 As M & N celebrate their first anniversary we can not help but take this time to look back at their magical Crane Estate wedding in Ipswich, MA last summer. We wish you all the happiness in the world and hope that that smiles, love & laugher of your wedding follow you through the next 100 years of marriage. Thank you for being part of the Detailed Engagements Love Story! xox ~Tiffany          Vendor Dream Team
Wedding Planning: Detailed Engagements Venue: Crane Estate Catering: Fireside Catering Floral Design: Freerange Floral Photography: Roy Rivas Photography
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 One of our brides recently said that she always knew she needed a wedding planner but she also knew there would be that moment when she would also say- THIS is why I hired a weddingplanner!! For her, this moment came when the family askedher and her fiance to have a floor installed for their wedding tent. Not a huge task and certianly something we can handle but for her it was the straw tha broke the camels back so to speak. We handled it, added it to her order and tweaked her budget to fit this in. Met with her to calm her nerves and made it work with our friends at Exeter Events & Tents and Seacoast Sperry. We just made it happen and took the stress off of her shoulders and kept the planning fun.
People hire wedding and event planners for all sorts for reasons. Some want to be involved in their planning but just need a gentle nudge as to where to start while others want nothing to do with it at all. Some hire a wedding planner to truly have a partner with all of the wedding planner and know that the day of the wedding someone will have their back and execute their wedding exaclty as they wish. As different as our weding couples are, so are their planning needs. So do you need a wedding planner? Yes! You do. Going it alone is like starting a brand new job in an unfamilar field and immediatly having the biggest project/assignment of your career without any training or experience. You wouldn't be at your best and you will probably be stressed to the max. Now lots of epopel are going to read this and say- nope- I do not need a planner! I can do this myself. I plan things, I am organized, I do not need to spend the money. To that I say, I am 100% sure you are physially capable of planning a wedding but do you have the time? Do you have the connections of knowing where to start and who to call? Do you have your emergency backup plan in place in case something goes wrong on the wedding day? Do you want to be truouble shooting things or setting up decor on the day of your wedding? Or, do you want a professional to help? Do you want to have omseone on your team that you can turn to along the way to help you? To have your back and serve as your insider to the industry? Do you want to be a guest at your own wedding? So yeah, you need a wedding planner. Feel free to reach out to set up a complimentary phone chat to get to know us and learn about how we may be able to help you with your wedding. Trust me, even that call will put your mind at ease. hello@DetailedEngagements.com Happy (and stress free) Planning! xo ~Tiffany  On May 19, 2017 these two beauties quietly said I Do on a sunny evening at Hammond Castle in Gloucester, MA. We had the pleasure of sharing this special night with them as they eloped and will forever be thankful for that.. Happy first anniversary loves. Hope you are enjoying some icecream today. xo ~Tiffany Stunning photos by the uber talented (and really cool) Cody Jordan
  R & B had the most amazing wedding guests! All 200 plus of them were the sweetest! Beautiful moment captured by our friends from Made In Stills photography. xo Jeremy: "What do you like better, Christmas or Wedding season?" John: "Mister Grey?" Jeremy: "Yes, um, the answer would be, um, wedding season?" John: "Bingo. I'm gonna go get my suit." Wedding Crashers. One of my all time favorite movies for so many reasons. Ready or not, wedding season is here. But, are you a good wedding guest? There are few simple things you can do to keep you in the couple’s good graces and avoid any awkward moments. Read up and follow these simple rules. The Don'ts!
The Do's!!!
Follow these simple rules and you will be every bride and grooms dream! Who knows, you may really enjoy yourself at their wedding too! Xoxo ~Tiffany  Twenty seventeen was filled with some of the most amazing couples and beautiful weddings, and we can’t wait to kick off another fantastic Detailed Engagements wedding season this year! With a new year comes new trends—here are some of our favorites to watch for in 2018.
While trends are great to look to for inspiration, the most important thing to keep in mind is what works for you— whatever that may be! We love to see couples embrace who they are and what they love, and add their unique personalities into their big day. You don’t want to get so caught up in the latest and greatest that you lose yourself in the process. You are getting married to the love of your life, and above all else, your wedding should celebrate the two of you as a couple! We want to hear from you! What trends or traditions will you be incorporating into your big day? Happy Planning! xo ~ Detailed Engagements Team Beautiful arch hand made & painted by the groom!
