What can we do to ensure our wedding is published and/or blogged about?This is surprisingly a very common question I hear from the couples I work with and unfortunately, I always give the same answer...No one can guarantee that your wedding will be published but there are, however, a few things that help increase your chances. First and foremost, lots and lots of details. Consider EVERYTHING on your wedding day from how your escort cards are arranged to the welcome drink. Make sure the place settings look impeccable and add sweet and unexpected touches throughout the day. If you know upfront the blog or magazine you want to target, pay attention to what they always publish. For instance, Martha Stewart always seems to focus in on the wedding cakes and invitations, while Style Me Pretty seems to love outdoor weddings above all else. And, if you do have a one track mind on where you want to see your wedding end up, don't be afraid to reach out to a contact at the specific blog or magazine in the initial planning stages and ask for their insider tips on making your day magazine worthy.

Also, the photographer you hire is very important in getting you published. It doesn't do any good for you to put all of your energy into considering every detail if at the end of the day the photographer doesn't capture those details on camera. While, first and foremost, their priority should be getting amazing images of you and your new hubby, if you are hoping to publish your wedding let the photographer know in advance and even further your chances of him capturing every detail by creating a very specific shot list outlining every little nuance of the day.

Lastly, while getting your wedding published is always a ton of fun, please do not let this goal take away from what the day's about. It's easy to get so wrapped up in designing the world's most unique table numbers that you can forget the meaning of the day. Give it your all but if you see yourself going crazy because the drink straws aren't exact, take a breather and realize your wedding and marriage is more important than a couple of pictures posted on a website ever will be.

Beauty Splurge – Yves Saint Laurent Gloss Volupté

I don’t know about you, but I can feel spring is here! The leaves are sprouting on the trees, the flowers in my yard are just about to be in full bloom, and the weather is getting just a little warmer. That fresh and light feeling is everywhere – including my beauty routine.

As I rotate those darker lipstick tones in my makeup bag for my lighter shades and glosses, I realize its time to restock on one of my favorite beauty splurges - YSL’s Gloss Volupté. This luscious stick glides on so effortlessly, conditioning lips and adding a touch of feminine color and shine. It really is amazing! Not only does it give your lips a lovely hint of transparent color, this gloss isn’t the least bit sticky. My favorite part though is the little hint of mango and pomegranate fragrance (it really is kind of yummy). Oh, and did I mention the light SPF 9 protection? It’s sheer, sensual and oh so good your lips. What’s not to love?!? This would be perfect for a bride looking for light but juicy color on her big day or even after on your honeymoon, giving you the look of color without trying too hard. 

Available in 8 delicious shades, this gloss is definitely a splurge at $30, but its one that I can’t live without in my purse for the perfect amount of natural shine and color, every single time.

Puppy Love

The only thing I am a bigger sucker for than weddings, is animals and if you're like me, then the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals might have something for you. The ASPCA is now making it easier than ever for your guests to give a donation to their cause in lieu of wedding gifts. OR, if you prefer to keep your loot, make a donation to this organization instead of favors. From my experience, guests rarely take the wedding favors home anyway, so you may as well put your money to good use instead of waking up post-wedding to a car full of silver plated coasters with your mugs on them.
 

Wedding Guests' Secret Gripes : Part I

With wedding season rapidly approaching, it's time to pull out these top secret guest complaints compiled by The Knot. Remember that while a wedding day is about you and your fiancee, you are still hosts of very huge party and you need to keep your guest's comfort in mind throughout the entire process....Come back next week for more insight into what your guests are thinking!

WEDDING GUESTS' SECRET GRIPES
You've been to a few weddings yourself, so you know there are just some things that can rub you the wrong way. Here are a few helpful reminders about what guests can't stand.
By Meredith Bodgas

YOUR TIMING STINKS
Huge time gaps between the ceremony and the reception — the ones where the ceremony starts at noon, but the party isn't until 7 p.m. — are annoying because you're often leaving us in the middle of nowhere with absolutely nothing to do. We don't want to kill time at a restaurant because we're hoping you'll feed us well at your reception. And there's only so much lingering we can do at a coffee shop or a bookstore ... in our dressy clothes! We'd much rather head straight to the party after the "I dos."

