Posts Tagged ‘premium vendor showcase’
Premium Vendor Showcase: Pine Forest Jewelry
What was your inspiration for creating a jewelry store?
Creating a business that deals in expressions of love, beauty, inspiration, sentiment, emotion, creativity, and provides real value beyond the intangibles.
“When love and skill work together, expect a masterpiece.”
John Ruskin
English critic, essayist, & reformer (1819 – 1900)
Tell a little bit about the history of your store:
Pineforest Jewelry, Inc. is a Texas corporation that has serviced the East Houston community since May 1, 1986. The directors are “Diamond Jim” Mills, the President and CEO, along with his wife, Linda Mills, the Secretary/Treasurer and store manager. Pineforest Jewelry is a full service jewelry store with retail, custom design, repair, manufacturing, wholesale, distribution, and internet divisions. The entire operation is housed in the 7200 square foot building owned by Mills Diversified, Ltd. It is located in a central business area on the east side of Houston at 1141 Uvalde Road, Houston, TX 77015, two blocks north of I-10 East.
The retail division provides gold, silver, and platinum jewelry, moissanite jewelry, diamond jewelry, pearls, jewelry for children and teens, loose diamonds, precious stones, mother’s rings, ArtCarved class rings & Gold Lance class rings, gifts, collectibles, jewelry boxes, many brands of watches ranging from Pulsar to Rolex, and clocks. An extensive inventory is further enhanced by a unique catalog operation. “Diamond Jim” is an associate gemologist accredited by the Gemological Institute of America. He is one of a select group of jewelers in Houston authorized by State Farm Insurance to provide insurance replacement and appraisal services.
Pineforest Jewelry provides a complete state-of-the-art shop in order to provide you with the best possible service. Gary Mills, and his wife, Aline Budenstein, manage the repair, manufacturing, and wholesale operations. Gary Mills is an associate gemologist accredited by the Gemological Institute of America. He has extensive knowledge of all aspects of repair and manufacturing, as well as knowledge of the tools, equipment, and supplies used by the jewelry trade. Through the shop, not only is jewelry and watch repair provided, but also true custom designs by wax or metal fabrication, computer aided design (CAD), and custom mixing of gold alloys for color matching of castings and repairs. The shop utilizes laser fusion technology for the very finest in repair. The shop is one of the finest in Texas, and its custom work is among the best in the nation. Also offered are hard-to-find specialty services such as baby shoe bronzing, hand engraving, precious stone 
& diamond re-cutting, computer generated laser photo engraving, antique rose and green gold jewelry repair, complete rebuilding of worn gold Rolex watch bracelets, pearl and bead restringing, and many other services. You are invited to take advantage of the gratis ultrasonic jewelry cleaning while you wait.
What makes your store unique to guys getting ready to propose?
1) Provide education in the form of vital diamond buying information; available as an in-store presentation on screen from our website as well as personal tutoring from Diamond Jim
2) Provide a printed booklet, “Your Guide to Buying Diamonds”
3) Provide a 128-page book entitled, “Twenty Ways To Pop The Question” so that she will never, ever forget that day… nor will she ever forget how you carefully created a very special moment in her life
4) Provide diamonds with GIA certification
5) Provide diamonds selected by Diamond Jim that exceed all the competition in value relative to cut, color, clarity, and carat weight
What type of bridal jewelry do you offer?
A complete variety encompassing everything from trio sets to custom masterpieces, with price ranges from a few hundred dollars to $30,000.
What are five tips that you can give to guys searching for rings?
1) NEVER give her a vacuum cleaner, appliance, or cash instead of a ring… even if she says it is OK. (If you risk talking yourself into this trap, you are operating under the advice of a fool.)
2) NEVER give her jewelry from a pawn shop or a flea market… or for that matter, from ANY store that sells underwear. (This is guaranteed to show poor taste and provide proof positive of just how cheap you and the jewelry are.)
3) NEVER give her one piece of jewelry thinking it will cover TWO occasions, such as birthday and anniversary, or Valentine’s Day and birthday. (This is a death knell to any relationship, and possibly for you, literally.)
4) Weed out the incompetents and jerks, and deal with the professionals
5) NEVER make your decision based on anything other than what she wants as far as diamond shape, metal color, and style. (Ask her sister, mother, friends… but NEVER buy what YOU think she will like. NEVER!!!)
For more information about Pine Forest Jewelry, visit their profile.
Premium Vendor Showcase: Bessie Black Photography
What was your inspiration for being a photographer?
