Archive for February, 2007

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Wedding Inspiration on your iPod!

Wednesday, February 28th, 2007
So, where do wedding planners go to get inspired?

Well, I subscribe to many of the same magazines, websites and blogs that you do; from Modern Bride to Inside Weddings and Grace Ormond Wedding Style to see those gorgeous gowns, incredible tabletops and over the top “real weddings”.

However for editorial content, this iPod addicted wedding consultant is going the Podcast route to get her wedding planning fix as well. Podcasts are essentially radio shows that you can download from the internet (and iTunes) onto your computer, iPod, mobile device or MP3 player. You can even play them straight from the websites themselves. The range of topics is vast and some very forward thinking people in the wedding business by the name of Robert Allen & Holli Erlich have created the flagship of wedding podcast resources called The Wedding Podcast Network or WPN for short.

WPN offers regularly updated wedding planning advice and inspiration through 1st person interviews with brides & grooms, newlyweds and top wedding professionals across the country. Just push play and listen to a couple share their wedding planning experience about their destination wedding in Palm Springs in the “Newlywed Casts” or listen to Preston Bailey, cake diva Slyvia Weinstock or the editor of Martha Stewart Weddings share, first hand in their own words, their own stories and sage advice in the “Meet the Masters” series. There are many more interesting & inspiring series as well on the WPN. You can subscribe to the entire series of WPN podcasts or select the ones that interest you the most.

So whether you are in the car, on the treadmill or at your desk, plug in, push play and tune in to the Wedding Podcast Network & get inspired. Who knows, maybe your wedding will be the next NewlywedCast feature!

Have a Stylish Day!

Posted by Tracey Kumer-Moore,JWIC|Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge

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The New Wedding Song for 2007

Wednesday, February 28th, 2007


Words written by the award winning team of Marilyn & Alan Bergman to some of the most beautiful music in the world created by legendary film composer Ennio Morricone (one of my favorites) who composed music to “The Untouchables”, “Bugsy”, “Cinema Paradiso” & “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly” to name just a few.

This song was sung with lyrics for the very first time by Celine Dion as a tribute to Ennio Morricone and his honorary oscar at the recent 79th Academy Awards. The lyrics are gorgeous and the music is timeless and I predict this will be on the “1st dance” list for many weddings in 2007.

I cry every time I hear this.

The original music is entitled “Deborah’s Theme” from Sergio Leone’s 1984 movie “Once Upon A Time in America” starring Robert DeNiro & James Woods which is a huge favorite of mine.

The Celine Dion version can be found on “We All Love Ennio Morricone”, a “greatest hits” compilation featuring Celine, Chris Botti, Andrea Bocelli and many more.

Have a Stylish Day!

Posted by Tracey Kumer-Moore,JWIC|Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge

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The PREMIERE Bridal Show

Sunday, February 25th, 2007

I attended the Spring 2007 Las Vegas PREMIERE Bridal Show at the fabulous Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino this past Saturday.

Congratulations to my friends and producers of the show, Ben Falk & Angela Nelson & to all my fellow wedding professional friends and partners for proving yet again that Las Vegas weddings are trend setting & stylish and Las Vegas wedding businesses are dedicated, passionate professionals and artists who truly care about their craft & business.They do want to provide our local and destination brides the very best products and services that will make your day memorable for all the right reasons.

Memorable Visuals from the Show-

  • The romantic red vignette a la “Beauty & the Beast”, pink & crystal corridor & the calming, yet very chic lounge area courtesy of J. Gatsby Designs.
  • The fantastic & oh so cool photography of DS Photography and ATG Creative photography. Rhiannon & Derek from DS and Trish & Jared from ATG Creative are fabulous husband & wife teams (well Derek & Rhiannon will be husband & wife soon!) who will make your wedding photography experience a blast with “jaw dropping” and totally unique styles.
  • The absolutely elegant Vintage Rolls Royce Silver Cloud from Alan Waxler Group.

