To register or not to register this was Kimi's question

Many of today's brides and grooms seem to have it all and question the tradition of registering for gifts so I wanted to pass along Kimi's question and some options.

E-mail read:I just have a real quick question.. We are having our wedding in October but we really don't need to register for anything so how do we go about our wedding presents? Thanks. -Kimi


Good question Kimi. I would be happy to assist. Many couples who are in your situation pick a charity and ask that if guests wish to give a gift they contribute to their chosen charity. Other options include registering with a mortgage company and asking guests to contribute to an escrow account for a future home or registering your honeymoon. This way guests can still contribute to something you will own and begin a life together in or contribute toward a fabulous honeymoon. Let me know if you have any questions about the options mentioned above.

Thanks again for your inquiries Kimi. I hope you have a long, happy life together!


Rachel DeVenuto
Absolutely You Event Planning
http://www.absolutelyyouevents.com/

Add ZaZa Zip to Your Event

Howdy ya'll! I just returned from Houston, TX. What a place to host an event. A Texas wedding or event doesn't have to be traditional Texas Bar-B-Que style, although these are always a blast and very flavorful. Your special event can rock Houston,Texas rock star style. Hotel ZaZa is in the Museum District of Houston and offers a 2160 sq. ft. suite that boasts of two bedrooms, two and half bathrooms, gourmet kitchen and private elevator! You can stay in and party all day and night or venture out to see what Houston has to offer. A few of the options include:

• Hard Rock Cafe


• Molly's Pub (Classic Irish Sports Bar)


• Texas Renaissance Festival (Oct 6th-Nov 25th)


• Bayou Place (premier dining and entertainment)


• The Houston Space Center, for those who need their space. Ha! Okay so I stole this saying from a NASA t-shirt in the airport. I actually attended Space Academy as a teen and am a space cadet to this day! You can also check out the latest exhibit, Animal Grossology, through September 3rd.


• Houston's Museum District:Museums of art (of all kinds), John P. McGovern Museum of Health and Medial Science, Museum of Natural Science, and The Children's Museum of Houston.


• Downtown Aquarium with over 500,000 Gallons of Fun!

Shopping!

• Check out the Galleria and The Village Arcade

Old Time Fun

• Check out George Ranch Historical Park (http://www.georgeranch.org/)


• Old Town Spring, only 20 miles North of Houston (http://www.otsid.com/) Annual events include Art, Wine and Food Festival, Texas Crawfish and Music Festival and Long Horn Rod Run, just to name a few.


• Barrington Living History Farm (http://www.birthplaceoftexas.com/)

Historical

• The George Bush Presidential Library and Museum (http://bushlibrary.tamu.edu/)


• Messina Hof Winery and Resort***Great place for a wedding or other special celebration. Contact me for details!


• Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens (classic southern style 1920's home with fine collections of paintings and decorative arts)


• The W. H. Stark House in Orange, TX. This is a beautiful Victorian mansion!


• MFA H Rienzi: A House of Treasure in the Heart of Houston (Rienzi's collection and gardens). The finest collection of European decorative arts in the family home of prominent arts patrons.

Hope ya'll enjoyed the post. Rock on Texas Style!

Celebrate Your Independence From Clutter!

Wow! What a hot 4th of July here in Arizona. It's 115 degrees and counting. Temperatures like this inspire me to give clients a bit of advice....do your spring cleaning now. Yes I know it's summer, but why spend a beautiful spring day inside when you beg for the opportunity these hot summer days.

Brides and Grooms:
Take a day off from the wedding plans. Spend a day decluttering your homes. You will soon be moving in together and sharing every inch of your home, especially your closets. When I got married I donated five bags of clothing to the local Goodwill and it felt great! Don't just focus on clothes though. Go through the bathroom vanities, kitchen drawers, offices, closets, and garages. Weed out! This is particularly important for the one moving in with the other. Move those items you don't use to a local shelter, Goodwill or Salvation Army. Your life is going to be very busy and often messy. There will be presents, thank you cards, pieces of luggage for the honeymoon and much else filling up your space. Having a clean space to begin with will help you deal with all the stress.

Businesses and Corporations:
You need to take a day off to declutter as well. You may think "My office can't take a day off. Is she crazy?" I do have my crazy moments but this isn't one of them. When we're not organized we waste a lot of time searching for that piece of paper, e-mail or file that "was just here". A messy work area creates stress for all who are involved. Analyze your business and pick a day or two during your slow season. Allow everyone to come in casually dressed or maybe even have t-shirts made for everyone to make the cleaning experience a little more fun. Set goals. From 8am-10am have everyone clean up their e-mail inboxes and files. From 10am-10:15am take a break. Snack on some fresh fruit, granola bars, etc. Come back from 10:15-12:15 and have everyone clean out their desks. For a job well done, treat your staff to a team building exercise that afternoon. Can't come up with one? Well just give Absolutely You Event Planning a call.

Looking for a place to donate:
http://www.sunshineacres.org/
http://www.goodwill.org/
http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/
http://www.phoenixrescuemission.org/

Do you know of other great places to donate? Please let us know.