Thursday, November 6, 2008
RSS Troubles
Ok, so, if you follow both this blog and my other blog, Full of Useful Information, you'll have noticed that subscribing to both only gave you posts from Romantic Reflections. I'm a little frustrated that this took so long to come to my attention but even more frustrated about how using FeedBurner to reroute XML and RSS became so complicated. At any rate, they should be fixed now. If you follow both sites, please replace your RSS Feeds if you are using them and resubscribe. If you are seeing anything about weddings from FoUI or anything not related to weddings from RR (besides these posts about RSS and such), email me. Thanks and sorry for the inconvenience.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Does a wedding ring replace an engagement ring?
Yesterday in a conversation with a friend, the topic of engagement and wedding rings came up. One of the most interesting pieces of the conversation was about what to do with the engagement ring after you get married and therefore have a wedding ring. I know there are a lot of engagement-wedding ring sets where the rings are meant to be worn together (like all these rings on the Robbins Bros website) and there are even some where the rings are so fitted together they don't even look like they can or should be worn apart.
But what if you get them separate? Does the wedding band need to match the ring? Do the wedding rings of the couple getting married need to match, even if it might not match the engagement ring? Or does the woman just stop wearing the engagement ring?
Well, I did a little digging on the tradition of ring wearing and -- long story short -- it doesn't matter that much anymore. Yes, there are many different traditions which depend on your religion and ethnic background, but the times are changing fast and nowadays it really comes down to personal preference.
Most couples are not getting fully matching weddings bands anymore; instead opting for a stylish broader band for a man and a sleeker, often more complimentary to the engagement ring, band for a woman. It seems that most women wear their wedding ring over their engagement ring on the left hand, following the European tradition.
Of course, with times being so modern as they are, there are so many alternatives. Some couples forego the engagement ring altogether. I heard of one guy who got a wedding "band" tattooed on his left ring finger because wearing jewelry would be a hassle/hazard but he still wanted a band there.
When you're making these decisions, it ultimately comes down to what you and your significant other want. If traditions are important to you, go with that. Stay true to your style and remember that your rings are a reflection of who you are and your relationship together. It just has to make sense and have meaning to you.
But what if you get them separate? Does the wedding band need to match the ring? Do the wedding rings of the couple getting married need to match, even if it might not match the engagement ring? Or does the woman just stop wearing the engagement ring?
Well, I did a little digging on the tradition of ring wearing and -- long story short -- it doesn't matter that much anymore. Yes, there are many different traditions which depend on your religion and ethnic background, but the times are changing fast and nowadays it really comes down to personal preference.
Most couples are not getting fully matching weddings bands anymore; instead opting for a stylish broader band for a man and a sleeker, often more complimentary to the engagement ring, band for a woman. It seems that most women wear their wedding ring over their engagement ring on the left hand, following the European tradition.
Of course, with times being so modern as they are, there are so many alternatives. Some couples forego the engagement ring altogether. I heard of one guy who got a wedding "band" tattooed on his left ring finger because wearing jewelry would be a hassle/hazard but he still wanted a band there.
When you're making these decisions, it ultimately comes down to what you and your significant other want. If traditions are important to you, go with that. Stay true to your style and remember that your rings are a reflection of who you are and your relationship together. It just has to make sense and have meaning to you.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Patty and Jason's Wedding 8/16/08
Jason is a friend of the family from many, many years ago. He's pretty much the big brother figure for most of the extended family. He met Patty in pharmacy school at UCSD (yes, my undergrad alma mater) and as time went on, they became really good friends. Almost all the toasts paid tribute to their solid friendship being the cornerstone of their solid relationship.
Me and Jason, who is like a big brother to me.
Their wedding took place at the Grand Pacific Palisades Resort and Hotel in Carlsbad, CA. A lot of people traveled from Los Angeles to San Diego for the event so it was lucky that they accounted for this by planning the wedding, cocktails, and reception all for the evening.
Here is the arch under which the ceremony would take place. It took me several shots to get this right because it was white, outdoors, and back-lit since it was almost sunset. (The ceremony started at 5 pm)
Isn't this adorable? I love seeing little kids in dresses and suits. I don't actually know who those kids are but they were just about the only little ones there. Jason is an only child and I don't think Patty's sister has any kids yet so I guess they didn't have any nieces or nephews to use as flower girls and ring bearers.
The officiant was a friend of theirs. The exchanging of vows was actually really short, save for Patty's delays because she was trying not to cry =)
I really like this shot because I caught the officiant holding up the ring and talking about the symbolism behind it.
You may now kiss the bride!
Mr. and Mrs. Jason and Patty Lam!
After the ceremony and before the dinner, they had a cocktail hour which I don't have many pictures from. There was an open bar and hor'dourves. I asked one of the bartenders for something "sweet and fruity" and he gave me a drink called a Victoria's Secret which he said had 3 types of alcohol and 3 types of juice. It was delicious.
They decided to forego a registry and ask for traditional red envelopes. In Chinese culture, it is traditional to give cash in lucky red envelopes (amount based on how close you are to the marrying couple) instead of gifts to compensate for the cost of the wedding and to help the new couple begin their lives together. The pretty white box is for the envelopes. As you can see, they still got people who gave actual gifts. The picture is neat; they had two different pictures, which were taken after their engagement, for guests to sign around the matting.
