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I’ve been noticing more and more of these cute trio wedding cakes being opted for by couples, and I really love this trend! Wedding cake trios are three miniature tiered cakes with coordinating design elements that reflect the wedding theme in each cake. Instead of a single large wedding cake, each mini cake can showcase a different technique or design, while still keeping within the same cohesive theme and color scheme. These trio cakes can be very stylish and modern or you can keep them simple and classy. They are usually displayed in varying heights for a more visually appealing composition using vintage cake stands or other creative displays. The great thing about these pretty little cakes is that you can select three different flavor combinations for more variety, and they’re perfect for a themed dessert table mixed in with other pastries. Yum!
Couples planning a SoCal wedding won’t want to miss this: it’s a brand new one-day-only outdoor couture wedding event to take place along LA’s Melrose Place Sunday, March 28, 2010. Unveiled is a unique gathering of couture bridal collections and resources for today’s stylish nearlyweds, produced by Plan A Events.
The event will run from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm and will highlight the best of everything bridal. If you’re into couture boutiques, then the setting is enough of a reason to attend, as Melrose Place is the spot for the trendiest and most fashionable shops LA has to offer. Three distinguished bridal designers, Monique Lhuillier, Carolina Herrera & Temperley London will open their stores and unveil their collections with intimate, informal modeling. And in an update, we were just notified that among the event’s speakers will be Patti Stanger, host of Bravo’s Millionaire Matchmaker.
Also on hand to showcase their luxurious products and services–as well as answer all your questions–will be top wedding professionals and vendors including skin health experts Kate Somerville, Bacara Resort & Spa, Williams-Sonoma, London West Hollywood, Bella Bridesmaid, Patina Wedding and TravelStore Platinum. Plus, you’ll get the latest on all aspects of planning your big day at the event’s expert panel discussions.
Tickets are $30 if you register online in advance, or $40 at the event. For more information and to register for tickets, stop by the event website at unveiled.com. You can also follow Unveiled on Twitter and their facebook fan page to get the latest scoop.
Today I came across these super cute Crepe Paper Rose Pomanders made by Shelley Smith from the House of Smiths blog. Shelley’s easy and inexpensive DIY project is perfect for any wedding reception or bridal shower decor. Make sure you head over to Shelley’s blog for more DIY projects and tips.
Here are the DIY step-by-step instructions from Shelley:
Craft Supplies Needed
Styrofoam Ball Forms
Crepe Paper Streamers {Color of your choosing}
Glue Gun & Lots of Glue Sticks
Roll of Tape
Measuring Stick
1. Cut the crepe paper strips at 24 inches in length.
2. Crumpled the strips to make them softer and more fabric looking, then straighten them out.
3. Begin to roll, starting small… and then get a little looser, like a real rose.
Periodically, about 4 or 5 turns in, put a dot of glue on the end, by your thumb, to keep it from unraveling.
4. Wind the paper around the middle base roll, and twist at the same time so that it looks MORE like a rose and LESS like a cinnamon roll. Be patient with the first few flowers. It takes a couple to get it down. But once you do… you’ll fly through them!
5. Here’s the end of the rose. Gather the end piece of crepe paper and then add a dab of glue to the outside of the rose itself, and stick it on the edge.
6. Set it down… and let the glue do it’s magic!
7. Seriously, you CAN’T mess these up! After you have a few roses done, start putting them on the ball.
8. If some roses have longer stems than others just cut off the stem so that they can sit nicely flat on the ball form.
9. Add a little puddle of hot glue on the ball, lightly press the rose on and you’re good to go! Use a roll of tape to help keep the ball from rolling around on the table. Make sure not to put the roses TOO close together or they’ll look crowded.
10. Once they are all done, use ribbon and some sewing push pins to adhere the ribbon to the ball and hang them anywhere you want!
Here’s another way Shelley displays some of these rose pomanders. They are simply charming!
I hope everyone had a great weekend. Some of us here hit the movies for the Tim Burton flick Alice in Wonderland; Crystal posted a few fun inspiration boards last week based on the film, and I wanted to see whether the movie did Lewis Carroll justice. I suppose it’s hard living up to such a legacy…cinema has been trying to capture Carroll’s bizarre works of word and logic play for decades. This new attempt combined elements of both Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, then mish-mashed it with some of Burton’s own creative wackiness and digital cinematic wizardry. I thought the story was a little thin, but it was a fun 3-D ride, colorful and entertaining. My own favorite part of the movie, hands-down, was Helena Bonham Carter’s Red Queen, without which the movie may have been somewhat lacking.
