how to save money and has even flown in "the thriftiest" family in America to Chicago to share secrets of living on next to nothing with the world. There are certain areas of my life where I am willing to compromise a little. I am willing to cook at home more instead of going out to eat, I am okay with adding water to my shampoo to make it last longer, and I am even willing to unplug appliances to save some cents on my electric bill… but when it comes to a special, once-in-a-lifetime event, like a wedding, I hate to see the word budget.

Instead of cutting back on quality, however, there are several tips to follow to ensure you still have the wedding you have always dreamt of without the price tag you can’t afford. The biggest way to save money is to enlist the talents and services of your closest (and even not so close) friends and family. Do things yourself, invitations, centerpieces, even cakes can be done at home. Set up assembly lines at your dining room table, turn on some music, set out a couple bottles of wine and let the fun begin!

Another way to save is the ancient art of bartering. Do you have a special talent? Do you own your own business? Do you (or are you willing to) babysit? If so, barter! Ask around and see if people are willing to trade their service for yours. Check out sites like www.favorville.com to find people to begin trading with.

Whatever you do, don't let the economy bring you and your wedding down!

www.some-think-pink.com