Destination Love || Dolce Mia Me

Golden Girl Tuberose Lotion - 12 oz.

Beauty cosmetics are too good to live without. Dolce Mia spreads it's wings over the Southwest but originally started in California. A small family business that has been flourishing and giving all the art fairs and local shops something to rave about since 1991. This company gives that great retro feel and flash of vintage that most of girls love. US manufactured items that provide organic and "green" products, which are great for you and the environment.

Kristen Betz, a Dolce Mia representative loves the Vintage Pin-Up Golden Girl in Tuberose, Surfer Girl in Mango Tangerine, and Vintage Peacock in Sweet Almond. She says, "the products are great on my sensitive skin, which is a major plus, and leaves my skin smelling amazing". Their products not only include fun sounding moisturizers but also accessories and gift items. See below.

Vintage Peacock in Sweet Almond - 6 oz.

Kristen told me about the fresh and natural ingriendients in her products. I love the ingriedients in many of the items that include olive oil, shea butter, almond and sunflower oils, infused with organic botanical extracts, and Vitamin E.

An added bonus to Dolce Mia is the special other items that you can pickup through a home party or online. I found cute baby clocks, thank you cards, photo albums, and kid growth charts. They offer very unique items that you need to check out. A great idea for a girls party or bridal shower.

Special Edition || Mother's Day {Early Planning}

Mother's Day is almost upon us and I find myself thinking of the crafty or shall we say Etsy way to show my mom love. If you haven't heard of Etsy, this is a great place to find crafty originals from people buying and selling them. I found these cute drink covers that would be fun to share with the coozy lovin' mom's out there. It's a genious idea..ahem..those DIY brides out there would also love to check this site out. They have their own category on weddings that you can discover or spend hours clicking through.

Set of 7 tissue poms - Great part is you get to pick your colors!

Love Collection Red Pillow Covers - Ships anywhere in the world to your mom!

Lavender Wine Glass Set - These are fun to buy for mom and then sneak over to

share a glass a wine with her. Or, just buy yourself a set.

For many of us daughters and sons, we don't have to rely on our own crafy or uncrafty creations that we made in our youth years. We can celebrate our Mom's Day/ Mother's Day is all its glory with creations done with entrepreneurs out there. I love to see small business owners sprouting up and help keep our lives easier. Let's face it, much prettier too!

A Stress Free Wedding Day

Have you thought about your wedding day in full detail? If not, you may want to take a couple minutes to visualize that day.

Close your eyes, and picture yourselves getting ready for the ceremony. All of a sudden, the photographer comes up to you and asks you if you’re ready yet for your pictures. Then, right behind the photographer is the DJ wondering if they have the correct song you’ve picked for the brides walk down the aisle.

The groom’s buddy then tugs on his shoulder and says the caterer wants to know if the ceremony is going to get started on time, and if not, how far should the dinner be pushed back?

The men finally get ready to take pictures, but then realize they don’t have the boutonnière pinned to their jackets yet. And it’s then he realizes he has yet to see the florist, and then scrambles to find her.

So now ask yourself, how is your wedding day going? Is this how you envisioned your wedding day? Do you have a lot more stress than you imagined? Do you really want to be dealing with all these minor details and questions right now?

The Money You’ve Spent

In the Phoenix metropolitan area, on average, a couple is likely to spend $2,000+ on a quality photographer, $1,000+ or on a DJ or musician, $8,000+ on the venue and catering, and $1,500+ on flowers. With all that invested, do you want to a) coordinate the wedding yourself and not really get to enjoy your time with your new bride and deal with the above scenario, or b) hire a day-of-wedding coordinator to handle all the details so that you can enjoy your investment on the one day that you tie the knot with your lovely bride.

A Small Investment to Enjoy Your Day

Based on the above averages, you’ve just spent over $12,000 for the basic items you needed for your wedding day. Consider investing a little bit more so you can relax and have fun on your wedding day.

