Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Designer vs HappilyeverborroWED

 HappilyeverborroWED is known for giving brides designer pieces at a FRACTION of the cost. We provide women with the option to RENT verses buying hind end pieces that they'll only wear once. Below you will find practically identical bridal pieces from the designers themselves and then from HappilyeverborroWED. You can't beat a fraction of the cost for the same quality!

DESIGNER              HAPPILYEVERBORROWED

   

This pom pom flower hair accessory is $90 at David's Bridal and we rent it for $30. That's more than half the price!      
       






This Swarovski crystal floral headband is $179 at David's Bridal and we rent it for $70. That's 40% off!!   

This floral sash is $78 from Vera Wang but we rent it for $55. Ours also includes crystals to add some bling. 
This lace veil from David's Bridal is $200 and we rent it for $70. That is 35% off!    


Monday, August 27, 2012

Fall Fashion Must Haves

Fall Fashion Must Haves




boyfriend blazer- I LOVE LOVE blazers. Wear them with a skirt for a date, wear them with jeans on the weekend, or with slacks for work. The blazer just takes your outfit to the next level by dressing it up but not OVERDRESSING. It is a great look that you must have in your closet for year round.






boyfriend cardigan- These cardigans are SO cute and a necessity to your fall closet! I personally love the striped look because it adds a subtle pop of color and style. It can be warn with a long sleeve for a rainy day or over a tank top during a cool morning.














scarf- Most people think of scarves as a winter accessory but Fall is full of breezes, wind and sometimes rain, so they are a great add on to your Fall closet. My favorites are cashmere scarves as they are not only soft, but keep you EXTREMELY warm. Now this might not be ideal for Fall, but it's certainly an option for those cold and windy (or rainy) days.









polka dots- I am not one for polka dots usually, but I think it adds a pop of color to your wardrobe, if done correctly. Just having one blouse (my personal favorite is a dark blue with white dots) mixed with a sweater or great pair of jeans can add some much needed sophistication to your Fall style. Whether it's for a job interview or a drinks with the girls, a polka dot blouse does just the trick for dressing up a simple outfit.


Sunday, August 26, 2012

20 Makeup Tips Every Bride Should Know



Get gorgeous and avoid wedding-day disasters with these 20 amazing makeup and beauty tips!

1. Tan at Least Two Days in Advance

If you're going to get a fake tan before the big day, spray-tan at least two days prior to your wedding, makeup artist Alexandra Andrade advises. "It'll darken on the second day, and by the third day, it'll have settled and be perfect."


2. Consider Climate Before Applying Makeup

Especially for brides getting married in warmer climates, consider using as many oil-free products as possible — primer, moisturizer, foundation, etc. — and keeping oil-free blotting sheets on hand.

3. Play Up Your Makeup for Photos

"Another general rule for brides," Alexandra says: "The camera will blow you out in photos. Put on a little more makeup than you would apply normally, more than you think you need, since the camera and lights will tone down your makeup." Don't drastically change your look from your every day look because you don't want to look abnormal, but just add to what you usually wear. 
If you're doing your own makeup: Practice and take pictures before the big day. Start with less, because it's easier to add more if you need it than having to remove excess makeup, which can get messy.


4. Use a Primer

"Especially with brides," Alexandra says, "you want to make sure you cleanse and really moisturize the skin before you start applying your makeup. Then, after you moisturize and before you put on your foundation, there's a really important step — primer. It'll make your makeup go on smoother and last a lot longer. You're going to have a long day ahead of you, and you want your makeup to last you all day and all night."
5. Apply Your Foundation with a Sponge or Brush
"Certain foundations work better with a sponge or brush," Alexandra says, "but definitely use either one or the other — never your fingers. The less you can touch your face, the better." (Bacteria, dirt, etc., can be left behind.) Your fingers can also leave behind fingerprints, "so the look isn't as smooth and finished-looking." If you use a sponge, apply foundation by stippling the sponge, not swiping it across the skin. This gives your foundation a more natural look, and blends it more evenly into the skin.

