Q: When did you start Travel Bug and why?
I started TRAVEL BUG, LLC in January 2005. I had worked in the travel industry for approx 10 years (9 years at AAA) prior to opening and really wanted to branch out and offer a more personalized experience for my clients and a business that I could call my own.

Q: You have to have a love of travel, so I want to know your #1 favorite vacation destination?
WOW..I LOVE to travel and there are so many wonderful places…I would have to say that St. Lucia has been my favorite place. It is so beautiful and lush and very romantic. I did not want to come home from that trip.

Q: What are your favorite destinations for honeymoons and why?
The most popular destination that I book honeymooners to is St. Lucia. I also have booked a number of clients to Tahiti, Antigua, Jamaica, Italy and yes…there is usually at least 1 Disney honeymoon.

Q: With websites like Orbit, Tavelocity and Kayak, why should brides and grooms use a travel agent to plan their honeymoon or other vacations?
When people ask me the ‘internet” question….I always tell them that if you connect with a good travel agent, you will not only have a professional that knows the destination, you will have someone that you can count on to get you the best value for your money (not always the cheapest price) and to be there to assist you prior to and through the vacation.  Try calling one of the well known travel internet sites at 8AM on a Sunday when you have a problem or situation that you need assistance with and see who you get.   I also email the resort managers prior to my clients arrival to notify them of my VIP clients for possible upgrades or amenities and I always mail the clients a Welcome Home card and follow up a week later with a phone call.  I do not think that the internet companies offer those extra services…..personalized travel services.

Q: What are the top three things a bride and groom should ask a travel agent?
When I talk to my honeymoon couples I ask them if they have passports, as most places now require them.  Most brides will not change their last name on documents until after the honeymoon, so I almost always book the travel in her maiden name.  I recommend resorts that are “adult only” especially for the spring and summer honeymooners because the regular resorts will be full of children and though you may like kids…you may not want to see them while on your honeymoon. The third thing that I would ask would be what type of experience are they hoping to have…there are many great.

Q: If money and time were no object, where would you recommend that a bride and groom on their honeymoon?
If money (and time) were no object, I would recommend the Tahitian Islands…Bora Bora and Moorea

Q: Describe Travel Bug in 5 words
Professional…Personalized…Organized…Caring…Creative…

I couldn’t agree more…now to decide on a second honeymoon….hmmm…where to go this time and when should we go???

I could write a book with everything we did, tried, read and learned.  I could also list about 50 people that helped us throughout the journey.  But for brevity sake, I will leave those specifics for anyone who wants more information from me. I’m happy to share anything with you — if you have specific questions or if you would like to talk in more detail about our experiences, just let me know.

Since April is Autism awareness month, Allison Barnhill Designs will be donating $0.10 for every invitation made in the month of April to Autism Speaks.  We are also hoping that our clients, friends and fellow vendors will consider making a contribution to Autism Speaks, as well!

We’ve created a special donation page just for you!!  We’re making it easy….just click on this link!

http://events.autismspeaks.org/tributes/abdforautismawareness

Our goal is to raise $1000 by May 1st and I know that we can do it!  I’ll be sure to keep you updated over the next two weeks on our progress via Facebook. Thanks in advance!

Allison

So for this first meeting, I came armed with lots of pictures…in the form of my Pinterest boards…oh, how did anyone ever plan a wedding without Pinterest?!?!

I showed Sarah the types of flowers I liked — ranunculus, english garden roses and grey hued greenery.  I wanted a lush look but no high centerpieces or hanging florals.  We also discussed using a lot of different pink colors — darks, lights and even soft peaches — in the flowers.   I also told her what I didn’t want — mason jars, vintage cans or suitcases!   I also have been hesitant to put a “theme” to the renewal.  But, when I told Sarah we were incorporating books and stories into everything — we decided to call it “Storybook”!

We touched on ideas for a lot of other decor too…like, the amazing ombre aisle, perhaps a ribbon wall behind where the ceremony will take place, hanging books, strung lights, grey patterned linens and even ghost chairs!!  (For those of you who don’t know what a ghost chair is — I didn’t know — it’s the clear ones!)