Now, picture yourself with a day-of-wedding coordinator, not to be confused with a site coordinator. A site coordinator doesn’t do anything to help with the flow of your day. They are there to simply help you find your room to get ready in and/or to make sure their own staff is in place for your ceremony and reception. But, a day-of-wedding coordinator takes all those visualized references above, and takes them off your plate.

With packages starting at $1,550, it’s worth it to you and your bride to consider hiring a day-of-wedding coordinator.

You shouldn’t be bothered with a thousand questions on your wedding day. With the Blueprint Affairs difference, we take on your wedding day coordination needs at least 30 days prior to your wedding and leave no rock unturned. Come your wedding day, you’ll be relaxed and stress free.

Contact Blueprint Affairs today at info@blueprintaffairs.com or 623-215-8657 to schedule your FREE initial consultation and see how we can serve every one of your needs come your wedding day.

See related blog: Destination Love: The Bride’s View

Until next time, happy wedding planning!

Destination Love || The Bride's View

Are you still considering all your options for friends and family to help on your wedding day? I’m sure you just thought your wedding would happen without any issues. Dee, my recent newlywed wanted to shed some light on her wedding planning experience. Dee considers herself very ‘organized’ (yes, she knew exactly how she wanted every detail in her wedding) and wasn’t sure if hiring a wedding planner would be the best with her modest budget.

Dee was the bride who loved searching and reading through all the wedding blogs to find out as much information as possible. Her motivation revolved around, “finding the right venue, the perfect dress, finding pictures of the perfect cake, and more.” As her Day-of-Wedding Coordinator, I worked to bring together all her wedding vendors so as Dee puts it “simply relax on my day”. I love exactly how Dee said this so I included it all for you.

I learned that you can be as involved (or not as involved) as you want when you hire a planner. If a bride doesn't want to put the time and energy into planning, then hiring a planner and opting for a full-service package is the way to go. But, if a bride wants to be involved (like I was!), then checking out the day of package is awesome, because everything on the day of is handled for you. Your planning and preparation is done. So, when it's your day, it's time to just sit back and enjoy. And, you can do that, because the planner troubleshoots, keeps the timeline on track, and works with all your vendors to make sure everything is taken care of and your day comes together smoothly. Your phone won't ring and people won't be coming to you if something goes wrong. Your planner is there and ready for anything to make your day smooth and stress free.

The key to enjoying your day is staying hydrated, eat snacks throughout the day and allow yourself plenty of time to stay calm. Dee recommends enjoying the process, don’t stress, and go with your gut instincts when planning your wedding. Blueprint Affairs works to make your day special and plan for the expected ceremony and reception timelines (and unexpected on your day). Dee enjoyed our attention to her details and listening to exactly how she pictured her wedding day. She enjoyed how passionate we are and may even consider helping other brides in their journey.

Special thanks to the vendors who helped make her wedding perfect!

Photos by Mary Sandy(photography), Sassi (venue), Petals & Pizazz (flowers), Matthew Thornton (guitar), and Reverend Giovanni, Ray the DJ, Wish Salon (hair), and Shayla Mitchell (makeup)

**With Blueprint Affairs, we offer full planning services and Day-of-Wedding Coordination.

Photo by Photos by Mary

Brazilian Steakhouse

BLUEman: The Male Perspective

Recently, my wife and I were in Las Vegas surprising her Aunt and Uncle on their 50th Wedding Anniversary. While they enjoyed a nice show at the Aria, we headed out to Pampas Churrascaria, a Brazilian steakhouse located in the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood.

We first fell in love with Brazilian steakhouses while eating at one in New Zealand on our honeymoon, Wildfire Churrascaria. Like the one in New Zealand and in Vegas, most all Brazilian steakhouse offer an all-you-can-eat menu selection, and that of course is what we chose.

