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!