Merry Christmas from the Hines family to yours!

Christmas is always a great time to catch up on everyone’s life. It’s the time that we sit down and document what has happened over the past year. Well, I’ve been thinking about what has happened in our lives over the past 26 years– I’m only including the highlights and there is a point!

It was January 1983, Jim Hines was seriously thinking about moving to NYC, it was his dream. Mary Mahler was planning to move back to DC, in the meantime she was assigned to work as a temporary secretary at the office where Jim was working. They met on January 18^th, went out on their first date on January 25^th, and were married on June 25^th.

Michael was born on 10/26/84. Mary became a follower of Christ in early 1985. Sarah was born on 1/26/87. Jim became a follower on Christ in May of 1987. Charlie was born on 12/19/88. The Hines Family moved to Naples in 1991. Michael married Sarah Lynn Riger on 8/13/2006. Soren Paul Hines was born on 12/24/2008. Jim became Executive Director of SCPI (www.scpi.org) Saturation Church Planting International 6/1/2009. Jim, Mary & Sarah moved to NYC on December 2^nd!

Our odyssey is an amazing God story. He has been in the center of everything that we have done. We can honestly say that God orchestrated the events in our life so specifically that we know He wants us in NYC. Obeying Him and deciding to go was easy, trusting Him with all the details is hard. We miss Charlie, Michael, Sarah & Soren, we miss our friends, we miss our washer & dryer, etc. Naples has become our vacation destination of choice and we plan to visit often.

For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. (He rules and we can rest) And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor (He knows and understands everything we are going through), Mighty God(He is powerful enough to handle our struggles), Everlasting Father (there’s no end to His love), Prince of Peace (He alone can give us peace that is not dependent on our circumstances). Isaiah 9:5-7

This is why we celebrate Christmas and we wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year! Jim, & Mary Hines

We've moved to NYC!

Long story - short .... circumstances orchestrated by God led us to move to NYC on December 1st! The move went well, everything is unpacked, we hosted our first guests this past weekend and today I'm hanging pictures. Its cold, I can't deny that, but our apartment seems to be retaining some heat! We are heading back to SWFL for the holidays and then back to the big city. I don't know what this move will mean to Chandelier Productions, but I'm looking forward to discovering the city, the NYC wedding business and making new friends!

This would be so cool at a garden reception!

I was at Waterside Shops today and they were having a party to celebrate the opening of the Romero Britto museum. DJ Ceron was playing the tunes, the weather was awesome and THEN there were walking trees and orchids.

My pictures aren't great, but you can look at pictures and videos at Thelivinggarden.com. They were amazing and I thought they would be totally fun at a wedding reception.

The costumes were beautiful and the "dancers" were fascinating how they interacted with the audience, fellow "plants" and the architecture around them.

Check out the website!

Christine & Shawn at Tiburon with Cupcakes!

Saturday, November 7, 2009 - it was a busy wedding day all over SWFL. I was at the Golf Club at Tiburon with my dear friends Christine & Shawn.

It was such a beautiful day and everything went so well. The day after the wedding, Christine posted on Facebook that she has a "permanent smile" on her face! She is so fun and so sweet (so is her husband) - we all stayed at the Ritz at Tiburon and she texted me at 8:30am that she was wide awake and was in the lobby - so we met for coffee and talked about the wedding!!! What a blessing to be a wedding coordinator for such wonderful people.

My other blessing was working with dear friends and fellow wedding professionals - cuddos to Peggy Farren at Avant Garde Photography (can't wait to see the photos), Dale Kubala at Connie Duglin Linens (gorgeous Blueberry Crinkle linens), Grace Bolen at Gracie's Cupcakes (amazing - strawberry, red velvet, chocolate and carmel), Jessica & Josh at Tiburon (wonderful service), Symphonie de Fleurs did the florals and Jay Seidl did a great job with music for the ceremony and brunch.

The highlight was the cupcake display. It was so fun to work with Grace to create the display. We used the girls bouquets to fill in with flowers and glass shelves and glass blocks to create the "architecture" - so great!

Ceremony most meaningful to guests - receiving line last in order of preference.

Recent survey indicates guests preference in order:

Watching the ceremony;
the music and dancing;
the food;
seeing the bride’s gown;
toasts and speeches;
cutting of the cake;
seeing the bridesmaids’ dresses;
group dances;
throwing of the bouquet;
throwing of the garter;
and then, that receiving line.

Spend your money and time wisely - on what is important to you and your spouse and keep your guests preferences in mind along the way! Happy planning....

