Linnyette Richardson Hall is the Owner and Creative Director of Premiere Event Management, a Baltimore-based firm that specializes in creating unique, elegant, fun and personality-oriented events.  She is the Special Contributing Editor of the two book series Going to the Chapel (Penguin Putnam 1998) which was created for couples who are in the wonderful process of planning their nuptials. Formerly, Linnyette was Contributing Editor for Signature Bride Magazine and Columnist for WeddingChannel.com. American television audiences are able to see her work her "wedding magic" as one of the featured consultants on the hit reality television series, “Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?" which airs weekly on The Style Network.

Linnyette has been in the wedding industry since 1993 and has planned hundreds of weddings for brides & grooms locally and on a nationwide basis. Linnyette’s expertise has been featured in many local and national publications such as Glamour, Essence & Black Enterprise magazines, The Washington Post as well as appearing on CNN, FOX News, CBS and a host of other media outlets.

The Stylish Planner is so pleased to have Linnyette as a contributing guest blogger!  I feel her “tell it like it is” personality combined with her years of wedding and event planning experience make her feature a “must read”.  The feature is aptly titled “DIVA Day”, and will be posted on the first Wednesday of every month!

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Spring has sprung!  As the weather gets warmer, many of us are gearing and up and preparing for the onslaught of wedding season which translates into restocking emergency kits, inventory of supplies, assigning staff, etc.  During the winter months – we sort of "hibernate".  In many areas, the winter brings a lull to the frenetic pace of weddings..we get to kick back a notch and take a tiny sigh of relief.  But like Mother Nature, the minute Spring arrives, things go right back to where we left them!!

Now that the "process" we all love so dearly is starting , it’s even more important to take care of "self".  I always associate the beginning of wedding season with that time-honored tradition of "spring cleaning", so how about looking at some of the "tasks" you can complete to make things a wee bit easier this ‘go round?

1) Get enough sleep:  Even though things are getting busier – you still need those 7 to 8 hours in order to function at top speed.

2) Inventory your wedding wardrobe:  While this is a project that’s best suited for your "down time", there’s no time like the present to do it, if need be. Wear what suits YOU and fits that "first impression" persona we all need to have.

3) Get moving:  And no, I don’t mean chase after the woman in the big, poufy white gown I’m talking about exercise!! 30 minutes per day – easy peasy. What – you don’t have time?  Sure you do.  That 1/2 hour you spend checking out everyone’s status on Face book and Twitter?  There you go!!

4) Breathe:  In and out.  Deeply.  Cleanly.  It will help you function more productively, but best of all – it helps to clear your mind.

5) Ditch the foolishness:  As in people, place and situations.  When you get rid of the "madness" around you, it’s amazing how well things will run.

And while you’re in the midst of all your spring cleaning preparations, don’t forget to stop and literally smell the roses. They’re not only for brides to enjoy in their bouquets……………………….