In the end- you will want the big wedding IF you never had it

I was reading the blog on CNN.com and saw an article about Monica- R&B singer, extradonaire. And it was showing how she married again, but this time she had her lavish wedding.


This brought about a conversation in the office. We have seen over the years that brides and their grooms who have chosen to have a very intimate wedding, in their future, choose to have the "big" wedding. And those who choose to have a big wedding, in their future, have a small intimate wedding. 


We surmised that it has to do with a feeling of missing out, in both sides of the wedding spectrum. Like when you have a small wedding and your family and friends miss out. The big wedding is the time to party and celebrate in a BIG style.


In this lavish wedding-Monica and her husband, L.A. Laker- Shannon Brown, opted for a renovated 19th century cathedral in downtown L.A., to host the wedding that was attended by hundreds of family and friends, including Lala Vazquez, Carmelo Anthony, Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher, reports People.

Monica’s two sons from a prior relationship, Rodney Jr., 6, and Romelo, 3, joined Brown’s son in a horse-and-carriage ride to the wedding ceremony.

Guests, who donned shades of blue for the event at the couple’s request, then joined the newlyweds for a “lavish” reception that included cocktails and a three-course dinner. Afterwards, hamburgers from Fatburger lined the grill for attendees to nosh on, and there was also a confection from Charm City Cakes.

We at Infinity Weddings & Events, want to congratulate the happy couple with long life of happy marriage- full of continued respect, trust, laughter, forgiveness and of course the strongest of all of these, LOVE!

Wedding with 100 guest for $5,000.00 in Miami, Florida- is it possible?

So you think that having a wedding in Miami Beach, Florida is going to cost you an astronomical figure...Factor in the cost of flying in, getting a hotel, finding all the right vendors, the perfect dress, the right place... it is going to cost an arm and leg right?? Well, at least your finance's arm and leg.




Well having thrown and assisted in hundreds of events and weddings in Miami Beach, parts of South Florida, and New York City, I have come across some very genius ways that couples have found and have used, to save money and I am not talking about a couple of dollars; I am talking about a couple of hundred dollars. So what did they do? What did they have to give up? Well, really, nothing. No really! Nothing!


First, and I know you have heard this a million times, but develop a budget. Many couples have told, "Monica, budgets are for people who have money" and I always say, well then have your gala wedding, when you have saved for it. But if you have some money saved, someone helping you pay for the wedding and/or your income tax return, then, set a budget.


There are a few wedding websites that offer a budget calculator for free and help you break down what percentage of the money should go where. My favorite is on Wedding Wire.com, oh did I mention that it was free. Cha-ching, I just saved you some money.


Once you have selected a budget calculator, you will now need to factor in all the things you must have, i.e...wedding dress, invitations, stamps, tuxedo/suit, flight, ride, hotel, rings, reception, flowers, food, drinks, music, photographer, videographer, marriage certificate & of course, The Wedding Planner.
Now this is the tinges you must have- so delete and add what is missing.

Can this all be done for $5,000.00? Well we are off to a great start.

Read as I go through this journey and see if I, the wedding planner of Infinity Weddings & Events, can pull this off for my couple from New York City. I have until August 2011. Plenty of time...I hope...

Wish me luck...

Monica Wetherington-Lugo
Infinity Weddings & Events
786-427-5360
www.itsallaboutm-eweddings.com
infinityweddingsevents@yahoo.com
@MiamiBeachWed view full profile →

You can follow me on Twitter

@MiamiBeachWed view full profile →

Facebook pictures

So, here are some pictures I have I Facebook.
You can check out our work there. We hope you enjoy them.
AND don't forget to LIKE us.

Click on the link or on the title Facebook pictures
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150290031801788.387200.100993546787&l=e254f18cec

Platinum Weddings

So the end of the year and still had one more wedding to complete.
This was not just any ordinary wedding, this was another one of my Platinum weddings. Full of exquiste attention to details and full of fun.
I so truly love my brides and grooms, whose focus is each other and to celebrate their love with all the magic and wonderment of love; true love, that is it- and I am so glad that it still exists.

Bride and Mother

Elizabeth went into complete fashionista mode when it came to planning her dream wedding; as this wedding has been in the works for 10 years! She tasked with Infinity Weddings & Events with  all her details and I mean she had details! I had to lasso in all her ideas and plot it out in an organized fashion. With the help of her fabulous mother and her brother; this very modern bride, was going to have a very Baroque Modern themed wedding.