YOU PICKED A BAD DAY
We've had weddings on every holiday, from Mother's Day to Super Bowl Sunday (yes, that counts as a holiday). You must realize that we'd rather be with our moms or watching the game instead of going to your wedding on those days. And please don't ruin our holiday weekends. We get it; you can save a bundle if you get hitched on the Sunday before Memorial Day, but maybe we'd like to take our vacations then. If nothing else, please don't get married on some random Tuesday night. That means we have to take off two days from work just to go! Let us use our vacation days for vacations.

YOU'RE BORING US
The ceremony may be the most important part of the day to you, but the reception is what we're really looking forward to. When it takes forever to get dinner served, each speech is 25 minutes long, and you play a string of songs that are all inside jokes with the same group of friends, there isn't much time for getting our groove on. Uh, and if the band's so bad that no one's dancing — including you and your groom — we just think, Why are we even here? Showing us a really good time is the least that you can do to thank us for giving up our free day, traveling, and getting you an expensive gift.

Real Life Bride : Week 25

 
 Things are coming along nicely with the wedding planning and here are a couple updates:

•  I am happy (and surprised!) to report that we finally found ties that we both like! I found them at Banana Republic and they are a light grey plaid. We got a solid dark grey tie for Ryan that I think coordinates really nicely. Of course the Banana Republic I was in only had two of the ties, and their one day sale was ending in thirty minutes, but luckily I was able to locate two more at the store right by my parents' house and my mom happily popped over to pick them up!
• We scheduled a second tasting with our caterer to finalize the menu. At the first tasting they changed up a few items and then we changed our mind on the entrees, so we're heading back one more to finalize. 
• We also scheduled our engagement photo session. We're both really nervous about this as we are semi camera shy and awkward. Ryan hates pictures altogether, and I just feel kinda silly "posing," so this should be very interesting! We think it's important though to have this session to ease the nerves for the photographs on the big day. Plus I do love having nice photos of us.
• Laura sent us the second set of invitation proofs, but there are still so many choices! We were able to narrow things down and I also got to see some of the paper she has in mind. Overall I think we're going to have a nice blend of Southern charm and vineyard elegance.
• I had my first dress fitting and at first I got really excited when they pulled my dress out in the plastic and I knew it was "my dress." At first it didn't look quite the same, but, once we got it on I loved it just as much as the first time! However, it was way too big still. I always thought that since they take your measurements, the dress will "pretty much" fit you from the get go. But apparently they take those measurements and just order the size that accommodates your largest section? I don't know, but there are about six inches to be taken off the waist, so it definitely didn't seem quite like mine just yet! I'm glad I got to go this far in advance though because the shoes I have are a little bit too tall, so now I have time to find some new ones, which I've already started looking for, of course!
 

And completely separate from planning, I celebrated my last birthday as a "single" girl! I had a delicious dinner with my family and they even got me an ice cream cake for dessert at home. The next day, my actual birthday, I spent a relaxing afternoon at the park with my friends filled with fun games and laughter - it was a great birthday, and I can't believe that I will celebrate the next one as a "Mrs."!

What can we do about insects at our outdoor wedding?

An outdoor wedding can be a magical thing but comes with logistical issues that are unavoidable, one being bugs. For the most part, you should know going in that this may be just the price you pay for such a beautiful location, BUT, of course things like bug wipes in the toiletry baskets and/or citronella candles all around can definitely help. Or, if you are in your own backyard or the venue is open to it, you could also hire a pest control company to come in to temporarily displace the bugs with environmentally friendly methods. Try to avoid toxic pesticides though as they are no good for anybody including you or your guests!

Kate Somerville – The Clinic

One of my favorite things in life is a good facial. A little cleansing and refining, some neck and shoulder massage and poof! Radiant skin and a refreshed outlook on life.

Now, I’ve been to my share of spas and salons, and by far, my favorite is the Kate Somerville clinic on Melrose Place. The staff at Kate Somerville take care of you from the moment you walk in the door and into the elegant yet comfortable reception area. With super friendly and super talented estheticians and medically trained staff, an emphasis on clinical skincare, unparalleled service and proven results, the “skin health experts” will pamper your skin with the finest treatments and products around.

If you are lucky enough to live in the Los Angeles area, give the staff at the Clinic a call. And don’t be surprised if it turns into a long term relationship... I’m about to celebrate my four year anniversary.

