Jul 6, 2012
If you feel like this is deja vu’, yes, a Lake Tahoe wedding is elegantly represented again in the Knot Northern California Magazine but this wedding is nothing like our last. Different style, color and inspiration but equally inspiring, fresh and breathtaking!
Susi and Brian met through mutual friends at a birthday party one night in San Francisco. After talking for two hours they each had a special feeling about where this might lead. Two years later, both connoisseurs of food and wine, Brian popped the fateful question after a gourmet dinner in the new house they just bought together.
Both avid outdoor sports enthusiasts, Susi and Brian love Lake Tahoe and naturally turned to this scenic location for the backdrop to their wedding. With the help of Merrily Wed, they selected a breathtaking private lake view venue to host their 114 guests. Top of their priorities was serving the best food and wine with a scenic location. We think they succeeded!
Guests will be talking about this charming, warm and stylish wedding for a long time to come. Congratulations Susi and Brian!
Tahoe Signature of Style,
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Jun 21, 2012 |
If there was a nursery rhyme that summed up Erin and Shawn’s Lake Tahoe wedding, it might go something like this:
What are little grooms made of?
What are little grooms made of?
Flasks and skulls
And skateboard wheels,
That’s what little grooms are made of.
What are little brides made of?
What are little brides made of?
Lavender and white
And dresses so nice,
That’s what little brides are made of.
Only the best lakefront wedding site could draw them from their tropical Hawaiian home in Maui to wed on the mainland and that is what they had. Maybe the little fact that they also met in Lake Tahoe might have had something to do with it!
From all things sweet and feminine – white orchids, sprigs of lavender, blushing bridesmaids to all things masculine and daring – ring bearer skateboard, personalized flasks (filled of course), a skull groom’s cake and cake toppers; the contrasting details really made their wedding uniquely them! But isn’t that what a wedding is all about? The blending and union of two separate personalities to become one. Aaaww, yes a little sappy and sentimental but must be the mood I am in!
Congratulations to our Maui Ohana, Erin and Shawn!
Floral artistry by Bellissima Floral.
Tahoe Signature of Style,
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May 23, 2012
Several posts ago I introduced you to Michelle Van Otten, a respected San Francisco Bay Area author, international public speaker and consultant with expertise in personal peak performance, business image, first impressions and body language. Here is our second in a series of guest posts in which she will give you valuable hints, tips and clues – helping you to become the most magnetic, radiant, confident version of you possible.
This time around it is all about how to speak confidently and deliver a wedding toast others won’t tune out after the first sentence. Whether you are a maid of honor, best man, mother or father of the bride or groom, or just speaking at a non-wedding event, remember these six tips (or pass them on to someone who needs them)!
6 Powerful Tips for Speaking with Magnetic Confidence and Delivering an Unforgettable Speech or Toast
Jerry Seinfeld said it best…”People at a funeral would rather be in the coffin than delivering the eulogy!” Public speaking may be top on the list of all human fears, but what I am about to share with you will help you eliminate any fear and step into your innate ability to deliver a powerful, unforgettable speech. You can do this and with a little practice you can become a master. Here’s what you need to know…
1. Let’s begin with the basic fact that 93% of our communication with others is non-verbal. That’s right! Only 7% of communication is what you actually say. Non-verbal communication is the single most potent form of communication there is and it’s the very first thing you need to know about how you show up to others. Your 93% comes through your mood, emotions, body language, tone of voice, facial expressions and appearance before a single word is spoken. Knowing that you are already going to be filled with positive emotions and looking and feeling your best, you can relax about the what to say part because you know that the majority of what you are conveying is already being said.
2. The most important thing you must remember about speaking with a group is that connection matters more than anything! When you grab the mic, take a deep breath as you make eye contact with each and every person you can. Taking them in and connecting with them through your eyes first. Let them feel your heart and your emotions and you will move them to tears.
3. Convey confidence and presence with your posture and body language. Stand tall and ground yourself through your feet first. Then lift up through your collar bone as if there were strings attached to your collarbone and those strings were lifting you straight up to the sky. Not only will you appear elongated and graceful, you’ll look elegant and self-assured.
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4. Remember to breathe! Pausing to breath helps your oxygenate your brain and body and also serves you in being more powerful with your delivery.
5. Use cue cards and make bullet points rather than painstakingly writing out a long speech you have to read. Remember that as long as what you say comes from your heart and is a true reflection of your authenticity and uniqueness, people will always be moved and inspired by you. You can’t get that wrong!
6. Relax and know that the difference between being a mediocre speaker and a great speaker is simply knowing that it’s all about the energy you give and the experience you create for others rather than focusing on getting the words right or saying it perfectly. Just be your glorious, beautiful self and speak from your heart. You’ll receive a standing ovation every time.
Follow these steps and Michelle Van Otten will help you give the most magnetic, radiant, confident speech possible! Success in any endeavor is always an inside job first and an outside job second. You’ve got to have the inner game in order to reflect a stellar outer game. She is the master at showing you how easy it is to achieve your ultimate self!
