Family Portraits

Last month, my family had the wonderful opportunity to be photographed by the splendid Lisa Lefkowitz. We took advantage of the beautiful lighting in between storms, right outside our home in Redwood Shores. Lisa used all film to capture the glorious moments of my family together, which we will surely cherish for years to come....thank you Lisa!

Family Fun

I am so in love with these photos that the talented Wendy Maclauren Richardson took of my family a couple of weeks ago! We spent a beautiful morning at the Japanese Garden in San Mateo, and I could not be more excited about these amazing images! Thank you Wendy, and thank you to Joey of JBeautique for doing our makeup and hair!

 

Counting My Blessings

As I gear up for a big week ahead, with our inaugural Academy for Planners + Designers, I finally had time to sit down today to write my 'speeches'. As co-founder of Wedding 360, LLC. I will be doing a welcoming speech at our kick-off party on Sunday, an introductory speech before the first class begins on Monday, and then a thank you speech after the last class concludes on Tuesday.

As I wrote down my thoughts, I realized that this has been one of the most amazing journeys of my life. It's hard to believe that it was just one year ago that Wedding 360, LLC was formed, and we began planning for The Academy. So much has happened in one short year. We have learned a great deal, made a ton of new friends, and planned the biggest event we've ever planned.

During this past year, I worked harder than I ever had, and I was already somewhat of a workaholic before all of this! So many days, nights, and weekends were spent planning all of the intricate details of this 3 day event, from getting some of the best experts around the country to come teach, to working out the design elements with the fabulous Gloria Wong, to thinking 'big picture' for Wedding 360 with my business partner Jean.

As with any new business venture, there were frustrations, road blocks, and costly mistakes. It sure is easy to get swept into all of that and spiral downward. But the passion that I had for this business kept me going. It is so important to have a vision and a passion, because without that, it is too easy to throw in the towel and call it quits.

I really need to count my blessings, because so many amazing people have helped me through this incredible journey. I'm not going to list all of them here yet, because I want to save it for my speeches at The Academy, but there is one person I really want to acknowledge on my blog right now, and that is my husband Alan.

I am so grateful to have the most supportive husband in the world. He is always patiently listening to my crazy ideas (and I have lots of them!), and he willingly supports me in all my ventures. He always tells me he believes in me, and that gives me a lot of strength to get through all the hardships of being an entrepreneur. For the past year, he has shown his immense support by taking over the parental duties when I am not around, so that I can focus on building my new business. Some people tell me I am a superwoman because I can juggle two businesses and a 3 year old, but I think my husband is the true superman because he masters an intense career, handles a workaholic wife with patience and grace, and manages to spend a lot of quality time with our daughter, who simply adores him (just like I do)!

After The Academy is over, my biggest goal is to create a more balanced life, so that I can be around for my family. It's the hardest thing to do when you're an entrepreneur, because you feel like you have to work all the time, but I am determined to do it!

Can't wait to see everything come together for The Academy! Follow us on twitter for updates!

A TuTu Party

My baby just turned 3! It was somewhat bittersweet for me as I planned her third birthday. At age 3, it just felt more 'official' that she was no longer a baby anymore, though I'll probably still see her as my baby the day she gets married!

This year, I didn't have as much time as I would have liked to plan her party, since I have been so busy planning The Academy for Planners + Designers. Luckily for me, being in the wedding industry means I have A LOT of great resources for all things party! I recalled reading from my good friend Nancy Liu Chin's blog, The Brown Bag, awhile back about a really cute ballet school for kids in San Francisco, called Tutu School. It happened to be owned by a mutual friend of ours, photographer extraordinaire Andrew Weeks. I've wanted to sign Bridgette up for ballet classes for the longest time so when it came time to plan Bridgette's birthday party, I naturally thought of the adorable Tutu School!

The kids had such a wonderful time! They started off with a craft project where they got to decorate their own crowns. Then, a professional ballerina taught them ballet moves, but ofcourse, it's very hard to teach 3 year olds to be graceful and elegant. The girls pranced around like princesses in the cutest little leotards and tutus, while the boys had sashes wrapped around them, like knights! After the dance lesson, they had a 'cupcake picnic' with lemonade, and finished the day off with storytelling, and a wand decorating project.

Happy Birthday to my little Bridgette!

Recent trip to Hong Kong

I love this time of the year....not just because it's the holiday season, but because I get to travel abroad to Asia to spend time with my sister and her family. I just returned from a 3 week trip to Asia, where two weeks were spent in Hong Kong, and one week was spent in Phuket, Thailand. Though traveling with a toddler is always exhausting, we had a ton of fun!

Hong Kong is known for its amazing holiday decorations during this time of the year. Beautiful lighting and designs can be seen everywhere, and it feels super festive no matter where you are! I was super excited to see the design by Preston Bailey at the Landmark in Central, Hong Kong. Sadly, I had left my camera at home that day, but you can check out a few pictures from Preston's blog!

There are always two highlights of my trips to Hong Kong--shopping and eating. For those who have traveled there before, you know exactly what I am talking about! From street vendors to unique boutiques to luxury brands, you could never get tired of the shopping scene there. Same goes for the food, as you can see here below!