Photography by Christian Napolitano Photography  February is the month of love – a time for Valentine’s Day and remembering love – emphasizing the importance of love in our lives. So it seems quite fitting to me that today, Valentine's Day- I say thank you to all of our clients for allowing myself and Detailed Engagements to be part of their love story. Cheesy? Maybe. But it really condenses down my philosophy of how I feel about my clients here at DE. It really is a love story. I have spent the last two months, the end of 2017 and the beginning of 2018, both looking back and looking forward. Reflecting and planning ahead. To me, they go hand-in-hand. Each and every client myself and my team work with has brought so much into our lives. I take all of that with me going forward. So many of our clients have already sent over their online albums and videos so I had the pleasure of spending the last 2 months reliving 2017 and looking back on all of the greatness we were fortunate to be part of. Wrapping up the year and another chapter of my own love story. Thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for allowing me to be part of your love story and therefore a part of my own. Cheers to you my clients, my friends and cheers to a life long connection of our love stories! xo xo ~Tiffany Learned Owner/Lead Wedding Planner Detailed Engagements Stunning photo of one of our DE Clients by our friend Lindsay of Lindsay Vann Photography
Gorgeous bouquet by the UBER talented Karla of Karla Cassidy Designs  Seriously, You Can’t Afford Not to Hire a Wedding Planner Started planning your wedding only to realize how little time you have ahead of you? Too many items on your to-do list and not enough hours to get it all done? We get it! At DE, we hear the same from almost all of the couples we work with. Wedding planning doesn’t have to be stressful and exhausting. If feeling anxious and completely overwhelmed by the time it will take to plan your own wedding sounds familiar, you need to hire a wedding planner. Type A personality who wants to be in control of your plans every step of the way? You guessed it, a wedding planner will be extremely helpful for you, too (yes, really).
Happy (stress-free) Planning! xo, Emily Detailed Engagements Team Member Need more convincing? Below are reviews from DE Brides who thought they would never need to hire a wedding planner—and were SO happy they did!
~Bridget, a 2017 Detailed Engagements Bride
~Mara, a 2017 Detailed Engagements Bride  Gorgeous tent by Exeter Events & Tents in Newburyport, MA at Custom House Maritime Museum Your venue is booked, your date is set! Yay! Your perfect venue is everything you have ever dreamt of, but there is just one little piece of the puzzle you still need to figure out- you need a tent! Before you jump on The Knot, Pinterest or Facebook for your information read this first. This may save you a few steps and a LOT of headaches. The tent company is one of the largest parts of your wedding - both literally and logistically. Do you know that most tents will require a temporary building permit from the town or city the wedding is taking place in before the tent can be installed? Do you know that some towns and cities require not only the building inspector but the fire chief to come and inspect the tent once it is up before the event can happen? Don't worry, it is not any additional work on you but working with a qualified, experienced tent company will ensure that is does not BECOME additional work for you. Here are a few things you can do to save yourself from booking a company that will cause you more work in the long run!
If so, they are there for a reason. DO NOT, and I repeat do NOT, try and force another tent company on your venue. The reason why is simple- when a venue recommends a vendor it is based on prior experience at the site. These companies have knocked it out of the park for the venue and the clients were happy. They know what is required to work there and can navigate the town/ city requirements. 2. If there is not a preferred vendor list , has the company worked at your site or a site like yours before? In the wedding world not all venues are created equally. Different venues have their own set of logistics to work with. Make sure your tent & rental company is up to the task. 3. Check those reviews!! All 5 stars? Great!!! If not, read the others. One bad reviews? Ok, well that just means that someone had a bad day. Not the end of the world. More than one negative review or do you see a trend? Are their multiple reviewers saying the same thing? That is a HUGE red flag. Run. 4. Ask your friends, family & colleagues who they have used. See if they have used anyone you are thinking of and ask for feedback. I always love a good first hand reference. Just like you, I read reviews and look into businesses before I use them but when you have a trusted source give you a recommendation based on their actual interaction with the company that is gold to me. 5. If all else is equal, decide on this based on the pricing. Did you notice that cost is the LAST of the ways I listed? Yes, this is your money but this is NOT one of the times where cheaper is better. Cheaper is just that, cheaper. I don't know about you but I certainly don't have money just to throw around on things so I carefully watch every penny that goes out. But I know the difference between cheap and just a great value. I know when to spend the money and where to save. The tent company is not where to save. Think about it this way, the tent will literally cover your entired weddig. If it is not installed right, something doesn't show up or it fails an inspection- game over. You're scrambling. Like I said earlier, it may seem 'cheaper' but does it cost you more in the long run?
Truly something to think about. Happy Planning! xo ~Tiffany  2018 is off to a great start! Today we learned that Detailed Engagements has been named the 2018 Best Wedding Planner by the readers of Northshore Magazine!
This is such an honor for us. Thank you to all of our clients, friends and family who have supported us through out the years! Cheers to the best year yet!! Xoxo ~Tiffany Learned Owner & Lead Planner Detailed Engagements  Congrats, the year is here- the year you are getting MARRIED!! If 2018 is going to be the year you say I do we want to hear from you! Chances are the pressure is on as your day gets closer.
Need a little help pulling things together? We have you covered! Don't think you can afford a planner? Let's chat, chances are you actually can! No, seriously. Want to just enjoy your engagement and let someone else take the reigns on your wedding day? Sounds magical, right!? We've got you. Want to work with a team that is easy going but can handle everything? Want to work with pros who know their stuff but are friendly and compassionate, won't judge your decisions but will be able to guide you down the aisle? You will fit right in to the DE family. If you are tying the knot in 2018 give us a shout today. We still have some dates available and are happy to help as little or as much as you need. Give yourself the gift of stress-free wedding planning to start the year off right. Shoot us an email, we love to talk weddings. Hello@DetailedEngagements.com xoxo ~The Team at Detailed Engagements  Just a few of the beautiful Detailed Engagements clients who made 2017 such a wonderful year! Hello friends!
