Note from Jeannine:  I really adore Jessica, so I am excited for you all to meet this young lady today.  Without realizing that our paths had already crossed at the Southern Weddings Magazine launch party in Atlanta in January, 2009, I reached out to Jessica last year for some help with graphic design.  She had recently completed the branding for Julianne Smith of Garter Girl, and Julianne had tweeted about how great it was to work with Jessica.  Since working together initially, Jessica has worked on several design projects for me, and even presented to the attendees of The Style Plan workshop in Nashville.  I highly recommend her for any graphic design or stationery project you may be working on and please check out her blog, The Budget Savvy Bride – it’s really fantastic!  Please enjoy Jessica’s feature today!

Note from Jeannine:  Although I heard of Lindsay long ago, I only recently met her at the Say Yes To The Dress Premiere Party here in Atlanta.  I am so glad I met her and can now call her a friend.  She is such a doll and her positive attitude is so refreshing in an industry where we can so easily get very cynical.  Trust me, you will want to read her profile and check out her work! Thanks for sharing your profile, Lindsay!

Name: Lindsay Mast

Location: Atlanta, GA

Company Name: Sublime Photography/SweetSnaps Photography

Number of years in business: 4

Website: www.sublime-photography.com 

Blog: www.sublime-photography.net

Please describe your product or service. Sublime: Bright, Creative, Journalism-Driven Wedding Photography. SweetSnaps: Children’s Portrait Parties

How would you describe your personal style?

Original, cute and funky. I’ve always liked to stand out, but in a creative and attractive way–I was actually voted “Most Interestingly Dressed” in high school.

How does your personal style relate to your business branding?

It’s deeply connected for me. Clients realize they’re getting an original—someone with an all-around creative vision that’s different from everyone else. Within the wedding industry, I do a lot of networking and I figured out pretty early on that what I wore was a great way to stand out. Nothing opens a conversation better than “I love what you’re wearing.” I have a custom-made necklace that features the Sublime colors and flowers, similar to the logo. It’s subtle, but it works.

What would you like people to know about you that they will not discover through your website or blog?

I’m a Duchess of Hazard. I worked in Hazard, Kentucky as a television reporter and the Mayor made me A Duchess (get it? The Dukes of Hazard?). I have a certificate and a key to the city that doubles as a bottle opener. True story.

What is your most treasured possession?

Style-wise: it’s a toss up between my Elva Fields necklaces and my Frye boots. I plan on handing all of them down to my daughters one day.

Non-style wise: My wedding pictures, of course!

What message would you like to convey to others in the industry?

Practice the Golden Rule. Apologize when you screw up. Cultivate real relationships. Know that the one who needs the next favor might be you.

Please share your favorite beauty or style tip:

The easiest way to look great instantly? A big, genuine smile.

Note from Jeannine:  I’m so excited to feature Lisa Milko with Event Perfect today.  Believe it or not, even though we are both in Atlanta, I just met Lisa recently at the Say Yes To The Dress Premiere Party at 200 Peachtree.  Lisa was one of the first wedding planners that I watched on “Whose Wedding Is It Anyway” when I was first considering getting into wedding planning, so featuring her today is really cool for me.  I hope you will enjoy learning more about her and her sophisticated, yet effortless style as much as I have! 

Note from Jeannine:  Christine Sweeney has brought a wonderful product/service to the Atlanta Wedding Market- Boutique Portable Restrooms.  I am so pleased to know her and have her as a resource in our area.  Christine brings a lot of class to an otherwise non-glamorous side of event planning!  I hope you will enjoy getting to know her as much as I have.  Check out the photo collage below to see how she is changing the look of portable restrooms!

Photos courtesy of Climie & Co.

Note from Jeannine:  Melissa and I were at Eventology together in 2009, but didn’t connect personally there.  I began to follow her on Twitter after the conference and I’m so glad I did!  As my good fortune would have it, I was able to hang out with Melissa and get to know her better in June at WeWed in Southwest Florida.  Melissa is so positive and upbeat and she has a wealth of wedding planning knowledge.  I hope you enjoy her Style Profile.  Be sure to follow her on Twitter at @WeddingPlanner1.

Location: Gainesville, Florida  | Serving North Florida, including Gainesville, Ocala, Jacksonville and The Panhandle

Company Name: MasterPiece Weddings

Number of years in business: 16 
 
Website: www.masterpieceweddings.net 
 
Blog: http://masterpieceweddings.blogspot.com 
 
Please describe your product or service: Full Service Wedding and Event Planning 

How would you describe your personal style? Wow, this is a hard question, I would say Simple, Classic, Awesometastic Modishness. 

