Tuesday, December 15, 2009

A new dimension to wedding planning is born. January 12th, 2010. Wedding Group Therapy!

“Wedding Therapy” is a group therapy session led by Mary Dann-McNamee for brides and grooms, together or separate, to help them both physically and emotionally along the journey of wedding planning. These sessions will give insight in to what to expect at every stage of the wedding planning process. Wedding Therapy is a safe and confidential setting to share your feelings, thoughts, and fears throughout your journey; perfect for brides and grooms who would like to gain some information on everything from budget and timeline, to how to deal with their family. We all benefit when we share with each other in this safe, secure, and confidential environment. As a mediator for the group, I hope to help participants be more gracious, more accepting, and more joyful on their wedding day. I want to inspire them to be able to get through their disappointments with grace and wisdom. Group size is anywhere between 8 and 20 people. Price is $25 per person. Space is limited so please book early! Email us at m@marydann.com to reserve your spot today!

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Award Won, MyVideoMyVoice Featured

We are so thrilled that John Goolsby’s video of our bride and groom (Freedman Wedding at The Resort at Pelican Hill) seeing their wedding video footage on same day through www.MyVideoMyVoice.com albums won the Orange County’s Association of Bridal Consultants Trendsetter Award for Same Day Edit and Video Book Distribution. Below is the link, which you can also find on my website, that won the award!

http://weddingvideo.com/videos/pelican-hill-resort-newport-coast-same-day-edit-video-book-distribution


Much Gratitude,
Mary Dann-McNamee

Monday, December 7, 2009

The Party Goddess Posts About Wedding Wisdom!

I am so excited that Ji San You from The Party Goddess took the time to post about Wedding Wisdom on her blog! She is so sweet, and I have nothing but kind words to say about her! Check out her website and the blog post!

Also, don't forget to follow her on twitter! www.twitter.com/thepartygoddess

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Sean Azul Photography, Grace's 4th Birthday!

I want to give a HUGE thank you to one of my favorite photographers, Sean Azul. He’s so terrific! Sean so kindly took pictures of my daughter’s birthday party a couple weeks ago. The shots are beautiful, as you can see below, and it was so great to have him be a part of our family party. He always seems to be right there, never missing a beat, catching all the good shots! For that I am so grateful to him. Thanks again Sean for your continued support. It’s always a pleasure working with you.






Much Gratitude,

Mary Dann-McNamee

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Wonderful Weekend Wedding!

This past Saturday I had Mariam and Afshin’s (Persian) wedding at the Island Hotel in Newport Beach! It was absolutely stunning! Square Root (Alex) did an outstanding job with centerpieces, fabric treatment, brown suede lounge areas.. it felt like a night club… and the floral décor was out of this world!! I cannot wait to see the pictures and I will make sure to share them with you as soon as I get them. Barnet Photography will get them to me soon. I also loved the choreographed show/ first dance (w/ 6 sparkly dressed dancers). It was rocking! The others that made the wedding day outstanding are: Glenn at The Island Hotel, Layla and the Lotus Dance Company, 4th Dimension Entertainment, Fusion Chairs, Mi Media Productions(lighting), Ashley Video and Joe and Mirta from Barnet PhotographyHere is what Mariam texted me the next day: “Thank u for EVERYTHING we had a wonderful time and so did everyone else.U were amazing last night. I don’t know what I would have done w/o you…"











I hope everyone had a fabulous Thanksgiving!!

Much Gratitude,

Mary

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Thanksgiving is almost here!

The holidays have arrived and I love this time of year! A tradition that I always do and absolutely love is creating a custom holiday card! Every year it is a challenge for me to think of something more creative to send to my dearest family and friends. This year I am working on something very special...so stay tuned! :-)

But first things first, Thanksgiving is almost here! This year we are celebrating at my sister Rose's house. This year my husband and I are doing the turkey and mashed potatoes...they are my favorite! I do have a secret recipe that I will share with you! The secret ingredient, celery root! When I boil the skinned potatoes, I boil them with skinned celery root. Once the potatoes and celery root have softened, I mash them together. When the celery is softened, it has the same consistency as the potato. The celery root adds a distinctive fresh flavor. Then you add all of the other goodies...butter, salt, etc. There you go....my Thanksgiving tip from me to you! I hope you all have a fabulous Thanksgiving!

Much gratitude,
Mary

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Looks like Excitement in the Future!

A lot of public appearances coming up in the next couple of months that I’m getting excited and ready for! First, we’re working on our first book signing at the Barnes and Nobles in Manhattan Beach in January. We’ll know an exact date soon so be sure to check back! I’m also looking forward to being a speaker at the American Association of Bridal Consultants California Chapters within the first quarter of 2010. And tomorrow, Wednesday, November 18th, I’m speaking at the ISES’s Meet the Masters!! This is where ISES Los Angeles Chapter recognizes our industry accomplishments as a leader in our field and I feel honored to be a part of it! I get to meet chapter members and guests in a relaxed environment and speak casually and honestly about my profession. The event will be held at the Pasadena Convention Center and there are still seats available!! You can purchase them at the door for $115. Hopefully I will see you there!!