In case you were curious, I wrote "May every day of your marriage be as magical as today."
Isn't this centerpiece amazing? Our table was in the back, so for decor purposes it made sense for ours to be the biggest and tallest one.
Their wedding favors were bags of M&Ms in their wedding colors (pink and brown) with the phrases "Jason & Patty," "Patty & Jason," (they like to be fair, I guess), "husband and wife," and "married 8.16.08" printed on them.
They had copies of their engagement pictures, also used in the wedding announcement and their wedding website, on every table with the number.
This was the Dinner Menu, obviously, printed in their color scheme. =P
This was dinner! This was a huge plate and I ate most of it but it really filled me up.
Post-cake cutting kiss! (Extra points for alliteration) Lovely cake, right? It was chocolate and a bit too sweet but it was served with coffee so that balanced it out nicely.
This was my favorite picture all night. This is a classic Patty face, where she's sort of saying "what are you doing??" and it really shows the humorous and friendly nature of their relationship.
I snagged this picture with them just before we left. I know, it's kinda weird that I'm standing between them but I was taking a picture with Patty and then Jason just happened to come up on that side so we pulled him in.
All in all, a beautiful wedding!
Me and Jason, who is like a big brother to me.
Their wedding took place at the Grand Pacific Palisades Resort and Hotel in Carlsbad, CA. A lot of people traveled from Los Angeles to San Diego for the event so it was lucky that they accounted for this by planning the wedding, cocktails, and reception all for the evening.
Here is the arch under which the ceremony would take place. It took me several shots to get this right because it was white, outdoors, and back-lit since it was almost sunset. (The ceremony started at 5 pm)
Isn't this adorable? I love seeing little kids in dresses and suits. I don't actually know who those kids are but they were just about the only little ones there. Jason is an only child and I don't think Patty's sister has any kids yet so I guess they didn't have any nieces or nephews to use as flower girls and ring bearers.
The officiant was a friend of theirs. The exchanging of vows was actually really short, save for Patty's delays because she was trying not to cry =)
I really like this shot because I caught the officiant holding up the ring and talking about the symbolism behind it.
You may now kiss the bride!
Mr. and Mrs. Jason and Patty Lam!
After the ceremony and before the dinner, they had a cocktail hour which I don't have many pictures from. There was an open bar and hor'dourves. I asked one of the bartenders for something "sweet and fruity" and he gave me a drink called a Victoria's Secret which he said had 3 types of alcohol and 3 types of juice. It was delicious.
They decided to forego a registry and ask for traditional red envelopes. In Chinese culture, it is traditional to give cash in lucky red envelopes (amount based on how close you are to the marrying couple) instead of gifts to compensate for the cost of the wedding and to help the new couple begin their lives together. The pretty white box is for the envelopes. As you can see, they still got people who gave actual gifts. The picture is neat; they had two different pictures, which were taken after their engagement, for guests to sign around the matting.
In case you were curious, I wrote "May every day of your marriage be as magical as today."
Isn't this centerpiece amazing? Our table was in the back, so for decor purposes it made sense for ours to be the biggest and tallest one.
Their wedding favors were bags of M&Ms in their wedding colors (pink and brown) with the phrases "Jason & Patty," "Patty & Jason," (they like to be fair, I guess), "husband and wife," and "married 8.16.08" printed on them.
They had copies of their engagement pictures, also used in the wedding announcement and their wedding website, on every table with the number.
This was the Dinner Menu, obviously, printed in their color scheme. =P
This was dinner! This was a huge plate and I ate most of it but it really filled me up.
Post-cake cutting kiss! (Extra points for alliteration) Lovely cake, right? It was chocolate and a bit too sweet but it was served with coffee so that balanced it out nicely.
This was my favorite picture all night. This is a classic Patty face, where she's sort of saying "what are you doing??" and it really shows the humorous and friendly nature of their relationship.
I snagged this picture with them just before we left. I know, it's kinda weird that I'm standing between them but I was taking a picture with Patty and then Jason just happened to come up on that side so we pulled him in.
All in all, a beautiful wedding!
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Hiatus Explained
In my introduction I said I was a recent college graduate and very interested in the fields of wedding and event planning... but as I'm doing my research and trying to find positions in those fields to work, as I do need money to get by, I am finding it more and more difficult to get my foot in the door. And I love event planning, I really do, but it has been really discouraging not being able to find a decently paying position -- or at this rate, even a paying position -- as entry level. There is a silver lining though: most of the coordination positions I'm finding pay pretty well... once you meet the "3-5 years of experience" qualification.
Anyhow, the job hunt has been a bit depressing, realizing that I may have to settle for something that won't further the skills I've trained in event planning just to have money to get by... On top of that, I have friends in computer programming that are getting wonderful job offers. They tell me I'll probably get a lot more out of my career than they ever will because I really do love it... but in the context of finding a job, it's not the most consoling thing right now.
So, I haven't really been feeling in the mood to blog, but I'm slowly coming out of my slump. I recently started my certificate in Events Planning at USD, which really just means I'm taking a class right now called Entertainment Events Management since they don't offer classes simultaneously during the school year. More importantly, I've realized that I need to take action to make changes to my situation.
"If the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, water your own lawn."
