Don’t get me wrong, favors are a nice (and, an almost expected way) to thank your guests for witnessing your wedding but the favors that make the most memorable impact on your guests are the ones that come from your heart.

When looking for favors, be practical, think about items that you would love to bring home from a wedding. Unless your entire guest list is either close family (i.e. parents, grandparents, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles) or your sorority sisters, small mementos with your names and/or wedding date inscribed may become worthless trinkets that end up stashed in a drawer never to see the light of day. Following are recommendations for some of our favorite favors that will keep you top of mind with your guests long after you toss the bouquet.

Flower Seed Packets or Plantable Seed Paper: Your guests will think of you every time they look at the flowers that bloom.

Home-made Gifts: is there a family recipe that is special to you both? At a recent wedding, the couple made homemade strawberry jam as their favors. Guests were so excited to sample this all-time favorite that many opened their jars to spread the love on their dinner rolls. Gifts from the heart (and kitchen) are always a huge hit. Other sure-fire hits include chocolate, fudge, nuts, homemade pickles, etc.

Java-Junkie: Do you and your honey crave coffee? Order in your favorite blend and package it in personalized / monogrammed coffee bags. Not a coffee lover? No worries, give tea.

Donation: Make a donation to your favorite charity in lieu of spending the money on favors. A simple notecard placed at each seat or attached to place cards can inform your guests of the gift you made.

One for the Road: Do you want to end your guest’s night on the right note? Consider a snack for the road. A bag with two cartons of milk and a couple unique fresh baked cookies is the perfect midnight snack.

Remember, your favors should come from your heart. They don’t need to be expensive or elaborate, but they should be special and a reflection of you.

For additional ideas on favors, check out these websites:

• blog.myweddingfavors.com
• www.withthisfavor.com
• www.stylemepretty.com
• www.beau-coup.com
• www.etsy.com

My background is in PR, marketing and fine dining. I use every bit of my education and previous experience. How often does that happen? If I had to summarize the last year and turn it into a job description, it would look something like this:

“Sales & Social Media at Atlasta Catering. Part wedding planning, part writing and web site management, lots of phone calls and business lunches, and even more tastings that don’t always fit into the norm hours of 9-5. Intrinsic desire to make people happy; ability to understand what people mean versus what they say. Organizational-fu master.”

The pool is finally cool again, and the end of another brutal Phoenician oven-roast summer is here. What better way to celebrate than having some friends over for a party? Well, there is one better way… have someone else throw a party! But wherever the action is, one thing necessary for your poolside end of summer celebration is a tasty beverage. And, one of the tastiest is Peach Sangria. Nick Atonna and I worked at Basis for several years, and I remember Nick making gallon after gallon of this. It was the number one beverage selection in the summertime.

What if you don’t like wine and you want beer instead? How about this? Go make the Sangria for everyone else, and there will be more beer left for you. It’s a win-win situation. Oh, and make sure that you stock up on non-alcoholic beverages too; not everybody likes to drink, and besides, someone needs to be filming you and your friends do all the cannonballs and back-flips that are an inevitable byproduct of end-of-summer partying.

Shalom, Pete

Here are my top 5 reasons not to elope:

5. The dress! The hair! Seeing him in a suit or tux!
Oddly enough, no one ever mentions that you will probably never have an excuse to get all dressed up like this again.

4. The pictures
All those candid shots of you two smiling ear to ear, your families and friends, the cake and decorations – irreplaceable!

3. The party of a lifetime
The wedding magazines will tell you this is the first party you’re planning as a couple and the biggest party you’ll ever plan. There are a million details you can incorporate to make the party a true reflection of your personalities.

2. The love you receive from celebrating with families and friends
Not celebrating with our loved ones was probably the hardest thing to deal with when we eloped. Sure, there could be a reception when you get back, but who has time for that? Do it right the first time and invite all those people who are truly happy and excited for you.

1. The memories
Walking down the aisle! Your first dance together! Having all your favorite people in one place! Drunken toasts! I’m getting misty eyed just thinking about it.

Planning a wedding is an exciting yet sometimes overwhelming experience; so many ideas, so many venues, so many vendors, and so many opinions from your family and friends. Your wedding is the perfect event to brand as a reflection of you by incorporating elements of your personality into the details. A good vendor will take the time to get to know you and your fiancé and will ask the right questions to guide you in adding these special touches. We’ve given you some ideas below to help start the creativity process.

