True Love At It’s Best

Today I got to have lunch with the talented Adrienne Ingram of Element Photography.  It’s always nice to catch up   I love working with Adrienne because she truly cares about the customers she photographs, and strives to treat them like kings and queens.  She will be doing the photography for one of my clients weddings coming up in the fall.  She shared the engagement shots she recently took with me today.  I think they look wonderful.

Adam and Theresa are one of my favorite couples I have ever worked with.  They are very intelligent, interesting, genuine, sweet, and head over heels in love.  They really are adorable, and so much fun to work with.  I can’t wait until their wedding.  I also absolutely LOVE their engagement story which Theresa has shared.

“On Tuesday, Sept 29th at 5pm I was done with my day in school and felt exhausted. But I knew I had to get ready for my test in two days. I walked to my car and noticed a rose on the seat and was very confused. There was a note placed on the steering wheel that said “open the glove compartment box”.

In the glove box was a hand written love letter from Adam (something that a hopeless romantic like me loves to get!) stating his love for me and how he couldn’t wait to spend the rest of his life with me. The note gave further instructions to “press play” on the cd player in my car and then head to Adam’s place.

He also said “don’t try to call Adam” because he knew I would! So I pressed play and heard Adam on a make-believe radio station creatively pretending to be the host of a radio show and a listener calling in confessing his love for me and asking for advice on how to propose. So cute! I arrived at Adam’s apartment and walked into his candle-lit living room and saw rose petals on the floor spelling “WILL YOU MARRY…” The “ME” on the floor was missing because he was standing in its place.

He looked very handsome in his black and white outfit and pulled me towards him, got down on one knee and asked “Will you marry me?” So I thought about it for a few minutes…just kidding! Of course I said “YES!!” We then enjoyed a lovely engagement dinner at The Melting Pot.”

Element Photography

www.eventsbymonroe.com

Great New Ad Thanks to Opaque White Design (Philadelphia Event Planner)

We would like to extend a huge thank you to Stephanie Wells for doing such an amazing job on our new ad that will be featured in Mainline & Bucks Life Magazine starting in May

I have known for 20 years.  Watching her grow as an artist and explore new areas has been an amazing journey.  She is extremely talented in graphic design as you can see, in addition to photography and many other creative forms of design.  Her photography is one of my favorite aspects of her art.  She has a great way of finding and portraying the beauty of the forgotten.  Her work is extremely intriguing.  If you have the time please take a look at some of the work she has done.  Her site is still in the works of being put together, but it shows a small sample of what she could do for you or your company.   You can also contact her through Facebook.   Thanks Steph!

http://web.mac.com/opaquewhitedesign

Great Wedding Resource! (Philadelphia, New Jersey Event Planner)

I have recently become more acquainted with Wedding Wire, a great resource that I am now using on a daily basis.  It is a great site that you can use to search for various types of professionals to assist you with your event.  It also has a multitude of useful tools to help you stay organized and on track with all the planning for your event.  They are very interactive on Facebook and Twitter, where they keep you posted on all their latest tips and advice.  You can now find Events by Monroe, LLC as a listed event professional on Wedding Wire, as well as Best Philadelphia Weddings, and Martha Stewart Weddings.  We are very excited to be expanding.  I hope you get some use out of these sites and the great tools that they offer!

Phil Kramer Photography (Philadelphia, New Jersey, Event Planner)

 I just got back from meeting with Phil Kramer, a great photographer based in center city, but can travel anywhere. I got to take a tour of his great studio, which looks deceptively small from the outside I might add. The inside is over 3000 sq ft. and has space for anything you could need. Just being there makes me want to have my picture taken. I also got to see some of his work that he has on display which is all fabulous! If you have anything you need a photographer for, check this guy out! He does all types of photography for both events and commercial. Here is the link to his site: http://www.pkphoto.com/.

 

After our lunch at Steven Starr’s Continental I am convinced that they serve the biggest salads I have ever seen, but the food was great as well as the conversation.

 

 

After our meeting I just had to stop at The Papery at 3rd and Arch, since it was so close, and it’s one of my favorite stores to browse. I really liked the new designs they have for the Vera Wang stationary. Can’t wait to use them

Amazing Images (Philadelphia, New Jersey, Event Planner)

Laura Novak is one of my favorite photographers. I am a huge fan of un-posed images. I think capturing a candid moment is a thousand times more intriguing then a posed photo, and Laura Novak does an amazing job of capturing those heart felt moments. Based out of Delaware, Laura Novak Photography serves New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. She has also recently informed all of her followers of their work photographing children and using it as decor. As you can see the images she produces are absolutely radiant. Please take a look at her website www.novakphotography.com.

The Man Registry (Philadelphia, New Jersey, Event Planner)

I came across http://www.themanregistry.com/ a few months ago. It is a great site geared towards grooms. All you brides-to-be should be sure to tell your fiances’ about this site. It has tons of features, as well as how to guides, tips, ideas for unique bachelor parties, and more. They also have a great blog that can be found at groomsadvice.com. Log onto their blog today to read about their new give away

Smile. Snap. Share. (Philadelphia, New Jersey, Event Planner)

I found this on one of my favorite blog sites http://www.themanregistry.com/ .

I love this idea. And it can be used for any kind of event, and it allows your guests to play an interactive part in your day. Go to OneWed.com and register for yours today!

Brochures Are Here!!!

My new brochures describing the services I offer for funerals came in the mail and they look great! A special thanks to Stephanie Wells, the designer who created them for me. Stephanie is a great artist who owns her own design and photography company, Opaque White Design. She has a very creative mind which she uses to create exactly the image you are looking for. She designed the logo, business cards, and brochure for Events By Monroe, and did an amazing job! If you are looking for someone to design something for you’re parties, weddings, business, etc. Stephanie is the woman to see. Her website is still in the works, but here is the link to it if you’d like to check it out:

web.mac.com/opaquewhitedesign

Trashing the Dress ~ It’s About Creation Not Destruction. (Philadelphia, New Jersey, Event Planner)

The first time I heard about this idea was about three years ago in one of my classes by a well known photographer in Philadelphia. I will admit the first time I heard about the concept I was a bit skeptical, until I went home and researched it.

There are tons of decissons for brides to make for their big day and after. One on the list is what to do with the wedding dress afterwards which until now consisted of preserving it, placing it in storage, or giving it away. Now there is a new option: to trash it. Trashing the Dress has become a new wedding trend and “tradition” for some. It’s not for everyone, but it is a trend that many of the modern brides are now embracing. If you have the character for it and a love of art it is a great option. As time has progressed weddings have become more detailed and personalized. Brides now want every detail of their wedding to reflect them and their personality. . . including their dress. It’s a great sentiment to think that one day your daughter will wear your dress for her wedding, but styles change, and so do the tastes of brides.

The great thing about dress trashing is during this photo shoot you get to take tradition (your white wedding dress) and mix it with something fun and personal that tells the story of you. Dress trashing can be done with or without the groom. They take place after the ceremony is done, and can be taken wherever and however you choose. Brides wear their dress and can shoot at the beach, in a field, a swamp, a farm, in hay bales, at a fire station, etc. Basically anywhere they want and the photos come out looking extremely artistic.

I would love to see all brides do this. It can even be an option for the more traditional bride, although I would not suggest the ocean or mud since things can happen that the dry cleaner wont be able to fix. You can do something as simple as taking pictures at a park, or sitting on a horse. It is really about showing off what you love, and being yourself. After your big day your dress will be packed away in a plastic bag. At least with these photos you will have a lasting memory of your beauty, creativity, and feel like you really got your moneys worth out of that dress