LLE {hearts} Birdcage Veils

As I work with brides and hear all about the veils, the dresses, and the shoes! This part is so fun to me because I learn A TON about my brides style just by their actual look for the day. Lately I have been {hearting} the birdcage veils. I am not sure if it is the vintage chic look I like or the fact that you just don't see them all the time. Either way I {heart} them. Funny thing is with all the weddings and events I do, I can't wait to do my own. I am definitely thinking birdcage!

There are soooo many looks of the birdcage. I really like the ones with the flower accents over the ones with hats. Some brides can pull them off but the flowers seem so more feminine to me.

Another look I like is the one Jessica Alba used here with a birdcage in the front and traditional long veil in the back. Keeps the modern and traditional looks without overdoing. Very Classy!

You can get these just about anywhere but I really like etsy. They have some great looks and the designers on there are worth it!

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10 Most Important Things To Remember

1. Book everything in advance. In fact, you should be making bookings almost as soon as you've fixed the date for the wedding, particularly if you've chosen to tie the knot in May or June. This is because during “wedding season” all of the best caterers, photographers, and venues are busy and may not be able to accommodate any last minute bookings. Things you'll need to reserve in advance include the church, the reception venue, the hairdresser and bridal makeup artist, and the photographer. You'll also need to order the flowers, the wedding car, and the dresses.

2. Get help. Planning a wedding can be very complex, depending on how large the affair will be. Even if you're planning a small gathering of family and friends, there's still a lot to do, from creating the guest list and delivering invitations to reserving the venue and getting the dress ready. It's a lot for a young bride preparing for her first (and hopefully last) wedding to manage on her own, and can be equally hectic for those with prior experience. Whether it's the mother of the bride, the maid of honour, or a wedding planner, get as much help as you can with planning and arranging for the details.

3. Settle on a budget. Too many weddings leave the happy newlyweds near bankruptcy because they splashed more than they could afford on the trimmings of the wedding. Set a realistic budget, preferably budgeting for each expense individually, and stick to it religiously.

4. Select the rings. If you do this in advance, it gives you time to shop around for something you really like or to get the best prices on rings with detail. Even if you've settled on a plain gold band, be sure that the ring is sized and ready at least a day in advance.

5. Choose a dress from a store or a catalogue well in advance. Altering a dress to fit you or having one made from scratch can take months depending on the availability of the seamstress.

6. Choose the special wedding song that you and your spouse will dance to at the reception. Make it a song that has meaning to you as a couple.

7. Make the arrangements for the rehearsal dinner in much the same way that you would for the actual wedding.

8. Create a guest list with your fiancé and family according to your budget, factoring in the cost per head being charged by the venue.

9. Set up a wedding gift list at a number of stores or online retailers with items that can fit all budgets so that guests will know what things you need. This also reduces the likelihood of getting five toasters, three lamps, and so on.

10. Relax and enjoy it. The planning stages of the wedding are an important part of the wedding experience, and you will remember these days for the rest of your life. Unwind at the end of each day, and let it be an experience worth remembering.

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July DOC Special!