2017 may now be in our rear view mirror but we are still celebrating the beautiful clients we were fortunate enough to work with over the past 12 months. Join us over the next few weeks as we take a look back at 2017 and show off the gorgeous weddings & events we are proud to have been a part of. xo ~Tiffany J. Learned Detailed Engagements  Destination Wedding? Yes Please! Dreaming of a beachside ceremony in paradise? How about tying the knot in Las Vegas, fondly known as the wedding capital of the world? No matter where you choose, a destination wedding is sure to make your special day even more memorable!
There is something so special about spending your wedding day surrounded by loved ones who travelled a long way just to celebrate you! Whether your vision is to be married at the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, or the one on the Vegas Strip, there is truly a destination for everyone. Happy Planning! XO ~ The Detailed Engagements Team Travel resources, links, and photos in this post provided by vegas.com For more information, please visit https://www.vegas.com/weddings/  It seems fitting to us that today, on November 1st, we write a blog about how to give thanks! So often we are asked by our clients about this topic. Who do they thank? When do they thank people? How about thanking vendors? How does this work? So here it is! Plain and simple.
Our parents always taught us to say please and thank you and when it comes to weddings this still is the case! Saying thank you is a MUST! Yes, you are the star of your day but thanking your guests and those who helped bring your day to life should be a TOP priority after you say I Do.
When do you thank people???
A thank you goes a long way and means so much to people! It is such a simple gesture but one that is all too often forgotten. Do not let yourself be the person who does not property thank the people who made your wedding day special. I know you have put a lot of time and energy into your special day but when you step back and look at it, it takes a village. Thank those people. They worked hard for you. Say thank you. xoxo ~A Very Thankful Tiffany of Detailed Engagements  Headphones lit up and ready to go! Back on Sunday October 1st, we had the privilege of doing the wedding of a fellow planner from St. John at Peirce House in Lincoln, MA. Not only was Michelle, owner of Paradise Planning, an amazing bride but we loved working together over the past few months and bouncing 'planner stuff' off of each other. Amazing bride, new best friend- win win for this wedding planner! About 3 months ago Michelle flew up to Boston and we met for a planning meeting at her venue. This particular venue has a noise ordinance and we needed to shut down the DJ earlier than we wanted to. This is very common here in New England where our venues tend to be in neighborhoods with private homes within close proximity. Well we didn't want that party to end too early so Michelle offered up a solution that works for her clients on St. John where a lot of venues have early quiet hours- we were going to do a Silent Disco!! This was a new idea for a lot us here in New England but it was the perfect solution! We set it all up, the headphones were shipped up to the venue and we were ready to go. DE was going to be part of history!! When we moved the guests into the house to get this started they were SO excited!! We had all the headphones set to the same channel so they can dance along to all the greatness the DJ was playing and dance they did! This was a HUGE hit and something I know they will be talking about for a long time to come! So consider yourself in the know- Silent Discos are taking over New England and you heard it here first!! #DEDoesItBetter!! Want to learn more about how the DE team can bring a Silent Disco to your event? Hit us up at Hello@DetailedEngagements.com Thank you SO much to the team at Latimer Studios for this sneak peak of our Silent Disco and all of the guests absolutely loving it!! You really do make real stories epic! You guys ROCK!! xoxo Tiffany J. Learned Film Credit goes to our friends at Latimer Studios! For more information about have them capture your big day reach out to them at hello@latimerstudios.com or www.latimerstudios.com.
 Welcome to our first installment of Detailed Engagements Vendor Spotlight featuring our friend Ethan Cohen at UAV Look:
Vendor Spotlight: The Perspective of a Licensed Drone Pilot Why you may want to consider what an experienced professional has to say about using a drone to capture your wedding Featured pilot: Ethan Cohen of UAV Look www.uavlook.com 978-270-5399 Until about four years ago, capturing your wedding from the sky was an unfamiliar idea to most couples. Sure, helicopters and small aircrafts might have the ability to record footage, but that 20-400 ft of airspace above the ground (where the real magic happens) was completely uncharted territory. With drones rising in popularity, more couples are becoming excited about the idea of using them to create a unique perspective of their wedding day. So why shouldn't you ask your tech-savvy cousin operate their drone at your wedding? We spoke with Ethan Cohen, owner of aerial imaging company UAV Look, about just some of the reasons why it’s best to leave things to the professionals— especially on your wedding day! 1. More than Just a Hobby Just like you wouldn't hire an unlicensed limo driver to transport you to your wedding, you shouldn’t want an unlicensed operator piloting a drone over your ceremony. Drone operation is a serious craft that deserves to be respected. Ethan Cohen is a licensed, fully insured, FAA approved pilot. In order to legally fly his drones commercially, Ethan has his Remote Pilot Certificate and a Private Pilot’s License. In his experience, becoming a licensed drone pilot has been a big investment— largely due to the time it takes to truly learn the craft and understand the risks involved. 2. Experience is Everything In addition to having all the proper licensing, Ethan also has three years of experience under his belt. He reminds us that even though someone can operate a drone, it doesn't always mean that they should. Simply obtaining a license only requires the operator to know the basics, like asking permission before flying over a group of people, and how to legally comply with airspace restrictions and aviation regulations. An experienced pilot will also have taken the time to learn additional safety procedures in case of an emergency. Bottom line, your drone operator may sound confident in their abilities, but make sure they have the credentials and experience to back them up. 3. Quality Speaks for Itself Ethan refers to himself as a pilot first and a photographer/videographer second. It takes a skilled operator to know how to keep the drone stable, and smoothly maneuver it to the right camera angles for all the best shots. Ethan also says that licensed professionals tend to use better equipment. They will likely have a drone outfitted with a higher quality camera that will record awesome video footage. 