Through the Eyes of a [Megan K.] Bride: Choosing a Date

Follow us as we take a firsthand look at what planning a wedding entails.  Through the Eyes of a [Megan K.] Bride will be a series full of laughter, great tips and unique ideas.  We love our Megan K. Brides!

Choosing a Date:

I couldn’t believe it!  There I was… I had my perfect guy, a beautiful ring and supportive family and friends.  I wanted to live in that moment we got engaged forever...

All of a sudden the questions started flying.  “Congratulations!  When is the date?!”  “We’re so happy for you!  When are you getting married?”  What?!  I just answered the most important question of my life and you expect me to have planned that far in advance already?  My fiancé and I took time to bask in the feeling of being newly engaged and then began the long road of planning our wedding.

There were many factors to consider when choosing the date for our wedding.  Should we pick a date that means something to us like the day we met?  Or should we choose a season that is easy for our out of town guests to travel?  What about a time of year where the venue fees may be discounted?  Or perhaps, we would just have to settle on a date when all of our venues were open… 

These were the main factors we took into account:

Season: For us, living in Florida played a huge factor in choosing a date.  We always envisioned having part of our reception outside overlooking the water.  Guests wearing their Sunday best might want to kill us for making them suffer through the excruciating heat if we chose the summertime.

Availability of Venues: My fiancé and I met through our church groups.  Our faith is such a meaningful part of our relationship.  Getting married at our church was the first priority for us.  Finding a date that both the ceremony and reception venue are simultaneously available is trickier than you may think…

Length of our Engagement: We needed enough time to adequately plan our wedding, but didn’t want to drag it out.  What other milestone events might be going on at the same time of your engagement?  Are you buying a house or starting a new job?

After much deliberation, we decided that an early November wedding would be perfect for us.  The average temperature is in the low 70s and both the church and our reception venue were available!  

For some this might seem like an oversimplified decision process.  Remember: this is your wedding; choose a date that works for you.  Megan K. is a tremendous consultant with big decisions like this.  She is always willing to do some research and assist in the process with you! Not to mention, she knows all the best venues in town!

Spring is in the Air!

Spring is in the air and here at Megan K. Events, we couldn't be happier!  This time of year means more daylight, bright colors and a feeling of freshness.  Check out these fun ideas from Martha Stewart for Spring Party Decor: Martha Stewart Spring Decor

Add Spring elements to any basic paper lantern

Create floral napkin arrangements

Create fresh bouquets in a nest

Make your own cherry blossoms

Serve brightly colored treats

Through the Eyes of a [Megan K.] Bride: The Beginning

Follow us as we take a firsthand look at what planning a wedding entails.  Through the Eyes of a [Megan K.] Bride will be a series full of laughter, great tips and unique ideas.  We love our Megan K. Brides!

The Beginning...

To say that I am thrilled to be getting married is an understatement.  To say that I am thrilled to be a Megan K. bride may be an even bigger understatement.  

For those of you who have ever planned a wedding, or any large event for that matter, you know that hundreds of hours go into planning an event that may only last for half a day.  Although others may not share this opinion, I think planning is the best part of the whole shindig!

Before I go any further into the process of planning a wedding, let me give you some background.  Every wedding tells a different story.  Some are traditional and organized while others are unique and sporadic.  I would say that my story is relaxed traditionalism.

I met my fiance at a church camp when I was in high school and he was just entering college.  Call it fate, luck or His plan, there was a reason that he and I met in that moment (in most normal story lines, a jock and theatre geek never hit it off).  While we’re both meticulously organized and motivated, our interests never originally aligned.  We grew together, experienced new things and ended up falling for one another.  What was just a friendship developed into a love that I can’t describe. Cue Jason Mraz’s Lucky I’m in Love now... ;-)

When my fiance proposed to me, I was caught completely off guard.  Maybe it’s just me, but nothing tops being a part of a well executed surprise - especially an engagement.  After enjoying a night of celebrating with friends and family, we began to think about all that we wanted in a wedding. 

The above intro is rather short.  I could go on and on with sappy details of our love story, but I’ll spare you.  What I won’t spare you with is fun ideas and great tips on planning your big day!

Until next time...

Check Her Out!

This past Sunday, we revealed our Megan K. Makeover winner, Barbara Brown, complete with a new look and attitude. In our previous blog, we’ve told you a little about Barbara and her story. After getting the opportunity to spend time with Barbara and meet her family, I realized just how much she deserved this. She told me how nervous she was about the big reveal at the Fish House, but this woman deserves at least ONE day in the spotlight!

