10106 N Canyon View Ln, Fountain Hills, AZ 85268

BRIDE BLOG - Meet Kimberly & Michael

MEET KIMBERLY & MICHAEL WHO ARE SAYING I DO NEXT MONTH IN ARIZONA! 

Kimberly is one of our destination brides who we are looking forward to meeting and celebrating with  Michael and her on their special day. 

Name Kimberly Sibley

Fiancé Name Michael Lopez

Wedding Date /Location April 27, 2013 / JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa

Engagement Date /Location June 2012 / GM Marriott Renaissance Center on the terrace of Forty Two Degrees North and went on the terrace

How you met your fiancé  Michael and I met three years ago when he and his sister, Linda came into the Fitness Gym I was working at on a Sunday to get membership pricing. I actually thought his sister was his wife and was not "checking him out"... 

Michael says he was drawn to me from the beginning. His sister Linda shares that at the end of our conversation when she announced that Michael was her brother that my eyes LIT UP! :) After spending about an hour convincing him to buy a membership for his nephew, we parted ways. 

Michael states "Unfortunately for my nephew and for selfish reasons, I started to anticipate my Sunday workouts just to go see Kimberly." He asked me to train his nephew (I think to get one-on-one conversations with me) and that committed us to seeing each other more times throughout the week. There was a pivotal day that we both recall... one that he was actually on the bench press and I was visiting with him (or acting like I could spot him - HA!).   The conversation leant itself to speak about our dreams, inspirations, and faith and we connected in a profound way that day!

Favorite Date Night with your fiancé?  My fiancé really is consistent with taking me to surprise dinner locations, he’ll ask me to get all “dolled up” and take me to a classy restaurant.   I don’t know if I have an all-time favorite because truly there has been many.  He is a gentleman with ordering for me at the table, surprising me with flowers, and his latest that he has done is to take me into Swarovski and having me try on different necklaces and earrings… then telling the associate to “ring it up”.  

What has been the best part of planning your wedding?  My fiancé has played a huge role in planning with me.  He has been very hands-on with the Ceremony & Reception layout, song choices, picking out gifts and favors, etc.  Another fun aspect has been ways of putting meaningful touches into the ceremony & reception… some known and some that will be a complete surprise for our guests.

What has been something you won’t miss about planning a wedding?  Spending money.  Our budget has popped and it will be nice to be done purchasing items and start saving and having “extra fun money” again!

 What tips would you give a fellow bride about starting the planning process?  Include your fiancé and don’t control the entire process.  Get creative with incorporating your heritage and traditions.  I used an online (free) website that was awesome with organization for the entire event.  www.Weddingwire.com   which also let us customize a website for our guests and friends:  http://www.weddingwire.com/MKLOPEZ2013

Wedding Colors/Stlye of Wedding Sunset colors:  Reds, Oranges and accented with Purple and Yellow.   We are having an outdoor ceremony with a live Monarch Butterfly release that our Guests will release individual butterflies as we exit from the ceremony.  We are also incorporating the “Butterfly” theme in our indoor Reception with Table Cards/escort cards, wedding favors, cake, etc.   The Monarch butterfly coordinates with our color-scheme which is a nice touch.

What is your something Borrowed?  Nothing borrowed. We really put our combined touches on everything and really don’t believe this is a MUST DO for us.

Specials Song you have to hear at your wedding?  Our last dance we decided was going to be Adam Sandler’s “Grow Old With You” (from the movie Wedding Singer).  Our first dance will be a choreographed Salsa routine that we have been working with a private instructor on for the big day. 

Chicken Dance –Yes or No No.  Our oldest sons are doing the CUPID SHUFFLE instead.

Where will you Honeymoon?  We have been relocated to Madison, Wisconsin for a project my fiancé is running.  So, no Honeymoon until the project is complete.  However, we will be heading to Milwaukee, WI (Corporate Headquarter of Harley) to purchase a new Harley Davidson instead though!!

 What Wedding Favors are you using?  Murano style glass butterfly bookmarks.  Each is unique and hand-crafted, enclosed in a nice white box and we customized color-coordinated favor tags that will be tied to each.

Any special props you plan to use for your photographer on your wedding day?  Butterflies, Live Mariachi Band, and Folklorico Dancers.   We are also doing a special wedding shoot on Monday morning at the Resort at 6am, poolside.  This will be just the Bride/Groom – morning Tucson sunrise and we will be dressed up (not in our wedding day attire, but other).  There is some dramatic positioning with the pool in front of the Resort we are utilizing.  Should be interesting!

