A Gift of Love & Life Video You MUST See-To Life!

"To Life:: Vanessa's Wedding Surprise" from her husband, father, family & friends.
Created by Films by Francesco, New York | Palm Beach

Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge absolutely LOVES this wedding video that my dear friend Ellen sent me from You Tube.

An original, touching surprise involving the entire wedding party and parents and their true gift of love, joy and for celebrating Life and family with STYLE!

Of course, many of you know this song, "To Life, L'Chaim" from "Fiddler on the Roof" (one of my all-time favorite films). As the song says, "It takes a wedding to make us say, let's live another day...."

I could not agree more. It really does take a wedding celebration or any special occassion ("simcha") to make us realize what blessings we have in this life, even when things are not always so great.

For comparison, here is a You Tube video of the song and scene from the movie. I think you will all agree with me, they ALL did a fabulous job!!

I couldn't help smiling and singing and clapping during this wonderful tribute to family, new family and to the beautiful bride, Vanessa. This just makes you (well me for sure), feel so good.

To the bride and groom, the parents, wedding party and family and friends, what a beautiful memory you created for yourselves and congratulations to Films by Francesco for preserving it in such a fun and touching way.

MAZAL TOV and may you all (and all my readers) celebrate Love and Life Today and Every Day.
To Life, L'Chaim!!

Featured Wedding-Andy & Elizabeth | Four Seasons 5.17.09

All Images by Altf.com Photography

Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge had the great pleasure of planning & directing the absolutely beautiful (if I do say so myself) wedding of Andy & Elizabeth at the always elegant Four Seasons Resort, Las Vegas this past May 17th. 

It has been one of my absolute favorite weddings this year for so many reasons beginning of course with a couple who I have come to know & love over the past 15 months. 

The wedding locations took some twists and turns from when we first started out but, I'm a firm believer in "beshert" (Hebrew for "destined to be") & the celebration could not have been more perfect than in the gorgeous Fountain Terrace of the Four Seasons thanks to the fantastic Asst. Director of Catering, Dennis Silknitter. 

Andy & Elizabeth incorporated not only the beautiful green color but also as many "Green" elements they could into their wedding. From cutting down on paper & having an elegant seating chart/menu combination to bio-fueled luxury transportation for guests and environmentally, socially responsible wedding bands, the affair reflected this couples wish to celebrate in style & with respect for the environment. 

It was a wonderful evening and truly a celebration of love, family & friends enjoying a beautiful environment, a fabulous Las Vegas night, delectable food & drink (Donut Bar & Eskimo Pies included) & live entertainment all night long. It wasn't just a wedding, it was a PARTY!!

Thank you to the unbelievable, talented team of Wedding Professionals who made this event such a success. It's a pleasure & honor to work alongside you. You make me look GREAT & you all ROCK!

Weddings like this & couples like Elizabeth & Andy are why I truly love my job!

• Tifany of Gourmet Invitations for the amazing custom "linen inspired" invitations & reception pieces. 
  
• Randi of Naakiti Floral & Sit on This Chair for the gorgeous florals, decor, linens & chairs who is just a joy to work with & always goes above & beyond my expectations.
  
• The uber-talented John Michael & Dalisa Cooper of Alt F Photography. It took 6 years to work with you FINALLY, & it was worth the wait:)-I'm going to make sure it won't take that long again. 
  
• Lori White who is one of my absolute favorite hair & makeup stylists to work with. 
  
• SWANK A/V for those super cool light balloons.
  
• The Steve Beyer Band for keeping us rockin' all night long.
  
• Vegas Photo Booths for all the photo fun. What WAS going on inside that cabana?;)!!
  
• Pat Harris & the awesome Sight N' Sound Events Video Team
  
• Nicole from Earth Limos for the Eco-Luxury Rehearsal Dinner Transportation
  

And Thank YOU Andy & Elizabeth for allowing me to be a part of your lives this past year & help you bring your vision of your wedding to life. It was truly an honor & pleasure! Mazal Tov you two & may you have a long life (120 years or so) full of good fortune, good health, lots of laughs and of course, much love all ways and for always! X0

T.

"3.2.1 and Your Love is On...THE AIR" -Check out Faux Show.com!

Image first seen at Springwise.com

Ok, just when you think there is nothing left to the personalization market, Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge finds this very cool idea on one of my favorite brilliant idea sites; Springwise.com!

Personalized Radio Shows! How cool is this? I LOVE IT! Now you can broadcast your love to the world and not only star in your own video montage or love story but you could premier in your own customized radio show too (or someone may just surprise you with it as a gift)!

For now the concept and company is only available across the pond in England, but I have a feeling it will be making its way to our shores faster than you can say "3.2.1. and You are On the Air"! 

The full description of the concept and company is below from the article on Springwise website. 

*********************************************************************************************

Launched in November 2008 by two British radio presenters, Fauxshow creates personalized radio shows that put a recipient in the spotlight. Designed as an unusual gift experience, Fauxshows are most frequently produced for weddings and birthdays, although any request will be catered to. Customers pick a recipient's favorite music tracks and submit anecdotes for the presenters to read out in the show. Arrangements are then made for friends and family to call in to Fauxshow and record messages about or for the recipient. Jingles and effects are added in the final stage of recording to make the show sound as authentic as possible. Around three weeks after ordering, the show arrives on CD, ready to surprise and delight.

Fauxshow is still a tiny start-up, and the presenters welcome calls from customers to discuss ideas. Pricing is GBP 200 for a 5-song, 5-message show, or GBP 250 for 8 songs and 8 messages. Other options are available on request.

There's no stopping the personalization avalanche! And as Fauxshow demonstrates, you don't have to be a major player to get in on the game. 

