{About Nancy: Love to Entertain}

On the weekends, I love to entertain. Beside creating flowers and running a business, I love to have small groups of friends over for food. I usually make one of my signature dishes but seriously, setting the table is so much more fun than cooking.

What I do for my house is very different from what I do for wedding work so I thought I would share one of the many tables that I set for my guests. One tip is always using one type of flower. In this case, I used gerber daisies. It makes a real statement when you use one type of flower. To contrast the design, I selected very colorful plates.

This one is quirky, fun, festive and very appropriate since it reminds me of my trips to Mexico. My husband and I are leaving for Puerto Vallerta. Yes, I love being on vacation!

While I’m recuperating from my flu in the sun, I hope all of you will remember this tropical fun table idea.

{Inspirations: Post Roundup II}

Still feeling the side effects from the ugly flu but was able to return to work. Always fun!

This week I worked mainly on two projects. A Television segment for KMTP for producer and host, Christina Lee. KMTP is a local cable channel that will soon be focusing on wedding information. I can't wait to see the final product.

Another big event was the Fabulous 50 Babes in the industry hosted by Linda Hylen of the Julia Morgan Ballroom. It was a fantastic event and I was humbled to be amongst such industry leaders like Joyce Scardina Bekker of Events of Distinction, Kathleen Deery, Karen Baba of Plan Decor, Jubilee Lau, Natasha from Paula Le Duc Catering and so many others. The big surprise of the event was the 16 special men who helped serve us including John Woods of Enhanced Lighting, Clay of Palm Event Center, Jim Avila, Tom of Thomas John Events, Moises of Hartmann Studios and my own husband, Kevin Chin!!!

Here's a roundup of what's been going around in the wedding blogs this week..

Some of my favorite posts...

Thank God someone likes "white" because with the explosion of color in the past years, there simply is something remarkableyrefreshing about a well done white wedding. I am glad that Maria at Ritzy Bee agrees with me! See her lovely white inspiration story.

Want to see more from the KMTP tv segment. Look at Justin Fone's fabulous post.

Ms. Karen Tran, our Brown Bag Buddy in San Diego, is one of my favorite people. In fact, just last night we were facebooking messages back and forth. The lady understands elegance and sophistation. Look at her inspiration post this week on "A Little Femininity". We love you Karen and so does Southern Wedding Magazine!

Inspiration Board courtesy of Karen Tran Designs and Events.

Kissing is a favorite passion of mine and when a photographer can capture the moment, it makes my knees go all weak. Elizabeth Messina's post called, "Kiss the Groom" - is perfection!

My favorite kind of weddings embody a sense of class with fined but soft details. Look at this beautiful wedding featuring Auberge du Soleil through the Pink Blossom List.

Do you have a favorite post from this week? Tell us about it!

By the Numbers: Part Three

I've written several articles on By The Numbers but I thought I would share with you how many flowers we used for this modern, urban, luxe wedding for 150 guests. Last summer I had the pleasure of working on this fabulous weddihng. By now, you've probably seen my earlier post on this wedding featuring peacock feather, orchids, and crystals. It was heavenly. So here's what it took to do this wedding....

180 stems of Magenta Phalaenopsis Orchids
10 stems of Peacock feathers
105 Stems of plum pom pom mums
110 stems of plum dahlias
12 8 ft Manzanita Branches
10 stems of mini carnations in plum
422 stems of fancy carnations in deep plum
120 stems of eggplant mini callas
10 stems of Magenta dendrobium orchids
20 stems of mini cymbidiums
30 stems of Chocolate cosmos
40 stems of deep plum tulips
440 ft of crystal strands
50 hanging crystal bubble bowls
4 silver waterproof containers
14 low square glass
40 bricks of green oasis
waterproof tape
2 bolts of wide ribbon in plum
1 bolt of black corsage ribbon
80 acrylic tubes in various heights
36 tall glass cylinders
36 floating candles
60 7 inch votives
60 1 inch floating candles
4 shallow tray
10 bags of River Rocks
3 designers
6 installation crew
2 clean crew
1 fabric chuppah

1 unforgettable event!

Photography by Andrew Weeks Photography
Wedding of Andrew to Ansley, Bentley Reserve, San Francisco

ENJOY!

{Brown Bag; It's Official!}

This day could not come any sooner! We are now official...Nancy's Brown Bag!

You can now find us at www.nancysbrownbag.com!

Thanks for your patience!

{Inspirations: Mark of Mark's Garden}

Forgot to share a funny story about Bouquets to Art.

In general, I'm a bit reluctant to admit that I am obsessed with Mark Held and his fabulous floral studio called Mark's Garden. I've memorized his beautiful wedding work which includes the weddings of Jessica Simpson, Britney Spears, Ashley Simpson, Fergie, Tori Spelling, and so many A listers!