Tahoe Signature of Style,
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Apr 19, 2012
sweet \’swet\ adj. 1) pleasing to the taste 2) ABBY & NIC’s Tahoe wedding 3) pleasing to the mind or feelings 4) much loved: dear 5) wholesome 6) fine, great – Source, Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary
This Lake Tahoe Wedding is definitely sweet in every aspect of the literal word. From Catering Magazine to Style Me Pretty, everyone seems to be smitten by this wedding. Like a warm chocolate chip cookie fresh from the oven, one just can’t get enough of it! More of Abby and Nic’s lakefront wedding is on Style Me Pretty’s fine wedding blog today.
Some of the mouth-watering images from this colorful and lip smacking sweet soiree:
The personal details of the bride and groom run a plenty – their photo in their newspaper style program with crosswords and Tahoe Tessie trivia, multi-direction sign of personal places and namesake candy bar are just a few. They coined their signature cocktail after Tahoe Tessie and this mythical creature starred in the book on the bar (just in case you wanted to do some light reading). They love to ride beach cruisers and this cute bike stamp pops up in unexpected places.
Punches of orange through out the reception and ceremony kept a fresh, playful vibe. Seersucker suits on the groomsmen and ring bearers were perfect for the mid-summer wedding.
Abby loves pennants and the organic nature of wine corks – these outlined table numbers, were the perfect backing for bar menus, filled decor jars.. The colorful flag pennants graced the bars – liquor and candy, mimicked on the cake topper (with correctly matching attire of the big bride and groom) and wrapped around surrounding tree trunks in which wooden hearts also dangled.
The Here Comes the Bride sign cleverly plays double duty with Just Married on the backside. The Lake, as always, was captivating and provided quite the show with giant waves.
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Thank you to Bellissima Floral for designing the ravishing flowers which were a showstopper everywhere! And none of this would be crushed upon without the photographic talents of Jay Reilly and Courtney Aaron.
I can only think of one way to sum this up – “How sweet it is to be loved by you…” – James Taylor.
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Tahoe Signature of Style,
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Apr 10, 2012
Michelle Van Otten
Meet Michelle Van Otten, a respected San Francisco Bay Area author, international public speaker and consultant with expertise in personal peak performance, business image, first impressions and body language. This is the first of a series of guest posts in which she will give you valuable hints, tips and clues – helping you to become the most magnetic, radiant, confident version of you possible!
Beauty Is an Inside Job First
As you imagine your wedding day, one of the most unforgettable and memorable days of your life, how do you see yourself and your day unfold? Are you radiant and exuding authentic beauty that seems to come from within your soul? Are you beaming with confidence and feeling your best? Are you proud of your physical appearance and deriving such joy from how you look and feel? Are you calm and accepting of what is and embracing all the little flaws of life for what they are and laughing them off?
All of these are some of the most important questions to ask yourself so that you can truly set the intention to create yourself as the best you can be on that day (and every day) as well as the intention you want to create for your loved ones and your husband to be.
To help you shine and be seen for your brilliance, I thought I would offer you 8 stellar tips and simple suggestions for how to create magnetic confidence so you can really love living in your skin on your glorious day! You are truly amazing and I want you to be remembered for your vibrancy and seen through the lens of the intentions you set.
1. Set your vision and the ultimate intention for your special day starting NOW! Practice beginning every morning by imbedding that vision of exactly what you want your day to be like, how you see it unfolding, who you want to be. Build your vision with the greatest detail, taking yourself through all of your emotional responses to what you see, feel, hear, taste, smell. Build it so that you deeply imbed this in your mind and as such play this out as your destiny.
2. Your most optimal time of the day to capitalize on your fitness and nutrition efforts is first thing in the morning. Launch your day with a fabulous workout and cardio session that leaves you feeling energized and great about yourself and your body. Nourish yourself and your body first every day. When you master your physiology you master your energy and your level of self-confidence.
3. Manage your stress by creating your support system. Build your team that has your back and takes care of you! Make a list of all the things that suck your energy and time and assign someone to help you with that particular task or item. Remember that you CAN ask for help and by avoiding taking on the world you will shine even more radiantly and beautifully being stress free.
4. Acknowledge yourself for all that you accomplish in each day. Acknowledge your partner too for all that he does and is going through.
5. Develop your attitude of gratitude so you avoid the vortex trap of negativity. At times of stress with tight deadlines, we can get laser focused on all that isn’t going well. So practice noticing and shifting your thoughts 
to what is working and what is amazing in your life.
6. Give up the need or feeling of being perfect. Perfection leads us into so much internal pressure and suffering. Instead embrace the desire to be your best in every moment vs. aiming for perfection. Embrace all that is already whole and fabulous about you.
7. Create a morning power mantra! I love this exercise and it’s one of the strongest ways to build your daily confidence muscle. Start by making a list of all the things you love about yourself, values, strengths and gratitudes. Write it down. Recite this list to yourself every morning in the mirror as you get ready for your day. When you leave the house you will be feeling unstoppable.
8. Remember that connection matters more than anything else. Your ability to develop deeper connections comes from being truly you, authentic in every way. It’s all about the energy you give off from your thoughts and emotions that creates the most profound experience for others that they will always remember you for.
Follow these steps and Michelle Van Otten will help you become the most magnetic, radiant, confident version of you possible! Success in any endeavor is always an inside job first and an outside job second. You’ve got to have the inner game in order to reflect a stellar outer game. She can show you how easy it is to achieve your ultimate self!
Tahoe Signature of Style,
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