{Warning: this isn’t so much of a happy, upbeat post but it has been on my mind and heart for a while and it seemed like a good time to post it}

My mother in law passed away on Friday, July 15, 2011.  That is her, my husband and Abby at my Abby’s 1st birthday party last year.

It wasn’t completely unexpected (she had been battling kidney cancer for nearly 2 years) but the end was very fast and very sudden.  We scrambled to get things together in Columbus so we could go to Cincy and say our goodbyes.  It was a hectic and very emotional time in my family, as I am sure you can imagine.

I sent an email to all my existing couples letting them know I would be out of town and out of touch for a while.  I also put an out of the office message on my email that stated very plainly that due to a death in the family, we would be closed until the following Wednesday.  When I checked my email on Sunday I was overwhelmed with the kind words and true concern that my clients showed to my family.  It was a wonderful validation that I have built an incredible client family.

I also had in inquiry from a bride getting married in 2012 that was sent late Friday night – note this was well after I put on the out of office message.  I responded to her, asking her for some information about her wedding.  She emailed me back the next day (Monday) telling me that I had “taken too long” and was unprofessional for not getting back to her immediately and that it was “my loss” for not being more attentive to someone as “important” as her.

Give that a minute to sink in.

Someone who hadn’t hired me, someone I had never spoken to, someone who was told via an automated email message that I was dealing with a death in the family told me that my response time of 2 days over the weekend wasn’t fast enough.  I wish I were kidding.

Needless to say, I did NOT respond to that email and I frankly pity the poor vendors who wound up working with her.

Why am I sharing this story?  Because sometimes the world needs to be reminded that wedding vendors are humans too.  We LOVE what we do but we often work weird hours (many wedding vendors take Mondays off since we work so many Saturdays) and we have non-wedding related lives that we have to tend to as well.  If a photographer doesn’t respond to your Friday afternoon email until the following Tuesday or a venue doesn’t call you back for a day or two or a baker takes a while to get back to you…cut them some slack.   You never know what might be going on in their lives – their mother in law might have passed away, they might be ill themselves, or they might have just rushed their spouse to the hospital.

After all, wedding vendors are humans too.

Hope everyone has a safe, happy and delicious Thanksgiving surrounded by those you love.  Happy Thanksgiving and please know if you are reading this, we’re thankful for you!

We recently celebrated my youngest daughter Abigail Grace’s 1st birthday with a small party of friends and family.

I kept the decor relatively simple with a red and turquoise color scheme – the turquoise actually matches Abby’s eyes so it seemed appropriate!

Abby’s bib and birthday hat – both made by my incredibly talented Mom!

A red and turquoise candy buffet and ridiculously delicious cupcakes from The Suisse Shop!

Pictures from each month of Abby’s life – printed and backed with pretty paper and hung in the hallway.

Abigail Grace – my blue eyed birthday girl!

This is how Abby enjoyed her birthday cupcake – she went pretty much face first into it after that first hesitant taste!

One of the funniest pictures from the party – Marshall had accidentally snapped the elastic on his party hat under his chin.  The thing that cracks me up is the other three big kids chowing down on cupcakes, unmoved by Marshall’s tears.  Don’t worry, the little guy was fine – he calmed right down and enjoyed his cupcake with the other kids quite quickly.

A huge thanks to Grogan Studios for taking these lovely pictures of the party!

In honor of one of my personal heroes and the day we remember his life and legacy, I give you one of my favorite quotes from Martin Luther King, Jr.

“I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.” ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

That we all should remember that is my hope for today and every day.

Cakes for a Cause 2010 was one of the events I am most proud of having been a part of!  We raised a lot of money (nearly $5000 in one night!) for a GREAT cause (Mid-Ohio Food Bank’s Operation Feed), auctioned and raffled off some really fun items (cake, pies, photo sessions, jewelry – all kinds of sweet tooth tempting treats), had some great food and drinks and generally had an all around great time! To add icing to that awesome cake, we were awarded the Most Outstanding New Campaign from Operation Feed.  Yep, really, really proud!

I am thrilled that Cakes for a Cause is back and even sweeter for 2011!  Save March 1 for another great evening at the Mid Ohio Food Bank’s beautiful facility in Grove City.  Great food, awesome auction items and new for 2011, our Sweet Victory baking competition!