To show you how obsessed I am, two years, during a brief trip to LA, I made my husband drive one hour out of our way so that I could visit Mark's floral shop in Sherman Oaks. So crazed was I, I went up to the manager and asked him if I could go to the back room to see where the work was done. Of course, the lovely gentleman said, "sure" and gave me a thorough tour of the work stations. Feeling probably sorry for me, he showed me their portfolio which made my mouth water. Each page revealed one masterful creation after another until I felt quite unworthy.

Flash forward to early 2009...

So when I heard that Mark Held was a featured speaker at Bouquets, all I could think about was going to his class. Unfortunately, this year, one of my weddings landed the day of his speaking engagement. I was crushed. Dejected. Hopeless.

The entire time I was unloading and installing my art piece for Bouquets, I kept hoping that I would catch him. A brief glimpse would have been enough to fulfill my obsession. As I came and went throughout Monday mornings installation, there was no sign of the fabulous, Mark Held. Nothing.

Finally as I was getting into the elevators to leave, I rounded a corner and bumped into.....drum roll.....the man himself, Mark Held.

In person, Mark exuded sophistication, a warm and welcoming spirit, and of course, uber charm. We chatted briefly though I imagine I was a complete fool, gushing on and on about how much I admired him. He turned a slight shade of pink but smiled kindly at me. If I had a pen and paper, I would have asked for his autograph. Somehow I managed not to embarrass myself and shook his hand(I would like to say that I had no intentions of watching my hand again, but cleanliness overruled that thought and I have since washed my hand!)

Lucky for all of us, Mark's new book on Fabulous Parties is in stores now. This way we can all enjoy his beautiful work without having to drive to Sherman Oaks.

Enjoy!

{About Nancy: Working on Modest Chic}

Sorry everyone for this last minute post. I've been working on a television segment for KMTP for the past two days so I've been a bit preoccupied. Photos from the "Modest Chic" segment for KMTP is coming soon.

The tv segment was taped at Wildflower Linens gorgeous showroom. Wildflower Linens specializes in couture linens and chair covers. I can't thank Lily of WFL for all her work. She along with Gloria Wong worked two days on this project getting all four tables just perfect. We all thought that doing simple and modest would be easy. Boy, we were wrong. Simple, affordable designs STILL take creativity and great products used with restraint. I hope you will like our designs. In the meantime, I'm going to show you some of Wildflower's beautiful linens.
All photos are courtesy of Wildflower Linen!

Enjoy!

{Inspirations: Posts Roundup}

Well, the ugly flu has caught up to me. Between prepping for Bouquets to Art and working on two weddings this week, I think my body finally gave up and decided that it needed plain old rest. I apologize for not putting any fresh content in today. So I thought I would do something fun and give my fellow bloggers some kudos with this weekly roundup of some of my favorite posts.

Here's the week in posts...

Take a peek at one of the most beautiful Napa weddings ever captured by Anna Kuperberg featuring the work of Viola of Chewing the Cud. Kathryn from Snippet and Ink did a fabulous job on this real wedding that is sure to please.

Attending a wedding this summer, you've got to have the right clutch. Look at this wonderful Lanvin clutch from the Purse Blog. It's screaming, GORGEOUS!

We all need something sweet and there's nothing so adorable as an Amy Atlas dessert bar as told through the Pink Blossom List.



Calligraphy is a lost artform. Ruth Korch has made calligraphy look whimsical yet remarkably fresh. A fan of the art of calligraphy, I love Michelle Chen Miyari's post on this lost art. Read more about calligrapher on her blog Blissd.

Stunning and beautiful, Jose Villa's images speak for themselves. The soft and ethereal look of Megan and Andrew's Los Olivos wedding posted this week was another fine example of great classic weddings. Thanks Jose!

Pretty cakes. Simple cakes. Artful Cakes. See what Abby at Style Me Pretty has to say about The Cake Girls.

Do you have a favorite post from this week? Tell us about it!

{Brown Bag: New Poll Begins}

We've started a new poll today. We are asking you what wedding blog(s) do you most enjoy reading? As you know there are many wedding blogs these days so I think this new poll is going to be fun and very interesting.

For those of you who don't know, I've been a guest blogger on Wedding Bee Pro for the past few months. On top of writing for Brown Bag, I've been sharing some of my insights with Wedding Bee readers.

I'm also thrilled to announce a new blog which my partner, Nancy Yu Trio, is working on. For those of you who think that I alone do all the work, well, SURPRISE...we have a team of great designers, assistants, and set up crew. Nancy #2 has been a key member of our team for quite a while and has been instrumental on the day of the weddings.