I could keep rambling on and on about this meeting with Sarah.  It was fun, exciting, filled with laughs and lasted way longer than we thought it would!   Just a tip for brides, come armed with ideas, but also be open to what the “experts” offer up to you also.  I know that Sarah and Melissa are amazing at what they do, so I’ll share my ideas and know that I will be utterly speechless on the day of the renewal.  I’m really looking forward to that moment!!!!

At that meeting, we discussed a way to include our other child, Roxy (aka “the pug”) into our renewal ceremony. Roxy is adorable, but she also snorts, snarfs and barks when she is excited and I feel that having her at the renewal would be too much for this 9 year old girl. :) So, I’ve asked Liz and Ryan (aka Elizabeth Ryan Photography) to do a little photo shoot with the diva! You’ll have to wait and see how this gets incorporated into the ceremony, but needless to say, I know the photos will be adorable.

New vendor update! For the ceremony and cocktails, we will be having a string trio from Chesapeake Strings. While I was at the Chesapeake Bay Beach Club bridal show Chesapeake Strings was in the Tavern Ballroom playing. So, I got to listen to them for a few hours, playing everything from Pachelbel to the Beatles to Coldplay. Really, that’s a huge variety of music and it all sounded great!  So, check that off the list — deposit and contract in the mail!

Lastly, I’ve been having a wonderful time sharing ideas back and forth over Facebook and Pinterest with Sarah from Intrigue Design & Decor. So, I guess I’m also announcing that Intrigue will be designing the flowers for the renewal! Yay!! I’ve worked with Sarah and Melissa for years and we always collaborate so effortlessly. I’m happy to have them on board “the team”. Here are a few pictures that we’ve been passing back and forth:

I’m off to Disney World with the family next Wednesday, so there will be no blog post.  But, I’ll be back the following Wednesday with another interview with one of my vendors! Yay!   Have a great week!

Q: Being in the industry, I love weddings, but I always want to know why others love weddings too!  Why do you?
A: I love LOVE! I really feel like I have the best job in the world. I get to bear witness to so much love and one of the most special and memorable days in a person’s life. The love of the couple, the love from their friends and families, it is just too amazing to describe. I get to wake up every day excited about what I do and there is nothing more inspiring than that!

Q: What is unique about Divine Transformation Wedding Officiants?
A: Our philosophy, which you can read at: http://www.divinetransformation.com/why-choose-us/ Also,All of my officiants go through an extensive training to become officiants. They don’t just get ordained online and show up for a wedding. They invest a lot of time into honing their skills and becoming the very best at what they do. We all share the same philosophy… our job is not to make a couple adhere to our belief systems. Our job is to create a highly personalized ceremony that is a reflection of that particular couples beliefs, desires, and wishes. We have been in business for nearly a decade and have been providing 5 star award-winning wedding services since our founding.

Q: Do you like when clients personalize their ceremonies?  Do you have any good stories of something a client has done to make the ceremony their own?
A: We encourage every client to personalize their ceremony with something that is meaningful for them.  I have so many really cool things that couples have done.  To name a few:  a box of memories that each person in the family came and put a gift in, a love letter ceremony, a lemon tree ceremony, their own special dance down the aisle with the bridal party.  I could go on and on.

Q: Are there any ceremony trends that you are seeing more of now?  Is the sand ceremony still popular?  Unity candles?  Something new?
A: Everyone loves having friends do readings and that hasn’t changed.  People are still choosing the sand ceremony and unity candles because they are now considered ‘classic’.  A lot more people are choosing to write their own vows and do things that incorporate guests and wedding party.  There seems to be a movement away from just the couple participating in the ceremony.  Often times family and guests are now participating in really cool ways.

Q: Do you have a favorite moment during a wedding?
A: The look on the faces of the couple as their eyes meet for the first time at the start of the ceremony.