BRIDE BLOG - MEET SARAH & JOHNNY- MARCH 23rd 2013

THEY MET AT 3 YEARS OLD  ! 

TODAY

Name  Sarah Walter

Fiancé Name Johnny Norberg

Wedding Date /Location 3/23/2013 Johnny’s dad’s home

Engagement Date /Location 12/23/2012 Johnny’s dad’s home

How you met your fiancé  We met when we were 3 yrs old.  We lived in the same apartment complex and our mom’s were friends.  I then moved and and so did Johnny.  We ended up going to elementary, middle and high school together but never had any classes together.  Then just over a year ago we re-connected on Facebook and have been together ever since.

What is your something Borrowed? I am told that it is a surprise, so I have no idea

Specials Song you have to hear at your wedding? I love the song I Loved Her First for the father/daughter dance

Chicken Dance –Yes or No   No

Any special props you plan to use for your photographer on your wedding day? His dad has a bar that people carve their names into.  I would like to get a picture of us carving our names and wedding date into the bar.

Wedding Colors/Stlye of Wedding Oasis and it is casual

Where will you Honeymoon? Yes.  We are going to Maui

What has been something you wont miss about planning a wedding?  Paying for everything LOL  I have really enjoyed planning everything and there isn’t really anything that I will miss.

What tips would you give a fellow bride about starting the planning process?  Be open to possibilities and be flexible with dates and times.  I always wanted to get married in a church, but I know that it meant a lot to my fiancée and his dad if we could have the ceremony and reception and his house.  I was a little concerned with a backyard wedding and how it may turn out, but after seeing another wedding that they held at the house, I fell in love with the idea. 

Favorite Date Night with your fiancé? Honestly, at home relaxing with a good movie after cooking a nice dinner.  We don’t have too many nights where we get to relax at home so those are my favorite.

What has been the best part of planning your wedding? Having our friends and family involved.  It has brought everyone a lot closer.

WEDDING WIRE AWARD - THANK YOU

We are so very happy and honored that AZ CELEBRITY DJ  has won this prestigious award given to less than 5% of the top wedding professionals in the nation. Thank You to our wonderful team and clients who make everyday a pleasure!

MEET KATELYN - BRIDE BLOG - 11/11/12

Meet  Katelyn Edmonds & her fiance David Fukayama who will be saying IDO on 
11/11/12 at Troon North in Scottsdale in just a few months. Our Senior Entertainer 
Joe Matras will be the DJ/ Emcee for their special day and is looking forward to celebrating with the happy couple.  Just a few things we like to share about our brides planning experience and what she is doing with her wedding - 

 So how did  you meet your fiancé: Dave and I met at ASU right after I got out of the hospital from a broken leg surgery!

Favorite Date Night with your fiancé? We are like an old couple- bring on the BINGO!

What has been the best part of planning your wedding?

Planning and creating. I love to be crafty, so finding ideas and making them come to life has been a lot of fun. I’ve tackled a lot of projects that I didn’t think I’d be able to do.

What has been something you wont miss about planning a wedding?

Guest List was probably the hardest part- that and finding a venue. We took six months to decide on a venue.

What tips would you give a fellow bride about starting the planning process?

Figure out your venue before worrying about everything else- you can’t really book vendors without a date! Make sure you do a thorough job looking too- there are so many in the Phoenix area- and for spending the amount of money that a wedding costs- it better be a venue that you LOVE 

Wedding Colors/Stlye of Wedding

Our wedding colors are Red and Grey and we are going with a romantic themed wedding- lots of lace incorporated as well as fun DIY projects.

Where will you Honeymoon?

Jamaica, Mon! Montego Bay. My grandmother is a travel agent, so she was able to get us all set up! We can’t wait!

10 Questions – These our some fun questions 

Wedding Cake or Cupcakes or Candy Bar

Wedding cake- from Piece of Cake! They are an amazing cake vendor!!

What Wedding Favors are you using?

We are going to be doing double box truffles…!

What is your something Borrowed?

TBD…!

Specials Song you have to hear at your wedding?

You and Me Together is our first dance- other songs we want to hear are “We Are Family”, “Brown Eyed Girl” and “No Ordinary Girl”.

Chicken Dance –Yes or No

Negative

Any special props you plan to use for your photographer on your wedding day?

Yes! Lots of DIY ones, Parasols, and even our bridal party gifts (boys) can be used as fun wedding props!

