blue water woman--spring 2012--final

Woman
blue water
people places passions professions
spring 2012
Best Friends
forever:
stephanie ward & tracie steptoe
free
check out the
blue water woman
BRIDAL GUIDE
inside!

spring 2012 BlueWaterWoman.com 1

patti samar, 16, left ,
and barb anderson, 16,
backstage at
a high school play.
from the editor
When I was in eleventh grade, a boy reached over and held my hand while I was sitting
in a movie theater. As I sat there pondering this, I knew I needed to communicate
with my best friend – and she was sitting on the other side of the boy. When I glanced
in her direction, I saw, much to my surprise, that she was, well, holding his other hand.
The fact that years later, Barb Anderson and I giggled and laughed about that moment
and the silly boy tells you everything you need to know about women and their
girlfriends: they stick together.
This issue of Blue Water Woman is dedicated to women and their best friends, and,
it is also a bridal guide, which is a rather ironic coincidence. When we get married, do
we change our alliances with our girlfriends and replace them with our husbands? Nah.
We’re too smart for that. And smart women know that while our relationships with our
husbands might help create a path for our lives, it is our girlfriends who meet us along
the way, providing guidance, support and fun.
In this issue, you will find stories about women of all ages who have known one
another for long and short periods of time whose relationships with one another have
enriched their lives.
And, you will read about Jeanine Bauman, my own best friend of the past 15-plus
years. When I met Jeanine, I was lost and feeling very much friendless. Jeanine came
into my life at a time when I finally felt ready to be a friend again, after suffering both a
divorce and the loss of my high school and college best friend, Barb.
Barb was the gal I knew I would ask to be maid of honor in my wedding, and the
woman I would name godmother to my children.
But then, she died.
On a snowy December night in 1985, when we were just 22 years old, Barb and her
parents perished in a horrific car accident. To say I was devastated was an understatement.
My entire life flipped upside down. I went into an emotional hibernation. It
took me years to fully recognize how deeply this loss had affected me.
And so, through my late 20s and early 30s, I struggled with friendships with women.
I wanted desperately to replace the void that only a “best friend” can fill, but I was also
afraid of opening myself up to additional pain.
And then along came Jeanine. The timing was right. I was truly feeling healed. And her
quick wit and bright outlook on life reminded me of Barb. She is not a replacement; she
simply became my new partner in crime. And, the same can be said about many of the
women I call friends, all of whom play an important role in this rich pageant I call my life.
And, the fact that, all these years later, I am writing about Barb tells me about the tremendously
positive impact she made on my life. She set a friendship standard for me and
I dedicate this issue to her memory. Every day she inspires me to try and be a better friend.
She, and Jeanine, both make me want to be a better person. And isn’t that what friendship
is all about?
Peace & Friendship,
Patti Samar
Editor & Publisher
Blue Water Woman
content
people
Stephanie Ward & Tracie Steptoe 6
Jeanine Bauman 10
professions
Janice Rose & Donna Kalmeta 8
passions
Stitching Gals 4
places
Bridal Guide 15
Chelsey Fruin
Sara Rivard
Mary Loznak
volume 2, number 1
spring 2012
Blue Water Woman is published quarterly by The Write Company,
3155 Armour Street, Port Huron, MI 48060. Circulation 7,500.
Editor & Publisher: Patti Samar, owner, The Write Company
Advertising: Patti Samar at 810-987-1256 or pjsamar@aol.com
Subscriptions: To receive Blue Water Woman at home, mail $25 to:
Blue Water Woman, 3155 Armour Street, Port Huron, MI 48060
News releases can be emailed to pjsamar@aol.com
Questions or comments?
Call Blue Water Woman at 810-987-1256
Mission: Blue Water Woman is the premiere publication
for women living, working and playing
in the Blue Water Area of Michigan.
Its stories and features are written and designed
to be inspirational, motivational and encouraging.
© Blue Water Woman is the property
of Patti Samar of The Write Company.
2 spring 2012 BlueWaterWoman.com