This week's goal: post pictures and comments from August wedding I attended
Making Sure the Guests Coordinate too
This article from The New York Times highlights a new trend in wedding coordination -- mandating a color scheme dress code for guests. Most often, the invitation will request something suited to the theme of the wedding such "light colors" or "dark colors" or "festival brights". In some cases, the invitation requested that guests not to wear a certain color which is reserved for the bride or bridesmaids.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Changes to RSS
I'd just like to note that I have just added AdSense for my RSS Feed so you'll notice that I've now switched to full-length posts to display! This will look so much better for the readers and I won't lose out on the AdSense money. =) Also, you'll notice that if you click on the RSS button in the address bar, there are two options -- one for an Atom feed and one for RSS. Please choose the Atom feed, as that is the one linked to my account. I don't honestly know the difference but I'll look it up since I'm planning a post soon about the beauty (and dangers) of using RSS in my other blog.
I have two exciting posts coming up soon -- a wedding I recently attended, and an interview with Rebecca Gaffney, partner at Red Letter Days, LLC!
I have two exciting posts coming up soon -- a wedding I recently attended, and an interview with Rebecca Gaffney, partner at Red Letter Days, LLC!
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
10 Questions to Help Trim Down Your Guest List
Pulled from CNN by IDoSugar, here are 10 questions to help trim down that long list of people you're wondering if you should invite to your wedding by seeing how close they are to you. The writer suggests that a score of less than 50% denies an invitation, a score of 50% puts you on the waiting list, and 60% and up are in.
- Name the city I'm living in now.
- Name at least two of my closest friends.
- Name my current employer and my past employer.
- Do I have any kids?
- Do you know the name of my fiancé? Bonus question: Where and when did we meet?
- Do you know where my parents are and whether they are still alive?
- Name at least two of my hobbies.
- How old am I?
- Where did I go to college?
- Name my last boyfriend before this engagement. Bonus question: if you can name the last two and why we broke up. If you get the bonus question right, that might automatically get you in.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Best of LA features
A writer identified as BoLa is an Los Angeles native who is seeking to present highlights of her hometown through her blog, Best of LA. (Thanks, Elaine!)
The blog has recently featured a post about a beautiful wedding in Sonoma and my friend dug up a slightly older one about a gorgeous chapel in Palos Verdes called the Wayfarer's Church. The stone and glass building is nestled in a grove of redwood trees, allowing natural light to shine brightly. It was designed by Lloyd Wright and also features beautiful gardens.
The blog has recently featured a post about a beautiful wedding in Sonoma and my friend dug up a slightly older one about a gorgeous chapel in Palos Verdes called the Wayfarer's Church. The stone and glass building is nestled in a grove of redwood trees, allowing natural light to shine brightly. It was designed by Lloyd Wright and also features beautiful gardens.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Some Crust Bakery
This lovely little bakery was sent to me by my friend Elaine. Some Crust Bakery in located in Claremont, CA, which is the next town over from my hometown in San Bernadino/LA County! They have an extensive gallery of beautiful cakes on their website.
From elegant and detailed...
...to classy and simply...
...to hip and cute!
Also, they do cupcakes and offer a huge selection of options for cake flavor, filling, and frosting.
From elegant and detailed...
...to classy and simply...
...to hip and cute!
Also, they do cupcakes and offer a huge selection of options for cake flavor, filling, and frosting.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
"Together At Last" - Engagement Video
A cinema production group called Wong Fu Productions, from my college alma mater, has just produced a very sweet video for their newly-engaged friends. I couldn't help tearing up at the end; it's so cute.
Their ability to tell a story in video has grown considerably over the years. Wong Fu gained most of their popularity from a parody documentary called "Yellow Fever," which comedically explored the phenomenon of Asian girls dating Caucasian guys. My personal favorite video by them is "Breathing" by Yellowcard, which was created for a video contest for the band. Also, check out this other engagement video by Wong Fu which was shot in one day!
Their ability to tell a story in video has grown considerably over the years. Wong Fu gained most of their popularity from a parody documentary called "Yellow Fever," which comedically explored the phenomenon of Asian girls dating Caucasian guys. My personal favorite video by them is "Breathing" by Yellowcard, which was created for a video contest for the band. Also, check out this other engagement video by Wong Fu which was shot in one day!
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Classy Wedding Reception
You know it's a classy affair when the bride does a keg stand!
I hope she doesn't damage that pretty dress.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Best Wedding Toast Ever
This video is incredibly sweet and that Amy is so lucky to have such friends!
Best Wedding Toast Ever!!!! (Amy's Song) - The funniest videos are a click away
EDIT: I found another version of that same toast, with the full introduction, and slightly better quality -- http://ido.ivillage.com/weddings/archives/2008/07/best-mans-speech-college-humor.html
Best Wedding Toast Ever!!!! (Amy's Song) - The funniest videos are a click away
EDIT: I found another version of that same toast, with the full introduction, and slightly better quality -- http://ido.ivillage.com/weddings/archives/2008/07/best-mans-speech-college-humor.html
How to Be A Good Host/Hostess
This is a cross-post from my other blog, "Full of Useful Information," which has some relevance to event planning. The article outlines the following:
1) Make your decisions early and stand firm by them.
