I’m excited to share with you a system that I have been using for my business that has changed my life!! When I first started my business, I was also working a full-time job (like many others), and I remember my “work”” hours were SO verrrrrry limited. Tasks like emailing, creating custom proposals, contracts, invoicing and keeping up with payments are crucial to your small business being able to operate… but those tasks take TIME! Even back then, I knew that the way I was operating wasn’t the simplest way, and that I needed to make a change!! Before I introduce you to my secret weapon, I do just want to say that this company did not pay me to promote their product or write this post; I simply want to write it so that you know all about this system and how it can help YOU!

Hi y’all!! I wanted to post a short blog today sharing a few of my favorite floral design tips and design tools that have made all the difference for me when designing wedding flowers! I have also included where I bought each item so you can check it out yourself!!

So in the spirit of being accountable to myself, I spent some time today thinking about my year-long goals, and my word of the year: simplify. January is wrapping up, and I can’t believe it’s gone by as fast as it did! It was a WHIRLWIND. I booked four new CIE brides, spent time creating floral proposals, executed our Norfolk Botanical Gardens styled shoot, and managed the day to day details of CIE. Not to mention, I have been very busy at my full-time teaching job, taking an intense online class for an additional certification and handling my students at school during final exam/SOL time. So this month, I’m pretty sure I have epically failed at SIMPLIFYING.

Hello! I hope you had a Merry Christmas (or a married Christmas) haha! Congratulations to all the newlywed couples out there that had their first married Christmas together! I did, with my husband Jason, and it was so much fun!! We had a blast shopping for each of our family members and friends and spending time with them this past week. We both have such great families, and I never want to take them for granted. Our Christmas memories are so fun, like the Alexander Ornament Exchange, my dad stashing cash in our Christmas gifts (this year was a Pillow Pet) and seeing family that doesn’t live close by! One of my favorite Christmas morning memories was opening up the custom vendor apron my mom made for CIE! I was SO excited to open that!!

This past Sunday Jason and I had a wonderful time enjoying a Christmas Mini-Session with Elizabeth Henson Photos, who was our wedding photographer. We absolutely adore Liz, and I loved being one of her 2015 brides. I think it’s so important to build a wonderful client experience throughout the wedding planning process leading up to the big day, but Liz always goes above and beyond! She has been so inspirational to me, and I love how we have become friends even after our wedding day has come and gone!! Just Dandy Events (who has also allowed me to assist her on weddings and shoots-love her!) Waters Edge Designs, and Mai Photography also contributed to the mini-session we had on Sunday! Foliage crown by me!! 🙂 Enjoy!!

Any bride can tell you-planning a wedding sometimes feels like a full-time job. When I was planning my own wedding, I was finishing up my Master’s degree, working, and maintaining involvement in college clubs, and activities, and wedding planning just felt like an extra task that I didn’t always feel like completing! I needed someone to keep me on-task, and help me make major decisions as an unbiased third-party. I needed someone to assist me with color palettes and affordable design options. I needed someone to help me pick out the very best vendors within my price range in my area. And, I needed someone to help me keep track of the 1 TRILLION details that I thought I could handle, like how many chairs we needed, how much space between tables was necessary and the ever-changing guest list. By the time I realized that I was too stressed out and NEEDED the help, it was too late and the planning process was over. I know you may not be convinced based on my personal story alone that you need a planner, so here are just a few reasons why you need for a professional assistant leading up to your big day!