If you’re not familiar with Water Works, you’ve clearly never driven 76 East or Kelly Drive.  Water Works is a landmark venue, nestled in between Center City and Boathouse Row, in the shadow of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, on the banks of the Schuylkill River.  (By the way, if you can type “Schuylkill” correctly, you’ve earned your Philadelphia merit badge.)  The setting couldn’t get much more picturesque, and they’ve got an indoor wall of water in addition to some lovely chandeliers in their intimate ballroom.  If you’re looking to plan a wedding or nonprofit event in Philadelphia and you want a breathtaking view, easy access to the entire city, and great customer service, definitely give Water Works a ring.  (And if you need someone to help plan that wedding or event, give me a ring too!)

I joked around in 2012 that I went 8 straight months without more than a couple days off, but I now realize that wasn’t really a joke!  I had the honor of coordinating some really fantastic weddings and events in 2012 and I’ll give you just a quick rundown…

I helped 7 couples down the aisle, including huge blowouts at the Franklin Institute and Peche, my second romp at the Philadelphia Horticulture Center, and even a backyard celebration COVERED in lanterns and candles.  One couple called me only 2 WEEKS before their wedding, and I was able to help them out of the weeds and take over all the logistics and details of their DIY wedding.

Myself, along with Canary Promotions and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, threw a party to celebrate the second year winners of the Knight Arts Challenge.  We took over the Great Stair Hall of the Philadelphia Art Museum and gave away $2.76 million… well, the Knight Foundation gave away $2.76 million.  I just made sure the stage was set and the hors d’oeuvres were hot.

I had a whirlwind year with the Association for Public Art.  Starting in April and going through October, I helped them throw an outdoor tango party at Logan Circle, inflated 7-foot balloons to float above some of the great public art up and down the Ben Franklin Parkway, and capped the year off with the incredible “Open Air” installation featuring world-renowned artist (and all around fun guy) Rafael Lozano-Hemmer.  If you were within 10 miles of Philadelphia and didn’t see the giant robotic searchlights of “Open Air,” I can only assume you were on vacation for a whole month.  Check out just some of the awesome press and photos here, here, and here.

2013 is already shaping up to be a great year full of weddings and non-profit events.  I lead a truly blessed life and look forward to planning, coordinating, organizing, and otherwise facilitating so many more wonderful events this year!

The lovely couple as photographed by the talented Lora Reehling

I am humbled and thankful to receive such nice compliments from such a nice couple! Anne and Mike were literally the sweetest people I’ve met in recent memory and helping them bring their wedding day to life was an honor. We had a beautiful day at the College of Physicians in Philadelphia. Thanks, newlyweds!

“If I had to give one piece of advice to brides-to-be, it would be this: Hire a wedding planner. No wait, let me clarify: Hire Natalie Diener as your wedding planner. We hired Natalie to assist us with the entire wedding planning process, from finding vendors to coordinating on the day of the event. Natalie came with us to vendor appointments, asked the right questions, negotiated for us, and made sure everyone was on the same page and ready for the big day. While these services were invaluable, it was at the rehearsal and on the wedding day itself that Natalie really shined. She took care of every detail, allowing me, my husband, and our guests to simply sit back and enjoy the day. You know you’ve hired a good wedding planner when every question you ask her ends with “I’ve already taken care of that.” Even our officiant said that she wants to permanently hire Natalie to take with her to each wedding from now on! Natalie and the 2 assistants she brought to the wedding were professional, attentive, extremely organized, and just a joy to have with us on our special day. Thank you, Natalie!”

(Posted to TheKnot.com on 5/9/2012)

Photo by Lindsay Browning

In 1924, the good citizens of Philadelphia lived without the internet, reality television, and 24 hour convenience stores, so what did they do with all their leisure time? Why, hold giant, public dance events, of course!

I had the pleasure of helping The Fairmount Park Art Association hold a celebration of spring weather and public art by re-imagining these public dances at the iconic Swann Memorial Fountain.  With live music by Oscuro Quintet, tango lessons by Urban Tango, and snacks from La Tienda and Goya, participants got a small taste of the good life.

