Sunday, November 28, 2010

Recent Client Proposal Story

We recently had a man who contacted us about setting up a special wedding proposal in November. He had been dating his girlfriend for quite a while and he was trying to find the right time to propose. The main problem was that she is very curious by nature and he had a hard time keeping a secret from her.

He decided to book a flight for them to San Francisco with a connection up in to Canada. Or so she thought. Upon landing in San Francisco, they instead took a short flight in to Monterey Peninsula airport. Was she suspicious? Yes.

But he downplayed the whole thing. He told her that instead of spending time with his family, he thought it would be nice if they had some one on one time together. She had told him how much she loved the city of Carmel so he booked a hotel room and made plans for dinner in a nice restaurant.

Okay, she KNEW what was going on, right? They would check in to the hotel room, get all dolled-up and then walk to the restaurant. The waiter would bring a glass of champagne with a ring in the glass. Or maybe the check would arrive with her engagement ring. She was feeling quite excited!

But no. No ring. Her boyfriend did not get down on bended knee in a restaurant full of strangers and ask her that all important question. Instead, the check came, he paid and they left. The only unusual thing was that he left the table twice to use the restroom. Or so she thought.

Instead, he was texting us while we were decorating his hotel room with an ETA on their arrival back in to the room. So as they made the slow walk back to the hotel room - in the midst of a slight rain shower - he was extremely excited and she was feeling a bit disappointed. To add to her sadness, he told her that he had a stomach ache and wanted to go back to the room and just go to sleep.

When they got back to the room, she opened the door and was shocked. The room was dimly lit by candles and the wood burning in the fireplace. She followed a trail of rose petals through the living room area and to the bed which was decorated with rose petals and an assortment of romantic decorator items. Flowers filled the room. At the center of the bed was a special message (on burned parchment paper) on top of a glass heart gift ("You Have My Heart"). At this moment, with her favorite music playing in the background, he asked her to marry him. She said yes.

To finish up the evening, he had it timed perfectly so that a bath had been drawn to just the right temperature. Surrounding a jetted tub filled to the brim with bubbles were rose petals, candles and an assortment of luxurious bath and body items. The hotel offered up a complimentary bottle of champagne to toast their engagement.

Afterward, this gentleman had mentioned that his girlfriend had always wanted a really romantic proposal. He couldn't do something predictable or ordinary. Mission accomplished!

Holiday Gift Doesn't Have to Be Extravagant

Time is already starting to run out on finding the right holiday gift for the one you love. With the economy still in a fragile state, most everyone is looking for a bargain. But when it comes to having your significant other opening up a gift at Christmas time, do you really want to go cheap?

The answer is: yes and no. The best gifts come from the heart and they don't always have to cost a mint. Think about when you buy a bottle of wine. You go to the store and you find a bottle that retails for $95 and a bottle that cost $15. Will the $95 bottle taste better than the $15 bottle? Perhaps - but not always. The savvy wine shopper will know where to find the best quality wines at the best price - and sometimes that is going to be the $15 bottle!

With a romantic gift, you could spend hundreds on a piece of jewelry that she will really like. Or you could spend $50 on a gift that has so much meaning to it, that she will appreciate it all the more. Price and enjoyment do not always go hand in hand.

We have some great personalized romantic gifts for under $50 offered at www.creativeromanticgifts.com or you can shop around and find something else that you think your loved one will really treasure.

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Renewing Your Vows

For all married couples, one great way to celebrate the Holidays is by renewing your wedding vows. If you set it up as a surprise for your spouse, you can really make it a memorable experience! Best of all, it's a gift that cannot be returned!

Many weddings can end up being more about the guests in attendance and less about the couple getting married. When you renew your vows, you can focus on just the two of you. No parents or best friends to please. No stress about the budget, the catering, open bars and all of that. The ceremony can be anything that you want it to be.

For couples in the California area, we now offer a renewal ceremony including a photographer, officiant, renewal certificate, flowers and ceremony decoration. Even your hotel room is decorated with a romantic theme for your "wedding night."

The main idea is to keep it simple, romantic and all about the two of you. After all, you have a lifetime to share together.