Have a Stylish Day!

Posted by Tracey Kumer-Moore,JWIC|Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge

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Shiny & New-I’ve got my eye on you

Friday, February 23rd, 2007

So, I have Spring Technology Fever again! I get it every year when I start eyeing all those shiny new computers, TV’s, software, smartphones, pda’s, iPods, etc. I would be a wreck if I ever got my hands on a ticket to the Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas in January!

Well, here is what I am coveting this year!
This new Sony VAIO All-in-One desktop computer is gorgeous (I played with it already and I am taking you home soon baby) and definately gives the iMAC a run for it’s money with it’s sleek style. Check it out at www.sonystyle.com or Sony Stores.
The new Moto-Q smartphone with the new version of Windows Mobile 6 that has all kinds of fun new features and it’s so nice and thin! www.Motorola.com or do I go for the new Blackberry 8800, www.blackberry.com ? Oh, decisions, decisions!

These smart phones and others like them such as the BlackJack from Samsung and the new Palm phones 680 and 750 (for windows) are this Wedding Planner’s best friend for organizing my day, easy access to all my vendors and clients and e-mail and text messaging while out of the office.

They are fast becoming a bride’s best friend too and making it easier than ever to plan your wedding, work and have a life (yes, you CAN have it all!)

And of course, being a techno-junkie (and a girl who loves to be stylish), I just love checking out Shiny, Shiny-A Girl’s Guide to Gadgets & Techie Diva’s Guide to Gadgets. These blogs keep me up on all the latest and greatest techno-gadgets, accessories and news with us ladies in mind.

Some fun blogs and websites to check out for wedding, shopping, beauty and all around female fabulousness. Enjoy..
Bridal Wave -”Frocks, shoes, food & booze, helping you say I do”
Glam Network-The fastest growing network dedicated to women, our fashion & lifestyle!
Splendora-”The Authority on Fabulous” has versions for San Francisco, L.A. & N.Y.C. with bridal sections featuring bridal events, news and links to top vendors in these markets.

Don’t forget the Academy Awards are being broadcast this Sunday, February 28 on ABC. I’m rooting for you J-Hud!! Host a stylish Oscar party, pop the bubbly and watch the stars shine! You can read all about the oscars & see the nominees at www.oscar.com

Have a Stylish Weekend!
Posted by Tracey Kumer-Moore,JWIC|Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge

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Why you should not hire an iPod to play at your wedding

Thursday, February 22nd, 2007
Dear Brides and Grooms,
The time has come for selecting your wedding reception entertainment!
This is probably one of the most fun aspects of your wedding planning because it’s all about the party (woo-hoo) and what you and your guests are probably looking forward to the most..having a wonderful time and dancing the night away! And for this reason, in my opinion, your choice of entertainment and style is one of the most important (if not the most) decisions you will make that is the difference between a good party and a truly memorable one for all.

And so dear readers, here is Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge’s plea.

Please Do not hire an iPod to play at your wedding!

I will be the first person to tell you that I am positively addicted to my iPod! I carry it everywhere and close to needing a second one. I show clients slideshows on a special i-Pod dock, I turn them on to the Wedding Podcast Network for planning ideas & I always have my iPod & portable player in my emergency kit at weddings (with ceremony & reception music playlists) for “emergencies”. However, I will never refer my clients to an iPod (or their kin) as their 1st choice for their reception entertainment.