2) Know your guest list
3) Communication
4) Greetings, Valedictions, and Thanks
Read more
1) Make your decisions early and stand firm by them.
2) Know your guest list
3) Communication
4) Greetings, Valedictions, and Thanks
Read more
Apologies
I'm really sorry... I've only been at this blog a few weeks and I'm already terrible with my posting schedule. I had a couple of really interesting things saved up while I was busy with moving and planning a housewarming potluck, and somehow Firefox didn't save my tabs one time and I lost them. But I remember some of them and will be posting them shortly (read: as soon as I find them again)... Also, I've got an interesting DIY of my own with tea lights that I need to snap some photos of before I post it.
On a side note, the potluck was a great success and it seemed that everyone had a really good time. After the food, we played Pictionary, Taboo, and Apples to Apples. During Taboo, one of the answers was "rehearsal," and my friend target me directly saying, "Shanna, the night before the wedding, you have a..." and I burst out "rehearsal dinner!" We got the point. =)
On a side note, the potluck was a great success and it seemed that everyone had a really good time. After the food, we played Pictionary, Taboo, and Apples to Apples. During Taboo, one of the answers was "rehearsal," and my friend target me directly saying, "Shanna, the night before the wedding, you have a..." and I burst out "rehearsal dinner!" We got the point. =)
Friday, June 20, 2008
First Dance Video (NSFW?)
Some people chose romantic songs that reflect their relationship like "At Last" or "Unchained Memories"... some are a little more creative:
I wonder how their extended family reacted. Imagine if your grandparents were there!
I wonder how their extended family reacted. Imagine if your grandparents were there!
A Geek Wedding: Video Game Theme
WeddingBee Miss Hummingbird featured these amazing video game themed place cards, which was completely DIY and beautifully so!
My favorites were Pac Man, Guitar Hero, and Legend of Zelda:
My favorites were Pac Man, Guitar Hero, and Legend of Zelda:
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Erica O'Brien Cakes
Erica O'Brien is a super artistic baker based in Long Beach, CA! These cakes are so decorative that they almost look too good to eat... almost.
.
http://www.ericaobrien.com/home.html
.http://www.ericaobrien.com/home.html
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Bulk Candle Holders
Today's feature: Cudge.net
In minimal purchases of 72 holders, this website provides lovely, affordable, and discount in bulk candle holders. This is perfect for large quantities, such as for decorations. I particularly like the clear votive ones because I think some DIY frosting or etching (initials, etc.) would look great in combination with tea lights.
http://www.cudge.net/candlesholders.html
In minimal purchases of 72 holders, this website provides lovely, affordable, and discount in bulk candle holders. This is perfect for large quantities, such as for decorations. I particularly like the clear votive ones because I think some DIY frosting or etching (initials, etc.) would look great in combination with tea lights.
http://www.cudge.net/candlesholders.html
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Edith Meyer cakes
Edith Meyer is a baker specializing in wedding cakes using local and organic ingredients. The bakery is based in San Francisco and Monterey Bay Area but the cakes have been shipped all over California. With green weddings are growing in popularity and wedding cake specialists hard to find, it's hard to resist these beautifully detailed cakes.
Monterey Bay Aquarium:
Beach wedding:
Elegant:
Matches the bride's dress!
http://edithmeyer.com/index.htm
Monterey Bay Aquarium:
Beach wedding:
Elegant:
Matches the bride's dress!
http://edithmeyer.com/index.htm
Advice From Mom, on Her Wedding Day
on how to make a marriage work:
I love the look on the woman's face at the end.
I love the look on the woman's face at the end.
Uninvited Guest Steals Cake
Sneaky little thing:
This picture comes from CuteOverload. The bride and groom cake toppers are adorable though, and I really like the blue flowers, but the cake seems sort of small. Maybe it's a small wedding.
This picture comes from CuteOverload. The bride and groom cake toppers are adorable though, and I really like the blue flowers, but the cake seems sort of small. Maybe it's a small wedding.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Alfredo Angelo
I always thought I'd be one of those brides who wanted the long, flowing dress with a train and all until I saw this dress by Alfredo Angelo:
This was introduced by a WeddingBee and I fell in love with it immediately. Particularly following a recent post about a beach-bound wedding in which a Bee chose a pair of white Reefs sandals for her bridal shoes as opposed to wedges or going barefoot, I started questioning the value of "traditional" bridal attire.
I had long since had my doubts about wearing heels all day long; the idea of wearing shoes that were completely unnatural to me and will indubitably leave me in pain for several days if I have to wear them from dawn till dawn just for the sake of having "bridal shoes" became even less appealing as I explored the idea of the modern, alternative bride.
The shortness of the dress doesn't detract at all from the formality and there is even a short train. It allows for a more light-hearted look without being too casual. The detail on it is beautiful and, to top it all off, this dress is priced less than $600.
Of course, I checked out the website and the full-length dresses are beautiful too but I can't get over this short dress! (Style 1142, under the bridal section)
http://www.alfredangelo.com/index.html
This was introduced by a WeddingBee and I fell in love with it immediately. Particularly following a recent post about a beach-bound wedding in which a Bee chose a pair of white Reefs sandals for her bridal shoes as opposed to wedges or going barefoot, I started questioning the value of "traditional" bridal attire.