Throughout the course of your meal, you’ll be visited by the wait staff with many different meat selections, from barbeque pork, to top sirloin, to smoked ham, to bacon wrapped turkey, to spicy chicken, and more. The flavors are never ending, and for around $40 to $60 per person, depending on the range of food you want to eat as much of you can until you can’t eat no more, the value is definitely there.

While people watching at dinner we observed a table of 15 to 20 guys out on the town for a bachelor party. They of course were having a great time, most likely just kicking off their night of fun. I mean, what better way to start a guy’s night out than with a manly feast of succulent meats?

There of course is a local Arizona spot that you can visit to get your bachelor party started. It’s located in Scottsdale and goes by the name of Fogo de Chao.

But if you do happen to entertain your bachelor party in Vegas, make sure you walk by in front of Planet Hollywood and nearby in their Miracle Mile Shops during the course of the day prior to your meal. You’ll likely run into someone passing out free drink and buy one get one free all-you-can-eat meals at Pampas Churrascaria.

Save some money, eat a delicious meal, and have plenty left over to gamble or party the night away with your closest buddies.

Destination Love || Wedding Day Makeup

There comes a point in time when a makeup artist is no longer an option, but a requirement. Your wedding day is not something you want to scrimp on. These shots of your face will be plastered all over your walls and the photo galleries of your family for years to come. Finding the makeup artist that flatters all your fabulous features and hides that one zit you manage to unleash on your wedding day is a necessity. Yes, just like in the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding, you too will find your hormones fighting the stress and excitement of your day.


The things that you should look for in a great makeup artist are simple: flawless and natural style, gentle and soothing nature (you’ll need this when things are feeling tense), polished, and professional. I love working with makeup artists myself because everyone loves being pampered. There’s something intoxicating while sitting there in that chair waiting for those sweet touches to your face. I recently worked with Shayla Mitchell of Makeup by Shayla who delivered perfectly. My bride left her chair looking so natural and yet, stunning in the way that her MAC makeup accented her model-like features. MAC is traditionally known for their high volume color palette but the right application of the wedding day coloring will leave you looking absolutely natural.

Remember to have your initial trial done a month or two before your wedding with any makeup artist. This will help you feel comfortable with the artist’s style and makeup cosmetics. You want to be sure that you take a few pictures of your look post-trial and note your skin’s feeling throughout the day. You can expect your trial and wedding day look to start at $150.

Shayla Mitchell – 310-993-0313 (based in Scottsdale, AZ)  *Sample pictures in blog

Destination Love || Wedding Anniversaries

Planning a wedding takes so much energy, sweat and tears. The pure joy is walking down the aisle to your bridal march music heading up to the man of your dreams. The main idea that most brides forget is the part after the wedding. The many years of learning and growing together through the vow words you spoke on that very wedding day. I recently celebrated a fabulous wedding weekend in the city of quickie weddings and high-roller nights (..also day’s too). The wedding weekend was actually to celebrate the union of my aunt and uncle from April 10, 1960. Yes, it was a 50th Wedding Anniversary in Las Vegas. I didn’t know them when they were married but to know them now you would be so impressed. The romance is seen in the way they look at each other. My Aunt Jeanette understands the dry humor of her hubby Michael as he listens so quietly while we get lost in our chatty talks. Giddiness comes over me when I'm talking with my auntie.

Brian, my hubby and I created a poem/picture frame (goldish frame- tradition says it's the color for 50 years) as a gift to give them. A poem by my favorite writer, the BLUEman (aka Brian) perfectly captured their life together.

I’m in an industry of love but no one really talks about after the wedding day. I think it’s special to celebrate the marriages that started and will last a lifetime…let’s congratulate my friends and family who have beat the odds.

Anniversary Congratulations!

Michael & Jeanette – 50 years

Lew & Sue – 34.5 years

Sherry & hubby – 30 years

Alise & hubby - 24 years

Jo Ann & Grant – 19 years

Tracy & Bill– 16 years (and 11 months)

Jen & Brian– 11 years

Janel & Shawn– 8 years

Laura & hubby - 5 years

Becky & Mark -3 years

Opal & Ed – 2.5 years

Andy & Michelle – 2 years

The Groom’s Duties

BLUEman: The Male Perspective

Congratulations man…you’re engaged! Now ask yourself: what's next?

