Happy Valentines Day

I have always love Valentine’s Day. Even when I was single I thought it was a great way to eat chocolate with my girlfriends and watch sappy movies. I am lucky enough to have a job based around love… and I am even luckier to have a life surrounded with love.
To my Valentines.. Andy and Easton.. Thanks for being the amazing men in my life!!!



Photo by Lavie Photography

My Favorite Things..Part 5

The Water...

Some of first and favorite memories of growing up were of swimming. I love to swim... in lakes, pools, bath tubs... anything!!! Countless hours were spent at the local pool in the summer and when I turned 16 there was no question on what I wanted to do... Be a Lifeguard! My favorite places in the country all have one thing in common, they are near bodies of water. We were married in Okoboji, Iowa, my favorite lake while I was growing up, We now live close to Lake Minnetonka and spend countless hours trolling around in the sun and my favorite type of vacations are on large boats while cruising in the Carribean. I feel like there is something very calming about water and I feel very lucky to live in a state with more than 10,000 lakes! My favorite weddings are also near the water. We are lucky enough to help couples plan their dream weddings in backyards and we have planned numerous weddings on Prior Lake and weddings on South Center Lake, Lake Minnetonka and even Lake Superior!

My favorite things for the water are

2. A well-broken in Adirondack Chair to sit by the water and relax




4. I love my Havaiana’s flip flops. I spent the last 27 years of my life not knowing about these and then last year I bought a pair on a whim. TRUE BLISS occurred and I will never go back. Great for brides and bridesmaids sore feet as well!




6. My third favorite thing I love for the water is... a creative and fun bride and groom!! My couple wake boarded for their first dance 2 years ago!

My Favorite Things.. Part 3

My computer, Iphone and Ipad...
Yes I will admit it, I Love technology and specifically my Apple Products. I feel in love about 5 years ago and do not think there is any turning back now! I love how they all perfectly sync together perfectly, I love how they all serve their seperate functions and make my job as a wedding planner so much easier. I am excited to implement my ipad more! I have had it for a while, but now I have all of my photos on it and am learning new tricks! I do not think that you need many accesorries for these technology wonders, but here are a few of my favorites...

2. I love my pink Speck Laptop cover... Not only for the color, but because it prevents cracks and scratches as I throw it in my purse.




4. I think an arm band for your iphone is key if you are using it while walking or working out. I love to just put on my tunes and get a good sweat!




6. I love this Speck Ipad Cover, I do not have this... Yet, but I love the stylish look!




8. I recently bought Things for my Mac and my iphone and it has created a whole new level of organization for myself.

My Favorite Things

I love the holidays and I wanted to start a series of posts called “My Favorite Things” to let you know a little bit about me and to show you some fun gift ideas along the way (and I like the title because it reminds me of Oprah!) So tag along for the next 7 days and hopefully you will learn a little bit about me and find some great last minute gift’s!!

My first favorite thing (and these are in no particular order.. I do not want to offend my dog) is my precious pooch Tiki! The Lasting Impressions family this year has all become dog lovers. Andrea adopted her wonderful Stella and Brooke adopted Drama this past fall! I grew up not being an animal lover. I lived on a farm and had a lot of stray cats and a few dogs, but none that I could not live without. All of that changed when Andy and I added Tiki into our lives 2 weeks after we were married. We found a great breeder and went and picked her out and the rest is history. It feels funny to be “one of those people” who is very attached to their dog.. but I am!


My favorite Things for Tiki:

1. I never see things for Tiki and think.. I have to get that.. until I saw this “Holiday Meal” from Target. Unfortuantely it was sold out right away, but I think this is one of the cutest toys I have ever seen!
2. Her “Aberdoggie and Fetch” Sweatshirt. As much as I could have seen myself being one of those dog owners who dresses their dogs.. I am not. My husband would not allow it and quite frankly I like to save my money for my own clothes. But last winter we realized that she was getting very cold in our house and outside in the snow, so we ran up to Lulu and Luigi and bought her this warm sweatshirt and now she runs to me when I want to put it on her. She loves it!
3. INTERACTIVE RIPPYS - This is what Tiki is getting this year for Christmas (Dont tell her!). These dog toys have detachable arms and legs for them to get “pulled apart”.
4. Dog Life Jacket in Pink Polka Dot - This again is something that my husband, family and firends laughed at. But there has been more than one occasion where Tiki has decided to go overboard in a boat or pool and this makes me feel a lot more secure in her floating abilities!