Speaking of cinematic wizardry--I guess Oscars weekend put me in the mood--here’s a bit of light-hearted and creative fun to start off the week: a video Save-The-Date by Russo Young that I found on the Brooklyn Bride. I’ve said many times before that pulling off a truly memorable wedding depends on how much you are able to infuse it--down to the smallest details--with your own unique personalities to make it stand out. Video is a medium that really lends itself to this; a video save-the-date like this is a fun and creative way to showcase your energy and personalities. Add a soundtrack that means something to both of you--in the case of this video, it’s the score to Where the Wild Things Are--and just have fun with it. Email the video to your guests, post it on your wedding website, or even distribute it on mini-DVDs. I love how this couple weaves in footage from each of their childhoods, too. What a great touch!
There’s a ton of movie-editing software out there these days, so grab a camcorder and some creativity and make a project out of it!
Today’s board is for an Alice in Wonderland Vintage Wedding, inspired by Tim Burton’s version of the Alice character. Using muted colors with antique, vintage details will give a very whimsical, fairytale-like feel to your event.
Don’t forget the “Drink Me” and ”Eat Me” labels throughout your beverages and sweets for that signature Alice theme.
Looking forward to catching the movie this weekend. Can’t wait!
Tim Burton’s upcoming movie Alice in Wonderland opens tomorrow, and yesterday I shared my take on an Alice in Wonderland wedding theme inspired by the “Red Queen”. Along the same quirky and fun line, here’s one for a colorful Mad Hatter Bridal Tea Party. I’m looking forward to seeing Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter; he always does such a great job playing the crazy characters.
Imagine an afternoon bridal shower in a beautiful garden with all your girlfriends. Vintage teacups with plates for drinking tea and eating tea sandwiches and yummy desserts. Have colorful glassware for fresh lemonade or a signature cocktail as well besides the tea. Floral arrangements on teapots are a great way to decorate a long rectangular table for a tea party theme. I love the look of having old, unmatched chairs with or without cushions for the seating arrangements. Ask your girlfriends to wear a colorful dress so that everyone is part of the theme. And don’t forget a game of croquet with your girlfriends as part of the fun bridal shower activities.
I’ve been anticipating Tim Burton’s new Alice in Wonderland film coming out in theaters everywhere this Friday. I’m a big fan of Tim Burton’s creative work, and I can’t wait to go check out this whimsical story made for the Disney Digital
3-D experience.
Naturally I’ve been so inspired this week by the visuals of the film and decided to do my interpretation of an Alice in Wonderland Wedding inspired by Helena Bonham Carter’s character “The Red Queen”.
This one is for non-traditional couples out there looking for a more unconventional style wedding, with the color inspiration being red, black, white, and gold.
I’ll be posting more Alice in Wonderland inspirations Thursday and Friday, so come back to check them out.
Back in January we introduced you to the great non-profit organization Wish Upon A Wedding when we attended their launch party. This week, we are more than happy to raise awareness for this wonderful cause by providing more information and reminding wedding professionals what they can do to help.
Wish Upon A Wedding was founded January 2010 in San Francisco, CA by a group of wedding and business entrepreneurs, and is America’s FIRST nonprofit wedding wish granting organization, producing weddings and civil union ceremonies at destinations across the United States for individuals facing terminal illness, regardless of sexual orientation.
Chapters:
They now have twenty chapters nationwide, headed by some of the industry’s most renowned leaders with plans to expand to over 40 chapters worldwide.
Forming Additional Chapters:
Other chapters opening soon include Indianapolis, Philadelphia, Boston, Colorado, Arizona, Portland, Miami, St. Louis, Ohio and Nevada. They are also planning to open chapters in other areas depending on need including international chapters. If you wish to start a chapter, please fill out the online form for consideration.
Who Is Behind Wish Upon A Wedding?