My suggestion for receiving line is to have your guests stay seated after the ceremony and you and your spouse return down the aisle and greet each guest individually. It serves several purposes, it is a "receiving line" but people get to see you, they don't have to stand in a long line and it ushers your guests out to reception and then you can take photos, etc. - it works great.

Centerpiece with orchids & lemons!

These are photos that I took of what was left over from a centerpiece used at the Talent Ventures & Lyfe of the Party "Talent Showcase" last Monday. It was a great event and we had a lot of fun. Sarah & Jenny gave us these flowers to take home. They actually had a moroccan looking lantern in the middle that really made the centerpiece incredible. I love the mixture of lemons, berries and orchids. The red and yellow orchids are great - I love, love, love the textures!

Thanks for letting me share!!!! Great job Jenny & Sarah!

Happy Anniversary Rob & Katie

Thanks to Michelle Reed (Michelle Reed Photography) I can post some pictures from Katie & Rob's wedding that I coordinated one year ago. Katie is such a beautiful bride and Michelle did an amazing job journaling their wedding day. Patty Bores from Sweet P Florial Design took our design ideas and made them a reality. The wedding was held at the Bonita Bay Club. Connie Duglin linens provide some lovely black and pink tablecloths. It all came together for a perfect and fabulously fun day for this special couple. Happy Anniversary Rob & Katie!

Happy 9th month birthday to my grandson!

Soren is 9 months old today and is such a joy in our lives! It is hard to describe the love I have for this little man - it might have something to do with how much I love his Grampa AND his mommy & daddy. He truly is a sweet little guy and so much fun to be around. Everything is new and most things are funny to him - even oatmeal! He's gotten used to the camera and Grammy taking pictures of him. I can't wait to see him today and kiss his little cheeks! In between playing today, he's going to help me get ready for Great Grandma's visit next week. We will have lots of fun playing with Great Grandma! Happy 9 month birthday little man!

Outdoor Wedding - Handmade Altar

I LOVE the details of this wedding in Idaho. LOVE the homemade "altar" design. LOVE the chandelier. LOVE the colors. I LOVE the photos. Photography is by Stephanie Fay - check out more www.stephaniefayblog.com I found the wedding on "Style Me Pretty" - enjoy!

Hire a professional Wedding Coordinator....

THANK YOU - Betsy Tucker at La Playa Beach & Golf Resort

Clearly communicated in La Playa's wedding package is the Catering Manager & Banquet Captain's responsibilities and their recommendation to hire a professional Wedding Coordinator and why - THANK YOU. This is great information to include in a Wedding Package. I so appreciate this:

We recommend hiring a professional Wedding Coordinator who will …
• Assist with proper etiquette and protocol for invitations, family matters, ceremonies & toasts
• Create a timeline for your wedding day, including the ceremony, reception and other wedding related events
• Order, deliver and arrange ceremony programs, place cards, centerpieces, favors and any personal items
• Assist the bride and bridal party with dressing
• Collect and/or store personal items you may have brought with you until the conclusion of the day’s events
• Ensure that the bridal party has their bouquets, corsages and boutonnieres
• Be the liaison between your family, the bridal party, band/DJ, florist, photographer and other vendors
• Coordinate the processional with the bride and bridal party
• Work with the bridal party to organize, coordinate and supervise the wedding rehearsal
• Provide bridal party and family members of all pertinent schedules for wedding relation events
• Be responsible for all personal items, such as cake knife, champagne flutes and gifts, in advance of, during and after the event

Wedding Guests' Secret Gripes from The Knot

Wedding Guests' Secret Gripes

You've been to a few weddings yourself, so you know there are just some things that can rub you the wrong way. Here are a few helpful reminders about what guests can't stand.

By Meredith Bodgas

You may think your wedding is all about you and your groom (or maybe just you) but, hello, you're hosting a party! If your guests are miserable, your wedding will be remembered for all the wrong reasons. So we talked to dozens of frequent wedding guests — from always-a-bridesmaids to recent brides to guys in their 20s and 30s — to find out what they hated about the events they've attended. We've kept the guests' names secret just in case they're coming to your wedding!

Your Timing Stinks
Huge time gaps between the ceremony and the reception — the ones where the ceremony starts at noon, but the party isn't until 7 p.m. — are annoying because you're often leaving us in the middle of nowhere with absolutely nothing to do. We don't want to kill time at a restaurant because we're hoping you'll feed us well at your reception. And there's only so much lingering we can do at a coffee shop or a bookstore ... in our dressy clothes! We'd much rather head straight to the party after the "I dos."

