Whooo hooo!

WE Won Wedding Wire’s prestigious Bride’s Choice Award!  This means we are in the top 5% of Wedding Pros nationwide! The WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ recognizes the top local wedding professionals from the WeddingWire Network that demonstrate excellence in quality, service, responsiveness and professionalism. Unlike other awards in which winners are selected by the organization, the WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ are determined solely by the reviews from over 1.2 million newlyweds.  What an amazing honor!

So proud, this will look beautiful next to our “Best of Weddings 2012″ Knot.com Award!

Xo, Care

Bridal Show Survival Tips!

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arizona wedding planner, phoenix wedding planner, scottsdale wedding planner, tempe wedding planner, trends, wedding and event planner, wedding planning, wedding vendors

It’s our favorite time of the year again, Bridal Season, this is when the industry is infused with a beautiful new batch of glowing Brides.  Now that you have the “Rock” get ready to kickstart your wedding planning by visiting the Arizona Bridal Show!  It is no lie that this IS the largest bridal show in AZ, with hundreds of vendors all wanting just a minute of your time.  I warn you: it is overwhelming, it can get frustrating, but it can also be a great time!  This is just a bit of advice to help you get the most out of the show and have fun this weekend:

THINGS TO BRING:

• A Sturdy tote bag
• Pre-Printed Labels Including: Your Name, Email, Phone, Address (if desired) and wedding date…this way you won’t to have to write this out every time.
• Comfy shoes.
• Take an apple, baby carrots, banana or granola bar to snack on halfway thru.  Yes, there will be plenty of fantastic caterers there, but there will also be a lot of sweets.  Keep your energy and sugar levels in check by having a healthy snack when you can.
• Your Bridal Party not only do they make great company, they can help run interference if you need to be pulled away from a pushy vendor (yes, a few of them do exhist).

THINGS TO DO:

• Make a plan to differentiate the Professionals you like from all the others, your bag will already be stuffed with a dozens of flyers and cards, so take color dot stickers or a marker and place a star on the corner of the flyers or postcards that you WANT to remember to follow up with or simply put the business card in your pocket.  Otherwise you will come home with 100′s of pieces of paper and not know who you talked to and liked and most importantly who you didn’t.
• Take a breather, this show can and will be overwhelming, you will be called in 100 different directions, asked every question under the sun all in the first row and 20 minutes of being there.  If you are feeling uncomfortable or maybe frustrated grab some water or my personal favorite, a cake sample, and take a step outside of the ballroom for a moment or two.
• DONT FORGET to stop by our booth and say HI (#5412)!!

Have a great time meeting some wonderful Wedding Professionals and we hope to meet you there!

XO, Care

Happy New Year!

Tags

arizona wedding planner, Bridal workshop, Bride, phoenix wedding planner, scottsdale wedding planner, trends, vendors, wedding and event planner, wedding favors, wedding planning workshop

We have said our thanks, feasted, wrapped and unwrapped gifts and goodies and (hopefully) taken a moment to breathe before the stress and excitement of the holiday season is over and a new year is upon us. November and December has offered us so much, 2 beautiful weddings, You can see Brandee’s gorgeous wedding day by visitingPhoto’s by Mary blog and can see some of her creative DIY projects here. In December, we were kept busy with two of our past Bridal clients’ corporate holiday parties where we were able to work with Noelle atFresh From the Kitchen.  She did an amazing job catering and was fantastic to work with! I definitely suggest them if you are looking for a great caterer! We were also able to volunteer with ICAN on their 8th Annual Festival of Trees Planning and Logistics committee. We helped raise over $210,000 to support their programs for Chandler Youth. Also AS the planning and logistics committee for Lost Our Home Pet Foundationand their 1st Annual Holiday Fur-riendraiser, we were able to raise more then $32,000 to support their programs!  Visit our Facebook Page to see some pictures or click the links to learn more about ICAN and Lost Our Home Pet Foundation. I am also excited to announce that this week I signed the lease and started decorating a new office space in Scottsdale, I hope you will visit us and see the new space we are just over a mile west of Scottsdale Rd. on Thomas!  I will open the doors officially on January 3rd swing by and say hi if you are in the neighborhood!

I’m SO EXCITED!!

