Tracey’s Life « The Blog of Tracey Kumer-Moore (Las Vegas Wedding Concierge)

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Changes

Monday, September 19th, 2011

My Message on the “Bright Run” Wall of Hope, 9/10/11

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

The last few months, since about the second week of March when I found a very large lump in my breast, have been a blur.

It happened right after attending a professionally exhilarating Catersource 2011 Conference and Trade Show where I enjoyed presenting as a panelist speaker and judging in several prestigious categories at the International Caterers’ Associations’ “CATIE AWARDS” gala.

So, after a great week of education, networking and inspiration, I was pumped and ready to make some changes. I HAD NO IDEA!!

I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer on April 8, 2011. My mother was in Las Vegas on April 11th and the “Amazing Race” was on for tests and more tests. As we met with doctors under my insurance plan and then doctors I really wanted who were not, I got the whole scary picture of what I was up against and I was more afraid of the costs than the disease!

Still being a citizen of Canada, my husband, my parents and I made the very hard but wise decision that only I would return to do all my treatments in my home town at the amazing Juravinski Cancer Center in Hamilton, Ontario with an incredible health team. I returned to Canada just before Easter and began chemotherapy immediately which was completed in August. I am so blessed to have come through that ordeal with great results and, not too worse for the wear, thank G-d.

I write this post on the eve of my surgery. Radiation to follow and then another IV drug treatment for a year after (that would be $100K alone in the USA but covered in FULL in Canada)!

I won’t get into THAT argument here now or anytime, but I will say that, for financial and logistical reasons, “coming home” to enjoy the benefits of Canadian citizenship was the best decision I ever made for my survival and well being.

I will be here in Canada for an extended period of time and taking an extended leave of absence from my business and from planning weddings and events in Las Vegas. I’m taking one step and day at a time and I know that I will be a SURVIVOR!

One thing I will make an argument for is this; LOSE THE WEIGHT (if you have to) or maintain a healthy one, exercise, go to the doctor, get MAMMOGRAMS or other important medical tests when (if) you are due. TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF because you only have this one life and this one body to live it in. I know that sounds hokey. Oh well, it’s true! If my story can be of service to anyone, it is that I would have never found the lump if I had not lost the weight!! Losing weight SAVED MY LIFE! I reversed the self-imposed curse of Type 2 onset Diabetes and, in the nick of time, gave myself a shot at hopefully many more years to enjoy life with those I love and do great things for others in whatever way I may choose in the event world or beyond that.

To ALL the venues, creative wedding partners and my wedding planner colleagues who are doing an amazing job of stepping up to take over the weddings that I could not continue planning this year; Jeannie Ward of Wedding Jeannie and Veronica Medrano of Summit Events Catering in California, Juliet Douglas, Angelica McDonnell of Green Orchid Events and Dennis Silknitter at the Four Seasons Resort, Las Vegas….THANK YOU!

To Danielle and Terry, Theresa and Dave, Allison and Ron, Natalia and Rhett; being part of planning your weddings this year was/is a great thrill and honor. Although I couldn’t be there for you in person, I was and will be celebrating every moment with you on your day and thrilled for you! I know you will make every moment count and I WANT PICTURES!!

Please contact my Las Vegas Wedding Planning colleagues if you are looking for assistance in planning your wedding celebration. Whomever you choose from this list, you will be well taken care of by all wonderfully talented, passionate, professional, creative and professional women I am proud to call my friends.

www.GreenOrchidEvents.com-Contact Owner Juliet Douglas
www.EppolitoEvents.com-Contact Owner Andrea Eppolito
www.CLMWeddings.com-Contact Owner Christie McCoy-Hjelm
www.SchemeEvents.com-Partners Rissa Merkley-Gunderson, Traci McMaster, Tara Cox, Jacqueline Butler
www.SimplyWeddings.com-Contact Owner Brit Bertino
www.PriscillaDrozd.com-Contact Owner Priscilla Drozd.

Thank you and, for now, wishing you happy planning for your wedding or special event Celebrated with LOVE, LIFE and STYLE!!!

Fondly,
Tracey Kumer-Moore

Tags: Breast Cancer, Canada, Catersource, CLM Weddings, diabetes, Eppolito Events, Green Orchid Events, Juravinski Cancer Center, Las Vegas, mammograms, Priscilla Drozd, Scheme, Simply Weddings, Summit Events Catering, Tracey Kumer-Moore, Wedding Jeannie, wedding planners, weight, Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge
Posted in Celebrate Life, Celebrate Love, Tracey's Life, Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge | 3 Comments »

Celebrating The Enduring Power of Love

Thursday, February 17th, 2011

Tracey and Mr. Moore | Image by: Artistic Imaging

Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge and my husband are celebrating 10, YES 10 years of marriage today!!