Today, the modern groom doesn’t just sit back and say to his bride to be “Yes, whatever you want” when it comes to the wedding. You do have some responsibilities that fall on you, more than anyone else, including:

• Choose your best man and groomsmen
• Discuss the style of your wedding with your bride to be and make sure you both know the attire you want to have. Do you want the wedding to have a laid-back feel, or do you want it to be formal?
• Transportation – make sure you assist in arranging this for the bride to get to the ceremony, along with everyone else in your wedding party. If your reception is a drive away from the ceremony location, you’ll need transportation to get your entire wedding party there
• Arrange for accommodations, if needed, for out-of-town guests (ex. Room blocks at a specific hotel)
• Gifts – purchase for both your bride to be and for your groomsmen
• Obtain the marriage license – without it, your wedding is not official
• Plan the rehearsal dinner and prepare to make a toast at the rehearsal dinner thanking everyone for coming out to your wedding

Besides the duties specific to the groom, here are ways you can get involved in the planning process of the wedding with your bride to be:

• Determine your wedding budget and make a plan to stick within the budget. What are the most important things in your wedding to consider, i.e. planner, photographer, flowers, DJ, etc.
• Select a date, time and location for your ceremony and reception
• Create your guest list and make sure to not go over the number of guests you plan to have
• Book an officiant or minister for your wedding
• Work with your planner to hire the vendors for your wedding day

One of the things a groom should work on, and not wait to the last minute to do, is plan the honeymoon. Discuss where it is you both want to share your first week or two as a married couple. And make sure to follow our tips to planning your honeymoon. By booking at least six months out, you’re likely to save a lot more money than booking a month or two out.

Until next time, this is the BLUEman, signing off.

Destination Love || Engagement Sessions

Fromage! This also means “cheese” in French. My best friend travels the world and brought back that fun translation she said each picture taken in France. Just like any great vacation needs great pictures to detail the journey, your wedding will begin a journey for many years to come. Every photographer provides the option for any budget to include an engagement session to capture those special moments before you become husband and wife. Take advantage of this time to find a place that tells a story about you as a couple, says Photographer, Marcia Mauskopf of Marcia – The Art of Photography. Marcia recommends taking a trip out to Congress Street in Tucson for those couples of artistic nature or the graffiti walls downtown for a modern spin on photography.

Dress Essentials

Not sure what to wear? Talk to your photographer about your perfect location to document your engaged life before married life. Whites and stonewashed denim fit the Tempe Town Lake backdrop whereas; black would best suit your graffiti walls of downtown. Bring a few different shirts or outfits to change. Don’t worry, you can change on location and ideally create a photo mix by changing up the scenery.

New Best Friend

Your photographer will soon know every favorite look or as some say “sides” that you will want on display for all to see. Make friends with your photographer by getting started ASAP on your engagement session. This will help you feel comfortable being the object of the lens for hours on your wedding day. Marcia says that trust is the single most important component to successful wedding photography. I have to agree that if you feel comfortable each shot will look relaxed and more natural. Pick a picture perfect setting closer to sunset for the most dramatic look with unforgettable shots. Have fun and play to the camera!

How to use Engagement Photos

Talk to your photographer about their photo packages. You will want print versions of your pictures now or later. Add coffee table photo books to your package. Other items to consider include photo charm bracelets, purses, make-up bags, and matted prints suited for signatures during your reception. You may also want to create a picture table for your reception area that highlights a few best photos of you along with other framed pictures of your parents. This makes a great montage table for all your guests to see.

