Monday, December 31, 2007

Ann Taylor Wedding Gowns



Already a big fan of Ann Taylor dresses, I was quite excited to find out that they now offer wedding gowns. If you are looking for something elegant and simple, then perhaps you might like their gowns. Some find might them to be a bit too basic, but for the bride who doesn't want much frills, lace, or fancy embroidery, then you might find the gown for you. Each gown comes shipped in a garment bag together with a satin hanger. For added protection, each is stylishly presented in a pretty white box lined with acid-free paper.

Friday, December 28, 2007

Rent your Wedding Jewelry

Ah, jewelry. It is one of those things that is a must-have for every bride. But, what if you don't want to buy that expensive diamond necklace costing way over $2000? Try renting! With Bag Borrow or Steal at http://www.bagborroworsteal.com/ - you can pretty much have your cake and eat it, too. In this case, it would be that expensive Charriol necklace you've been wanting for the longest time - renting it, at least.. Think of it as a club for renting high fashion pieces from the likes of Gucci, Hermes, and more.

Thursday, December 27, 2007

A Beautiful Wedding Gift You'd Definitely Keep

If you've been searching for a truly special wedding gift that really doesn't pinch your pocket, then maybe you should try a Lladro, which features one of the world's most beautiful porcelain figurines. Where can you find these? Just check out the Macy's website and you will find some very elegant pieces.

Here are my favorites:

Lladró "Wedding Bells" Cake Topper $235.00



Lladró The Happiest Day $570.00 - *** A Dahlia Favorite



Lladró "Everlasting Love" $450.00

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

What Can you Learn from Weddings

Can you tell how your future husband or wife will turn out when planning your wedding? A friend of mine recently got married to her long-time college friend and we started to talk about the whole wedding planning experience. One of the more interesting aspects of this discussion turned to the idea that some people don’t really know who they are marrying until you start planning a wedding together. It may actually be truer than you think. While not groom may enjoy picking out the flowers and favors for the wedding, I think it says quite a lot when the groom simply wants to help out in this process. The same can be said for the bride who takes everything into her own hands and leaves nothing for the groom to do, but at the same time, she ends up complaining that she does everything. Do these stories seem familiar to you? A tad perhaps! The point is if you are planning a wedding and want to understand your fiancé more, then get involved and get to know who you are marrying. Who knows what you will end up learning?!

Friday, December 21, 2007

Toilet Paper Bride

Times must either be really tough or the world of weddings just turned a little bit too weird. I don't know who would agree to wear toilet paper as a wedding gown, but I guess we each have our own tastes. Now, I wonder what the groom should wear? Should we even go there?

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Beautiful Crystals at Swarovski

December 20 at last, just 5 days until the 25th. When I think of this season, nothing comes up more pronounced than the brilliance of crystals, which is why I invite you to visit the wonderful website of Swarovski crystals called CRYSTALLIZED. You will not only find interesting products, but also be inspired by their beautiful site. Have fun!

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Gown buying - tips from Dahlia

Buying one's wedding gown may seem like a straightforward process of getting the gown and trying it on. However, for many brides, including me at one point in time, the gown-buying experiendce was not exactly a bed of roses and champagne. To understand why for many, it ends up becoming frustrating unlike those scenes you see on tv of a happy bride picking out her gown and everything falls into perfect place. You would think that it should be this way. After all, you are paying a lot of money for a dress you only plan to wear once - literally unless you plan to put it on the auction block. When I bought my gown, i had poured over all the bridal mags in what seemed like a perpetual wheel of fortune game. Expressions like "oh, this is perfect", or "I love this gown" seemed altogether common. Unless you are lucky and have a really good buddy to go boutique hopping to find the right gown. Don't be one of those frustrated people like me. My word of advice is when choosing your gown, resist the urge to find something that merely looks gorgeous. Let's be practical now and ask yourself if it will look gorgeous based on your body type, height, and overall size. With this simple mindset, save yourself the frustration and try to find a gown that works well with your body, one that would flatter it rather than cause you the sheer embarrassment of not looking good as much as you want that gown. If you are petite, find gowns made specifically for petite brides. If you are a voluptous bride, look for gowns that are made for divas not twigs. If you are tall and thin, then you are pretty lucky 'cuz a lot of gowns are made for your body type anyways.