I'm delighted to share with you the story of why Nancy Yu Trio(aka Nancy #2) and I decided to launch a new blog, Pink Blossom List. But first...a little background on our relationship!

Many years ago, I met Nancy while she was planning her wedding. During our first consultation, we hit it off splendidly. She's my sister from a different mother...no kiddin! We liked each other so much that after her classically beautiful wedding was finished, Nancy #2 asked if she could tag along with my crew. Without hesitation, I accept her generous offer. From the first day, I knew that Nancy #2 would be a great project manager and she became a very crucial member of our team. During her 2008 sabbatical away from flowers, Nancy had a baby. BUT now, Nancy is back with a new passion.

I'm thrilled and honored to have Nancy Yu Trio as a partner on this new wedding blog that is devoted to all things beautiful about wedding decor and FLOWERS. We both have a huge passion for designing modern, classic, American weddings. We want to honor others who are equally as passionate in their craft. We want to showcase other floral designers and their work. We aim to find creative event designers and talented professionals! And we want to showcase real weddings that truly can inspire.

We are still in the beginning stages but we hope in about two or three months the blog will flourish. I'll be contributing my two cents every now and then but this new blog will primarily be written from Nancy #2's fresh prospective as a bride turned wedding professional turned new mother . I hope you will fall in love with the Pink Blossom List and Nancy!

Enjoy!

{Real Weddings: Orange Crush}

We recently asked Brown Baggers what you wanted to read more about and the overwhelming response from our poll was "real weddings".

Of course, so here is a real wedding inspiration board for you to enjoy. This late summer wedding was photographed by my good friend, Michelle Walker. Michelle is one of the most sought after wedding photographers in the Bay Area. We've worked on many weddings together and I can assure you that her images are always beautifully captured. Michelle is one of the most gracious vendors to work with who has a vibrant personality. Clients love her for wide smile and easy going ture. Michelle has a big heart and she wins people over with her generous spirit. Her outstanding work has been featured in so many wedding magazines that I can't even mention them all.

I'm so lucky that I get to work with Michelle on this wedding. She really caught the spirit of this fun, relaxed wedding. My favorite detail from this wedding was the awesome cake by Carolyn Wong. It's perfect and matched the bride's invitation choice.

Venue at Kohl Mansion
Cake by Carolyn Wong
Flowers by Nancy Liu Chin Designs
Day of Coordination by Shannon Berry
Photography by Michelle Walker


Enjoy!

{Bouquets to Art: Artful Flowers}

As promised, I am posting a few more images from the eventful Bouquets to Art's exhibit.


The first set of images are by the talented founder of Waterlily Pond. This amazing art display featured a circular design with a gigantic center display of branches. It was one of the most amazing things I've ever seen and these humble images do not show the extent of the work and intricate details. I first met Natasha of Waterlily Pond at City College where we both took floral design classes. Way to go!


These two images include the beautiful and artful design by my friend, Rhonda Stoffel(who is married to Peter Rudolfi!) on the left. On the right is the amazing pave design by Jenny Tarbacci, AIFD. Jenny is an instructor at City College of SF so she knows what she is doing. I don't know if you can tell but those pave of succulent might seem very simple to create but we floral designers know that it is not an easy task to make things look so perfectly placed.

Enjoy!

{About Nancy: Guilty Pleasures!}

Typically, I’m writing about flowers, featured events, and wedding ideas, however today, I am in bed with flu symptoms so I rather focus on GP's - guilty pleasures. Here's my list.....what's on yours?

Enjoy!

Nancy’s Favorite Guilty Pleasures

US Weekly
Who can resist those scintillating headlines or those detailed photos of hook ups & break ups. Celebrity gossip and trash at it’s best and I’m not ashamed of this GP.
Potatoes Chips
Yup, I love ‘em with hot dogs. I prefer them with my sandwiches. And I can’t recall ever turning one down. Whether it is a Pringle, Lay’s, or a fancier chips from Kettle, it’s hard to resist that crispy, salty crunch. I prefer my chips without the dip and am partial to Sour Cream & Onion.



Steamy, Romance Novels
On the beach, before I go to bed, while I’m waiting for my doctor, you will often find me pulling out a paperback novel from my brown shoulder bag. Sure I love to read but I’m definitely hooked on those trashy, steamy, embarrassing Fabio covered paper back romances. Give me a Judith McNaught, Lisa Kleypas, Susan Elizabeth Phillips any day of the week. Just don’t bother me.


Teen Flicks
It’s embarrassing for an almost 40 year old to admit that they have a secret obsession with silly, harebrained teen flicks. From the 80’s classics like Sixteen Candles, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Breakfast Club, Never Been Kissed to more recent movies like Mean Girls, The Prince and Me, or The Princess Diary, these childish, insipid movies provide 90 minutes of pure unabashed fun. You can imagine how they can make a woman feel like a girl again.