6. Put on Concealer After Your Foundation

"Your moisturizer, primer, and foundation are already going to even out skin and cover imperfections," Alexandra says, "so doing it before your foundation could leave you looking cakey with too much product." She also notes that it's important to use a different kind of concealer for your eyes than for your face. "It should be something very creamy and emollient — not necessarily oil-free, like you'll use on your face — so it doesn't get dry and cakey throughout the day," she says. "You also want to use something peach-based so it contrasts the the blue and purple tones of your eyelid."

7. Use Different Concealers

Your concealer choice depends on what you're covering. "If it's a blemish, red spot, or broken capillaries, use an oil-free, pigmented, thicker concealer with hints of yellow," Alexandra says. "For under your eyes, you want to use something with a little more peach in it to cover and contrast the blues and purples. It should be something emollient and creamy because there are no oil glands there. Sometimes you'll see women with dry, cakey concealer under eyes; their concealer is either oil-free or they have too much on." 
Make sure to use a brush to apply your concealer so you can really pinpoint the spot. Press gently and melt it into skin. Start thin — you can always add more.
8. Primer for Eye Shadow
Using an eye shadow primer ensures smudge-free makeup, a must when you're wearing all white.
9. For a Natural Makeup Look, Try a Cream Blush

It goes on sheer and looks healthy and fresh. If you want more staying power, try layering a powder blush on top of it.

10. You Can Learn Where to Place Your Blush Just by Smiling!

When you smile, the apple of your cheek pops out. Apply your blush there and blend into your temple — this will make it look like you're naturally flushing. Don't go too over the top otherwise you will look like a clown. 

11. An Eyebrow Pencil Is a Must-Have

Filling in your eyebrows may not be a daily occurance in your makeup routune, but for your big day, you will want to! Filling them in "really frames your eye and finishes the whole picture", says Alexandra. Not filling them in will make them look absent in pictures and no bride wants that!  A tip for finding the right color for your eyebrow pencil: Always go a shade or two lighter than your own natural eyebrow color.

12. Replace Pencil Eye Liner with Cake Liner

"Cake liner is a great product," Alexandra says. "Once you apply it, it lasts all day line — seriously, it really won't budge! A pencil can sometimes disappear — it has an oily, wax-y texture that can migrate down your skin."  If you do decide to use a pencil, Alexandra suggests setting it with some powder so it'll stay longer.
Regardless of which type of eyeliner you use, you'll want to make your lashes look thicker by filling in the roots of the lashes. "This is a place where many women don't traditionally line," Alexandra says, "but you'll see that it makes the eye pop and the lash line look a lot more plush." Apply by pressing in between the lash roots.

13. Use Eye-Enhancing Makeup Techniques

Focus darker eye shadow on the outside of eyes, moving lighter and brighter as you work in, "so you don't close off the eyes," Alexandra says. "You want them to look big, bright, and beautiful." If you accidentally mess up your make-up, simply take a Q-tip with make-up remover or some eye creme to remove the makeup. You don't want to risk ruining your foundation, so stay away from using wipes or tissue.

14. Get Wide-Awake Eyes in Seconds

"Always use a shimmer powder in the inner corners of your eyes before taking any photos," Alexandra says. This will give you a wide awake look, despite your lack of sleep. Use a brush with a smaller head to get right into the inner corners of the eyes.

15. Use Fake Lashes

"I recommend using false eyelashes for all brides or any special occasion where you'll be in pictures," Alexandra says. "They make your eyes look big and captivating." If you're going for a full-on sexy or glamorous look, use a full lash strip. However, for a more subtle look, use individual lashes. "Either way," she says, "always curl your lashes and do a coat of mascara first — then apply the fake lashes. After that, wait until the glue dries, use your eyelash curler again, and, finally, apply another coat of mascara."
Tip: Cut and measure false eyelashes before you apply them. You don't want them to extend past your natural lash line. For a great tutorial on how to apply false lashes, check out this post: http://thebeautydepartment.com/2012/07/quick-tips-for-lash-strips/

16. Waterproof Makeup Is a Must

"If you're worried you're going to cry on your wedding day," Alexandra suggests using "a great product by Benefit called She Laq that will seal everything." Take the She Laq (it comes with four different brushes for easy application) and put it all over your lid to seal in shadow and liner so it won't run when you cry.
And don't forget waterproof mascara! "Even if you don't like waterproof," she says, "use it as an extra coat over your other mascara. And, if you're wearing false lashes, use a glue that's waterproof, too."

