YMCA Urban Services Fundraiser Honoring George Gascón

Join me tomorrow for the Urban Services YMCA Silent Auction and Wine Tasting at Zephyr Showroom in San Francisco. This yearly fundraiser held by Urban Services YMCA benefits their community based youth programs.

I have been fortunate enough to be involved with this fundraiser for the past 3 years and this year will be extra special, as they are honoring George Gascón, the first Latino to hold the office of District Attorney in San Francisco. 

Their will be delicious food provided Macadamia Events & Catering, live entertainment by Latin band Rumbache courtesy of Entire Productions, and several local wineries on hand. To purchase tickets for this event, click here: http://urbanwineevent.eventbrite.com/

 

What Inspires You?

Looking to get inspired? Ready to take your wedding business to the next level? If you answered YES to these questions, then you'll want to join me in the Dominican Republic from May 6-9th. for Inspire Smart Success, an educational experience taking place at the luxurious Sanctuary Cap Cana Resort in Punta Cana, D.R.

I've been invited to speak alongside a panel of experts, such as Preston Bailey, Grace Ormonde, Robert Evans, Shawn Rabideau, Kathy Romero, Dana LaRue and others for what is sure to be an amazing experience. I am both humbled and honored to be included in such a stellar line-up. Over the course of 3 days this event will include general seminars, panel discussions and break-out sessions that will cover topics in the wedding industry such as smart business tips, using social media effectively, how to successfully market your company by getting published and other creative ideas.

Don't miss this opportunity to learn from some of the best in our industry, while enjoying events on the beach where you can network with other like-minded professionals in a warm, relaxing environment. I have 2 half-priced tickets I'm giving away to two lucky professionals looking to grow their business thru this experience. All you have to do is tell me "what inspires you" in 300 words or less. Submit your entry to michelle@mbweddingdesigns.com by midnight on Monday, April 9th. and two winners will be chosen by Wednesday, April 11th. I won't be judging your entry alone, as I will have assistance from two other established industry professionals that will help me select our winners.

Good luck and I look forward to meeting you in the Dominican Republic next month!

Branding | New Logo

I am excited to share a sneak peak into my new brand, which went thru a complete overhaul in the past few months. After 9 years in business, it was time for MB Wedding Design and Events to get a facelift, one that reflected the type of sophisticated and modern events I plan + design.

I searched high and low for the perfect designer and found Leslie Vega, who specializes in branding for creative professionals in the wedding industry. Leslie took my ideas and visions for my brand to the next stage and created a stylish logo, with a new contemporary color palette.

Stay tuned for my new website, which is currently in the works and being designed by Doodle Dog Creative.I hope you will fall in love with my new brand as much as I have!

SEVEN DAYS OF ROMANCE | LOVE QUOTES

We hope you enjoyed reading our blog during the past "Seven Days of Romance", a celebration in honor of Valentine's Day. Today we're keeping it simple and featuring some of our favorite love quotes.

Enjoy!

"There is only one happiness in life: to love and be loved."...George Sand

"Being happy doesn't mean that everything is perfect. It means that you've decided to look beyond the imperfections."...unknown

"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.”...Helen Keller

"Don't chose the one who is beautiful to the world, but rather, chose the one who makes your work beautiful."...unknown

"True love stories never have endings."...Richard Bach

"Love does not consist in gazing at each other but in looking together in the same direction."...Antonie de Saint-Exupery

"Accept the things to which fate binds you and love the people with whom fate brings you together, but do so with all your heart."...Marcus Aurelius

"If I had a flower for every time I thought of you, I could walk in my garden forever."...Alfred Lord Tennyson

"What Women Want: To be loved, to be listened to, to be desired, to be respected, to be needed, to be trusted, and sometimes, just to be held. What Men Want: Tickets for the world series.",,,Dave Barry

"I don’t wish to be everything to everyone, but I would like to be something to someone.",,,Javan

Happy Valentine's Day!

SEVEN DAYS OF ROMANCE | BOUDOIR

What is boudoir? It's sexy, sophisticated, and tasteful art! Boudoir photography has become popular for brides who are looking to surprise their fiancé with a special gift on or before their wedding day. This intimate session can also make for a great Valentine's Day gift, one that will keep your honey content for a VERY long time.

Often times women don't feel comfortable enough in their own skin for boudoir, but I think what makes this form of art so unique, is that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Whether you only share these photos with your special someone or simply take them for yourself, they give you a sense of empowerment and self assurance, that otherwise you may not have had.

An experienced boudoir photographer is professional and easy going. The key is to feel comfortable with the person capturing your beauty on the other side of the lens. Here are some of my personal recommendations for photographers that offer exceptional boudoir photography. Each have a distinct, signature style. 

Jennifer Skog Photography

Melinda Le' Photography

Tanja Lippert Photography

Danielle Fletcher Photography

Couture Boudoir by Critsey Rowe

SEVEN DAYS OF ROMANCE | DINNING WITH A VIEW

I live in a city known for fabulous food and stunning views. Create a romantic setting for you and your sweetheart by dinning at one of these top San Francisco spots, that not only offer picturesque views but a delectable cuisine. After all, who doesn't love to be wined and dined?

The Cliff House: A historic landmark with soaring views of Ocean Beach and the Farralon Islands.

Waterfront at The Embarcadero: Situated along the Embarcadero, this restaurant has been around for a long time, and with good reason. It's hosted Presidents, dignitaries, celebrities and more throughout its 40 years in business. It maintains a level of service unparalleled to most.

Sinbad's at Pier 2: This classic establishment serves-up one of the best oven-baked Lobster Tails I've ever had, hands down!

