I am a true Kentucky girl – I have lived here all of my life. I love it, the people and especially the beauty. One of my life goals is to experience other cultures and visit as many countries and cities as possible. My favorite place in the world is the BEACH! It is the one place I can always go to and actually relax. If only Kentucky had a beach….
About Me -
1. Where are you from/background? Where do I start… I was born in Pikeville, KY went to elementary school in Maytown, KY and then we moved to Mt. Sterling, KY for middle and high school. I have lived in Lexington, KY since 1997.
2. What is your favorite …. place to shop, food, drink, etc.. OK- I think I should tell you that I LOVE to shop!! I love the Black Market, Feather Your Nest, Marshall’s, Nordstrom, Rue La La and more…
Fav Food- Good Bread Pudding, Chicago Style Pizza, Fruit!!
Drink- Lately I have been on a Kool-Aid kick- Cherry of course. 
3. When did you start with Always Planned? Always Planned was founded in November of 2007.
5. What is your specialty at events/weddings? My specialty is the design and organization. I love coming up with new ideas and techniques. I also specialize in the customer experience- I want you to have a fabulous experience!
6. Favorite part of weddings? When my bride walks down the aisle. I swear I feel like all is right with the world! I also love the “reveal” when the couple has chosen to see each other before the ceremony and when she puts on her dress!!
7. Most memorable wedding? This is a hard one. I seriously LOVE every wedding. Other than my own wedding (of course!) – I would have to say my most memorable wedding is Lyndsay and Eric. I grew up with Lyndsay and loved being able to spend time with her planning her wedding – it felt like my sister was getting married!! (Love you Lyndsay!)
8. Best part of Team AP? How energetic and creative everyone is. We all get along so well and actually enjoy working together- it’s like we are one big happy family.
9. Where do you fit in to the future of AP? I have some pretty big dreams for Always Planned and am looking forward to achieving them!
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I always love the very first wedding of the season! Something about having the first wedding of the year under my belt gets me geared up and ready for the year.
Anne and Chris came to me a while ago. I have loved getting to know them and seeing how special their relationship is. Although Chris had little to do when it came to the design and details, it was obvious he just wanted to make Anne happy. I just adore when a groom gets it.
Anne is such a beautiful bride and it helped that all of her bridesmaids were just as beautiful. The pictures are gorgous, the venue was great and the weather was absolutely perfect!
I will have the photo gallery up soon. Until then here are a few pics for you. Taken by the fabulous Frank Becker/The Time Photography.
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WOW! I recently had the pleasure of visiting The Brown Hotel in Louisville, KY and all I can think of is WOW! OK – so you know I have much more to say than that.
Jeri Stewart, Catering Manager, called me a few weeks ago and we finally were able to get together for lunch and a site tour. What a treat she is! She is so fun and energetic- I am looking forward to working with her and hopefully soon. We had lunch at the J. Graham’s Cafe, home of the legendary KY Hot Brown! It was oh so YUMMY! We even treated ourselves to dessert and because I am on a bread pudding kick lately, I just had to try theirs. It passed my test with flying colors!!
After lunch I got the grand tour. The meeting and event rooms are nice and have an even better view of the city and river. The treat of the tour was the Crystal Ballroom!! This picture does not even do it justice. This room is breathtaking to say the least. Imagine your fabulous wedding, social event or corporate awards ceremony in this amazing ballroom! I could go on and on…
Next are the guestrooms and suites. While this hotel has some amazing history – it has been kept up very nicely. The guestrooms are spacious and full of luxury amenities, the suites are even more impressive!
I can totally see my and my honey spending a night or two at this stunning hotel enjoying the amazing service, yummy food and the atmosphere of elegance. Impressed!!
I just have to add The Brown Hotel to my Love-it file!! You simply must check it out for yourself.
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First the drugs were getting out of control at the borders – now it’s the swine flu. Seriously, what next??
If you are like me, you may have already made vacation plans to Mexico or you have planned your destination wedding to the beautiful country of Mexico. I honestly have no idea what to tell you. Andrew and I have not yet canceled our trip, not saying we won’t. I really don’t want to cancel, so we shall wait and see.
But- if you were planning on getting married in Mexico in the next few weeks or even months you may want to reconsider your plans. There are several places you can travel to if your heart is set on a destination wedding. Bahamas, Belize, Costa Rica and Jamaica are just a few places that come to mind. You can always stay in the states and go to South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee and of course Florida. There are so many options it is easy to get overwhelmed.
If you feel the tension creeping up- just give us a call. I adore destination weddings!!
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Shh… don’t tell. But I just can’t wait any longer!! I have to share just a few photos, taken by Always Planned! More to come!
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What are we over this week??
Bridezillas - I have honestly never had a bridezilla. Thank God! What makes you think that just because you are getting married you can treat people poorly and disrespect them. Always remember who you are and where you come from.
Staged Photography - I know your grandmother really wants that traditional photo and that’s fine. What I am talking about is when all of your photography is posed, staged and set-up. Come on, seriously. As you can tell we are all about personality! Your photographer should also have some sense of personality.
Standard Hotel Centerpieces - Almost every hotel offers a standard centerpiece. Yes ladies- it’s included in the price. Wonder why?? I have no idea- maybe a marketing tool?? Whatever the reason- there is almost no need to use the single candle on a mirror covered in a hurricane glass. Sorry… but it’s true.
We are definitely Over-it! What are you Over?
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I met Sarah through a mutual friend last year. She is a dear friend and has a fun personality while getting straight to the point. As you can see from her answers she she is witty and charming. A great addition to Team AP!
1. Where are you from/background? Monticello, KY
2. What is your favorite …. place to shop, food, drink, etc.. Talbots & Macys, My Grandmother’s make the best food ever! I am obsessed with Sweet Tea, but you aren’t allowed to put lemon in it!
3. When did you start with Always Planned? June 2008 – Wow, almost a year!
4. How did you meet Rayna? Through a mutual friend
5. What is your specialty at events/weddings? I do a lot of the random stuff: taking the dogs home, finding the Maid of Honor & Best Man for the toast…
6. Favorite part of weddings? When people make their toasts to the Bride & Groom
7. Most memorable wedding? Definitely Megan & Daves! It was absolutely stunning and Mallory, Leigh & I had a blast. It is so much fun looking back on that wedding!
8. Best part of Team AP? The detailed meetings are hysterical!
9. Where do you fit in in the Future of AP? Right in the middle of it! 
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When you work with Always Planned you work with some of the most talented and amazing people around. You will be impressed with their style, class and professionalism with each interaction. Because you may not meet in person with some of our staff until your event I thought it may be nice to meet the people behind Team AP.
Formal Introduction:
- Rayna Ortwein – Lead Designer/Consultant and Founder of Always Planned.
- Andrew Ortwein -Web Designer, Support Staff
- Leigh Wallen – Event Planner – specializing in Corporate Events
- Mallory Caswell – Event Planner – Louisville Market
- Amber Boozer – Assistant Event Planner
- Sarah Burton – Assistant Event Planner
- Marisa Winkler – Support Staff
- Molly Mornar – Intern
Over the course of the next few weeks we will feature a blog series “Meet Our Team – Team AP”. I hope you enjoy getting to know us!
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You must look deep inside your heart and ask what you really want. If your immediate answer is “dessert,” you probably missed your heart and went directly to your stomach.
Kermit The Frog
All quotes taken directly from Before You Leap – A Frog’s-Eye View of Life’s Greatest Lessons and Miss Piggy’s Guide to Life.
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