 Barbara had been working with Dr. Shawna Hogan and with just one week of Zerona treatments, she lost 2 inches (and that is just the beginning.) Her pants that we outfitted her in just last week were already too big. In addition to having some contouring, Barbara said the treatments were so relaxing and that Dr. Hogan and staff were a delight to work with. Cortney’s team at STYLE Downtown gave Barbara a new “do” and even more edge and confidence (great hair can do that!) John Dye worked his magic and as he would say, “Baby looked like a star.” Outfitted in a fabulous outfit from The Linen Corner and shoes and a handbag from Pumps, Barbara rocked the photo shoot with Patsy Brown.

 Reveal time was just perfect -- our wonderful team of vendors along with Barbara’s friends, family, and a full audience on the Fish House deck (under the heated tent, of course) cheered for Barbara as she walked out and showed off her new look. Barbara was a new woman, inside and out.

We thank STYLE Downtown, Still Waters Medical Spa, East Hill Chiroporactic/Dr. Shawna Hogan, Linen Corner, Pumps Boutique, John Dye (THE Make-up Guy), and Patsy Brown Photography for their time and generosity. And thank you to David and Barbara Brown who shared their story and time with all of us. This was our first ever makeover and we’ll definitely be ready to kick it up even more next year!

Check out Patsy Brown’s blog and see more of Barbara for yourself:
http://www.patsybrownblog.com/2010/12/13/and-the-winner-is/




Cheers,
Katie

Our Megan K. Makeover Winner is Finally Revealed!!

The Megan K. team and all of our amazing, generous vendors could not wait to announce our Megan K. Makeover, so read on and get to know our winner -- Barbara Brown.


After reading many nominations, many of which brought us to tears, we voted and decided on Barbara Brown. Her husband, David Brown, wrote us a letter explaining how he and Barbara have been married since 2008 and have gone through many unexpected hardships. These hardships include blending two families together (which included six children), starting up a business, having a new baby, and then unfortunately and unexpectedly, having three of their children move back with their natural mother up north, where they will not get to see them nearly as often. David wrote, “Our entire relationship has been about the children and we need to get back to us; she needs to be healed from a lot of heartache and disappointments. She deserves far more than any award or reward I can provide. Only God can prepare something so special to equate her efforts. But I really think this is just what she needs to get back on track to taking care of herself.” When I asked him if Barbara would be able to get away for her services so we could make her over, he said, "You just tell me when and where she needs to be, and I'll get some help to make it happen. She needs this." What a great husband!


After meeting Barbara and getting to know more about her life and circumstances, we were amazed by her selflessness and her constant love and service to others. Not only are we thrilled to have met Barbara, Megan K. and team have also been blessed to get to know the vendors who have generously given of their time and services to give Barbara some much-needed and well-deserved time for herself. Our "Glam Squad" has been able to help transform Barbara and enhance her beauty inside and out, and we are thrilled to be a part of this experience.


Barbara is currently receiving Zerona treatments from Dr. Shawna Hogan at East Hill Chiropractic. Zerona is a non-invasive, fat removal laser that can shed inches from a woman’s waist, thighs and hips much faster than normal. Along with aesthetic services by Mary Anne and staff at Still Waters Medical Spa (my favorite in Pensacola!), Barbara will get a new "do" and nail services from Cortney and her team at Pensacola's premier boutique salon, STYLE Downtown. John Dye, the Make-up Guy, will work his magic and we're sure to hear, "Baby's a star." (Megan K. brides love John Dye too!)


Barbara has a great sense of style and will be decked out in a trendy new outfit and handbag, compliments of The Linen Corner (which also has great Christmas gifts!) and a fabulous pair of designer shoes and custom jewelry provided by Mary and the gals at Pumps Boutique (you must go by and check out all of the new boots!)


And how will you get to see Barbara post makeover? Pensacola's very own favorite photographer, Patsy Brown, will be there to take pictures of Barbara’s amazing transformation and you can check them out on our blog next week. We can't wait for you to see! Even more exciting, all of our fans are invited to come support Barbara and our vendors when we reveal the "new" Barbara at the Fish House Deck (yes, the tent is up and heated) this Sunday, December 12, 2010, right before the premiere of the Extreme Home Makeover episode featuring the new home and family here in Pensacola. The party starts at 6:00 p.m., Barbara will be "revealed" at 6:45 p.m., and the premiere show starts at 7:00 p.m. There will be three big-screen TVs in addition to the Atlas and Fish House TVs premiering the show. So come out this Sunday at 6 p.m. and support this wonderful woman, the Pensacola family, and the generous volunteers and vendors who made all of this happen right here in Pensacola! Questions? Email me at katie@megankevents.com or call our office at 850.619.1440.


Warmly,


Katie

John Dye, The Make-up Guy

After meeting and talking to John Dye about my own make-up, I wanted to spread the word about John to give you an idea of why the Megan K. Events team can't wait to work with him!