Thursday, November 01, 2007

Bright Bold Beautiful Orange Weddings

While not entirely popular among brides, I think a Thanksgiving wedding is an extra special time. For one thing, you can go nuts on the color orange without feeling totally weird, since you don't find too many weddings that go all out on the color orange. In fact, orange is a color you can use throughout the year - great when choosing dresses, invitations, or flowers. For instance, an orange silk shantung bridesmaid dress looks gorgeous when coordinated with colors such as fuchsia, or yellow green. You can also put in some hues of purple and brown. As for what else can get you inspired by orange, let's see:

Pumpkin Cake - this beautiful orange and brown cake from the magazine of Country Living looks so damn good, it can even be perfect for a summer wedding. Looks so delicious! The marzipan fruits are so cute.



Orange Dahlias - ok, how can you not like these! What a simple and pretty arrangement!



Classy Invites - these sweet invitations from Lovelace Design are so elegantly done. Love the contrasting green and orange color combo palette.



Cute favor bag - these orange and chartreuse silk bags are also a great color combo. You can fill them up with some of those Lindt chocolate truffles we all love with those hazelnut fillings!

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Halloween wedding ideas

Boo! Ah, I love Halloween.

It's really a great time to become a child all over again even if you are an adult.

How do you go about getting all scary and in the mood for a Halloween filled with boo-like matrimonial tactics?

Let's see some spooky ideas:

1) Wear a monster bride costume



2) Play a DVD of the movie "Corpse Bride" at the wedding shower




3) Have a candy buffet table and go sugar crazy with Halloween candy from See's candies. I love these Marshmallow Jack O'Lanterns - yummy!




Yes, it does seem a bit juvenile, but heck, if you were a bride planning a Halloween wedding, you'd definitely be offbeat anyways.

Trick or Treat!

Tuesday, October 02, 2007

Purse Party Ideas for a Bridal Shower

A bridal shower party with a fashion theme can be a fun-filled event teeming with great ideas. To begin the planning, it's a good idea to think about the style of the party whether it will be a modern or vintage-inspired one. I personally love anything vintage because it is so romantic, but you can also spice it up with cool details and bold colors. Check out your craft stores for ribbons, beads, and other fun embellishments to jazz up the decor. You can also be inspired by your favorite handbag designer or purse style to plan the decorations of the party. Here are some party ideas that you can start with:

For invitations:
Madison Park Purse Invitation - cute motif on the header



For the cake:
A French-inspired purse cake - oh, wow!



For the party supplies:
Cute pink stripe plates - pretty, pretty, ...



For the goodies:
Purse shaped cookies - yum!



For the guests:
Give'em some pretty purse favor bags

Friday, September 21, 2007

Wedding Shoes All Over Again

It's not a foot fetish. I promise. It's just that today - I had the crazy idea of wedding shoe alternatives. What are these three ideas?

Boots - these are just the right ones for a Western themed wedding



Clogs - for the offbeat bride who doesn't give a damn about what other people think. These puppies come monogrammed, too. How cute!



Converse Shoes - for the couple that is totally athletic or if you just want to be comfortable



And if you still can't get enough of a shoe fetish today, or if you are planning a shower with a shoe theme, then give a shoe as a favor. Then, you've completed the whole idea of being shoe-crazy!

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

An innovative way to do your wedding invitations

While browsing around colourlovers.com, the coolest site for finding color palettes, I stumbled upon another site called jewelboxing.com. Talk about me lacking focus, but it's such a unique way of sending a wedding invitation. Jewelboxing as it turns out allows you to create a cd filled with your favorite music and graphics. Plus, if you are into creating your own snazzy photos and pretty graphics, it's a pretty cool way to make a debut. I found these two examples on their website for some inspiration:



Wednesday, September 05, 2007

Chocolate Brown - Oh So Fall

The one thing I love about Fall is the color brown especially on a gorgeous wedding cake or cupcake. Coupled with the fact, that it's the perfect excuse for a chocoholic bride! A little "flickring" and I found these lovely pieces:

Chocolate Brown and Cream Wedding Cake


Chocolate Cupcakes


Rose cascades

Friday, August 31, 2007

What's a Polyvore?

When trying to find inspiration for your wedding, sometimes, just being to look at images without the use of text is a nice change. Polyvore allows you to create collages based on the images you find on the web. The cool factor here is that you can choose different colors and backgrounds for the collages you create. I also like the fact that these images on the collages have links to various sources on the web. Way cool and way useful for brides. Did I also mention that you can search for collages based on color palettes. I just luv that feature. It's lot of fun. Here are some of my faves:









Sunday, August 26, 2007

Dahlia Wedding Flowers

It's a Dahlia day today! So, it's better to use pictures than words to explain how I love these beautiful flowers. My favorite dahlia colors are fuchsia and orange. Gorgeous as a wedding bouquet!