This was a double shower (one shower, two mommies!) and it’s the second baby for both, so we kept things pretty casual and simple. The host made the adorable cake, the “paint your own onesies” activity was a hit, and we put those cute elephant graphics everywhere (designed by Stockberry Studio – Check them out on etsy!).

It was a beautiful day and the guests of honor left with two carfuls of diapers which, as I understand it, are pretty important when you have a baby. Congratulations to the mothers-to-be and thanks for letting me be a part of your baby shower!

Photo by Brae Howard

A big “Thank you!” to Stephanie and Brian who recently posted the following review on The Knot.

Hiring Natalie as our wedding planner was easily the best decision my husband and I made in preparing for our wedding. Natalie took the time to get to know us so that she was able to make tailored recommendations about elements like vendors and decor that suited us perfectly. In every step of the process, Natalie was an all-star. She consistently came to our meetings bursting with inspiration and ideas, and when it came time to execute the elaborate plans we made together, she absolutely hit it out of the park. I had heard from friends how hectic the weeks leading up to the wedding could be, but I had nothing to worry about, since Natalie expertly handled EVERY detail. And above all, Natalie is a great person to spend time with – really funny, easygoing, and makes you feel totally at ease during a potentially stressful time. Bottom line: Best. Wedding. Planner. EVER!!!!

It was an honor to be your wedding planner and you were the Most. Cheerful. Couple. EVER!!!  We had an AWESOME day at Le Meridien and I can’t wait to hang out with them again soon!

Check out my other reviews here.

In the meantime, I hope you’ll get to know me better and check out some of my past clients and some of the nice things they’ve had to say about me.

It was a blast meeting you today!

I was thrilled to be on the same team as a great group of wedding vendors. Adam and Katie and Le Meridien in Center City Philadelphia were a dream to work with (and if you haven’t seen that venue, do yourself a favor and put it on your list!) Hana and Posy provided beautiful ecofriendly flowers – a rainbow of bouquets and boutonnieres and wonderful loose flowers for the centerpieces. Tom and Jon from Hi-Society Productions turn everything they touch to cool, so they were the obvious pick for a great DJ company. And last but not least I will let Brae Howard’s beautiful photography speak for itself.

Photo by Matthew Tennison

This post is one in a series of retrospective articles of my own experiences on the other side of the table – as the bride.

Reality television has lead a nation of women to believe that finding their wedding gown will be the second most important decision of their life – second only to finding the spouse they’ll marry wearing said dress. The quest to find this Holy Garment Grail lead me straight into the belly of the beast itself (so to speak) – Kleinfeld’s in NYC.  (Please note: Kleinfeld’s is a lovely, top-notch retailer and any references to “beast,” end times, or other hyperbolic exaggeration are regarding the sensationalism of reality TV, not the actual store).  I wanted the full experience.  I wanted a day trip to the Big Apple with my mother, a big grapefruit for breakfast in anticipation of squeezing into the sample gowns, and – above all else – free reign to try on every gown during the Monique Lhullier trunk show.

The greatest injustice that reality TV has done to brides is convincing them to expect an out-of-body experience when they finally try on “the one.” With this “One Dress to Rule Them All” mentality, I half expected the halo of a warm glow to emanate from my body when I stepped into my wedding gown. Instead I tried on a dozen gowns, looking just as beautiful in the next one as I did in the last, and was pretty darn confused at the end of the day. In my head, I was riding on horseback in my dress – ethereal, all draping fabric and loose curly hair. But when I stepped into the dresses, I became something else.

And then, ladies and gents, the real magic happened. I saw myself reflected in my mother’s eyes. I saw myself trying on the first gown again – a true classic, A-line, ivory lace, strapless. My hair was up in a classic chignon, and I was a bride. Choirs of angels didn’t serenade me in the dressing room, but I had to make a decision. It wasn’t the picture I’d imagined in my head of the “perfect dress”, but then again my fiance was not what I imagined the “perfect man” to be either. I fell in love with my gown the same way I fell in love with my husband – slowly at first. It wasn’t love at first sight, but I’m glad to have and to hold both of them for the rest of my life.

The moral of the story?  Enjoy dress shopping, but don’t forget what the real prize is.