Cheap Chic
In this economy, I’m almost proud that I frequent H & M and sometimes Forever 21! Disposable jewelry, casual fashion can’t hurt. I love my black faux fur Forever 21 sweater cardigan. Also, the mint J. Crew cardigan in the most recent In Style Magazine is TDF. This Old Navy Trench in Plum is a hit.


Target’s $1 Bin
Sure I go into Target with a list on my iPhone. If I don’t, I’ll fill my red cart up within an aisle or two. No matter how long or short my to do list is, I end up poking around those dollar bins. During the holidays, I look for those bright printed shopping bags hoping to find something cheerful and silly for the kids in my life. It’s an easy way to wrap up those odd shaped presents which are a pain to wrap. I’ve found cheap favors in the bins from cute note pads to lip gloss to faux jewelry. It’s hard to pass up on the cheap junk when it’s practically free.

Jell-o.
It brings me back to my childhood. I love Jell-O especially when someone makes it with thin multi-colored rainbow layers. Both refreshing and silly – it’s a real wiggly treat. PS: They come pre packaged in a low calorie version.

Leggings
Black leggings with a comfy fleece V neck sweatshirt or under along fitted cotton tunic with flats is my go to outfit when I can’t figure out what to wear. When I find leggings that I love, I buy several pairs because you can’t have enough.

Wyder’s Pear Cider
Okay, this isn’t a cider like a juice. It’s an alcoholic beverage that tastes more soda than beer. I confess I love these chick drinks. They are as cheesy as those 80’s Bartlett and James wine coolers but I love ‘em. At the Special Events convention, I ordered one during dinner at Yard House and I think a few of my dinner partners agreed with me that it’s a tasty alternative to soda.

Scotchmellow’s
I like the fluffiness of marshmallows. And who doesn’t like butterscotch. Combined together with chocolate and you have this delicious, rich, decadent treat which you can find at your local See’s candy store. Whenever I pass a See’s, these tasty treats scream to me. I can’t pass them buy. Sure, there are fancier chocolates but these little round chocolate bites carve my sweet carvings.


Foot Rubs
I love getting spa treatments but I don’t always have the time to do a full body massage. But a foot rubs or massage is perfect when you need a little respite from the world. My favorite treat is the 30 minutes foot rubs that I get at Le Crème. They start with a foot soak when a simple foot rub followed with warm towels wrapped around your foot. Every time I get one, I fall into a pleasant nap. Such a pleasure, guilty pleasure!

{Bouquets to Art: The Dress}

For those who are not familiar with Bouquets to Art, it really is one of the most wonderful exhibits at the de Young Museum. 150 floral designers are asked to selected an art piece from the de Young's collection of works as an inspiration for a floral piece.

I will do another post but I thought I would share my piece this year which was inspired by a dress sculpted from glass. My goal was to recreate and capture the illumination of the dress through the structure that I built using acrylic tubes. I used white flowers so that it would not compete with the simplicity of the structure.

Enjoy!

{Vendors: Skog is Vogue}

It thrills me to no end to see so many talented photographers in the Bay Area giving back to the community. Whether through helping foster young talent or educating amateur photographers, I absolutely love it.

In the Bay Area, we as professionals are truly unique - we give to each other and educate like no one. Whether it is through The Wedding University or WIPA or individual workshops, there is this sense of "paying it forward". Many may think this is a norm but outside of the Greater Bay Area, I don't often hear that vendors are sharing information and helping each other. In the floral world, I am lucky to have great floral friends like Susan Groves of In Full Bloom, Pat Gibbons of Patricia Gibbons Floral, Shawna Futagaki of Flower Divas, Leighsa Montrose of Branch Out, Karen Axel of Tapestry, to name just a few floral designers who I can go to when I need floral advice. Their personal experiences often help me when I am in pinch. This mentoring of sorts is priceless.

One wonderful example of this generous spirit is the widely lovely and talented photographer, Jennifer Skog. Jennifer along with Maria Chang of PMA will be holding "An Intimate Affair - Boudoir" photography and make up workshops. This is the ultimate one day workshop for those who wish to enter the realm of boudoir photography. Together, Jennifer and Maria will share how they established a partnership and how they combined their talents to create these wonderful and candid workshops. Attendees will learn the ins and outs of this lucrative business and how to offer it to your new and existing clients.

Beyond just photography, I love that Jennifer is a photography business consultant. People who care about their business need to invest in themselves and it really is well worth it. Don't be afraid to visit Jennifer's lovely website to see what her latest ventures are.