Top of The Mark: The Top of The Mark's restaurant and lounge is situated on the 19th. floor of the Mark Hopkins Hotel, a Nob Hill landmark with 360 degree views of San Francisco. Dinner and cocktails with a view...need I say more? Check out their special Valentine's Day package, which includes a 4-course dinner and a bottle of Moet Chandon Rose...yum!

Alioto's: A Fisherman's Wharf classic, Alioto's has been around for over 80 years serving-up some of the best seafood in San Francisco. Fresh fish is purchased on the daily and reservations are highly recommended for this local landmark that is a tourist favorite.

Enjoy!

SEVEN DAYS OF ROMANCE | THE CLASSIC MIXTAPE

If you've ever been in love, I'm sure you've received a mixtape or two in your life. What ever happen to the classic mixtape? With tape decks out and iPods in, no one seems to make mixtapes anymore, but I say their not dead.

Whether your dating, engaged or married, a mixtape filled with fun, quirky and meaningful songs will sure to delight that special person in your life. Your playlist can be filled with love songs, pop, rock and even country, depending on what your sweetheart likes.

So go on, get creative, make a mixtape and show your special guy or gal how much they mean to you. If I were to make a mixtape for my hubby, here's a list of some of the songs I'd like to include:

Spandau Ballet - True
Journey - Open Arms
Foreigner - I Want To Know What Love Is
No Doubt - You Really Love Me Underneath It All
Citizen Cope - Sideways
The Cinematic Orchestra - To Build a Home
Aaron Neville & Linda Ronstadt - Don't Know Much
Brenton Wood - I Like The Way You Love Me
Mr. Big - To Be With You
Chicago - Will You Still Love Me
Coldplay - Yellow
Starship - Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now
KC & JoJo - All My Life
Extreme - More Than Words
Gwen Stefani - 4 In The Morning 
Confunkshun - Straight From the Heart
Bonnie Tyler - Total Eclipse of The Heart
The Beatles - In My Life
Bruce Springsteen - Secret Garden
311 - Love Song
Sade -Kiss of Life
Peter Cetera & Amy Grant - Next Time I Fall in Love

What can I say, I'm a sappy, cheesy, and hopeless romantic. I love the feeling of being in love and doing things for love. I don't think one mixtape would be enough to share my feelings and sentiments towards my hubby through music, so I would probably have to make two to celebrate the 9 years I've spent with this wonderful man.

Happy Valentines Day!

SEVEN DAYS OF ROMANCE | I HEART THE BEATLES

I love The Beatles!

When I tell the older generation this, they often reply back with an "Oh Michelle, what do you know about The Beatles? You're so young, and they came out way before your time"! This is true, but I do know my mother named me after one of their most romantic love ballads, "Michelle", which also won them a Grammy for song of the year in 1966.

The Beatles have graced us with music that will last a lifetime. From classic rock & roll to pop, and songs that always seemed to talk about love and peace, they've composed some of the greatest songs of all time. In honor of Valentines Day I give you my Top 10 favorite Beatles love songs:

1. In My Life {A song often used at weddings for the first dance or a non-traditional ceremony processional/bridal entrance.}
2. And I Love Her
3. All You Need Is Love
4. Something
5. Hey Jude {This song came in at #8 on Rolling Stones list of the 500 greatest songs of all time...that's pretty sweet if you ask me. It was written by Paul McCartney for John Lennon's son, Julian...which also happens to be my son's name.}
6. When I'm 64
7. Michelle
8. Do You Want To Know A Secret
9. Till There Was You {The song was originally created for the 1957 musical, "The Music Man", and while it wasn't an original Beatles song, there rendition was a fan favorite.}
10. I Wanna Hold Your Hand

As you can see, The Beatles knew a little something about that four letter word we like to call LOVE!

SEVEN DAYS OF ROMANCE | LOVE LETTERS VIDEO

We hoped you enjoyed yesterday's romantic feature and all the little details that were infused into our shoot and inspired by love. Today we continue to celebrate Valentine's Day with a video that was created for "Love Letters" by my good friend, Andrew Hsu of Studio MSV,

Dream away!


Love Notes from andrew msv on Vimeo.

SEVEN DAYS OF ROMANCE | LOVE LETTERS

With Valentines Day right around the corner, love is in the air. To get you prepared for this day for which long stem red roses and heart shaped boxes filled with chocolates have become a staple of what Valentines Day is all about, we will be doing a blog series called "Seven Days of Romance". We will feature a new blog post inspired by love for the next 7 days till its V-Day {Tuesday, February 14th}. Our first post features images from a stylized shoot we designed for Style Me Pretty two years ago entitled "Love Letters". The challenge was to bring an inspiration board that an SMP user had created to life. I chose a board called "Vintage Love Letters" because I was inspired by the sweet, subtle romance that it evoked. When developing a design for this board, I definitely knew I wanted to create something dreamy, almost ethereal. To read more about our shoot and view the complete gallery, click here: Style Me Pretty, Inspiration to Reality: The Design Part I and The Design Part II.

Stay tuned, because tomorrow we'll be featuring the video that accompanied this romantic shoot!

Event Design, Planning and Styling: MB Wedding Design and Events
Photographers: Gertrude and Mabel Photography
Videographer: Studio MSV 
Floral Design & Vintage Furniture: Asiel Design
Hair & Makeup: Get Your Do Up
Stationery: Cards de Luxe
Cake: Cake Coquette
Couture Bridal Accessories and Shoes: Haute Bride
Couture Bridal Gowns: Nouvelle Vogue
Model: Celeste Rodriguez
Vintage Dessert & Jewelry Stands: Amour Ame