spring 2012 BlueWaterWoman.com 3

passions stitching gals, st. clair
stitching gals: back row from left: Marlene Rose, Joanne Seibel, Coreen
Isworski, Rose Ellis. front row from left: Vicki Kling, Dianne Neiman, Janelle
Cavis, Lynne Hollweg, Deb Maxwell
Gathering a gaggle
by Patti Samar
Not sure how many women are in a gaggle, but it sure seemed to
be a gathering of a gaggle.
Nine women, ranging in age from 51 to 61, had gathered together
in someone’s living room, their laps full of craft projects, the
air filled with laughter and warmth. No less than three conversations
were going on at the same time. And, just when you thought
someone was fully engaged in one conversation, she would toss a
comment over her shoulder to one of the other conversations taking
place across the room.
No doubt, the evening was full of fun. However, there was also a
quiet undercurrent of support for one particular woman, who had
quietly talked to several of the women as they arrived, with tears in
her eyes, about a phone conversation she had just before coming to
meet her friends for the evening.
Those who heard her story gave her a quick comment of support.
Some of the late-comers didn’t hear her story. As the evening
progressed, she was particularly quiet. According to her friends, she
just didn’t seem like her “usual” self.
“Why are you so quiet, Rosella?” one of the late-comers asked.
Before Rosella could answer, one of her girlfriends quickly spoke
up to help her friend avoid more tears. “Her son called tonight. He
leaves for Afghanistan tomorrow.”
A hush fell across the room for a moment, quickly followed by a
flurry of supportive comments.
This, indeed, was women’s friendship at its best.
Meet the Stitching Gals.
According to Deborah Maxwell, 51, of Kimball, the Stitching
Gals first began getting together when some of them met through
a community education class in St. Clair almost 25 years ago that
taught cross stitching. By the time the class ended, the women
had bonded so they decided to continue meeting to work on their
stitching projects once a week. They rotate homes throughout the
year.
Even more impressive? The group hasn’t missed a week in all of
that time, though individual members do not attend every week.
“Church groups don’t last this long,” said Maxwell with a laugh.
How has the group been able to maintain such momentum over
the years? The answer is easy, said member Vicki Kling. “It’s important.
If you miss a week, you begin to feel disconnected.”
On the evening a reporter visited with them, a text came from a
member who was on vacation in Florida. “She says hello to everyone!”
Over the years, the women have been through many personal
victories and some sad moments with one another. Their children
– now mostly grown – were all in high school at approximately the
same time and that even helped with their child raising, particularly
in a smaller community like St. Clair, where many went to school.
“Instead of just our two eyes on our kids, we felt like we had 20
sets of eyes on our kids” when including their husbands, said Kling.
Interestingly, over the years, the group has only experienced
one divorce. The others are all long-time married women whose
husbands have been very supportive of their desire and need to
maintain their strong female friendships.
“Our husbands tease and refer to us as the hens,” said Maxwell.
“But they are interested. When we get home, they will all ask,
‘What’s new with the hens?’” said Kling.
On this particular evening, the conversations ranged from
discussion of mother-of-the-bride dresses (one gal asked her friend
incredulously, “How could you buy a dress without consulting
with us?”), to admiring one another’s clothing, to oohing and awing
over the scrumptious dessert prepared by the hostess. And then
there was the quiet support given to Rosella, worried about her son.
And Rosella, who relaxed and literally seemed to melt into the
couch as she distracted herself by listening to the laughter of her
girlfriends, quietly acknowledged the importance of these women
to her: “It’s a support group.”
4 spring 2012 BlueWaterWoman.com

spring 2012 BlueWaterWoman.com 5

S
people
stephanie ward, fort gratiot, & tracie steptoe, port huron
6 spring 2012 BlueWaterWoman.com

