2014 Fall Wedding Nails

Butter London: The Old Bill | OPI: Over the Taupe | Essie: Chin chilly | Essie: Cashmere Bathrope | Gelish: Mogul

OPI: You Don't Know Jacques | Beaute Louboutin: Rouge

Yay for fall! As much as I absolutely loved wearing fun, bright spring & summer nails at all of the weddings I attended, it's time to transition into deep reds and neutral brown tones that is fall. It's time to let those nails change like the beautiful leaves changing right before us. Whether you're into gel nails or a good old-fashioned manicure, the above nail polish fall favorites will get you in the pumpkin spice, cuddle weather, over-sized sweater fall mood just in time for all the fall weddings! Some of these nail colors are old-school shades with some new favorites like the the Beaute Louboutin Rouge color.

Got a fall nail polish shade you can't wait to try? Give me all the deets below!

How To Choose Your Queen Bees (Bridesmaids)

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It's no surprise that I have been in quite a few weddings. A real life "21 Dresses"! For every wedding I have had the pleasure of being apart of, it has always felt like an honor to be up near the Bride supporting her in her next chapter in life. Being a bridesmaid is a coveted title and not everyone is asked to be one so not only should you take it seriously, but the Bride-To-Be should take it seriously in asking you to be apart of such a special moment in their life. So how does one choose the perfect Bridesmaid? Here is my guide to choosing the right Bridesmaid:

1) It's Not About Quantity, It's About Quality.

Sure you've known so and so for "x" amount of years. But, was the friendship of quality? Have they supported you through all of your ups and downs in life and saw you through it all, including your relationship with your fiancée? It's not always about choosing your longest friend, it should be about your most supportive friend who will see you through your wedding and beyond.

2) Sister, Sister.

By default your sister(s) should be apart of your bridal party. Whether they serve as a maid or matron of honor is up to you, but nevertheless standing next to you as you say, "I Do!" is a must. On that same note, your future sister-in-law should be on the bridesmaid roster too if possible. That is just proper etiquette.

3) If Quantity Is a Concern, Consider Lifelong Friends

If your fiancé will only have a few people as groomsmen, by default you may feel like mirroring his quantity. If that's the case, consider your best friends starting from childhood, high school, college, and post college. Use that hierarchy when considering a cutoff. Your true friends will understand.

4) Be Weary of Choosing New Friends

So you have met someone that you've really been hitting it off with and it just so happens to be that your wedding is coming up. Should you ask them to be in your wedding since you see potential in the friendship? Steer clear of asking especially new friends to be in your wedding. There is a big chance that through the normal fluctuations in a relationship that they may not actually be this great friend you thought them to be. Again, consider your quality long-term friends first.

If you're worried about hurting great friend's feelings consider involving them in other parts of your wedding journey like your Engagement Party, Bachelorette Party, and Bridal Shower. Remember that this is your special day and you really can do as you please when choosing bridesmaids. No matter what, being invited to the wedding is an honor in and of itself.

The Low-down, Dirty Truth About Being a Maid Honor

Drawing by: The Jewel Store

For only a select few of you, you will be asked a pretty honorable question in your lifetime: "Will you be my Maid of Honor?" So here is the low-down dirty truth about it: The title and attention at the front of the altar are about the only glamorous things about it. Sorry to burst your bubble, but if you are going to accept the title of Maid of Honor here are some more truths you should consider:

1. You're responsible for planning everything...EVERYTHING. Oh, you thought "so and so planned that"? Nope, you're wrong. When it comes to the bachelorette party, wedding shower/bridal shower, and the list goes on, it is your responsibility to coordinate everything. While getting help from other bridesmaids is a route you can take, overall you are the event coordinator.
2. You shouldn't expect to be paid back...for ANYTHING. During many parts of the wedding journey you're likely to have to dish out a little bit more money than the other bridesmaids to help make the bride-to-be's last fling memorable. Plan to set some money aside to account for the little things that need to be taken care of like tips, extra bachelorette party trinkets, taxis, first aid kits {haha} you name it! Keeping tabs isn't necessary because at the end of the day, the favor will be (or has been) returned.
3. You're not the one getting married. As much as you may despise the wedding colors, hate that the Bride isn't having open bar, or whatever other wedding detail you're not a fan of, you must remember that it's not you getting married. Therefore, keep those types of opinions to yourself (or your future wedding planner)!
4. You're the spokesperson. Are you good at public speaking? Well, brush up on your leadership and speaking skills because you will be the spokesperson for everything. You will be helping the wedding planner, you will be rounding up the brides, and you will lose your voice. 
5. Expect to bear the brunt of a lot of emotion. Stock up on some tissue and expect to be used as a punching bag every once in a while, because if your friend is like many brides, some water works and heavy emotions will be occurring throughout the wedding journey. Don't worry, she DOES still want to get married.