* Travel over 50 miles will be extra

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Bouquet Toss....6 ways

Wish Come True Bouquet Toss -- Invite all the women onto the dance floor, married and single. Ask them all to make a wish right as the bouquet is tossed and whoever catches it will get their wish.
Fortune Bouquet Toss -- Invite everyone onto the dance floor and have a bouquet that consists of several small bunches of flowers are simply held together in your hand. On each bunch, have a handwritten “fortune” attached to it that you made up. When you throw the flower bunches in the air, they break apart so several people will get a “fortune” bouquet. Before throwing a break apart bouquet make sure they are easily separated and not entwined together so they really do break apart in the air.
Longest Married Bouquet Toss -- Invite all married couples onto the dance floor and have the DJ announce that everyone married less than 5 years to leave, then less than 10 years to leave and so on until the couple married the longest is left dancing and they are awarded with the bouquet. Keep in mind that this may not be the right bouquet toss for you, especially if you have a recently deceased grandparent that would have been married the longest if they were still living. This also focuses on married people and leaves out the single folks.
Special Honors Bouquet Toss -- Split up the bouquet into halves and give one half to your mother and one to your mother-in-law. The bridal bouquet could also be presented to grandparents, split apart for all the women in the bridal party, presented to your maid of honor, your sisters, a friend who is engaged, etc. Think of someone you’d like to honor and give it to them as a “good luck” bouquet.
Favors Toss -- Instead of tossing flowers, toss the wedding favors! Much like candy being tossed in a parade you can toss small or soft favors to the guests. Children can help in the fun, and everybody has a chance to get something. Candy, small stuffed animals, silly toys and gift cards are good choices.
Gift Cards & Money Bouquet Toss -- Rather than have fortunes attached to a break away bouquet, why not attach gift cards (from coffee shops, record stores, etc) to your bridal bouquet! Rolled up $1-$20 bills is also fun for everyone. You can invite everyone onto the dance floor, men and women alike. So rather than skip the bridal bouquet toss entirely, why not start your own tradition? Unusual tosses can be explained by your DJ, an appointed person or written in your program. Choose a bridal bouquet toss that is meaningful to you and don’t be afraid to simply present it to someone you care about.

for more ideas or help planning your wedding click here

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Tattoo or No??

As a femael with a few tattoos, I do think about what they will look like when I get married and have on the dress. My boyfriends cousin got married last summer and the awesome bride has star tattoos on her back that you could see but it didn't look tacky or rediculous. I think if you have tattoos and they can be seen with your dress on, then ROCK IT! It's your wedding and the tats reflect your personal style. Agree or disagree?

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DIY: Photo Centerpiece

This double-sided centerpiece is a tribute to the lifelong unions that preceded yours. The Paper + Cup kit is simple to use; affix two photos, image-side out, on each side of card-stock panels. Use seam binding to join each panel to the next, then add the decorative frames using glue or double-sided tape.

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Inspire: Spring or Summer Wedding

I love the look of this wedding. The red and baby blue are not obvious colors that most would pair up but here they have done such a great job tying them together! BRAVO!

For wedding services from Lilly Lynn Events visit http://www.lillylynnevents.com

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Happy Earth Day!

In honor of Earth Day today we wanted to let you know about a few ways to help recycle your wedding decor and where to buy used wedding decor to help save money and help the planet!

The following websites have all kinds of things for sale from other brides that you can buy and help save some money. As well as sell some of your stuff that you don't need or want to keep so other brides can use it!

1. Bravo Bride
2. Wedding Bee Classifieds
3. Wedding Wire

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Invites: Wedding Postage

When mailing your invitations why not spunk them up some and add great wedding postage. My favorite place is WeddingStamps.net! They have a smaller selection, but they are fun and modern. Check them out when you are looking to mail your invitations!

http://www.weddingstamps.net/

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Pomanders

Some love them, some think they are tacky. I personally LOVE them!

You can make them or buy them, even rent them if you wanted to. I have seen them made of tissue paper, fake flowers, and even wool flowers! This picture is great using a Sheppard's hook to hang the pomander in the isle of this outdoor wedding.

They are great for table decor as well. You can hang them from the ceiling as part of your centerpieces, place smaller ones in a tall vase, or use them for bouquets. Be inventive and have fun with them!!

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Citrus Chic Bridal Shower

Spring and Summer bridal showers are a great time to use the fresh fruits that are in season for decor and flavors.

For centerpieces you can use slices of fruit in the vases, or whole fruits to surround the floral arrangement. In most candy stores you can but citrus shaped and flavored candies to put in boxes as favors. Citrus cocktails are also great for bridal showers. Be sure to check out our drink blog for more ideas.

Lastly, your cake. Not only can you have a hint of orange in your flavoring but why not use curls of fruit reins or slices to decorate it? Have fun and be creative with it!

This is a look that can be overdone, but with the right touches and flavors your citrus bridal shower will be a hit!!!!!

Visit http://www.lillylynnevents.com/ for more help!

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Graffiti At YOUR Wedding?

I know what your thinking... It will ruin the wall.


Actually... it WON'T!!!


The individual letters come right off any surface they are applied to. Not only can you do wall sayings, you can also do monograms on your dancefloor, personalize the glassware, and leave your personal mark on the favors.