I had long since had my doubts about wearing heels all day long; the idea of wearing shoes that were completely unnatural to me and will indubitably leave me in pain for several days if I have to wear them from dawn till dawn just for the sake of having "bridal shoes" became even less appealing as I explored the idea of the modern, alternative bride.
The shortness of the dress doesn't detract at all from the formality and there is even a short train. It allows for a more light-hearted look without being too casual. The detail on it is beautiful and, to top it all off, this dress is priced less than $600.
Of course, I checked out the website and the full-length dresses are beautiful too but I can't get over this short dress! (Style 1142, under the bridal section)
http://www.alfredangelo.com/index.html
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Communities, Blogs, and Others
First off, let me introduce some of the wedding-related communities and blogs that I currently frequent:
-WeddingBee (http://weddingbee.com/): A web-blogging community of DIYers, who are constantly amazing me with the details of their plans and the new trends of weddings
-Idosugar (http://www.idosugar.com): A sub-community of Team Sugar, which I have been a member of for nearly two years. The other communities have their niches in tech, humor, food, fitness, news, baby stuff, etc. but Idosugar emerged just a few months ago, when wedding season kicked in. It most frequently features posts from the other communities that are related to weddings.
-Style Me Pretty (http://www.stylemepretty.com/): Inspirations for the glamorous and stylish side of weddings
Less updated but interesting:
-Something Old, Something New (http://kenziekate.blogspot.com/)
-From I Will to I Do (http://ido.ivillage.com/weddings/)
-DIY Bride (http://www.diybride.com/)
-$10,000 Wedding (http://tenthousandonly.blogspot.com/): tips on frugal weddings
Other resources:
There are a ton of wedding-related websites but my absolute favorite is The Knot (http://www.theknot.com). It has resources beyond my imagination and I couldn't possible begin to explain everything on there.
-WeddingBee (http://weddingbee.com/): A web-blogging community of DIYers, who are constantly amazing me with the details of their plans and the new trends of weddings
-Idosugar (http://www.idosugar.com): A sub-community of Team Sugar, which I have been a member of for nearly two years. The other communities have their niches in tech, humor, food, fitness, news, baby stuff, etc. but Idosugar emerged just a few months ago, when wedding season kicked in. It most frequently features posts from the other communities that are related to weddings.
-Style Me Pretty (http://www.stylemepretty.com/): Inspirations for the glamorous and stylish side of weddings
Less updated but interesting:
-Something Old, Something New (http://kenziekate.blogspot.com/)
-From I Will to I Do (http://ido.ivillage.com/weddings/)
-DIY Bride (http://www.diybride.com/)
-$10,000 Wedding (http://tenthousandonly.blogspot.com/): tips on frugal weddings
Other resources:
There are a ton of wedding-related websites but my absolute favorite is The Knot (http://www.theknot.com). It has resources beyond my imagination and I couldn't possible begin to explain everything on there.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
SDSA, CSI, and other work experience
This should be my last post on my work experience history and I'll try to keep it short because, well, I'm sure my work history is not nearly the most interesting thing in the world but I think it's important to lay down the foundations of my experience so that I can talk about what really excites me. It really accomplishes two things -- I can look at my past to in order to help see my future and, being a professional blog, gives the readers a chance to see that I have some backwork in events. Also, you know, if the chance ever comes up, a reader could see this as a quasi-resume and offer me a position ;-).
Plus, this is already my 3rd post and I haven't posted any wedding-related stuff yet! I promise, this will be remedied soon and this blog will actually start to get interesting.
So, SDSA is the San Diego Sports Arena where I am currently a marketing intern for the Group Sales department. I have an interesting story about my first day, where I quickly demonstrated computer proficiency and immediately found a niche developing e-marketing strategies through online networking communities. The extended version of the story can be read here, which is a cross-post from my personal blog. This is an unpaid internship that I took on despite looking for a paying job, because I applied for it even though I wasn't technically qualified and the experience would serve as a great resume-builder if I decided to head in the marketing direction. I am not that interested in marketing per se but it is immediately relevant to wedding and events planning.
I wish CSI was as cool as it sounds but it doesn't stand for Crime Scene Investigation. (On a tangent note, the parody "Crime Scene: Scene of the Crime" from "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" is hilarious and I do recommend the movie.) It stands for the Center for Student Involvement at UCSD, where I volunteered as an event coordinator for UCSD Cares Week. It was "a week of service and action," and I primarily served as a liaison between the Community Services Coordinator at UCSD and the student organization leaders. I also designed and created a promotional display for the UCSD Bookstore window. For myself and the team that I worked with, this event was a true testament to our abilities to work with what we have where we are; The primary coordinator didn't get the assignment of the event until three weeks prior to it and I came on broad just two weeks before it. So, all the planning and marketing really only got to happen the week before the event. Considering this, we had a fairly good turnout through the week. The weather did not cooperate, however, as it was so hot on the Monday of that week that I got sunburned despite my sunblock and by Wednesday, it was raining. I remarked to many people how strange it was to be recovering from a sunburn in the rain. I felt really bad for the people in the dunk tank though!