How does your personal style relate to your business branding?  Romantical, Fresh, Modern, Awesometastic 

What would you like people to know about you that they will not discover through your website or blog?   Let’s do this as 7 random Melissa facts: 1.) I am a work-a-holic. 2.) I worked up until the day before I went into labor. 3.) I believe completely in miracles. 4.) My life is an open book, ask me anything, honestly. And sometimes I am too honest. honestly. 5.) I’ve had cancer twice and beat it twice! Take that CANCER! 6.)  I’ve been told I am too chipper. I’m okay with that. 7.) My husband and I tried to have a baby for 15 years, were told by 7 doctors we couldn’t get pregnant and now have an amazing 7 months old baby boy!

What message would you like to convey to others in the industry?  First, be yourself, don’t try to copy someone else’s work.  The hardest thing in a creative industry is to find who you are.  Create your company and your brand without trying to be what you think everyone else wants you to be.  It took me 14 years to figure that out.  I was what I thought brides wanted me to be, not who I really am.  Be yourself, and don’t copy, steal, or borrow someone else’s work.  Please.  Find your own creative style and embrace it.
 
What is your most treasured possession? My son, Gabriel. My Family. My Faith. (not in that order) 

Please share your favorite beauty or style tip: Be Yourself, and Dress Yourself. Don’t try to be someone else. Shop smart. Check the sale racks first. 
 
What is your "go-to" meeting attire? Slacks and Black Blouse, fun accessories and black strappy heels. 

What is your "go-to" evening industry event attire? (i.e., associational meeting, vendor or venue open house, etc.) – Boringly enough, a little black dress, and strappy heels. 

What is your attire for wedding/event day set-up? Set up, is jeans, and a black shirt (wow, I wear a lot of black) and comfy shoes, usually flats or sneakers. 

What is your attire for actual wedding/event? Cocktail dress (black) and black flats. 

What style and brand of shoes do you wear on wedding/event days? My new favorites for the past year are Charlotte Russe flats, I needed to buy 100 pairs, I love them! 

What are your favorite jeans and why? White House Black Market jeans fit me so well, and I seem to get a lot of compliments when I wear them, I should wear them every day! 

What are a few of your favorite cosmetic products? I am not into big name cosmetics, so Almay is my go-to, since my skin is sensitive.

What products are in your current skincare regimen? Soap. Water. Rinse. Repeat. And moisturizer in the AM. (Gosh, I am boring, huh!)

Who is your favorite celebrity style icon and why? Half Giada de Laurentiis (for her honesty and sense of self, half Jennifer Garner (her inner and outer beauty, ability to juggle work and mommy’ness) half Drew Barrymore (for her ability to overcome extreme adversity and still maintain grace and success.

Please share with us (in 50 words or less) your favorite beauty or style tip: I am obviously not the best person to give you beauty advice… I mean seriously. I am pretty plain Jane. But I can tell you from experience to wear clothes that fit you, don’t wear clothes that are two sizes too big because they are comfy (those are PJs) but be comfortable. And be yourself. Because you are beautiful!

Editor’s Note:  I’d love to feature your Style Profile on The Stylish Planner!  If you are a Wedding or Event Planner, click here for a submission form:  Stylish Planner Submission Form .  If you are any other wedding/event vendor, click here:  Wedding & Event Professional Style Profiles.

Historically, every Thursday, The Stylish Planner has shared with our readers a wedding or event planner with a great sense of style.  I’ve received many inquiries from photographers especially about featuring other vendors.  So, I’m opening up the Style Profile feature to now include all wedding and event professionals.  Currently, The Stylish Planner has over 1700 unique visitors each month and our readers are all over the U.S., Canada, and Australia.  I know our readers would love to see more Style Profiles, and get to know the amazingly talented people we have in our industry, so take a look at the guidelines below in send in your feature!  In order to be considered for a feature on The Stylish Planner, the following criteria should be met:

· You must be a wedding or event professional with an active single domain website.

· Your submission should include at least one photo of yourself. You can submit as many as you like. I can create a photo collage if you send multiple images. Photos should meet the following criteria:

o Photos should be no more than 1 year old

o Photo(s) should not be smaller than 300 pixels in width. (I can adjust if what you have is larger than this.)

o Preferred photo format is .jpg. If you choose to submit .gif or other files, please know that we reserve the right not to use them. Photo formats other than .jpg appear grainy and are difficult to enhance for the website.

o Photographer credit must be included with photos! (Please include photographer’s name and website.)