I am floating high on cloud nine right now!   We found out from our local Knot.com Rep. that WE WON the prestigious and AWESOME “Best of Wedding” title for Arizona Wedding Coordinators and Planners!  This award we will share with only 1 other valley planner!

I am so Thankful, I want to take a moment to reward our loyal readers with a sweet contest!  Each new “FAN” we get on Facebook until Friday, November 25th will be entered to win a $100 Dolce Salon and Spa Gift Card!   

Winner will be announced on our Facebook Page on November 26th so keep an eye out for some great news! 

XO,

Care

P.S. I am starting to organize ideas for our next newsletter, please let me know if you have anything specific you would like to see in our December issue, we will also have a few HUGE announcements to share!

Busy Bees

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arizona wedding planner, Bride, bridesmaids dresses, phoenix wedding planner, scottsdale wedding planner, tempe wedding planner, tips, trends, tricks, wedding and event planner, wedding dresses, wedding planning

Well, this month has kept us busy as bees, not to mention giddy with the new happenings around here (including Mackenzie!),  the hot new industry trends and all the gorgeous new gowns that have been hitting the runways and blogs over the last few days!  So many, in fact, I couldn’t wait for the November Newsletter and HAD to share now! As mentioned, we now have Mackenzie on the Team here at SED, she is also wrapping up all the details of her upcoming December wedding so she is right there with you all in the midst of the planning process!  She will become more of a presence on our blog and Facebook page along with assisting me and the girls with events.  She is a great addition and offers a ton of experience with organizing events large and small along with a big heart when it comes to community commitment and working with area nonprofits. Have you heard about some of the new trends in weddings?  Here is one of my favorites: Have the desire for a timeless, fresh and clean look?  Look no further then White on White color scheme or using white as an accent color in addition to your palette, according to TheKnot.com white is the new black! But speaking of white…er, but…well not wearing white, Did you see Vera Wangs’ latest collection?  Not only are these dresses gorgeous and classic, the dominant colors are Nude and Black!  Would you wear a black wedding gown?   Click here to see the bulk of the collection, I am IN LOVE with the Black Lace Overlay!   Nude and black are not the only colors hitting the Fall  2012 gowns: ice lavender and blush are on the runways too!  Also, notice all the cap sleeves, boleros, overlays and illusion necklines, dare I say we will be seeing less strapless gowns next year?  Check out this Maggie Sottero stunner and the rest of her flirty and feminine collection!  Plus, here are some of Alfred Angelo’s Fairytale bridesmaid collection too, what a fun collection of dresses this season! I am sure we will have a million more dresses and trends to share with you in our November newsletter, but I couldn’t resist sharing some of these!

Wish Upon a Wedding, Bidding for Good Auction

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arizona wedding planner, Chandler wedding planner, contract, Free Contest, Gilbert Wedding Planner, phoenix wedding planner, scottsdale wedding planner, tempe wedding planner, tips, trends, tricks, vendors, wedding and event planner, wedding budget, wedding favors, wedding planning, wedding planning workshop, wedding vendors

Don’t forget to visit Wish Upon A Wedding, Bidding for Good Auction! Not only are we offering our services, but by bidding on any of the invitations, jewelry, vacations, favors or other goodies, you are providing a terminally ill Bride / Groom the wedding of their dreams. Please visit: “Bid Your Wish for Wedded Bliss” by clicking here to browse the auction items and support Wish Upon A Wedding.

Quick Tip

When planning your ceremony and reception timeline, have both your photographer and DJ in on the process.  Both will have preferences and suggestions and they will need to be on the same page.  By having a conference call, Skype, BrideLive or meeting with both you will not have to worry about filling out multiple timelines or back and forth with changes to accommodate each professional’s requests.

XO, Care

We want YOU to be our intern!

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intern, wedding and event planner

Hello Friends, Fans, Vendors and Clients!!

As things are picking up around these parts, I am looking for a part time intern (unpaid) who can offer 5-15 hours a week to work with me as I grow my boutique wedding and event planning business.  These hours would include some nights and weekends, but NEVER a holiday.  Hours are flexible but daytime, business hours are preferred when not scheduled for an event.  Intern must be organized, carry a great attention to detail, strong work ethic, and most importantly trustworthy as they would (if comfortable) be working from my home.  Assistance in blogging, e-campaigns, and social media is a huge plus as well as experience in graphic design, adobe, and/or publisher.  6 month commitement preferred.

