Get the restraining order, Jesh, because I am allll over you!
I know…I know, Jesh is fabulous…. more for you:
Visit Jesh’s blog and also the actual website— I guarantee you the site itself will make you smile and feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
And a special thanks to you, Jesh, for allowing me to share your fabulousness with the world!
Another fabulous week has arrived, so that means another fabulous invitation company! This week, we are loving I Do Design. It is not hard to see why from their gorgeous designs. I love that they aren’t too girly or frilly. Instead, they are modern, sometimes retro, natural, and just beautiful!
Another thing I love about I Do Design is that you can get a current design customized or you can have them create an invitation that is couture to you.
Now that the writers have given the green light, the Oscars are a go. So what does that mean, luxelings? That’s right! The Governor’s Ball! I was checking out one of my favorite reads, YumSugar, which had several inside exclusives on the Ball.
YumSugar talked with Cheryl Cecchetto, of Sequoia Productions, the event producer for the Governor’s Ball, and she explained that there would be 1,675 floating transparent globes, gold orchids flown in from Thailand, and the 15 shades of red roses. The gorgeous arrangements (as seen below) were done by Mark Held of Mark’s Garden (who has done the weddings of Tori Spelling, Gwen Stefani, and Shaquille O’Neal).
King Cuisine, Wolfgang Puck created a fabulous menu for the festivities, which included passed hors d’oeuvres, a ceviche station, a noodle station, a shellfish station, a pizza station, a sushi station, antipasti and a Snake River Farms Wagyu Beef entree.
Photos from YumSugar
Love the customized wine labels you can buy from Northwest Cellars as a favor for your guests. You can choose from a variety of reds, whites and even champagne for a very reasonable price per case.
And I LOVE a favor with a purpose! Save your money on the framed photo keychain of you and your new spouse that I don’t want and will likely forget on the table as I leave your wedding… Put your money where my mouth is 😀 with wine!
I had an opportunity to come across Real Card Studio, and fell absolutely in LOVE with the modern, yet so chicly romantic! They feature the hot new trend of the art of the letterpress, hand dyed ribbons, hand lettering artists, and hand assembled invitations. What is even better is that they are at a retailer near you! Check their website for your local Real Card Studio retailer.
All of their invites SCREAM personality! Here are some of my favorites:
Bellini
Cosmopolitan
Margarita
Sidecar
Torta
Parfait
Sway & Cake’s current sale is deliciously divine! With almost 50% or more off some really hot numbers that are perfect for getting Wedding Sexy at your rehearsal dinner, there is a little something for everybody 🙂
Fluet :: Was a ridiculous $355. You can have it for $107.
12th Street by Cynthia Vincent (100% Silk) :: Was $284. With your superstar shopping skills, you can get it for only $85.
IRO (meat packing) :: Was $180. If you’re nice, you can canoodle it for $54.
Strappy Party Dress by Milly :: Was $370. All yours for $111.
Alena by Diane von Furstenburg. Sure your MIL will hate you, but think of how hot you’ll look :: Was $198. Now, your hotness, it’s yours for $49
Dietrich by Diane von Furstenburg :: Was $224. For you, $70.
Rhinestone Bolero by Gold Hawk :: Was $222. Now $35.
Carlye by Bettye Muller :: Was $389. These midori beauties can be in your closet for $48.
Madrid by Dolce Vita :: Was $99. Out the door for $30.
I’m late, I know.
My new work out and schedule is putting me on my butt. Literally.
I did have to blog about a fabulous invite company that I am swooning over. Bella Figura has been on my list of beautiful invites for a long time, but I recently received a GORGEOUS box of samples from them that has made me their number one fan.
I am so big on romance– but this takes it to a whole new level for me. It’s almost like a vintage romance. Letterpress is soon becoming the new black among couture invitations. Bella Figura uses cast-iron presses on 100% thick cotton paper exclusively made for them by a historic European paper mill. As their letter to me said, “Letterpress is a historic way of printing, like engraving: it’s both time-intensive and timeless”. The work is beautiful– I couldn’t help feeling like I had traveled though time and was reading a love note.
What’s even better is that their paper is made form reclaimed fibers. But Bella Figura’s green efforts don’t just stop there, they are 100% wind-powered and carbon neutral. They also donate 1% of their sales to environmental causes by 1% for the Planet.
The Bella Figura print shop also offers binding, calligraphy, edge painting, die-cutting and assembly of custom pocketfolds and enclosures, duplexing, double-sided printing and color matching using the Pantone Matching System.
Andrea, thank you SO much for allowing me to experience Bella Figura first hand. I am truly enamored.
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| This little card was adhered to the front of a beautiful chocolate envelope that held a few duplexed cards. It was beautiful! | Here are some of the pieces that came in my samples kit. It consisted of coasters (which had the couple’s name and wedding date on one side and a signature drink recipe on the other), invitations, menus, and other cards. So swoon worthy. |
Some other work from Bella Figura:
Deviril
Nouveau
Viennese Waltz
Empire
Grammercy
You can also view their 2008 Designs in PDF form.