4. Know the Dangers It is highly unlikely that the drone will fall out of the sky if you are using an experienced, licensed pilot. A professional drone pilot will know the guidelines associated with safe operation, and what to do in an emergency situation. Although drones do use GPS, a number of factors can cause that signal to be lost and the drone to switch into manual mode. If the operator is unfamiliar with flying manually, they will lose the ability to control the drone and create the possibility for a dangerous crash mid-ceremony. Your pilot should also know the limits of their drone. An experienced professional will take into consideration battery life, distance, surroundings and weather to avoid any serious mishaps, and be fully insured just in case. 5. The Sky is the Limit When used properly, drones have the potential to completely transform the scale of your wedding. A drone will capture an amazing 360 degree view of your special day—not to mention cinematic quality video you can relive for years to come. Ethan reminds us that as long as you have an experienced pilot, drones are actually very safe. It all comes down to doing your research and choosing the right professional for the job. Some Questions to ask your Drone Pilot Are you a licensed Drone operator? Note: A Remote Pilot Certificate is required to legally operate a drone commercially Do you have any additional licenses? Note: Ethan also has a Private Pilot’s License Could you provide a copy of them? Note: In the event of an emergency, it is a good idea to have copies of these on hand Do you keep up to date on the safety and legal guidelines for drone operation? Do you know how to handle it if you lose GPS signal while operating your drone? Do you have any recent work we could look at? Note: This will allow you to see if the video footage is smooth and the photos clear and sharp Do you have liability insurance? Note: This will cover damages up to a certain amount in the event of an accident Want to learn more? UAV Look www.UAVLook.com Ethan@UAVLook.com 978-270-5399 ______ Blog by the talented Emily Delaney, associate wedding & event planner at Detailed Engagements EmilyD@DetailedEngagements.com  Why It’s So Important To Use Trusted Vendors For Your Wedding The creation of a successful wedding takes a strong team, a community of people working together to make the day the best it can possibly be for the couple. At Detailed Engagements, we know this to be true. Our best and most successful wedding & event days happen when we work with a team of amazing vendors who truly love what they do and have the right energy to make it all happen. When choosing the key players for your wedding day, use the vendors you already have as your guide. If you picked a wedding planner because you trust them to see your vision and bring it to life, chances are you’ll feel the same way about the other vendors they work closely with, too. When your planner suggests an awesome DJ or your venue coordinator suggests a florist who does a beautiful job, they are recommending them for a reason. It is not only based on the exceptional quality of their work, but for their professionalism, friendliness, and trustworthiness. They suggest them to you because they are confident that this person will do everything in their power to make you, their client, happy. If you surround yourself with vendors who have this same goal in mind, you can’t go wrong. It is so important that your vendors not only communicate well with you, but also with each other. Just like you want to surround yourself with wedding professionals that you trust, your vendors want to do the same. Highly recommended and preferred vendors exist for a reason. They are not so that vendors can work exclusively with their friends in the industry (although here at DE we do love the rockstar wedding pros we get to work with on a regular basis!) Instead, certain vendors have earned their recommendation because they have proven to be trustworthy and committed to their clients best interests. They are not selfish, petty, or competitive. They know that it takes a strong team to produce a great wedding, and they are committed to working together to achieve that goal. To be a real professional in this industry means so much more than just showing up on time to do a job. It is a positive attitude, team work, and a client-centric mentality that makes a vendor amazing to work with. A great vendor will have work that speaks for itself, but it’s their reputation that earns them the trust and respect of both their peers and their clients. Shoutout to all the amazing vendors and wedding pros who have helped make DE weddings so extraordinary over the years! xo, Emily Associate Wedding & Event Planner EmilyD@DetailedEngagements.com 978-380-2160
Photos of DE team members with some of their favorite vendors we have had the pleasure of working with in the last couple of months:
Meritage Entertainment The Garden at Elm Bank Wedding Venue Roy Rovis Photography Made in Still Photography  Stunning image of a DE wedding on the water taken by the talented Mr. Zac Wolf of Zac Wolf Photography. Tented weddings and events are kind of our thing. For the past 7 years we have worked with our clients to create some amazing tented weddings and events all over New England! From the beaches of Cape Cod to the mountains of NH. An airport in Plum Island and back yards all over New England. Hardy Farm in Fryeburg Maine and the Stevens Estate in Andover, Massachusetts. Over the years we put tents in some of the most beautiful places! Our clients come to us because they want something different, something that matches their style! That may be a wedding at Spencer Peirce Little Farm in Newbury, MA or a client appreciation party on the waterfront in Newburyport, MA. We have put a tent on the beaches of Provincetown on Cape Cod and on the shores of York, Maine. Yeah, tented weddings and events really are kind of our thing! And we couldn't be happier with that! We love the logistics of planning a tented event. From designing a tent layout in our custom programs to watching the weather in preparation for the big day- we love every part of putting together a tented wedding or tented event. Do not let this intimidate you- tented weddings and events may have a lot of working parts but we will guide you every step of the way. We have been doing this for 7 years. We will keep the stress level down and help you work out every detail. Interested in something like this? Planning to spend your wedding day in a tent? Are you throwing a big party and plan on renting a tent? Want to know who are favorite companies to work with are? Want to know who does the best job with a tented event? We should talk. We will help you make this a reality. Talk soon, The Tented Wedding & Event Pros at Detailed Engagements email: hello@DetailedEngagements.com phone: 978-380-4162 ps: here are a few photos of some of our tented goodness that we have worked on through the years. Enjoy! Photos by:
Alex + Betty Photography Zac Wolf Photography Karen Kelly Photography The Rustic Studio Martino Micko Photography Heather Littlefield Photography Anne Skidmore Photography, Jordan Luciano Matthew Yeaton Photography She of the Woods Photography Dee Renee Photography And the rest are courtesy of a Detailed Engagements iPhone :-)  As we wrap up the month of February it is important for me to share this blog.