Designing a Wedding You're In Love With : Part III : Don't Worry About Matching Everything

  The challenge with looking to your everyday world for design inspiration is that your choices may not seem cohesive enough for a wedding. But if you aren’t an overly matchy person, then why should every component of your wedding coordinate to a tee? There’s no reason you have to carry a white bouquet of roses to match a neutral background if your favorite flowers are fuchsia peonies. And by the same token, if orange poppies are your favorite, you don’t need everything from the bridesmaids’ dresses to your groom’s socks to be orange. Florals that are similar to the ones grown in your own garden are so much more meaningful than random pink flowers chosen to match your signature drink or table runners. I like to look at designing a wedding as if you’re creating an atmosphere similar to your home or favorite shop. When you walk into your kitchen, is the entire room devoted exclusively to the same two colors? And I don’t know about you, but I love the variety of colors and textures on display at my favorite store. Bring in elements you truly love and don’t worry too much about coordinating everything perfectly. Now, if you are a girl that likes a color scheme, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that either. But if you love something, then there is probably a way to work it into your look – the common denominator will be that every element represents you in some way, whether the hues are perfectly matched or not. 

Photography by Imij Foto

It is NOT Out of Fashion If You Love It!

I love wedding blogs.  I mean, I love, love, love them. They are a virtually free resource for a plethora of ideas for your big day and I highly encourage all of my brides to delve in for their daily dose of inspiration. However, one word of caution if you will. One thing about wedding blogs is it can take an amazingly creative idea and make it feel stale long before it actually is. The turnaround time between a wedding and it being published on a blog is so quick, that you literally get to see wedding trends in real time rather than months after the fact, which who wouldn't love that?!! This is a very positive thing for all of you creative brides out there, but also can be confusing for some of you too...

So you loved the idea of a vintage typewriter as a guest book until you saw it in 10 real weddings and now you're onto thinking of something else. And, that amazing ceramic ring bearer dish was all the rage until you noticed it on your favorite wedding blog more than once leaving you thinking it's no longer creative enough. Guess what? If you love these ideas then they are still creative and STILL special enough to make an appearance at your wedding day. Your guests do not spend hours upon hours upon hours devouring wedding blogs, magazines and such. They go to one, maybe two weddings a year. Some haven't been to a wedding in years. They still haven't seen the pews made of hay bales or the mason jar chandeliers. Cupcakes still take them back to a nostalgic place and they still will think the late night snack is charming. Now, I'm not suggesting that you should be lazy with your design in anyway, but if you love something, allow yourself to incorporate it on your wedding day. If you still like the idea of giving away pashminas at the end of the night, do it! Coming from experience, a girl can never have too many pashminas! There is a reason blogs feature these ideas and that so many people have jumped on the train of these trends...because they are great ideas and they are relevant to the atmosphere many couples are trying to create.

Right now, I'm seeing a major trend in my clients attempting to come up with that one "never-been-seen" element of their day whether it applies to them as a couple or not. Just because something is creative and unique, doesn't make it relevant for YOUR day. In the end, trying too hard, if not done right, can feel obvious and even silly.  Just be yourself and know who you are on your big day. Those are the weddings that guests love...ones that remind them of the couple they're there to celebrate. And, if that includes a lemonade stand, rustic chalkboards everywhere or your groomsmen wearing Chucks then so be it!

Real Life Bride : Week 24

 
Ryan and I recently set up a wedding website at ProjectWedding.com. I had originally done a pretty quick and simple site at theknot.com, but I didn't really like the artwork options and didn't love the layout either. My sister suggested that we look at ProjectWedding, and I was pleasantly surprised with their set-up.

I've never really liked wedding websites, but I was happy to find that you can delete pretty much all of the pages to fit your style! Our needs for a wedding website are just the basics - we simply want an easy way to pass along venue and hotel information and directions. Since we didn't send out a save the date, I thought this would be helpful for the guests who have to travel and may want to make their plans in advance of receiving the invitation, which will include accommodation information as well as the wedding website. It's also fun to see what guests write in the guestbook and the pictures that they include!

Once we receive our map from LH Calligraphy, we'll add that here too and share the site with our friends and family!

