…everything to you and yours this season! Whatever it is you’re celebrating in the coming weeks, all of us at Talia Events wish you blissful times with friends and family.

It’s true. I love the Missed Connections segment of craigslist. If you’re not familiar, it’s the place on the site where people list anonymous postings asking the person they saw earlier that day, that week, month or even year who they’d like to re-connect with to contact them. Essentially, it goes something like, “I saw you in the frozen foods section. You, Chunky Monkey. Me, Whirled Peace. I’d love to share a pint with you soon…”

My love affair with these little morsels goes back years. When I lived in San Francisco, I read them almost daily and was thrilled to find an art exhibit by chance one day that was made up of photos with the descriptive Missed Connection posted at the bottom. For the two above, it would have been a photo of two people, sheepishly peering through the freezer doors over their pints of ice cream with those undeniable little smirks of love on their faces.

Anyway, fully aware that I’m venturing off the trail of wedding-related advice or eye candy, I hope you’ll allow me this chance to share that Missed Connections have grown up and now have their own book. It sounds like the perfect accompaniment to a cup of tea and crisp, fall night to me!

I think I join so many Americans in need of a little pick me up today after honoring the 10 year anniversay of September 11th yesterday. I think I also join so many who listened to and shared stories of “where I was when” throughout the past week, weekend and yesterday.

I was with my brother in the middle of Milan. We’d been travelling in Europe and had just over a week to go.  Although tensions soared and (let’s face it) exploded at times as we frantically tried to get in touch with our parents who had no idea where in Italy we were and made our way to Rome and eventually to family in London, I was and am grateful to have been there and shared in that experience with him.

It may be a far stretch, but in the midst of my gratitude for having had his companionship during that trip and during that time, I got to thinking about his recent wedding. It too, was a time I was grateful for him. He married an amazing woman and together they had a sweet, personal and meaningful wedding.

I was honored to simply “be a bridesmaid” and enjoy not mixing work and play. But, in true form, still had to butt my nose in and do a bit of organizing. Rather than focus on the wedding, I turned my attention to what is quickly becoming the traditional Hagen Family Dance.

At our wedding last October, my family broke out in a surprise Boot Scootin’ Boogie. They had all learned it earlier in the weekend and brought hats and bandanas for full effect. It was great fun; a performance that needed an encore!

I rounded up 3 of my younger, hipper cousins to help me come up with a new dance. Considering that Alex and Blayne’s wedding was actually in the country, a country line dance was too expected. After much searching, we found The Wobble and put it to Will Smith’s famous, or infamous, Gettin’ Jiggy With It.

My family may forever hold this against me, but in the spirit of a laugh, the kind that always feels good after tears, I have to share the practice and performance videos. I can do this, you see, because I’m not identifiable in either!

Unfortunately, they’re both locked–probably to limit me from sharing them–so you’ll need to click on these links. Enjoy! May they bring a smile to your face today…even if it’s at our expense!

Dance Practice

The Performance

I’ll be honest, it’s been a busy summer. A wonderfully busy summer. We’ve had the chance to work with an incredible group of brides, grooms, parents, bridesmaids, groomsmen and some amazing local vendors, but it’s been busy. And, it’s far from over.

Sometimes, when it’s busy, it takes extra effort to stop, take a breath and remember how incredibly lucky I am to love what I do. I am continually in awe and honored that I get to be a part of such a memorable and momentous day in the lives of our clients.

So, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the following Love Note from Kate, a recently wedded beautiful bride, makes my heart pitter patter…

There is no way I could have pulled this off without you guys and I cannot thank you enough for all the wonderful things you all did. I am so thankful I had you there and just want a wonderful job you guys did. Everyone had such a wonderful night and my mom said it was so nice to be able to enjoy their own house without having to worry about anything. You have all been so wonderful and great to Doug and I. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

You have a WONDERFUL company and provide such great service! I am so thankful I listened to my friends and hired you!

…and compliments. Not wanting to brag, I am tenative to share the latest Love Note we received the other day from the mother of a recent client, but I think it’s a good glimpse into how what we do allows the clients and their families and friends the opportunity to enjoy the planning process and, wedding day.

Last but not least, we would like to extend our thanks and appreciation to you for everything you did and for helping us make (their) wedding celebration such an absolutely amazing, beautiful and memorable one. We can say without any doubt  that everyone who shared in the celebration  enjoyed  it immensely and left with lighter hearts and renewed energy. It will be a lasting memory for us and our families and friends who attended. There is no doubt that the occasion  would not have been such a success without your advice,  assistance, planning and hard work.

If you haven’t checked out Mile High Bride yet, you should soon! It’s a great resource for local, Colorado wedding planning, inspiration and, well, let’s face it, eye candy!

It was an honor to be featured as the Vendor Spotlight Interview last week. If you’re curious, check it out! And, even if not, be sure to visit Mile High Bride soon.

Have I mentioned how honored I am to have Talia Events be a part of The White List? It’s a collection of some great, local Colorado wedding vendors. We wrote our monthly blog entry today on ideas of how to include for those friends and family members who for one reason or another aren’t bridesmaids or groomsmen. Take a look and be sure to visit the blog regularly for wisdom, tips and eye candy from some of the best Colorado wedding vendors!

We are excited to be a part of The White List, a web site featuring the work of a group of great local wedding vendors. We’re honored to be in such great company!

Yesterday, we posted our first blog entry for the site. It’s an exerpt of our upcoming new bookette, From tone to hue, which ones are best for you?:  5 Tips for Choosing Your Wedding Colors.

Take a look and, if you’re interested, watch for the launch of the entire text!