Check out all the amazing things you can do on their website...
http://www.wonderfulgraffitiwedding.com/

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Vendor Spotlight: Wedding Paper Divas

Receive 25 FREE Thermography or Letterpress Products!

Place a minimum order of 75 of any William Arthur item and receive 25 additional pieces of that same item FREE. Just enter the promo code 25FREE during checkout. You will not see the additional 25 cards appear in your cart, but rest assured that we will include them in your final order. This promotion applies to all William Arthur items on Wedding Paper Divas.
For example, if you want to place an order for 100 wedding invitations, you should only order 75 units for that item and then enter the promo code on the checkout page. We will send you the extra 25 free wedding invitations in your final shipment, bringing your total order to 100 wedding invitations even though your cart only had 75 in it. If you want to order 100 wedding invitations AND 100 response cards, only order 75 wedding invitations and 75 response cards, and then enter the promo code on the checkout page. We will send you the extra 25 free wedding invitations AND response cards in your final shipment, bringing your total order to 100 wedding invitations and 100 response cards.

Please note that if you enter the promo code but do not qualify for the offer, you will not receive the 25 extra cards.

This offer expires at 11:59 pm (PT) on 4/15/09. Offer subject to change

WeddingPaperDivas.com
Letter Press Invitations
Unique Wedding Invitations
Thank You Notes
Thank You Cards

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DIY: Favors

I love this idea that my friend Regina sent me! Peeps are a true addiction to for me and I love the idea of making your own!

On the blog for Twig and Thistle they have a great recipe and how- to in order to make them. The part I LOVE about this idea, is that you can make them in any shape and any color to match your wedding colors and theme. For example, I am working on a wedding right now where the bride loves butterflies. Why not make them in a butterfly shape and use sugars that the colors of your wedding. Put them in a great clear container or a box and you have a fabulous personalized favor!!

Thanks for the tip Regina!!

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Healthy Bridal Workouts in Seattle

Most brides I work with are very concerned about looking their best in their dress. Which I totally agree with the concern. It is your big day and there will be pictures taken of you from all angles and by all sorts of people.

I heard about this program in Seattle/Kirkland/Tacoma areas that offers a bridal boot camp to help you get more fit and toned for your wedding day. Healthy-Bride.com offers 6 week sessions where each class focuses on giving you a full body workout that includes cardio, weights, resistance work, core strengthening, with a full body stretch at the end.

This a great local way to have support and get that lean toned body you want for your wedding day!

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Chair Decorations

Decorating your chairs is a totally optional piece when planning. But if your getting married somewhere that you can't decorate much or you just don't have the budget to, here are a few looks you can use to dress up the chairs.

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Etsy: Unique Bouquets

Really Bad Kitty is another one of my favs! Amazingly unique bouquets for those brides looking for a non-traditional look!

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Etsy: Awesome Guest Books

Once again...ETSY! Love this site. They have some talented people on this site who make amazing things that you don't find just anywhere. Such as these guest books!

Check out Paulas Petals Patries for all her amazing pieces!

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Umbrella Your Day

Living in Seattle, there is always a chance of rain on your big day. Lately I have seen a lot of pictures with umbrellas and I have to say I am a fan! They add an element and color to pictures, as well as being practical with sudden weather changes.

Bella Umbrella has many kinds you can rent for your wedding.
Styles include Pagoda, Bridal Parasols, Ruffled, Double layered, Classic Prints, Classic Solids, and Jeweled Handled. They cost about $20 a piece to rent and are absolutely adorable!

You can even use them as part of your decor. They are great for hanging from the ceiling or as a tall centerpiece. They are fun and functional!

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Article: Asking Her Father Permission

I was reading askmen.com and found this article about how to ask for your girlfriends dad permission to marry her. At first I was a little leary of what kind of advice they were going to give, but once I started to read it, I was impressed.

They broke it down to 4 tips to help the gentleman out.

1. Asses the situtation-
Before popping the question to her father, make sure you and your girlfriend are on the same page.