Cakes for a Cause 2010 was an outstanding success and while we shattered our original goal of raising 4380 meals, we were 400 meals short of 10,000.  400 meals or $200.  Our official goal this year is to hit that 10,000 meal mark but our pie-in-the-sky, we-don’t-say-it-out-loud, that-would-be-the-best-day-ever is to feed 12 people every meal for a year.  3 families of 4 people.  Every meal.  That is 13,140 meals or $6570.  Even if we fall short, every dollar provides two meals for Operation Feed and helps the hungry right here in Central Ohio.  So, can we do it?  I KNOW we can hit 10,000 but can we do the bigger goal?  We’ll find out on March 1!

Tickets go on sale TODAY at noon: http://cakesforacause2011.eventbrite.com – they are $27 and include your admission, five tasting tickets and a voting ballot for the Sweet Victory Competition, food from some great local caterers and more – there will be something to satisfy every sweet tooth!

If you want to learn more, there are several places to get info:
Website: Cakes for a Cause
Twitter: cakesforacause
Facebook: Cakes for a Cause – Columbus

Join us on March 1 – we promise it will be a sweet evening with lots of surprises!

From my little family to yours, a very Merry Christmas – I hope that Santa was as good to you as he was to our family!

Emilie

(photos courtesy of Grogan Studios)

As I sit snuggled with my daughters watching a movie, a bit too full from a delicious dinner shared with my family and a dear friend, I am reminded how very lucky I am and how much I have to be thankful for.  I am so very grateful for the people in my life – friends, family, clients and colleagues.  If you are reading this, I am thankful for you as well.

I hope you spent the day surrounded by those you love the most, remembering the things we have to be thankful for and the opportunities in the future.

Finally, many congrats to those newly engaged couples!  Today marks the start of the engagement season and we’ll be open tomorrow for those who want to get started right away!

Happy Thanksgiving from Emilie Duncan Event Planning!

Well, hello there!  Long time no see – I have been a bit busy loving on our newest addition and getting ready for a little event called Cakes for a Cause!

Well, Abby is doing beautifully and Cakes for a Cause was last night and a HUGE success!  My dear friend Kasey and I co-planned and hosted the event at the Mid-Ohio Foodbank to benefit the Mid-Ohio Foodbank’s Operation Feed. We are so proud of how the event turned out – everyone had a great time and we raised a lot of money for a great cause!

We are still tallying the final donation but it looks like we raised $5000 or 10,000 meals!  Our original goal was to raise enough to provide every meal for a family of 4 for a year but we managed to raise enough to feed 9 people!  How cool is that?

Believe me when I say that Columbus has some seriously talented bakers and confectioners!  Here is a little sneak peek of the room and a few of the cakes – can’t wait to share more when we get them.

Kasey and I won this cake in the silent auction and served it to all the attendees – don’t worry, we kept the top layer and a few strawberries for ourselves. 

If you missed Cakes for a Cause 2010, trust me when I say that Cakes for a Cause 2011 is going to be even more sweet!

Images courtesy of C Studios

Just a quick update – Abigail Grace was born at 5:29 pm on Friday, February 26.

She weighed in at 8 lbs, 10 oz and was 20 inches long.  She has my blue eyes and lot of brown hair.

Ellie is loving being a big sister and has been a great helper for mommy and daddy.  So far, life with two little girls has been quite lovely!

Just a reminder, I am on modified maternity leave until the end of March and only checking email and voice mail once in a while so please be a little patient while we continue to get settled!

You know you haven’t been updating your blog enough when your mom calls to tell you she was looking at her Blogroll and noticed you hadn’t updated in a really long time.  I have a good excuse – between my wonderful clients, Cakes for a Cause and getting ready for this baby, I have also been working on blogs for other people!

Today, I was featured on The Stylish Planner.  The lovely Jeannine gives a good idea of how we met (and yes, the story is a long, but funny one) and we are Twitter friends as well.  She asked me to talk a little about managing pregnancy while maintaining your style and I was completely flattered!

Click here to read my post on maternity fashion tips!

And if you haven’t put two and two together – I am pregnant with Ellie’s little sister and will be delivering any day.  I will be on maternity leave for about a month once that happens but still checking my email and voicemail from time to time.  I look forward to introducing the newest addition to our family very soon!

Thanks to Jeannine for the opportunity to share my maternity tips with your readers!