I mean every detail was infused with her and Jonathan's taste. Putting all the details, finding the right pieces, the right vendors and price to make it all come together, took a year in planning and decision making. The final results? A breathtaking, wonderous event, filled with a ton of love and a heaping of fun!

This platinum wedding required some masters in their field:
Vendors who help pull this platinum wedding together are:
* Wedding Planning Company- Infinity Weddings & Events, LLC.
*Videographer- Artistic Films Production,
* DJ- Liquid DJs
* Photographer- Maloman
* Officiant- Frank Nunez
*Venue- W Hotel-South Beach
* Gown- Chic Parisienne
* Tux- Hugo Boss
* Shoes- Her's- Swaroski crystal encrusted Christian Luobutoin
               His- Prada

Officiant at the rehearsal- Mr. Frank Nunez

Gown by Marquessa - Chic Parisienne in Coral Gables, Florida

Modern Baroque

Bling on the Beach

So this wedding was held in front of the Loews Hotels in South Beach.  And who would not want to have their wedding on the beach. The elements lends itself to the magical moment.

My bride was a very modern bride, but also very private. She worried that there would be too many people on the beach, but I promised her that her wedding would not start until she was ready.

 She enjoyed style and has a great flair. Her gown was by the goddess of wedding gowns- Vera Wang!

The groom wore a Hugo Boss suit and although he felt the beach heat, he was a pinnacle of style and looked great!

Her guest count was only immediate family for a grand total of 8.

When she first mentioned that she wanted the arbor with black and beige, I wanted to fall back in my seat.

Her fabulous brother and I looked at each other and recommended a tinge of color and suggested yellow.

They were coming down from Ohio and were having the reception in Emeril Lagassi restaurant in the Loews Hotels of Miami Beach.

The design is bamboo folding chairs, with satin sashes knotted sideways to keep with the modern theme. Of course, I had to throw in the bling and added circle rhinestone brooches to the sash.

The program was made on yellow linen paper with black satin ribbon and rhinestones on a rattan fan. Although the beach breeze was amazing and the fans were great for blocking the sun from our eyes.

The arbor is all natural bamboo, with black and beige linen material and the back with 40 strands of chandelier crystals.

We were able to tie in all the elements together and affect the five senses.

Venue- Miami Beach- beach side of the Loews Hotel

Photographer- Tatiana Cohen

Videographer- Jackie Villacencio

Officiant- Monica Wetherington-Lugo

Design- Infinity Weddings & Events, LLC.

Oh the Tasting for a Platinum Bride!

On of the best parts of the pre wedding preparations is the tasting. The tasting of your food, wine and of course the cake!
Natalie and Tiago are my fabulous Infinity couple getting married on May 28, 2011. They flew down from NYC to have the last bit of their wedding details taken care of this week and what a week it has been.

They have accomplished so much, especially with the assistances of Natalie's fabulous and beautiful mother Diliana. They have shopped for the perfect invitation, suit, flower girl's dress and everything in between and now they were excited about the tasting! I mean who wouldn't be.

The tasting was to be held at the very beautiful Coral Gables Country Club. Where they remodeled and made everything brand new. Ladies, let me tell you that the chandeliers alone are, in this wedding planner's opinion, FAB-U-lous.

http://www.coralgablescountryclub.com/contact.htm

The place exudes elegance, romance, formality with a twist of hip and chic infused with the South Florida of old. "As one of Coral Gable's few traditional ballrooms, the Coral Gables Country Club is the perfect location for groups of one hundred to one thousand people. Originally constructed in 1924, this complex gracefully blends the traditional Mediterranean style of the exterior with elegant classical interior finishes. The facility boasts a magnificent grand ballroom and three satellite banquet rooms. With coral stone waterfalls, stunning crystal chandeliers, spectacular black marble foyers, rich Brazilian Cherry hardwood floors, ornate Italian marble columns and cornice molding, you will enjoy the luxurious sense of understated elegance."


So in the morning Natalie and Tiago, ate very light and by the time the tasting was to start they were ready to eat. And eat they did!

The assorted rolls and the presentation were just as lovely as any centerpiece could be, the antipasto and dual pasta tray was enough to say "enough"! But we must go on- the dual entree was coming. What to choose?
There was a choice of Medallion of Veal with mushroom and baked bonelss bresat of chicken with lemon herb crust in the wonderful white wine sauce? Or do they select Grilled NY striplion steak with a bourbon glaze and the Baked bonelss bresat of chicken with lemon herb crust in the wonderful white wine sauce?
BUT wait we still have more- Family style served seafood platter with grilled shrimp, calamari, mussels, halibut with lemon and olive oil emulsion, served with baby greens.