Can I Wear White To The Wedding?

The answer is: It depends on the bride.

In a world where many traditions have been lost, some traditions are here to stay when it comes to weddings. However, that doesn't mean that every bride follows them. Wearing white as a guest to a wedding has been as of late, taboo. But, it's important to understand the story behind the tradition of the Bride wearing white to better understand if the color white is really off limits.

Here's a brief history:

The tradition of a white wedding dress is commonly credited to Queen Victoria's choice to wear a white wedding dress at her wedding to Prince Albert in 1840. Before her, many brides were wearing different colored wedding dresses in addition to veils. The wearing of a white wedding dress soon turn into a representation of wealthy status as well as innocence and sexual purity. The color white was also the color girls were required to wear at the time when they were presented to the court.
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For the most part, most people have it engrained in their heads that you shouldn't wear white to a wedding. But, my suggestion is to ask the Bride how she would feel about you wearing white. However, if you don't want to make a big deal about it or draw unnecessary attention to yourself, I would avoid wearing white altogether {yes, that includes the white stripes and white polka dots on your tentative outfit of choice...haha!}. Check back next week for my list of awesome stores and latest dresses to wear at a wedding {that aren't white of course!}.

Karen's Wedding Guide: Should He Come To the Bridal Shower

The answer is: YES! Now, I have been to my fair share of bridal showers and for the ones that didn't have their hubby-to-be present, a lot of things went through my mind. Weddings already have the stigma that they're more "for the bride" than the groom so not having your fiancé at the bridal shower sends a message that this is all about you. It should be "All About Us". Now, I know that bridal showers tend to be more fancy or cutesy than a typical man's taste, so include your groom-to-be at a part of the event. Example: Ask him to show up during the time where you will be opening up gifts. After all, the gifts will be used by the BOTH of you. This also makes for a cute couples photo op! Or, ask him to periodically walk through the event and greet guests. Often times, the bridal shower might be the only other time that your guests can meet your fiancé if they haven't met him already before the wedding. This is a great time for mingling and allowing your guests to see why you and your fiancé love each other so much.

At the end of the day, you're not marrying yourself; your fiancé should be present at all wedding functions (if he can) until the Big Day! Whether or not you think he wants to be there should be out of your mind because your hubby-to-be will want to do anything to make you happy.

xoxo,

T+K's Wedding Candy Buffet

Photography: Ardorlit 

Believe it or not, I have never done a candy buffet for a wedding, until now! Back in April I had the pleasure of creating a candy buffet for my friend's daughter who was getting married. I love when a Bride knows what she wants and the Bride, Karly, immediately told me the colors she wanted and specific candy near and dear to her and her future hubby. With elements of red and charcoal and special candy requests like Swedish Fish and salted caramel, I went straight to work designing a buffet to the Bride and Groom's liking. At the end of the wedding, there was no candy left so it was definitely a hit! I can't wait for the next wedding!

What Is a Vintage Victorian Wedding?

I absolutely love themed weddings so I was thrilled when a potential client reached out to me about having a candy buffet for her Vintage Victorian wedding next year. When you think of Victorian, what are some of the first things that come to mind? I think of frills, lace, crystal and pearl details, gorgeous flowers like pink roses and peonies mixed with other large blooms, parasols, and cameos. Vintage and Victorian are actually two different things, so it can be easy to mix up the two. "Vintage" refers to things from a certain era in the past. For example, an old 1950s pick up truck could be described as vintage as it is reflective of the 1950s. Old bell bottoms in your mother and father's closet are vintage as they are reflective of the 1970s. Victorian represents an actual era. The Victorian era started in 1837 in Great Britain when Queen Victoria reigned. With this distinction, I have been hard at work trying to design the perfect candy buffet. Check out my Victorian Mood Board I am drawing for inspiration. The color palette for this wedding is eggplant and cream with hints of white! I can't wait to share what I have designed.