The Learning Center is an after-school activity center in an apartment/townhouse community called Town & Country Village, where UCSD "Buddies" did everything from assisting with homework to gardening projects. This was part of a PSYC 199, which is independent research under a professor or graduate student, most often taking place in one of the research labs on campus. This one, however, was in the field and was extremely hands-on. The kids were a blast and we worked individually with them to help them grow, both through academic and extra-curricular activities. A lot of us, myself included, struggled with the problem of authority since we're not that much older than some of the kids but not quite "grown ups" in their eyes. Making our own judgment calls and finding things to work on or design without virtually any guidance proved to be difficult at first but we grew comfortable with it.
Lastly, the Preuss School:UCSD. This is a charter middle/high school (grades 6-12) located on the UCSD campus for kids from all over San Diego with a sharp mind and a low-income background. The rigorous academic curriculum prepares these kids for college in a way I never imagined possible but the strict structure sort of reminds me of a Catholic school. I interned under an academic counselor for a quarter, when I was really sure that that's what I wanted to be in life, just before the academic scandal better known as the "grade audit" took siege. It made the front page of the UCSD newspaper, indicating that the root of the scandal was grade replacement for failed classes through less-than-equivilent courses, thus resulting in over-inflated grades The then-principal and the counselor that I previously interned for both took paid leave and I believe the audit is still going on now. After this, I began losing interest in work in the education field. Then, I took on a student job in the front office doing a bunch of generic office work such as answering phones and sorting through papers. It was horribly uninteresting and I hated having such limited hours. Unenthused to return the following quarter and struggling to balance my class schedule, I failed to properly schedule work hours at Preuss and did not return. The only relevent work experience there was my work for Senior Awards Night (programs and invitations), Career Day (programs/biographies), and Open House.
Now! I've laid out everything work-related from the last two years of my life. At this point, nothing before that is relevent. And I will strive to make all posts from here on wedding and events related.
Plus, this is already my 3rd post and I haven't posted any wedding-related stuff yet! I promise, this will be remedied soon and this blog will actually start to get interesting.
So, SDSA is the San Diego Sports Arena where I am currently a marketing intern for the Group Sales department. I have an interesting story about my first day, where I quickly demonstrated computer proficiency and immediately found a niche developing e-marketing strategies through online networking communities. The extended version of the story can be read here, which is a cross-post from my personal blog. This is an unpaid internship that I took on despite looking for a paying job, because I applied for it even though I wasn't technically qualified and the experience would serve as a great resume-builder if I decided to head in the marketing direction. I am not that interested in marketing per se but it is immediately relevant to wedding and events planning.
I wish CSI was as cool as it sounds but it doesn't stand for Crime Scene Investigation. (On a tangent note, the parody "Crime Scene: Scene of the Crime" from "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" is hilarious and I do recommend the movie.) It stands for the Center for Student Involvement at UCSD, where I volunteered as an event coordinator for UCSD Cares Week. It was "a week of service and action," and I primarily served as a liaison between the Community Services Coordinator at UCSD and the student organization leaders. I also designed and created a promotional display for the UCSD Bookstore window. For myself and the team that I worked with, this event was a true testament to our abilities to work with what we have where we are; The primary coordinator didn't get the assignment of the event until three weeks prior to it and I came on broad just two weeks before it. So, all the planning and marketing really only got to happen the week before the event. Considering this, we had a fairly good turnout through the week. The weather did not cooperate, however, as it was so hot on the Monday of that week that I got sunburned despite my sunblock and by Wednesday, it was raining. I remarked to many people how strange it was to be recovering from a sunburn in the rain. I felt really bad for the people in the dunk tank though!
The Learning Center is an after-school activity center in an apartment/townhouse community called Town & Country Village, where UCSD "Buddies" did everything from assisting with homework to gardening projects. This was part of a PSYC 199, which is independent research under a professor or graduate student, most often taking place in one of the research labs on campus. This one, however, was in the field and was extremely hands-on. The kids were a blast and we worked individually with them to help them grow, both through academic and extra-curricular activities. A lot of us, myself included, struggled with the problem of authority since we're not that much older than some of the kids but not quite "grown ups" in their eyes. Making our own judgment calls and finding things to work on or design without virtually any guidance proved to be difficult at first but we grew comfortable with it.
Lastly, the Preuss School:UCSD. This is a charter middle/high school (grades 6-12) located on the UCSD campus for kids from all over San Diego with a sharp mind and a low-income background. The rigorous academic curriculum prepares these kids for college in a way I never imagined possible but the strict structure sort of reminds me of a Catholic school. I interned under an academic counselor for a quarter, when I was really sure that that's what I wanted to be in life, just before the academic scandal better known as the "grade audit" took siege. It made the front page of the UCSD newspaper, indicating that the root of the scandal was grade replacement for failed classes through less-than-equivilent courses, thus resulting in over-inflated grades The then-principal and the counselor that I previously interned for both took paid leave and I believe the audit is still going on now. After this, I began losing interest in work in the education field. Then, I took on a student job in the front office doing a bunch of generic office work such as answering phones and sorting through papers. It was horribly uninteresting and I hated having such limited hours. Unenthused to return the following quarter and struggling to balance my class schedule, I failed to properly schedule work hours at Preuss and did not return. The only relevent work experience there was my work for Senior Awards Night (programs and invitations), Career Day (programs/biographies), and Open House.
