Be Inspired...It's a New Year...A New Beginning! Live the Life You Want

"Do not wait until the conditions are perfect to begin. Beginning makes the conditions perfect." ~ Alan Cohen

Hi My Friends,

Well the New Year is quickly approaching and as I'm sure many of you do I tend to look back at the past year and reflect on my life.  This past year for me was filled with wonderful new beginnings.  A lot of them were scary at the time, leaps of faith and believing in myself and those closest to me.  What I discovered is that in order to make big and wonderful things happen you have to be willing to take big risks, and know that if some things don't work out just as you planned they will work out as they are meant to.

So many of us spend our lives waiting for what we think is the "perfect" moment... to have a baby, allow love into our lives, leave a job or to follow your passions but what I've learned is there is never a "perfect" time.  Just taking that first scary step towards your goal is as perfect as it is going to get.  Now, of course there is a lot to be said for preparing your life the best you can before taking the leap.  Maybe start with baby steps leading up to that big leap!

But for all of you who have had a dream or thought over and over I want this to change or this is the life I want someday...I say This is Your Year...start the planning and make 2013 the year you decide to LIVE THE LIFE YOU WANT.  If you believe in yourself and you work hard and put thought and care and love into your life, then it can and will happen.  But here's the trick...only YOU can make it happen.  You can't wait for anyone else to make you happy, it's your life and so you need to do what is best for you.

I decided to write and publish this blog a couple of days before the new year hoping that you will all stop and really think about your life this past year and think about how you would like the rest of your life to be and then on Tuesday January 1, 2013 I hope that you will start the process of LIVING THE LIFE YOU WANT, each day take a step towards you passions, your love...your new life filled with happiness because it will be the life you've chosen.  With each baby step you take I guarantee you will feel such a sense of happiness knowing that you've decided on your life's path instead of letting life just happen to you. When we have or make a choice on our path we feel more empowered and more appreciative of the little things, each little goal we accomplish is a little victory in our own little world.  This past year, as I said, I've made some life changing decisions and I've had so many little victories that I celebrate each day because they are all part of my dreams and my passions coming together and I'm living my life as I've always dreamed it should be.  It's hard and it's scary and I worry...but it's wonderful because it's for me.

Living the life you want doesn't mean that everyone needs to make life altering decisions it's just having less I should have's in your life and more I did's.  It's setting goals that are always in the back of your mind pecking at you and actually accomplishing them.  For some in might be getting in shape (setting realistic goals for diet and exercise instead of going out there and killing yourself for a few days and then giving up), others in might be starting the new hobby you've always wanted to try but never made time for ( signing up for classes and just making the time for something you've always wanted to do),

for some it may be looking at the relationship they are in and saying I want more in my life while others may decide they want to commit for a lifetime, for some it may be time to take a risk and go looking a new love (there are so many options now to meet new and interesting people) , for others it may be looking at their job and realizing that everyday getting up is something they dread and it's time to make a plan to wake up in the morning and look forward to life again (this may mean taking a few steps backward in order to go forward, but sometimes quality of life is worth way more than the amount of money in your check each week), for others it's just planning on a special vacation they've always dreamed of taking (start that special savings account just for the trip and each time you deposit into the account you'll be excited knowing your finally going to take that special trip).  The possibilities are endless!!  

I hope that you will all reflect on where you have been and where you would like to go on life's path and take those first few steps towards your new beginning...

 I wish for each and everyone of you a year full of new adventures and happiness!
 I wish for you... The Life You Want To Live!

Cheers to 2013 and New Beginnings...
XO, Valerie

Valerie Mosher
Owner, Boutique Events
www.boutique-events.net

Be Inspired...Have a stress free wedding by hiring a wedding planner!


Hi All,
As I write this there are many newly engaged couples and there will be many more over the next few weeks and months.  Congratulations to all of you!!

!

 The holidays, the New Year and Valentines Day are the most popular time of the year for men to propose to their lady loves and this is also the time of year that wedding planners start getting phone calls asking....what now?   What do I do? Help!!

