Let's Hear It For The Bride: Guam Based Lifestyle Blogger

I'm so excited to write about this previous client, Abby Himes.  One of the best parts of my job is creating friendships with my couples and then staying in touch after the wedding.  I've actually know Abby since high school and she hired me to help plan her stateside wedding while she was living in Guam with her Navy husband Chris after they were married in a 2009 civil ceremony.  Their vow renewal/ "family & friends" wedding was held on October 3, 2010 and she has contributed to some guest posts (here and here) on her experience.  While moving half the way across the world might seem impossible to some people, Abby has taken on the challenge head on and has inspired me along the way.

Abby started a blog to log all of her adventures when she first moved to Guam after Chris' initial deployment in May 2009.  Just in the past few months she has moved/ updated to a new blog, Seaweed & Sassafras.  I subscribe to S&S on my Google Reader and it has become one of my favorite lifestyle blogs!  It is a fun and info packed blog with great posts on shopping, healthy recipes, travel and eco friendly issues close to Abby's heart.  I have to admit that posting is a huge task to keep up with and Abby's posts always make me want to make time right then & there to work on the FCW blog.  This post showcases her love of running (she ran a half marathon last year!) and has great ideas for gear including a super useful water bottle that I'm pretty in love with.  Oh and she posted this week that she is offering a Cuisinart Giveaway, you know, just because she is awesome.

And in case you needed more evidence of awesome, Abby is featured in Fitness Magazine's 12 Healthy Success Stories!  While she has always been fit, in the article Abby discusses how moving to Guam inspired her to try different fitness activities outside her comfort zone.  She went from the elliptical machine to zip lining, hiking and running lots of races like that half marathon.  Trying new fitness activities sure beats a treadmill slump!  Be sure to check her blog out and I know you won't be disappointed. 

Let's Hear It For The Bride- Diamond Girl

SO, I have the BEST brides. True statement. The grooms are great too, don't get me wrong, but I typically have the most contact with the bride gearing up for the big day. In the first minute or two of an introductory meeting I know what kind of wedding this newlywed is envisioning and I'm already crazily spinning ideas. All of the weddings I have done are completely different & I would not want it any other way. I love stretching my ideas & inspirations as a wedding planner and adding new visions to my portfolio. Since I do love all my brides, I decided to start featuring my brides and what makes each of them uniquely awesome in my "let's hear it for the bride" section.  Enjoy!

First up is my lovely May 22nd bride, Mrs. Diamond. She is creative (the DIY queen!), lovely, and it was so much fun to work with as her day of planner. I featured her wedding in the post Vendor Love: Lindsay MacDonald Photography.  This bride had a definite vision, shares my love of details, and was incredibly laid back and easy going- all key qualities that a planner thrives on.  As a thank you after the wedding, this bride sent me a great thank you note with a necklace from her Joies Etsy shop. Working on her wedding was such a pleasure and now, this necklace has become my default/wear all the time necklace! Talk about great benefits! She told me in the note that she has a lot more time to work on her jewelry now that all the planning is over and I'm really excited to keep up with Joies shop. To get an idea of her style, I included part of her bio on Etsy and some photos. Do yourself a favor and check out her whole site!

Joies Bio: I create handmade simple and sweet jewelry that hopefully brings a smile to your face. After all, that's my goal! I use glass beads, wood, metals, stone, and minerals to create original pieces for everyday wear. My designs are all inspired by nature – whether it be the grove of trees behind my house, or the many birds that stop by the bird feeder. There is inspiration everywhere to create a simple and sweet design.