Lady Elizabeth, founder of the London-based company, Party Planners, is no amateur! She has worked with exclusive clientele including President Bill Clinton, Tom Cruise, Mick Jagger, Sting, former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, designer Valentino as well as members of the royal family including Diana and Prince Charles. Lady Elizabeth was also responsible for organizing Queen Elizabeth II’s 80th birthday party at the Ritz hotel in London in 2006.

“The lunch-time reception at Buckingham Palace is expected to be a lavish affair, and will host about 600 guests including members of the royal family, members of foreign royal families, international heads of state and such celebrities as David and Victoria Beckham, and singer Sir Elton John,” says Good Morning America. Prince Charles will finish off the night by hosting a dinner for 300 of the couple’s closest family and friends.

Have a look at Lady Elizabeth’s website for some inspiration to get those creative juices flowing!: http://www.party-planners.co.uk/wealthle.asp

Amanda Smith, client of Firefly Occasions, states, “Ciara shares her knowledge and passion with everyone in her path.  Her contributions to the event planning industry are a paramount to her successes. She has enabled many others to achieve their personal business plans.”

The award is designated for outstanding event professionals who inspire others to achieve event success, and who stand out from the crowd by having made exceptional contributions to the industry over the past year.

Nominees must have created success stories time and time again while operating their businesses with the highest level of enthusiasm, accomplishment and professional integrity.

As a nominee, Ciara has also contributed to the growth and development of the event industry in Calgary and has gone above and beyond her client’s expectations.

“I’m thrilled to be nominated for the award and to have the opportunity to represent not only myself but also the Calgary event industry,” states Ciara.

To find out more information about Firefly Occasions please visit www.fireflyoccasions.com. To find out more information about the award please visit www.canadianspecialevents.com.

The wedding world was hit with some sad news this morning when it was announced by Conde Nast that they would close two of their bridal publications, Modern Bride and Elegant Bride. As more brides take to the internet for wedding ideas advertisement sales have been on the decline in print media.

I too have found that print media advertising doesn’t have as big of an impact as it once did. With the internet being the go to source most wedding professionals are devoting their advertising budget to Google pay per click. I think it is sad though that the collaborative ideas that come out of magazines such as Modern Bride and Elegant Bride end up suffering because of a lack of advertising sales. Print publications will most likely go to a model of sponsored editorial as being mentioned in editorial holds more clout with the bride. However, if that model does become more predominant the question of editorial integrity then arises, could wedding professionals receive editorial coverage simply because their bank account allows it and not because they deserve it?

I’d also like to offer my condolences to the editor of these two publications, Antonia van der Meer, whom I had dinner with at the Engage ‘09 conference. Antonia is a very intelligent and creative woman and I have no doubt that whatever she moves on to next will be a great success. Modern Bride also chose the Top 25 Trendsetters in the wedding industry and actually recognized individuals for their contribution to this ever growing industry. I’m sad that this will no longer be the case and hope that another reputable source takes on the task of acknowledging those in our industry who are truly making a splash.

RIP Modern Bride and Elegant Bride.