Archive for the ‘What’s Hot’ Category

Every girl has been there when the DJ or band announces over the loudspeaker that the bride will now be throwing her bouquet. All the girls get ready to catch it, all giddy, secretly hoping they will catch the bouquet, and be the next person to get married. On television and in the movies, they love to exaggerate this ritual, and sometimes throw in a cat-fight over the bouquet. While that doesn’t typically happen, this is fun exciting tradition that girls love ,and some take it very seriously…and one that guys probably dislike because of the potential repercussions.

While this is a seemingly great ritual, with it means the bride loses her bouquet to one of her friends. Think about how much time you are spending on picking out that simple bouquet. What color flowers do you want? Are they going to match your bridesmaid’s bouquets? Will you have a variety of flowers or just one kind of flower? As the bride, you agonize over these decisions for weeks, maybe even months. It seems like quite a shame to just give away your hard work without holding onto it for a memory keepsake.

Recently, many brides are having their florist make two bouquets: the one to be carried down the aisle and preserved as a keepsake, and a smaller one to be thrown out in the crowd. (Sometimes florists will even throw in the smaller bouquet for free as an advertisement.) This gives you the best of both worlds: you can continue the tradition of throwing the bouquet without losing the memories of your bouquet that you spent so many long hours planning. Having a smaller bouquet to toss also means that the lucky girl who caught the bouquet gets to keep it at the end of the night.

Although, this might not always be financially possible for everyone, it is a great alternate when it is. It is a win-win for both people involved. Gotta love traditions and the joy they bring.  So, go talk to your florist and talk about alternative bouquets and what s/he recommends. And to all of you attending a wedding soon, good luck out there. I know you can fight off those other girls and catch the bouquet

Cheers!

Jen

We love finding fabulous new items to share with you, and these invites are just that – super stunning! The details, textures, and embellishments offered by Allure Invitations will have guests anxious for your wedding.

From textured paper to metallic motifs, these invitations have plenty {of options} to offer. My visit with Mara of Allure Invitations opened doors to new stationers that I had never heard of but am now eager to design with!

{  person + killian }

Arabella Papers, just one of the stationery companies Mara works with, is in high demand this season for their beautifully embellished invitations. The pockets, rhinestones, textures, and color can be used throughout their samples for a truly customized invitation. With all the options I suggest working with a stationery expert to help keep your design process simple and cohesive. With Mara’s guidance I can’t wait to see what we come up with for my next photo shoot!

After seeing all she had to offer we chatted about stationery, trends, and a bit about her.

Q: What are a few things brides are looking for this year? What trends have seen and where you do hear about the latest styles?

POCKETS! are very in this year, as well blues and purples – fun vibrant colors – not the classic ecru. Rhinestones and embellishments are also very popular right now. I stay on top of trends by belonging to event planning associations. Twice a month I attend networking groups that provides education within the industry. Every year I attend the National Stationery Show in NYC that offers seminars about all of the upcoming trends and the latest and greatest out there.

{  person + killian }

Q: Do you have any tips to offer?

Make sure there is time for addressing the envelopes to your guests and stuffing the envelopes. I always leave at least 2 weeks for that process. And please don’t ever buy stamps in advance – you must take the entire suite to the post office and have it weighed. The price typically varies between .55 to over $1.50/ stamp, so ordering stamps in advance can turn out to be a very stressful situation we can avoid. Remember that square envelopes are more expensive to mail than a classic envelope.

Q: Tell me about Allure Invitations. What’s unique about Allure Invitations and the invitations you offer/create?

Allure Invitations, formerly Yours Truly, Mara, has been in business for over five years. Customer Service is our greatest quality – if a client can’t get to us, we will go to the client. Very often we run into town with 2 or 3 vendor books to help a bride create her unique and special invitation. We take a client’s budget very seriously and do not try to up sell the client. Planning a wedding can be very stressful financially and we want everyone to leave with the feeling that they got their moneys worth and feeling amazed about the first glance their friends and family will have into the big day. We have graphic designers on staff and can create anything imaginable – besides the invitations we also address the envelopes, create programs, menu cards, placecards, table numbers, napkins and hospitality bags for out of town guests.