Many influential people in the industry are beginning to endorse Wish Upon A Wedding, and you can find those endorsements on their website. They also have amazing people sitting on their Boards and Advisory Panels throughout the US, such as Dana Larue Stiebel “Broke-Ass Bride” {LA Chapter PR Chair}, Leila Khalil {National PR Advisor}, Beth Helmstetter {National Outreach Director}…just to name a few of their amazing friends and advisors. They would love to have you join as well, either as a board member or wish granter!
How Wishes Are Granted:
To qualify for Wishes, applicants must be unmarried legal citizens of the United States, over the age of 18, who have been diagnosed with less than three years to live. Couples can be granted wishes either in the chapter where they live or in a chapter of their choosing as long as they are able to make the trip.
URGENT (Up to 10 guests, in hospital or at bedside);
BOUTIQUE (up to 25 guests, in home town of applicant);
ROMANTIC (Up to 50 guests, at any Wish Upon a Wedding destination)
How Can You Grant Wishes?
As the organization is growing, Wish Granters are needed in all locations. Please apply online today to start helping make Wedding Wishes come true. In two weeks, Wish Upon A Wedding will be granting the very first wish. To read more about that wish and the couple please visit the website.
Last Friday, it was my pleasure to attend the launch celebration for a brand-new online bridal magazine founded by photographer Melissa Ann Bagley. The celebration was held in the Los Gatos, CA hills at Saratoga’s gorgeous Villa Montalvo Arts Center, a venue I’ve visited for previous posts.
Melissa Ann Bagley Photography has been covering weddings internationally for 15 years, and saw a need for a more off-the-beaten-path online wedding publication, for which she envisioned and created IZZY Magazine.
Online interface for the premier issue of Izzy Magazine
I wanted to extend my congratulations to Ms. Bagley on the publication, and to say thanks for providing a great online resource for nearlywed couples. I was lucky enough to meet her at the launch; very gracious, sweet, and seeming a little shy, Ms. Bagley gave me the impression that she wasn’t especially comfortable being in the spotlight. I’d say more at home on the “other” side of the camera. She’s a very talented photographer and in just the short time I met with her I could tell how warm and friendly she is as well, obviously doing just what she loves.
According to Ms. Bagley, her goal is “to create a magazine that will inspire others and share the things she loves with the rest of the world. And, at the same time be a guide to brides that are planning weddings outside of the norm.”
Sunday February 28th was an absolutely beautiful day in the San Francisco Bay Area, the perfect backdrop for the free Pamper Yourself event hosted by Jade Studio Productions at their Treasure Island studio, as Crystal announced in her post last week. The Pamper Yourself Event was presented by “Ah…New Beginnings” Professional Wedding Consulting, Enchanting Events, and Iridescence Bridal Couture, and if you’re a Bay Area engaged couple I sure hope you took advantage and stopped by. The weather was perfect, the event was free, the studio was charming and creative, and there were a ton of great information and giveaways by all the wonderful vendors that made the event happen. If you missed it, we’ll keep you posted on their next collaborative bridal fair.
I especially liked the demonstrations and workshops that were ongoing throughout the event; every 15 minutes or so a new one would begin, along with raffle prizes for the attendees. And there were spa facial treatments, makeovers, and other pampering sessions to enjoy as well.
Following are some of the highlights we captured while visiting. Scroll to the end of the post for a complete list of attending vendors and links to their websites.
Guests mingle with wedding professionals in one of Jade Studio Productions' gallery rooms
Demonstrations were ongoing throughout the event, which I thought was an especially nice touch. Here, Judy Lee of Iridescence Bridal Couture discusses options for bridesmaids' dress styling
Eco-friendly options by Iridescence Bridal Couture. Gown on right is made from a blend of hemp, silk, and other "green" materials
Flower display by De Young Flowers
Cakes by Goldilock's Bakery
Baked goodies and gelato station provided by Kicks Cookies and Ice Cream. Great reception idea!
Eleanor Abril of 2Inspire Designs shows off her beautiful calligraphic penmanship
Stationery design by Susanne Wong of Cards De Luxe
I’d say the event was a great success, thanks to the involvement of all the following wedding professionals:
“Ah…New Beginnings” Professional Wedding Consulting (wedding day coordination) ahnewbeginnings.com
A Touch of Elegance (chair covers and wedding planning) touchofe.com
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