They serve the first two courses in a french style service and there is still yet more to come- the dessert!
The tiramisu served in a chocolate cup with kahlua anglaise and compote berries, just sounds delicious, but wait until you taste it!

And that red wine - Nero D'avolo- de-licous! Whatever the entree, I know that it will be more than satisfying to their guests and something to talk about for some time!

Now my fabulous brides, don't get me wrong, as you know I am experienced in food and fine cuisine. I also understand what true service is about, but the reason I gush about this place is because the staff is wonderful, helpful and most importantly professional. The service was to be expected- I expect excellence for my Infinity couples and the Coral Gables Country Club did not fail!

An intimate wedding at the Spanish Monastery

This is a story of a love that was held back.
Jaime and Lilli were to get married two weeks before the actual wedding happened.
All the guests arrived from all parts of the United States; everyone had their outfit, flowers were done, food was ready and then tragedy struck.
Jaime's mother was in a horrible accident and was in critical condition.
The good news, is that as of today, she is doing very well! Thank God!

Their wedding happened two weeks later and it became a very intimate wedding with just the bride, groom and myself.

The Spanish Monastery was an absolutely beautiful place to have such an intimate wedding. They have these nooks and crannies that cause for excellent pictures...AND when you have a love like these two, well the pictures speak for themselves.

The pictures were taken by your truly with Lilli's camera- a simple canon sure shot.. Not too bad.
Not as great as Tatiana Cohen, Maloman, or Harings, but ok.

Considering their very small budget, I think it turned out well for them. And in the end... is that not what it is all about.

Must have for your wedding day

So I have to keep up to date with the latest style and fashion- especially in the wedding industry. But I also have to keep up with beauty and comfort.
Basically what will keep you feeling beautiful and still keep money for other wedding details needed to make your wedding fabulous.

Here are some suggestions from the stylist guru goddess- Rachel Zoe. From Zoe Report.
You can click on each link and purchase directly from the website.

1. Hollywood Fashion Tape Double-Stick Strips-
2. Miss Oops Rescue Sponges
3. NuBra Adhesive Bra
4. Commando Classic Thong
5. Foot Petals Killer Kushionz
On the hair and make-up front:
6. L'Oreal Elnett Satin Hair Spray
7. Goody Spin Pins
8. Dior Spring Look Lip Color
9. Kate Somerville Tanning Towelettes
10. Go Smile Touch Ups

Check out this need - Check my answer to this question on MiNeeds!

Check out this need - Check my answer to this question on MiNeeds!

Culture Weddings- Mendhi and Hennas

Mehndi originated in North Africa and the Middle Eastern countries during ancient times.  One of the earliest documentations of henna use comes from ancient Egypt, where it is known to have been used to stain the fingers and toes of the Pharaohs prior to mummification.  In other nations different Mehndi patterns are used. 

 

 

For over 5,000 years henna has been used as a cosmetic and colouring.  The Pharaohs had their fingers stained Mehndi style before they were mummified.  Henna grows in the soaring heat of countries like India, Pakistan, Egypt, North Africa and other East Asian places. 

 

All of the henna plant that is above ground is harvested and the whole is ground into a fine powder which can be mixed with hot water to a thick paste.   By adding a range of plant products like indigo or clove other colours can be created.

 

African Mehndi art favours geometric forms, but in India, the Mehndi patterns are lace like and generally organic forms like paisley or floral patterns that cover the wholehand.

 

One feature of the bride's wardrobe which has become popular abroad is the use of henna or mehndi to decorate her hands and feet. It's said that you can tell how well a new bride is being treated by her in-laws from how long it takes for the mehndi to wear off. Mehndi treatments are increasingly available in salons or you can get mehndi mix at any Indian grocery store for a do-it-yourself job. (But be sure to practice on paper first! Mehndi doesn't wash off.)

 

As more people marry between races, Mehndi evenings sometimes replace over zealous henna parties.  Compared to the use of tattoos, Mehndi is a pain free form of decoration which lasts days rather than forever. 

 

http://www.mehndistyles.com/about-black-heenna/

Many celebrities such as Gwen Stefani, Demi Moore and Madonna have all been seen wearing Mehndi.  Modern henna based Mehndi stencil products mean that even those with a Mehndi heritage can enjoy this art.

http://www.indianweddingsite.com/photogallery/162/mehndi

Smart savings, with fabulous designs

Rosa Clara Size 12
Ivory Strapless

So I have to always be in the know of all that is fashionable, trendy and unique in the wedding world. So when the wedding goddesse send a site that carries gowns at 40%, 50% and even 80% off, I have to take a good look and see will it benefits my fabulous brides.

