They're more than just your wedding guests, they're tourists.

Today's tip comes from one of my savvy bride, Amy B.

I had once told Amy about the time I thought it would be genius to put subway maps in a client's out of towner bags since they're free and all. BUT I wasn't aware they will only give you one or two maps at a time so let's just say collecting 60 maps took many trips to the subway station; One time they handed me five maps at once and I felt overly grateful.

For 70% of New York City weddings, I'd say you have a chunk if not at least a handful of guests coming in from out of town and though you'd love to hold each one's hand and walk them around the city, that week of the wedding can be busy. So why not tuck one of these Official NYC maps into each goodie bag and send them on their merry way. It lists major attractions, places to visit, subway stops, etc.

Guides can be ordered in bulks of 25 for as little as $4. I know, right?! These guides are seasonal so check to see when would be the best time to get yours ordered.

Check it out: http://nycvisit.com/content/index.cfm?pagePkey=11

Everyone say, thank you, Amy B.

Btw, Amy B. is marrying Sam S. and well...all monograms don't work for invitations but hidden underneath your duvet cover, yes.

Etymology of "Daughter of Design"

Every time I see the fabulous Mr. Ron Ben-Israel he likes to say, "Hello, Daughter of Design, I am the Son of Cakes." (what's really interesting is that his last name actually means "Son of Israel" - sorry tangent).

I do get asked quite frequently how I came up with the name of my company and if there's a meaning behind it...and there is! I'm actually the daughter of a designer. My mother is one of the leading interior designers in LA so as far back as I can remember I've been surrounded by fabric, tassels, throw pillows, wallpaper, etc. Some little girls picked up Barbie's wedding dress from the nearest Toys R' Us while I used scraps of fabric and lace trim pilfered from my mom's warehouse to create Barbie's dream dress. I might have made little girl-sized wedding outfits too...and then forced my neighbors to play "wedding" with me daily (Roy and Eric, if you stumble upon this entry, thanks for being such great sports).

Actually I come from a whole family of designers, big sis' Kahi Lee is the ultra-talented interior designer on HGTV's Design on a Dime. Check out her site: www.kahilee.com.

So that's how I came up with the name and though I less fancy myself a designer and more of a planner, it's all relative. It is in my blood and my clients definitely benefit from my design heritage!

Why buy when you can rent?

I have this one girlfriend whose family has ridiculous heirloom jewelry and I can only wonder, "Hmm...think she'll let me borrow that sometime ?"(how about it R.K.??)

For those of us who aren't quite as fortunate enough to have a vault full of jewels to dip into or a personal jeweler to lend us a little something sparkly for a special occassion, there's a new solution: AdornBrides.com.

Adorn Brides allows brides, and for that matter mothers, bridesmaids...., to rent exquisite earrings, necklaces, and bracelets worth THOUSANDS for a small fraction of the cost. Often referred to as the Netflix of jewelry, in theory it's similar to Bag Borrow or Steal where you go online, pick the pieces you'd like and then go camp out by your mailbox and anxiously await for it to arrive.

Enter this discount code and get 10% off you order: daughterofdesign
(Allow 14 days for processing and shipping)

You'll feel special on your wedding day regardless but sprinkle a $70,000 diamond necklace around your neck and I have a feeling you might feel a smidgen special-er.

"I Do" - Coming to a Theater Near You

Don't be afraid to ditch the traditional wedding venues. If you're open to using a more unorthodox wedding location, you'd be amazed at the possibilities.

Nicole and Craig chose Tribeca Cinemas in New York City for their premiere as husband and wife. The two played themselves in the romantic comedy, "I Do!"

As guests entered they walked the red carpet, had their photos taken by paparazzi, and were handed some freshly popped popcorn and soda before they made their way into the theater. Theater cupholders were filled with flower arrangements in custom soda cups, straw and all.

While guests waited for the movie to start, trivia questions about the couple flashed on the screen until the lights went dim for the start of the film.

Ladies and Gentlemen, please turn your cellphones and pagers off:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuELartkw9k

BORROW THIS IDEA: After the movie ended Craig and Nicole walked down the aisle, theater aisle that is, and were wed under a starry night projected onto the screen. As the two walked out, guests showered them with ticket stubs. It was just like in the movies.


The End

Daughter of Design is voted # 1 in NYC

To be honest, I don't know what www.bizvotes.com is but all I know is that according to them Daughter of Design is voted # 1 in NYC currently and that makes them okay in my book. Forget that only a total of like 10 people have voted so far, it's only important that most of those 10 voted for little ol' me! And I swear I wasn't the one who casted all the votes (okay well maybe one but that was just to see how to vote - purely research). Click here to see for yourself:

http://www.bizvotes.com/ny/new-york/wedding-planners.html

Daughter of Design Blog!

I'm thrilled to be launching Daughter of Design's Blog today after threatening to do it for some time now. I'm looking forward to posting great stories, pictures and ideas so come visit me often!

Best,

Annie Lee
Principal Planner
Daughter of Design