Q: When you aren’t standing at the altar, what do you like to do with your time?
A: Anything with a spiritual/self-development focus.  I teach yoga and am also an energy worker.  I have a deep personal spiritual practice so I enjoy reading, meditating, spending time with loved ones, and spending time in nature.  When it is not prime wedding season I am often off on silent meditation retreats.  It’s pretty funny because when you think about it I alternate between speaking all the time to not speaking at all.   I believe in doing what you love, and I love a lot of things… too many to name here :)

Q: I just did this to Elizabeth Ryan Photography and I and now I’m asking you too…describe your business in five words.
A: Fun, Creative, Dependable, Open-Minded, Professional

Studio Assistant
Allison Barnhill Designs is adding a new member to our creative team. The ideal candidate would be detail oriented, creatively inclined, love weddings and paper, and enjoy a fun and fast paced work environment.

Duties would include:
– Supporting the cutting, printing and assembly of invitations and other stationery
– Assisting with client management and scheduling
– Performing general office duties that may include filing, supply management, shipping
orders, answering phones, returning emails and greeting clients on arrival

We would love our new team member to:
– Be proficient in Microsoft Word and Excel
– Be able to multi-task
– Have a positive attitude and good organizational skills
– Be willing to learn new tasks
– Have a love of design or graphic design experience/education

Full time salary position
Required to work in our Annapolis studio during standard weekday business hours

Interested? Email your resume and/or any questions to info@allisonbarnhilldesigns.com.

                              Join the ABD Girls!!! 

Elizabeth Ryan Photography
Intrigue Design and Decor
Fiona’s Cakes
Relysh Catering
Travel Bug, LLC
MyDeejay
Up Do’s for I Do’s
Bayside Bride
Eventi Planning
JLowe Photos
About Smiles Denistry

In addition to the vendors, there are so many other wonderful people who have helped make this happen:
:: My amazing ABD girls…for hanging in there this week, making promo packs (their least favorite task) and ooh-ing and aah-ing over all of my DIY projects
:: My phenomenal husband Tom…for putting up with me, running last minute errands, helping with set up and missing the event so he can watch A&L
:: My adorable kids…for hanging out at the studio longer than they wanted and being my biggest cheerleaders!

What is the oddest task you’ve had to take on as a wedding coordinator?

As a wedding planner, I have seen it all. Well, maybe not everything but quite a bit! When I meet with couples for the first time, I’m often asked “What is it you do, exactly?”. My normal response, is “Everything!”. I, of course, do the typical tasks: setting up the escort cards, laying out the programs, lining up the bridal party for the ceremony/reception and keeping everything on schedule. Then, there are the unusual tasks that somehow end up in my lap. I have plunged a men’s bathroom toilet and even driven home a left behind grandmother! A good wedding planner will do whatever it takes to make sure their client’s wedding day goes smoothly.

Find out more about Eventi Planning on her website and when you stop by our event on Sunday, pick up a swag bag with some goodies from Eventi Planning too!

1.  Are you designing more traditional cakes or are brides opting to reflect their themes and colors?   Today’s bride is most certainly opting to reflect their theme and more importantly to them, their colors.  Colors like their flowers, bridesmaids dress, table décor, linens, even neckties and wedding invitations pulls everything together.  Often the bridesmaids bouquets sit around the cake when they arrive at the reception. 

2.  What is your most popular cake flavor?  The most popular cake flavor, for a wedding, is still vanilla cake with a raspberry type filling, since couples are considering what their guests might like and usually remain conservative vs. going with something like hazelnut or coconut which might not be everyone’s favorite. The big trend is offering guest choices of different cake and filling combinations.

3.  Do you have a favorite cake you’ve designed?  I really don’t have a favorite cake design since they are all beautiful in their own way.  A simple cake design can look just as beautiful as an elaborate one.

4.  Any trends that you are seeing right now in cakes?   The trend I see, in a big way, is moving away from having a fondant cake.  Couples are coming to realize that fondant very expensive, but it does not taste very good and most guests choose not to eat it.  A colorful ribbon look is very popular whether it’s around the base of each cake tier or crossing around the cake at different angles.  A simple elegant chic look is often chosen over a lacy or basket weave design.

Be sure to drop in and grab a yummy cupcake by Fiona’s Cakes on Sunday.  Just email us at info@allisonbarnhilldesigns.com, if you want to attend.