We are looking forward to your fabulous and special day  David & Katelyn - AZ Celebrity DJ 

MEET OUR BRIDE ALICIA - BRIDE BLOG -

We are pleased to announce a fun new feature we are going to be doing once or twice a month and feature a few of our upcoming wedding and share a few things about them from the perspective of the bride. So with that said MEET ALICIA  & TOM - Wedding date  September 1st 2012

Alicia & Tom will be married in 63 days at THE WRIGHT HOUSE IN MESA, Arizona
They were engaged on September 12th 2011 at The Royal Palms in Phoenix , Arizona.

How They Met - They were set up on a blind date through friends- They have a wedding website that has the entire story - www.alicia-tom.ourwedding.com

Favorite Date - Learning how to drive a Viper

Favorite thing about Planning your wedding - The excitement of planning a celebration of love and commitment with the people who mean the most to you both. ( Alicia & Tom are really excited about the marriage part, the wedding part is just the icing on the cake)

I personally LOVE music , and I've Paid great attention to what songs Tom and I want to share with our guests, Songs that will resonate with people as individuals. but are also special to us.

Toms favorite part is the menu selection part. WE LOVE food. We are going with a live action pasta station. (Only because I declined his special request for a omelet station.) Our second entree is just as delicious as the first , but not quite as unique.

Planning Woes:  The stress that comes with fine tuning details , and the unexpected expenses that arise.

Tips - MOST IMPORTANTLY HAVE FUN

Decide upfront what your priorities are and be flexible with the rest. None of your guest know if the cake was made in the wrong flavor , or if your flowers were suppose to be yellow instead of orange.
The only thing that matters is that your event is a reflection of you and your fiance.

Hire people /companies you like and then leave it to them to do their job. They have all the experience , and will know how to make sure your event is a wonderful experience. ( We have really enjoyed working with Az Celebrity Dj !)

Undercut your budget by 20% so you can avoid the stress of unexpected expenses.

Finally Have FUN - Its all about celebrating and having a good time ! If you are having fun so will everyone else.

Wedding Colors - None
Wedding Style - Timeless
HoneyMoon - Carnival Cruise - South Caribbean
Wedding Cake  - Naked Cake - No Icing
Favors - Cds of Music from wedding
Borrowed - My sisters veil
Special Song -  Dave Matthew's cover of The Beatles  " In my Life" and All in by Lifehouse
Chicken Dance - - Either way , I don't particularly care for it , but other people do . ( Im pretty sure Tom is pro - Chicken Dance )

FEW OF OUR FAVORITE WEDDING PEEPS

   Picture Provided By Justin Starr -  Social Grace Studios

   Dinner with a few of our friends from around various Wedding facilities last December 2011  !

Well Known Mountains Superstitions = Hidden Wedding Gem

We had a blast at Craig and Dianna's wedding this last March 17th 2012 at the Gold Canyon Golf Resort . Joe Matras had the pleasure of being the MC /DJ for their special day and the dancing never ended. Craig and Dianna have a beautiful family and brought to the marriage children of their own. Craig also is in the Military and serves our country which we thankful for  ! We wanted to spotlight the wedding and let our friends know if you are looking for a wedding venue or area for a ceremony there are so many wonderful and gorgeous spots that are close to the Superstion Mountains.

I encourage you to visit  THE VIEWS at SUPERSTION or SUPERSTITION MOUNTAIN COUNTRY CLUB or GOLD CANYON GOLF RESORT to see if any of these fabulous venues will work for your reception or ceremony.  These pictures were provided by Dee Wilson at Artistic Image Photography by Dee.

Choosing Your Bridesmaids

We get the question a lot in meetings about Bridesmaid and having an uneven amount of couples together so we thought we would share with you some pointers on choosing or asking your friends to be in your wedding. 