I must say that I am humbled by this because, lets face it, facing life in these interesting times is not easy!

But, when we find a partner in life that we want to have by our side to face “all that life” out there, it sure makes it more fun. Ok, I admit I could insert many more colorful adjectives here too.

But that’s the point. No matter what has come our way, no matter how we have changed and grown as a couple and individually, the love we celebrated fresh and new 10 years ago still remains and endures. Is it always filled with passion and always fabulous? NO! BUT there is a deep sense of peace in knowing that, with all we have been through, “For better, for worse, in sickness and in health”, we are still deeply in love, respect each other and hope to enjoy many more milestones together.

When my parents celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary in 2007. I reflected on this in a post. My husband’s parents were married for close to 75 years. Entire lifetimes!

A Wedding, at it’s heart, is the event that celebrates “the marriage.” That is what all the flowers, all the food, all the entertainment, cake and that “perfect” gown is prepared and planned for; “The Wedding”, not “the marriage”. Without the marriage, it’s just a big party.

That is what we all come together for. Hearing our sister, brother, son, daughter, grandchild, niece, nephew and friends say these vows elevates and transforms us, as part of and witness to this marriage ritual, to a shared state of joy and happiness with the bride and groom. Our shared hope and faith in the power of lasting, enduring love is palpable; filled with energy. No wonder we want to rejoice and have fun! Nothing could be more wonderful in life than a newlywed couple and their families sharing their joy with loved ones in beautiful celebration with delicious food, drink and music!

But…you can’t have a wedding without a marriage. However, you can certainly have a marriage without a wedding. The couple who seal their vows with a ring in front of only a judge as witness share the same odds of experiencing long lasting, enduring love as the couple who celebrates the same ritual with 250 guests and a half-million dollar wedding budget.

I’m not “dissing” the wedding business here, lets be clear! I LOVE experiencing them and planning them. I am just being honest about what is ultimately important.

I remember what the Rabbi who married my husband said after reading aloud the Jewish marriage document, the “ketubah”. “This document is a reminder of how to treat one another as man and wife. Put it in a prominent place in your home so you can look at it every day. Read it aloud with glad hearts every year on your anniversary to fully understand and remember your covenant to each other, to celebrate and thank G-d for blessing and sustaining you and allowing you to see this day together.” Pretty powerful if you ask me.

And I hope to do this very thing today with my husband of ten years. Our story has been one of overcoming challenges to be together from the beginning. Love and perseverance on both our parts made it a reality. Today, my love, we celebrate that love and perseverance and the next 10 years with hopeful and joyous hearts because we are facing it together.

My darling, HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! “I LOVE YOU ALL WAYS, FOR ALWAYS”

Your wife,

Tracey

Tags: Jewish, ketubah, Las Vegas Wedding Planner, Love, Marriage, Relationships, Tracey Kumer-Moore, Transformations, Weddings, Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge
Posted in Celebrate Love, Tracey's Life | 1 Comment »

Wedding Concierge in Canada October 13-23rd

Wednesday, October 13th, 2010

Toronto, Canada Skyline-Image found at www.seetorontonow.com

Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge here and letting you know I have not disappeared into the city of Las Vegas. I have been keeping busy and had some wonderful weddings in the past month that I look forward to sharing with you all very soon.

In the meantime, just as I’m saying hello again, I am writing to let you know I will be taking a little vacation time to visit family and attend some celebrations in my native Canada (Toronto & Hamilton to be specific), from October 13th-23rd.

I will be back at my desk on the 25th.

Although I won’t always have (or want to have) consistent access to being online, I’m sure I will jump on every now and then and say hello from my Facebook Fan Page at least if I find anything Wedding relevant in my travels.

Have a great 10 days and remember to Celebrate Today and Everyday with Love, Life & Style!

Posted in Toronto, Tracey's Life, Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge, vacation | 2 Comments »

Celebrating Life on Jewish Holidays-Closed 9/9-9/12

Wednesday, September 8th, 2010

Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge wants to wish all my family, friends and colleagues near and far, my very best wishes for the Jewish New Year on this eve of Rosh Hashana (aka “Head of the Year”, aka “Birthday of the World”-5771 years actually).

I will be closed for the holidays starting at 6:00 PM Pacific Time and back on Monday September 12th. I will not be checking regularly for voice and email messages and not returning messages until the 12th.

As a Wedding Planner, one of the most wonderful things I have to look forward to this coming year is the blessing to be involved in helping to create wonderful wedding celebrations of Love and Life for some wonderful brides and grooms. Thank you for the gift of trust you have given me to be a part of your lives and that of your families and friends to help you on this wonderful journey that we will all take together:)

May the coming year bring you and your loved ones happiness, health, good fortune (in whatever way it materializes) and sweetness.

