Monday, April 16, 2012

Vera Wang

Vera Wang is definitely one of our favorite wedding gown designers and her new collection is full of LOVE. The designer explains, saying, "The symbolism of red—boldly romantic, charming, protective, grand, seductive, sexy. From dahlia to scarlet, crimson and vermilion. It's a celebration of love."


Bold reds and ruffles galore, the collection certainly brought "love" into the room. Along side that feeling of love, Vera payed homage to her Chinese heritage, as red is often a symbol of good fortune and joy, worn by brides for their big day. 


From nudes and blacks in her last collection to daring red this season, Ms Wang certainly knows how to make the runway pop. 


Our favorites from the collection are shown below.




photos from Martha Stewart Wedding

Ines Di Santo

 Ines Di Santo is "recognized as a leading designer of evening and bridal couture," as it states on her web site, so it's no surprise that her latest bridal gowns were shown during New York Fashion Week. 


"Using her signature hand-ruching and tailoring techniques, the Ines Di Santo Collection is known for marrying a sculpted, polished bodice with sumptuously layered skirts and romantic detailing." Her 2012 Spring/Summer collection executes this perfectly. Her Fashion Week show opened with her traditional dramatic beading and full ball gowns then turned into simple, stylish, elegant silhouettes that hugged the models in all the right places. 


Our favorites are pictured below. 












Wednesday, April 11, 2012

A Bride's Guide

Are you a bride that cannot afford a wedding planner? Newly engaged and need help figuring out what steps to take first? Don't know what roles your bridal party play in your wedding?

Don't worry.... I stumbled upon this excellent guide that covers all of that and MORE! Just print it out, and you can take it with you so that you can pull it out whenever it's needed.

Wedding Magazine, which is a United Kingdom-based company, created this pdf guide that answers any and all questions that a bride may have.

What is covered...

*checklist of things to do, divided up by months
*budget
*where to wed (the places mentioned will not be helpful unless you are based in the UK but the basic ideas are helpful)
*etiquette
*questions to ask vendors
*places to go on your honeymoon based on month

To print access the guide, go to: http://www.weddingmagazine.co.uk/pdf/planner.pdf

NOTE: There's a section that talks about the National Wedding Show. You can just ignore that entire section, as it is based in the UK, and won't be useful unless you plan on attending the show or live over seas.

Bridal Physic

This post is all about fitness.

Brides tend to worry about whether or not they'll fit into their dress on their big day or staying in shape to look perfect for that getaway honeymoon. Here are a few tips on getting the body you want for your wedding day...

"Dancing With The Stars" is back on and for the bride who loves to dance, or the couple that wants to learn, this is the ULTIMATE opportunity. "Dancing With The Stars" couch Katrina Smirnoff has her own dance studio in Los Angeles, where she has professional instructors teaching individual group classes as well as first dance lessons. From Zumba to Salsa and Tango, Smirnoff's studio is perfect for the LA bride who wants a fun, great workout. For class schedules or to sign up, visit her web site: http://karinasmirnoffdance.com/

For the bride who feels she needs to lose some weight before the big day, here's four celebrity-approved (Anne Hathaway, Bethenny Frankel, Gwyneth Paltrow), cleanses: http://www.brides.com/blogs/aisle-say/2011/09/four-celebrity-approved-cleanses.html

And lastly, something fun. When I ran across these, I just HAD to include them. They are too much fun NOT to. These hand-made workout tanks say things such as "Bride" and LMFAO's infamous "I workout." Each tank can be picked out in colors to the bride's choosing. Available on etsy: http://www.etsy.com/listing/96470038/bride-work-out-tank-top

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Wedding Attire



Spring is here and Summer is in the not so distant future, which means it is wedding season!  So what do you WEAR to a wedding? Well, that depends on the style of the wedding. Reality show-turned-fashion icon Lauren Conrad breaks it down in a post on her fashion-forward web site: http://www.laurenconrad.com/post/style-me-pretty-wedding-attire And for folks who don't want to spend a pretty penny on a dress, Forever 21 has a plethora of dresses to chose from: http://www.forever21.com/Product/Category.aspx?br=f21&category=dress and has just released their Spring dress collection: http://www.forever21.com/Product/Category.aspx?br=f21&category=Promo_Easter_Spring_Dresses&pagesize=100&page=1

Whether you want a floral print, design or just a simple little black dress, Lauren Conrad and Forever 21 have a great deal to chose from!

Happy shopping!

Monday, April 2, 2012

Centerpieces: Covered Boxes



When I saw this idea on http://www.colincowieweddings.com, I had to share! These are simple, affordable and cute centerpieces! 


To make the centerpieces, simply take boxes (found at craft or fabric stores), cover in fabric, and fill with beautiful flowers. Whether you use the same colored fabric at each table, or different colors at each table, don't be afraid to be creative!







Groupon



Groupon is great for deals on pedicures, messages, movie tickets, getaway trips, etc. And NOW they have a separate section just for weddings! Whether it be photography, rings, honeymoons, bridal magazines or invitations, Groupon has it all for a great deal! Here are the links to the Wedding deals under Los Angeles, New York and San Fransisco ...


LA: http://www.groupon.com/los-angeles/area/san-fernando-valley/ch/occasions

NY: http://www.groupon.com/new-york/ch/occasions

SF/BAY AREA: http://www.groupon.com/san-francisco/ch/occasions