Best Friends
forever
by Patti Samar
Stephanie Ward, 31, of Fort Gratiot and Tracie Steptoe, 31,
of Port Huron, have known each other so long, they don’t even
remember when they met.
They knew each other in elementary school, but their memories
are fuzzy regarding any first encounter. But both can immediately
pinpoint the moment when they became best friends in seventh
grade.
Those early days were filled with sleepovers at one another’s
homes where Tracie marveled at farm chores Stephanie completed
each day, and Stephanie was entranced with Tracie’s bedroom
television. Though their home lives were distinctively different,
a shared perspective on life, and a comfortable easiness with one
another that is filled with laughter – lots and lots of laughter – built
a strong bond between the two.
Almost 20 years later, the two very different young women – who
can and do finish one another’s sentences like an old married
couple – cannot imagine what their lives would have been like had
they not found one another.
of her four younger sisters, all of whom are in high school and college.
“I’ve got so much to deal with all the time at home,” she said.
She noted that having Steptoe organize the “fun” time in her life is
a luxury she isn’t otherwise afforded.
“She knows I’m much like a kindergartener in that I will wander
around a store or wherever we are, taking my own time, and she
will budget that extra time for me into our itinerary. She doesn’t
mind,” said Ward.
Steptoe immediately added: “She has so many other things to
worry about all of the time; I can do that for her.”
The Wedding Planner
There was no question the two would stand in one another’s
weddings. Both got married in 2007 when Stephanie married Nick
Ward of Fort Gratiot, and Tracie married Dan Steptoe of Port
Huron.
Steptoe’s organizational skills are so superb, said Ward, “I didn’t
“We’re just so comfortable ‘being.’ We don’t expect anything from each other.”
Opposites Attract
Ward is diminutive, shy and soft-spoken. An aesthetician who is
employed by Spa 223 in downtown Port Huron, Ward has a quiet
confidence about her, especially when talking about her work. She
is passionate about taking care of her clients and helping them with
their skin care needs. She is a believer in taking a holistic approach
to health and life. She is not disorganized, but life can head in
many directions at one time for her.
Steptoe is opposite in some ways, very much like Ward in others.
A teacher at Roosevelt Elementary School in Port Huron, she loves
children and teaching. She is outspoken and never hesitates to
express her opinion. She is clearly confident in herself, she is highly
organized, very pragmatic and extremely practical.
“She’s always brutally honest with me when I dress myself,” said
Ward with a laugh, whose personal style is distinctive and hippiechick-chic.
“I’m the controller and the organizer,” said Steptoe with a laugh.
For example, the two have taken numerous vacations together. “I’ll
plan the trip. I tell her where to go and what to do. I’ll give her an
itinerary.”
This is all fine with Ward, who, following the death of her
mother a few years ago, has taken on a more active role in the lives
have any responsibilities at Tracie’s wedding,” she said with a
laugh, noting Steptoe’s wedding took place on Mackinac Island.
“I remember getting in the car to head up there and she had her
folder with her little tabs all organized.”
Steptoe laughed. “I have a little bit of a control issue and I’m
working on it.”
Mutual Love and Respect
But regardless of these innate differences, the two share an obvious
mutual respect and love for one another.
“What I love most about Stephanie is her generosity,” said
Steptoe. “She would do anything for anyone else. She always puts
everyone ahead of herself…both good and bad…and she’s always
there when I need her, all of the time.”
Ward is quick to point out the levity that Steptoe brings to her
life. “She’s the person who makes me laugh more than anyone
else,” she said. “I just enjoy everything about our friendship.”
“What makes us work so well,” said Steptoe, “is there are no expectations.
We’re just so comfortable just ‘being’. We don’t expect
anything from each other. When we’re old and gray, we’ll be fine
with just sitting on a porch together watching the lake.”
“We’re perfectly content with each other,” said Ward.
spring 2012 BlueWaterWoman.com 7

professions
janice rose, port huron
& donna kalmeta, port huron
Shattering
the glass ceiling
by Patti Samar
8 spring 2012 BlueWaterWoman.com
TThey’ve broken the glass ceiling. Times two.
Janice Rose, CCE, 58, president and CEO of E & A Credit
Union of Port Huron, and Donna Kalmeta, 47, chair of the E &
A Board of Directors, have developed a close professional – and
personal – bond while working together at E & A.
Rose, who has worked within the credit union industry for more
than 40 years, has served as president and CEO at E & A for more
than 10 years and, prior to Kalmeta’s appointment as board chair,
had always worked with a male chair.
“We share a little more personal relationship than I did with the
men who were chair,” said Rose of her relationship with Kalmeta.
“Donna and I get down to business, but we bring more personal
information to the conversation. It’s more relaxed.”
The women have developed a friendship that has given them both
personal joy and professional benefit to E & A as they have worked
together to create a work culture that benefits both employees and
credit union members.
Rose noted that years ago in the financial services industry,
women had to work harder to prove themselves. Kalmeta, who is
an owner of Prime Office Innovations based in Shelby Township,
noted that even in her business, there have been times when someone
assumed she was a “lesser” partner because she was a woman.
At E & A, the two are clearly in charge.
Rose is proud of the fact that during her tenure as CEO, the
credit union has won accolades for its policies that accommodate
employees. She has worked hard to build a work environment that
fosters and values its employees. And happy employees, in turn,
provide credit union members with good service.
“We’ve gotten so many awards based on employee feedback,”
said Rose. She noted that in 2011, E & A was named one of the
50 Most Engaged Employers and was named a 2011 Free Press
Employer of the Year.
“Work wasn’t as accommodating to me when I was starting out
and now, we work really hard to accommodate our employees and
balance their work lives and their home lives.”
The two noted that one of the reasons they have been able to
achieve that is because women put more emphasis on relationship
building.
The fact that the two of them have become friends has definitely
had a positive impact on their working relationship, as well.
“I enjoy her company,” said Kalmeta, “and I don’t have a background
in financial institutions, so our relationship not only helps
me in the board room, but in my business, as well.”
Rose noted that Kalmeta’s private industry background is beneficial
to E & A, too.
“It’s great to have Donna’s perspective as a business owner so we
can serve the business community better,” she said.
Rose noted that she feels very fortunate to be able to work so
closely with Kalmeta and to have the opportunity to help others as a
result of the two of them working together.
“The credit union philosophy is all about people helping people,”
she said. “To be in a position to make that difference in people’s
lives and help them achieve financial dreams by providing my staff
with a good place to work and affecting their family and their lives
has always been rewarding.”