Destination Love || Belize- The New Honeymooner Spot

As you dream about the new lands to discover on your honeymoon, try to imagine a far away destination. Honeymoons are no longer just a trip to Hawaii or a local beach resort. For some honeymooners looking for adventure, a honeymoon in Belize just may be the ticket. The key to enjoying a destination honeymoon is great planning skills with the help of a travel planner or someone like my BLUEman (he planned our entire honeymoon-see last Monday’s Google mapping blog). Your wedding day will fly by faster than your heart will admit. Getting married is a day that most girls dream about but dream farther into the time after your wedding. I’ll also share some advice from my recent honeymooners, Daris and Jason, who visited Belize and had the most amazing experience.

Now, let’s get started on your honeymoon!

TRAVEL BUG- (This is a great thing! - I’ve said before)

Traveling abroad may seem scary with culture differences, but head to Belize and you’ll discover that English is the official language spoken. Once you arrive, the currency exchange is easy and you usually can exchange money at the airport. The accommodations in this resort lining area provide amazing food, scenic views, and numerous activities to keep you entertained.

ADVENTURE – HERE YOU COME!

Once on your way, remember your scuba gear as you explore the second largest barrier reef in the world and the infamous Deep Blue Hole, says newlywed Daris. Look into scuba classes at your local sports shop before you leave to make sure you’re prepared. Daris recommends if you travel through San Ignacio, be sure to stay at the Mystic River Resort and take in the ancient Mayan ruins in Caracol or Tikal. Bring a few pairs of hiking shoes and your bathing suit! Other outdoor adventures include zip lining, canoeing, kayaking, and horseback riding. During the evening you enjoy on-site cuisine and also learn about the different constellations for those star gazing lover’s.

Another great spot to discover is in San Pedro at Ramon’s Resort or La Victoria Resort, says newlywed Daris. Enjoy your honeymoon at this location: snorkeling, scuba diving, sailing, sunset cruises, cave tubing (sounds like fun!). I started thinking about the show Man vs. Food when Daris explained the best food spots they loved in this area. Here are some of their recommendations: Mango’s, Caliente’s, Elvi’s Kitchen, the Blue Water Grill, Sunset Grill, and El Forgon.

BOOK YOUR HONEYMOON!

The first big trip as newlyweds should be high on your list. Be sure to book your honeymoon around the same time as you order your wedding dress (at least 6 months in advance). The most cost-efficient and time-saving way is to book with a travel planner. I’ve heard numerous stories in the last few months of couple’s who didn’t have a planner during the Mexico traveling scare and didn’t know their honeymoon room was closed down until they arrived. For most couples, once you book your trip, you don’t worry too much about it until you board the plane after the wedding. Check out some local travel planners in Arizona such as Tailored Travel Services, All About Honeymoons, and Camelback Odyssey Travel to help you book a dream honeymoon!

Sandals Resorts...An Easy Honeymoon

BLUEman: The Male Perspective

Continuing with the theme of honeymoons, here is one that is sure to alleviate a lot of stress in planning that perfect honeymoon, and allow you to enjoy your first week as a married couple.

I’m talking about Sandals All-inclusive Honeymoons.

You who might think $$$$ when the all-inclusive word is spoken…think again. That $$$$ sign can quickly become $$ for the same vacation many others select.

Take for example some current specials going on right now, including 65% off your weekly room rate.

For a Honeymoon Concierge Grand Luxe Beachfront Walkout Room at the Sandals Regency in St. Lucia, you could get a week stay for $4,760.00, normally priced at $11,900.00.

On top of that, based on that room type, they will throw in a $250 Red Lane Spa Credit so you can indulge in a couples massage.

So whether you select Jamaica, St. Lucia, Antigua, or the Bahamas as your honeymoon destination, you will enjoy every minute of it with the Sandals All-inclusive Honeymoon.

Here is something else you should know. Blueprint Affairs can help you plan your Sandals Honeymoon. Simply email info@blueprintaffairs.com and we can start to help you plan that perfect honeymoon.

