So, you have only $5000 for your entire wedding budget.  Can you still have everything you want?  Everything you need to have to pull off a beautiful event?  With Operation: Recessionista, we’ll show you how to approach your planning, budget and overall event vision, without compromising your special day or having to rely on family and friends to get things done.  Instead, we will rely on ingenuity, DIY, With each Operation: Recessionista segment, we will form a budget with you, break it down and give you suggested resources to make it fabulous.  This week, we will talk about your invites. 

Invites
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Budget: $200

Everything about your wedding will be intensive upon your guest list number. When you are working with only $5,000, you should look to keep your guest list numbers low.  To be completely honest—ditch the ego and the need to show off.  There is no way you can have a wedding with all of the laced details with this amount of money without something missing something.    That being said, our hypothetical guest list is no more than fifty people.  Just because you have a budget of $200, doesn’t mean you cannot have gorgeous invites.  Enter:  BRIDES Chocolate Pocket Invites.  Created by BRIDES (yes, the magazine people!) and sold at Michaels stores nationwide, the kit is all you need:  beauty without breaking the bank.  It comes with:

Before I begin, let’s have a moment of silence to observe the sheer awesomeness of the above cupcake.

I follow Sweet Avenue on Twitter and noticed that they had recently redid their menus on their website.  I was so excited, hungry and jealous of New Jersey residents all in one moment.  Sweet Avenue’s cupcakes are not only pretty to look at but sound like they sound just as good! They also do something which I think is fabulous and a surefire way to generate business and favorite clients– they offer an exclusive daily menu.

For example, today is Thursday, so if you pick up today you have a choice between:

First Row L to R:  Black & White, Dark Side of the Moon, Jet Black, Sexy Sadie

Second Row L to R:  Snowball, White Room, Chocolate Sundae, Fluffernutter

Third Row L to R:  Old Skool, Peppermint Bark, Rocky Raccoon, White Chocolate Chai Latte

Located in Rutherford, NJ, Sweet Avenue offers 100% vegan cupcakes.  With flavors like Pomegrante Champagne, Spiked Egg Nog, red velvet (a la Sexy Sadie) and so many more delightful combinations, your palate is in for a huge treat!

I received an unexpected, but very sweet call on Friday from Ashlyn Seckinger of Serendipity Bakery in Saint Simons Island. Ashlyn and I originally met at a vendor cocktail party held at the Village Inn and Pub.  The next time I came across Ashlyn was when I stumbled upon one her beautiful cakes at the Jekyll Island Bridal Show.  I was in complete amazement as she presented a beautifully ornate and detailed wedding cake that I monikered "The J.Lo Cake", because it reminded me of Jennifer Lopez’s Wedding (#3) cake (only better). 

Ashlyn called to ask if she could drop off a cookie platter for Christmas, and I was so honored and touched that she thought of us! 

and just another plug :

Thank you so much for thinking of us, Ashlyn!  We look forward to working with you very soon!

As you snatch every picture out of all of your bridal magazines for ideas of hairstyles, bouquets, menus, etc., don’t leave your makeup in the dust!  Even for those brides who  do not wear makeup frequently, you can benefit from this practice.  I’ll share with you some of my most recent favorite celebrity looks that will keep you looking fresh, glamorous and natural. 

Gregg DeGuire/WireImage

I am not sure of the artist who did Hayden Panettiere’s makeup for this event, but it is absolutely flawless. I love the subtle glow she has to her base, and how the playful blush of her lips enhance her eyes.  A beautiful look for your wedding day!

Here is  similar look on Jada Pinkett-Smith.  I love this look and chose it because even though it is very close to what Hayden Panettiere has on (above), it shows that women of color can benefit from bronzing and neutral color lips.  As you can see, Jada even extended her bronzer to her shoulders for her beautiful shirred ivory décolletage dress.  Fabulous.

 
Dimitrios Kambouris, WireImage.com

Eva Mendes’ look is very soft and feminine, but the lining and highlighting under the eyes and jaw steps up the glamour for her.  Some pastel shades work really well with different complexions, so try out a few to avoid the “easter egg” look.