For more information on Jennifer's workshops, please click on this link to Jennifer Skog's Workshops. To read about what Jennifer is up to, please clink on this link to her wonderful written blog, Jennifer Skog's Blog.

Enjoy!

{Floral Tips: By the Numbers II}

The response from my previous posts on By The Numbers was such a hit that I'm doing it again. What goes into a floral wreath? For this beautiful hot pink, pink and orange wreath we choose to combination of roses, dahlias, hydrangea to complete the wreath.

Here’s my recipe for this 24 inch Floral Wreath -

7 Stems of Hot Pink Hydrangea

24 Stems of Hot Pink Roses

24 Stems of South American 'Orange' Roses

10 stems of Two tone Spray roses

10 Stems of Orange Dahlias

10 Stems of Hot pink Dahlias

10 stems of Green Hydrangea

1 Round Wreath Foam

2 pieces of 14 inch chicken wire

1 Bolt of 3 inch wide ribbon

1 Bowl Tape

3 to 4 cloth covered wire

Happy Bride = priceless!

{Real Weddings: Ritzy Highlight}

Nellyn & Brian from Justin Fone on Vimeo.

My friend, Justin Fone, did this wonderful video of our mutual bride.  It is the Brown Bag's first video post....and I'm so excited.

Sit back and make some popcorn!

Enjoy!

{Floral Tips: Finishing Touches}

Had the best time last night at a Classic Party Rental's open house. Met up with some great floral friends like Shawna of Flower Divas and Noni of The Floral Design Studio. These two pros have been doing this job for much longer than I so I look to them for counseling and great laughs. Yes, we all snuggled into the photo booth together!

Shawna and I engaged in this fun conversation on our favorite new resources. Hers was Granger. Mine was Ace Hardware and Gow's Supplies. We laughed about how we find many of our tools, props, and usual floral supplies in the strangest places.

Another one of the places that I find interesting things are discount or wholesale fabric stores. In fact, the one I often go to is really called Discount Fabrics. Located on 11th at Harrison, I love rummaging through their bins and tall shelves of all things fabric. You will find trimmings, rhinestone by the spool, ridiculously fabulous materials that you can cover vases with, bindings and ribbons for bouquets, and on and on. You name it - I think I've bought it. I love going through the seamstresses' finishing shelves - these trimmings are great for bouquets.

This black and white Anemone and garden spray rose bouquet was finished with this little black trimmings from Discount Fabrics. It's so chic and fun. Right?

So, next time you have a craft project, try your local fabric store, hardward supply places, and even building supply outlets! You never know what you might use!!

Enjoy!

{Wedding Floral Academy: Part Two}

Known for her floral and event design business, Nancy Liu Chin is also a marketing expert. She helped guide me toward achieving business results for my catering company. Within weeks of applying her marketing strategy, I was able to book several weddings and was added to one of the finest venues in San Francisco . If you have an opportunity to attend one of Nancy 's marketing workshops or seminars, I would recommend it. She is amazing!
-Joshua Charles, Joshua Charles Catering

Wedding Floral Academy: News & Updates

It's been a few weeks since we first introduced The Wedding Floral Academy to our readers. Since then I have received several emails - all quite delightful. Many of you quickly wrote to us about the volunteer program which is ONLY available for out of town attendees and/or students in a program. Depending on the class size, we may be adding a few more volunteers. For now, it looks like we have one space open. We currently have Anne Millett of Mira Asters as our special workshop volunteer. Anne is currently taking floral design classes at City College - San Francisco. We are looking for one additional floral designer. For the volunteer program we do recommend it for those who have some floral design skills. All volunteers will receive a $250 stipend toward their $1250 investment and must arrive prior to the workshop.

If you are still interested, please do email us at

weddings@nancyliuchin.com
subject: WFA volunteers.

To register for the Wedding Floral Academy, please also send an email to

weddings@nancyliuchin.com
subject: wfa registration

Thanks again!

{Vendors: Snippet & Ink}

If I had to read only one wedding blog about great wedding ideas and color trends, I'd have to pick Snippet & Ink: daily wedding inspirations. So it is with a huge smile that I introduce today's guest blogger, Kathryn Storke, founder and creator of Snippet & Ink Wedding Blog. Knowing that I love all things pink, I am delighted that she is sharing a pink inspired board.

#3 Pretty In Pink

I've loved weddings and all of the pretty details that go into them ever since I was sixteen, when my older sister got married. But if you had asked me two years ago what I thought I'd be doing in 2009, there is no way my answer would have had anything to with weddings - or blogging! But, here I am, a year and a half into Snippet & Ink, and somehow this crazy little hobby as turned into a full-time job that I love. Not only do I get to share my inspiration boards with anyone who stumbles onto them, but I also get to meet so many wonderful, bright and talented people!