Shana Tova (Happy New Year) and...

Celebrate Today and Every Day with Love, Life & Style!!
Tracey

Posted in Celebrate Life, Celebrate Love, I Love My Job, Jewish, Tracey's Life, Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge | 2 Comments »

A Prayer for You on Your Wedding Day

Tuesday, August 31st, 2010

Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge found another wonderful wedding oriented article on Aish.com (a Jewish online site for learning).

This was written by Azriel Hirsh Friedman and it is called “Wedding Day Dreams”.

Again, the theme resonates for me that these prayers are said or can be said, by any bride and groom and wished for them by their loved ones on their wedding day no matter what your background. I truly believe most of these prayers are universal-every one wants these gifts for their future together.

On your wedding day, do try and make time for some silent reflection to thank your higher power (whatever that may be) for the gifts you are receiving; love, support, affection, extended family and to also contemplate for a life blessed with good fortune, good health, joy, love, children and whatever you and your spouse wish to make of your lives together.

Here are a few select excerpts…

“On one’s wedding day, the gates of prayer are wide open. The Jewish mystical sources tell us that on a wedding day, the bride and groom’s power of prayer is greater than even the holiest person alive. You can ask for anything! Yet most of us get so caught up in the details of the day that we forget to tap into this spiritual wellspring.“

When I got married, I hadn’t the slightest clue what to pray for. Someone was nice enough to make me a list, so that I wouldn’t miss out on all the blessings for a great marriage and life together.

On your wedding day, I recommend going through this list at a quiet moment, right as you get out of bed in the morning, before everything gets hectic.

And don’t forget: Prayer works best when you open your mouth to speak it out, as opposed to just skimming with your eyes.

Marriage Relationship

May I always speak gently, and think before speaking.

May we always have open, good communication.

May I always act with caring and compassion.

May I have the patience to appreciate our differences.

May we bring out the best in one another”

Read the Entire Article Here.

Thank you for allowing me to pass the list on to my readers!

Celebrate Today and Everyday with Love, Life & Style
Tracey

Posted in Aish.com, Celebrate Life, Celebrate Love, Jewish, Tracey's Life, Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge | 1 Comment »

Wedding Concierge "Cuts the (phone) Cord" Today March 2.

Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010

Image Found at NeilsenWire Blog

Just a reminder that today, March 2, 2010 is THE DAY!

Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge has done it.I have “cut the (telephone) cord” and going all mobile!

As of March 2, 2010, my business land line, (702) 367-9337 and my Toll Free line (877) 367-WEDS (9337) will no longer be associated with my company. You can reach Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge by phone as of now at (702) 208-1638.

I am updating information across the board over the next few weeks but the changes are already effective for you here on my blog and on my website.

Plus, being the tech-loving wedding planner that I am, I need to give a shout-out for the new V-Tech phone/answering machine with BLUTOOTH I just picked up. It’s very cool as it allows me to connect up to 4 wireless devices like cell phones or headset so I can answer through the regular phone. Clearer calls & saving battery life is making this planner REALLY HAPPY. I love it when I love technology and it loves me back:)

Land line freedom day is a Good day to Celebrate Love & Life with Style!

Posted in Technology, Tracey's Life, Wedding Concierge News, Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge | No Comments »

Happy New Year 2010! Now, …..BEGIN!

Thursday, December 31st, 2009

Photo by: Tracey Kumer-Moore

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2010! Now….BEGIN

This is a picture Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge took of a very special gift I received at the Engage ’09 Encore Luxury Wedding Symposium in Las Vegas.

All attendees received one of several different hand-stamped custom created eggs with different messages from Caroline Colom Vasquez, owner of Paloma’s Nest who creates Handcrafted Modern Heirlooms™ like the “Original Ring Bearer Bowl™”.

Although the egg I received didn’t really have my own name on it, I believe that this egg really was meant for me (I’m sure every other attendee feels similar thoughts about theirs as well). And although I appreciated the message then, it is today, on the dawn of a new year and decade, as I look at it sitting on my desk, that the message resounds LOUD & CLEAR.

What I see today in this gift of this egg with its simple word, “Begin” is…

POTENTIAL and POSSIBILITIES

All of the great potential I hold, you hold, this new year (and decade) holds to create new ideas, new weddings, new celebrations, new life and new POSSIBILITIES…

To make my life (and yours and this worlds’) happier, healthier, more loving, more fun, more organized, more successful, richer, more inspired and more of whatever you and me and we all wish for it to be.

So, let’s BEGIN, shall we ? To continue the egg metaphor, let’s crack this new year open and “hatch” all of it!!

Here is wishing all the very best to my family, my friends, my colleagues (who are also friends), my extended friends around the “Twitter-verse” and you, my wonderful “Diary” Readers…

A very Happy, Healthy & Wonderful 2010.