Now you may be thinking this is so I can keep my DJ and wedding band friends in business. Although it’s true that I certainly want my fellow wedding professionals to do well, this is not about their livelyhood, it’s about the success of YOUR party and one of the reasons you choose a Las Vegas wedding…keeping it stress and hassle free for you and your guests!
  • In hiring an iPod for your wedding, someone,(not your iPod) will have to rent the proper sound system and equipment to play the device so that it is appropriate for the size and space of your event.
  • When you hire an iPod, you still have to enlist the volunteer assistance of one of your friends to “babysit” it when the volume needs to be turned down for toasts, playlists to be changed, or the device may have technical difficulites. Wouldn’t you rather your “techie friend” was out there on the dance floor with you having a good time doing “the Robot” instead of worrying about what song is coming up next or fiddling with the wires?
  • Did the iPod you hired bring a backup iPod or CD’s in the event of technical difficulties?
  • Your iPod really should come dressed in a different outfit and come as your laptop instead with iTunes and all your playlists at hand so the iPod babysitter can manipulate the music choices better. Are you going to enjoy shlepping your laptop and cables with you to Vegas along with all your other belongings? Are you sure everything will work with the equipment you are renting?

I am sure, smart readers that you are getting the picture that, as cool you think hiring an iPod is for controlling the style and flow of your music and reducing costs, this “wedding vendor” will still cost you in money, stress and time.

  • Money that could be spent working with a professional band or DJ who will listen to you and play music that is a great mix of your style & the grooves that make a party fun and memorable for all the right reasons!
  • Stress that could be reduced in knowing that your wedding planner found you a professional entertainer who has all the right equipment, backup and the know how to set it all up. And you didn’t have to lug any of it to Vegas yourself!
  • And the time…oh the time you will enjoy not running around getting the equipment, returning it because it won’t work with your laptop or iPod like they said it would on the phone. The time you will get back with your iPod babysitter and iPod MC’s so you can enjoy their company (which is why you wanted them there in the first place!).

An absolutely amazing way to include your iPod in your wedding is to have your photographer download digital images on site at your wedding to create a slideshow that can be played instantaneously and loaded on to your iPod to take with you on your honeymoon. Now that is COOL!

So, bring your iPod to Vegas, plug it in the MP3 radio in your hotel room, enjoy it at the pool and spa, but then give it the night off for your wedding reception. Your iPod will appreciate the break while you and your guests enjoy the night partying with the real professional music makers!

Have a Stylish Day!

Posted by Tracey Kumer-Moore,JWIC|Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge

Posted in DJ, Entertainment, Wedding Advice | No Comments »

Be Extraordinary

Monday, February 19th, 2007

I made sure to catch the Oprah Winfrey show this morning as Celebrity Wedding Planner and Lifestyle Guru, Colin Cowie was Oprah’s guest. Click Here to view show details on Oprah’s website.Colin has a gorgeous new coffee table book out called “Extraordinary Weddings. From a Glimmer of an Idea to a Legendary Event”.

The book itself is absolutely stunning covered in intense hot pink suede.Oprah featured some of Colin Cowie’s weddings from this new book and WOW, WOW, WOW (imagine exclamation points here because they don’t work in the blog text). Each and every wedding is so exquisite, detailed and definitely OVER THE TOP. And yet, what I love about the events that Colin creates is despite the grandeur of the event, I can find the heart and soul at the center…the couple.

I must say Mr. Cowie; you do inspire me to live life with STYLE and dream of beautiful and extraordinary events for my brides.

An “extraordinary” event or wedding isn’t achieved by how much money is spent; it really is about making your day stand out in your memories and those of your family and guests from every other day in your lives past and future. To me, the most extraordinary and memorable weddings and events are those that are thoughtful, gracious and welcoming despite their size. They make me smile, cry, laugh and feel that the hosts or couple truly wanted me there and I was an important part of their celebration.

So as you think about all the special personal touches, details and gestures that that you will incorporate into YOUR wedding, also think how they will be remembered by you and your very special guests long after the day is over. Whether it’s a simple hand written card and itinerary accompanied by a single stem of your signature flower in a guest’s hotel room, a sweet and heartfelt parting gift from the two of you, or delightfully surprising your guests during the evening with fun and entertaining gestures big or small, they are all appreciated, all endearing and all the elements that go into making your event “extraordinary”.

Long after the day is over, the images and memories of you and your happy and smiling guests will be THE benchmark of YOUR “Extraordinary Event”.

