Aug 9, 2012
I love color. I love every single color for different reasons and how certain color combos resonate with each other. Thanks to Amanda I met purple again and in the full regal form that it deserves.
With a sense of royalty, purple is a color often well liked by very creative personalities. Purple is uplifting, calms nerves, as well as encourages creativity. If purple is your favorite color, you desire respect, power and often tend to be sentimental.
For Amanda, there couldn’t be enough purple (a lady after my own four year old’s heart) and so here was the design challenge to bring in purple, purple, purple without being TOO much.
Mix in a little whimsical sophistication and we had Amanda’s dream Lake Tahoe wedding: Purple M&Ms – check. Purple pillars – check. Purple linen – check. Purple lights – check. Purple lounge – check.
xxxx
Married last September with the Lake as their very close backdrop, Amanda and Jeff’s guests were treated to a spectacular twilight ceremony just inches from the water.
xxxx
ccc
Silver and spring green played a supporting role to purple in the little details: beaded clear chargers (which allowed the oh-so-fun purple leafed linen to peep through), dangling crystals, metallic balls in the vases, pin cushions on the cake, mercury vases randomly placed, the candy station…
xxx
xxx
Amanda and Jeff’s black tie wedding began with a sundown ceremony and quickly moved from the lakeside vows to the sprawling reception tent that was complete with multiple vignettes for the guests to enjoy. Playful glowing cubes in the centerpieces to up lights on trees to a beautiful light-patterned dance floor made the most of the evening reception.
xxx
xxx
A night that ended with endless dancing, lost shoes (?!) and grins from ear to ear… Congratulations to the beautiful couple, Amanda & Jeff!
Florals by Art In Bloom.
xxx
Tahoe Signature of Style,
xxx
xxx
xxx
xxxxxx
x
xxx
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.
xxx
xxx
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,
xxx
xxx
xxx
xxxxxx
x
xxx
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,
xxx
xxx
xxx
xxxxxx
x
xxx
Mar 21, 2012
Destination I Do Magazine features stunning real life destination weddings from around the world in their glossy, beautiful publication. In their Spring 2012 issue, they couldn’t pass up the chic, yet classically tailored, Lake Tahoe wedding of Cameron & Matthew. This wedding at a private Lake Tahoe lakefront wedding estate flirted with the preppy side, spell bounded the guests, rocked the night away and was unquestionably unforgettable to all.
Cameron & Matthew’s spring green, navy and white color palette complimented the Tahoe setting perfectly, but also kept a fresh feel to the tailored wedding style. Not only did she wear her mother’s vintage wedding gown (32 years waiting) but Cameron also carried the family bible down the aisle adorned with flowers.
Cameron also loves monograms, so we echoed theirs from the napkins, to the menus, to the invitations to their wedding cake to even the dance floor. Fun elements were not limited to decor and included their gyrating band, retro neon sunglasses, vintage coke bottles and blue cheese late night sliders. As DIDO so eloquently put it, the devil is in the details…
Thanks to Zorn Photography for doing what they do so well! If you were a wedding crasher at this wedding, here’s a glance of what you might have seen:
xxx
Tahoe Signature of Style,
xxx
xxx
xxx
xxx
xxx
xxx
xxx
Feb 9, 2012
The Knot Northern California hand picked this Lake Tahoe lakeside wedding as one of the 11 perfect real weddings in their 2012 Spring/Summer issue. The setting, one of Hollywood’s most famous lakefront locations, spoke for itself. I remember during set-up one of the band members whispered to me, “This reminds me of the Godfather and sure looks like the place from it.” I whispered back, “It is…”. He pretty much ran out of the tent right then and there to start taking photos!
This wedding had it all – from the gorgeous woodie boat that delivered Andrew and his entourage to the ceremony to the infinite number of rustic, yet nautical, charming details to Courtney’s adorable kelly green cardigan she ‘donned’ as the fall air grew cool… So many details, impressive on their own, were but the supporting cast to the main show itself: the unforgettable wedding and following celebration for Courtney and Andrew.
xxx
xxxx
Looking for more? Check out our earlier blog post – Classic Lake Tahoe Wedding – full of fabulous photo boards from Courtney & Andrew’s wedding day.
Tahoe Signature of Style,
xxx