17. Do Some Prep Work — on Your Lips

Put lip balm on your lips before gloss or lipstick so they're not dry and flaky. For a wonderful tutorial on how to remove cracked lips before applying lipstick, check out this post: http://thebeautydepartment.com/2012/06/diy-lip-smoothie/. Then, fill in your entire lip with a lip pencil, which will hold the color longer. "For brides who just want to wear a gloss, prepare for it to fade," Alexandra says. "However, a lip pencil will help you keep some of that color longer."

18. Carry a Few Touch-Up Products in Your Makeup Bag

"Carry at least your lip color," Alexandra says, "as that's what'll wear out the fastest and need to be touched up the most." If you use good quality face and eye primers, everything else should stay in place.
She also advises keeping some oil blotting sheets on hand. "If you don't want to keep piling on powder throughout the day, make sure you also have some oil-absorbing sheets so you’re not just adding on more and more makeup. You can switch on and off — an application of powder, then the oil-absorbing sheets, and so on."
Q-tips are another great item to carry around with you. Makeup can collect in the inner corners of your eyes, and you can use the q-tips to clean them out.

Saturday, August 25, 2012

Wedding Dress Shopping Checklist: 6 Must-Have Items

Brides- wedding gown shopping can be overwhelming and for those who have never gone wedding gown shopping before, you won't know the dos/don'ts of dress shopping. So here is a compiled list of items to bring WITH you to make your experience a breeze.




1. Tape measure. This is something you should always have with you when out running wedding-related errands. For your hair trial, for example, you may want to know how far down your dress starts from your shoulders/neck. If you’ve chosen a short dress, you might also want to note where the dress ends. It also will come in handy when buying heels if you have not done so. You never know what type of measurements you’ll need, so bring a tape measure and jot down a few specifics. Keep it in your wallet so it’s always with you.

2.  Wedding shoes. For those brides wearing heels, especially ones that will be adding extra height, you want to ensure that your dress is hemmed to the correct measurements with you IN your shoes. If you have yet to buy your shoes, bring one of your favorite pairs or heels with the size heel you'll be wearing on your big day.

3. Jewelry. You will want to bring your jewelry with you as you try on dresses because you will want to see how they look with the jewelry you've selected. If your dress is low cut or strapless, this might affect how long (or short) your necklace needs to be.

4. Inspiration. Whether it's actual photos of dresses that you'd like to try on, or just styles that you like, make sure to bring some sort of reference. This makes it SO much easier for the sales ladies to pull dresses than to have to pull every dress in the store. Not only will you get out of their faster, it'll make your life easier to try on less dresses but bringing specific styles that you like.

5. Camera. You won't be able to take pictures of the gowns that you actually try on, but once you have paid for the one that you are going to wear down the aisle, you can take photos so that you can reference back to it when shopping for accessories.

6. Tissues- Your mom (and maybe even yourself) is sure to break out into tears, so you will want to bring a pack of tissues with you so that you have them on hand. Some dress shops have them, but just to be on the safe side, bring your own.

Lastly-HAVE FUN!!!! This is (hopefully) going to be a ONE time experience, so you will want to remember it all and not stress so much.


Tuesday, August 21, 2012

The Bridal Style




Brides- love Pinterest? (And who doesn't?) Well we have stumbled across a web site EXACTLY like it but that it solely for the purpose of wedding planning!

Bridal Style is set up exactly the same as Pinterest so there is no need to learn an entire new format. Just sign up and repin away!

We believe the best parts of the site are the "videos" feature, in which you can view well, videos, of  course, and the "style market," which showcases all kinds of jewelry.

This site is great for brides who wants to just stick with wedding planning and not get distracted by crafts, recipies or shopping, which can happen when on Pinterest.  It's a great way to have all ideas in one place without all the clutter.

Brides-what do YOU think???