Have a Stylish Day.
Posted by Tracey Kumer-Moore,JWIC|Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge

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Happy Valentine’s Day Top 10 Lists

Wednesday, February 14th, 2007

“ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE..LOVE IS ALL YOU NEED”
The Beatles

Happy Valentine’s Day!

The image to your left is the famous “Love Sculpture” in JFK Plaza in Philadelphia, PA, “The City of Brotherly Love” It’s my shout out to my good friend and Philadelphia’s premier Wedding Consultant Mark Kingsdorf, the “Queen of Hearts Wedding Consultants“.

Happy Hearts Day Mark!

I do love this sculpture though and thought it would be a perfect image for my Valentine’s Day Post. As for the introduction, the lyrics of The Beatles kind of say it all in one of my favorite songs about love…

And that brings me to the premiere installment of one of my new diary features…“Tracey’s Top 10″ because I love lists! And, in honor of Valentine’s Day I am treating you to my favorite songs about love and my favorite romantic movies to start off with..

My Top 10 Favorite Songs About Love (Wow, this list is better than carbon dating for showing my age, LOL!)
1. Unforgettable by Natalie & Nat King Cole-Because it was my wedding song!
2. Someone Like You by Van Morrison-Because I had been searching my whole life (until 8 years ago!)
3. I Love You More Today Than Yesterday by Strawberry Alarm Clock-It’s an oldie & a goodie & makes me smile!
4. Besume Mucho by Andrea Bocelli or Diana Krall-It means “Kiss Me A Lot” in Spanish. How can that not be romantic to the 9′s?
5. You Make Me So Very Happy by Blood Sweat & Tears-Because it reminds me how thankful & happy I am that Mike is in my life!
6. The Look of Love by Dusty Springfield-If you have been to my website, you already know I love this song! It’s just incredibly sexy and romantic and NO ONE sings it better than Dusty!
7. Can’t Help Falling Love With You by Elvis Presley-You didn’t think I would forget The King did you? To me, it is his most beautiful and heartfelt song.
8.All You Need is Love by The Beatles-”…Love is All You Need”. Favorite use of this song is the opening wedding scene in “Love Actually” starring Hugh Grant, when the couples’ friends surprise them with a rendition of the song after the first kiss. It was so British and it just made me smile from ear to ear!
9. This Will Be An Everlasting Love by Natalie Cole-Because it is joyous, infectiously optimistic and you can’t help but smile. I had a bride walk (actually she was dancing) down the aisle to this song. It was pure magic!
10. Our Love is Here To Stay by Ella Fitzgerald-A classic Gershwin song with indelible lyrics sung by one of the purest voices in the world. To me, it is just perfect in every way.

My Top 10 Romantic Movies (The ones I can and do watch over and over again!)
1. “Moonstruck” starring Cher & Nicholas Cage
2. “The Princess Bride” starring Mandy Pantankin, Billy Crystal, Robin Wright, Carry Elwes
3. “When Harry Met Sally” starring Billy Crystal & Meg Ryan
4. “Cinema Paradiso” -one of my favorite Italian films that celebrates love in many ways-Love of theatre, a very special & lasting friendship and true passion. The ending is one of the most gorgeous scenes I have ever seen.
5. “An Officer and a Gentleman” starring Richard Gere & Debra Winger
6. “Pretty Woman” starring Richard Gere & Julia Roberts
7. “Romeo & Juliet” starring Leonardo DiCaprio & Claire Danes
8. “GREASE” starring John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John
9. “The Sound of Music” starring Julie Andrews & Christopher Plummer
10. “Sleepless in Seattle” starring Tom Hanks & Meg Ryan

If you want to see a really great list of romantic movies, visit The American Film Institutes’ “100 Years, 100 Passions” with the greatest romance movies of all time! FYI, They show these AFI “100 Years, 100…” shows on A&E all the time. It’s a movie lover’s and a list lover’s dream!