This opportunity will offer interns experience in sales, marketing, networking, trade show and event management experience in upcoming weddings and nonprofit events in a small business setting.  Will include some not so glamorous tasks such as data entry and mailing, but what internship doesn’t.

Please forward resume, 2 letters of recommendation, 2 personal and professional references and cover letter to:

Care Schmidt

Care@sterlingeventdesign.com

No phone calls please.

XO, C

Tip for the day

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arizona wedding planner, phoenix wedding planner, scottsdale wedding planner, tempe wedding planner, tips, wedding planning, wedding planning workshop

Every now and then I see or hear something that makes me want to scream from the rooftops.  Today, I have two things to scream about. So, I am going to climb onto that proverbial roof and share with you one of the biggest ways you can stress less about your upcoming wedding, the expenses and managing your finances.  

Ready for it???….drum-roll (please)….

#1. open a separate “Big Day” Bank account.

It is that simple, all you two have to do is walk into your preferred bank branch and open an account, get the free checks and debit card and make an iron clad agreement that this is the only place Wedding Day funds are allowed to filter through.  Many banks allow you to set up an automatic deposit or transfer from your paycheck or other accounts for free to help get it started.  

Here, you can manage all your expenses, track vendor deposits, DIY expenditures from one account.  Most importantly, you wont have to worry if a deposit is going to interfere with your car or mortgage payment. You will also be to track how all those ‘little projects” are adding up, which they tend to do and may even help curb those extra little impulse buys that you didn’t budget for and well, don’t really need anyway.  Plus, once the wedding is over, you will have an account ready in both your names (you will just have to change your name if you choose to).

This way, whether you or your families are paying for the wedding, you know exactly how much and where you are spending.. 

#2. Enter our contest below to WIN free D.O.C. Services, words simply can’t explain how much your stress levels will drop after winning!!

Please feel free to contact me with any questions!

 X’s and O’s, Care

It’s contest time!

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arizona wedding planner, Free Contest, phoenix wedding planner, scottsdale wedding planner, tempe wedding planner, tips, vendors, wedding planning, wedding vendors

 

It’s Contest time!! Sterling Event Design is offering (1) complimentary Day of Coordination Package ($750.00 value) for the Grand Prize Winning couple, We will also be offering 2 Complimentary Consultations for the 2nd and 3rd place Winners! How to enter: 1.) Starting tomorrow, Tuesday, September  6th, “Like” Sterling Event Design’ Facebook page 2.) Post a comment on our Facebook Page as to why you should win, along with a photo of you and your Fiance and your Wedding Date. 3.) Tell your friends and family to “Like” Sterling Event Design and “VOTE” for your post by liking or commenting on it. The couple with the most “VOTES” (via Comments or “likes”) from different individuals by September 16th at midnight will be the winner. Who can enter? - Any engaged Bride or Groom getting married between October 2011- October 2012, please include your wedding date in your post so we can confirm availability of your date.  We will notify you if we are unavailable on your wedding day. If you have any questions, please send us a message on facebook or email us at care@sterlingeventdesign.com Ways to get more votes …. If you would like to SHARE the link on your wall you can do it a couple different ways. - You can go to our page Sterling Even Design and copy the link in your browser and then paste it as a link in your status update. - You can CLICK on SHARE when we post the link to the contest. - You can go to your status update and click on LINK and type in www.facebook.com/sterlingeventdesign After you share you have to tell people how to vote. - It’s important to explain to people that they have to LIKE the page and then VOTE for your post. - Post the link on friends walls and/or ask them to share it. The more you ask for help the more votes you can get! Rules and fine print: - The contest will run for 10 days, starting on September 6th and will end on September 16th at midnight. The winners will be announced on Saturday, September 17, 2011.   - Based on availability, so do not forget to include your wedding date. - Duplicate votes will not be counted and votes will only be counted in Likes and Comments on your post. - Available for Phoenix Metro Area, any travel and accommodations would be the responsibility of the winner. -Available to new clients only. - Based on a wedding of 125 guests or under, additional staffing will be charged for events over 125 guests at the rate of $150 per assistant per 75 guests.  Please contact us with any questions 480.234.1336 or email. We cannot wait to see your posts and Good Luck!