We also booked our honeymoon flights, revised the menu and are waiting on proofs for our invitations to see what direction we want to go with print material design. From all of the ideas I described and photos I showed to Laura, she described our look as "rustic cowboy meets jcrew prep meets vineyard" - should be interesting to see how that translates to print!

According to our online checklists, our next steps are engagement photo session and deciding what the guys will be wearing - which as I've already mentioned is no small feat since we don't agree on what they should wear!

My wedding venue is requiring liability insurance valued at $2 Million. Can we afford this?

This is a really common requirement of venues and it really is to your benefit. This way if you are renting a $10,000,000 estate for your wedding and someone damages the marble floors flown in from Italy, you won't have any out of pocket expenses. While $2 Million can make any couple sweat, in general this will cost you about $250 to $350 total. You can secure this insurance from your personal insurance carrier or at a website that specializes in event insurance such as www.wedsafe.com. Just make sure your paperwork includes all of the verbiage the venue is requiring and you should be good to go!

Fresh Face: Part III - You Are What You Eat

So far, we’ve tackled external factors that can affect our skin. This week I’m going to focus on what we put into our body and how that translates into what we see on the outside.

For the most part, I think we all try to be as healthy as we can. In my case, I’m pretty good most of the time, but you better believe I like to splurge. There are, however, a few things I try to make sure I get as often as possible because I know they have great benefits for my internal well being, as well as the health of my skin. Here are a few of my favorites:

* Green Tea: Helps to calm inflammation and is great for your whole well-being.

* Foods high in Omega 3’s: They help smooth skin and decrease the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Examples are salmon and tuna, walnuts, flax seed, cauliflower and strawberries. An added benefit of Omega 3’s is that they are shown to improve the health of your heart and also help to counteract feelings of depression.

* Tomatoes: With a high concentration of lycopene, tomatoes help to smooth skin.

* Blueberries: These little antioxidant gems are full of goodness for your skin, helping to fight free radicals and pre-mature aging. Also try blackberries and plums.

* Vitamin A: Found in abundance in healthy skin, dairy products are a great source of Vitamin A (I try to stick to the low-fat versions).

* Selenium: Helps to fight damage caused by the sun. Try whole-wheat or whole-grain products, Brazil nuts, tuna and turkey.

* Water: Don’t forget to drink plenty of water to keep your system running smoothly and property hydrated.

It would be a challenge to try and eat all of things every day! But I’m a big believer in moderation, and adding a few of these items into your regular diet may help you achieve that radiant skin you’re hoping for, from the inside out.

Designing a Wedding You're In Love With : Part II : Don't Let the Rules Limit Your Style

So, how do you incorporate these everyday simplicities in a way that still allows your event to seem like a traditional wedding? Well, the easy answer is that your wedding day doesn’t have to be traditional at all unless that’s what you are. When designing your day, really think about why you are making each decision. Is it because you feel like it has to be that way, or is it because it reflects your style? If traditional doesn’t describe you, then why carry a traditional bouquet? Remember
it’s about you and what you love, not what some arbitrary source says your day should incorporate. For example, one super-edgy couple I worked with had a tattoo booth at their wedding because they were very into the art. I’ve also seen a bluegrass band dressed completely in overalls play at the ultra-rustic wedding of a Midwestern couple that wanted to get back to their roots. Anything goes when it comes to your wedding style and the environment you want to create for your day. At the same time, don’t feel like you have to go overboard with a theme either. If you love Moroccan food, for example, it’s nice to incorporate other cultural touches if you are planning to serve a Moroccan feast; however, it doesn’t necessarily mean that your day has to resemble a Moroccan
Bazaar. What’s most important is that you don’t let the “rules” determine your style. Make your own
rules and ultimately you will create a day that is your own little piece of wedding heaven!

Photography by Jonathan Canlas

Monique's New Line

It's that time ladies...Monique Lhuillier is introducing her Spring 2011 line and you are not going to want to miss it! I am a strong believer that every bride deserves Monique on her wedding day, so if you haven't picked THE dress yet, and you live in the Los Angeles area, please, please, please be sure to give my friend, Hannah Lyon, a call at the Monique Lhuillier boutique on Melrose Place. The event is by appointment only and you can schedule yours by calling 323.655.1088.