Website: http://www.fauxshow.co.uk 
Contact: www.fauxshow.co.uk/contact.html

Spotted by: Jonathan Fletcher

The Wedding Concierge Gets (iPod) TOUCHed & LOVES IT!

This image & the 2G iPod Touch is the Property of Apple

It's a happy, happy day! I got my brand, spanking new Apple 2G iPod Touch yesterday!

It is so very cool and although I can't believe I was able to hold out this long (I'm a technology junkie to the core), I am glad I did to get the better goods on the new version. 

The iPod Touch is pure eye candy but one heck of a cool gadget and I'm having a blast learning this thing and loading all my music, Wedding Podcast Network episodes & video podcasts, movies, wedding photos, apps and games; Facebook, LinkedIn, Pandora Radio, and the "important stuff" like Vegas Casino Games (see picture above). So yes, Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge likes to have some have some fun too. I can't wait to load the Sex and the City Movie on there next week (coming out on DVD 9.23)! 

However, it is a great way to show clients and prospective clients beautiful wedding slideshows, videos, research on YouTube (yes, it's a great source of wedding inspiration), and more. 

And yes, I am sure you will find me, white earphones and all, enjoying the heck out of it for a long time to come.

Now, when is that new smartphone coming out?

Have a Stylish Day!

Wedding Concierge Talks to Videographers at WEVA Conference!

I had the pleasure and honor to be invited by my friend and fellow NACE member Tim Sudall of Video One Productions in Philadelphia, PA to be part of a panel of wedding industry experts on January 30th for the Wedding & Event Videographer's (WEVA) winter conference here in Las Vegas.

I was on a very illustrious panel including my friends and fellow Las Vegas NACE members, Lisa Lynn Backus, CMP, CPCE Senior Catering Manager at Caesar's Palace , Kathy Baldieri, CPCE, Director of Catering at Lake Las Vegas Resort, Tim Sudall, Alan Berg, VP of Marketing & Advertising for The Knot and Kris Malandruccolo of Elegant Videos by Kris in Chicago, IL!

We had some great questions posed to us by WEVA Chairman, Roy Chapman about how engaged coupoles are now perceiving video in 2008, the value are they placing on it figuratively and literally$$ and what a wedding planner (or catering manager) such as myself also values when they finally give their seal of approval and professional reccomendation to a couple to contact a videographer.

It was a lively debate (which I found out was being audio recorded for the benefit of WEVA worldwide-very cool!). It seemed everyone wanted to question Your Las Vegas Weddng Concierge as a planner and my thoughts on selecting & hiring professional videographers (this goes for all wedding professionals though!!)

I am a #1 fan as long as the work they produce is done with the highest quality and care within the budget and they treat my clients as well as I treat my clients. If the memories of the planning experience and the wedding day are wonderful AND they call you or me asking how to get more copies because they wore out the first DVD, then my friends, "we" did good:)!

I think someone said after one of my answers "I think I love you":) It got a big laugh.

But seriously I am a big supporter of wedding videography!! As a planner, it is in my personal "Top 3" of must have components for your wedding!

Wedding Videography and Cinematography is the only part of your wedding and celebration that truly captures every moment of what you planned for a year for!

Yes, when the floral arrangements have long been composted and the cake has been sitting in the freezer for a year (don't even get me started on that tradition, uggh!! That's a whole other conversation!), you will have your gorgeous photographs and video to remember them by for decades. But, what your photographs can't do is...

• Capture what was said just before that great photo of the two of you laughing during your ceremony or the laughter itself.
• Capture the two of you saying "I love you" and "I will" on your wedding day.
• Let you listen to your grandmother or grandfather tell you how much they love you both.
• Laugh all over again as you listen to the hilarious toasts that had you and your guests laughing so hard you were crying tears of joy. You know, THAT great picture!

So to my wonderful clients and to my wedding cinematographer friends out there, I look forward to helping you create a beautiful wedding celebration and party and I look forward to having you by my side to ensure each moment is captured beautifully and gloriously in time!

Have a Stylish Day!

Great Wedding Video-Having the "Time of Their Life"

My wedding coordinator friend Nikki LaPrudhomme of "Special Occasions by Nikki" in LA, posted this wonderful "last dance" video on her blog that she found on YouTube. It shows a couple who choreographed an incredible performance to "Iv'e had the Time of My Life" from the movie "Dirty Dancing".

You know, that famous dance at the end when Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze) says "Nobody puts Baby in a Corner" then proceeds to amaze everyone at Kellerman's with their sexy show stopper! I was 24 years old and fell in love instantly with Mr. Swayze (who didn't?) & must have watched that movie and that scene so much I blew through at least 2 copies of the video (blush)!

What a great idea for a last dance and the wedding guests had a blast and got in on the whole ending just like in the movie. It brought a huge smile to my face (and I wasn't even there) and I'm sure they will remember that very special time in their lives as well and enjoy looking back on that video clip for years to come.

With that said, when you plan special moments like these; ones that will be remembered for the images, the sounds and the words, please remember to make room in your wedding budget for a professional videographer. In this day and age of instant video and the role it plays in bringing us together across the miles, I find it so unusual that I have to "sell" the idea of having a wedding video to couples.

Find a a creative and professional videographer with a style you find best and they will create a truly memorable and personalized wedding movie for you. Many of these "wedding movies" have artistic and production values that are Hollywood standard..these are not your parent's wedding videos!!

With memories like the one above, it would be a shame to not capture "The Time of Your Life" at your wedding on video. You can find a professional videographer in your area by visiting the WEVA (Wedding & Event Videographer's Association) website.

Have a Stylish Day!!