We came, we saw, they taught, we celebrated! The outstanding girls just returned from the wonderful The Special Event 2012 Conference in Tampa, FL. Just as a recap, Heather and Jennifer were honored with the role of co-chairing The Special Event 2011 Wedding Lunch in Phoenix, AZ. You can see a video recap here. This year we were thankful to be able to attend the event rather than work it. Not only did we get to see some of our favorite and new industry friends from across the U.S., but we also got to learn from other industry professionals, and Heather & Jennifer got to teach some as well. It was a fast and furious but fun few days! Here is a recap all courtesy of our iphone and instagram. We hope you enjoy reminiscing with us!

row 1: the luggage of three wedding planners | our in-flight cocktails | view from our room
row 2: our The Special Event passes | Michael Cerbelli’s Hot List Show | The New American Indian Wedding class taught by Therese Cole-Hubbs

row 1 & 2: inspiration and products from The Special Event 2012 Showroom Floor

row 1: downtown Tampa, FL | room service of wine and cheesecake for the OO girls | our satellite office in bed
row 2: Heather & Jennifer teaching their class at The Special Event 2012 | The workbook and linens from Wildflower Linen from Heather & Jennifer’s class | The attendees at Heather & Jennifer’s class

row 1: Jennifer presenting at The Special Event 2012 | The Outstanding Occasions team after Heather & Jennifer’s successful presentation | Two Girls Talking Cash class presented by Marley Majcher and Cecilia Rose
row 2: Enjoying our last night in Tampa with other Wedding Planners | Celebrating Heather and Jennifer’s successful presentation with Sangria from a local Latin restaurant | Ending the night with fireworks

Have you heard? The Wedding Industry Professionals Association (WIPA) has landed in Phoenix. You don’t know what WIPA is? Well, if you don’t know, you will soon! Jennifer and I are the Phoenix Regional Directors for WIPA, but we are MORE excited that so many amazing wedding professionals have joined us in being the Founding Members of WIPA Phoenix:  Amy Mancuso Events, Kimberly Jarman Photography, Melissa Jill Photography, Serendipity Videography, Fabulous Food, Table Tops Etc, Petal Pusher, Camelback Flowershop, Celebrations in Paper, idieh design, Hotel Valley Ho, Montelucia Resort & Spa, Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North,  JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa, and Wildflower Linen.

And what is even more fun? The official Phoenix WIPA launch party is this February and Sean Low is our guest speaker!!

We are so excited to finally announce the information about the party:

What: WIPA Launch Party
Date: February 22, 2012
Location: Hotel Valley Ho
Time: 6:00 – 9:00 pm
Speaker: Sean Low, The Business of Being Creative

We hope that you will join us at the Phoenix WIPA Launch Party!  Sign-up to attend here!

As wedding planners, we get to help our clients design the day of their dreams showcasing their style and personality. It’s rare that we get to design something based on our personal style, personality and aesthetic.  So, when Melissa Jill asked if we would do a styled photoshoot with her, we jumped at the chance! Thankfully, Melissa let us take our ideas and compose a dream team of wedding professionals for a photoshoot that we truly felt represented our work.

When we started pulling together our design concept, we knew we wanted to play with a Masculine and Feminine theme. We found inspiration from a white lacquer horse head, and let the rest of the design come together from there. After an afternoon brainstorm session with our team of pros, we started to put all the pieces together for this very modern photoshoot. Here was the inspiration for our design:

Once we had our inspiration on paper, it was time to pull fashions, pick linens and props, and pull together this modern day wedding. Here are a few photos from “behind the scenes.”

Once the dresses were picked, the bouquets were structured, and the cakes were iced, it was time to pull together this dream day. To bring even more reality to our design, we created a love story that details were pulled from to create this personalized wedding design.

Meet Tori & Tyson. Fate was in the air when Tori, an interior design and fashionista from L.A. met Tyson, a quirky Arizona native who grew up riding horses. Their paths crossed when Tyson was flying to L.A. to meet up with some friends and Tori was heading back after meeting with a client building their home in Arizona. Upon first look Tyson thought Tori was gorgeous, and Tori thought Tyson was sweet and really cute. Although the flight was relatively short, the two hit it off right away, and Tyson decided to ask Tori to dinner that evening. She said Yes! and as they say, the rest is history. Fast forward to three years later when Tyson rented a private plane and surprised Tori with an amazing chef and a five course meal. During the dinner course Tyson popped the question, inside the plane, in the place they first met.

