“It really was love at first sight,” Naomi, owner of TipsyCake, says about her husband John. “I first noticed him sitting on a milk crate, waiting to get to work. He was perfect, just like that. I didn’t care that he smashed the ice sculpture at Tipsy’s grand-opening.”

“I just didn’t have enough room,” John explains. “Naomi had ordered a three-tiered cake ice-sculpture that commanded everyone’s attention. So much so, that as the crowd around it swelled with admirers, it became almost impossible to navigate amongst the party-goers. That’s when ‘it’ happened.”

It?

“Trying to balance a glassware rack above my head or in front of me or even a little off to the side, I just didn’t have enough room,” recalls John. “In an effort to not knock the head off a guest with the corner of the rack, a quick move resulted in me swerving the rack away from the person’s head and into the top tier of the ice cake. With a thwack, the rack hit the ice and the top of the sculpture slid to the floor. Nobody moved. You could hear a pin drop. I thought I ruined her big day.”

Naomi was too busy staring at John to notice the demolition of her ice sculpture.

“I wanted to be with this man,” was what kept creeping into her mind.

“I thought I knew her,” John recalls. “But when she opened her mouth and I heard the Aussie accent, I realized I was wrong. I knew I needed to know her. But I was there to tend bar. It was her grand opening and I had a job to do, even if I ruined the sculpture. When the end of the night came, I was reluctant to ask for payment, but she insisted I speak with her. I walked over and to my surprise, she planted a big kiss on me.”

“I couldn’t wait for our first date,” says Naomi. “And that was Valentine’s Day. We dined at Maiz in Humbolt Park. I was totally relaxed. For the first time ever in my life, I felt ‘I had arrived.’ When it came to love, I never felt this way before. No nerves. No butterflies. There was no rubbish. No malarkey. I remember thinking, ‘This is how it should be.’”

“Naomi is sensitive, captivating and intense.”

“John is passionate, intelligent and fiery.”

Incredible, amazing and delicious are just a few of the words TipsyCake clients use to describe the work of “The Cake Aussie,” Naomi Levine. Naomi, her husband John and their son Michael live, work, play, bake and decorate cakes in Chicago, home of TipsyCake.

Check out TipsyCake‘s cool creations here.

Photo courtesy of Naomi and John.

Meant to be is the place for WriteShot friends to share the he said/she said of their own love stories. If you have a great story and a favorite snapshot contact WriteShot to arrange an interview.

Juliet Douglas knows what it takes to rise up into the ranks of a successful wedding and event planner in the Las Vegas metro market.

“I had to work hard to prove that I’m not a bride-turned-planner, who doesn’t know what she’s doing, “ says Juliet.

In a world where many brides, in love with planning their own weddings, quickly leap into the role of wedding planner, Juliet took the slow and steady approach that guaranteed she would have the experience and knowledge needed to professionally serve both local and destination brides before launching Green Orchid Events.

Not only did Juliet intern with Vegas’ Christy McCoy, founder of CLM Weddings and Jason Kenneth, of Jason Kenneth Designs, but she also gained valuable experience working in restaurants and events at the Wynn hotel, where she successfully completed a banquet training program. Additionally, Juliet has wedding chapel experience, as well as experience as a singer and entertainer. That’s right, a singer and entertainer!

All of this, coupled with her Bachelor’s in Hospitality and Certificate from The International School of Hospitality at UNLV, led to Juliet opening Green Orchid Events, in 2007. Juliet’s wonderful reputation locally, along with her consistent and informational blog, which is read by destination  brides from coast to coast, account for her business’ growth during a time many planners have dubbed “economically challenging” for wedding industry professionals.

In fact, Juliet’s business, Green Orchid Events,  has grown so much that she now employs an associate planner and several interns, who provide her with both additional womanpower and a way to give back to and educate others just getting their feet wet in the industry; just as her mentors, Christie and Jason did for her. Read the rest of this entry …

It would take several blog posts to list Joyce Scardina Becker’s numerous accolades and accomplishments. Founder and owner of Events of Distinction, Joyce, who published Countdown to Your Perfect Wedding, possesses a rare expertise that spans interior, floral and event design. It comes as no surprise that Events of Distinction, under Joyce’s watchful eye, is opening it’s second office in southern California this fall.

Born to party

Long before there were the 11 Gala or Esprit awards, with which Joyce and her company have been bestowed, Countdown to a Perfect Wedding, the book she penned, or the numerous articles that have appeared in prestigious wedding and event publications, there was a five-year-old girl, a rumpus room, a patient mother and a father who owned a grocery store. Read the rest of this entry …

It was more than six years ago, back when Michelle Tortuya worked as a marketing and public relations coordinator for city government in Los Angeles, while planning non-profit events, grand openings, anniversaries and other milestones, that Michelle’s interest in party and event planning peaked. After having the opportunity to plan several weddings, she knew she could never go back.

And, just like that, The Charming Little Event Company was born. Ok, maybe not “just like that . . .”

“Since its inception, I have been through a company name and logo change,” says Michelle. “I’ve had two kids, tons of fun with weddings and events, with lots of ups and downs along the way.

Based in Orange County, Calif., and currently employing two lead assistants and anywhere between two to six interns throughout the year, Michelle says she wouldn’t change a thing.