Make a list of likes, dislikes and things that are important to you and your fiancé. Does he love shellfish? Are you allergic to spinach? Do you love lilies while he is allergic to flowers? These details, while a part of your every day life, are important for vendors to know and they can easily be overlooked. Carry your list with you to your wedding appointments and have it handy during your initial phone calls for quick reference. No-one wants to break out the EpiPen® during your reception!

Décor is so much more than just floral centerpieces. Have a family heirloom or collection? Incorporate it. If you don’t have enough items to place on every guest table, consider using special mementos on the head or sweetheart table, cake table, or guest book table. If you have an array of items you would like to use (old buttons, handmade doilies, old fashioned lace), consider creating a theme for your reception that will incorporate your keepsakes while allowing you to easily add elements from the outside without disrupting your overall look.

Plan to pay tribute to family traditions. Did your parents and your grandparents before them dance to the same song at their wedding? While you don’t have to use this song as your first dance with your new spouse, consider honoring the union of your parents and grandparents by asking them to join you on the dance floor, at some point that night, for a special dance to “their” song.

The list of possible ways to tie your past to your present and future is endless. A great wedding planner can help you build your personal brand to create a ceremony and reception filled with moments that will result in a lifetime of memories.

It soon became clear we had some tough decisions to make about our commitment in this area.

• How to execute change?
• What was a realistic timeline?
• How could we balance the challenges of a pull business?
• And most importantly, how could we make sure we were honestly portraying our purchasing choices?

We could, as many here in Phoenix have done, write menus with an implying pen stroke that everything is local, organic and ethically sourced or we could become painfully transparent. We chose transparency.

Currently we source from three local farms, one indoor sustainable farm, two Arizona ranches, two Arizona chicken farms and a local dairy. We are driving indigenous ingredients into our menus and kitchens. We are defining the term local and what it means for our business and most importantly what the term, seasonal, means to us. We are studying our choices and considering the impact from many different angles. We have a long way to go, but be certain that our choices are posted and we stand behind the processes we have taken in selecting products that make a difference to our clients’ well being and our world as a whole. Our Builder’s Team, under the direction of Colin Tetreault, Director of Sustainability, has done and continues to do great work.

Listed below are the three on constant rotation. Enjoy!

Green Wedding Shoes takes an inside look at every step of wedding planning. There are photos galore of all sorts of fabulous weddings but the best part is the first hand testimonials from the bride and groom.

Ah, my first blog obsession. Style Me Pretty is FULL of pictures and more pictures and even more pictures. Dresses, shoes, stationery, flowers – you name it, there’s a million pictures of it.

Pinterest is the guest star that stole the show. You have to be “invited” to see all the wonders behind this virtual pinboard but once you’re in, hours of your life seem to disappear. Everyone in our office (except for Steve and Christian, of course) is hooked on this site, so just ask us for an invite if you’re interested.

Reducing our waste is something our family has been working for the past two years. It’s a process that we are sometimes better at and sometimes not so good at. Easy ways to reduce waste are:

• Bring your own shopping bags when you go shopping (if you forget and get plastic; take the plastic bags back to the store for recycling)
• Buy grains, cereals, snacks, etc from bulk containers at grocery store (use reusable bags for this too) this eliminates the packaging
• Eliminate paper towels from your house; switch to dish towels, you will be surprised how easy this is
• Eliminate paper napkins from your home; switch to cloth napkins, again super easy
• Phase out harsh cleansing products and replace with natural products you can make yourself (including laundry soap, cleansers) this also allows you to eliminate the waste from packaging
• Phase out personal care items that can be substituted with natural ingredients (baking soda for toothpaste, baking soda and corn starch for deodorant)
• Instead of disposable containers for leftovers, use canning glass jars (easy to reuse/ cost effective)
• If you have citrus trees, juice your citrus and freeze in glass jars to have on hand all year long
• Limit plastic ‘junk’ that comes into your house (harder with school-age kids but always can be improved)
• Reduce junk mail by asking to be taken off lists
• Use the library instead of purchasing books
• Donate magazines after reading
• Bake your own breads and sweets; no packaging to recycle or throw out
• Install a clothesline instead of using the dryer; you will be surprised how easy this is to get used to
• Pack your kids lunches with reusable bags (easy to make with Velcro) and small jars for fruit

We’ve done all these things and for most part have continued to move forward toward our goals at home. We still have a long way to go; next on our list is a worm composter. Stay tuned…

After discussing the reasons for my being vegetarian, the question I’m most commonly asked is, “What about protein?” I tell them that I don’t know about everybody else, but I get all the protein I need from one of the most popular dishes in the entire world, rice and beans.

