Corin's 1st Birthday Party Occasions Magazine Blog Feature

We're so excited to share that one of our events was recently featured on the Occasions Magazine blog.  Corin's 1st birthday party was planned in December but I wasn't able to share it with you until now since I had to wait until it was published on the blog.  I had so much fun planning this super adorable cowboy themed party.  Take a little peek of the feature below.  Check out more of the details and photos by clicking here! 

Introducing the Newest Member of Precious Occasions

I'd like to take some time to introduce our intern, Aislinn, who is assisting us with events for a couple of months.  I'm so excited to have her as a part of our team.  Without further adieu, here's Aislinn!

My name is Aislinn and I am a student at Florida International University studying Hospitality Management with a certification in Event and Meeting Planning. I am currently in my Junior year of school and I plan on graduating May of 2014. I hope to concentrate more on Wedding and Special/Social Event Planning in my career but I really enjoy the creative process of all kinds of event planning. I am very much looking forward to the next few months working with Emmanuela and Precious Occasions. I know I will learn a great deal that will benefit me in the future.

A little more about me: I have lived in South Florida all of my life; in Miami-Dade until I was 11 and in Broward ever since. I have 5 brothers and sisters and I am the oldest so I definitely have the patience that this field demands. I am first generation Cuban-American and the first in my family to go to college. I am a big sports lover! Baseball, football, MMA, etc. but it's baseball that I love the most. Needless to say, I am a huge Miami Marlins fan. I used to be a competetive gymnast and cheerleader for several all-star teams in South Florida so staying active is important to me.

The past month has been great and I am very excited for the remaining time that I have with Precious Occasions.  I am super eager to learn some of the ins and outs of this amazing industry.

McKenzie's 4th Birthday

Last weekend, I had the pleasure of coordinating the 4th birthday of McKenzie in Tampa, FL.      McKenzie is the sweetest little girl that I've had the great opportunity of planning parties for since her 1st birthday.  When I provided her mother with suggestions back in September, I secretly hoped she would choose the carnival/circus theme so when she did, I couldn't wait to get started.  It was so exciting to plan this fun theme for her with a red, light blue, yellow, and white color scheme.  The kids had a great time playing carnival games, getting their faces painted, playing in the bounce house, coloring the carnival activity books, and making requests to the balloon artist.  At the end of the event, the kids had their fill of goodies from the treat table which included popcorn, cotton candy, and a variety of candy to go in their treat boxes.

Here are the great vendors that made this event a success:

Planning, Coordination, & Design - Precious Occasions
Photography - Hankerson Photography
Venue - Lake Park
Carnival Games & Face Painter - Funtastic Events
Cake - Let Them Eat Cake
Balloon Artist - Special Event Entertainment
Invitations - Sprinkled with Sugar Designs

Below are a few pictures from the event.  Enjoy!

Choosing a Photographer

Photo Credit: Limelight Photography

Choosing a photographer is usually the next big decision to make after choosing your wedding venue. It's a big decision because after your wedding day is over, your photos are what you will have as a visual reminder of the day that has occurred. It's an important decision because aside from your planner, this is the person that you will spend the most time with during the planning process as well as your wedding day.

Here are some things to consider:

Personality - As I stated earlier, you will be spending a lot of time with your photographer so you want to make sure your personalities mesh well. Your relationship with your photographer will definitely impact the photos you take. Imagine how your images will be if you're forced to smile for a photographer you can't stand. That will definitely be a long photo shoot.

Style - When you look through wedding magazines and blogs, is there a particular trend in the photos that you find appealing? Every photographer is different. You will want to hire a photographer that matches the photo style that you envision for your wedding photos.  You can get an idea of a photographer's style by viewing images on their website and meeting with photographers to view additional photos and learn more about them.

Cost - It's not always about price. Yes, some budgets do confine you to certain options but just remember that you always get what you pay for. Decisions should not be made on cost alone. Look at what you're getting for the fee as well as all of the previous things I mentioned above; personality and style to help you make a decision about a photographer.

Photo Credit: Limelight Photography

Here are some questions to ask potential photographers:

• Are you available on my wedding date?
• Do your packages include engagement shoots?
• How long after the wedding should I expect to get my photos?
• How many hours of coverage do you provide for the wedding?
• Do your services provide coverage for other wedding events such as the rehearsal, rehearsal dinner, etc.
• Will I get a copyright release with my wedding images?
•  How many locations are included on the wedding day?
•  Are albums included with your packages?
• Would I be able to get images then order an album at a later date?  

Good luck!

~Emmanuela

Sandals Weddings and Honeymoons

Sandals announced "Your Wedding Your Style"last spring.  They understand that today's bride wants flexibility in choosing the elements of their wedding verses the pre-packaged weddings that were offered in the past.  Today's bride values customization and Sandals provides just that.  Your Wedding Your Style is offered at all Sandals resorts including Beaches Resorts.  There is an online design assist where you can play around with the color palette to help you visualize how everything will look on your wedding day.

Are you dreaming of having a beautiful destination wedding on a romantic island?  Sandals might be a great option for you.  Sandals announced "Your Wedding Your Style" last spring which allows couples to customize all aspects of their wedding.  "Your Wedding Your Style is offered at all 13 Sandals resorts and 3 Beach Resorts which are all located in Bahamas, St. Lucia, Jamaica, and Antigua.

There are 10 colors to choose from including coral, fuchsia, sea foam, and tangerine.  Try the online design tool to choose your wedding location, play around with color palette, choose entertainment, decide on decor, and countless other options for your wedding day.  Check out the design tool by clicking here.  

If you don't choose to have a wedding at Sandals, you should definitely consider it for your honeymoon.  I am not only saying this because I'm a Certified Sandals Specialist but as a person chose Sandals for their honeymoon.  My husband and I stayed at the Sandals Ocho Rios Grande Riviera after our 2008 wedding and we had an amazing time.  Sandals are couple only resorts which made it that more romantic.  It was the first time we traveled to an all-inclusive resort and we've done so ever since.  There was a variety of food to choose from and plenty to do on the resort and island.  All of the resorts are unique which offers options for the couple that wants to lay around all day, those that want a little adventure, and those that want to be close to where all the action is.  Want to learn more about Sandals options?  Call me at 754-223-9903.  I can help you find the right one for you.

~Emmanuela