Read the rest of this entry …

Christie McCoy was that little girl who always dreamed about her wedding day. She was also that little girl who absolutely had to redesign her bedroom monthly, if not weekly, so it comes as no surprise that when that little girl grew up, she started planning weddings and events professionally.

The year was 2003 and the place, New York City. Back then, her operation was a one-woman show.

Since then, Christie has been dreaming big and executing even bigger. Christie’s CLM Weddings now plans events from coast-to-coast, while claiming Las Vegas as home. Christie employs a total of four planners, whose numbers increase seasonally through the addition of assistants and interns.

Creating, showing and sharing

Both, an event designer and wedding planner, Christie relishes keeping up with the most recent styles and industry trends. She also prides herself on creating that custom feel for each client’s vision.

“Designing is probably my favorite part of wedding planning,” says Christie, “because my clients can let go and my creative juices flow.” Read the rest of this entry …

Congratulations to  Sarah Angelique who was chosen for WriteShot‘s  inaugural Creative Partners Feature. Thank you,  Andy Ebon, for connecting Sarah and WriteShot on Facebook.

Introducing Sarah

Seasoned planner Sarah Angelique founded Weddings by Sarah Angelique nine years ago, when, inspired by her work as an on-site manager at a venue in Paso Robles, California, she decided to go out on her own in order to be more heavily involved in event planning and design processes, and to work more closely with brides, in particular.

Weddings by Sarah Angelique offers full-service wedding and event planning. Sarah offers “Day-of” wedding coordination, only when she is familiar with the other vendors and it’s a venue she’s worked at before. Not fond of the term “Day-of-Services,” Sarah encourages brides to explore how she can “fine-tune” their day from whatever date at which they have her start. Read the rest of this entry …

At a recent bridal panel hosted by the Las Vegas Wedding Network, eight local Las Vegas brides dished about what worked, what didn’t work, what they wished for and what they got when it came to their weddings. Their biggest beef about their own experience, they didn’t know how to design a realistic budget.

“I, and I think we, just didn’t know what things cost,” admitted one bride, who was followed by all brides on the panel nodding in agreement.

The brides, whose approximated end expenditures totaled anywhere from $14,000 to $90,000, shared that because of their lack of understanding, when it came to the costs of their wedding’s creative partners and details, their original budget doubled and in some cases tripled by the time their wedding day arrived

Though none of the brides used a wedding planner, most all agreed in hindsight they wished they had, for several reasons, including the fact that a planner would have been able to educate them about the true cost of services and supplies and probably saved them money.

What advice about budget do you have for brides?

Yesterday, a box arrived at Las Vegas’ Fit for a Bride Couture Bridal Services (FAB). We were there. “Sure it says ‘Alfred Angelo‘ on the box’s exterior, but I’ve learned that bridal shops often ship dresses in whatever box is available, regardless of the name of the dress designer,” shares FAB owner, Debi Rangel, who’s received dresses from destination brides spanning the globe for 20 years. “It’s always a surprise – I like that.”

Debi told us that since this “so-called-worst-recession-ever,” business at FAB has actually increased. “Brides are going back to basics,” she says. “They are more focused on the one-to-one, in that they want a smaller and more intimate feel to their wedding. We see this with the choices they are making. Every decision becomes that much more important. Three years ago, many post-wedding brides told me to clean their dresses and sell them. Now they tell me clean it, care for it and preserve it properly. Brides are clinging to their memories. The physical – the dress and the photography – have become more important than ever. Nobody’s selling. They are all preserving. Holding on to the memory. Preserving their love, anyway they can.”

In no time, the box was opened, the dress hung, and the wrinkles removed. “Your bride was very specific,” said Debi. “We’ll see her Thursday at 2 p.m., when we deliver the dress to her hotel room. She’ll be full of anticipation and she’ll shoo the groom out of the way – making a fuss, so he doesn’t have a chance to catch a glimpse of the gown. We’ll see you there.”

Award-winning event designer, Sasha Souza, shared her expertise at an intimate gathering of select brides at Dragon Ridge Country Club. After navigating the complex world of color selection for brides in attendance, Sasha walked attendees through one client’s wedding planning process, from the bride’s first inspiration board to the details of her under-the-sea wedding after-party that Sasha designed in a Napa Valley barn. Next, she opened the floor to questions.

“I can’t wait to hear the details about your weddings,” Sasha encouraged, inviting brides to ask away. “Give me your toughest questions, your biggest conundrums. Go ahead. I’ll solve them for you in ten minutes.” Read the rest of this entry …

Grateful for all that we have in our lives, Chris and I have always kept time available in our schedule to provide photography services to people who might otherwise forego professional photography at one of their milestone events. Because of our work in photo-restoration and in the writing and photographing of family histories, we have witnessed the sadness clients feel when they come to us with only one photo of a particular relative or when they confess they have no photos from events such as their wedding.

We have photographed up-and-coming athletes, those who are terminally ill, and those who find themselves in precarious financial situations for one reason or another. And, while we are not always available for all the requests we receive, we do make every effort to step up and make things happen for folks. In these instances, people pay what they are able and we serve them honorably. Read the rest of this entry …