I always knew I would own my own business. It wasn’t until high school that photography came about- I always took pictures, but when my cousin got married when I was in HS, I kind of put the two together and found my passion as a wedding photographer. During high school I was involved in Yearbook, which helped my photography grow with a couple of large projects to realize my love of the field. After high school I spent some time at Blue Ridge Community College in the Marketing & Business program, while also taking photography courses. . Once deciding that photography was my true focus, I found the art Institute of Fort Lauderdale and finished there with an Associates in Photography.
What makes you unique to brides?
- 10+ years of bridal shop knowledge (adjusting a veil, making a bustle, groomsmen boutonnieres, advice on do’s & don’ts – years of knowledge of the makings of weddings & actual day of!
- Always willing to lend a hand, very flexible, and willing to please.
- Always adding to my product line to ensure that there is something for everyone.
What services do you offer?
- Wedding services- wedding day coverage, various levels of professional albums, including the coffee table style albums, wedding prints & enlargements, Digital Image DVD, online hosting, engagement & bridal portraits, save the date cards, and surprise proposal storytelling (live from your day of engagement – capture it as it really happens).
What is your style of photography?
It changes from couple to couple, but I try to keep it simple & always about the bride and the groom and their personal style. Its really a mixture of traditional & candid photojournalism.
What are five tips that you can give to brides looking for a photographer?
- Be sure to ask all of your questions, but remember that this person will be with you all day on the most important day. You need to be comfortable with them and feel totally at ease in their presence. This to me is most important; I build relationships through my couples & families.
- Think about your wedding and where it is going to be. Make sure to make the most of all of your decorations & flowers. The little details and special unique personal touches can really enhance your wedding and the photography from it. Keep in mind that pictures resemble your day and we photograph the story as it is told.
- A photographer should show you what there is to offer, but it is also good to hear from you as well! If you know what you want, great! Share it with us. If you do not know, we will guide you and explain to you what the products and services are about, and talk about your day and what will work best for you and your budget.
- While attending a bridal show, the vendors are there for you. We want to share our information with you, talk about our services, how we can help you. Please do not be shy in stopping and looking through our albums and getting to know us!
- Enjoy your planning process, but be sure to hire trained professionals. This is essential in having a beautiful stress free day. We have done this before (and we love it) and so many times we can spot & resolve an issue before it becomes a problem. Trust who you are working with and you will have a wonderful day!
For more information about Bessie Black Photography, please visit her vendor profile.
Premium Vendor Showcase: The Studio Hair Salon and Day Spa
You deserve to look your best, so check out one of the hottest salons on WhereToGetEngaged.com. After 25 wonderful and exciting years in business, Judi Crawford and her team of stylists and spa
technicians from “The Studio Hair Salon and Day Spa” are still going strong! Being voted ‘Best In The Burg’ once more, they live up to their reputation daily and go that extra mile to make each day better than the last! From their glamorous up-do’s to their dazzling manicures and pedicures to the grand display of Bare Escentuals make-up at their fingertips, The Studio is ready to get you and your entire bridal party ready from head-to-toe!
“For a long time, we’ve been known as the salon or spa but never as a place for an entire bridal party to come and share in every detai
l of the big day. Whether it be yourself, your best friend, your sister, your daughter, or just someone you feel close to, The Studio welcomes you, says Kim Lee.” As their in house Bridal Coordinator, Kim is always ready to lend a hand to the bride and her party. From scheduling a time to come and view the facility to meeting the stylists and make-up artists, Kim is ready to make your big day as easy as it should be!
Many bridal packages are available for the bride as well as the groom. From massages and facials to relaxing manicures and pedicures, the studio is sure to have a package that will be perfect.
With new weddings being added all the time, The Studio invites you to check out their profile on WhereToGetEngaged and view their work! They have completes lists of products and services as w
ell as photo albums of brides that have confidently chosen The Studio to play such a special part in their day!
Here are a few tips from Kim that will come in handy when you come to your trial run appointments:
- Bring pictures! We love them! This gives us an idea of what you are looking for in a hairstyle. If you can, bring a picture of the dress and any embellishments you want to wear in your hair.
- Take these next questions and answer them: What time am I getting married? Am I getting married inside or outside? This will help us when working on your hair and make-up because lighting and location are everything!
- By all means, bring a friend with you to your trial run. Have her take pictures so you can take them home and study each aspect of your hair and make-up. Have her taking pictures of the make-up also so, if by chance you would like to change something, we know exactly where we need to start.
- Remember, we have over fifteen stylists here so if you are not happy with your original trial run or just want another persons ideas, feel free to call in with someone else. We want you to be 110% satisfied with everything and like our owner says: ‘We will make it work!”
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