DIY: Bachelorette Party Invites

Summer is the season for weddings, and naturally I am attending many (and being a bridesmaids in two--yay!). I love wedding season because it gives all the girls an excuse to get together and celebrate more than once. No wedding journey is complete without a Bachelorette Party and I was ecstatic when my friend and Bride asked me to help plan her Bachelorette Party. Earlier in the year I had received the cutest invites from my other friend's Bachelorette Party. When I asked her where she got them, she informed me that the Maid-of-Honor had ordered them. The invitations were somewhat pricey and after looking at the design of the invitations, I thought to myself, "Why order these when I can make them?!" It is amazing what heavy card stock, font from DaFont.com, and Photoshop CS3 can help you create. Save yourself some money and exercise your creative mind!

Must See Venue: Playa Grande Resort & Spa in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Looking to have a destination wedding but not looking to go too far? Does exotic beaches, breathtaking ocean views, and several amenities for you and your guests appeal to you? Then, I encourage you to go south of the border and have your wedding or reception at quite possibly one of the most grand hotels: Playa Grande Resort & Spa.


This photo of Playa Grande Resort is courtesy of TripAdvisor

I stayed at the Playa Grande Resort & Spa for a wedding that was taking place at Grand Solmar Land's End Resort & Spa right next door and to say I had an amazing time would be an understatement. The second you pulled up to the entrance you felt like you had entered the vacation set for a king and queen. The entrance was so grand with a tall ceiling and marble floors to greet you.

But, the front entrance and lobby was only one area of the many that took my breathe away. Prior to arriving in Cabo, I booked an all-inclusive package for the Solmar Resort, The Playa Grande & Grand Solmar's sister property, that included lodging, unlimited meals, snacks, and drinks, and discounts on all hotel amenities for 4 days and 3 nights all for $270--yes, it was a STEAL. Upon my arrival, I was lucky enough to have been complimentary upgraded to a room in a VIP secluded area of the Playa Grande called The Ridge. So secluded that you needed a special hotel key to get to this section of the hotel. I stayed with another wedding guest and as we walked to our room, we felt like we were in a little European country all to ourselves.

Our room was the Master Suite equipped with a large patio, 2 full bathrooms with a shower and bathtub, a queen bed, one pull out queen bed, a vanity, drawers and closets to put away our clothes, a full kitchen with a refrigerator, sink, and microwave, a dining room table, and living room with a couch and tv.

This photo of The Ridge at Playa Grande Luxury Villas is courtesy of TripAdvisor

This photo of The Ridge at Playa Grande Luxury Villas is courtesy of TripAdvisor

This photo of The Ridge at Playa Grande Luxury Villas is courtesy of TripAdvisor 

Every day we walked out onto our patio and were welcomed by our marina view!

But, it was not just the gorgeous master suite that took me for surprise; it was the private pool area too!

I had never otherwise swam in an infinity pool.....until now!

 

When we wanted to check out a new scene, we did not hesitate to move to the main hotel area and check out their several pools, restaurants, and other beautiful scenic areas all of which faced the open ocean.

I could not miss out on showing some of the magnificent food and drinks we devoured...all of which were included with our all-inclusive deal. Let's just say, I drank a little one too many of their strawberry smoothies!

While I didn't take full advantage of the amenities because I was too busy lounging at the pool every day, the hotel does offer everything from an onsite spa, mini golf course, tennis court, dolphin swimming, snorkeling, and so much more!

Overall, if you are looking to have a destination wedding where you and your guests can relax and have a great time under the sun, the Playa Grande Resort & Spa is the place to go!

XOXO!

Party of the Month: Cooke Wedding at The Grand Solmar Land's End Resort & Spa

This past weekend I went to my first out of the country destination wedding in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico and it was amazing. The bride and groom decided to get married at The Grand Solmar Land´s End Resort & Spa and it was nothing short of breathtaking. The Grand Solmar Land´s End Resort & Spa just opened in 2011 and has been a new wedding hotspot with its extraordinary amenities which include several restaurants, pools, and ocean front views to name a few. The bride and groom got married just before sunset under an amazing gazebo-it was picture perfect with the waves crashing behind us. The table settings were dressed with beachy trinkets and gorgeous yellow and white roses. I loved the simplicity of this wedding; the detail was simply love. Check out the photos from the wedding below!