Now! I've laid out everything work-related from the last two years of my life. At this point, nothing before that is relevent. And I will strive to make all posts from here on wedding and events related.
The Undergraduate Investment Society
At the beginning of my time with the Undergraduate Investment Society, I attended a conference hosted by the club's sister organization -- VentureForth, whose president is also active in UIS. At this event, there was a moment where I realized that this was my future... business suits, conferences, meetings, networking... and I was going to have to start taking this work seriously.
As far as my work experience goes, I see my work with my student organization as one major portion of my professional development and most of the others get lumped into "other." The Undergraduate Investment Society at UCSD is a pre-professional student organization for finance and investment, tag-lined with the motto "empowering students with financial knowledge." Mostly we host workshops led by either our VPs of Research and Education or with professionals from the finance industry. The other big thing that UIS handles is the Annual Financial Horizons Conference in early March. Aside from these things, officers are encouraged to design their own projects for professional development of the club.
Sometimes officers get this misconception that our goal is the conference, which it's not at all, but it's true that the conference takes up a giant part of our year-long work. This seems to be the result of the fact that prepping for the conference begins so far in advance and is an on-going project. We tried to organize ourselves several different ways, including implementing an online project management software that no one ever checked, but in the end we just had to hope that everyone did what they had to do because no one else really knew what was going on in the group. As far as I could see, people knew what they were in charge of and knew what a couple of other people were working on, but no one (not even our executive officers) had a good overview picture of what everyone was doing.
I came up with several ways to make the work I did for the conference sound really fancy on a resume but let's be frank - I was in charge of decorations and ordering pens. I gussied this up to be something like "acquired and prepared all conference decoration materials" and "served as liaison to external resources to obtain conference materials such as..." but I suppose those are the professional ways of saying I able to communicate with professionals to get these jobs done. Something that I really tried to highlight in my resume was that all the conference work was really collaborative: small teams on individual projects, the overall officer team for all the planning, and the volunteer team.
The conference was big and I was proud to be a part of the team that put it together. It was a lot of work, and we had our ups and downs planning it but I thoroughly enjoyed working on it and it's really what got me interested in event planning. I have always loved being behind the scenes and doing it on something big scale impressed me. I never feel more accomplished than at the end of a big project or event, when all the fruits of my labor are laid out in front of me - mingling and enjoying themselves.
The details of it can be seen at http://uisconference08.wordpress.com/
Another big project that I worked on was the Winter Function, which was a half-day event of team-building, networking, and personal development. This was a project that I managed myself, although I had quite a bit of help with the design and implementation of it. Basically, it was a series of icebreakers with a personal development workshop about resumes and pitching the club. The day included breakfast, lunch, and a networking session. It was designed to get new and old officers more comfortable with each other so we could bring the good feelings of gained or renewed morale to our meetings. Although I got a lot of feedback from other officers, I really felt like I was the one in charge of this project and it was empowering to feel that professional.
After I started my work at the San Diego Sports Arena and beginning to seriously job hunt, I realized how much I had developed professionally. While I know I still have a lot way to go, I felt that UIS really gave me a chance to grow. It wasn't so much the actual work I did; it looks good on my resume but the tangible work completed was nothing compared to the professional mindset that UIS helped put me in.
Through sheer practice, not instruction, I learned how to write professional emails, be more confident in cold calls and approach professionals, how to speak up in the presence of higher ranked people despite being "new" or "lower ranked," and how to take charge of something. I learned how to work on a big team, to coordinate with an even bigger team, so that all the parts can come together to be a whole. I learned that communication is painfully crucial and poor communication can lead to negative feelings that may never go away. I learned the significance of leadership and saw firsthand how much it affects and reflects the organization.
These things don't show up in a resume.
As far as my work experience goes, I see my work with my student organization as one major portion of my professional development and most of the others get lumped into "other." The Undergraduate Investment Society at UCSD is a pre-professional student organization for finance and investment, tag-lined with the motto "empowering students with financial knowledge." Mostly we host workshops led by either our VPs of Research and Education or with professionals from the finance industry. The other big thing that UIS handles is the Annual Financial Horizons Conference in early March. Aside from these things, officers are encouraged to design their own projects for professional development of the club.
Sometimes officers get this misconception that our goal is the conference, which it's not at all, but it's true that the conference takes up a giant part of our year-long work. This seems to be the result of the fact that prepping for the conference begins so far in advance and is an on-going project. We tried to organize ourselves several different ways, including implementing an online project management software that no one ever checked, but in the end we just had to hope that everyone did what they had to do because no one else really knew what was going on in the group. As far as I could see, people knew what they were in charge of and knew what a couple of other people were working on, but no one (not even our executive officers) had a good overview picture of what everyone was doing.
I came up with several ways to make the work I did for the conference sound really fancy on a resume but let's be frank - I was in charge of decorations and ordering pens. I gussied this up to be something like "acquired and prepared all conference decoration materials" and "served as liaison to external resources to obtain conference materials such as..." but I suppose those are the professional ways of saying I able to communicate with professionals to get these jobs done. Something that I really tried to highlight in my resume was that all the conference work was really collaborative: small teams on individual projects, the overall officer team for all the planning, and the volunteer team.