SPECIAL EDITION || Easter Day Treat Recipe

Easter Egg Dipper Treats™
Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 24

Ingredients
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 package (10oz., about 40) regular marshmallows

OR

4 cups miniature marshmallows
6 cups Kellogg's® Rice Krispies® cereal
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate morsels or milk chocolate morsels
5 teaspoons shortening
Multi-colored sprinkles

Directions

1. In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.

2. Add KELLOGG'S RICE KRISPIES cereal. Stir until well coated.

3. Using 1/4-cup measuring cup coated with cooking spray divide warm cereal mixture into portions. Using buttered hands shape each portion into 2 1/2- x 1 1/2-inch egg shapes. (Or, coat insides of plastic snap-apart Easter eggs with cooking spray. Press cereal mixture into eggs. Remove cereal mixture from plastic eggs.) Cool.

4. In small saucepan combine chocolate morsels and shortening. Cook over low heat until melted, stirring constantly. Dip bottoms of cereal eggs into chocolate. Decorate with sprinkles. Place on wax-paper-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate until chocolate is firm. Individually wrap in plastic wrap. Best if served the same day.

MICROWAVE DIRECTIONS:

In microwave-safe bowl heat butter and marshmallows on HIGH for 3 minutes, stirring after 2 minutes. Stir until smooth. Continue with recipe as directed above. Microwave cooking times may vary.

Note

For best results, use fresh marshmallows.

1 jar (7 oz.) marshmallow crème can be substituted for marshmallows.

Diet, reduced calorie or tub margarine is not recommended.

Store no more than two days at room temperature in airtight container. To freeze, place in single layer on wax paper in airtight container. Freeze for up to 6 weeks. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.

Tasty treat found on Kelloggs.com

Destination Love || Honeymoon Planning

Your wedding plans are near complete. The DJ is lined up, the venue is going to be a hit with your guests, and now you sit back and ask, what’s next?

Have you thought about your honeymoon?

Recently, Blueprint Affairs had the pleasure of sitting down with Tailored Travel Services to find out the top places to honeymoon and some helpful tips.

Honeymoon Destinations

According to Eva Guibert, CEO of Tailored Travel Services, the top three spots for Americans to honeymoon outside of the States is the Almalfi Coast and Venice in Italy, the islands of Maui and Kauai in Hawaii, and Bora Bora in Tahiti.

In addition, Arizona brides tend to look at Los Cabos and Cozumel, Mexico as honeymoon destinations as well.

How About a Travel Agent?

“When you’re going to start planning your honeymoon, consider going with a licensed and industry insured travel agency,” Guilbert stated.

The advantage of booking with a travel agent, especially one that specializes in the area in which you honeymoon, is they have the experience in putting together the kind of package you need to make your honeymoon truly special.

If you book a travel agent, Guilbert said that you should “plan to meet with them if you can, or at least speak on the phone several times or by email.”

Having a travel agent plan your honeymoon may not only save you time, aggravation or stress, but also money. Travel agents are there to put the plans of the honeymoon together for the busy bride and groom.

Going out of the Country?

Nowadays, if you plan to take a honeymoon outside of the States, you need to make sure you have a proper form of ID, i.e. a U.S. Passport.

“Your travel agent should be able to let you know what will be required for travel,” Guilbert remarked. “But you should also look into the consulate of the country you’d like to go to for detailed information.”

If you plan to travel to what might be considered a “questionable country,” make sure you look at the U.S. Government Travel Warnings.



Links:

Almafi Coast: http://www.amalficoast.com/

Venice: http://www.venice-tourism.com/en/visit-venice.html

Maui: http://www.visitmaui.com/

Kauai: http://www.gohawaii.com/kauai

Bora Bora: http://www.tahiti-tourisme.com/islands/borabora/bora-bora.asp

Los Cabos: http://visitloscabos.travel/

Cozumel: http://www.cometocozumel.com/

Passport: http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html

Travel Warnings: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_1764.html