The best advice I can give any newly engaged couple is: Hire a professional  wedding planner / event planner - this should be your first step when planning any wedding or event.

Whether it is a destination wedding, a small elegant wedding,  a luxury wedding or a tented wedding, all weddings need the help of a professional wedding consultant to help guide you through the process.  Even though all of these weddings are very different they all have many many pieces to be arranged from the very first decisions like the date and location to the overall atmosphere, budgets, vendors....and the lists are just endless.  Gathering all of this information so that you can make the best decisions for your special day is what a wedding planner does.  They deal with the stress, the contracts, the timelines and all of the drudgery so that you can deal with the fun stuff like the food tastings, the floral selections, linens and of course the dress... selecting the right wedding planner can make this whole experience memorable and stress free.

How do you know which is the right planner for you?  Every bride is different as is every wedding planner, I suggest you meet with the prospective planner in their office.  You can tell a lot about someone by how they surround themselves in the private spaces.  The initial consultation is a time to see if you and the planner get along and understand each other, does the planner understand your vision, you will be spending a lot of time over the next year with this person, you need to select the planner you feel will guide you with your best interests at heart. 

Valerie Mosher
Owner / Principle Planner of Boutique Events
www.boutique-events.net / 561-252-0963

At Boutique Events, we believe we are your personal wedding consultants, we are there to assist you in every aspect of your wedding planning and we gather as much information as possible and then work with you to make the best decisions for "your" specific event. No two events are the same, your wedding will reflect your personal style, your personality and your aesthetic. We invite our clients to visit us at our Jupiter offices for a complimentary consultation to get to know us and then we prepare a preliminary quote based on that meeting.

Our goal is for our couples to leave their wedding saying "WOW" that was the most amazing time of my life, it was exactly what I've always envisioned for my wedding and I will never forget it! Then and only then do we know that we did our jobs...

Cheers to all of you newly engaged couples ~ we wish you a lifetime of love and happiness!!

XO, 

Valerie

http://www.boutique-events.net/#!about-valerie/c186s

Be Inspired....Cheers! Open Bar?  A Champagne Toast? Signature Cocktail?

Hi All,

Today Karra ( you saw her trying on dresses in an earlier blog ) and I were talking about all of the many many little pieces that come together to create not only a fabulous event but also create your signature event.  From the venue to cuisine, to the entertainment and even the bar service if all are done well, all of these elements work together to create an atmosphere that reflects your taste and style.  Over the next few days and weeks I'll talk about specific elements of your event that need your attention just as much as your "dress" does. :)  Boutique Events wedding planning offers all of the services you need to create your atmosphere - we make it easy and fun!!

Since we were talking about Karra's beverage service options today I thought that is where we would start.  There is no right or wrong in anything I'll be talking about but...there is what is appropriate for your event and what may be expected.

If you decide to have no liquor, no wine, no beer ... no alcohol of any kind at your event, that is your right and your prerogative.  One would assume that anyone coming to your celebration will know you well enough to not expect spirits of any kind.  Creating a beautiful beverage display and a signature nonalcoholic beverage is key to making this part of your day.

Serving minimal alcoholic beverages such as beer and wine can be done a few ways as well.  There are kegs, which if using a keg I like to dress this up a bit by using chilled mugs instead of red solo cups :)  And as all us ladies can attest drinking wine out of a plastic cup is just...a no no... a lovely wine glass can make even the less the great wine taste special.

So much of everything about any event is in the presentation!  This little tid bit will come up over and over again in my future blogs...presentation is everything!

Okay so now we've come to the full bar option.  One piece of advice, if you are going to have a full bar, it should be an open bar, if you can not afford an open bar then scale back and offer your guests what you can afford.  These are your guests and you have invited them to come and celebrate your special day. (I'm also so against tip jars, please pay your server well enough that they don't feel compelled to need tips to make a decent wage).  A full bar is probably the standard and has been for many years but you can upgrade here by having a mixologist concocting fabulous made to order drinks, right there in front of your guests.  This adds that little something extra.  And no...I'm not talking Tom Cruise in "Cocktail"(although that wouldn't be so bad :) )

Toasting is something that is not done as much with champagne as it has been in the past.  I believe it is fine to have your guests toast with what they are drinking - there are those like myself who love champagne and enjoy toasting with it, so I think you should have it offered but not pre poured.  I've seen so much of it wasted that it is just wise for so many reasons to let up a little on this tradition and just go with the flow!