Video, too! After watching it, I didn't know that there were purple dahlias!

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

A look at some 2008 bridal gown collections

When you start to see all those Labor Day sales signs go up, it certainly shows that summer will be over soon. Sigh. But wait, who says you can't look at what's going to happen next year! I'm basically talking about what bridal gown designers are showcasing for 2008. New York Magazine's Wedding Guide to Spring 2008 Bridal Collections - featuring designs from:



Reem Acra
Check out the pink and blue wedding gown for the offbeat bride.

Monique Lhuillier
Check out slide #17:



Carolina Herrera
Check out slide #14:



Elizabeth Filmore
Oscar de la Renta

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Updated blogroll

I've just updated the blogroll for other wedding bloggers. Feel free to visit these other great sites! Just look on the left-hand side for all the additions. Have fun reading! You may also want to check Delightfulblogs.com - this site lists down some pretty cool wedding blogs. And of course, you will find some familiar blog there, too. Guess?

Saturday, August 18, 2007

Go Nuts with Wedding Colors

When you spend enough idle time “googling” all over the web, sometimes you really never know what can come up. I stumbled on this website at http://www.weddingbycolor.com/ - It is a blog that gives brides the chance to showcase their wedding planning. But, the difference is that these weddings are sorted by the color scheme. Pretty unique concept, I think.

When you go through the site, though, I found that there weren’t that many pages yet that had content. Perhaps it’s because it is still a new site. Nevertheless, the concept is unique. If you’re looking around for a site to feature your wedding and you happen to love color and want to showcase your wedding colors, then perhaps this might be an interesting site to check out. Right now, the main colors that are featured are red, purple, blue, orange, green, pink, yellow, and chocolate brown.




For additional colors ideas, try the following sites:

Purple - The Most Dreaded Wedding Color Gets a Makeover

Choosing a Beautiful Color Palette

Wedding Color Trends: Be Bold with Orange

Thursday, August 16, 2007

Spending on your wedding

Ah, it's lunchtime and I'm learning that the stock market has once again plunged. One must wonder how dismal things seem, but surely things should get better. But, let's focus on now. I mean right now. If you have just gotten engaged, you are probably thinking about ten million things. What dress do I get? What cake do I want? Where and when will be the big day? Yes, these are very valid questions, but much of it resides in how much one can actually pay for a wedding. How much can one afford at a time when the economy and much of America is languishing in homes they can't sell?

When you think about your dream wedding, there are some people who just scoff at the idea of spending so much, while there are others who are hypocritical about spending so much only to be spending that much, and then there are others who are just plain honest about how much they can spend and then set realistic options about planning their big day. Whichever camp you belong to, these three articles provide some insightful ways to approach the spending on your wedding:

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

A Cake Conundrum on Kaboodle

I did a little hunting on Kaboodle and came across this poll for choosing a cake:



Btw, be forewarned. Kaboodle is addictive!

Sunday, August 12, 2007

Go Wild with a Vegas Themed Groom's Cake

I've always found that coming with a theme for a groom's cake is one of the most fun parts of planning a wedding. It's a chance to be wacky and whimsical. Since it seems like Vegas themes have been extremely popular lately, it would be only natural to find inspiration for a poker-themed groom's cake.


I found two very cool ones below:

via Pink Cake Box - be sure to check out her cake blog!


via Sugar



There are other themes that you can incorporate if you don't want to look like a complete high-roller. How about using a giant-sized rolling dice, a skyline of Vegas, a slot machine, or the welcome sign to vegas? A big giant gold coin cake would also make a statement. Hmm. Perhaps too much of a statement, but I think it would certainly top the whimsical list.

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

Burn that Dress - Would You?

Burn your bra! No, burn or trash your dress! I read this article while surfing at lunch. It struck me that this is going on at a time when your dress is as sacred as can be. But, I guess it is not for some free spirited brides longing to break free. Hmm, break free from what? That's what I wonder about. Nevertheless, you've got TrashtheDress.com, a Web site created by Louisiana photographer Mark Eric. Feeling as surprised as I am, read the article called Wedding Trashers. Any thoughts?

Friday, August 03, 2007

Today Throws a Wedding

Martha Stewart together with the Today Show will be giving one couple a wedding on October 5 called "Today Throws a Wedding".