Real Life Bride: Week 23

Now that the vendors are all booked, we are excited to focus more on making the wedding a true reflection of us. We've made a good start by choosing the outdoor venue (I like an outdoor, relaxed "gathering" feeling vs. an indoor banquet feeling), an Italian rustic menu served family and French style (we both love Italian food and the more relaxed serving style; it feels more like you're at a dinner party of sorts), and of course the neutral colors of the flowers, tables and bridesmaid dresses. But now that we are starting to create our invitations and other printed materials and basically all of the details of the day, it's time for us to really think about what we like and what we want to share with our guests.

One of these items is...our signature drinks! We've been talking about having two or three signature drinks since the very early stages of planning, but we are pretty indecisive, probably since neither of us drinks that much! One of my favorites is the Mojito, which ties in beautifully with our colors, so that's a definite contender. Ryan thinks "whiskey" and "tequila" are good options, but we have yet to tie those into an actual drink. So we've decided to have a taste test! Since we have no alcohol in our place, this is a good way to start a small collection.

In addition to figuring out our drink scenario, we've also started discussing our invitation suites. Laura has some grand ideas, but ultimately she is keeping it all in line with our taste - neutral, neutral neutral!! I think will our blue, grey and ivory colors, the finished product will be truly beautiful and we can't wait to see what she comes up with!

Courtesy of Eat, Drink, Chic

For this week's ask Beth, I'm cheating just a bit! One of my personal inspirations, Chelsea Fuss over at Frolic Blog, asked me to share some of my top tips when helping couples to design their wedding, and I thought you just MIGHT be interested in hearing the answer too. You can see the full, in color version over at Project Wedding!

1. Do What You Love
Forget everything you've ever heard about having to have a set color scheme, crisp white linens, classic tuxedos and so on. When designing your wedding, think about what you really love and find a way to pull it together. It doesn't have to "match" it just has to reflect your style. If you are clean and modern, go that direction. If you are a classic beauty, let that inspire your day. If you are eclectic in your every day life, then why would your wedding be any different?

2. Consider Approachability above Over-the-Top
The most successful weddings are not necessarily the most expensive. Instead they are the ones that create a comfortable atmosphere where guests can relax and enjoy. I like to throw in a few simple but unexpected details to remind guests that they are not at their every day wedding.

3. Go Residential
When thinking about comfort, what comes to mind? For me and many of my clients, it's our homes. Adding touches throughout your event that remind people of being at home such as couches, rugs and dressers is not only a great design addition but also a good way to set the tone for your guests.

4. Make Your Own Rules
Don't be confined by tradition and etiquette unless that's who you are as a couple. Breaking the rules a bit can not only be fun, but also give your guests a new experience. A great example is the "tattoo parlor" that was at one of our recent events. The couple was a little edgy and this was the perfect favor and activity for their style.

5. Be the Life of the Party
If you want to have a wedding where guests dance into the wee hours of the night, then you must dance until the wee hours of the night. If you want a low-key dinner party with great conversation, then start talking. Simply put, guests are there to celebrate you and will follow your lead in how to act at your wedding day.

Fresh Face : Part II

Last week I talked a bit about how stress can wreak havoc on your precious bridal skin. This week onto sleep...

If you’ve had a late night at the office or a night out on the town with your girlfriends, or maybe you are a little stressed out lately, you may not be getting enough sleep which may have a profound effect on your skin.

Essentially, a lack of sleep dehydrates our skin, causing it to sag and can also lead to the appearance of dark circles. Not catching enough z’s can also cause a decrease in circulation and have an adverse affect on your immune system, so you are less likely to fight off infection, including bacteria that can cause a breakout.

Our bodies repair themselves when we rest, so what can you do to make sure you get the best sleep possible? Well, try to relax when you get home and remove whatever stressors you can to get a good night’s sleep. Try turning off the TV, Blackberry, iPhone, etc, at least 30 minutes prior to bed and listen to some spa-like meditation music. Have a good cuddle with your fiancé and talk about all the good things happening in your lives. Maybe a journal is a way to get out your frustrations, or call a friend to chat and laugh a bit. Exercise can help, too! It gives you endorphins and also leads to better rest. I know it can be hard to schedule that into our busy schedules, but you are worth it!

When you’re rested and feeling your best, it’s easier to deal with life’s little crises, so on your big day, that stress isn’t written all over face.