• Planners Note: A stationery vendor who will address your envelopes is a fabulous find!
  

Q: When working with you, what is the process that couples should expect?

It is different for every bride. I always start with sitting down and talking about their wedding day and what it will look like, if they have any thoughts about what they want to do for the invitations. We make a timeline so the bride can see all of dates related to her invitations: when the invitations need to be ordered, mailed, and the RSVP date. Based on what we discuss, I show them manufacturer books in the appropriate price range and production time. If they don’t find something they love in all of the books, we start from scratch and actually create the image they have in mind. We offer over 20 different manufactures, so its typically easy to find what you love – but we also love the excitement of creating an invitation that is delivered in a silk box or with exquisite brooches and rhinestones.

Once the invitation is designed, I place the order and we receive and emailed proof to review the spelling, layout, and fonts. After the proof is approved, the production time can take between one week and five, based on the complexity of the order. I highly suggest a bride start looking 6 months before the wedding – that is plenty of time to allow the above steps to move smoothly and stress free.

Visit Allure Invitations online to schedule an appointment for invitations, save the dates, or stunning ceremony programs!

Cheers,
__Jessica

With all the latest fashions coming out of Bridal Market 2010 I can’t wait for the newest additions to Lilly Pulitzer’s line of fabulous clothing and accessories… wedding dresses!

{  let the tide pull you in }

I’m very impressed by Lilly’s 2010 line. She created a range of designs to suit weddings from beach-side soirees to formal fêtes.  But in keeping with her usual sparkle, the dresses, both long and short, have subtle hints of pink and green. Some bear a striking resemblance to Lilly’s signature cotton dresses while others appear to be her first departure into formals fit for a wedding.

{  the preppy princess }

White eyelet, backed by a pale pink, is a pretty twist on the traditional white-on-white lace overlay and is one of my favorites!

{  the preppy princess }

Short dresses are versatile, making them great options for either formal rehearsal dinners or afternoon weddings. I love that Lilly is working with different details – the hint of beading on this v-neck gown is just enough for the simple silhouette.

The collection is set to debut in a select group of boutiques sometime in the next six months. Once we hear more we’ll pass the good news along. Until then, good luck finding the *perfect* dress!

Cheers,
__Jessica

This week mother nature is making herself very clear, announcing that summer is officially over (as much as I hate admitting that.) Here at Alden Blair Events, we suggest kicking off the fall season by adding a little plaid into your wedding. Plaid is a great pattern that can be used with all color schemes.

You can add a pair of plaid pumps under your beautiful dress, add a plaid accessory to your hair or even have your groom wear plaid cuff links. Here in New England it hasn’t stopped raining the past few weeks so we suggest purchasing a pair of plaid rain boots in case the weather doesn’t cooperate (don’t worry they say rain on your wedding day is good luck, and there are some pretty cute rain boots out there.)

The sky is the limit with plaid…and remember you don’t need a family tartan in order to incorporate plaid into your wedding day.

Enjoy!

Jen

With the change in the weather I’m already missing the warm weather and sailing. So when the world of Twitter introduced me to Kiel James Patrick it made my Monday seem a bit more sunny.

The company, and the man behind it, are all about the classic American lifestyle. Combining classic patterns with fresh design is too good to be true, making their products a unique but traditional find that compliment casually elegant weddings.

I envision the gents with coordinating belts and loafers, don’t you?

{  kiel james patrick }

Inspired by lazy days by the ocean and driftwood bonfire gatherings at dusk, [the Cape and Brighton Beach bracelet line] is a montage of classically preppy motifs including seersucker, nautical icons, and madras plaids with polka dots.

A late summer beach bonfire is music to my ears – and a fabulous way for guests to mingle after the rehearsal dinner.