See details below:

Wednesday, August 01, 2007

Bridal Insanities Revisited

Anyone who has ever planned a wedding should probably know by now how truly stressful planning a wedding can be. It's a time when sanity becomes a sacred word. Let's visit some examples, I'm sure you know what I am talking about:

1) Getting your table linens to match with that right color shade. For instance, the colors aqua, red, and pink are examples of colors, which seemingly possess their own personality. If only colors could match the first time you try!

2) Tasting butter cream, fondant, and royal icing from 5 different bakers. If only the wedding cake could taste just the way you want it.

3) Making sure your bridesmaids can fit into their dresses that you had ordered 6 months ago.

4) Ensuring that the groomsmen don't do something entirely crazy during the wedding. And more importantly, making sure the bestman doesn't forget his speech.

5) Pleasing your future in-laws or anyone involved with the planning. Some brides often have their future mother-in-laws take care of a lot of details, so finding the right balance is very difficult. She suggests pink, but you want fuchsia.

6) Finding the right shade of ivory to match that dress you've chosen. There aren't too many places that carry ivory, since white is more popular.

7) Driving around town to all your different vendors. Perhaps getting a planner might be a good thing.

8) Getting the flower girls and ringbearers to behave. Hopefully, no fights will break out during the wedding.

9) Tasting the wines for the wedding reception. Choosing the wrong wine can speak millions about your taste.

10) Keeping everything organized such as business cards, website links, etc.

Monday, July 23, 2007

It's Also About the Groom - Tux Talk

Bridal fashions have always focused on the bride. Why shouldn't it anyways? But, sometimes, let's give the groom some attention even if it's a just brief moment. As always, finding a nice directory with all the fixings is a perfect place to start looking. Check out New York Wedding Guide's List of Men's Formalwear Stores. Another good place to check styles is at Men's Wearhouse. And if the question of whether to rent or buy comes up, just think of it this way. Would you be wearing that tux more than once? If the answer is "yes", it's a buy. But, if you can't afford to buy it, then perhaps you can think of it as an investment in your formal attire. While not everyone would agree considering how expensive a tux can get, if you absolutetly have to rent one, then let it be only as a last resort. Think of the tux as a lavish gift and it won't be so bad. Take this gorgeous tux from Ermenegildo Zegna:

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Inspirational Highlights from Eva Longoria's Wedding

We all heard about the spectacular wedding of Eva Longoria in Paris on July 7th. What did I find most interesting about their wedding? Here are seven inspirational highlights for anyone planning a wedding bonanza:

1) The Bouquet
A bouquet of white phalaenopsis orchid stems and lillies.

2) The Ring
Piaget Possession wedding band rings. For her, an 18K white gold with featuring two rows of 80 brilliant-cut diamonds, separated by a row of 27 square-cut diamonds-a total of 107 jewels. For him, an 18K white gold Possession band. Read more >>
See the website: Piaget

3) The Wedding Dress
A mermaid-styled gown with stunning silver metallic embroidery by Angel Sanchez. The back of the gown was the show-stopper with a scoop-back style. It was off-white and had a 10-foot-long cathedral train. Read more >>
See his collection at Wedding Style Magazine by Grace Ormond

4) The Cake
A French wedding cake, of course! It was a vanilla bean pound wedding cake with raspberry filling with each of its five tiers embellished with sugar flowers. Read more >>

5) The Church Ceremony
Church of Saint Germain l'Auxerrois located across from the Louvre Museum. If you're in Paris, it's located 2, Place du Louvre, Paris 75001.

6) The Wedding Reception
Chateau de Vaux le Vicomte, an awesome 17th-century castle located in Maincy - about 30 miles southeast of Paris. It's about a 30 minute train ride.
See the website of Chateau de Vaux le Vicomte for tour information

7) Gifts for Guests
As an ultra luxurious gift for guests, each female guest received a Van Cleef & Arpels Sweet Alhambra bracelet. Based on the iconic Alhambra design, the bracelets come in 18K yellow gold with a miniature mother-of-pearl clover charm. If you're as rich as Eva, there would be no need for a favor budget, here. However, it is certainly inspiring to be able to give something nice to guests!
See the website of Van Cleef & Arpels

Sunday, July 01, 2007

Target Wedding Gowns

Target, once gain, has come up with an affordable line of wedding gowns designed by Isaac Mizrahi. Prices start at about $89.99 and are only available on-line.



My favorite is the Tulle Princess Dress $159.99



While you may find many of the styles on the plainer side without the fancy lace and complex embroidery and beading of more sophisticated gowns, they are affordable for brides that are on a tight budget. Using accessories such as lovely shawl or wrap, or even jewelry can help a great deal to spruce up your overall look. I found this interesting and practical article from Bellenza! Go here for How to Select a Perfect Bridal Gown For a Summer Wedding.