Christina Aguilera, aside from Dita Von Teese,  is one of the few stars that I think can pull off the Old Hollywood look effortlessly.  In this Stephen Webster ad, you see that instead of bronzing, the artist used a pearlized base along with other frosty tones for the eyes.  In addition to the perfectly lined eyes (more likely than not with liquid liner) and extended lashes, the lips are drenched in deep color.  As the polar opposite of Jada and Hayden’s looks here the mouth was played down to accentuate the eyes, Christina’s look emphasizes and enhances her mouth and its shape.  Gorgeous. 

Halle Berry is quite possibly one of the most beautiful women in the history of anything inhaling and exhaling.  I think this minimalist look on her is perfect because it brings out all of her features, but is also great for those women who are afraid of “not looking like themselves” on their wedding day.  If you feel like this, make sure you tell your artist to play up your features and stick with complementary, neutral shades.

I hope you enjoy and that it sparks some ideas for your bridal beauty!  Remember to take into account the time of day of your wedding, your location (i.e., indoor vs. outdoor), lighting (lest you want to appear garish or wiped out) and your theme ( you cannot show up looking like a glamour girl at your extremely casual wedding).  Your artist will help you take this into consideration along with your complexion, eye and hair color. 

I am blessed to know so many phenomenal people in the industry– awesome individuals that are creative, inspiring and genuinely care about their clients and their work.  Because of the wonderful blogosphere, brides have access to so many talented planners across the country.  We are hosting a virtual party to allow brides to get to know and gain advice from some of their favorite wedding bloggers  on an intimate level.

Look who’s coming to party with us on December 4th!

Liene from Blue Orchid Designs.  A passion for life and giving has taken Liene all across the world– and she uses her unique experiences to help brides create  beautiful, yet meaningful weddings.  In addition to the Blue Orchid Blog, Liene also splits her time to her other business, The Smart Planner.  The Smart Planner helps wedding planners hone and develop their skills so that they run a more effective and successful business. Her expertise has been sought out by such publications such as Phoenix Bride and Groom, Conde Nast Portfolio, Arizona Weddings and CNN.  Liene resides in Phoenix, Arizona and also has offices in DC and New York.

Andria Lewis of Andria Lewis Events.  Andria’s love for life is showcased in every one of her events. Her no-nonsense style ensures that they are run with military precision, but her passion for clients is what brings out the beauty of their love.  When you meet Andria, you instantly feel like you are talking with an old friend and feel comfortable entrusting your event to her.  It is in good hands too– Andria’s eye for detail and color have been documented in issues of Midsouth Southern Bride and Commercial Appeal.  You can find Andria’s excitement and advice on her blog, The Planner Pages and in Memphis, Tennessee and surrounding areas.

Aletha Vandermaas of Pearls Events. Aletha’s fresh perspective and eye for design have made her one of this year’s best up and coming wedding planners in the industry.  She has completely infused her experience in the bridal, service and corporate business industries with her love for weddings and created a company that has excited brides all across Michigan and the United States.  Although, she has been featured in Brides Michigan and The Knot Michigan, nothing shines brighter than Aletha’s smile and her desire to make one couples wedding day the most beautiful day in their lives.  Aletha’s sound advice can be found at The Pearls Events Blog while she can be found in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Isis Petrie of Posh Events, LLC.  Isis combines two parts of her life to maintain one of New Jersey’s hottest event planning firms:  she’s a self-professed social butterfly and an accountant by trade.  Isis’ clients are assured that they will have the party that is the event of the year but also fiscally responsible.  Isis accentuates the luxury and personalities in all of her client’s events– making each a unique party experience.  She’s been a contributing expert for the Courier Post and also featured as one of Impulse Magazine’s “35 under 35″ successful young business persons making a difference in their community.  In addition to setting trends, Isis also sits on the board of the Southern New Jersey chapter’s networking group for the Association of Bridal Consultants.  Destination…Soiree is a virtual extension of Isis’ creativity and talent, while she, in reality, can be located in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.

Want to join these fabulous ladies around the cocktail table and get help for your wedding?  You can still get invited!  Email us at blog {at} fabuluxeinc.com and we’ll get you on the guest list!