
Jenny Packham, one of London's couture bridal designers, will be sending dozens of gowns to Mariee for their customers to see, try, and order from July 23rd thru August 1, 2009.
Ms. Packham's gowns ranging from $1800 - $7000 are known for their ethereal aesthetic and as is customary during a trunk show a 10% discount will be given.
Please be sure to call (480) 946-4343 for an appointment.
Mariee is located at:
The Shops at Gainey Village
8787 N. Scottsdale Rd.
Paradise Valley, Arizona 85253
All the best & 'til next time,

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After a brief hiatus from our weekly series, we're back at it with another little dining tip from Clinton Kelly's book Freakin' Fabulous.
If you're like me you were always taught to keep your elbows off the table while you eat and that is true when food is present. If you are engaging in conversation, before, after or between courses it is acceptable to place your elbow on the table, BUT once food is served your elbows should be down at your sides.
Now I have to admit this one took me a little by surprise, so, I did a little research and went to my fall back Etiquette Queen,
Emily Post. It was confirmed by Lizzie Post, the great-great granddaughter and author of
How Do You Work This Life Thing? and in her
Top Ten Table Manners.
So there you have it another dining tip towards a more fabulous you!
All the best & 'til next time,

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On May 16th, Guy & Myriam along with their combined six children by their side, tied the knot at
Cibola Vista Resort. When Myriam first called me in March, she had just come from placing her order for their invitations at the mall and with only about 2 months remaining, she was a little stressed at the thought of pulling together the rest of the details. The intimate backyard wedding that they originally started to plan, bloomed into a slightly larger event, but they didn't want to loose the intimacy and coziness of a celebration at home with family and friends.
They had already booked the event lawn at Cibola Vista, ordered their invitations, lined up a band and Myriam had bought her gown, so we just helped to pull together the remaining details and here are the results through the lens of
Kate Wall Photography .


Guy & Myriam wanted to include all of the children in their ceremony, so a blended family sand ceremony was planned. Here (photo to the right) is Vanessa, Myriam's oldest daughter, helping Anna, Guy's youngest daughter pour her sand.

The entire family!!!

Here is a closeup of Guy & Myriam enjoying a few minutes tothemselves. You can also see the earrings designed by LaniMcEvers of
Customer Jewelry by Lani. You can also read a
previous post to see why Lani was in the Spotlight and why these earrings were so special, thanks Lani you were a lifesaver!!!

Guy & Myriam only wanted a photographer for the most important part, the ceremony, so we don't have any photos to share of the reception, but trust me, Guy, Myriam and their guests had a blast. They kicked off their shoes and danced late into the night on the soft grass to the tunes of Artifax, a local band from one of their hang out spots. The band belted out tunes from the 70s, 80s and 90s, in fact you could even see some of the resort guests rocking out by the pool as well. Even though we were smack in the middle of the resort, Guy and Myriam still got the intimate, backyard wedding ambiance they were looking for. Congratulations, Guy & Myriam, I wish you all the blessings this life has to offer!!!
All the best & 'til next time,

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Many times when I visit a hotel or a wedding venue for a tour of their property, I hear from the on-site coordinators pretty much the same thing... "I am so happy [or excited or pleased] when an independent wedding planner or coordinator is involved." You see many times a couple may misunderstand what the venue's on-site coordinator or on-site liaison's role is. Well rather than tell you myself, you can read for yourself...
This article was written by Natasha Miller, the on-site liaison for
Boojum Tree and reprinted with her permission.
There are many times when a bride books a wedding site and misinterprets what the site affiliated coordinator does or is responsible for. The planners that are included with your venues are merely there to assist you with questions that you may have and act as the communicator between vendors the day of the event. They may go above and beyond for you by helping with the setting up (centerpieces, favors, guest book, and other details like that), getting the bridal party lined up for the processional, moving your gifts and helping with the clean up. This is something that you want to go over with your liaison from your selected wedding site. If they don’t do it, then guess who does… a friend, family member or even worse you! Trust me when I say you do not want that stress the day of your wedding. Give yourself the ability to enjoy and relax that day. So hire a professional coordinator! A coordinator will work with you in a close partnership for all phases of your wedding. They will guide you through your decisions and help you plan from A to Z. These wonderful professionals will also attend vendor meetings, assist with ordering supplies and contacting vendors. They can keep you calm and organized so you will not stress on the happiest day of your life. Believe it or not but a wedding coordinator may also be able to save you money. They already know, have worked with and have created a strong relationship with vendors. So they will be able to get the best deals and steer you straight to what you are looking for.
Thank you so much for your insight and information Natasha and remember if you are looking for an absolutely gorgeous venue for your nuptials, be sure to give Natasha a jingle or visit their
website!
All the best & 'til next time,

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Wouldn't it just be Freakin' Fabulous if all waiters were as efficient as this guy! Well as much as we could hope and dream that most likely is not the case.
Proper dining etiquette, not to mention just plain old good manners, dictate that when you are at the dining table whether it is at a restaurant or a wedding reception or even the family dinner table, you want to be patient and wait for everyone seated at your table to be served before starting to eat.
If for some reason one of your dining companions has not been served, just wait patiently, if the diner with the absentee meal mentions "Please get started before your food gets cold", assure them that is fine and you can wait. If they become insistent, then eat slowly, you don't want to finish too early, making the last to be served feeling awkward as they are the last to finish eating. Keep the conversation flowing, being careful not to exclaim how delish the food is or that you thought you would starve if you waited a second longer. That would just be RUDE!
So hopefully you have been following along on our journey to a more Fabulous You!
All the best & 'til next time,

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