Dear ruffle god, all I know is, I’m totally and outerly in love with these ruffle chargers from Crate and Barrel. It is my belief that ruffles should be everywhere possible and now that you’ve made this possible by allowing some genius person to design these charges, I’m grateful.
Now, I just need to justify the need to have a set of eight in every color for my future theme dinner parties.
Grateful for ruffles,
Violaine Diogene
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Back on January 12, 2010, it seemed as though time stood still as my home country of Haiti was in peril after an earthquake of catastrophic proportion hit the small island. Though life is not at all what it should be or what it was for some Haitians, life continues to move and people continues to do the best they can.
In my weekly visit to Style Me Pretty, I was stricken by this stunning engagement session which was photographed by KT Merry in Haiti just a few weeks ago. The pictures brought tears to my eyes because it showcases the beauty of my small country. It showcases the uncovered and unrecognized beaches, the unimaginable mountain views from just about every corner and most of all, the strength of its people.
KT Merry did such an amazing job capturing all the different sides to the country. They’ve simply stolen my heart with the true shots taken in the clearly distraught streets of Port-Au-Prince. I love the shots of the blue and turquoise homes which represents life on the Island. I love the shot of the store front and the shot of the couple crossing the street while the background clearly showcases the devastation of the earthquake.
What can I say about all the amazing photos in the garden, on the balcony of their stunning home and on the beach? They took me back to a time in my childhood when I lived with my father and just behind our home, was the beach. It took me back to my home where my driveway was framed by stunning rose gardens, mango trees and coconut trees. All the pictures truly brought me back home.
Obviously, I can go on and on about the personal ties I feel to this couple and the pictures but I’ll stop and let the pictures speak for themselves.
Grateful for KT Merry,
Violaine Diogene
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Ok, how incredibly cute is this tuxedo-styled linen napkin? Can you imagine your guest’s faces when they walk up and see this darling display on their plates? I simply adore it!
Violaine Diogene
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How incredibly adorable are these lime green costume pair of sneakers by Converse? I came across these while visiting the amazing Memory Journalists who captured the pictures in Sacramento. Oh, don’t worry, your groom can customize his pair as well. I’m truly giddy about personalizing a certain pair for a certain planner. Yours truly; Violaine 
Giddy about Converse,
Violaine Diogene
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More often than not, a bride will say to me, “my hotel has a wedding planner” or “My Catering Sales Manager said I don’t need a separate wedding planner!” Since I’ve played both roles (I was a Catering Sales Manager for a Hilton property) I thought I should take a moment and perhaps attempt to clarify the difference between the two roles.
Yes, you’ve found a beautiful hotel, a mansion, a country club, or a private home where you will host one of the most important (if not the most important) event of your life. This venue is staffed with a Catering Sales Manager and you’re assuming this person will serve as your wedding planner. Allow me to explain. A Catering Sales Manager is employed by the venue and primarily specializes in booking events/weddings for the venue. A Catering Sales Manager can have 1-5 weddings at the same time depending the size of the venue and wedding season. A Catering Sales Manager is usually on location for your wedding day and will often depart once the first course is served. I also like to stress to my brides that the Catering Sales Manager is employed by the hotel and can also be terminated without notice to you by the hotel.
A Wedding Planner, is a personal consultant who is employed by you and depend on what you contract him or her for, they are with you in all aspects of the planning of your wedding. Your planner will be at hand to assist without hesitation in the negotiation process, will mediate when needed, will design, be a confident and really help eliminate most of the stress that comes with planning a wedding. Your planner will attend meetings with you and on your behalf. Your planner will be the go to person at your wedding and point of contact for all your vendors.
When you know the specific services of the two different roles, it will help ensure there are no surprises on your wedding day.
Your Catering Sales Manager will provide the following services
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Cater to you upon the initial contact to the venue. They will provide a personal tour of the venue.
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Send a proposal to you or catering package with the venue’s food and beverage minimum or if you’re renting a venue (Mansions, Museum, Private Homes, etc) they tell you what the rental fee is.
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Sign the contract for the property and give you their list of recommended vendors.
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Assist you in the menu selection (If they’re providing the catering)
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Conduct a personal tasting with you to finalize your menu
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Provide you with a BEO (Banquet Event Order) which is standard in hotels and is basically a contract outlining your event. From the food you selected, your beverage selection, what time you would like the event to start and all specifics of your event (the part that’s happening in the venue. If your ceremony is not taking place at the venue, this will not be listed on the BEO) to ensure flawless communication to the operational team.
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Design a floor plan of your function space which will allow you to provide seating arrangements
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Create an estimate of charges outlining your financial commitments to the venue/caterer
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Will oversee the ceremony and/or reception room/rooms set up and other venue/catering operations
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Ensures the hotel delivers what was contracted
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Ensures the banquet captain is equip for a seamless transition to handle the event when he/she leaves
Your Wedding Planner (depends on what kind of services you contracted) will do the following.
- Provides full-service coordination from your engagement party to your honeymoon activities
- Will go venue shopping with you
- Negotiate your contracts on your behalf
- Provide a range of professional referrals to accommodate your taste, style and budget
- Assist in the designing of your event
- Provides assistant with etiquette and protocol your invitations, registry, colors, ceremony toast, bridesmaids luncheon, rehearsal dinner and all wedding related matters.