When Nancy asked me to do a guest post here, I was so flattered, and thought it would be fun to share my very first inspiration board with you (it's the third one I posted, hence #3, but it was the first one that I made): Board #3: Pretty in Pink

I would never say that pink is one of my favorite colors, and my instinct would be to avoid it, but it seems that for weddings, some amount of pink is almost inevitable. Besides, I think Isaac Mizrahi said that anyone who tells you he doesn't like pink is lying. So, with this collage I give over completely to pink, for the ultimate flirty, ruffly, girly pink wedding.

Palette: peach, raspberry, cream
Mood: flirty and elegant

For more wedding inspirations from Snippet & Ink, we encourage you to visit Kathryn's beautiful blog, Snippet & Ink.

Enjoy!

{Real Wedding: The Wedding Banquet}

A few years back I worked with this lovely couple, Jennifer and Alfred, on their Chinese-American wedding. I've never forgotten how adorable and sweet the wedding details were including the mini bamboo streamer favors to the lantern style table menus to the sweet pink kissing ball for the flower girl.

This wasn't one of those over the top weddings. It wasn't a destination wedding featuring an exotic locale. This was a wedding centered around family values, traditional Chinese elements and the proverbial Chinese Wedding Banquet.

The bride and groom were very sensible and Mrs. Lee, the bride's mother, had a lot to say about the direction, floral design and Chinese concepts. I remember Jennifer's mother coming to see my work several times to make sure that I put together the right combination of flowers and that I wasn't using flowers that the Chinese associated with ya' know - death.

In Chinese culture, bright, vivid colors are very important symbols. Though the bride didn't want to do the traditional Chinese red, it was still equally important to make the pink hues as reddish as possible. The result was this beautiful wedding the blended traditional elements with modern styling.

For many us in the design world, often we aren't familiar with the very strict elements and traditions. Being Chinese, I definitely need a culture lesson because it is a fine line between doing something that I like as a designer but could be offensive to someone's cultural beliefs. Designing a wedding for someone with strong cultural influences means that we as designers need to be sensitive and aware. That's why I'm incredibly grateful for the Knot for creating websites specific to one's needs like the Chinese wedding website called Chineseweddingsbytheknot.com. Since many modern Chinese American couples are embracing the concept of The Wedding Banquet, I find The Knot's Chinese Wedding website quite helpful as one navigates through the wedding planning.

Way to go, The Knot!

Photography by Union Photography

{About Nancy: Facebook II}

Now that Nancy Liu Chin Designs has an official NLCD Fan page on Facebook, we need fans. To help me with this project, I am delighted that we are going to have FB fan page moderators who will help with the discussion boards.

Since it takes a whole tribe to get things to happen, I've enlisted a top notch group of women who are weddingaholics, floral divas, and married mavens. Each have been my co-conspirators on my many spa runs, froya(that's Frozen Yogurt) fetishes, and Oscar obsessions. Introducing my fab team:

Lisa Lam Segell, former bride, current happily married, SF fashionista, TMZ expert
Nancy Yu Trio, former bride, current NLCD event associate(aka Nancy #2), doting mother, fellow designer hand bag lover,
Laura Isom Rovig, former NLCD intern, soon to be NLCD event associate(aka Idaho Laura), newly married, bridal magazine junkie

We are also taking volunteers to compete the team so that it's a fab 5...two positions left....could you complete the FAB 5!

Photography of Laura's wedding bouquet

{Vendors: The Etiquette of Cakes}

One of the most difficult things to do is to make something stunning yet simple and artistic. All of you know that I say this often but there really is truth to this.

Why people simply can't believe that refined and elegant designs take so much more work and thought is beyond my grasp. Knowing how difficult the task is for creating stunningly simple works of art, I searach to highlight these talented wedding professionals who make beautiful designs love effortless. Take for example, one of my latest finds...it's the Etiquette of Chocolate founded by Judy Tan and Jaycel Adkins, both graduates of the French Culinary Institute in NYC. They are dedicated to craftsmanship and using the world’s finest ingredients in their cakes, chocolates, and confections.

This dynamic duo struck up a friendship through mutual desire to make people "happy" through the art of confections. That's a wonderful desire and I only wish I could sample their divine creations. For now, all I do is look and gaze and yearn.

Beyond creating wedding cakes that are visually stunning, Judy and Jaycel are masters at chocolate confections which make for delicious favors. The above collection of cakes reflect my current belief that restraint is a good thing.

Enjoy!

{About Nancy: Facebook Crushes}

The other day I wrote about my addiction with Facebook and I didn't plan on writing a follow up because KC has threatened to close down my FB account if I continue to avoid doing my end of
year taxes. My poor accountant will have to wait because I keep telling him that I owe all of you a post. (Secretly, creative person enjoy doing the fun stuff)

Anyway, back to my point about FB - it has been just a few weeks and already I've made a tons of friends and connected with old high school buddies. Truly, that's the beauty of FB.

