What Are We Watching? Diann Valentine's I DO OVER!

Tuesday, December 20, 2011



Anybody that knows me, knows I am a wedding show fanatic. You name it I watch it...everything from, David Tutera's My Fair Wedding, Four Weddings, My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding (pretty interesting show) to my FAVORITE Say Yes to the Dress. A show that I have been really into and excited about lately is I Do Over, starring THE Diann Valentine. When I discovered this lady and read about her work I was so confused as to why she did not have her own show. So when I learned of this show I was SO excited. This show introduces us to a couple that is already married but had a disaster or unfortunate event ruin their wedding the first time around. Diann surprises them and takes on the role of a Fairy Godmother and promises the chosen couple a second chance to have the wedding of their dreams! So right after the couple's excitement subsides, Diann explains to them she will plan their wedding in FIVE days! Yes FIVE days! 


So this takes the couple up in a wedding planning whirlwind where they select linens, choose florals, cake tastings, and pick out a dress. Diann takes care of the rest and keeps the wedding location a secret from the couple. Anybody that is familiar with Diann's work knows that these weddings are TRULY fabulous and something that I'm sure most people couldnt even imagine if they tried! Here are some photos of some of Diann's weddings. 


Photo by Mike Colon

Photo by Gavin Wade

This is SO different I love!! Photo by Mike Colon



I wanted to blog about this show because it is great to see a beautiful, successful black woman on television doing something she loves and is wonderful at!! Not to mention her fashion sense DEFINITELY keeps viewers on their toes! Her hair and shoes ALWAYS brings me joy, hahaa! Support the show and watch! Make sure we keep the seasons coming! New episodes are aired on WE TV on Sunday evenings at 10pm. Check your listings because the show re-runs alot! 


Check out her website and her blog HERE!!


You can also check out a clip of her show below!





Stay Beautiful My Loves,
Memi





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We've BEEN BLOGGED!!

Monday, December 12, 2011

Hello Guys!!

We had an AWESOME wedding season and now some of our favorite photographers are getting around to blog some of the gorgeous weddings we were blessed to take part in!

You may remember Lola & Dolamu from a few posts back, we did a mini feature on them and they had a little chat with us here on the blog.

You can find even MORE pictures on Dotun's Photo Lounge .


We also have a couple of pictures from Eddie & Wendy's wedding! You may remember them from their engagement session we blogged a few months back. We are so proud to say we were responsible for the planning, coordination, and decor for this beautiful event!

Here are a few pics from their AMAZING wedding and you can find WAYY more pictures on K.Bobb's Photography Blog! Go there now!

Make sure you leave some comments on our blog and the photographer blogs to let us all know what you think!!

Stay Beautiful My Loves,
Memi












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Ah!Mazing Vendor Feature: Ink Hearts

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Hello Readers!!!

It has been quite a while since we've had a vendor feature so I'm really excited to introduce you to Ata, the founder of InkHearts! InkHearts specializes in couture invitations and stationary. When I came across InkHearts I immediately fell in love with the beautiful color combinations and the various paper textures she uses to make her invitations stand out amongst the rest. Read on for the interview I had with her! Thanks Ata for taking time out of your schedule and chatting with us!



BCG: Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got into the stationary business?
Ata: As a teenager, I always found myself dabbling into things that involved using my hands. My interests spanned from sewing, baking, hairstyling and the like, until  I found my niche with creating invitations. In 2008, I designed a masked theme invitation for my 30th Birthday Party and the feedback and inquiries I received from folks gave me the extra push I needed to start off the business officially. 



BCG: What is behind the name "Ink Hearts"?
Ata: The way the name, "Ink Hearts" came about is sort of off the wall. My siblings and I were hanging out one day and I brought up the topic of wanting to register my stationery company but could not come up with a name. They went to work and within thirty minutes,the name Ink Hearts was borne. In simplest terms, the name Ink hearts signifies putting pen to paper to create designs borne out of love. 

BCG: What motivates you every day? As a female entrepreneur I am sure you are busy with so many things and have a lot on your plate, what keeps you going?
Ata: I am pretty sure that we all have several things going on in our daily lives and the truth is sometimes, we all need that extra push to keep going. That is where my family comes into play. I am motivated every day by my family, particularly my children. They make me want to do better, strive for more in life. 

BCG: Where do you seek inspiration for your designs?
Ata: Inspiration could pretty much come from anywhere. Sometimes, it could be my clients, functions I have attended or more recently, I was absolutely inspired by a recent trip I took with my girlfriends to Marbella, Spain. There were streams of complementary patterns and bright colors everywhere. It got my mind working overtime so much so that I could not wait to get back and put it all together!


BCG: How do you manage to stay competitive? In an industry like the wedding industry there are sooo many people doing EXACTLY what you do? How does Ink Hearts stand out?
Ata: There is so much talent out there, it' ridiculous and I mean that in a very good way.However, I still think that there is always room for improvement and innovation. We (Inkhearts) pride ourselves on excellent customer service and that personal touch. Which ill not only make us have repeat clients but also rope in referrals. Without advertising that much, I' say 90% of our clients have been through referrals. In fact, we have worked with several clients indifferent parts of the world without meeting them face-to-face. I think that says a lot about what we do and what we are about.



BCG: What kind of couple is an "Ink Heart" couple?? How would you describe the market you cater to?
Ata: Our clientele, typically are generation x and millennial folks, who want to do away with cookie cutter stationery and are ready for something new and different. We also create event stationery as well and do not limit our work to just wedding stationery.

BCG: What do you love the MOST about what you do?
Ata: I feel blessed to be able to do what I do, sometimes putting in long hours but still loving every minute of it. A week ago, we received rave reviews from a ouple that were so overjoyed with their invitation suites. That always puts aWIDE smile on my face.  



BCG: Do you have a piece that is your favorite? If so what is it and why?
Ata: You know, I havent really identified one as my favorite but lately, the gate card and pocket card designs are becoming client faves. 

BCG: Who is your dream client? Who would you loveee to work with? Could be celebrity, public figure, friend or family, whoever! And why?
Ata: We strive to treat all our clients the same and provide that personalized experience. However, I will know I am going places when we serve our first celebrity client. 

BCG: Where do you see Ink Hearts in the next 5 years? 10 years?
Ata: I am so optimistic about the future of Inkhearts and God willing, our dreams shall come to pass. In the next few months, we will be opening our studio/paperie store in Ikoyi, Lagos, Nigeria, which I am overly happy about. To be honest, it is a bit scary but like the saying goes, you never know til you try? We are taking that leap to see where the road leads us. 

A 10% discount will be offered to anyone who places an order of 200 or more invitation suites by JANUARY 31st

A 15% discount will be offered to anyone who places their order of 200 or more invitation suites by DECEMBER 31th

To get your hands on some InkHeart invitations you can contact them thru:

p: +234 807.478.3309 (Nigeria)
p: +1 678.467.1911 (USA)

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