Well, I must proclaim that the sales are legitimate and worth taking a look at; especially for those who consider themselves pratical and budget concsious.

The gowns are either worn once or bought, but never worn. Either way, this is significant savings for those of you who want the gown but not the price. Enjoy!

Infinity Weddings & Events, LLC, of the House of Wetherington wins the 2011 Bride's Choice Award

Infinity Weddings & Events, LLC, of the House of Wetherington wins the 2011 Bride's Choice Award

{Miami Beach, Florida} – {January 31,2011} - WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, is thrilled to announce Infinity Weddings & Events, LLC, of the House of Wetherington has been selected to receive the prestigious annual WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011 for Platinum events and wedding coordination!

Recognition for the Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011 is determined by recent reviews and extensive surveys from over 750,000 WeddingWire newlyweds. Our past clients are among those that shared their experiences on WeddingWire, the largest wedding review site in the nation.

Infinity Weddings & Events stands among the top five percent of wedding professionals in the WeddingWire community, representing quality and service excellence within the wedding industry. Awards were given to the top wedding professionals across 20 service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers, and were based on the overall professional achievements throughout the past year.

“WeddingWire is honored to celebrate the success of the top-rated wedding professionals within the WeddingWire community,” said Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “With the annual Bride’s Choice Awards™ program, WeddingWire has the unique opportunity to recognize the best wedding professionals across the US and Canada. We applaud Infinity Weddings & Events for their professionalism and dedication to enhancing the wedding planning experience last year.”

We are happy to announce that Infinity Weddings & Events is among the very best Platinum events and wedding coordination within the WeddingWire Network, which includes leading wedding planning sites WeddingWire, Martha Stewart Weddings, Project Wedding and Weddingbee. We would like to thank our past clients for nominating us to receive the Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011.

For more information on the Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011, please visit www.WeddingWire.com.

About WeddingWire, Inc.

WeddingWire.com, the nation's leading technology company serving the $70 billion wedding industry, is the only online wedding planning resource designed to empower both engaged couples and wedding professionals. For engaged couples, WeddingWire offers the ability to search, compare and book over 200,000 local wedding vendors, from wedding venues to wedding photographers to wedding cakes. WeddingWire also offers an online community and a suite of cutting-edge planning tools for weddings, including wedding websites and wedding checklists, all at no charge. For wedding professionals, WeddingWire provides free online management tools creating the only market opportunity that gives local businesses control over their clients, reviews, leads and performance. Businesses that join the WeddingWire Network appear on WeddingWire.com and other leading sites, including MarthaStewartWeddings.com (NYSE: MSO), ProjectWedding.com and Weddingbee.com (both part of eHarmony), and Celebrations.com (part of the 1-800-Flowers family of brands, NASDAQ: FLWS).

The wonderous color of PURPLE

Sometime back in 2010, I had a bride tell me that her color scheme was purple and orange.When she said it I was not quite sure how to conceptualize it; how to combine those dominant colors together. What did she mean purple?
There was, eggplant purple, lilac, lavendar, purple, Barney purple- heaven forbid!
She did however, give me the spectrum of purple and after a big sigh of relief, and with the help of my florist- Flower of the World,I was able to use lavender with orange.
The back drop of the ocean really made it all that much more spectacular.
  

Using Purple with Other Colors:

•A deep eggplant purple with neutral tans or beige is an earthy, conservative color combination with a touch of the mystery that purple provides.

•Green and purple can be a striking combination in deep or bright jewel tones or use lighter shades for a cheerful, springlike feel.

•Pink and purple has feminine appeal.



There are several reasons for calling Purple a royal colour:- On Answer.com, they explained it the best.

Only the most expensive dyes were used to produce the color purple, it therefore became symbolic with wealth and power.

Purple togas were worn by the all powerful Roman Emperors.

People who were allowed to wear the color purple during the Elizabethan era, as decreed by the English Sumptuary Laws, were the Queen, Queen's mother, children, and sisters, and aunts. The King, King's mother, children, brethren, and uncles.

 



Using Purple:
•Deep or bright purples suggest riches.
•Lighter purples are more romantic and delicate.
•Use redder purples for a warmer color scheme or the bluer purples to cool down.



Now we are in 2011 and we are seeing a whole hosts of brides use the shades of purple in the wedding details. And doing a spectacular job in combining the color with another color. Not just white, cream,silver or gold, but dominant colors like orange, blues,and even green or red.