You're Boring Us
The ceremony may be the most important part of the day to you, but the reception is what we're really looking forward to. When it takes forever to get dinner served, each speech is 25 minutes long, and you play a string of songs that are all inside jokes with the same group of friends, there isn't much time for getting our groove on. Uh, and if the band's so bad that no one's dancing — including you and your groom — we just think, Why are we even here? Showing us a really good time is the least that you can do to thank us for giving up our free day, traveling, and getting you an expensive gift.

The Food Isn't Great
Why would you bother spending thousands on your flowers if your food is going to taste terrible? We want a delicious meal way more than we want pretty centerpieces. You don't know this, but we actually think of that $200 gift as a contribution to a great meal. If it's not as good as something we'd have at a restaurant, we're going to be disappointed. Even if the food is tasty, don't make us go hungry. We don't need an eight-course meal, but we don't want to have to push through other guests just to get to the tiny hors d'oeuvres you're calling dinner.

You Make Us Pay?!
Treat your guests like guests; don't make us bring our wallets whenever we want a drink! When you have more than 300 guests and a cash bar, we wish that you would've just cut the list and paid for our drinks instead. How exactly are we supposed to feel when we paid for flights, a rental car, a hotel room, and a gift, and then you make us pay at the bar? So not cool.

You Sat Us Here
We want to have fun at your wedding, believe us, but it's pretty tricky when you seat us right in front of giant speakers. We won't be able to talk to anyone at our tables or enjoy our dinner if you're blowing out our eardrums. Before you book your venue, make sure there's enough space for tables without having to make us sit in the DJ's lap. And don't make us suffer in the heat. If you're having a summer wedding, do it somewhere with air conditioning!

Also, if you want to be outdoors, don't make us rough it: Walking around in the mud, swatting bugs, or using porta-potties is even less fun in formal attire. And please give us plenty of places to sit. Cocktail hours are great, but it's pretty tough to balance our plates, drinks, and purses while standing — in heels no less!

You Don't Invite a Plus-One
Nothing reminds us of our dating status like a wedding. No need to rub it in our faces with even more reminders. The garter and bouquet tosses are like saying, "Hey, look at them. They're single!" Could you blame us if we hide in the bathroom as soon as the DJ announces it? And, come on, even if they did honestly predict we'd be the next to marry, do we really want some cheesy guy slipping garters up our legs? Of course, we'd prefer to be invited with a date, but we get why you may not be able to give us that, especially if we'll know lots of other people there. But if everyone we know is making out with their significant other all night, we're going to be pissed that you couldn't include one extra person to make us feel a little more comfortable.

You Put Us to Work
We know we'll have to help out with some tasks when we agree to be in the bridal party, but it's insulting when you consider a task like manning the guest book table an honor. We'd rather just be a regular guest at the wedding than have some silly duty like that. At the very least, give us a heads up if you'll need our help. Don't spring flower girl babysitting duties on us minutes before the reception.

You Don't Say Thank You
It's frustrating when we fly all the way to your wedding and you don't take the time to thank us for making the trip. Even if we haven't come a long way, make an effort to thank us for coming anyway. We know it's hard to talk to every guest at the wedding, but that's why, at the very least, we better get a thank-you card from you when you get back from your honeymoon!

Red Box Photography - AMAZING!

More AMAZING photos from Ashley & Sam Brockinton and Red Box Photography - they just happen to be of my adorable grandson and incredibly beautiful daughter-in-love! THANK YOU Ashley & Sam!

Underwater Photography by Peggy Farren

A few weeks ago my friend Peggy Farren from Avant Garde photographed my daugther underwater. Sarah is a beautiful ballerina and Peggy wanted to catch her grace in the water! We even did a wedding dress photo although one of them we are calling "the dead bride" - guess which one.

I love that Peggy tries new techniques and ideas. I'm so glad she used Sarah for some of her "experiments"! It was a fun time in the pool!!! Check out Peggy's website for more underwater photos www.naplesportraits.com.

Tonya Malay Photography - Julie & Carlos

Here are a few fabulous photos by Tonya Malay from Julie & Carlos' wedding in June. Beautiful shots Tonya - Thank you!!!

Creative Memories and Cruise Naples

I wanted to share these "pages" digitally designed by Kristen Goodman, Creative Memories Unit Director - www.mycmsite.com/kgoodman who attended the Cruise Naples event last month. Kristen did a great job (can't say much for the photographer - me).

Kristen is very creative with photos and layout. She can help you with memory books but also Wedding Guest Books, "Save the Date" cards, invitations, etc.

Thank you Kristen!