Given that we all have an obsession with celebrities(come on - admit!), when I first got on FB, I looked up a few celebrities...like Sarah Jessica Parker, Martha Stewart, Oprah Winfrey, Vera Wang...hoping to make them my friends.

So...

It didn't really work.

However, I am so thrilled that the editor of the Knot, the author, Emily Giffin and the romance novelist, Jacquie D'Alessandro have accepted my friendship. I'm most delighted that Jacquie D'Alessandro is now my friend because she loves flowers and in some of her books, flowers appear in a pretty prominent way. I will just keep you guessing as how flowers are used to seduce the heroine....

Keep your fingers crossed perhaps one of my FB crushes will be making an appearance on the Brown Bag....

{Real Wedding: Study in Simplicity}

I absolutely adore today's post which highlights a beautiful, stunning bride, a soft, romantic candlelight dinner reception, sweet, subtle blush hues, so fitting for that understated timeless wedding that I so love. Minimal fuss. Simple decor. Fine details.

Done.

Gorgeous images snapped by one of my favorites, Lisa Leigh. All of these lovely photographs showed the warmth radiating from our gracious couple who said their vows at the picturesque Ritz Carlton in Half Moon Bay which is 45 minutes from downtown San Francisco.

One of the things that I enjoy about working at the Ritz is the attention to service and the fact that each wedding is quite unique and never two are the same. The bouquet featured all of Loren(the brides) favorite blooms including imported Roses, Lisianthus, and Sweet Peas. The cake by Susan Morgan of Elegant Cheesecake was a beauty and smelled divine(I was tempted to put my face in it). Of course, as I perused Lisa's photos I was reminded that you don't need over-the-top to be memorable.
Enjoy!

{Promotions & Gifts: And the Winner Is.....DK}

Congratulations to Brown Bagger, Diane Katsuyoshi-Phillips for being the winner of our $25.00 gift certificate. Many congratulations to Diane Katsuyoshi-Phillips for following us on this journey. Don't worry....for those of you who did not win the gift card, stay tuned for more wonderful giveaways and promotions.

It is an honor to have so many wonderful Brown Baggers...and we are growing at a terrific pace. I did want to tell you a bit about our winner, Diane. Like many of you, she is a one talented, driven, creative soul. When I can crave out some free time, I would love to visit with Diane to play with clay.

DK Designs specializes in custom, handcrafted clay floral designs, as well as tropical and Asian-inspired wedding stationery. Clay flowers are created utilizing CLAYCRAFT™ by DECO© Soft Clay, formerly DECOMAGIC Soft Clay.

DK Designs was founded in 2002 by Diane Katsuyoshi-Phillips in San Jose, California, helping brides make their wedding days uniquely their own. In November 2003, DK Designs became accredited by the DECO Clay Craft Academy headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii and its instructors are now able to share with others this beautiful craft developed in Japan.

In 2005, DK Designs moved the business to the island of Oahu. During that time Diane worked hard to expand her destination wedding business, working with her brides-to-be and helping them create their own custom wedding theme. It was definitely a great opportunity to work with so many wonderful people (both from the client and industry professional perspective) on the islands!

In late 2007, DK Designs made a move back to the Bay Area. It's been non-stop since the move and Diane is busy designing new custom wedding and event stationery as well as clay floral creations for her clientele! Diane is also actively teaching the Deco Clay Craft Academy courses to share her knowledge and art of Deco Clay with others! Diane still enjoys working with destination couples and continues to return to the islands, her home away from home!

Diane Phillips of DK Designs was recently featured on the Martha Stewart Show on April 1, 2008. She showed Martha Stewart how to make hydrangea flowers out of CLAYCRAFT by DECO Soft Clay.

Thank you again for participating. I feel honored...and stay tuned...for more Brown Bag Fun!

Enjoy!

{About Nancy: Facebook}

Wish I could blame this on someone but I'm addicted to Facebook.

Why?

A part of why I think FB is so popular is the fact that we all need a little misdirection in our lives. The news forecast seems to be more depressing. Emails have replaced letters. Text messages have replaced phone conversations. In a world that seems to be getting closer, people seem to grow further. Demands on our daily lives have taken a toll and some of us need to get away from the tedious work that we do. Others like myself need to feel connected.

FB allows us to socially interact without making dinner dates, taking the time to pick up the phone while we are sitting in our office, bedrooms, home offices, or simply in our pj's. There's an element of "high schoolness" with FB where you can send people cutsy notes, tag people for surveys and lists, and share mundane thoughts and tasks with your circle of friends. It's like passing notes in chem class while the teacher's back is turned. It's simply - mindless fun.

