Lorena and Henry

Working on last minute details for Lorena and Henry's wedding. Check out these beautiful pictures from their engagement session with Kristen Swanson. What a great couple!

Imagine Events in Belle Magazine's Vintage Wedding Issue

Have you all seen the latest issue of Belle Magazine? This is one of my favorite covers to date!

I was asked to write another article for this issue giving tips on how to have a vintage inspired wedding on pages 10 and 11. This is one of my favorite wedding themes and topics to talk about, so I had a lot of fun with this one. The great thing is that even if you're not having a vintage themed wedding, you can still incorporate the tips in your own special day. For example, for my Moroccan themed wedding next year, I will be wearing the same lace veil that my grandmother and mother wore on their wedding day. Also, I will be incorporating vintage vases and dinnerware at the reception. You can be as creative as you want with your own heirlooms in planning your wedding.

Also, check out the articles written by former Imagine Event's intern, Graciela Razo!

Enjoy the issue!

Teleflora Workshop

We're always looking for opportunities to gain more experience in the events industry. So when we were invited to attend Teleflora's New Mexico/West Texas "Hot Summer, Cool Designs" workshop a few weeks ago, we jumped at the chance. Wilton Hardy, Telflora Education Specialist was the guest speaker. Mr. Hardy has been in the floral industry for 60 years and presented new trends and techniques in floral design. It was a great opportunity for us to gain more knowledge about the floral industry and pass it along to our clients. We learned a lot and are excited about attending the next workshop!

Guest speaker and industry veteran, Wilton Hardy

After the workshop, all of the sample arrangements were auctioned off. Karina and I even purchased some of them. Here are a few of the beautiful arrangements.

Couple Spotlight: April and Jesse

Imagine Events clients, April Armijo and Jesse Gonzalez are a fun, easy going couple who will be married August 28. Their ceremony will be at Queen of Peace Catholic Church, and the reception and dance will be held at the Camino Real Hotel. I will be sharing their journey planning their special day from the decor and dance lessons, to the fashion and the anticipation of their big day.

How long have you been engaged?

We've been engaged for two and a half years.

Tells us how you proposed.

My method of proposing was after a New Year's party we attended in April's hometown. I knew I wanted to propose to April after our first date. I've never been the romantic type and being aware that she was, I wanted to offer my love and committment to her as best as I possibly could. I purchased a ring with a nice piece of "bling bling" on it. I carried it everyday for more than a year trying to find the right moment to get on one knee and ask her for her hand in marriage. We celebrated at the stroke of midnight with hugs and kisses followed by going to our room and April immediately jumping into bed and me pacing back and forth...I saw April lying there knowing she was the one for me. I kneeled next to her bedside as she opened her eyes asking me if something was wrong. I replied by saying," I have something to ask you." She stayed staring at me as I asked,"Will you marry me" while holding the ring in my hand. She smiled and asked me if I was drunk. I presented her with the ring which lead to tears and the anticipated "yes!"

Why did you decide to hire a wedding planner?

April and I both felt we would like to avoid conflict between families over which grandma would do this or which aunt would help with that. Especially, with our moms! Also, we didn't have a clue where to start planning a wedding, and Angelica with Imagine Events has been a blessing and a true professional in her field. April and I met numerous wedding planners, and no one came close to Angelica and her awe-inspiring ideas and her willingness to help with every angle of the planning.

What has been your favorite part of the planning?

All of the cake tastings have been incredible. Almost to the point where April and I just want to say,"Can we try something else?" April and I make most of our decisions together, but planning this wedding together has brought us closer in understanding each other's style...

As far as the wedding, what are you most excited about?

I'm most excited about the ceremony and saying "I Do". I'm looking forward to seeing Angelica in action with our guests. It's excting to know that we will have both our families together sharing our moment with us.

Imagine Event's second feature in Belle Magazine

We were thrilled when Belle Magazine asked us to design a second tablescape for their preppy Hampton's wedding issue. We thought the sea lion exhibit at El Paso Zoo would be the perfect backdrop. Since the nautical style is All-American, I incorporated plaid napkins, bottles of pink lemonade and a blueberry pie bar. Trend Alert: Several of our clients have wanted something different than a traditional wedding cake, so I am having a small wedding cake for the bride and groom and a candy, dessert or pie bar for their guests to enjoy. On the dessert table, I also set up jars of saltwater taffy for guests to take home as favors. I added natural elements including bamboo placemats, seashells, coral and loops of rope to channel the rope used on boats. Navy polka dotted ribbon on the cake and an image of an anchor on the menu cards were the preppy finishing touches. In addition, the photography by Jesse Ramirez of La Foto Bella was awesome. I had fun designing this table and thank John and Alex at Belle for this opportunity! Take a look on pages 18 and 19 http://bellethemagazine.blogspot.com/

Client Love

We have been so fortunate to have been able to work with such great clients! Here are a few photographs of some of our fabulous clients on their special day, courtesy of Felix y Anaya.