community.
connection.
Woman’s Life:
A
connecting women.
group of women in North Street recently held a Mom-to-Mom sale.
Another group of women in Port Huron regularly raises money to help
Athe developmentally disabled, while yet another group of women in Yale
Arecently raised money to help a woman with cancer.
Who are these women and why are they getting together to have fun
Aand help others? All of these activities were organized by local chapters
Aof Woman’s Life Insurance Society, an organization founded by women,
for women, that connects women so they can have fun together; they
can help others together; they can stay healthy together; and they can
take care of their personal financial security.
Double Your Impact
Woman’s Life is all about the connections women make with one
another and with their communities. The beauty of women connecting
through Woman’s Life is that membership can enhance their efforts by
providing matching funds and grants that in many cases may double
their financial impact on the important community causes they wish to
support. For example, a Woman’s Life chapter might request a grant to
support the construction of playground equipment at a neighborhood
elementary school. Or, they might wish to support a homeless shelter by
doing a fundraiser in which case the money they raise may be matched
dollar for dollar by Woman’s Life. That can mean significant dollars to
the organization they care about.
“Women want to belong and believe that what they do is significant,”
said Janice Whipple, National President of Woman’s Life. Woman’s
Life connects women with other women who care. And, Woman’s Life
gives women an opportunity to make a difference together, to make a
significant impact on causes important to them.
cause.
Coming Together for Connection. Community. Cause.
Chances are, no matter how busy you are, you try to spend at least
some quality time with your girlfriends. Woman’s Life helps women
take girlfriend-time to a new and exciting level. Woman’s Life can help
women who are friends – who are already getting together -- help others
and make an impact on the community. It is girls’ night out, but with a
higher purpose. What could possibly feel better than that?
Interested in Starting a Woman’s Life Chapter
with Your Friends?
Start with 10 of your best friends. Identify a cause important to you
and then call us. We can get your group of friends chartered together in
a new local chapter of Woman’s Life.
How Do You Become a Member?
Annual dues of $50 are required for members who do not hold life or
annuity protection. As a member you will have access to all of the programs
and services of Woman’s Life, empowering you and your friends
to improve lives.
We invite you to become actively involved. For more information and
to receive a kit about the benefits of membership that you can share with
your girlfriends, contact the Woman’s Life Marketing Department at
800-521-9292.
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spring 2012 BlueWaterWoman.com 9

