Looking For Inspiration?

A couple can get inspiration for their wedding from places like nature, interior design and fashion.
Look around your home for things you love. Are your furnature, paintings, curtains and accesories all in the same color scheme? Maybe use those colors for you wedding. Or figure out what it is about them, why you love them and how they can inspire you and use them for the concept and design of your wedding.
You can look at the latest season's popular colors to draw inspiration. The new colors for spring are light greys and browns with bright pops of color.

Save the Date!

I just received my good friend Alicia's Save the Date card in the mail and I'm soooo excited for her! Their invitation is a cute picture of Alicia and her fiance, Jake, with the date of their wedding and their wedding website (Such a cute idea! I totally recommend this for every bride to do!) Here is one of their engagement pictures:

The picture was taken by one of our other good friends, Kristen Honeycutt. She started her own photography business a few years ago and is really successful! Her pictures are wonderful. Check out her work on her website. Here are a few more engagement pictures Kristen has done for friends:

Lindsey and Nate's engagement. Fabulous pictures, I love them.

Super cute!

10 Reasons to Hire a Wedding Planner

1.) Wedding planners can SAVE YOU MONEY! I have extremely good relationships with most of the vendors I use for weddings. This lets me negotiate prices down for you. Also, many vendors can give me "exclusive offers" for brides, they don't give these discounts to brides who don't use me or have a planner.

2.) Relieve Your Stress: Have you ever heard a girl say, "I want to be Bridzilla!"? Probably not. But guess what, if you don't hire a wedding planner, you will be stressed out, period. One of the best reasons to hire a wedding planner is to take the stress off of you so you can actually enjoy your engagement period.

3.) Wedding planners have a variety of vendors to choose from to fit each bride's wants and needs. Not only do I have a huge database of vendors in every category, but I can narrow them down to what each individual bride is looking for and can afford.

4.) We can take a vision and make it a reality. You know what you want your day to look like and feel like, but you probably don't even know where to start. Wedding planners can listen to what you have dreamed of and actually turn it into reality for your big day.

5.) Ensure quality every step of the way. A bride trying to plan her own wedding might get taken advantage of if she doesn't ask the right questions to her vendors. A wedding planner already knows what to look for to ensure the bride is getting the quality she deserves.

6.) A wedding planner will create and manage a timeline for the wedding day. This will allow the bride to be able to enjoy the celebration as well as all her closest family and friends. The wedding planner is there to make sure everything is moving along right on schedule.

7.) If vendors have any problems or questions, they can ask the wedding planner, not the bride during the reception. You want to enjoy the reception, not worry about the DJ coming up to ask you questions every 5 minutes while you are trying to talk to your guests.

8.) We have all sorts of tips and tricks to offer you from being in the industry and planning real weddings.

9.) Appointment scheduling. You want to enjoy your year of engagement, not hassle with managing your calendar and scheduling appointments with all the different vendors. Wedding planners can do all the scheduling for you, so all you have to do is show up.

10.) If there are any hiccups in the day, the wedding planner will handle it. Not the bride, groom, family, or wedding party.

I found this inspiration board on "Classic Bride" and thought it summed up wedding planning perfectly.

Wedding Demos

Complimentary Creative Wedding Demos This Weekend

Do you have no idea where to begin with your wedding invitations? Well you in luck! Paper Source will be having an afternoon of complimentary demos, make-and-takes and inspiration for you this Saturday, February 21st at all Paper Source Locations. Opens at 11:30am.

Click on Link above for more details.
Where: Paper Source, 700 Bellevue Way NE, ste. 105 (425-646-0100)

Wedding Videos

One of the most important things to any bride is securing the right photographer to capture everything on the wedding day. Well, have you ever thought about having a videographer? If not, you should. They can capture the wedding and reception better than pictures. You get the sounds, the movements, the emotions and the energy of the entire day.