Much Gratitude,
Mary

Friday, November 13, 2009

My little girl Gracie turn 4 on Monday!

My little girl Gracie is turning 4 this coming Monday! She’s growing up sooo fast! This year she decided she wanted to have her birthday at Adventure Plex in Manhattan Beach… she is super active and loves shakin her crazies out… Adventure Plex is a great place for kids to run around and play. It fosters an active, healthy lifestyle for children through a range of challenging and exciting activities in a safe, structured and fun environment. We made pink goody bags for all the girls and blue goody bags for all the boys. Gracie and I had decorated the invites and goody bags with plenty of stickers. Thanks to Isabel Gonzales who video taped the day and Sean Azul who photographed her amazing celebration...I will post pics next week.

A picture of Gracie at her party!


Have a fabulous weekend!

Much Gratitude,
Mary

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Today in the office!

The sales continue with Wedding Wisdom and we’re busy busy in the office booking new clients and getting ready for Mariam and Afshin’s wedding in just a couple short weeks! I am finally getting the hang of twitter and LOVING it!! Two weeks ago I didn’t imagine I would have received so much publicity via facebook! Amazing!! It’s really exciting and I recommend that anyone who owns their own business or trying to promote a business, utilize this social marketing avenue: Twitter. I actually just recommended to my good friend, April Storms, who is the new Director of Sales at the Andaz Hotel, to make sure she is tweeting! My sweetie Grace’s 4th birthday is coming up so we have several days of celebration. She just can’t wait to turn 4 and play with all her friends! She’s so cute and I feel blessed! I hope everyone is having a fabulous Tuesday! Thanks for all the continued support! Stay tuned for my upcoming Holiday specials on The Balanced Planner DVD and Wedding Wisdom.

Much Gratitude,
Mary Dann-McNamee

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

WEDDING WISDOM

My book WEDDING WISDOM has arrived, and selling !! And I’m thrilled!! The books came in on Friday, I started signing on Saturday and on Monday the over 100 books went out to all the planners that pre-purchased them over the past year! A special thanks again to those who contributed to my “special thanks” page. I have since sold 20 more books and feel so blessed because my co-creator, Leila Kahlil, http://www.beinspiredpr.com/ twittered about it on Tuesday and the response was HUGE!!! Thanks for all the support. I love knowing that I get to help other wedding planners be better at the job that they love. You can purchase WEDDING WISDOM on my website for $35 (for hard bound) plus $10 (shipping, tax + autographed) Please also check out: www.inspiredbythis.com/2009/11/media-monday-our-first-book-is-published-wedding-wisdom



Much Gratitude,
Mary Dann-McNamee

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

I am now on Twitter!

It’s only Tuesday but already the week has been a full of excitement! All new and great things! First, I finally gave in and joined twitter so please follow me @marydann! Took me awhile but so far so great! It’s exciting!!! I look forward to following you all as well… so please send me your twitter address! Second, I just returned from a top secret audition for a celebrity who will be getting married on TV! I can’t say much about it… but more to come!!
And….
WEDDING WISDOM, count down begins !!! The books will be at my office on 11.2 and will be signed and sent out next week…Many preordered the book (thank you) at $25 last year at the ABC convention. The book is now $ 35. plus shipping

Friday, October 23, 2009

This past Tuesday I made a trip out to San Diego to attended Ceremony Magazine’s party at Rancho Valencia in Rancho Sante Fe! On my way to the event, I stopped to say “hi” to my friends at La Costa Resort and Spa where I introduced them to the video books (www. Myvideomyvoice) and will be partnering with their marketing department to increase visibility of the amazing resort via the a custom video book. After my lovely meeting, I was off to Rancho Valencia Resort for Ceremony’s Magazine’s annual event. It was a truly beautiful setting and the resort has a small quaint feel. Amongst the featured vendors at the event were Raj Tents, Lounge Appeal, and The Wayne Foster Band! We sipped yummy martinis and enjoyed delicious treats by a few different catering companies including The Abbey! I played catch up with one of my favorite catering managers, Paige Levy of The Grand Del Mar, who is going to get a custom video book to feature their resort! I also had a great conversation with Jason Taylor of Taylor films and he’s going to become a distributor of the book. All great news and we’re thrilled the video books are taking off!

Below is a picture of myself with my event manager Constance Curtis along with Vanessa of Lollipop Events.