people
jeanine bauman, port huron
jeanine bauman, left,
& bff patti samar
Polar opposites
by Patti Samar
There are many, many reasons Jeanine Bauman, 41, of Port Huron,
should not be my best friend.
On many days, I cannot think of two women who are more different
than Jeanine and I. I am Laverne (loud and brash) to her Shirley
(demure and innocent). I am Ethel (always the straight man) to her
Lucy (she is one of the funniest women I know). I want desperately to
be Mary to her Rhoda, but truth be told, she is good, sweet and kind
Mary. I am, well, Rhoda.
She is not married to her boyfriend, but they have been one of the
most solidly-together couples I know for going on 20 years. In the same
time frame, I have been married, divorced and through an assortment
of boyfriends. My longest running relationship with anyone male was
with my cat, at 18 years. And he died.
Jeanine was born and raised in the Blue Water Area and likes and
needs the security of home, hearth, her family and her job all near and
dear to her, as they have always been. My entire family now lives 1,500
miles away from me, my longtime boyfriend lives 500 miles away from
me and in 10 years, he’ll be tied with the cat as my longest-running
relationship with a male. Where Jeanine craves security and stability, I
am footloose and fancy-free.
I could go on, but I think you get the picture: we are vastly different
women.
I’m not quite sure what she sees in me, nor what, exactly, I bring to
her life as a friend, but I know exactly what she brings to me and the list
is long.
10 spring 2012 BlueWaterWoman.com
First and foremost, she is a far better person than I am. In all of the
years we’ve been friends, I have never – and I mean never – heard her
say an unkind word about someone else. That’s not to say that she never
vents about the people she loves and even those she doesn’t care much
for, but she is never, ever unkind. She always gives others the benefit of
the doubt. I can’t do that. It is a quality in her that I get up every single
day and try to emulate…and almost every single day I fail miserably.
But she inspires me and I admire her and love her for it.
She makes me want to be a better person.
Jeanine and I are not the stereotype of BFFs. We don’t take weekend getaways
together. We don’t head to the mall for a day of retail therapy. But,
together, we have more fun running around the aisles of WalMart than
any two people should ever have. She just “gets” me and my goofiness.
I once returned from vacation to find new scarves hanging from curtain
rods in my bedroom windows because I had lamented I couldn’t
hang them as beautifully as she can. After she bought her first home,
she returned home from an evening out to find the entire exterior twinkling
and awash in Christmas lights because I knew she didn’t have time
and I did. That is just the kind of thing we do for one another.
She is one of my biggest personal cheerleaders and I can count on her
for anything. I hope, with all of my heart, that she feels the same way
about me because I can’t imagine there being a time when I wouldn’t
drop everything and do anything for her.
She is, without a doubt, one of the great loves of my life and I’m so glad
she chose me to be her best friend, out of all of the best friends she could have
chosen. I am honored and privileged to call her my best friend.

spring 2012 BlueWaterWoman.com 11

12 spring 2012 BlueWaterWoman.com

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spring 2012 BlueWaterWoman.com 13

14 spring 2012 BlueWaterWoman.com

sara rivard, port huron
hat little girl doesn’t dream
of dancing in a big white
wedding dress and riding off with
Prince Charming someday?
The months of planning that walk down the aisle can
feel like an eternity to a bride, but a gal’s wedding day just
flies by, according to a number of Blue Water Area brides.
These local women have been kind enough to offer their
advice and insight to future brides. To learn more about the
dos and don’ts of planning your wedding, turn the page and
read on!
spring 2012 BlueWaterWoman.com 15

chelsey fruin, marysville
W orry not
Chelsey Fruin, 24, of Marysville
Married Luke Langmesser, 24,
on October 22, 2011
What she worried about:
“I worried about every little detail. I wanted a small wedding
and my husband wanted something bigger. I’m detail oriented
and I would let stress get to me very easily. We had an adult only
reception and we had people mad about that. I tend to worry
about what people think, which is not good.
“I worried about people not knowing people, or what if they
didn’t have people to talk to. I worried about, ‘Am I doing
enough for our wedding party? Am I getting them nice enough
gifts?”
What brought her back to reality:
“I was trying to focus on: it’s just one day and we’re getting
married and that’s what’s important…being married and what
happens after the wedding.”
16 spring 2012 BlueWaterWoman.com
by Patti Samar
After it was over and done, she realized:
“It came and went so fast and the little details didn’t really
matter. For example, I had made the seating chart all up and
people would come up to me at the reception and tell me they
were changing the seats. They were moving chairs from one table
to another and they would change the seats. I was just like, ‘You
know what? I can’t worry about it.’ Things just kind of happen
and you just have to make the most of it.”
What she recommends other brides do:
“It goes really fast, so do a couple of big things that you know
you want to do and when the day really comes just enjoy it. It
just flies by. Do the things that mean something to you as a
couple, because it is ultimately about the two of you getting
married.”

in sickness
& in health.
and everyday
in between.
new love. new life. new life insurance policy.
Getting married means vowing to take care of one another
through good times and bad. In sickness and in health.
Protecting your financial security with life insurance is one
of the best ways to express your love. Call the Woman’s
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Woman’s Life Insurance Society® A Fraternal Benefit Society
1338 Military Street Port Huron Michigan 48060
800.521.9292 810.985.5191 www.womanslife.org
spring 2012 BlueWaterWoman.com 17