· Please include the attached questionnaire with your submission. Send the submission and photo(s) via e-mail to info@thestylishplanner.com with “Featured Professional Style Profile” in the subject line. Please remember to include photo(s) of yourself according to the above criteria.

You will be advised if you are chosen to be featured on The Stylish Planner and when your feature will be posted. Once your feature is posted, you will receive a badge (shown below) for your website or blog. We would appreciate if you would post a blog entry on your blog about your feature. Also, please follow @StylishPlanner on Twitter and re-tweet our announcement of your feature. Thank you in advance for helping us promote The Stylish Planner blog to other wedding and event professionals!

PLEASE NOTE:  If you are a wedding and/or event planner, we have a more detailed questionnaire for your style profile!  Please click here for details: Featured Planner Submission Guidelines.

Note from Jeannine:  Ashley Baber is easily one of the classiest women I know.  Because we both live and work in Atlanta, I think most of the wedding world would try to label us as competitors, but I honestly consider her a friend.  She produces beautiful events and her clients adore her.  Her work is consistently published in magazines and featured on wedding blogs and she is well respected in the Atlanta community and beyond.  Her cutie-pie husband, William, is a real sweetheart and together they are happily raising a small herd of adorable pugs in their new Atlanta home.  I love chatting with Ashley and I usually feel a little lighter when we’ve spent time together as she is such a positive person and a joy to be around.  I’m so happy to share Ashley with you all today – enjoy!

 Photos on top row courtesy of Alecia Lauren www.AleciaLaurenPhotography.com,

bottom row courtesy of David Christensen (www.dhcphoto.com)

Name: Ashley Baber

Location: Atlanta, GA

Company Name: Ashley Baber Weddings

Number of years in business: I planned my first wedding almost 8 years ago. I started Ashley Baber Weddings in 2004 and went "full time" in 2007.

Website: www.ashleybaberweddings.com

Blog: www.ashleybaberweddings.blogspot.com

How would you describe your personal style? Classic with a twist.

What is your “go-to” meeting attire? It depends upon the time of the year, but quite often it is a black pencil skirt and then I vary the top, great shoes and accessories. Lately I have been wearing more summer dresses, which I love. They are so easy to throw on and go while still looking very put together.

What is your “go-to” evening industry event attire? I am usually leaving from meetings to attend industry events, so it is often the same thing.

What is your attire for wedding/event day set-up? I have found that I do not ever have time to sneak away and change, so I just come to my weddings dressed for the day. I will often bring various shoes to change into throughout the day- sandals for set-up, heels for the ceremony and flats for the remainder of the day.

What is your attire for actual wedding/event? Always all black- typically a dress and a cardigan with pearls. I think pearls add a sense of formality to any outfit and I always get compliments on them on wedding days.

What style and brand of shoes do you wear on wedding/event days? I am always in search of the perfect wedding day shoe… Currently I wear an Aerosoles shoe.

What are your favorite jeans and why?  J. Crew. The "short" length is perfect for flats/sandals and the "regular" length are great to wear with heels for a night out. I love the premium (dark) wash- I think it is slimming.

What are a few of your favorite cosmetic products?  I am super low maintenance with cosmetic products. I rarely have time to go to the mall to get to the cosmetic counter, so I have to use products I can grab at the drugstore. I always use a moisturizer with SPF- currently Neutrogena Healthy Skin face lotion with SPF 15. I use Neutrogena Healthy Skin Glow Sheers (SPF 30) foundation and have used Cover Girl Clean Pressed Powder for years as well as classic Maybelline Great lash washable mascara (I find the waterproof is too hard to get off). I vary my eye shadow, blush and lip gloss brands, but they are always pretty neutral.

What products are in your current skincare regimen? I wash my face twice a day with Neutrogena Anti-Wrinkle/Anti-Blemish cleanser. I use salicylic acid at night to manage breakouts and have started using Garnier Nutritioniste Ultra Lift Deep Wrinkle Treatment around my eyes and other wrinkle-prone areas. I will be thirty this year, after all!

Who is your favorite celebrity style icon and why? I think Julianne Moore is gorgeous- I identify with the red hair and fair skin. I love Jennifer Aniston’s consistent "effortlessly put together" look and Renee Zellweger’s red carpet style (almost always Carolina Herrera!).

Please share with us (in 50 words or less) your favorite beauty or style tip: I tend to wear a lot of black, but love using accessories and shoes to express my personal style and bring color and attitude into my wardrobe. This is also a great way to have key pieces in your wardrobe, but get different looks by modifying your accessories.