The video above is taken from a longer video my company made for the couple. We can do some amazing things with editing and after effects. Check it out, we can do this for anybody, for any style you like or any theme you want. We do everything in-house so it keeps the cost waaaaay down :) Let me know what you guys think about it, I would LOVE the feedback, good or bad!

You Don't Have to be a 'Skinny Bitch' to be a Healthy Tart

I am currently working with Christine Ely and Christin McDowell to host several free classes educating attendees on their 'Healthy Tart' and fitness program book series. Anyone looking to become more healthy and start an exercise routine should come to these classes. You will have an opportunity to learn about the program and books for free, and why it is such a good plan. You can also buy the books at a discounted rate after the class. The books are amazing and give some of the best advice I have ever read for reaching your optimal weight and fitness goals.

This Thursday, Feb. 19th at The Cabana in Renton from 12pm to 1:30pm, they are holding their first class. You will learn all about their books and program that actually works. We want everyone to come and hear what they have to say! Here are the details:

"The Healthy Tart Optimal Weight and Fitness Program"

Join Fitness Guru Christin McDowell and Publisher Christine Ely for the fun filled, wise cracking, smart mouthed lowdown on reaching your optimal weight and getting fit for life.

Christin (author of Healthy Fitness Central) will guide you through how to correctly establish a training program, that's safe, effective and that will get you the results you want. Say goodbye to the belly and thigh fat from 2008 and hello to the new you of 2009.

Christine is the publisher of Waterleaf Publications' Healthy Lifestyle book series (including - 'You don't have to be a Skinny Bitch to be a Healthy Tart') and will discuss her journey from 50lbs over weight, out of shape and in total denial to being in the best physical shape of her life. And it wasn't all pretty!

Everything you need to know about getting back in shape, detoxing, eating right, gentle to advanced workout programs will be discussed. You will walk away from this presentation with a health plan for life.

RSVP to: info@christinmcdowell.com

Thursday Feb 19th, from 12pm to 1:30pm.
The Cabana at The Carriages
15108 SE 179th St
Renton, WA 98058

My Wedding Services

Whether you’re planning a traditional wedding on a budget or a special event where the sky’s the limit, my company and I can help you personalize it and help you create what you have always dreamed.

No matter what, this is your day, and needs to be representative of who you are. We have many ideas to get you started, and have worked closely with many different vendors for over 40 years, to help you get the style you want for the best price. I am confident that I will help you create an event you will be extremely happy with.

After an initial meeting, where we talk about your vision and needs, I can customize your package to ensure you get exactly what you want from us. Here is a list of the most popular services:

Full Production: My company, AMP, and I will help you plan the entire wedding, from start to finish, and be there the day-of to let you enjoy the day and not worry about a thing. You can relax from the very beginning knowing that we have everything taken care of. I can help you manage your budget, make all the necessary calls to different vendors and venues, set meetings, and take care of not only your wedding rehearsal, but the rehearsal dinner as well. Your only job is to help me understand what your vision for the day is, then relax and enjoy the day of your dreams.

Month-of/ Week-of Wedding Coordination: You already have the ceremony and receptions cites, have your caterer and cake baker, have sent out invitations, and signed contracts with your entertainment and décor companies. Now, you just want to sit back and relax while I help coordinate all the details and bring everything together for you big day. It’s that simple. I will need your contracts with vendors and then can handle the rest and make sure everything comes together. The stress is off of you because I will coordinate everything. All you have to do is show up!

Day-of-Wedding Coordination: You want to feel like a guest at your own wedding, without having to worry about all the little details and time lines of the day. I can help make everything run smoothly and stay on-time the day of the wedding. I will be at your ceremony rehearsal to make sure that everything runs smoothly, as well as the entire day of your wedding. I'll stay in constant communication with your venue and caterer, and help you stay on track with your timeline of the evening so nothing goes forgotten. You, and your closest family and friends can simply relax and enjoy themselves at the wedding.