Thank you Kelly Brown Weddings for the family portrait

Being Graceful and Grateful

Every year around this time I know I write a blog about how grateful I am for my job and my life. I hope this does not get boring to the readers, but I feel that typing out your feelings is very therapeutic. With Thanksgiving around the corner and the end of the 2010 wedding season I have started to reflect upon the last year, my life and my job! I chose to title this blog “Being graceful and grateful” because I think this really incorporates my feelings about who I am, who I want to be and how I want my company to be portrayed. My job is to always be graceful, in the heat of the moment I must always act in a calm demeanor and be a problem solver. And being grateful to me means always realizing what I have and how I got here. I try to take no moments for granted, I try to remember to live everyday to the fullest! This year has provided me with another year of career bliss... even in a downward economy we were able to be involved in many wonderful weddings!
        *I thank the clients that trusted me, hired me and invited me into your lives! I feel as much of a privilege to be a part of your day as you are happy to have our help.
        *I thank the wonderful vendors that I have met with, worked with and had the pleasure to share in this wonderful wedding community with!
        * I thank my wonderful associates and assistants. There is no I in team.. and I will not forget that!

To celebrate Thanksgiving and the giving season.. 5% of all service fees will be donated to Toys for Tots and Adopt a Family, two organizations that we have been passionate about for years!
Thank you for your business in 2010 and your continued support and love in 2011. I am excited for a great new year!!

Why I Love Summer...

We are in middle of the busy season.. and I love it! I can not believe it is already just about the 4th of July!! Where does time go? Every year I feel like the time flies by faster and faster! This is the time of year that I feel bad that I do not do as much networking as I would like, I would love to see my fellow vendors more, I would love to blog more and work on personalizing and improving our packages, and on and on..... But most of those things get put on the back burner so we can focus on our clients first and foremost!! The past few weeks when I have met with clients I have gotten this question a lot “Do you ever get sick of working every weekend all summer?”... The truth is... When you love what you do, it never seems like work! I remember hearing that quote one time and thinking “yeah right”.. but it is right and here are the reasons why I love what I do and why I love summer!

1. I get to be my own boss - and although that does not mean taking afternoons off for “fun” very often.. it is very rewarding and I would encourage everyone who had a dream and a desire to work hard, follow your passion and make it happen! I never thought I would cut loose from my “day job” but after only having Lasting Impressions for 3 years, I did it! And it was very rewarding.
2. I love my clients! I have the BEST Brides, Grooms and families! REALLY I DO! I feel like my clients are my friends and the ones that I work with for an extended period of time really become part of my family and I feel like I am as much a guest at their wedding as their “real” guests.. and that makes my job very enjoyable!
3. I have a GREAT Staff!!!!! Andrea, Brooke and Meghan have been with me for years and I love that I get to see them every weekend and I love that when I turn on my computer on Monday morning.. I usually have at least one “Thank you Email” from a bride or a vendor raving about how great my staff was. That is a great reward!
4. I get to see people in love, talking about love and being in love every weekend!!! What a fun job!!!
5. I get excited to see all of my clients photos that are posted by the photographer every week!! Its fun to see how an idea goes from an idea to reality to an image that captures it all!
6. On a Personal Note, I love summer because I love the HEAT!! You will never find me complaining that it is going to be 98 degrees at your wedding! I LOVE IT!!! I love boating, laying by the pool and taking my dog on walks when I am not working.... So chances are on my nights that I do not have appointments you can see that I am near water or soaking up the sun (Check out our Twitter for those updates). Now that I have a backyard this year I LOVE Flowers, I have always loved beautiful cut flowers at weddings, but for the first time I am learning how to plant them and keep them alive myself ;) I love Summer BBQ’s filled with Hamburgers, Hot Dogs and Smores.

So let me take this “mid-summer” opputunity to once again say... I love my job, I love my staff and I love Summer and Wedding Season!!
Here are some of my favorite things about Summer....
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Take Me Out To The Ball Game...

When the weather heats up it always seems like MN gets baseball fever and with the new field this year it is certainly no different. Not only am excited about the new Stadium and the Tan I will get while watching the game, but I am also so excited for Victoria’s Secrets new line of Major League Baseball Clothing!! I can not wait to get my hands on one of these cute new outfits!