Rice and beans is eaten almost everywhere. You know why? Because it tastes good! Well, that and the fact that it’s super cheap. And it tastes good! I’ve eaten Cuban rice and beans, Indian rice and beans, even Chinese rice and beans, in the form of sweet & sour tofu with fried rice. For what is tofu but soybeans that have been transmogrified into a more glorious form?

Closer to home, in the great state of Arizona, the most likely way you’ll encounter the dynamic duo is as a side dish at your favorite Mexican restaurant. But I say that they deserve a better place at the table! No more should they be constrained to the role of mere side dishes! Next time you’re thinking about making some burritos at home, hit the store and skip the meat aisle. Now many cans of refried beans have pork fat in them (a.k.a. lard), so get some vegetarian beans, and as you do that, don’t forget to grab a can of chipotle peppers, which are smoked jalapenos. When you get home, add just a bit of that smoky goodness to the beans, and cook up some rice. Throw them both in a tortilla, add avocado and pico de gallo, wrap it up, and you’ve got yourself a tasty meal. Delicious and vegetari-yum.

Over the years I have heard many stories from clients who finally found the perfect venue only to learn that the “fine print” in the contract divulged information that they had not thought to ask. These often stressful situations can be avoided by asking a few detailed, but often unthought-of, questions.

• How many hours are included in the price? Some venues only allow four hours and then charge you per hour for each additional hour; some include eight hours. It is best to check during your initial appointment so that you can add any extra charges to your budget. If you need more time than what is included in the base price consider asking for a discount on the additional hours – especially if your event is on a non-peak night (Sunday through Thursday).
• Does the venue require events end at a specific time? Some require events to end by 10pm or 11pm due to facility regulations or neighborhood ordinances. Be sure to ask.
• What is included? Does the venue provide tables and chairs? Is there an additional fee to use their equipment? Is a changing room available (generally used for bride’s / groom’s dressing rooms) and is there a fee to add these rooms to the contract?
• Is staffing included and what type of staffing? Museums typically include staff to insure the integrity of the museum is not compromised. Park and garden locations provide rangers. Both types of staff are not on site to assist with your needs but to make sure the museum / venue is secure. If you need help with décor, event management, etc. you may need to bring in someone to assist you.
• Is decorating allowed? Many venues will allow free standing decorations but won’t allow anything to be taped or tacked to walls or ceilings. Are candles allowed? I love candles, they add the perfect amount of ambience to any event, but be sure to check to make sure that your venue allows real candles. Some will allow candles as long as the flame is contained in a candle holder. Some venues will only permit flameless candles. Make sure that you know what is permitted so that you aren’t surprised on the day of your event.
• Parking – where is parking and is there a charge for parking? If you are covering parking fees for your guests, this could be costly depending on the parking policies of your venue. Be sure to ask up front so that you can plan accordingly.
• Seasonal Issues – if your event is in the summer, where are the windows? Will the venue or room receive a lot of western sun thus heating the room? Will the room be cool enough to be enjoyable? Conversely, if you are planning an event in the fall, will the grass be over-seeded and if so, when? Will this conflict with your event? Many venues may not know this information any more than six weeks out but it is in your best interest to ask.
• Does the venue have special requirements to rent the facility such as insurance? Some venues will require the client to take out an insurance policy for $1 million to cover the venue from liability, damage and loss. While, in most cases, this can easily be added to your homeowner’s insurance, the increase in coverage, even for one night, can cost several hundred dollars. Check with your venue to be sure you aren’t surprised.
• Considering live music? If so, check to see if the venue allows live bands. Is there a noise ordinance or volume restrictions? This applies to both live music and DJs.

As you can see, and have probably already experienced first-hand, getting to know your venue is much like getting to know your fiancé / significant other was on your first date. Make sure that you ask all the right questions and you will be a match made in heaven!