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• More isn’t always merrier. The more bridesmaids you have, the greater the potential for complications. You’ll need to get more people to agree on a dress, decide on a shower date, and coordinate all the other joys of bridal party-dom. If you’re on a limited budget, think about who has to pay for all those bridesmaids bouquets. That’s right—you.
• Blood is thicker than water. If you’re close to your sister and future sister-in-law, the thought of not including them in your wedding party, probably never even occurred to you. But if you suffer from a serious Jan Brady complex, the thought of asking your sister (or sister-in-law) to be a bridesmaid probably ranks right up there with having a football hit you in the nose. Still, it’s usually worth including family just to avoid unnecessary conflict. Think of it as having more bargaining power when you’re battling with your parents over the guest list.
• Try not to make hasty assumptions. Don’t write off some friends simply because you think they don’t have enough money to afford that Vera Wang bridesmaid dress you have your eye on. If you want to ask a friend you know is having financial difficulties, you can always tell her that you’d love for her to be a bridesmaid, but understand the financial difficulties. If she has to decline, promise to find something else for her to do in the wedding.
• A bridesmaid doesn’t have to be a woman. Despite the prevalence of feminine pronouns in this guide, if your best friend is a guy, there’s no reason why he can’t be in your wedding. Today, many couples are including members of the opposite sex to stand by them. In these cases, a man on the bride’s side is simply called an attendant or bridesman, while a woman on the groom’s side can be called a groomswoman.
• No, you don’t have to return the invitation. Just because someone asked you to be in her wedding doesn’t mean that you must have her in yours. There—we said it. This isn’t a dinner party invitation that you need to reciprocate. Don’t ask the college roommate you haven’t spoken to in years just to return the favor. Weddings are no time for quid pro quo.
• You can have two maids of honor. There’s no reason or rule that says you can’t. If these are the two women you feel closest to, of course you want them both by your side on your wedding day. Just be aware that they may squabble over honor attendant duties: who gets to hold the ring, the bouquet, stand right next to you, sign the license, and so on. Just tell them both what you specifically want each to do.
• Life will go on if you have uneven numbers of groomsmen and bridesmaids. There’s no law of symmetry when in comes to wedding parties—no planned out Lord-of-the-Dance routine that requires everyone to have a partner. Don’t put yourself under the added pressure to fill positions, should they be empty. Once you make up your mind about your bridesmaids, you’ll want to get the word out. There might be nothing worse than a friend who assumes she’s going to be a bridesmaid when she’s not. If you’re afraid of hurting someone’s feelings, remember that, as cliché as it sounds, any true friend will understand whatever decision you ultimately make.

We hope this helps ! 
Juan 

WEDDING PLANNING AND WHEN TO DO IMPORTANT ITEMS

We thought we would share our great guideline on when to plan and do things the year before your wedding ! 

We hope this helps you - With Vendors in Phoenix - the more desirable vendors book about a 1 year out in advance so start early 

Twelve to Nine Months Before

• Start a wedding folder or binder.  Begin leafing through bridal, lifestyle, fashion, gardening, design, and food magazines for inspiration.
• Work out your budget. Determine how much you have to spend, based on your families’ contributions and your own.
• Pick your wedding party. As soon as you’re engaged, people will start wondering who’s in.
• Start the guest list. Make a head count database to use throughout your planning process, with columns for contact info, RSVPs, gifts, and any other relevant information. (Want to keep costs low? The best way to do it is to reduce your guest list.)
• Hire a planner, if desired. A planner will have relationships with—and insights about—vendors.
• Reserve your date and venues. Decide whether to have separate locations for the ceremony and the reception, factoring in travel time between the two places.
• Book your officiant.
• Research photographers, bands, florists, and caterers. Keep their contact information in your binder.

Eight Months Before

• Hire the photographer and the videographer. No need to talk specifics yet, but be sure that the people you hire are open to doing the shots that you want.
• Book the entertainment. 
• Meet caterers. If your wedding venue doesn’t offer its own catering service, look for one now and hire the service this month or early next.
• Purchase a dress. You’ll need to schedule time for at least three fittings. Veil shopping can be postponed for another two to three months.
• Reserve a block of hotel rooms for out-of-town guests. Pick three hotels at different price points close to the reception venue.
• Register. Sign up at a minimum of three retailers.
• Launch a wedding website. Create your personal page through a free provider such as weddingwire.com. Note the date of the wedding, travel information, and accommodations. Then send the link to invitees.

Seven to Six Months Before

• Select and purchase invitations. Hire a calligrapher, if desired. Addressing cards is time-consuming, so you need to budget accordingly.
• Start planning a honeymoon. Make sure that your passports are up-to-date, and schedule doctors’ appointments for any shots you may need.
• Shop for bridesmaids’ dresses. Allow at least six months for the dresses to be ordered and sized.
• Meet with the officiant. Map out the ceremony and confirm that you have all the official documents for the wedding (these vary by county and religion).
• Send save-the-date cards.
• Reserve structural and electrical necessities. Book portable toilets for outdoor events, extra chairs if you need them, lighting components, and so on.
• Book a florist. Florists can serve multiple clients on one day, which is why you can wait a little longer to engage one. Plus, at this point, you’ll be firm on what your wedding palette will be.
• Arrange transportation. Consider limos, minibuses, trolleys, and town cars. (But know that low-to-the-ground limos can make entries and exits dicey if you’re wearing a fitted gown.)
• Start composing a day-of timeline. Draw up a schedule of the event and slot in each component (the cake-cutting, the first dance, what the guests will be doing during pictures).