I’m so grateful to know Caroline with Paloma’s Nest.  We first corresponded last year when she kindly provided some bouquet tiles for the guests attending a bridal show I was participating in.  A few months later, I was thrilled to meet her in person when she came to Atlanta for the Southern Weddings Magazine Party at Bridal Bar.  She’s a ball of energy and wonderful to be around.  She is always smiling and is so genuine.  I’m really glad to share her with you today.  If you haven’t looked at her beautiful handmade creations, you really must check out Paloma’s Nest.

Side Note:  Paloma’s Nest is a wonderful example of branding made personal and done very well.  (Paloma is Caroline’s daughter.)

Name: Caroline Colom Vasquez

Location: Austin, TX

Company Name: Paloma’s Nest

Number of years in business: 3

Website: www.palomasnest.com

Blog: Stories To Tell www.palomasnest.com/blog

Please describe your product or service:

Paloma’s Nest is a line of handcrafted modern heirlooms and keepsake pieces.

As the creator of the original Ring Bearer Bowl™, we invented the concept of employing a ceramic piece, instead of the traditional pillow, in a wedding ceremony.  The result was an entirely new take on the wedding tradition that has swept the bridal industry. In addition to our Wedding Collection, Paloma’s Nest also offers ornaments, tabletop products, stationery, and a new Baby & Family Collection.

How would you describe your personal style?

As a multi-tasking mom and businesswoman, I try to keep things as simple as possible. But in an effort to stay true to the artist in me, I am never afraid to try something new and different. I look for easy to wear/ easy to wash pieces and accessories that are full of visual impact. I buy handmade whenever possible, as I love to support other designers and small businesses.

My daily uniform may consist of a slip-on dress in a great pattern, a pair of boots or ballerina flats, a favorite pair of earrings, and a hand crafted leather bag.

My clothing works hard in the studio and on the playground, as well as in the boardroom. I love hunting for bargains, both new and vintage/thrift, but am not afraid to spend more on something that I know will get a lot of use in the many facets of my schedule!

How does your personal style relate to your business branding?

Interesting question! I love clothing with strong, simple lines (that "do the work for you!), in natural fibers and color palettes. I have a large collection of handcrafted jewelry- I tend to gravitate towards earrings, both large and small. I am not afraid to mix silver jewelry with gold, or to juxtapose a new piece alongside a vintage one. I find that my personal style evolves as I study different periods of art history and design as it relates to my own work. I pick up little ideas and inspiration from each decade I study and translate it into my modern closet and current look.

What would you like people to know about you that they will not discover through your website or blog?

I have a sharp (and often very sarcastic!) sense of humor that doesn’t always come through in my work or online…ha!

What is your most treasured possession?

I am the proud custodian to many family heirlooms. Among my most cherished is a packet full of love letters sent by my grandfather to my grandmother during WWII. He was quite the romantic. They were married for close to 70 years.

What message would you like to convey to others in the industry?

I want to be influential in redefining today’s definition of "handmade." Too often handmade is characterized as "do it yourself"

crafts or rustic or vintage inspired things. The modern "handmade" is fresh, innovative, and of the highest quality materials and craftsmanship. I hope my work is an example of this modern aesthetic and responsible way of creating.

Please share your favorite beauty or style tip:

If I only have five minutes (which is the case on most days), it goes to bronzing powder, eyebrows, and mascara. Some how this makes me look awake and feel pulled together.

Oh, and: "You’re never fully dressed without a smile!"

Today I am really excited to present to you the first non-planner Style Profile!  Scoobie West and I have worked together for many years and he is a savvy businessman and a wonderful human being.  It is a great thing when your vendor partners become your friends and that is so true for Scoobie and I.  I knew when I started The Stylish Planner that I wanted to include him as a guest blogger. 

Scoobie was recently named one of “Atlanta’s People on the Move” by Urban Lux Magazine for his success as a make up artisan.  Check out his spread on page 12 and his fashion feature on page 42 – those Versace shoes are killer!  Many of you are familiar with Scoobie’s work without even realizing it.  He was the hair & make-up artist for model, Adair, who graced the cover of the current issue of Southern Weddings…

You’ll be seeing much more of Scoobie on The Stylish Planner.  He has already submitted several installments for a monthly Male P.O.V. (point of view) post on women’s beauty trends that will start next Tuesday.  In addition, we are working on another special feature called, “Scoobie Do’s and Don’ts”.  (I couldn’t resist!)  In those posts, Scoobie will talk about hair & make-up tips for the everyday woman – what to do and what not to do. 

So, without further delay, allow me to introduce my amazing friend, Scoobie West…

 Photo courtesy of Urban Lux Magazine