If anyone had told me during those first few months after I started Detailed Engagements that 7 short years later I would be living my dream and working with the best clients & vendors in the world I would have been in awe. I started writing this anniversary blog about 10 times this month. Each time I started I turned the music down in the office and stare at the page. Every time I was overcome with emotion thinking how far I have come and the journey I have taken to get here. Each time I started writing I began thinking about all of the amazing weddings & events throughout these 7 years. This month I have had the pleasure of meeting with 6 potential new interns for Detailed Engagements. Their excitement was contagious and their enthusiasm for this industry that I call home was palpable. We talked about their dreams, their goals and how DE may fit into those. We talked about what I do, where I came from and how I started this business and the journey it has taken to get here today. It seemed fitting that today after these meetings have wrapped that I finish writing this blog and share it with you. I love what I do. Simply put every day I walk in to my office I feel like I am the luckiest person in the world. Detailed Engagements and my role as the owner and lead wedding & event planner is not simply a job to me- it is my life. My passion. And I am so incredibly lucky and thankful to live my dream each and every day. Everyone who knows me knows that I am not usually the emotional type but this year is different. Thank you so much to everyone who has believed in me, supported me and allowed myself and Detailed Engagements to be part of your weddings & events throughout the years.Thank you to my friends and family who have been there every step along the way. You all mean more to me than I will ever be able to express but as I celebrate the 7th anniversary for Detailed Engagements I promise you that I will continue to walk into my office every day thankful for what you all allow me to do. Big things are in the works for Detailed Engagements. This 'little' business I started in a spare bedroom in my parent's house 7 years ago with little more than a dream and a won't-quit attitude is taking me places I never dreamt of. I promise to make this year, our 7th year in business, even better than all of the rest. I promise to continue to make each and every client feel like they are part of our DE family. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of you who have trusted in me through the years and chose to work with Detailed Engagements. You have helped to make me who I am today and for that I truly thank you. I have spent a great deal of time this month reflecting on the past 7 years and I have just had a smile on my face thinking of it all. I am one lucky girl and I will never forget that. I have the best job in the world. Cheers to you my friends! xo ~Tiffany J. Learned  I was invited to spend the weekend at the Mountain View Grand Resort and Spa in Whitefield. NH by their catering manager Ms. Katie Norris and I jumped at the opportunity! My better half and I left work early a few Fridays ago and made the beautiful drive up to the White Mountains to this stunning resort. As soon as we arrived at the beautiful grand entrance a bellhop named Daniel welcomed us and set the tone for all that we were about to experience that weekend! We were quickly checked in and brought to our gorgeous room. We thought it was absolutely stunning with its picturesque views of over 30 mountain tops including Mt. Washington but we later learned that this was actually the bridal suite where the bride usually gets ready on the day of her wedding! It was spacious and a perfect set up for this with its separate sitting area, breakfast nook and large bathroom. Well played MVG! Once we were all settled in we decided to enjoy our first evening at the resort with a cocktail on their sprawling front porch known for its spectacular views of the sunset. And the sunset that evening did not disappoint. It was an absolutely gorgeous view and all I could think about was how stunning a mountain side ceremony at sunset would be at this one-of-a-kind resort. We did a little exploring on Friday evening to see as much as we could. We came across a game room that had a movie theatre across the hall! We saw the outdoor skating rink and an outdoor fire pit. We sat by fire places enjoying their oversized leather chairs and an adult cocktail or two from their in house tavern. If we hadn't already figured it out- this little self guided tour would have told us that the MVG resort was truly special and we were in for a wonderful weekend. We enjoyed all that this historic resort had to offer while we were there from dining in Harvest Tavern on Friday evening and chatting with Lauren our fabulous bartender to competing in an Ax Throwing competition on Saturday morning before enjoying some time in the pool and sauna. But one of the top experiences we enjoyed was dining in the 1865 Wine Cellar on Saturday night. This was phenomenal! The moment we walked down the stairs and stepped into this impressive setting we knew we were in for a wonderful experience. From the quiet, relaxing setting to our exquisite meals everything was perfection! But our waiter Javar made the night! From his wine knowledge to food suggestions- it was just perfect. We enjoyed our chats with him and ended up having a relaxing meal that lasted over 2 hours! While we were enjoying ourselves down in the Wine Cellar we felt like time had stopped and we were in our own little world. I can't say it enough- it was perfection. The whole time I was enjoying myself I kept imagining this resort as the perfect setting for a wedding, a large corporate retreat or any event for that matter. What the Mountain View Grand Resort has created is not just a wedding venue or an event space but a feeling and an experience. From the second you and your guests step out of your car and enter up the stair way into the grand entrance you will become lost in the experience and never want to