So, a few weeks ago I had the chance to check out The Hudson Project, an amazing new(ish) band on the wedding scene. I was blown away and am  SOO excited because we are going to be working together this coming weekend. Even though when I saw them at the showcase, it was an teeny tiny studio, I along with everyone else was dancing up a storm!!! You couldn’t keep me in my seat.

This coming Monday, August 23rd, you can check out some more hip, totally un-cheesy wedding bands from  Elan Artists. It’s a pretty casual setting and the wine was free flowing (at least when I was there

August 23rd, 2010

SMASH Studios
307 West 36th Street – 18th Floor

Rhythm Collective 8PM
Hip Variety from Classics to Contemporary

- check out this song list http://www.elanartists.com/rhythm_collective/audio/
- band wears fab 3 piece suits a la Mad Men…very hip, young and fresh

The Elements 8:45PM
80’s and Variety Crossover

- cool, super fun hipsters belt out your 80’s faves in additional to hits from every generation

Please RSVP to rsvp@elanartists.com

I hate fitness. Every Sunday night I make a goal to head to the gym in the coming week…and then get “busy”. I usually do best when I sign up for classes or boot camps, since once I spend the money I am pretty sure to show up AND there is someone there to pressure me into not taking it easy. So, when I decided to do something a little drastic to start the summer, I thought I would sign up for something more comprehensive than just a class. On Xochitl’s recommendation (and she loves fitness, so she usually has a few:) I called up Shonda at The Pilates Co-op in Brooklyn.

I signed up for the Trio Jump Start, which included 2 classes with 2 other (much more flexible) ladies and one class with 5 other students, and I loved it! First of all, Shonda was wonderful. Even though each of us at the sessions where at different levels, she did a good job of individualizing the exercises for each of us, so that we would each get the most out of it.

Since my day starts a little early, I set up an early morning class 3 times a week, and always felt energized for my day when I left her studio. Did I lose a ton of weight? Absolutely not, but I DID feel stronger and less tense. It made my back hurt less, which I never expected by the way, and made my arms and shoulders look and feel more toned.I was so impressed with the class, that I asked her to give me suggestions for my brides. She suggested that brides start their fitness regiment (with her or at a local Pilates studio) at least 3 months prior to their wedding, and dedicate at least a hour 3 times a week during that time.

If you are in Brooklyn or the Hamptons, then I suggest you give the Pilates Co-op a call! They are offering our brides signing up for a 3 month program a discount, so be sure to mention Always A Blogsmaid when you call:)

Living in NY, I’m not one to be star-struck (except for that time a few weeks ago when I chased down Andrew McCarthy and told him he was the crush of my teenage years), however there were a few Wederatti that I admired from afar since the early days of our business and Marcy Blum, was one of them. When Mayra and I met Marcy we were at a small-ish dinner event for 30, we spent the entire next day saying “I can’t believe we met Marcy Blum!”

Since then, Mayra and I have gotten to hang out with Marcy many times and in addition to her being truly Legendary (ISES recently honored her with a LEGEND award) at her work, our time with her is ALWAYS educational.  We literally can point to things that Marcy has schooled us on and how it vastly improved our business. So, if some of you who are reading this are ALSO wedding professionals, Marcy Blum and Preston Bailey have announced another Bailey & Blum mentoring weekend. It’s an intimate weekend of study here in New York where you not only learn from the two masters, but you will experience some amazing social opportunities as well.  Is it cheap? No. Is it Invaluable? Absolutely . I recently asked the Eventiste a bit more about the weekend.

X: Marcy, you coined the phrase “Eventiste”, which we at AAB love.  Why? and what’s the difference between that and a wedding planner?

M: An “eventiste’ has to own the entire event  rather than just be the vendor liaison or spread sheet producer. Every aspect of the event should fall under their auspisces. I started using ‘eventiste” as a tongue and cheek description bc I hated the term planner so much.  But I’ve come to like it because it’s as amorphous as my job really is-a a designer, definitely a conceptualist, an orchestrator,a bit of a logistician and a general contractor.

X: When I was a young planner and even today when I meet young or new wedding planners, I often find that they are so in love with weddings that they forget that they are running a business and that businesses need to be profitable.  Do you agree and do you and Preston address this in your Bailey and Blum seminars?

M: We definitely address the realities of running a business of this kind, one where the emotional attachments to the client sometimes outweigh the realities of making a profit.  We are very into the pragmatics as well as the art .

X: You and Preston have been collaborating for years on fantasy, multi-million dollar weddings. Can some of the secrets of your successes be passed on to professionals who AREN’T working with clients at that price point?

M: The reason that we decided to hold these Bailey& Blum weekends, is exactly that-to show colleagues that all the same rules pertain no matter what the clients budget is (well, within reason of course) and to give them the tools to get to those budgets. The weekend is for anyone in our business who wants to get the most out of their career-our attendees particularly enjoyed the one on ones with each of us, as we were able to give them very specific ideas for their businesses.

X: One of the things I most admire about your weddings a is that there is always the insertion of a very clever, very original take on something… say, like your breakfast bar .  What inspires these moments of Eventiste genius?

Why thank you sweetheart, I’m flattered. I try to be open to all ideas when I’m out and about (which I am a lot) and not look for things so wedding-centric. In that way you are not putting boundaries on your creative process by placing boundaries on what’s “appropriate for a wedding” before the idea has even gelled.

Bailey & Blum will be held August 6-8, 2010 in NYC.

I was invited as a guest to a destination wedding in the Mexican Riviera this past month. It happened to be on my birthday weekend, so I decided to extend the trip a bit, celebrate my two wonderful friends, celebrate one more awesome year in the life of Mayra, AND squeeze in some site visits. Hey, what can I say? We’ve got workaholic blood here at AAB!

I decided that I wanted to see a little more of the area while I was down there. I’d been to the Cancun/Playa Del Carmen area a few times and wanted to see a property that was a little more off the beaten path. I chose a property in the heart of the Yucatan, Hacienda San Jose in Tixococob. I honestly don’t have words for it. It was breathtaking! As soon as we turned into the driveway , I started to plan a wedding!

A short ride from the Merida Airport, you are transported to old Mexico as soon as you enter through the property. I loved that the property was intimate (only 15 rooms total) and that it felt more like you were at a VERY large home than a hotel. My room was gorgeous and spacious, but every room has a special charm, so no one would feel like they got the “bad rooms”. I mean, one of the smaller rooms has a tree growing in the center of the bathroom. How cool is that?

The property is actually so large that you can use different areas and create different looks if you are looking to host different events on site. I imagined a Welcome Cocktail party by the pool, a cocktail reception by the outdoor bar, a long dinner between the palm trees. Believe me, the possibilities are endless.

This property was magical. It took my breathe away…especially the chapel on site. It was so small and intimate that seemed PERFECT for a destination wedding ceremony.

If you are at all interested in destination, you MUST take a look at this venue! One of the greatest venues I have seen in a LONG time!

Next stop: Playa Del Carmen!

Our very own little off-shoot, Just About Married, will be participating in the fabulous Urban Wed event next week at the absolutely adorable Nest Loft in the Flatiron District. There is still time to get tickets, and if you use code UbranWedComp, you’ll end up with a free ticket.  Get Tickets here.