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Life is Great... from a Beach Chair

​Greetings from The Carribean Sea.... I took a break from Tanning and Site Seeing to download a few pictures...
We are just off the coast of St. Lucia and it is a balmy 82 degrees... for all of you that know me... you know I hate sunscreen... well, for the first time I was really warm and a little burnt.. so 50 SPF was a great friend of mine!
I am having issues downloading emails... so all of my brides and vendors.. I will be back to you on Monday or Tuesday!!

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Bon Voyage.....

I will be on vacation and out of the office starting Saturday, March 20th- March 29th. If you need anything please send me an email: Sarah@lastingimpressionsweddings.com
And I will get back to you as soon as I arrive Back! I will bring back destination wedding ideas and lots of warm weather.. I promise!!

Luck of the Irish...

I have always loved St. Patty’s day... Its a few days after my birthday, incorporates a lot of bright green, encourages kissing and lets not forget about the green beer (I have never actually had any... but I do love watching a lot of people walk around with green teeth). But my favorite St. Patrick’s Day memory happened a few years ago.... Andy Proposed on St. Patrick’s Day and I was VERY surprised!

Have a great and safe St. Patrick’s Day!

Photo Credit :: http://www.s1photography.com

So Many Things to Be Thankful For!

It’s this time of year when I believe most people slow down, spend time with friends and family and reflect on all of life’s gifts. That is no different for me. This is the time of year where most importantly... I have time! Its hard to explain how lucky I feel.... I am so blessed to be able to wake up and do a job I love. Who wouldn’t love working with happy couples on one of their most memorable days of their life. Not only am I able to share in their day, I am so lucky to own my own business, turn my dream into a full time career. Very rarely do I actually sit back and thing of that.... I am doing what I love to do!! And it feel fantastic! Every swollen pair of feet, Saturday spent away from my family is worth it to me.... and that is really why I want people to hire us... because we LOVE what we do and I really think it shows!

Of course this year the icing on the cake was winning the Twin Cities Icon Award and The Knots“ Best of Weddings” Award... I can not believe it!! My goal for this company was always to do what I love, be successful and have fun... and I can say.. we are doing all of that!!

It would not be fair to right a Thankful for email without mentioning my assistants.... All of them! They are my right hand gals with whom I would Never be able to do what I do. I am not sure how some people do it on their own, but the fact that I have a constant support system, an extra set of hands and a different perspective only make the “Day of” the wedding run smoother, so Andrea, Meghan, Brooke, Alyssa, Natalie and Caitlin... I am so thankful...

In addition to my lovely assistants, my husband and family are a constant reminder of what great people I have in my life.
Andy, My husband has given up numerous Saturdays to set up chair covers, move table, do last minute errands, you name it... he has done it! I love you.. and I Love that you let me do what I love! Darci, my soon to be sister in law and my brother have ran to my house in a hurry to grab items, my best friend Danielle has literally helped “Throw Hay” at a wedding and my parents spent their Valentines Day setting up tables for a big wedding we did!!

To all of our vendors, for giving us wonderful people to recommend, wonderful friends to share time with and amazing memories for each one of our couples!

And last, the reason why I am able to do what I love... Thanks to all of our couples this year.. The ones that are married, the ones that newly hired us and to all of their families. Thank you for making us family!! I feel like I get a new set of friends every year and I am so lucky!!

Merry Christmas and I hope that I can continue to share with you all of our weddings, memories and experiences for a long time!

Lots of Love, Sarah!

Our New Office, New Website... New Year!

This Fall Lasting Impressions and I went through some exciting changes...


The first things that are noticeable is our new Blog, Website, Logo, Address and Phone Number! I am constantly seeking perfection my web materials and print products.... I feel like I am always “Tinkering” with them. And with the slow down for the season it has been a good excuse to focus on them. I hope that you like them!! We have had a FANTASTIC Season with Wonderful Clients.. so I like to showcase their great Days! So if you have not.. take a look!!

In addition to the Web materials... I moved and we got a new office! I am so happy to be a bit more centrally located and to have a great office! I love my decor and my new Chandelier... Here is a sneak peak.. you will have to com and take a visit to see the rest :)

Happy Anniversary.....

I write and think about other peoples weddings and perfect day.... all of the time.. but rarely do I write about mine!! I do get asked alot about our big day... well today is our anniversary! Happy Anniversary Andy!!
Andy and I have been together for about 7 years and now married for 3! It feels like it was just yesterday! We have had 3 years worth of fun adventures and I can not wait to see what the future holds! Andy is truly my better half.. and it is proven more and more everyday. After all, he is married to a gal that works every weekend!!