leave. From winter nights roasting marshmellows by the fire the night before your wedding to welcome parties on the veranda on a warm summer evening- this resort has it all. I haven't even mentioned their gorgeous venue spaces yet! With something for every group size, every style and every event- they do not disappoint. If you have not thought about this resort for your wedding or event or even just a weekend away you are truly missing out. This is a NH mountain resort at its finest located in the beautiful White Mountains. Just writing this is bringing back all of the feels from our trip and is making me want to go back again! Hmmm... when do we have another free weekend?! MVG here we come! For more information on weddings and event at Mountain View Grand Resort & Spa or to book a weekend away for yourself visit: www.MountainViewGrand.com or email Katie at KNorris@MountainViewGrand.com. Make sure to tell them I sent you ❤ Cheers! ~Tiffany J. Learned Owner Lead Wedding & Event Planner  The welcome note left in our hotel room.  The view from our hotel room!  Dinner in the Wine Cellar  The best seat in the house at the Wine Cellar!  Another view of the Wine Cellar because it is that beautiful.   Seems pretty fitting that today is this beautiful bride Ashley's birthday and today is the day that we got word that her absolutely STUNNING wedding from this past September at Hardy Farm has been featured in Northshore Magazine's wedding issue! I may be a little biased but I am thinking that having her wedding photos be featured not one, not twice but SEVEN times in one magazine is pretty much the best birthday gift she may just get this year. Not only is their beautiful wedding featured in this article I was interviewed for but the Editor of Northshore Magazine Nancy Berry chose a photo of one of their stunning cernterpices to accompany her Editor's Letter in this issue. A few months back Northshore Magazine reached out to me asking to chat about a wedding story for the January 2017 wedding issue of the magazine. The piece involved interviewing three of our area's top wedding planners, one of which was me, for three different types of weddings. They asked to interview me for the Rustic Barn Wedding and hear my thoughts on the sorts of details I would suggest to bring home a client's vision. In addition to tables settings, place cards, programs, invitations and flowers, I enjoyed chatting about my ideas on way that couples are making their barn weddings special and unique. A huge thank you to Victoria Riccardi for so wonderfullly interviewing me and translating our conversation into print for this article, to Elise Sinagra for my beautiful new headshot and of the insanely talented Jorden Luciano from Anne Skidmore Photography for capturing Greg & Ashley's beautiful barn wedding at Hardy Farm in Fryeburg, Maine this past September. Cheers to you Ashley and Greg! We loved working on your wedding and seeing it in print again brings back all the feels. So far 2017 is off to a great start! xoxo ~Tiffany J. Learned Owner/Lead Wedding & Event Planner Detailed Engagements      Well done Pantone, well done. Big kudos to the 2017 Pantone Color of the Year. We love it! Every wedding needs a touch of greenery. From the classic ballroom affairs in downtown Boston to a rustic barn wedding in the New Hampshire mountains this color will work for all styles and in lots of color pairings.
Cheers Pantone! We love the choice. We know we will be seeing lots of this in this year's wedding designs! ~Tiffany Nestled in the woods of Kensington, NH lies 400 acres of protected land and an incredible venue called Alnoba. While only 20-minutes from the popular New England seacoast cities, Newburyport, MA and Portsmouth, NH, you feel like you're deep into the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Alnoba is an exciting location for anyone wanting to get married near Newburyport but also wanting an eco-conscience woodland wedding environment. The Lodge at Alnoba is the first mixed use building in North America to be certified as a Passive House which features extreme energy efficieny and respect for nature & mankind. This space is a green bride's dream. Weddings here will certainly be one of a kind. So many collaborators were involved in bringing this inspirational shoot to life and if you like something you see be sure to view the credits at the end of the post and give these talented professionals some love! This lodge setting deserved impecable details to match the beautiful surroundings. We chose a light, airy and clean color pallette keeping in tune with the modern lodge vibe this venue exudes. The table scapes throughout included trailing greens, white pumpkins dipped in gold, deckled & calligraphed paper decor and tartan accents. The massive mantel decked in florals was a beautiful feature for the main lodge room and a perfect place for couple's photos. The stationery suite carried out the antler theme & brought life to the photos with a pop of tartan on the calligraphed envelope. Bride & groom were styled in classic yet modern attire with makeup & hair that complimented the look prefectly. The desserts were provided by The Farm at Eastman's Corner , a community-governed, year-round farm and farm market founded by the Lewis Family Foundation. Eastman’s Corner is a model for economic and environmental sustainability, philanthropy, food production and education and is the exclusive caterer for this venue. To sum up the day, this team we developed completely nailed our vision. This dream team of vendors really came together and worked seamlessly as a cohesive team. All hands were on deck in every aspect of the day helpings us coordinate, create, and execute this fun filled styled shoot. To all of our awesome vendors, our amazing models and the one-of-a-kind venue, we say "cheers" to fall weddings that take a modern but classic approach.        Creative Direction, Conception & Styling
