Wedding Planner_Summer 06.24.2022

JUNE 24, 2022

The Press Special Edition • Summer 2022

Photo by Hanna Jeanne Photography

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How to make your skin glow for the big day DAWNMARIE FEHR

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alking down the aisle involves different kinds of preparation, and brides

want to look their best for their big day.

Plans for making sure skin is clear, tight and bright can start as early as one year before the wedding day for some, but dermatologists will have treatments appropriate for closer to the ceremony, as well.

Bethany Collins, assistant manager at Balfour Dermatology in Brentwood, said her office offers a range of treatments so brides can customize their results.

“Starting early is ideal,” Collins said.

“Like months before, to get the best outcome.”

At Balfour Dermatology, brides-to-be can receive a combination of injections with Botox and fillers to help with fine lines and volume loss. They can also indulge in skin treatments that will speed up cell turnover, improving skin’s tone and texture.

“With our aesthetician, you can do a series of peels, skin infusion and micro dermabrasion,” Collins added. “Again, starting early on would be the best for pigmentation and texture overall.”

Brides who don’t have a year to plan

Photo courtesy of Metro Creative

The key to preparing your skin for the big day is to start early. out treatments can still come in for a customized facial with the aesthetician. Other shortterm options include microdermabrasion or acne treatments.

“If it’s right before the big day, something for that time frame could be a treatment with our aestheticians, like microdermabrasion or a facial, right before the big day,” Collins said. “Because we are a dermatologist office, the goal is for medical or clinical

correction, and that can take longer, in terms of cell turnover.”

Treatments abound at Balfour Dermatology and not just for the face.

The office also offers body contouring and skin tightening through services like Cool Sculpting Elite, Vanquish, and Exilis skin tightening.

“We can contour the body, reduce volume, permanently destroy fat and sculpt

the body,” Collins said.

Dermatology deals with hair as well as skin and nails, and the office’s hair restoration services include hair loss restoration and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections to stimulate hair growth.

“Those are the most popular aesthetic treatments,” said Collins. “We are a medical derm, so we treat eczema or rosacea, we can treat flare-ups if you want those controlled before the big day, we offer acne treatment and psoriasis. Anything like that, we can help calm down the flare-ups before the big day.”

Collins also said that more men are coming in for services than ever before, and the office has stayed open throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Staff can treat skin cancers, remove moles, and offer advice for medical grade skin care, which offers more correction and results than over-the-counter products, experts said.

“You will get more correction and results when you invest your money in physician-dispensed skin care,” said Collins, noting the office has a selection of products from which to choose. “You don’t need an appointment for skin care; you can come in and talk with us about what we have available.”

Balfour Dermatology is at 2221 Balfour Road, Suite A, in Brentwood. For more information, call 925-240-9116 or visit www. skinquestion.com.

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Former dietitian has sweet new job

C A I T LY N P R U I T T

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Brentwood woman has turned a lifelong hobby into

a new career. After working as a physician’s assistant and clinical dietitian, Cathy “Noni” Heymann decided it was time to retire, switch gears and embrace her creativity.

Thus, Noni’s Sweet Treats in Brentwood was born three years ago with her baking done in her home. Heymann began baking at 7 years old and it was a hobby she’s maintained her entire life.

Whether it’s for weddings, birthdays or holiday events, Heymann offers a full complement of options, including cakes, cinnamon rolls, cupcakes, breads, brownies and jams.

But it’s the products she customizes for every customer that make her the happiest, she said.

She loves getting her clients’ input on the designs and items she bakes because she knows she’s giving them something that is uniquely theirs. Her busiest time of year is wedding season and she says lately, the cupcake pull-away cakes have been all the rage.

She honed her baking skills by attending online courses as well as taking courses at the Culinary Academy of San Francisco with renowned chefs Julia Child and Jacques Pepin. She got to work studying basic techniques to baking pastries, sugar flowers and cake.

Noni’s Sweet Treats is located in Brentwood. Products can be ordered through Noni’s Sweet Treats’ website nonissweettreats. com. There, you can find the wide variety of baked goods she sells along with prices and other information.

You can also get in contact with Noni by phone (650) 346-6837 or email SweetTreatsBrentwood@ gmail.com.

To view a slideshow, visit www. thepress.net/multimedia/slideshows

Photos courtesy of Noni’s Sweet Treats

Noni’s Sweet Treats in Brentwood offers an array cakes and other baked goods for any occasion.

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Engagement photography – is it worth it?

MELISSA VAN RUITEN

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Couples that have chosen to include an engagement session are almost always more comfortable in front of the camera on their wedding day.

he short answer is YES. As an engagement and wedding photographer, that’s

probably what you’d expect me to say, right? I’ve photographed engagement sessions all over the Bay Area, but there is always one thing that stays with me – the couples that have chosen to include an engagement session are almost

Photo by Melissa van Ruiten

always more comfortable in front of the camera on their wedding day.

Here are a few reasons why engagement photos should be high on your wedding planning to-do list: ♦ It’s the best opportunity to slow down and be yourselves Wedding days are hectic. That’s not really a secret. Even days that seem like they’ve got a good schedule cushion built in can still end up feeling like a whirlwind.

An engagement session gives you the opportunity to take your time, explore, and relax. You are able to choose a location that is meaningful to your relationship — first date locale, favorite hiking spot, cute

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cafe, etc. You can plan outfits that fit your personality. While you’re at it, why not throw together a fun, lovey-dovey playlist?