My brother in law, a wonderful architect, recently finished a major project in Hong Kong--the brand new W hotel. He took us there for dinner and a tour one evening, and I was awe-inspired by how grand and luxurious this W hotel was. From the hip, chic decor to the impeccable service, I was deeply impressed.

Last, but not least, one of my favorite restaurants from this trip was Wasabisabi inside Times Square in Causeway Bay. I loved the decor of the place, and the asian-fusion menu was awesome! Here are some photos:

Happy Halloween!

I am especially excited for Halloween this year, because my little girl is finally old enough to know what's going on! At almost 3 years old, she understands that saying 'trick or treat' is going to get her candy, so she has been practicing this the last few weeks. In fact, she has been chanting 'Trick or treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat' around the house all week!

A few days ago, I took her to the pumpkin patch in Half Moon Bay, where she picked out her own pumpkin. That same night, with the help of her dad and I, we proudly created our first family jack-o-lantern. Bridgette even named it Peter!

Earlier this week, there was a special 'Mommy and Me' Halloween themed event on Santana Row, so Bridgette got to put on her costume early and practice her trick or treat skills. I thought she made such an adorable little geisha girl in her kimono. She can't wait to put it on again tomorrow!

Happy Halloween to all of you!

Special Memories

It's amazing how refreshed I am feeling after being gone for just four days. Where did I go?

IDAHO!!

'What's in Idaho?' my friends ask curiously.

Well, for many people, they think of potatoes when they think of Idaho. But for my family and I, we relate this special state to a lot of fine memories. I spent three years there as a child, and they were the three most memorable years of my life.

After being away for 21 years, we finally decided to go back, to take a walk down memory lane.

The most special part for me, was being able to show my husband and daughter all the different places that were meaningful to me as a small child--the library that I spent many afternoons at, the elementary school that I attended, the home that I lived in, the restaurant that my parents owned, the ski resort where I learned to ski for the first time.....the list goes on and on. It almost felt surreal when I stood on the playground of my elementary school, watching my 2 year old daughter play.

We met up with friends whom we have not seen for years, and that was also wonderful. It made me recognize that I need to do a better job staying in touch with people that are special and meaningful to me. Kudos to facebook for helping me reconnect with many long lost friends!

Tweet, tweet

I signed up for a twitter account a few months ago, but have not gotten the chance to really use it. After seeing my good friend Armando of Get Your Do Up getting all excited over it today (he was twittering as we were walking to our cars) I decided to start taking this twitter-talk more seriously. I am excited! If you want to follow me on twitter, look me up as jubileelau!

Sprinkle, Sprinkle Little Star

In less than an hour, my little star is turning 2 years old! Last weekend, we had a small party for her with her cousins and friends. If you read my post on her birthday last year, you may remember that I ordered a variety of faaaabulous desserts from one of my favorite places--Satura Cakes. This year, I contemplated on doing the same thing since Satura had some new items but decided to do something different instead.

That 'something different' was a cupcake tower featuring 13 different flavors of cupcakes in whimsical designs from Sprinkles in Palo Alto!

It was a big hit at the party, and I think the most popular flavors were red velvet and mocha. Hmm....what desserts should I pick for Bridgette's third birthday?

I'm Certified!

Anyone who has planned a wedding in California will surely have heard of Here Comes the Guide. They are an incredible resource for venues, with detailed descriptions, photos, and even virtual tours. So many brides depend on them to find their perfect venue, so it's only natural that they utilize this trusting resource for other Event Professionals as well! I was honored to be invited to be a part of this reputable website. What astonished me was that they asked for 25 professional references, and 10 client references from the past 2 years....and they called every single one of them! That impressed me sooooo much, because it shows that they truly care who they affiliate themselves with. It's also reassuring for brides and grooms, to know that a very thorough background check was conducted for each of these Event Professionals.

I'm pretty bad at tooting my own horn, even though I recently read a book about it that is suppose to make me better at it. So, I was thrilled that HCTG quoted 'straight from the horses' mouths' and I really was blushing when I read it:

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About This Company

“Hiring Jubilee was the best investment we made for our whole wedding. Because of her, I was able to enjoy the day without having to worry about anything.”

“I have had the pleasure of working with some of the best wedding coordinators in the industry and I would say that Jubilee is on the top of that list. She is just TOP-NOTCH!”

“She is exactly what you need in a coordinator—warm, caring, thoughtful, creative, organized and calm.”

“Impeccable taste.”

“Jubilee was beyond fabulous. She was incredibly patient and so organized. Any bride would be lucky to have her!”

“We had a jam-packed schedule of events and it went off, to the minute of the schedule, thanks to Jubilee’s flawless execution. Our wedding truly did feel flawless. Her expertise was a great asset.”

“On our wedding day I watched Jubilee deal with all the little emergencies that come up for any wedding and she just remained calm. By keeping calm, she kept us all calm, allowing us to thoroughly enjoy our day.”

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Okay, I admit....I was trying to guess who said what but at the end of the day, it really doesn't matter. I just feel so extremely honored that my peers and clients would have so many nice things to say about me. I am truly blessed to be doing something that I love!