Tell ALL the people that you love and who love you just how much they mean to you today & every day. Valentine’s Day is just another day to say “I LOVE YOU”:) Have a wonderful, “lovely” & Stylish Valentine’s Day!
Posted by Tracey Kumer-Moore,JWIC|Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge

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Houston, TX Here I Come!!

Tuesday, February 13th, 2007

I am so excited to tell y’all (see, it’s already sinking in) that I just found out I have won my second scholarship prize to attend the NACE (National Association of Catering Executives) Educational Conference in Houston, TX this July! Yeehaah!
NACE 2007 Educational Conference Website
I attended the 2006 Educational Conference in Phoenix, AZ by winning this same scholarship last year.
I am one of four award recepients and received 2nd prize: Full Conference Registration & $500 cash!! WOW:)!! Although I would not miss attending this conference, it sure is nice to have this taken care.
It’s also a recognition of my involvement with my local NACE association here in Las Vegas by regularly attending meetings, giving to the organization and community projects, and leadership involvement as being part of our local chapter’s Board of Directors. This year I am the chapter’s Newsletter Commitee Chair which I really am enjoying. It’s my involvement in the newsletter that inspired me to begin my blog (er, diary).
The Educational Conference hosts over 600 people, all catering managers, directors, event planners and affiliates (like DJ’s, event designers, food suppliers (of course it is a catering convention after all) and many others to network with each other, learn and see all the new trends in food, food design and presentation and event production. Of course, we always get inspired with presentations on improving our businesses and ourselves. And we have a LOT OF FUN. The parties are fantastic, and of course THE FOOD is unbelievable (as you would expect).
I am sure that Houston is going to throw one heck of a great ho’down good time. You know they do EVERYTHING BIGGER in the “Great State of Texas”!! Best of all, my Dallas native husband may join me as well. You know, he made me an honorary Texan “Cause I had the good sense to marry one”. He has a lot of those Texanism’s like that that make me laugh and a few other things!
If you are reading this and you are new to the profession of Wedding Consulting, I urge you to get involved with your local industry networking groups , espeically those with national or international members. Whether it is NACE, ISES (International Special Event Society) or another, the exposure and inspiration you gain from people all over the world and the personal and professional rewards you gain are worth every penny spent on membership!
I better start practicing that “Honky Tonk Bedonkadonk” dance now!! I hope I can dance it better than I spelled it:)
Have a Stylish Day!
Posted by Tracey Kumer-Moore,JWIC|Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge

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I’ve Got A New Attitude!

Monday, February 12th, 2007
“It’s a new dawn, it’s a new day…..and I’m feeling good”. Nina Simone
I love that song. I play it almost every morning and sing out loud. And it FEELS GOOD!
Yes, I have decided that 2007 is going to be all about a new attitude for me and for Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge.
So, look for new changes on the website with some new content (possibly a whole new design coming soon) and in the overall look of the business image and branding with some fresh updates that show off my new attitude:)
I will be the first to tell you I enjoy the fact I have always been proud of the individualized attendtion I give to clients due to a smaller number of weddings I do per year. I do promote the boutique philosophy to both clients and my peers and feel that is my unique niche.
However, much of my website had the company sounding much bigger with “we this” and “our that”. I believed that making your business sound much bigger than it was was an accepted way to write marketing materials.
However, I am NOT a big business and I don’t plan to be one. I want to be one on one and truly speak to you not as “we”, but “I”, or Tracey or as “Your Wedding Concierge” and consultant.
I had a couple from a few years ago send me a beautiful thank you card which part of it said…
“Tracey, I could not believe all the time and effort you put into my big day- I still have no idea how you found time to coordinate all the other weddings because I felt like you were just for me!” Lauren and Mack
These words mean so much because I truly do love what I do and it was a joy that it was so appreciated by such a wonderful couple. I do work hard for my brides and grooms. I like having the luxury of that extra time in the calendar to go the extra mile for you & make you feel that I am here just for you and your wedding.
I look forward to being a part of your day and getting to know you!
Have a Stylish Day!
Posted by Tracey Kumer-Moore,JWIC|Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge

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Meet Anne Kellog from Las Vegas Paper Doll

Saturday, February 10th, 2007

I had the pleasure today of meeting Anne Kellog, owner of Las Vegas Paper Doll, the stylish stationery boutique located in the Holsum Lofts complex at 231 West Charleston Boulevard.