I hope these tips helped a little!  Cheers...
xo, Valerie


PS...There is always the option of saving money and providing your own alcohol and hiring staff to serve it such as www.butlersandbartenders.com - they allow you to enjoy your party!

Happy Halloween Friends,

I've been so busy setting up the new office there has been little time to sit down and say Hi!  to all of my friends here on my blog.  I'll be writing again soon but didn't want to miss saying... have a spooky and safe Halloween!  xo, Valerie

Be Inspired...Live each day as if it was your birthday!

Good Morning,

" God gave us the gift of life: it is up to us to give ourselves the gift of living
well" Voltaire 




 I've always felt that birthdays give each of us a chance to start anew.  It's a time to reflect on your past, enjoy the present and prepare for the future.

It's exciting to decide that the world is there for the taking if you are willing to try new adventures, open your heart, learn to forgive both others and yourself.  It's kind of like New Years Day except this is your special day!

There are those who look at the calendar and lament about what they could have or should have done and there are those who think that the best has gone by and that all there is left in their lives is to grow old.

 There are even those people who look to calendars to see how much time we all have left to live!

I believe that if we all lived each day as a new beginning and celebrated each day as if were our birthday and then the world would be a much happier place.  It's a choice...it's actually quite simple.

I guess this why I love my job so much.  At Boutique Events we are always celebrating those special moments in a persons life.  Whether we are busy planning a wedding or an event we know we are planning a day full of love and happiness for our clients, their friends and families.  We are very lucky to do what we are passionate about and to be able to share in so many other peoples happiness.

Let's face it, none of us knows "when" will be our last day, so why not enjoy each and everyday.  Be Inspired...Be Happy and Live Well!  xo, Valerie

ps...Happy Birthday to my Pat ~ Wishing you a year full of happiness and new adventures xo

Be Inspired...The Call of The Wild

Good Morning Friends,

As I wind down my time here at the Northern Command Center better know as Sparta, New Jersey I can't help but reflect on all of the beautiful animals I spent my summer with.  I thought I would share a little bit of my summer with you.  Enjoy xo, Valerie

Every year I come to the Northeast hoping to see a bear, this year I had 5 separate bear sightings and twice they were on our property!

Bree the sweetest dog ever

Deer are Everywhere and they are so cute!






The most exciting animal encounter is when this Scottish Highland Redhair Cow, who is with child, ended up in the pool.  Pat saved the pregnant cow....my hero!

And finally the most frightening animal I've ever encounter in person

Jill the Cat

Be Inspired...Fall is in the air

Hi everyone,

What a refreshing time of year it is here in the Northeast, the air is brisk with bright blue skies and the trees are like glorious individual works of art.  Each with it's own burst of colors one more beautiful than the next!

It's a great time to bring the outdoors in, whether carving pumpkins or creating tablescapes, there are no rules! In our home for example I tend to like a little more bling and sparkle and Pat is more traditional so we do both.  The trick to making it look cohesive is to incorporate similar elements into each.  For fall adding colorful leaves and nuts as well as candles into all of our tablescapes keeps a sense of balance.  You could also accomplish this by
using the same colors but different elements.

Fall is a perfect time for family time.  Whether it's going to a ballgame, carving pumpkins or apple picking the entire family can get involved and create those special memories I'm always talking about!  Think about it...how often when you are with family and friends do you say "remember when".  Those moments are usually full of family and friends doing the simple things in life that end up meaning so much later in life.  So, Be Inspired...enjoy the season, your family and friends.