Under Control
by Patti Samar
Sara (Campbell) Rivard, 26, of Port Huron
Married Frank Rivard, 30,
on September 18, 2010
sara rivard, port huron
18 spring 2012 BlueWaterWoman.com
What she remembers of her wedding day: “I was kind of
surprised by how everything came together that day. I spent so
much attention to detail and that day I don’t remember looking
at anything I did or planned for.”
What she worried about: “Looking back, I would tell myself,
‘Don’t worry about stuff I can’t control.’ For example, I was
really set on getting married outside and it rained that day. We
planned the wedding outside and we ended up having to get
married in our hall. We had a back-up plan, so it worked out.”
What she is glad she spent money on: “A videographer. I have
that to watch because the day
goes by so fast. I’m happy I spent
“Don’t wear
five inch
heels! My
feet were
throbbing
for days…
but they
were cute!
more on my venue and pictures
and video and less on the other
things.”
What does she wish she hadn’t
spent as much money on: “I
probably wouldn’t have spent so
much on invitations. I spent more
money on some things I planned
at the beginning. I would do some
of that differently now. You find
out, as you go, that the costs really
do add up.”
What she wore, what she didn’t,
and what she wishes she hadn’t:
“Don’t wear five inch heels! My
feet were throbbing for days…but
they were cute! I bought two wedding
dresses because one was supposed
to be for the reception. Then, that day I thought, ‘I can’t
justify wearing a dress for an hour.’ I decided I would wear the
second dress when we renewed our vows. I’ll wear it one day.”
Who planned her wedding: “I planned most of my wedding.
Frank was out of state working and most of my bridal party
lived out of state. Frank cared about the DJ and having his
favorite fancy beer at the bar. He was pretty easy going. I was
stressed out. We got married at Fore Lakes and they were awesome
out there.
“There’s so much hype about having your friends doing
everything for your wedding, like they should plan your shower
and be there for you through everything. I didn’t mind doing
everything myself. Everyone has lives outside of your wedding.
It’s important to remember that and not ask too much of your
bridal party.”

spring 2012 BlueWaterWoman.com 19

mary loznak, st. clair
inding Focus
by Patti Samar
Mary (Kuffa) Loznak, 25, of St. Clair
Married Mark Loznak
on June 18, 2011
Her best advice: “Make the bridal party small or manageable. I
made the mistake of asking more than 20 people to be in my bridal
party. I had to make sure all of these people had coordinating attire; I
had to buy bridal gifts for them all; and I had to make sure they were all
in the same place, at the same time, for the rehearsal, rehearsal dinner,
the ceremony and pictures afterwards. This caused way too much chaos
and ended up being very expensive for me, and for them! If I went back,
I would have chosen my siblings and one or two close friends for each
side.”
Her second best advice: “My next advice would be to find one
thing that is really important to you, such as flowers, the photographer,
food, location, or your dress and splurge on that one item. My splurge
was the flowers and centerpieces. I had to try not to get caught up in
everything, and stay focused on that one thing that really was going to
make my day special. If not, I would have spent A LOT more money
on things such as my dress, transportation, photography, and wedding
favors.”
Her third piece of advice: “Barter with vendors! A vendor’s main
20 spring 2012 BlueWaterWoman.com
concern is booking as many events as possible. One of the fun things
I did was have a photobooth during the reception. This allowed my
guests to loosen up and do something fun and have a nice memento
from the night. I looked up several photobooth vendors, and there was
one in particular that I really wanted to book. He did a friend’s birthday
party, and I loved the service I received. I asked him to meet me at a
realistic price or I’d have to take my business elsewhere. Sure enough, he
met me at my price, and even threw in some extras. My motto during
the wedding planning process was ‘Ask, and you shall receive.’ People
know you’re going to spend the money, and they want it to be with
them!”
Fatherly Wisdom: “The most important and useful advice I got was
from my father. He told me to go around to each table and thank them
for coming. There were people I hadn’t seen in years! I can sit back today
and go table by table and remember every guest who was at my wedding.
This also prevented people from pulling us aside all night to say ‘hello’
or ask how things were going. It also was great to hear that everyone was
having a good time at something that we spent over a year planning! I
can’t count how many weddings I went to where the bride and groom
didn’t even acknowledge my existence until I was leaving and I had to
hunt them down to say goodbye. I promised myself I’d never be ‘that
bride.’ It took just over an hour to visit with 200 guests, and I wouldn’t
have spent that hour any other way. It was great catching up with everyone,
and I enjoyed making every one of my guests feel appreciated.”

w.o.o. who directory ads
w.o.o. who directory ads:
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Woo hoo! You want to make sure the Blue Water Area knows
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directory! The next ad deadline is April 1, 2012 for the May
2012 issue of Blue Water Woman.
make sure your business
is included!
The very first Blue Water Woman of the Year will be featured in
the May 2012 issue. Reserve your advertising space today and
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truly the “who’s who” of the Blue Water Area!
spring 2012 BlueWaterWoman.com 21