Last week we took a little family vacation.  The idea for this vacation came about 8 or 9 months ago when I first saw this video by Jon Rawlinson.  It’s footage from the worlds 2nd largest aquarium located in Japan and it’s fantastic.  My kids loved watching it and I jumped right to Google to see what we had here in the states.  Well , as it turns out Atlanta is home to the worlds LARGEST aquarium.  The have whale sharks!!

Vacation Destination Achieved!

Somewhere on the road to Atlanta Danielle mentioned that DisneyWorld was only 7 hours away, but she figured I was to “old” to add that in as a spur of the moment vacation stop. :)  Well, I showed her. :)  So, after about 2,500 miles of driving we are back and I present you with photos.

Sara really enjoyed the front facing camera on the iPhone4.  At one point she filmed a 15 minute monologue.  It’s riveting.

From the moment we had out trip planned I knew I wanted this photo at the aquarium.
I can’t explain how giddy I was when I actually saw it on my big computer screen.  We are ordering the biggest print we can and hanging it in our house.

This was Elis’ 1st trip to the beach.  He felt “safest” on the sand.  You’ll see why later.

Sara the mud model.

Here is Eli’s first trek out into the ocean.  :)

Check back tomorrow for Disney photos.

Our last guest post and wedding planning tips come from Ronda at the Villa di Felicita in Tyler, TX.  This is the place to get married in Tyler, in fact they are constantly booking brides from Dallas and other areas.  Ronda & her staff often work 2-3 weddings per weekend so they know quite a bit about planning your day and the best way for it to flow smoothly.  Here are a few shots of the Villa followed by her tips.

1. Book your wedding with Villa di Felicita!  :)

2. Have professional vendors the day of your wedding..

Photographers that can work quickly and on a timely manner – if you have someone who isn’t use to working fast, then it can cause your reception to not run as smoothly,  Also, there is no good substitute for a dj or band… trying to do music yourself or have it done by a friend does not usually work well.  Dj’s will make the announcing very clear and will help keep everything on schedule!

Same goes with florists, videographers, cake, ect!

3. See each-other before the wedding starts (have a First Look).

This will ease the nerves of both the bride and groom when they are standing up in front of 200 guests!  It can be done very private where the two of you are together alone seeing eachother for the first time (with your photographer).  It gives the two of you time to really take each-other in and see what he/she looks like.   It also helps with the time line of the reception so that you don’t spend extra time after the ceremony taking 45 minutes worth of pictures and have guests waiting on you to get into the reception!  It really has nothing to do with bad luck! :)

4. Stay calm and have fun!  Don’t look back on your wedding day and think… why did I get so upset about that?? Don’t sweat the small stuff and enjoy every moment of your big day!

5.  Have fun!  It’s a day that is dedicated to you.. the bride and groom!

Villa di Felicita
7891 State Highway 110 N
Tyler, TX 75704-4927
(903) 597-0002

Today’s tips are on choosing your wedding cake.  Who better than the amazing ladies from Edible Art to help you with this choice. :)  Check out their work.

1)  Plan early- there is nothing more disappointing than to wait until March to plan your June wedding cake to find out the date is already booked.

2)  Have ideas- research/look at pictures on the internet, magazines, do you like square, round cakes, flowers, no flowers, etc..

3)  Make appointment with wedding cake designers-  Have designer look at your picture ideas, listen to your ideas, sketch out your design so both of you have the same vision of your dream cake. Be sure to ask to taste the flavors of cake.  Taste is as important as the design!

4)  Once you have chosen your cake designer- pay a deposit asap and get you wedding date of the books. Brides are so disappointed when they wait 3 months and come back to find another bride booked her wedding date and now the designer cannot create her cake.

5)  Confirm everything 30 days before your big day- Make sure the designer reviews your dream cake and both of you have the same vision.

(A note about Edible Art’s payment plan.  We work with families on these large cake orders.  We have “Cake Lay-a -way” available for wedding/large events.  Once a deposit is made, we are all about working with our brides.  Payments can be made in any amount at any time for the months leading up to the big event. Our only requirement is the cakes be paid in full 10 days before the wedding/event. If their choose to pay a deposit and wait until then to pay that is ok too.  Ask your bakery about a payment plan to help you get your dream cake.)

Edible Art
504 West South Street
Longview, TX 75601-7052
(903) 234-2114
Give them a call today!

We are half way through our 25 tips on planning your wedding and today’s guest post is from Barbara of La Tee Da Flowers in Tyler, TX.  Here are jsut a few shots of her amazing work.

When I asked her for some flower tips this is what she had to say…

I’m often asked this,

What should I bring when I have my wedding consultation?

Your consultant will be able to offer you more creative suggestions based on the information that you provide. Your florist will want to create a spectacular and memorable event just for you. Anything you bring will be beneficial. Pictures that depict what you have in mind are helpful. If you’ve seen pictures of things on line or in magazines, bring them. Bring a photo of your dress and a sample of the fabric or lace if you have it. Swatches and pictures of the bridesmaids dresses are helpful. Also bring pictures of your wedding location..especially if it’s a location that is new or not used before, such as your backyard or neighbors yard. Most florist will want to see the venue in advance of the wedding but this will help with the initial consultation. Also think of what “style” of wedding you want. If you are not sure, your florist can offer suggestions based on your wedding plans so far.

Here are some of the main things you should know before you visit us for the first time.

Where the sites are of your wedding and reception are?
What are the colors of your wedding?
What is the size of the bridal party?
What is the approximate guest count?.
What is your floral budget?

La Tee Da Flowers
105 North Spring Avenue
Tyler, TX 75702-7225
(903) 566-1566

Give her a call and start planning your flowers!!!

Part 2 of our 25 tips on planning your wedding comes from none other than Casey Brown, owner of CMB DJs.  Here he is in action as well as a few tips he gave on why having a DJ is a good idea for your wedding.

Here are 5 ways that a good DJ can make your wedding better.

1. Announcements.
Having a DJ that can announce the toast, cake cutting, and the occasional lost set of keys, and be heard and understood is a huge plus. The person on the microphone has to be able to cut through all the chatter and get everyone’s attention.

2. Mixing music that suits your guests.
A good DJ can look at any group and sum up a play list that fits. And he can only do this if he/she is familiar with many genres of music and it’s era. (Adult Contemporary, Pop, country, hip hop, 50’s, 60’s, 70’s)

3. Quality equipment.
While it doesn’t necessarily make a better DJ, quality equipment can provide a better experience and service that not only sounds good, but looks good. A “rats nest” of wires on the DJ table or around the Dj’s setup tends to take away from the nice  center pieces, cakes, and linens that make up your reception decor. Especially in smaller rooms.

4. Be prepared.
Having an outline of the order of events for your reception and any special songs that go with those events will allow your reception to run much more smoothly. If the DJ has a digital setup, making “folder” in his DJ program with all special songs for the reception, or putting all special songs on a single CD and having them ready for use ensures all those important songs are accounted for and ready to play on cue.

5. Knowing the wedding etiquette.
You can’t take a karaoke jock from a bar, and expect them to know how to pull off an elegant and fun wedding reception. This is how that could turn out. ((insert blog link to that couple taking for ever to load the first dance and mother son dance.)) You will want a DJ that has wedding experience and references. When the budget needs to be cut one of the first things they think of is the DJ entertainment.  Because all the DJ does is play music right? By getting a cousin to man the iPod, or a friend that has a big music collection, you stand to lose many if not all of the tips mentioned here. If you’re on a small budget, try to budget more for the services that really affect your wedding, and cut some smaller things that may not be quite as important.

CMB DJs
http://cmbdjs.com/
903.724.3192