Cheers,
__Jessica

Thinking about your wedding favors and looking for something new? Take a look at the latest trend in wedding desserts/favors – cheesecake pops! These are incredibly delicious, and because they are bite sized you can have a few without feeling {as} guilty. And the  individual serving size allows you to offer a larger variety of flavors than if you ordered whole cakes. I truly don’t see a down side to this idea!

Some brides have asked “How would you include these at my wedding?” The way I see it, there are three great options:

1. Dessert bar: The straight lines created in this display allow guests to easily peruse the cheesecake options. Sugar comes in every shade of the rainbow, so you can integrate color and keeps the pops standing upright.

2. Escort cards: your stationery vendor can produce personalized flags with your guests names on the front and table assignments on the back. Dessert before dinner may not work for everyone, but most of your guests will be excited.

3. Favors: at the Simply Elegant Wedding Expo this past weekend we had two cheesecake pops in a favor bag for brides that visited our booth. You can do this at the end of your reception for guests – with a custom tag thanking them for sharing in your wedding day.

Just don’t forget to communicate with your caterer! They can keep the cheesecake pops refrigerated until the time is right, so long as you let them know ahead of time.

A huge thanks to I Dream of Jeanne Cakes for the pops. I highly recommend Jeanne’s culinary skills for any wedding dessert!

Cheers,
__Jessica

Wherever you fall in the wedding cake debate — fondant vs butter cream, 3 vs 8 tiers, cake vs cupcakes — there is just one consensus: we ALL want dessert!

{ sweet cupcakes and cakes }

So what’s the big deal?! Why all the fuss?! It is a matter of taste, style, and sometimes the amount of “hoopla” that you (don’t) want concerning your dessert.

Cupcakes made center stage in the wedding industry a while ago, but we continue to see unique takes on wedding cupcakes. Here are some of my favorite cupcakes!

1) Wedding ‘themed’ cupcakes

Think “a perfect pair” or “love birds”, because frosting can be any color!

{ sweet cupcakes and cakes }

2) Pretty paper

The decorative papers dress up even the most traditional cupcakes.

{ the bakery boutique }

3) Mini cupcakes

What’s better than having 2… or 3…. or more…

{ baby cakes }

4) Multiple flavors or fillings

You love chocolate with strawberry frosting, but your fiance can’t get enough red velvet – what do you do?! What about a fruit filling? The more the merrier, I say!

{ maine cakes and cookies }

{ food network }

5) Groom’s cupcakes

Well, if he really wanted some kind of ‘groom’s dessert’, why not keep with the cupcake idea?

{ cave cibum }

6) The extra-large, cut-able cupcake

Why cut a mini cake when you can share an extra-large cupcake with your husband/wife!

Now all you need is a (cup)cake cutting song… I love the Beatles’ When I’m 64.

Cheers,
__Jessica

What are your plans for the day of your wedding? Are the guys golfing and the ladies being pampered? If so, get them together (and keep them together) in a comfortable, convenient location by hosting them at a bed and breakfast.

{ Captain Farris House, Cape Cod }

Many of the couples I’ve worked with choose to say goodnight after the rehearsal dinner, then see each other at the altar. The night before the wedding, the bride and her friends spend some quality time together, while the groom and his friends do the same. They can pretty much do this anywhere, hotels included, but the comfort and privacy of a B&B is better than many options out there.

The fun is in reserving an entire house for the ladies, and another (just down the road) for the guys. On the morning of the wedding everyone is free to roam the house without worrying about curlers in your hair or *accidentally* seeing the bride before the ceremony.

{ Cliffside Inn, Newport }

If your wedding is set in a city there are bed and breakfast options there, too! There are several gorgeous brownstones that have an intimate and elegant style. The best part about a bed and breakfast in the city is that everything is just outside your front door and it is easy to take a cab anywhere (for when you run out of hairspray and the bridesmaids need to make an emergency trip to Rite Aid).

{ Charles Street Inn, Boston }

Hosting your bridal party will be fun – and practical – so have a blast!

Cheers,
__Jessica