Check out my new HCTG page!

Happy 2009!

I feel the same way as everyone else....I can't believe we are into 2009 already! It didn't seem too long ago when we were all excited about the millenium but that was almost 10 years ago...

Oprah is dedicating the entire week of her show to The Best Life, encouraging viewers to put some focus back on the 'self' by putting aside some 'me time' on our to do list everyday. I'm totally up for that, and agree that we often brush our own needs aside without realizing it. The beginning of the year is always a great time to rethink our priorities in life. At the end of the day, remember it's all about being happy.

To celebrate the new year, I want to share with all of you some wonderful memories and accomplishments of 2008 and my resolutions and goals for 2009.

5 things I am most proud of and happy about for 2008:

1. Hired an AMAZING new Production Lead, Amanda Chan. She has been instrumental in the success of the many complicated weddings that I worked on last year.

2. Partnered with the very talented Gloria Wong Tritasvait of Sash and Sugar on two fabulous weddings. It really proved that the dynamics of a team is extremely important. We had a great time working together, especially on the day-of.

3. Rented a new office space in Redwood City. Special thanks to John Woods for his patience and help in putting up the drapery and chandeliers. This has become my second home, and certainly raised my productivity level!

4. Had several of my weddings featured (or confirmed that it will be featured) in various publications: Julie and Jay's wedding was featured in Today's Bride, a photo of Sara and John's wedding was featured in Susie Coelho's new book Style Your Dream Wedding, Katie and Eric's wedding will be featured in The Knot, Emily and Leonard's wedding will be featured in Brides Magazine, and a photo (or two) of Alisha and Ryan's wedding will be featured in Grace Ormonde.

5. Treated my mom and my mother in law to a fabulous trip to Tokyo. Thank you to both of them for their love and dedication in helping me raise my little Bridgette!

Now it's time to make my 5 resolutions....as I do every year, but I truly, honest to God, will stay committed this time!

1. Begin and stick to a regular exercise routine

2. Eat healthy--as Oprah says, we need to make smart choices in the food that we eat

3. Spend more time with my family (a good balance in life is important to me!)

4. Produce more educational seminars to benefit brides and grooms and the wedding industry as a whole

5. Be successful in executing an exciting new project that has been in the making for 2 years.....(sorry, I cannot disclose any information on this yet, but stay tuned.....)

Cheers to a fabulous 2009!

Where in the world have I been?

It's been nearly a month since my last post and I've got a good excuse for my absence. I was traveling across the country with a 20 month old toddler! After my last wedding of the season, I took Bridgette to Hong Kong to visit friends and family for two weeks. Following that, we traveled to Tokyo for another 8 days with her cousin Brianne who is just three weeks older than her. Needless to say, it was quite an experience traveling with TWO toddlers. Fortunately, I must say that Tokyo is one of the most baby-friendly places I've traveled to and that certainly helped our stress level.

I had every intention to continue blogging during this trip, not realizing how difficult it really is to travel with small children. Well, we are finally ready to head home today, and here's my first and only post on this trip!

I'll definitely be posting more details of the trip but for now I am excited to share a few fabulous photos that Augie Chang took of Bridgette and Brianne in Tsukiji which is the famous fish market in Tokyo.

How did this come about? I'd love to say that I hired Augie to be our travel photographer but the truth is he was hired by someone else to shoot in Tokyo which just happened to be the same week that I was there. Augie was kind enough to take time out (with the consent of his clients) to shoot for us, which turned out to be an incredibly challenging experience because it was rainy, cold, and extremely crowded at the fish market that day. On top of that, try making two toddlers stand/sit still and be happy in front of the camera under such circumstances! I truly was able to see how wonderful Augie is with kids. No wonder his children photographs are SO awesome!! He can be really silly and goofy which makes kids bond with him almost immediately.

Augie sent me a few images of the shoot as a teaser, and I loved them already! I can't wait to see the rest of the photos.....

Blog-tag!

My good friend and colleague Jewel Savadelis blog tagged me, and tells me that it's like the children's game of tag where someone says "Tag, You're It!" and you have to do a blog posting on the topics below:

What I Did Today
1. Met a lovely couple who just got engaged and is looking to hire a Wedding Coordinator
2. Drove up to San Francisco together with my good friend Jean Marks
3. Competed in a 'Haunted Gingerbread House' competition hosted by Executive Chefs

4. Drew turtles and dogs with my daughter Bridgette

To-Do List

1. Take a vacation to the Maldives

2. Get a facial

3. Start an exercise routine

4. Take Bridgette to Knotts Berry Farm

Guilty Pleasures

1. Banana Split at Baskin Robbins

2. Omakase at Sushi Sam

3. Papijump game on my iphone

4. Lipstick Jungle

Random Facts About Me

1. I lived in Nampa, Idaho during my elementary school years
2. My first pet was a guinea pig named Sunshine
3. Issey Miyake perfume makes me sneeze
4. My favorite cartoon character is Hello Kitty

I am now tagging:

Jean Marks
Augie Chang
Geoff White
Nancy Liu Chin