Friday, June 29, 2007

More than a Cookbook - A Great Wedding Gift

What do fires and weddings have in common? Nothing, of course, but if you want to give a gift with a super good cause, the "Los Angeles Firefighters Family Cookbook" is a wonderful wedding gift. With all the brush fires going on this summer, fire fighters are working harder than ever and risking their lives at the same. 100% of the proceeds from the purchase of a cookbook also goes to benefit the widows, orphans and Disabled Firemen's Fund.

Friday, June 22, 2007

Give the bridal party pillows to keep

Let's get some pillow talk! No, not just ordinary and definitely not just a pillow. These are handmade lavender pillows from "Pillows for the People." Colorful and teeming with artistic personality, Parisa has produced these super cool and creative pillows. Just the perfect accessory to keep in your pad, loft, or study. With the light scent of lavender, these pillows speak to you without the added hype - pure joy and beauty. The look is vintage and deco with a personal flair. It's a great gift for that artsy bridal attendant who just won't settle for jewelry or cuff links.

Check out some favorites:

Frida and Flags - for the Maid of Honor



Deco Elvis - for the Groomsman with an Elvis thing



Paper Cranes - for the Mother of the Bride

Monday, June 18, 2007

A Search for Wedding Ideas

When searching for ideas, the web certainly presents us with no shortage of ideas. But, how many of these ideas are really practical? How many really come close to what you are looking for when trying to get an idea for a centerpiece that you want to have at a wedding shower, or a favor idea that is original yet simple to do. Enter the webzine of the Wedding Bistro at Bellenza. What will you find there? To name a couple of things: you can find DIY ideas for that centerpiece project you've been wanting to make for a party, you can also get color ideas, and table decor and favor photos. I also like the colorful pictures being that I'm such a visually-oriented person.

wedding-ideas

Sunday, June 10, 2007

A Wedding in a Funeral Place?

Ever plan a wedding only to realize or discover that the venue for your wedding is also a place for funerals. Yes - this is happening in places around America as people live longer and funeral homes are resorting to creative ways of brining in revenue. Some people may simply refuse to admit that this can't possibly be true, but many mortuaries are coming with expanded services such as catered meals, reception hall rentals, and are even offering entertainment such as multimedia. Sound like something morbidly creative from a business perspective, but then again, that's being entrepreneurial. In the end, would you mind having a wedding in a funeral home or would you rather go to Vegas and get it done with cheaply?

Interested in the articles? Go here:

A Wedding at a Funeral Home?

Four Weddings And A Funeral

Holding a wedding at a funeral home?

Wednesday, June 06, 2007

Photo Books - Create Them with Viovio

My coffee table is usually filled with the usual clutter of magazines - be it a bridal, fashion, or lifestyle mag. But, how often does something come along that is so cool and attractive, that you just gotta have it displayed on your coffee table. Yes, there are photo albums, but how about your own photo book - like those you see in the bookstores. With a hardbound cover, glossy pages, and fantastic pics of you, Viovio allows you to do this with great ease and economy.



They also offer bulk discounts. The prices aren't bad at all. For instance: 20 page perfect bound book: $4.99 + (20 * $.25) = $9.99. It takes about 14 business days for the hard cover books to be produced. What is most unique about their product and service is that you can even sell your own photo book on their website. Perhaps it's time to be a budding photographer after all. Looking for a fab wedding gift that is radically different, then give the bride and groom a gift certificate from Viovio.

Monday, June 04, 2007

CD Invitations are here to stay

Step aside paper, multimedia is here to stay. In the manner of speaking, at least for weddings! The digital age is definitely making it more creative when it comes to creating invitations - you know, those paper ones, that you used to get. But now, Cd Invites has come up with an innovative way to send out your wedding invitations. You can customize your CD invitation in basically 3 easy steps:

1) You choose the design - they also have designs for other special events

2) You choose the package to present the cd - a tin (square or round), round case, or jewel case

3) You customize it with your images - they create a proof, you approve, and it's done



Each cd pacakge includes:

1. Customized slide show with 20 images
2. Cd Design with your custom info.
3. Printed customized matching invite card
4. Email RSVP link
5. CD Casing (Jewel Case or Tin Case)

They are also having a contest for a chance to win 100 free cd invitations, check it out:

http://www.cdinvites.com/special.htm

For pricing info, check out:
http://www.cdinvites.com/prices.htm

That's pretty much all you need to do besides making sure it gets out in the mail.