(Penny and Shannon at their 2004 New Year’s Eve wedding, photo by Steve Mastroianni)

I think it is safe to say that 2009 was a tough year all around – from people we lost too early to the recession, everyone was affected in some way or another.  There were, as always, pockets of light and joy and I think that speaks to the true human spirit and our ability to still find ways to celebrate the things in life that matter including love and commitment.

In 2009, we were lucky enough to work with some amazing couples, families and vendors.  2010 is shaping up to be another great year full of happy couples, gorgeous weddings and lots of love and laughter.  We have so many wonderful things on the horizon and I can’t wait to share them with you throughout the coming year!

To all my clients, past, present and future – thank you for being part of my life and allowing me to be a part of yours as well as continuing to bring me daily doses of friendship, laughter, challenges, fun and joy.

To the other vendors who are lucky enough to call the wedding and event industry home – thank you for being my ‘co-workers’ and making me a better planner.  And thank you for helping me take such great care of our clients.

Happy New Year and may 2010 be the best year ever!

The official numbers say that nearly 40% of engagements take place between Thanksgiving and Valentine’s Day – that is a lot of yeses, happy tears, puppies with rings around their necks and diamonds!  Congratulations to all the newly engaged couples and welcome to the wonderful world of wedding planning!

If you are like most newly minted brides and grooms to be, you are probably feeling at least a touch overwhelmed and unsure of what to do first.  Don’t panic, that is completely normal and beyond common.  So besides the obvious first step -  calling (614.678.6320) or emailing (emilie {at} emilieduncan {dot} com) me – there are some definite do’s and do not’s when it comes to the first steps.  This is actually a collection of posts from this past summer called First Things First:

A is for Attendants
B is for Budget
C is for Contracts
D is for Date
E is for Eating
F is for Formality
G is for Gowns
H is for Hair
I is for Inspiration
J is for Jewelry
K is for Keepsakes
L is for License
M is for Mailing List
N is for NCAA, NBA, NFL, NHL and MBA
O is for Old
P is for Priorities
Q is for Questions
R is for Relatives
S is for Size
T is for Theme
U is for Unfortunate Monograms
V is for Vendors
W is for Wedding Planner
X is for eXercise
Y is for You
Z is for Zzzzzzzzs

And if you aren’t in the mood to open 26 different pages, here is the whole category in just one: First Things First.

Good luck and congratulations again – I look forward to hearing from you and helping you get started!

On a separate note, a very special congratulations to my lovely friend Michele and her groom to be, Billy, who just got engaged on Thursday night. Love you guys!