Initial meeting to brainstorm ideas: We want to help you have the wedding of your dreams. But it can seem like a huge task with thousands of different options to choose from. If you don’t even know where to begin, I can help you come up with ideas. We have a plethora of venues, caterers, bakers, entertainment, photographers, and décor companies that we work with on a regular basis. We can help you get going in the right direction.

AMP's Events

Here are a few pictures of events that my company, Andy Mirkovich Productions, did in 2008:

We do these martini ice luges at most Holiday parties. You can ask for any type of martini to be served out of it, to match your theme if you have one. They are awesome.

AMP is a full service event management, entertainment and media company in Bellevue. Our website is in the process of being re-done. I will let you know when it is up and running so you can check it out!

Watch out for more pictures to follow.

Seattle Fashion Week 2009

I am the lead Public Relations contact for SFW09, April 16-18. From time-to-time, I will post press releases on here. Feel free to send them out to people you know.

We are currently looking for designers who want to be a part of the runway shows. If you are interested, or know someone who might be, please let me know!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Pauline Tuohy
425.443.6937

SEATTLE FASHION WEEK ANNOUNCES SPRING 2009 RUNWAY SHOWCASE APRIL 16 - 18

Seattle, WA (Feb 9, 2009) - Seattle Fashionistas get ready; Seattle Fashion Week (SFW) is less than three months away. As designers work to complete their collections, SFW is hosting a variety of events leading up to the runway shows, being held April 16–April 18.

SFW’s three-day, runway presentation will be held from April 16 – 18. The festivities start April 15 with a Kick-Off Party hosted at Ibiza Dinner Club. Independent designer and urban designer shows will take place April 16 and 17. The finale evening wear and couture runway show will be held April 18.

All Seattle Fashion Week Spring 2009 runway shows will be held at Fremont Studios, a 20,000 square foot venue with industry standard sound, stage, and lighting. SFW expects more than 4,000 people to attend the runway shows. Not only will they review collections, but they will recognize the importance and economic impact that the fashion industry has on Seattle.

Designers featured in this event will vary from local independent designers, a select international designer, and a student designer. The three-day event will consist of runway shows, a marketplace, live performances, sponsor booths, displays, V.I.P. parties, and more.

In addition to three days of designer shows, SFW will be hosting also had the following events: performing artist auditions, model casting and student designer competitions.

One of SFW’s ongoing goals is to integrate fashion and culture though music. This year’s runway shows will showcase a blend of up-and-coming local artists including DJ’s and vocalists. Performing artist auditions were held January 29 at Heaven Nightclub. The event was a success, with about 200 people attending. The judges chose 11 artists to perform at SFW.

(NOTE: Model casting is already happened by the time we send out this press release so update for this part will be needed going out)

In addition to performing artists, SFW is searching for established and aspiring models. Open model casting will be held February 5 at Fremont Studios from 4:00 – 8:00 p.m.

SFW is pleased to add a student designer competition to the show this year sponsored by Comcast. Students from various Seattle art and fashion institutes will submitted their designs in hopes of being able to present their line on the runway. The final student designer competition and judging will take place February 26 at Ibiza Dinner Lounge located in Pioneer Square. This event will be open to the public.

Further details and announcements on this event will follow. For more information, press contacts, please visit us online at www.seattlefashionweek.net.

Inspiration

Hello Everyone,

Well, here it is, my first blog, I'm proud of myself for getting this thing up and running (with the great help of my friend Steve). I have to say that I have been browsing through a lot of blogs and I am extremely inspired by so many many of them. Some are so fantastic! The pictures and content amaze me, and in turn, inspire me to make my own blog amazing as well (so hopefully one day it is).

A few weekends ago I went to the Bellevue Bridal Expo, and had the pleasure of meeting and talking to Heather Gilson from One Love Photo. After photographing an event, she picks out one picture and creates a collage out of it. Her work is amazing, she is so creative and creates such unique artwork. I definitely want one for myself one day! Here are a few of my favorites:

Check out her website at OneLovePhoto.com