Much Gratitude,
Mary

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

This past Sunday I was invited by Mindy to attend and speak at "The Most Ridiculous Wedding Event Ever", by Mindy Weiss, where I introduced MyVideoMyVoice to other leading industry vendors and many brides to be! The event was held at The Mark in Los Angeles, CA. There were many other vendors who spoke as well including, Inside Weddings, Images by Lighting, Cake Divas, Elizabeth Messina, Jay Goldman Photography and many more. I was extremely impressed with Amy Atlas's dessert tables! Amy flew all the way in from NY to show us her treats.. and what a treat it was! I was very pleased with the popular reaction of MyVideoMyVoice. From save the dates to guest books, many ideas were swarming the air! Below are pictures from the event!






Much Gratitude,
Mary

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

My partnership over the past month with AmeriChip has been extremely exciting and I had the honor of speaking about the new video memory books two Sundays ago at the Bloomingdales in Century City, CA. The event was a success and there was so much interest of the video memory books… everyone is thrilled and cant wait to start purchasing! Bloomingdales even asked that I give them my wands to display at their bridal registry department…. Thanks KCee J I also enjoyed catching up with old vendors and meeting new, especially Jorge Perez from Waterford Crystal. Enjoy the pictures below and hopefully I’ll see you at my next speaking event. Enjoy the pictures below!


Speaking about the memory books













Demonstrating how the book works
Jorge from Waterford and I at the Bloomingdales event!


Much Gratitude,
Mary Dann-McNamee

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Speaking at Mindy Weiss's “The Most Ridiculous Wedding Event Ever!”

I am thrilled to be a part of Mindy Weiss’s “The Most Ridiculous Wedding Event Ever!” Mindy’s show will be a fun, hands-on, learning experience to show brides and wedding coordinators how to throw the most ridiculously perfect wedding or event ever! I have been asked to speak at the event and showcase the most ridiculous new and amazing trend on the wedding market, MyVideoMyVoice memory books! Other top vendors in the industry who will be attending are Cake Divas, Classic Party Rentals, West Coast Music.. and the list goes on and on! The event is this Sunday, October 10th at 9:00 am! For information on how to attend visit http://mindyweiss.com/ridiculous-wedding-event/schedule/

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Christine and Marco's Wedding, The Beverly Hills Hotel

Two weekends ago I did a gorgeous wedding for my clients, Christine Andrawes and Marcos Magar. The ceremony was held at a really beautiful Coptic church in Los Angeles. After that guests traveled over to the Beverly Hills Hotel for a wonderful evening of dinner and dancing. The hotel could not have been any more fabulous to work with, especially our catering manager, Jennifer Cohen. Also on board were Classic Limos, Platinum Peaks Entertainment, Elegant Music, Chivari Chairs 4 Rent, Bella Event Services, Level 5 International, George Tavern Photography, Cheesy Photobooths, Enchanted Florist, and the fabulous American Acrobatics!

Christine, Marcos and their families were just terrific and I really enjoyed being by their side for the planning process. I hope you enjoy a few pictures below!








Monday, September 28, 2009

The "Pre-Wedding" Wedding Show

I’m thrilled to be speaking at Bloomingdale’s this weekend for the “Pre-Wedding” Wedding Party hosted along with Inside Weddings! I am going to be talking about the five “hot trends” in weddings this year, including my favorite...the fabulous new Video Memory Book! It can be used as a….
-save the date
-wedding favor
-invitation
-guest book

It is this Sunday, October 4th at the Bloomindales in Century City from 11am to 3pm. Don’t miss out on this incredible event.

Priscilla and Zack - Complete Wedding Book

It was such a pleasure working with Natasha Chornesky and Chris Cozzone from Complete Wedding Book for Priscilla Hernandez and Zack Munoz’s wedding on September 12th! Although Danny Baker from Epic Imagery was their hired photographer, Natasha came on board to document 3 days before the wedding, the wedding day, and the day after the wedding. They interviewed family and key members of the bridal party to get more information about the lovely couple. All of these images and interviews will be put into a 60-70 page book with insights from the couple, family, and all involved from the weekend. For more information about this fabulous product go to http://www.completeweddingbook.com/


Monday, September 21, 2009

Mindy Weiss and Lehr & Black to Partner with the Video Guest Book

I have some very exciting news about the progress of the Video Guest Book!! I had the pleasure of meeting with two fabulous women (Ellen Black and Mindy Weiss) last week to introduce my video my voice video book and they were thrilled!!!

First I met with Ellen Black from the gorgeous stationery company Lehr and Black. She loved the book so much she is going to become a distributor! Stay tuned how she will customize this amazing technology.

After that I met with the fabulous wedding planner to the stars, Mindy Weiss and she loved the idea of the video book and video cards! She has invited me to come share the book and the cards at her “Most Ridiculous Bridal Show Ever” on October 11th, in Los Angeles

I am so happy that my video my voice video books are being launched in Los Angeles!!!