2. Be prepared -
Arrange a time to meet her father alone. Do something together that he enjoys or if you dont' have that good of a relationship ask him face to face in his home.

3. Confidence is Key -
When popping the question to her father, make sure to stand tall, maintain eye contact and speak up.

4. Raise the Subject -
Respectfully ask for his blessing to marry his little girl. This can go several ways.

Over all I thought the article was great advice to guys thinking about poping the question.

To read more of the article go to askmen.com

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Inspire: Pink and Black

I never really liked the color pink growing up. It came across as very girly and growing up with 3 boys there was no room for girly! Black has always seemed very classic and chic to me and a total staple in my wardrobe.

A couple years ago I did a reception for my friend Julie. Her colors were pink, white, and black. Her arrangement was adorable down to the Good&Plenty she had me spread around on the white linens. Now pink is one of those colors that I like. Can't say I love it, but there are a lot of shades and tones of pink that if done right can look very elegant or playful.

This color board was fun to do since it isn't super girly. I like the modern look of the flowers, playfulness of the cake, and the small touches with the candy.

Also using a basic black dress with a ribbon in pink is great because your girls can wear that dress again by just taking off the ribbon. I love being able to pick versatile things for weddings. In reality it is one day out of your life and make it memorable, but also try to make items repeatable!

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Japan and Wedding Barbie

Barbie just doesn’t cut it for little girls in Japan, who would rather play with Licca-Chan, a rival doll. So instead, Mattel, Inc. will cater to adult brides when it launches the Barbie Bridal line, a collection of wedding gowns complete with ruffles and bows embroidered with the Barbie logo, only in Japan in June. “Once our apparel brand is established, then we can go back to our core target, kids,” said John Cullen, vice president of Mattel Brands. Offering Barbie-themed wedding dresses seems like a disastrous plan for Mattel to bolster the Barbie brand in Japan, but really, it’s not at all far-fetched.
Theme weddings have gained in popularity in Japan, where expensive Shinto weddings used to be preferred, recently. One rather normal theme to our Western eyes is the Christian-style wedding. Another is the Hello Kitty theme wedding, which reflects Japan’s devotion to pop culture. Japanese hotels, like the Hankyu Hotel chain, offers Hello Kitty Princess weddings complete with a glass slipper, Hello Kitty floral arrangement, and a Hello Kitty dress emblazoned with the popular feline’s face. Even Sanrio, maker of Hello Kitty, has offered Hello Kitty and her less popular companion Dear Daniel as nuptial witnesses.
For those that think Hello Kitty and Barbie are too sweet and girly, couples can turn their romance story into an original comic book story, called ”Wedding Story Manga.” The plot usually revolves around the couple’s first meeting or proposal, and the characters are drawn to resemble the actual people.

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DIY: Floating Candle Centerpieces

These days every bride is looking for ways to cut back and save money. Well here is one way you can do just that!

When creating your own centerpieces you don't have to go all out and spend tons of money to get an elegant and beautiful look. I like this particular one for spring and summer weddings.

You can get square vases at any local craft store. Most places will have a variety of heights so make sure to mix it up. If you want a more abstract look, get vases that are different shapes to intermix.

Next find the section in your craft store that had decorative rocks. In this picture they are a natural look, but again, don't be afraid to mix it up some with colors.

Floating candles you can purchase just about anywhere. This particular item you want to not buy the cheapest ones you can find. You want some that will last through the reception, so splurge a little on that item!

Lastly, the flowers. If you live in a smaller town like I do or near a small town that has a farmers market, that is a great place to get your flowers. Seems like anytime I buy flowers from them they last for a really long time! Roses or orchids are great for this look but the flowers are totally up to you.

Day of wedding:

1. Get Vases Ready
2. Place rocks in bottom of vase
3. Put some water in the vase
4. Place flower on the rocks and add water until vase is 2/3rds full
5. When placing candle in the water make sure it is low enough that the flame is not above the top of the vase

Whola! Beautiful and simple!

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Rainy Weddings

Let's face it, living in Seattle and planing outdoor weddings pose a high chance of rain! Not that rain can ruin your day if your prepared or embrace it like the bride below with her rain boots on.




Adrienne Maples Photography

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