Melissa Keyes : Free Range Floral Design | www.freerangefloral.com | @freerangefloraldesign | Kate McNamara : Freebird Photography | www.wearefreebird.com | @WeAreFreebird | Venue : Alnoba | www.alnoba.org | Photographer : Freebird Photography | www.wearefreebird.com | @WeAreFreebird | Floral Design : Free Range Floral Design | www.freerangefloral.com Invitation Suite, Menu, Paper Decor : Simply b | www.simplybprints.com | @SimplyBnbpt | Day of Coordination - Detailed Engagements | www.detailedengagements.com | @DetailedEngagements Calligraphy : Janis Snell Calligraphy | www.janissnell.com | @JanisSnellCallig Hair Stylist : Liz Kidder Studio | www.lizkidderhair.com | @lizkidder Makeup : Jo Louise Beauty | www.jolouisebeauty.com | @JoLouiseBeauty | Bridal Gown : Bella Bridal Shoppe | www.bella-bride.com | @BellaBridalShoppe | Gown Designer : Haley Paige | www.jlmcouture.com/Hayley-Paige | @MissHayleyPaige Getting Ready Robes : Doie Lounge | www.doielounge.com | @doielounge Bride Model : Sophia Mortellaro | @SophiaMortellaro | Accessories : Luxa Jewelry | www.luxajewelry.com | @luxajewelry Groom Model : Facebook: Tony Lamont | @TL_11’ | Men's Attire : Blank Label | www.blanklabel.com | @BlankLabelClothing | Dessert : Eastman's Corner | www.eastmanscorner.com | @EastmansCorner  Tiffany with Allison & John at a Newburyport YPP Planning Meeting in Newburyport, MA showing off our I heart NBPT! Detailed Engagements is known for weddings, events and more weddings but if you were to follow me around for a day you would realize it is so much more. There is a whole other side of it that I rarely talk about on my business page but seeing as though today is Giving Tuesday I really think it is time to share with you my other passion. Building a business takes a tremendous amount of hard work, long hours and passion. I am incredibly blessed to have grown a wedding & event planning business I am very proud of here in the city I call home- Newburyport,MA. Every day I am reminded of how lucky I am and how far I have come. In 2014 I founded the Newburyport Young People with a Purpose group here in Newburyport. YPP, as it is called, has held a very special place in my heart since its inception and it is something I am very proud of. I do not speak of it often in my business life but today on Giving Tuesday I thought it would be the perfect time to share this with you. Newburyport YPP, Young People with a Purpose, is a group geared towards the young, working professionals who want to give back and simply may not know how. We host events with our partner venues, restaurants and other locations in the Newburyport, MA area to grow awareness of various local charities and to create a networking opportunity for young professionals. Our first event was in January of 2015 and featured the local charity Pennies for Poverty. I think back on that early event- not knowing how this group would grow and what we would do but thinking we may just be on to something. Our first event was at the Ipswich Country Club during a big snow storm and over 100 of our area's best and brightest Young Professionals arrived. They came with pockets full of spare change and bags full of groceries to donate. The need was there, we made the connections and they showed up ready to help. We have since helped a total of numerous local charities with the most recent being Christmas Tree Santas, an organization who donates a Christmas tree, the lights and all of the decorations to a family who would otherwise not be able to have one for financial reasons. One of the most touching charities and one that is near and dear to my heart was our January 2016 charity- Lucy's Love Bus. Amesbury, MA native Lucy Grogan was 8-years-old when she was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Throughout Lucy's long illness, concerned individuals raised money to help support Lucy. Lucy learned about the benefits of integrative therapies such as massage, acupuncture, art therapy, and therapeutic horseback riding during her treatment.When Lucy was 11 she told her mother that when she was "done with cancer" she wanted to start a program that would provide free integrative therapies to all children with cancer to help manage the side effects and late effects of traditional cancer treatment. Since 2006, generous supporters have helped deliver love and comfort to over 750 children with cancer all over the United States. We had the pleasure of Lucy's mother Beecher attending this YPP event at Ceia in downtown Newburyport, MA. We packed the house with over 125 area YPPs and raised more money than any of us expected. While Beecher was speaking the room was silent and there were not many dry eyes around. I watched as people hung on Beecher's every word as she talked about what it meant to be Lucy's mom. Even as I type this my eyes are filling up with tears, some sad and some happy. Sad because I never had the pleasure of meeting Lucy but happy as I recall that night and think of my friendship with Beecher Grogan- all because of YPP. Newburyport YPP was started because we saw a need. A need to give other young professional a networking opportunity. A need to showcase and raise awareness of our local charities many of which are in great need. A need to bring events to local restaurants and venues which may be slow in a certain time of year. But what I didn't see in the beginning which I see so clearly now is that I needed Newburyport YPP as much as YPP needed me. YPP has given me the ability to give back in a way that I could have only imagined. I do not have the big bank account to write a check to these great local charities. I can not give as many hours to volunteer as I would love. This is how I can give back. This is how I can help. Something which seems so little but in the long run I have seen make a huge difference. I turn 35 this coming Thursday December 1st and I often joke that I will soon age out of my own group but it couldn't be farther from the truth. I will always be young because I have defined Young as "not yet old". As long as I am young I will be giving back as much as I can. It will never be enough but it is something. And something is always better than nothing. If you are interested in how you can help or when our next event is please email me at Tiffany@DetailedEngagements.com or Hello@NewburyportYPP.com. Would love to help connect you with a local charity who could use your love and support or tell just tell you more about Newburyport YPP. I am far from perfect and by no means am I any better than any one else for doing this but I certainly encourage all of you reading this to think about helping as well. It can be just attending one of our events, it can be donating unused clothing or food, it can be donating you time. It can and will all make a difference. Please give back. Trust me when I say it will be worth it. Thank you for reading. xo ~Tiffany PS- enjoy some of my favorite pictures from YPP events over the last 2 years.  