Five to Four Months Before

• Book the rehearsal and rehearsal-dinner venues. Negotiate the cost and the menu. If you’re planning to host a day-after brunch for guests, book that place as well.
• Check on the wedding invitations. Ask the stationer for samples of the finished invitations and revise them to suit your needs.
• Select and order the cake. Some bakers require a long lead time. Attend several tastings before committing to any baker.
• Send your guest list to the host of your shower. Provided you, ahem, know about the shower.
• Purchase wedding shoes and start dress fittings. Bring the shoes along to your first fitting so the tailor can choose the appropriate length for your gown.
• Schedule hair and makeup artists. Make a few appointments with local experts to try them out. Snap a photo at each so you can compare results.
• Choose your music. What should be playing when the wedding party is announced? During dinner? To kick off the dancing? Keep a running list of what you want—and do not want—played.

Three Months Before

• Finalize the menu and flowers. You’ll want to wait until now to see what will be available, since food and flowers are affected by season.
• Order favors, if desired. Some safe bets: monogrammed cookies or a treat that represents your city or region. If you’re planning to have welcome baskets for out-of-town guests, plan those now too.
• Make a list of the people giving toasts. Which loved ones would you like to have speak at the reception? Ask them now.
• Finalize the readings. Determine what you would like to have read at the ceremony—and whom you wish to do the readings.
• Purchase your undergarments. And schedule your second fitting.
• Finalize the order of the ceremony and the reception.
• Print menu cards, if you like, as well as programs. No need to go to a printer, if that’s not in your budget: You can easily create these on your computer.
• Purchase the rings. This will give you time for resizing and engraving.
• Send your event schedule to the vendors. Giving them a first draft now allows ample time for tweaks and feedback.

Two Months Before

• Touch base again with all the vendors. Make sure any questions you or they had on your first draft have been answered.
• Meet with the photographer. Discuss specific shots, and walk through the locations to note spots that appeal to you.
• Review the playlist with the band or deejay. Though you probably won’t be able to dictate every single song played, you should come prepared with a wish list.
• Send out the invitations. The rule of thumb: Mail invitations six to eight weeks before the ceremony, setting the RSVP cutoff at three weeks after the postmark date.
• Enjoy a bachelorette party. Arranging a night out with your girlfriends generally falls to the maid of honor. But if she hasn’t mentioned one to you by now, feel free to ask—for scheduling purposes, of course!—if a celebration is in the works.

One Month Before

• Enter RSVPs into your guest-list database. Phone people who have not yet responded.
• Get your marriage license. The process can take up to six days, but it’s good to give yourself some leeway. If you are changing your name, order several copies.
• Mail the rehearsal-dinner invitations.
• Visit the dressmaker for (with luck!) your last dress fitting. For peace of mind, you may want to schedule a fitting the week of your wedding. You can always cancel the appointment if you try on the dress then and it fits perfectly.
• Stock the bar. Now that you have a firm head count you can order accordingly.
• Send out as many final payments as you can.
• Confirm times for hair and makeup and all vendors.
• E-mail and print directions for drivers of transport vehicles. This gives the chauffeurs ample time to navigate a route.
• Assign seating. Draw out table shapes on a layout of the room to help plan place settings. Write the names of female guests on pink sticky notes and the names of male guests on blue sticky notes so you can move people about without resketching the entire setting.
• Purchase bridesmaids’ gifts. You’ll present them at the rehearsal dinner.
• Write vows, if necessary.
• Get your hair cut and colored, if desired.

Week of the Wedding

• Reconfirm arrival times with vendors.
• Delegate small wedding-day tasks. Choose someone to bustle your dress, someone to carry your things, someone to be in charge of gifts (especially the enveloped sort), someone to hand out tips, and someone to be the point person for each vendor.
• Send a timeline to the bridal party. Include every member’s contact information, along with the point people you’ve asked to deal with the vendors, if problems arise.
• Pick up your dress. Or make arrangements for a delivery.
• Check in one last time with the photographer. Supply him or her with a list of moments you want captured on film.
• Set aside checks for the vendors. And put tips in envelopes to be handed out at the event.
• Book a spa treatment. Make an appontment for a manicure and a pedicure the day before the wedding. (You might want to get a stress-relieving massage, too.)
• Send the final guest list to the caterer and all venues hosting your wedding-related events. Typically, companies close their lists 72 hours in advance.
• Break in your shoes.
• Assemble and distribute the welcome baskets.
• Pack for your honeymoon.