When asked about my own wedding.. The main question is... what would have you done differently knowing what you know now. That is tough.. because EVERY DAY I find new ideas that I love and different things I would have done. But the good news is that I get to plan a wedding everyday and use all of those ideas!

Here are some fun facts about our wedding (I am a little more unconventional than I ever thought)
1. We got married in Okoboji, Iowa - Its a "beach" town and 30 minutes from where Andy and I grew up
2. I had 2 "bridemen" stand up on my side of the wedding... Quentin and Bryan, they have been some of my best friends since I was in 3rd grade.
3. I was walked down the aisle by my step dad and my dad.
4. I had a pink ribbon sewn into the back of my dress... because It was before color in dresses and I am not really an "all white" kind of gal!
5. My "specialty drink" was Margaritas! We had 2 Margarita Machines... mmmmmm
6. I planned the whole wedding in 5 months... and never even thought that was fast at the time... oh, all of the things you learn! HAHA

I love you Andy.. thanks for being my rock, my best friend and my husband!

A Great Trip

I feel so refreshed and happy that I got to spend the last week with my wonderful husband on a cruise to Grand Caymen and Jamaica... We had a lot of fun and it is always a much needed dose of rest, relaxation and some quality time before the hectic summer. I love coming back to work with great memories and a great tan. We spent the week on Celebrity Cruises. We had never went on hem before, but I do recommend it. We had a great time... and we know tha we will return to the Caymens again... hopefully soon. I have never seen more amazing water. We did not get a chance to swim with the stingrays, but that is on our todo list next time.

I hope everyone had a great Easter!

Bon Voyage... And Have a Great Easter

I will be out of the office this week on vacation! I will be returning on April 17th! If you need anything please send an email and I will get to it when I return! Have a wonderful Easter!

Merry Christmas

Hello...
Oh this is my favorite time of the year... maybe with a little less snow though! We are usually very slow this time of year so I usually sit back and think about Christmas a little more.. however this year we have been very busy (Thank God!) We just finished up our last wedding of December and it was a great one. I am excited to get photos to share with you!!

I wanted to take this time to Say MERRY CHRISTMAS and Thank you to all of the clients, friends and family that make this time of year so special and make my job so fun!!!

2009 is going to be a great year. Our dates are just about full for the whole year, so we feel very blessed and some real exciting news is that my sister in law Michelle just got engaged!! So we will have a family wedding next year too! And of course, I have the joy of planning it :)

Thanks and Merry Christmas from Sarah, Meghan and Andrea :)

P.S. Our office will be closed Starting Dec-24 through Dec 29. We will get back to you after the holidays!

Happy Halloween!!!

Halloween seems like a great time to embarrass your pets and children by dressing them up and haunting them with pictures for years to come. I know for me, I was dressed as Catwomen, a punk rocker, a witch, a french maid a goldie locks. My favorite costumes of all time are still my husbands for a few years ago (he is going to kill me for putting this online) and my puppies costume, which she hates and refuses to move in! So here are some laughs for you.. By the way, my husband is Tom Cruise from Risky Business :) The best part about his costume was that we actually were going out to bars, so the whole night people kept telling him that he forgot his pants... good thing he does not embarrass easily!

The Other Side...

This past Saturday my best friend got married and wow is it different to be on the other side of the wedding, I kept finding myself asking to help, tear down and run the show. I was able to sit back and enjoy the day with all of my friends and family... but it is a little harder than i could have ever imagined. My other best friend and I were the matrons of honor (is that old sounding or what!) so I now know what it is like to feel the nerves of speaking in front of the group! Danielle has always been very orginal and I loved her dress! Very short, sassy and DANIELLE!

It was a fun night catching up and watching one of my closest friends marry the man she loves!

P.S. And yes the three of us all do have blonde hair and look scarily alike :)

Grateful

The one question I have been getting a lot is.... are you slowing down for the year, thankfully NO! This is only the beginning. September is a huge month for us and the fall is filling quickly.. we are so lucky.

This is the time of year that I am so grateful for the wonderful couples I have worked with, but at the same time I get so sad.. I feel like I loose great friends! So stay in touch :)

On August 16th I had the pleasure of helping Gloria and Jake with their Rush Creek Wedding. We started to work together over a year ago and it was so fun to play around with ideas and have them all come to life. We did everything from linens, doves, signature drinks, ice sculptures, fireworks.. to say the least. So it was very fun to work on and it was great to work with Gloria and Jake... Here are some of my pictures that I took..