- Available to you to discuss your event or sometimes have dinner to take a break from the planning
- Attends vendor meetings with you
- Meets with all your vendors to ensure all things contracted are being handled accordingly
- Negotiate and establish room blocks with different hotels to accommodate your guests
- Coordinate activities for your out of town guests
- Manages your hotel room block
- Designs a comprehensive vendor payment schedule according to their contract
- Works directly with hotel/venue to ensure diagram, BEOs and menus are correct
- Act as a liaison between your family, (yes, your family and they also play shrink and referee when needed) bridal party, photographer, videographer, band/DJ, florist, caterer and the many more vendors that it takes to produce a spectacular event.
- Provides assistance in planning all events pertaining to your wedding
- Designs complete timeline for all events happening on your wedding weekend and ensure all essential parties have the timeline
- Coordinate and direct your ceremony rehearsal
- Assist the wedding party, mother of the bride, certainly the bride with getting ready if needed.
- At hand the day of the wedding from to ensure the wedding party have their bouquets, corsages and others. Also assist the groom where needed (usually an assistant is at hand to do that if contracted) with the pinning of the boutonnieres.
- At hand to ensure arrangement of all ceremony/reception programs, escort cards, favors, place cards, personal items (your mom’s toasting flutes, cake knives, guest book, your grandparents photos and any other personal items.)
- Direct the ceremony line up with the bridal party, parents and most important of all; bride!
- Works directly with the venue and catering staff to ensure the proper setup of the reception room
- Coordinate the reception lineup with the grand entrance of the parents of the bride a groom, the bridal party, bride and groom’s grand entrance, first dances, toasts, gown changes, cake cutting, garter toss and grand exit
- Ensures gifts are collected and delivered to the appropriate parties.
- Stays well after bride and grooms depart to ensure all personal items are collected and rented items are properly stored and or picked up.
Sorry for the long post but I hope you found it useful. You also know you can reach me with any questions you may have.
Happy planning,
Violaine Diogene
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If I could, I would wear heels day in, day out. I would wear them to bed (sometimes I do when it’s a new pair that needs to be broken into) I would run in them (if they were comfortable enough) I would even take showers in them! I’ve been in love and I mean in serious love with shoes since college and I don’t see this love affair going away anytime soon. So, from now on, I’m thinking every Monday, we’ll feature a stunning pair to start the week of.
While visiting one of my favorite spots, I came across these stunning little numbers on Net-a-Porter and I had to share.
Without a doubt, the shoes below are simply delicious and would compliment any gown your heart so desires. But personally my favorite is the white leather sandals by Giuseppe Zanotti.
The is features a four and a half inches brushed silver-tone heel with half inch floating platform. The sandals have a silver diamanté-embellished trim, silver-tone hardware, stud detailing, an open toe, cutout sides, ring detail, a buckle fastening at the side and ankle and a back zip fastening. Uhm, you can stop dreaming now.
Which one’s your favorite?
A shoe lover,
Violaine Diogene
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| Leave a Comment Well hello heels! May I introduce you to a new close friend of mine? Meet shoe-clips from Linden Lovebirds. These lovely little flower clips were design to add a burst of color, a little bit of sass, a little bit of elegant funk and perhaps a mini lift?
These little burst of colored clips are all handmade and custom in your colors. Think how cute these would be on your bride’s maid’s shoes and just think, they can use them over and over again. I vote you buy a few and surprise your girls with a paid in your next opportunity.
I, on the other hand, I’m getting the burned orange, and multi colored rose.
Thinking of my heels,
Violaine Diogene
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Dear Posh Girl Vintage, I just wanted to say I love your stunning and delicious 1940s to 1970s dresses. Thank you for being a vintage clothing freak & collector since the, shall we say “tender” age of thirteen as it shows your dedication to provide quality clothing to those whom appreciate the ability to be unique.
After visiting your site on a regular basis, I can tell you that I love just about everything you have on the site, but the dresses below are my absolute favorites. I’m thinking the first two will be in my front door just in time for my birthday!
Inspired by the 1940s era,
Violaine Diogene
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When I came across this stunning wedding on Stylemepretty.com I can tell you, I gasped at how stunning this bride was in her darling Monique Lhullier gown. What I love even more than the gown are the pictures of the love and excitement shared with her soon to be husband which was clearly printed all over their faces. Docuvitae did an exceptional job in capturing the most intimate moments between this bride and groom.
To be honest, this post was suppose to be all about her gown but the amazing pictures captured my every thought and I decided to post these pictures which clearly tells their story of how they felt when they saw each other before they became man and wife. I simply adore the look of anticipation on the groom’s face as he awaits his bride and the excitement on the brides face going to see her groom. She was so excite for him to see her in her wedding gown and you can’t help but be excited for her, with her. And that, my darlings, is what great photography is all about!
Inspired by Docuvitae,
Violaine Diogene
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Looking for design insparations? Well, look no further! Take a look at the exclusive and might I say, dreamy, Matthew Williamson wedding collection available at Net-A-Porter.
What can’t you design around these gowns?
Loving Matthew Williamson,
Violaine Diogene
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