See you next week! Thursday 4-7 . Call us at: 215-563-1900

Traveling is one of my favorite things to do! Packing, well that’s another story.

I never know what to bring, I always over pack and I always wait till the last minute.

If you are anything like me, you will find these packing tips helpful from this months Lucky magazine.

Tip 1: Avoid under packing. You do not want clothes to wrinkly if they shift around.

Tip 2: Wear your bulkiest clothes on the plane, they won’t eat up space, and you’ll need them when the cabin gets chilly.

Tip 3: Stuff the toes of your shoes with small items like jewelry, socks or toiletries.

Tip 4: Roll, don’t fold, jeans, PJ’s and T-shirts. This means fewer creases and more space.

Tip 5: A leather pouch does double duty as a delicates bag and a evening clutch.

Tip 6: Use clear plastic bags to safeguard anything snag-prone or leaky.

Tip 7: Separate your lights, brights and dark’s to prevent any colors from spreading. Be extra careful with suede shoes.

Tip 8: Pick a palette- two neutrals plus one standout shade to make mixing and matching a total breeze.

Tip 9: On the return trip wrap souvenirs in rolled tees or socks to keep them safe and stable.

Tip 10: Check out www.containerstore.com for their Love your Luggage sale!

Check out this video:
Packing Demo by The Container Store

Safe Travels and Happy packing!!!        

- Healy Edmonds

Ninety degrees in May?

It looks like we are in for a hot summer.

Stay hydrated and cool off with one of these fun drinks….

Skinny Margarita

Ingredients: Makes 1 drink

* 2 oz of Clear Premium Tequila
* .5 oz Orange Liqour
* Juice of 1 Fresh Lime
* Salt or Sugar
* Ice

Directions:

1 Rub lime wedge around rim of glass.

2 Dip edge of glass in salt or sugar

3 Place ice in glass

4 Combine all the ingredients over ice.

5 Garnish with lime wedge

6 Enjoy! ( and remember it’s “skinny” )

Being a southern girl one thing I miss here in Philly is Southern Style Sweet tea.
There is nothing better on a hot day….

Southern Sweet Tea

Ingredients:

* 3 Quarts of water
* 2 cups of sugar
* 4 quart size tea bags
* Lemon and Mint if desired

Directions:

1 Bring water to a boil

2 Add Sugar and stir

3 Add 4 tea bags and stir

4 Remove from heat and let sit for 20 minutes or so

5 Pour into a container and top it off with cool water

6 Place in refrigerator

7 Serve over ice ( with lemon or mint if desired )

Yum, reminds me of home!!

Cheers! Here is to a great summer.

- Healy

Recently I went to see Adele in concert. Wow, she was amazing. I think her cover of Love Song by The Cure would make a great first dance choice.

Check it out below.

Healy Edmonds

Rainy nights make the best movie nights! Last night I dragged my boyfriend out in the rain to see Bridesmaids. Naturally, being a huge fan of comedies and working in the wedding industry, this made a perfect combo. After getting our popcorn we sat in our seats for 125 minutes of laughter.

This is a great “chick flick” to drag your friends to, but at the same time a great date night movie your man will enjoy as well.

This movie is over the top funny. A must see.
Check out the trailer below.

IMDb.com gave Bridesmaids a 7.4 out of 10
rottentomatoes.com gave the movie an 8

Bridesmaids trailer

One of my favorite parts of running a venue is people watching. Every wedding we are able to see so many stylish outfits… and of course some not so stylish. So this brings up the question “What is wedding appropriate?”

People Magazine recently asked 1000 of it’s readers to take a poll on “what is wedding appropriate?”

82% of readers agreed that it is NOT okay to wear white. Experts agreed saying “Never wear white to someone else’s wedding.”

72% of readers agreed that you can wear a tight dress to a wedding. Experts say “Maybe depending on the style of the wedding.”

When going casual experts suggest to not go overly casual while 52% of readers say its okay to go in a laid back style.

Below are two of my favorite wedding styles available now at ModCloth.com

Luxury Lifestyle Dress $74.99                                                                   Rewarding Moment Dress $64.99

My personal style tip is no matter what you put on wear it with confidence. I hope these tips help!

- Healy Edmonds

Healy and I are heading to Drexelbrook Catering Company to watch the Royal Wedding bright and early!  It is a women only relaxation day…no complaints here, I love my job!

-Cristina Lopez

I didn’t know what to expect when I walked into “Let Them Eat Cake” on Monday evening at the Leows hotel. Having a sweet tooth is my downfall, so you didn’t have to ask me twice to eat a slice of cake…or three! I don’t know what was more exciting; the delicious samples that were offered to Healy and I…or being able to see the many beautiful masterpieces that were created for this special night. Check out some of my favorites…and no I did not eat them all!

Cristina Lopez

I didn’t know how big the world of events was until now. Meeting DJs, Photographers, and Event Planners…followed by cocktails, dancing, and Hawaiian Luaus are some of the great things we experienced at the ISES convention in Atlantic City this week.

In the mornings we attended classes and learned in abundance! My favorite class was “Mastering Tricky Sales Situations” taught by Megan Kline. Talk about a smart woman! If she doesn’t have a teaching certification…she should! Her technique was to incorporate everyone and make it interactive. In just one hour I walked away with 3 VERY valuable sales tips (when dealing with clients through the phone).
1) Ask a lot of open ended questions to feel the client out.
2) Schedule a meeting face to face after speaking on the phone to make a stronger impact.
3) When dealing with a customer that doesn’t know exactly what they want, explain why they should pick you and what sets you apart from the rest.

Another excellent class was, “The Wow World of Speciel FX”, by Kris Sumey. I was certainly “wowed” by all of the elements that go into making a show the absolute BEST. If there is anyone in this industry with the right tools and technology to do so, “Event FX” has what it takes! I learned that there are different types of confetti…3D and biodegradable.. just to name a few. I was educated on Foggers, Lighting, Fireworks (indoor & Outdoor), Draping and much more! The highlight of the class was when Kris turned on a “scent machine” that smelled as if we were about to sip on some delicious Hot Cocoa. The scent of chocolate was followed by a “snowing” confetti demonstration. What a creative way to mix the two, and make it seem like we were entering a cozy winter season.

In “Marketing Trends & the Best Practices to Generate Business Success ” I learned that, when making a sales impact on a customer it is extremely important….
1) to be passionate about what you’re selling ad ignite your enthusiasm!
2) “keep it simple, stupid”– No one wants to listen to a long speech, and you want to make it easy for people to listen to you.
3) Be inspiring! It’s important to come off authentic and radiate confidence

In the evening we were invited to a Luau in the beautiful Harrah’s pool casino. As the Hawaian girls danced the night away in their straw skirts, we networked with people and ate from the generous buffet. Later some of us met at Mur Mur Monday and ended our trip on a positive note!
With that said, you don’t have to ask me twice to sign up for the ISES convention taking place in Nevada!

ISES REC 2011 Atlantic City from CinemaCake Filmmakers on Vimeo.

Cheers,
Cristina Lopez