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Upcoming Wedding in Pasadena and Hot Wedding Trends!

The team and I are getting ready for a fabulous wedding weekend at Holy Family Catholic Church in South Pasadena and then to The Castle Green in Old Town Pasadena! Over the past year, we’ve had the privilege to work with Priscilla and Zack to make their dream wedding come to life! One of the most satisfying rewards about being a wedding planner is the intimate journey of planning a dream wedding day…and having all the many details successfully come together for 2 very special people! It is like being a mom, you love everyone just as much, and everyone is slightly differently. In addition, I have been gathering my 8000+ favorite wedding professionals, brides and past clients email addresses to send out a big blast on the HOTTEST trend in the Wedding Industry!! Stay tuned for more next week…and please email me your email address if you don’t think I have it so you can be one of the first to hear about the new trend!

Much Gratitude and Many Blessings,
Mary

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

The Wedding of Ashun Freedman and Taylor Williams Part 2

It’s Part 2 of Ashun and Taylor’s Wedding! If you haven’t seen the video I posted a few weeks ago be sure to check it out on my previous post about Ashun and Taylor. I just received some photos from Jon Barber and I couldn’t resist doing another post about this fabulous couple. Ashun and Taylor, along with their families were so fun to work with, so it was no surprise to see how much fun they were having with all of their family and friends on the dance floor. Both the bride and groom looked absolutely stunning, and every single detail of their wedding was perfect! Their florist, Growing Wild, did a wonderful job for their long time clients. The Freedman’s have been getting their flowers from Growing Wild for years, so it was fun for them to see Ashun on her big day! I hope you enjoy these additional pictures to the previous video I posted!











Thursday, August 20, 2009

ABC at the Viceroy

Monday night I had the pleasure of speaking at the Association of Bridal Consultants (ABC) meeting held at the The Viceory in Santa Monica! It was so great to see some familiar faces as well meet some new ones. I spoke about “Growing You Team Without Overextending Yourself: The Art of Delegation.” You might say, “This sounds familiar!” And it is, because this is the same topic as the DVD I produced for the Florida ABC Convention just a few weeks ago. The topic has been well received by the Florida ABC as well as the LA Chapter last night. It was a wonderful night and I hope to have more like it soon!

Our Number 1 Seller...Wedding Wands!









Tuesday, August 11, 2009

The Wedding of Ashun Freedman and Taylor Williams

I just finished a 3 day wedding weekend, in honor of Ashun Freedman and Taylor Williams at The Resort at Pelican Hill, Newport Coast, California (Orange County). I had the pleasure of working with Fran Bruun-Anderson (Catering Manager) and the entire team at the finest resort! This property has quickly become my favorite location for a destination wedding. Full of European style, first class service and rolling hills with ocean views. They have private bungalows up to 4 bedroom villas, all surrounded by the gorgeous coastline, not to mention a butler at every turn waiting to assist you. It is truly the dream location for a princess bride.

I had the pleasure of working with the girls at Studio Agency for hair and make up, Level 4 International for rentals and lighting, Unique Table Tops for rentals, Chameleon Chairs and Elegant Designs for linens, VOX DJs, Enchanted Evening Productions and the USC Marching band for entertainment and Jon Barber and Isabel Gonzalez for photo and video. I also loved the late night coffee, donuts and corn dogs all provided by Manhattan Beach Coffee and The Fry Girl. It was a truly a lavish wedding in every detail.

Here is a little video put together by John Goolsby http://weddingvideo.com/page.aspx?pgid=11&vid=241 who was also there to capture some footage to put together the new digital guest book I have been talking about. More to follow on the digital guest book…Enjoy!

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Americhip Advisory Board

I am so excited to share some Top Secret news with you! I just got asked to be on the Americhip Advisory Board for a brand new digital guest book creation! The fabulous book will showcase some special video from the wedding as messages from guests. It’s going to be a great new product, I can’t wait to release more information soon!

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

In Honor of Brooke Stadler and Tyson Deklavs

I am pleased to share with you this lovely wedding I just did at The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel. Brooke looked absolutely stunning, and Tyson looked equally as handsome. Brooke and her mom, Jeannie (from the Woodlands, Texas)were such exceptional ladies to work with!!! An amazing mom-daughter combo!! It was so fun to work with their Southern charm and meet guests from both families. Among the fabulous vendors I worked with are Kimberly Hoppe from The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel, Enchanted Florist, Ashley Video, Arthur Garcia (their family photographer!) Earl Alexander Band by DeBois, Pawnshop Kings, Wildflower Linens, Unique Tabletop Rentals, Elegant Designs and Level 4 International. As you can see it was a full team that all working in collaboration to create the perfect wedding for Brooke and Tyson…and it was just that way. I hope you enjoy a few pictures of their fuchsia and black wedding.