By Sprout-Flowers.com



 



Royalty and Spirituality, the Nature and Culture of Purple:
Purple is royalty. A mysterious color, purple is associated with both nobility and spirituality.
 The opposites of hot red and cool blue combine to create this intriguing color.



We have been able to combine some striking colors like lime green and purple for a fabulous wedding without making it look like Mardi Gras; unless of course that is what they want. Hope the many shades of the color purple encourages to go boldly with your combinations and inspire you for your fabulous day, your highness. :0)

I am only a great wedding planner because I have great vendors!

Let me first start off with the vision- Parisian fashion chic. The colors were- black and white, with an infusion of fuchsia, pale pinks and gold.


You see, the devil is definitely in the details and for my bride, it is the vision, the dream, that she wanted and I was going to give it to her, because that is what I do- turn dreams into reality!

Further details- the linens had to be black and white striped- not damasked…stripes! And this is not the one you find at any linen store- as I learned. These are the ones you had to order special, because, well, it is a special item. The chairs had to be chivarei and had to be white with black cushions. The flowers had to be a blush pink. The cake had to be a 3 tiered cake, delicious and fashion forward.

You see the details make the difference-too much black would look like death and not a bridal shower, too much white might look like the wedding, and too much pink might look like a baby shower- well you get the idea.

Well the dream almost turned into a nightmare by UPS (United Parcel Service) - not to be confused with USPS (United States Post Office) but rather their competition. No competition here if you ask me.

Apparently the shipper placed the wrong zip code and the black and white striped specialty linens, although in Miami, had to be corrected to the correct zip code to match the address. No problem, right? WRONG- even though the UPS hub corrected the zip code at 7am in the morning of Friday, they now had to deliver it to the correct UPS hub in Hialeah? Wait, we are in Miami, not Hialeah. Okay, no problem-

ME: “At what time will they be delivered? UPS: “No, they won’t be delivered.”

ME: “WHAT!! “Can I pick them up? I am in Hialeah.” UPS: “No- they are closed”

ME: “Wait- it is Saturday, 2:00pm. How can you be closed on a Saturday? USPS is open on a Saturday???!!” UPS: “Sorry, nothing we can do.

ME: “Wait can’t we call the supervisor to open up? Who is going to open up now or tomorrow, Sunday? Who is going to have those specialty linens, which I ordered two weeks ago and now is here but locked in a trailer truck, why didn’t anyone call me on Friday, call the other 3 numbers given???”

As you see there is was about 3 hours of conversation of back and forth with supervisors and managers, all the while my staffs is calling our 100 + vendors for anyone who has these linens or know of anyone who does. No luck- no one is calling back…except for (insert Superman/woman theme here) Atlas Party Rental of Boynton Beach.

8:16AM in Sunday Morning- a text comes in saying “to the warehouse between 9am-11am, we may have them.”

Needless to say, I drove up there- and an hour and half later I met Carlos- who was not sure if that special linen was even there but allowed me to search the 12,000sq ft., warehouse of linens and there on the last rack, to the back, on the second row, was the “golden fleece” the specialty black and white 90” linen. PEOPLE- the party was exactly what my bride wanted!!! Once again I am an awesome Wedding Planner, but that is because I have an awesome vendor.

The Coast Guard and The Beauty

Here is a fabulous couple...so in love. So fabulousy in love; full of fun, style, and class.
Rachel and I met through a former bride of mine- Dr. Diaz-Roberts and I could tell that she had alot of things she wanted to get accomplished.

She seemed to know exactly what she wanted and what she needed me to do.

As an avid runner and exerciser- typical of her Sagitarian sun sign she had a full plate- especially with work, the wedding, excercising, a fiance and school, she had begun wondering how she was going to get it all done.

I knew things had to get done and I would have to be there each step of the way to make sure all of her details were attended to. But first, I had to catch her. Shoot! I should have stayed in the excercise program.

We checked her list and with my to do list, we matched up any missing parts. Next on the list the engagement pictures. It looks like I can check this off the list.

I highly recommend, to have your engagement pictures with the photographer you intend to higher to take your wedding pictures.
It is the precursor to what you can except during your wedding. It literally breaks any apprehension you may have.Your photographer and you will have a better understanding of how you like to look and your style. And most importantly if they can capture it.

Rachel and Eric went with a great photography studio "BeYouImages.com" and Jess took some truly amazing pictures. She credits Rachel for the concept and background choices and as you can see, they worked very well together.
Yup I think their styles match.
Now on to the wedding




This love- this passion- is....timeless.

 



One of my favs. They look so classic!



This a NOVO kind of LOVE!