Having said that, come visit the Nancy Liu Chin Designs fan page. Become a fan and see another side of the world of Flower and Event Design. Start a chat about flowers. Read some of my notes on the floral business. Or if you are really daring, become a friend(find me at Nancy Liu Chin)!

I double dare you!

{About Nancy: Presenting the Man Behind NLC}

It seems so obvious to me that I am married to the amazingly humble, Kevin Chin. True, I do refer to my life partner as KC throughout my posts so it is understandable that some of you might be curious and confused. Our relationship is such a mystery that many of the vendors that I work with as well as clients have no idea of our relationship.

So I am devoting this short post to my gorgeous, soon to be 50(that's right - 50 is the new 40), darling, ever so talented, best dressed man in SF husband. I'm equally excited to tell you that KC has recently updated his website and made it ever better...is that possible?


Since he doesn't really read my blog, I thought I would put up some "cheesecake" photos of him! It's worth a big laugh! (definition of "cheesecake" - cheesy crossed with beefcake = "cheesecake")


In case you are wondering, I took these photos...Do you think I should quit my day job?

{NLCD's Wedding Floral Academy: San Francisco}

" In this economy, it is more critical than ever to get the best foundation and leg up on the competition. Developing a floral business involves not only strong floral skills but also a current and practical business approach. The best investment is to invest in your own business. Helping others reach their business goals through coaching, mentoring, and sharing my secrets is a dream that I've had for a long time. What I hope to accomplish is to educate entry level wedding floral designers so that they grasp solid business ideas along with exceptional floral skills. "

Introducing NLCD's

{Wedding Floral Academy}
Design & Business Development Workshops

Fall Date: November 8 -10, 2009
Location: San Francisco, California
Space will be limited.
All WFA workshops will take place in San Francisco.
Investment: $1250 for 3 day course.
Optional Kick Off Cocktail: November 7, 2009
Including materials, lunch, snacks, takeaway binders, & tote.

Details:

{ Design Modern Classic Table top Arrangements }
{ Design Hand tied Bouquets, Flower Girl Accessories, Groom's Boutonnieres }
{ Learn Nancy's inside Floral tips and tricks }
{ Develop a Proposal }
{ Learn the benefits of Marketing - Website, Sponsoring Events, Advertising}
{ Discuss the importance of Branding}
{ Find out how to get your work Published }
{ Learn how to Create Meaningful Websites and Blogs }
{ Learn tips on Building a Strong Portfolio by taking your own photos}
{ Create a Picture Perfect Wedding - More than just Flower Design }
{ Visit San Francisco Flower Market to see what is available}


The staff at NLCD including Nancy herself will provide an intensive, hands on workshop. One of Nancy's favorite things about San Francisco is the dynamic floral market. One morning will be devoted to a visit of the San Francisco Flower Market where attendees will be encouraged to select flowers that they will be using to create their own floral designs. Nancy will also give you a tour of some of her favorite rental and props businesses in San Francisco. You will take home a wealth of information in Nancy's customized binders. It wouldn't be a NLCD without nourishment so lunch and morning snacks will be provided. Prior to the workshop an outline will be emailed to you with a complete syllabus.

Of course, to start you in the right frame of mind, the 3 day workshop will kick off with a cocktail party at Nancy's beautiful loft home in San Francisco the night before the workshops begin. Meet some of the Bay Area's talented wedding vendors at this wonderful kickoff cocktail parties to celebrate your wisest investment ever!

If you are interested in these 3 day workshops, please email us at weddings@nancyliuchin.com. Full payment reserves your spot.

Volunteers for these 3 day workshops will receive a $250.00 stipend toward their workshop tuition and must arrive on November 6th for training.    Student volunteers must show current registration.  

Photo Images by Ricky Wong of W Photography, San Francisco

{Real Wedding: Sweet Lilac Soiree}

The first wedding of 2009 was a simple, understated, classic wedding featuring timeless and elegant details brought to us by the lovely Jubilee Lau of Jubilee Lau Events.

Thank you so very much to our lovely couple, Donna and Thomas, for sharing their special day with our readers. I know that you will agree that this modern, American classic wedding is hugely inspiring. This wedding was all about modest, toned down, simple elegance. From the creamy rose and lilac bouquet to the sweet, multiple tiered cake with feminine swirls, I think this was a good sign for what is in store in 2009.

Many thanks to Jubilee for putting together a great team of vendors including David Ethridge of AVR, Carl Minding of Carl Minding Music, Anthony White of the Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay, Susan Morgan of Elegant Cheesecake and so many others.

Photography by Gabriel Boone.