The conference was big and I was proud to be a part of the team that put it together. It was a lot of work, and we had our ups and downs planning it but I thoroughly enjoyed working on it and it's really what got me interested in event planning. I have always loved being behind the scenes and doing it on something big scale impressed me. I never feel more accomplished than at the end of a big project or event, when all the fruits of my labor are laid out in front of me - mingling and enjoying themselves.
The details of it can be seen at http://uisconference08.wordpress.com/
Another big project that I worked on was the Winter Function, which was a half-day event of team-building, networking, and personal development. This was a project that I managed myself, although I had quite a bit of help with the design and implementation of it. Basically, it was a series of icebreakers with a personal development workshop about resumes and pitching the club. The day included breakfast, lunch, and a networking session. It was designed to get new and old officers more comfortable with each other so we could bring the good feelings of gained or renewed morale to our meetings. Although I got a lot of feedback from other officers, I really felt like I was the one in charge of this project and it was empowering to feel that professional.
After I started my work at the San Diego Sports Arena and beginning to seriously job hunt, I realized how much I had developed professionally. While I know I still have a lot way to go, I felt that UIS really gave me a chance to grow. It wasn't so much the actual work I did; it looks good on my resume but the tangible work completed was nothing compared to the professional mindset that UIS helped put me in.
Through sheer practice, not instruction, I learned how to write professional emails, be more confident in cold calls and approach professionals, how to speak up in the presence of higher ranked people despite being "new" or "lower ranked," and how to take charge of something. I learned how to work on a big team, to coordinate with an even bigger team, so that all the parts can come together to be a whole. I learned that communication is painfully crucial and poor communication can lead to negative feelings that may never go away. I learned the significance of leadership and saw firsthand how much it affects and reflects the organization.
These things don't show up in a resume.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Introductory Post
Hello all! Well, here is the standard introduction post so that you actually get to know a bit about the woman behind the blog.
My name is Shanna Choung, which is pronounced so that it rhymes with "Anna "or "Hannah" and so it rhymes with "gong." If that doesn't seem clear, leave me a comment and I can rewrite that or record a sample or something. Although, recording a pronunciation guide for my name seems a bit excessive...
Anyhow, I'm 22 years old and about to be a graduate of the University of California, San Diego, in Psychology. I loved my time at UCSD, despite not getting actively involved until my last year. My major has some interesting classes and professors, but I don't think it did much for me as far as helping me decide what to do with my life. What really kicked the career building into high gear was getting involved with a pre-professional student organization called the Undergraduate Investment Society (UIS). My next post will outline my work experience more throughly and probably read more like a resume than anything else.
Although I said I will talk more about my work later, I will say that I am still trying to decide on a career path. I am currently interested in marketing and looking for administrative-type work right now, but I hope one day to specialize in weddings and events planning. This blog will highlight wedding things of my interest from various wedding and events websites that I frequent. Through this, I hope to have all the knowledge background to jump right into a career in this field and get hands-on ASAP.
Some facts about me: I'm Chinese-American and an only child. I do have a bit of a sweet tooth but I have been trying really hard over the last few months to tend toward healthy and organic alternatives. (I took an Eating Disorders class and it completely changed the way I think about food.) I spend most of my free time online: communicating with friends through IM and Facebook, reading and looking at things about weddings, reading webcomics and other blogs, and (if time permits me) playing web-based games. I also have personal blogs that I have become rather bad about updating them over time... Since this blog has a completely different basis, I have faith that it won't fall into the same pattern. I was thinking of setting up a schedule for updating but I don't like to write for the sake of having something written so I'll just say I will update as frequently as I can when I find interesting things to post.
My name is Shanna Choung, which is pronounced so that it rhymes with "Anna "or "Hannah" and so it rhymes with "gong." If that doesn't seem clear, leave me a comment and I can rewrite that or record a sample or something. Although, recording a pronunciation guide for my name seems a bit excessive...
Anyhow, I'm 22 years old and about to be a graduate of the University of California, San Diego, in Psychology. I loved my time at UCSD, despite not getting actively involved until my last year. My major has some interesting classes and professors, but I don't think it did much for me as far as helping me decide what to do with my life. What really kicked the career building into high gear was getting involved with a pre-professional student organization called the Undergraduate Investment Society (UIS). My next post will outline my work experience more throughly and probably read more like a resume than anything else.
Although I said I will talk more about my work later, I will say that I am still trying to decide on a career path. I am currently interested in marketing and looking for administrative-type work right now, but I hope one day to specialize in weddings and events planning. This blog will highlight wedding things of my interest from various wedding and events websites that I frequent. Through this, I hope to have all the knowledge background to jump right into a career in this field and get hands-on ASAP.
Some facts about me: I'm Chinese-American and an only child. I do have a bit of a sweet tooth but I have been trying really hard over the last few months to tend toward healthy and organic alternatives. (I took an Eating Disorders class and it completely changed the way I think about food.) I spend most of my free time online: communicating with friends through IM and Facebook, reading and looking at things about weddings, reading webcomics and other blogs, and (if time permits me) playing web-based games. I also have personal blogs that I have become rather bad about updating them over time... Since this blog has a completely different basis, I have faith that it won't fall into the same pattern. I was thinking of setting up a schedule for updating but I don't like to write for the sake of having something written so I'll just say I will update as frequently as I can when I find interesting things to post.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