A HUGE thank you to all of the amazing wedding professionals that were a part of this great Modern Wedding Photoshoot:

Photography: Melissa Jill Photography
Venue: W Scottsdale
Styling: Alex Evjen of AVE Styles
Florist: Camelback Flowershop
Invitation & paper suite: idieh design
Models: The Agency Arizona
Dresses: Mariee Gallery
Shoes & Menswear: Saks Fifth Avenue
Make-up: Kerry Babbles of Bliss Spa
Hair: Joey Labriola of Organic Hair Lounge
Pink Necklace: Laura Eva Designs
All other jewelry: Emmaquist
Rentals: Classic Party Rentals
Linen: Wildflower Linens
Cakes: Classic Cakes & Confections

An additional HUGE thank you to Junebug Weddings for featuring this shoot. Check out the feature with more details here.

On Tuesday, Rachel shared with you “Tips for Choosing the Perfect Wedding Venue” and today I wanted to share some of our favorite wedding venues in the Phoenix and Scottsdale area.  ( I am sharing these in no particular order.)

MONTELUCIA RESORT & SPA

Find out more information about weddings at the Montelucia Resort & Spa.

THE COUNTRY CLUB AT DC RANCH

Find out more information about weddings at The Country Club at DC Ranch.

ROYAL PALMS RESORT & SPA

Find out more information about weddings at the Royal Palms Resort and Spa.

PHOENIX ART MUSEUM

Find out more information about weddings at the Phoenix Art Museum.

HOTEL VALLEY HO

Find out more information about weddings at Hotel Valley Ho.

JW MARRIOTT DESERT RIDGE RESORT & SPA

Find out more information about weddings at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa!

EL CHORRO LODGE

Find out more information about weddings at El Chorro Lodge.

SANCTUARY CAMELBACK MOUNTAIN RESORT & SPA

Find out more information about weddings at Sanctuary Camelback Mountain Resort & Spa.

FOUR SEASONS SCOTTSDALE AT TROON NORTH

Find out more information about weddings at Four Seasons Scottsdale at Troon North.

W SCOTTSDALE

Find out more information about weddings at W Scottsdale.

So what are you waiting for?  Go check out these venues or tell us what venues in Phoenix or Scottsdale, Arizona are your favorite.

[From Left to Right: Venue: Montelucia Resort & Spa, Photographer: Claire Harrison; Venue: Phoenix Art Museum, Photographer: Jerry Yoon; Venue: Royal Palms Resort & Spa, Photographer: Melissa Jill]

You celebrated your engagement, and now your asking yourself, where do I begin? The answer? Location, location, location! One of the first things to check off your wedding to-do list is to choose your venue. Your wedding venue will act as center stage to your special day and take a large part of your budget, so this decision shouldn’t be taken lightly. Before embarking on your venue hunt, keep in mind these tips that will help you choose the perfect venue for you and your fiancé.

1. Wedding Style: You shouldn’t start looking for a venue until you’ve decided on a general style or theme for your wedding day. Whether your picturing a garden party, modern bash or a natural scenic dinner, knowing the “look” you want for your big day will help you narrow down the venues you should tour. Have a church ceremony in mind? Great! That’s always an important detail venues will ask and means you will need to add some churches to your venue tours as well.
2. Guest List: Whether you picture your wedding day as an intimate 90 guest affair or a party with 300 of your closest friends, your guest list will be an important element in which venues to consider. Many venues have a maximum capacity of how many people their reception rooms can fit, and this will be an important detail to keep in mind when thinking of where to hold your reception.
3. Budget: As we mentioned here, like it or not, your wedding budget will be a large determining factor on which venues you can consider for your big day. Rather than charging a flat fee, many resorts or large hotels have a food & beverage minium you must meet in order to use their room for the evening. Generally, depending on your guest list, your food and beverage cost takes up about 40% of your total budget, so this is a detail you want to ask first.

Most importantly, when picking a venue, go with your heart. Pick the venue that sweeps you off your feet and is the place you picture yourself saying “I Do”! Still want more info? Check back later this week to learn about a few of our favorite Phoenix & Scottsdale wedding venues.