Priscilla and Jimmy's Wedding

Yesenia Vega's Quinceanera

Claudia Abraham's Wedding

Wedding Photography Trend: Trash the Dress

Trash the dress is a radical trend in wedding photography where the bride has a photoshoot after the wedding in her wedding dress. The catch? She literally trashes her wedding dress! She is photographed in places where a bride wouldn't be able to take pictures the day of the wedding like in a body of water, a dirty city street or even under water. The term Trash the Dress was originally coined by renowned wedding photographer John Michael Cooper. Personally, I love my wedding dress too much to do this, but I really like the concept. Ladies, would any of you consider doing this?

Matrixchic

Chelsea Nicole Photography

Chelsea Nicole Photography

Sean Azul Photography

Haran Photography

Trash the Dress Online

Imagine Events Featured In Belle Magazine's Eco-Friendly Issue

We were asked to design an eco-friendly tablescape and write an article about eco-friendly weddings for this month's issue of Belle Magazine!

For the table, I knew that I wanted a design that goes beyond the traditional concept of eco-friendly decor. My sisters and I have always had a love for vintage clothing and accessories, so I decided to use this as an inspiration for the table. Using vintage items reduces the waste that comes from the consumption of buying new items. It's also a great way to have something completely unique because it is one-of-a-kind. I loved the idea of incorporating a log into the centerpiece, so the talented Lynn from Fiori Flower Studio and I came up with a centerpiece filled with white flowers and greenery. Lynn added unique elements like a piece of green quartz, an artichoke and a mini cactus.

Since Belle Magazine is a local publication, I wanted the article to be relevant to El Paso brides, so I wrote about what our own clients have done for their weddings. Take note from them on some of the many ways you can make your wedding or special event more eco-conscious.

Click here to view the complete issue. What do you think about our tablescape on page 16-17 and article on page 10-11?

Unique Wedding Registry: Honeyfund

I'm in a fun postiton right now because I'm not only a wedding and event coordinator, but I'm also engaged! My fiance, Che and I have been engaged six months and are having so much planning our May 2011 wedding. With my job, I am always keeping current with new wedding trends and ideas, so now that I'm a bride to be, I am in overdrive absorbing everthing related to weddings, and I'm loving it!!!














One of my latest favorite finds is http://www.honeyfund.com/, an online honeymoon registry. This is ideal for couples who are living together and already have items found on a traditional registry like houseware and appliances or for couples who simply want help with their honeymoon. It's a free service (unless you opt for Honeyfund Premium which gives you more profile design options but isn't necessary) and the website is user friendly and easy to navigate.

I like suggesting Honeyfund to my clients and it's been a big hit! Che and I have also decided to use this site for our own registry. Here is a link to the profile we've created to give you an idea of how it works: www.honeyfund.com/wedding/juarezrazo

For your guests who aren't internet savvy, I recommend still registering for some items from a store. Either way, setting up a wedding registry is fun and gives you the opportunity to plan for life after the wedding!

What To Look For When Hiring a Coordinator For Your Next Event

There are many things to consider when hiring a coordinator for your event. Here is a list of points to look at when shopping for a wedding or event planner:

1. How many years of experience does the person have with planning a wedding/quinceanera/event?

Experience in planning the type of event you are having is key. Many seasoned event planners will tell you that from all of the training, workshops and college courses available, the most important part of their success is their experience.

2. Do they have a portfolio?

Being able to see phototgraphs of events that the person has designed or coordinated gives you the opportunity to see the quality of their work and whether they share your same style.

3. Does they have references?

When you meet with a planner for the first time, it is similar to a job interview, so why not ask for references! Speak with a couple of their past clients. If the planner has happy customers, theses customers are likely willing to give a recommendation and talk about their good experience with others.

4. Are they accredited with the Better Business Bureau?

This one is very important. When businesses are accredited with the Better Business Bureau, they have been approved as a business that is committed to honesty with its customers, has a proven track record, and operates with integrity on all levels. BBB accredited businesses are also given a rating from A+ to F based on customer reviews. Visit their website at http://www.bbb.org/ for a list of all BBB accredited businesses, ratings and customer reviews.

Imagine Events' Tablescape Table Featured In Belle Magazine!

Check out the table we designed for the El Paso Pro Musica Guild Tablescapes 2010 in the latest issue of Belle Magazine on page 37!

Inspiration

Blue and purple dendrobium orchids are a dream!

Registered on mobile blog!

Welcome to the Imagine Events Blog!

Hello Everyone!

My name is Angelica Razo, and I am the Wedding and Event Coordinator for Imagine Events. I began working at Imagine Events as an intern in September of 2008. After seven month of shadowing Veronica Valles, the owner of Imagine Events, I was promoted to Assistant Event Coordinator, and eventually became the head Event Coordinator.

I have wanted to blog about my experiences with event coordination and my love for weddings and quinceanera planning for a long time. Now, with the launch of our new website coming soon, I thought this would be a great opportunity to begin.

My goal is to share my knowledge and passion for weddings, quinceaneras and events with my readers. I want to give readers practical, fun and beautiful ideas and advice for their big day. I will be blogging about decor and design ideas, tips on how to have a great event on a budget and wedding trends. I will also be featuring some of our clients and their journey towards their big day.

Welcome to the Imagine Events blog!