Natalie: Megan K. and team are so excited about the upcoming events you are hosting together, such as the Pumps party and the Megan K. Extreme Makeover, what else will you be working on together?
John: Bridal makeup, bachelorette parties, any type of event that women want to look their best. I'm really looking forward to doing the makeover for the Megan K. Extreme Makeover winner. 

Natalie: How would you describe your philosophy for make-up?
John:  I would say that looking your best is not just about the product, it’s the technique. Just because you spend a lot of money on make-up doesn’t mean it's going to make you any more beautiful than a less expensive product.  
 

Natalie: What are some constant rules of thumb?

John: If you are going to do a smoky eye, do a nude pink glossy lip. Don’t be afraid of fake eyelashes; try to learn how to put them on yourself. It baffles me that women will try so many different things with their hair -- cut, dyed highlighted and shaped, but women are so reluctant to change their make-up routine. Skill comes with trying then perfecting new things.

Natalie: You recently were a part of Extreme Makeover Home Edition, what was it like working for them?
John: My friend was the hair stylist for the crew members.  I went out to join her and the Extreme Home makeover crew. Immediately I hit it off with Tracy Hudson. She invited me to come do her makeup and was so sweet; I had so much fun fixing her up.  As usual, I didn’t use the most expensive makeup and she was super cool about it. She said, "As long as you know what your doing and it looks good, I don’t care what you use, I trust you." She loved her makeup. It’s so cool that I’ll get to see my makeup on national television. It really legitimizes me as a make-up artist, taking something from a hobby and passion to being a legitimate celebrity make-up artist. I also enjoyed being back stage and meeting Mariah Carey;  she was a lot nicer than I expected. 

Natalie: I have heard that you are friends with with Taylor Swift -- can you tell me more about that?
John: While visiting New York, I heard that Taylor was going to be on TRL, so I sent an email saying I was a fan and asked if I could come. The approved and after I got there I argued my way into being in an on-air competition. I met Taylor and her family -- we instantly connected.  Along with doing her make-up, I got to see her on tour in a few cities in Florida and even appeared in her love story music video. I also got to shoot a popular YouTube video entitled, “Taylor and Friends,” which has gotten over 1,000,000 views on MySpace and YouTube and was in the globally distributed Star Magazine tabloid. She’s the reason I started playing guitar. She gave me my first guitar lesson on set, and now I sing and play local gigs.

Natalie: What was Taylor’s make up like?
John: Taylor has very fair skin and is very striking in person. I watched her get her hair and make-up done. She has a lot of extensions and extra tracks. She has a lot of airbrush make-up and a very dramatic cat eye to make her eyes pop. She definitely sticks to that look. 

Natalie: What do you want ladies to know about make-up services you offer?

John: I’ve started doing what I really want to do which is teaching make-up lessons. I can take women out to buy new makeup and suggest colors that best suits them. I point out the cheap must-haves; there's no reason for me to lead someone to products just because they are expensive. The best look is not dependent on how much one spends on it; it’s about the technique of the application. In addition to make-up application, I also love to teach make-up tutorial classes. I meet with a group of girls, hear what skills they'd like to learn about, and I teach them step by step how to do it. Too many times women buy expensive make-up and it just sits in their drawer. I teach them how to look their best in a non-intimidating environment. So instead of just fixing them up for one event, I’m teaching them a skill that they can use to look their best regularly

 

John will be a great fit and we can't wait to see him work his magic on our clients and brides! We are looking forward to him fixing us up and watching him in action at the Pumps holiday shopping party this Thursday, November 18. Megan K., John Dye, great food, skinny martinis (Megan's own!) and 20% off Pumps merchandise -- come join us anytime between 6:00 -- 8:00 p.m. See you there!

Culture Club with a Megan K. Touch!

Culture Club, you say? 

I like to think that Pensacola Museum of Art's event called Culture Club is one of the most charming social activities that Pensacola has to offer!

Megan K. Events got the opportunity to sponsor the event and how could we say no? Art, drinks, music, food and fun? We say absolutely!

If you were there (if you weren't, you missed out!) you definitely might have been wondering who all the blondes in Megan K. shirts were! Megan's running team called Blonde Ambition is a big supporter of Megan K. Events and decided to come show their support for Megan by dressing up and coming out for an extremely fun night. 

Of course Katie and I were also there serving up Megan K's signature cocktail that everyone LOVED. And might I specify here that some of the biggest fans of the cocktail were the men at this event! We quite enjoyed watching everyone walk around with our martini glasses. :)

Basically what I'm trying to let you all know is that Culture Club is an event you shouldn't miss! It's a big city event, with some downtown Pensacola culture added in the mix. We loved being a part of it, thanks Pensacola Museum of Art!