Monday, August 20, 2012

Amanda Judge NY




Amanda Judge NY is another wonderful company we stumbled upon. Amanda Judge provides brides with party dresses under $100, hair accessories, belts, jewelry, etc.

Amanda, originally from California, moved to New York in 2005 and has lived their ever since. She started off making simple headbands (which can be seen on her site) and selling them on Etsy. One thing led to another and now her company, Untamed Petals, has become one of the top Bridal Accessory companies in the industry. Her new line Amanda Judge, includes every day pieces that any girl would love.

The best part? These looks would look great with HappilyeverborroWED pieces!

Our favorites are shown below...




Amanda Judge NY has 5 New York locations and 1 CA (Los Angeles) location. You can view the blog, lookbook and all of the collections at: http://www.amandajudgeny.com/

Sunday, August 12, 2012


Anna Campbell's bridal collection is gorgeous and we think that HappilyeverborroWED pieces mix with it perfectly! Here are some of our picks...





This Mia dress with detachable silk train is full of bling, but we would replace the cuff pictured with our Isabella Ivory Cuff from Enchanted Atelier. This silver cuff is not only accentuated by its Swarovski crystals, but also by its central ivory ribbon closure.










This Indiana Lace Dress with grecian skirt and detachable silk train is full of beautiful lace and we think matching it with our Gabrielle Headband by Stephanie Browne. Handmade in Australia, it is truly timeless because of its classic filigree and complete Swarovski crystal design as well as its Rhodium non-tarnishing finish.
























This one shoulder bejeweled gown would look great with our Jasmine Pearl Band by Stephanie Browne. Handmade in Australia, is truly timeless because of its elegant Swarovski crystal design and Rhodium non-tarnishing finish.

















This stunning lace gown with floral detail goes perfectly with our Starlet Belt by Justine M. Couture. The lovely appliqué is 3.75” wide and 8” long while the actual belt is 2.5” wide and has a 60” tie back. Perfect for that glamorous, old Hollywood feel.











This Belle gown with great floral detail would look even more gorgeous with our Loretta Sash by Bloom Bazaar. The 100% silk geometric flowers are modern yet organic. Freshwater Pearls and Swarovski crystals are sewn in the centers creating a beautiful fluttery adornment. 


Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Taste the Rainbow-Adding a Pop of COLOR


There are a lot of fun ways to add pops of color into your wedding without going OVERBOARD. Here are a few of our favorite ideas...

I'll drink to that- Get created with your cocktail hour. Now, we don't expect you to serve cool aid, but coming up with your own cocktail creations can be a fun and easy way to mix in color.















I wear my stunna glasses at night- A fun way to add a simple amount of color is by having your bridal parties wear different colored sunglasses throughout your big day, especially if your wedding is held outside on a summer day.



light it up- A simple way to tie in color into your wedding is by getting creative with lighting. Whether it's mood lighting during the reception or cool ways of lighting up each guest table (as pictured), it is sure to bring a fun vibe to your big day.


something blue (or pink)- One of the most simplest (and one of the most fun) ways of adding a pop of color into your wedding is by having the tule beneath your wedding gown dyed to match your wedding colors. Not only will your dress stand out, but it'll make great photos.  


heel toe- A unique and cute idea to incorporate color into your wedding day is as simple as having your bridesmaids wear different colored versions of the same heels. This will look so cute in photos and is sure to have guests leaving lots of compliments.


Thursday, August 2, 2012

Real -Bride Camas

Simplicity sometimes makes the biggest statement and real bride Camas clearly knew that when picking out both her dress and veil. Her gorgeous yet understated one shoulder dress shows off her beautiful shoulders and focuses more on her hair, done up in a bun updo.



Camas went with our Summer Ball Veil, cascading down her back for a glamorous look that didn't take away from her dress or hair. 


For jewelry, the bride went with our Diana earrings for a bit of sparkle that is clear from across the room to up close; perfect for pictures. Made of Sterling silver, oval filigree chandeliers, and Swarovski crystals, these earrings are a great way to add a tasteful bit of bling to an otherwise simple bridal look. 




Photographer: jenhuangphotography.com