YPP members with canned food for Emmaus House at a YPP event at Andiamo Restaurant in Newburyport, MA  YPPers with State Representative James Kelcourse at a YPP event for Our Neighbors Table at Mission Oak in Newburyport, MA  Our logo in LIGHTS by the talented James & Liz Dinanno owners of Meritage Entertainment.  There are always prizes too! This event we had over 20 raffle prizes for our attendees to win! When done right a First Look is absolutely amazing. Are you thinking about doing a first look? What is a first look you ask? Some of us in the industry forget that most people are not even sure what a first look is. So let me begin by explaining it: The First Look: simply put this is when the couple sees each other before the wedding ceremony in a carefully choreographed private moment. This is done in lieu of seeing each other for the first time at the wedding ceremony A first look is typically arranged well in advance of the wedding day with the photographer and wedding planner for the couple to see each other in private and capture those moments before the ceremony. This is worked into the timeline of the wedding day to make sure there is plenty of time allowed. The pictures captured are always amazing and will be cherished forever but not everyone is a huge fan of this concept. It was often thought that seeing each other before the wedding ceremony was bad luck. That is not the case for all couples any more. It is often one of the favorites parts of their wedding day. That being said- a first look is not something that is right or wrong in terms of etiquette. It is something that you as a couple just need to decide is right for you or now. There are obvious pluses and minus to this part of a wedding so I thought a blog about this idea might come in useful for those of you who are trying to make up your mind about wether this will work for you or not. Before you make up your mind up on whether a first look is right for you take a look at E & M's first look on Plum Island this past September. Photographer extraordinaire Zac Wolf of Zac Wolf Photography and I worked together to create this perfect, happy tears and laughter filled first look.... see for your self...          A first look may not be for everyone on their wedding day. Do what feels right for you as a couple. But trust me whether it is when you are on the aisle moments away from saying your I Do's or when you are turning around at your first look that feeling that you will get, the emotion that will come over you when you see your soulmate, the person you want nothing more than to spend the rest of your life with ail be amazing. I promise you that.
Small budget and a BIG Pinterest board? You might be setting yourself up for disappointment.3/23/2016  Small budget and a BIG Pinterest board? You might be setting yourself up for disappointment. One of the first things I ask my new clients to send me is their Pinterest Board. This is like a little magic look at what the couple has as an expectation for their special day. As much as I love using this site it also makes me very sad. There are so many options, so much to look at! So much to inspire to be like as a couple but unfortunately Pinterest is NOT reality for 99% of the couples getting married today. I hate to be the bearer of the bad news but its either you hear it from me now or you find out the hard way on your wedding day.... Your wedding is NOT going to look like your Pinterest Board. Your wedding is going to be amazing, It is going to be perfect. Perfectly yours. But it will NOT look like your Pinterest Board. OK drink that in, read it again. Now breathe. Unless you have a HUGE budget and Martha Stewart as a fairy godmother your Pinterest Dream Wedding Board is not going to come to life. Here are a few factors that will play into this:
So often I want to just call Pinterest and ask them if they know what they are doing to people!?! They are giving them a false sense of reality and then when the couple realizes they can not actually afford all that they have pinned in their boards they are let down and nothing seems 'good enough'. That truly breaks my heart. Yes, I am a wedding planner but I am also realistic. Weddings are but one day, one very important day, but one day nonetheless in the trip known as you life which you will take with your new husband/wife. That is what is important. Stop comparing yourself to all of those other weddings and just plan yours. Don't set yourself up for unrealistic expectations only to have them crushed when the it comes down to the bottom line of how much things cost. This blog come out of a place of love. I have chatted with far too many couples who have an unrealistic expectation for their wedding day because of the ideas they have on their Pinterest Board. Ask them after their wedding what the day was actually like. They will tell you it was perfect- but nothing like what they had 'imagined' it would be like. Now keep pinning but pin cautiously. Do not walk into your florist or your cake maker with unrealistic expectations otherwise you will be very disappointed. Think clearly and logically and it will save you a lot of heartache in the long run. Trust me. Happy planning & thanks for reading! Talk soon, ~Tiffany |
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