I was a stationery fanatic when I was a kid and entering Anne’s boutique brought back that same sense of giddiness at all the beautiful papers, elegant and fun cards, writing accessories and invitations. Anne’s beautiful and very sweet golden lab Luna, invited me inside in her own way with the wag of her tail and a kiss on the hand.
The store itself, as you can see, definitely has a modern, streamlined look. Anne carries a wide array of high style and unique, hand made greeting cards, personal note cards and stationery. From hip, vintage Vegas cards to hilarious and sassy cards with great graphics, Anne’s love of the art of paper and letter writing is all around you.
“Anyone can write an email or text message and hit send, it’s so easy and so accepted now, but to take the time to sit down at your desk, pull out a beautiful and personalized note card or sheet of paper and hand write a letter really tells the recipient how special and personal the sentiment is.”

I couldn’t agree more. Just a few days ago I received a “lovely note”. I call them that because my aunts always would call my mom and tell her they received the “lovely note” Tracey sent. She is a fond acquaintance and sent me the note thanking me for attending an event she produced. I sincerely appreciate the time she took to say that she valued me being there.

Unfortunately, the art of letter writing is not as popular in these hurried times and Anne says she opened her store to do her part to keep this custom alive and make it fun for people to express themselves and want to write.

We also talked about weddings. Ann thinks there are angel wings waiting for us wedding planners in heaven! I like Anne! She carries a small but quality line of custom wedding invitations and wedding stationery from companies like Crane, “Something Different” from Carlson Craft that are modern & colorful as well as some smaller invitation houses with modern taste but surprisingly traditional touches.

Her customers come to her looking for something that speaks to their individuality beyond the thousands of invitations you find in the big invitation books. She is much attuned to what the bride wants after a brief interview and Anne says many do go for the modern and colorful designs, with highly stylized touches. But, every once in a while, she gets surprised.”I had a bride come in to the store who was someone I knew pretty well. She was in her early 20′s and really a funky, trendy girl. Because I felt I knew her, I showed her some of the more modern and trendy designs and they weren’t making an impression. She then saw the book from Crane which is about as traditional and formal as you can get in an invitation; crisp white card stock, formal script lettering, no adornments. Her eyes lit up. This is what SHE wanted. Who knew?”

Ann’s impression of where wedding invitation trends are heading is that brides are going to return to this level of classicism, formality and tradition from their mother’s or grandmother’s time. “The invitations will reflect a respect for a more romantic time gone by and for the institution of marriage but will still have modern elements like unique script fonts or special touches like a monogram that will reflect the couple’s individuality”.

And, because I was thinking you all would like to know (and so did I), I asked Anne for her best piece of invitation advice. “Take the time to select an invitation that will best convey the message about the kind of wedding you are having. For example if the wedding is a black tie affair, the invitation should set the tone with the correct formality of wording, font style and design.”

Finally, “Think about your invitation as a remembrance of your wedding that could be an heirloom or worthy of framing for display. Be cognizant of what you put on the invitation so that it will be a pleasure to look at in years to come. Asking that no children allowed or, G-d forbid, requests for registry gifts, will blemish what would otherwise be a lovely memento.”

Very wise advice indeed and thank you so much Anne. It was a pleasure spending time with you today and thank you for your passion to your art and your business. If you are looking for wedding invitations or stylish stationery and cards to begin your letter writing, stop in and say hello to Anne and Luna at Las Vegas Paper Doll!
Have a Stylish Day!
Posted by Tracey Kumer-Moore,JWIC|Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge

Posted in Vegas Wedding People You Should Know | No Comments »

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