Jamming to some favorite tunes can really put those awkward butterflies at ease.

Planning a wedding can leave you feeling frazzled, so an engagement session is a good time to really connect with your partner, and show off how in love you both are. ♦ You get to know your photographer (and vice versa) You want you to be as comfortable as possible when you’re in front of my camera.

If you’re not, it’s going to show. Nobody is born knowing how to act in front of a

camera. Your engagement session will allow you to see how your photographer works, and it allows them to figure out your quirks – and make them shine. There’s chatting and joking, and hopefully lots of laughter to put you at ease. By the time your wedding day rolls around, there should be a good camaraderie built, because you’ll be spending a lot of time together on the big day. ♦ You can use the images for all things wedding related Are you looking for the perfect Save-the-Dates, or a totally personalized wedding invitation? Maybe you’ve got a whole wedding website to help your

guests with all the details of your big day. Why not fully customize it with professional photos of you and your fiance? A former wedding client did this, and she couldn’t be happier.

“The photos helped make our invitations more personal and we have a set of gorgeous photos that capture the excitement we felt about getting married,” she said.

We live in the age of social media.

Rather than posting random, couple selfies with your wedding updates, you’ll have a complete, curated gallery of photos to use. Don’t get me wrong, candid shots definitely have their time and place. But for something like custom guest books, or gift table displays, you’ll want something that looks a bit more “finished.”

All in all, engagement photos are just plain fun. In the midst of wedding planning chaos, they are the perfect opportunity to step away and celebrate the amazing love that you and your partner share.

Editor’s note: Press staff writer Melissa van Ruiten was a wedding and engagement photographer before she joined the Press. She continues to photograph weddings and engagements part time. Part of this story is a lightly edited version of what appears on her website https://melissavanruiten.photo/

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One of the best ways to maximize wedding budgets and ensure that all that money is well spent is to enlist the services of a wedding planner. Wedding planners wear many hats, which underscores how valuable they can be.

The average cost of a wedding planner can range from $3,000 up to $12,000, according to Weddingwire.com.

Sounding board

An experienced wedding planner can help couples keep their worries at bay.

Countless decisions must be made when planning a wedding, and some couples may feel as if they need to micromanage their nuptials. A wedding planner can take

tasks off of couples’s plates and serve as a sounding board as couples try to make the best decisions.

Financial expert

A wedding planner may help couples score insider deals and will know when a vendor’s price is on target or inflated. That savvy saves couples money in the long run.

Wedding planners also can advise on ways to save money and allocate funds so a couple’s biggest priorities get the financial attention they deserve.

Problem solver

Wedding planners step in to save the day when hiccups threaten to derail plans. A planner will know what to do should a gown become torn or if a vendor fails to respond to calls on the day of the wedding. Removing some stressors allows couples to relax and more fully immerse themselves in their weddings.

Idea generator

Pulling together ideas from every corner requires a creative eye. Couples can rely on a professional wedding planner to help with brainstorming and putting different elements together. He or she likely has seen a vast array of celebrations and can make suggestions based on what’s worked before.

Time saver

Wedding planners already have a bevy of industry contacts and can pull together wedding details in much less turnaround time than couples with no wedding planning experience.

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The rise of the micro wedding

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offer micro wedding packages in an effort to capitalize on this emerging trend. Data from The Wedding Report indicated that the total number of weddings would rise to 2.77 million in 2021, an increase of roughly 650,000 over the yearly average. Even if only a fraction of couples who tie the knot in 2022 opt for a micro wedding, a preexisting micro wedding package can help wedding planners secure their business. Couples who choose micro weddings may do so to save money, but also to avoid the effort and save the time required to plan more lavish affairs. Such couples may be especially excited to work with wedding planners who can plan their weddings regardless of how small the affair may be.

What goes into a micro wedding?

Nothing should be off the table when planning a micro wedding. The fewer the people who will be there, the more freedom planners and couples may have. The WPI notes that micro weddings afford planners and couples the chance to get personal in ways that may not be possible when organizing larger affairs. Planners can focus on small details and allow couples to make their ceremonies and receptions as personal as they would like.

Couples who prefer micro weddings tend to emphasize minimalism, so keeping things simple is something to keep in mind when planning micro weddings.

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The 2020 Real Weddings Study (COVID19 Edition) found that 58 percent of couples who planned to get married in 2020 ended up reducing their guest list by a significant percentage, creating a ‘micro wedding.’ The average reduction was 41 percent, and some suspect small ceremonies may be the new normal in the years ahead.

Micro weddings Micro weddings are not necessarily a new trend, as couples have always had the option of getting married with only a small number of family and friends in attendance. However, micro weddings could be an emerging trend, and cost may have a lot to do with that. The Wedding Planner Institute (WPI) notes that micro weddings cost from $1,600 to $10,000, though the group notes that most micro weddings fall somewhere in the middle of that range. A 2020 survey from TD Ameritrade found that 47 percent of respondents said that cost of living was the biggest threat to their financial security and long-term investments.

Engaged couples confronting the well-documented post-pandemic increase in cost of living, including an unprecedented rise in housing costs, could see expensive weddings as luxuries they simply cannot afford. Micro weddings could be viewed as a cost-effective way to combat the rising cost of living that still allows couples to share their big day with their closest friends and family members.

The WPI has urged wedding planners to

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