XO, Valerie

Be Inspired...Dress Inspiration

Good Morning,

This past week was a big one for the bridal world it was Bridal Market week and many designers debuted their 2013 collections.  Below are a few of the amazing gowns shown at the Vera Wang show late last week.  I'm attaching the link to her blog on my blog list if you would like to see more...believe me you do!  A quote from Vera's blog...

Vera describes the gowns as "an exploration of laces, all handwrought, pieced, appliqued and tossed onto an assortment of light, airy confections with a casual nonchalance.

Unfortunately, not everyone can afford a dress from Ms. Wang's collection but you can use them as inspiration when dreaming of the dress you do select to walk down the aisle in.  Pick and choose your favorite elements of different designers and look for them in dresses you can afford.

An for those of you who are lucky enough to be able to wear a Vera Wang Collection Gown... :)

xo, Valerie





Look 1: Strapless mermaid floating lace gown over web lace with horsehair and tulle shrug.| 

 Look 2: Strapless corded bodice ball gown with lace and organza wave flange skirt.  Floral corsage at 

Look 4: Strapless modified ball gown with ribbon embroidered bodice and textured organza skirt over honeycomb crinoline.  Silk organza hand rolled petal collar at neck. | Photography: Dan Lecca

Be...Inspired ~ Creating Treasured Moments

Good Morning,

Planning a wedding can be stressful, if you let it.  But taking the time to find happiness and creating special moments with those closest to you are the moments you'll treasure for years to come.  Remember to bring a camera with you to document each step leading up to your wedding day. 

 Below is one of our brides, Karra, with her daughter, Lilly trying on wedding and flower girl dresses.  This trip was to Davids Bridal one of many bridal shops that we will visit selecting the perfect wedding gown.  This moment is one they will surely treasure.  I enjoyed being able to take the photos for them throughout the day and look forward to taking more as we go through the next few months leading up to her big day!  

We had such fun with one of her maids of honor, a bridesmaid and her daughter laughing and making it a special day for everyone involved.  Most brides have a vision of what they want their dress to look like, but you will be surprised that trying on dresses outside your comfort zone can sometimes lead to the "perfect" dress, or just a few laughs!

Boutique Events planning process includes helping find the perfect gown ~ it's  one of my most favorite parts of my job as your wedding planner.  

xo, Valerie

ps...Karra is my daughter ~ We are having a great time planning her special day!!

Be...Inspired ~ Finding inspiration everywhere

Good Morning All,

I get asked a lot where I come up with new and creative ideas for our events.  The world is my inspiration...everywhere I go, everything I see inspires me.  I'm always looking at decor, fabrics, food and wondering how can I somehow use this element in a Boutique Event wedding or celebration.  I keep storyboards of my ideas, just as I do for my brides ~ view our planning process on my website www.boutique-events.net ~ and then someday they appear in one of our fabulous events!

Below is an example of an inspiration piece.  Yesterday, I went to the Chelsea Market and this was in the stairway of Anthropology.  It was beautiful, I love the glass globes and the backdrop.  I'll find a way in the future to incorporate pieces of this in a event.  I took lots of photos yesterday and I'll refer to them often. 

Be...Inspired ~ Go out and find your inspiration in the everyday.  Keep a folder, scrapbook or pin board so that you will be able to refer to these inspiration pieces often.  Have Fun!

xo, Valerie

Enjoying whats right in front of us

Hi All,

Welcome to  -   Be...Inspired by Boutique Events.  Our website will be full of fun ideas for weddings, events and life!  I hope that everyone enjoys....This is my first post a bit of a test run.  I promise the information will follow soon.

xo,
Valerie

Be Inspired...to enjoy nature.

I'm lucky enough to live in two states the photo above reminds me of our Southern Command Center as we call it in Jupiter, Florida.  It is so easy to take for granted what is right in front of us.  We live on the ocean and I rarely actually go out and walk on the beach.  Currently I'm at our Northern Command Center in the beautiful hills of New Jersey enjoying the fall season.  I realized today that I've been so cooped up working that I didn't take advantage of this gorgeous weather we had today, a little chilly with bright blue skies...perfect!