Celebrate it and every coming day with LOVE, LIFE & STYLE!

Tracey

To buy these custom eggs and all of the custom designed, inspired work from Caroline, visit her website at Paloma’s Nest.com and the Paloma’s Nest Etsy Store as well.

Posted in Great Ideas, Tracey's Life, Wedding Advice, Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge | No Comments »

Wedding Concierge in Canada Sept. 17-22

Thursday, September 17th, 2009

Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge is on her way “home”to Canada as you read this today.

I will be in Toronto with my family celebrating the Jewish New Year from September 17-22nd and will be back at my desk in Las Vegas on Wednesday September 23rd.

Due to the holidays, I will be checking emails and voicemail on a very limited basis. If you have an urgent matter, please mark urgent. Otherwise, you can be assured I will answer your inquiry just as soon as I can when I return.

Please visit my website to learn more about Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge.

Wishing ALL my family, friends, clients and colleagues celebrating the Jewish New Year a “Shana Tova” and all my very best wishes for a happy, healthy and very sweet new year!

Celebrate Love & Life!

Posted in Tracey's Life, Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge | 1 Comment »

Celebrating Changes!

Tuesday, September 15th, 2009

Hello Friends and Diary Readers,

It has been a long time since I have been in touch and blogged after a bit of a tumultuous summer and lots of time for reflection on where I have been, what being the Las Vegas Wedding Concierge has meant to me, my clients and the industry and where I am going and taking things from here.

Perhaps another birthday, another year older and wiser (I hope) has helped to provide some perspective?

However, it was most likely the opportunity to tap the inspiration and knowledge of so many creative, talented friends in the wedding and events industry who, in the middle of this tumultuous summer have made me come to realize that being a part of a couple’s journey in planning their wedding is really a gift and one that I don’t want to let go of.

Actually, I look at the opportunity for two people to find each other, join their lives together in “Celebration” of uniting in marriage and bringing those they love and who love them together a REAL GIFT. So much in our world these days is sad and hard that the opportunity to come together to celebrate happiness, joy, love and life is a true blessing.

The more I thought about this, the more I decided that I want Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge to reflect these ideals and values that are, I admit, a bit nostalgic and infuse them with a contemporary and, of course, STYLISH vision and sensibility.

Being of Jewish heritage and with the Jewish New Year coming up this weekend, I thought this would be the perfect time to share this news with you. A new and sweet beginning…

So my first step is to happily announce my new branding as Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge, “Creating Stylish Celebrations of Love & Life”.

You will see this immediately reflected in a new header for my blog. The blogging will continue of course. I do LOVE to write and hope you will find my thoughts, advice and ideas fun, inspiring, thoughtful and motivate you to inject love and heart and joy in every part of your wedding celebration and in your life too of course.

Over the coming months, you will see more updates with a new website, some updated logo branding and eventually, a new and improved blog as well.

I am excited for these changes but you can be assured of what won’t change…

I will always maintain the highest standards and ethics, value my clients and my professional colleagues and “take care” of every wedding and social client personally from consult until the last dance & beyond that I am honored to have the gift of working with.

Thank you for staying true and here is to celebrating positive changes, to love and “To Life”!

Posted in Tracey's Life, Wedding Advice, Wedding Planning, Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge | 3 Comments »

Office Closed December 15-21-A Sad Reason to Visit Home

Saturday, December 13th, 2008

Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge is making immediate plans right now to fly home to Canada and my office will be closed for this coming week of December 15th-21st. I expect to be back by December 22nd.

Sadly, I am returning home to attend the funeral of a beloved uncle, my mother’s brother, who passed away today from a horrible form of cancer (is there any kind that isn’t horrible?) called Mesothelioma. This cancer is a rare form caused by exposure to asbestos and often the symptoms show up 30 to 40 years later.

My uncle and his brother followed my maternal grandfather into the scrap business back in the 40′s when they were young men and built a thriving business recycling metals in “Steel Town”, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. It was a lucrative industry (and still is) but I guess you could say my family was “green” before “green” was fashionable.

With all the old scrap and junk and piles of grease and muck that surrounded them, apparently asbestos was the last thing they were thinking of or concerned about or even aware of.

Funny thing is, my uncle smoked cigars as long as I knew him and I never could have imagined that in his early 80′s it would be a rare form of cancer from asbestos exposure that would fell this man who, to me, was always the embodiment of exuberance and confidence.

My uncle leaves behind 2 siblings, a wife, 4 children, about 14 grandchildren and now even great-grandchildren to come. He will join my grandparents and 7 of his siblings in heaven now.

I miss him already!

Thank you for letting me share.

Posted in Tracey's Life, Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge | 1 Comment »

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