Recently, I have been researching trends in the food industry. Of course the downside of the research has been having to cook and taste things in my kitchen…. 🙂 😆
I have stumbled upon an amazing combination of flavors….fruit and sushi. I first saw the idea at my favorite sushi restaurant: Osushi (located in Boston, MA). They had a roll that was a fried oyster with Mango. Sounds weird, I know. But is is truly a culinary delight: the crunchy texture with the soft fruit; the salty and slightly sweet.
Since my initial discovery, I have found there are several other flavor combinations that are fabulous as well. Including: strawberry and eel & kiwi and tuna! Check out this restaurant, Sakana they have some amazing rolls on their menus. (The photo below is from their website)
Now, I just need to get an at-home sushi kit and I’m ready for party. I think I’ll call it a Roll-Ups Dinner Party! Maybe have stations with different items to choose from and some extra kits, so my party go-ers can make their own sushi while experiencing my new fascination too.
What has changed the wedding world forever?
Glad you asked! Here’s my idea (in no particular order):
1.) Going Green: People have established that the earth is our responsibilty and should not be a faceless victim of our wanton and wasteful society. (Wow, sounds like it’s fresh out of Al Gore’s mouth) Brides and Grooms are incorporating organic elements, environmentally friendly caterers and vendors as well as recycled products or are recycling items at their weddings. Captain Planet would be proud.
2.) Bling: All things being equal, people have got to shine, and what better day than your wedding day? It is no longer being limited to the ring fingers, but are jumping up to the neck, ears, dresses, bouquets, centerpieces, linens and more. Can’t you hear Ella singing now? “Ain’t got that thing if you ain’t got that bling…shoo wop shoo wop shoo wop shoo wop shoo wow!” Ok.That was embarassing.
Moving on…
3.) The Wedding Planner… the movie: Thank you J. Lo! As much as I hate being compared to you (especially when they aren’t saying we’re butt twins!), you gave our industry a huge boost. It gave everyone a glimpse into how glamorous wedding planners are (rephrase, how glamorous HAVING one can be)– and made everyone one want them…as long as she didn’t run away with your man.
4.) The Wedding TV Show: I can remember when WWIIA was the staple for all things wedding on TV. Then several others emerged and what used to be a rare is now the norm. Everything from brides behaving badly, to couples going to the extreme for the perfect wedding to people spending the entire income of every Wisconsin citizen on a wedding, we’ve got it all at the flick of the remote. Lucky us.
5.) The Favor Bars: We’ve moved past the little ceramic swan wrapped in t*lle (word edited for the censors) with the soft dinner mints (Praise God). Brides have expanded their favor selection to give their guests options and interactivity– coffee bars, candy bars, popcorn bars, martini bars (you keep the glass), etc. You have to love it.
(Photo by Candy Favorites)
6.) The Fake Cake: To save money, we used to tell brides to have a small cake for picture taking purposes, while the caterer would cut sheet cakes in the back to feed the guests. You should see the look of wonder on the guests’ faces as they tried to fathom how that little cake could feed all of those people. It was like a modern day feeding of the multitudes. Now, you can ditch the itsy bitsy wedding cake and rent a huge fake cake which you can still cut for pictures. My, have we come a long way.
7.) Coffee Table Books: Goodbye old albums with the slide in 4×6’s! Now, photographers can show their creative genius by designing some of the most fabulous, wedding sexy photobooks. These are sure not ot go brittle on you as the hide in them attic. This book is sure to do what its name says it will: be a coffee table book.
8.) The Internet: Brides and their families no longer have to search through the antiquated yellow pages to get information on their wedding vendors. Now they can visit their 24/7 virtual brochure and learn everything they want at the click of a mouse, meet other brides or read this fabulous blog. Thank you, Al Gore.
9.) One Word: Diana.
10.) The Destination Wedding: Couples are traveling more frequently now to say “I do”, and not just to the sunny locales in the Caribbean. They escape to Paris a la Eva Longoria and Tony Parker or Italy a la TomKat. Any place that isn’t yours is a destination wedding– so even if you are going back your honey’s birthplace, it’s a desty. My best gal pal Precious is an expert in this area and my go to diva on everything *desty*.
11.) Guest Welcome Bags: This has been a fun way to incorporate all of the guests as well as introduce them to the wedding, its location (if it’s a desty) or provide weekend information.
12.) Wedding Websites: Pure genius. It gives your web savvy guests a chance to get to know you better and find out what you have planned for your wedding weekend. An uber simple way for you to disseminate information to the masses without repeating 125 times.
13.) Honeymoon Registries: Couples who are already living together have absolutely no desire to get toasters and other things. They are, instead, opting to register with their resorts and airlines…you know the things they really want.
14.) Wedding Industry Blogs: I know I already mentioned the internet, but WIBs deserve a spot of their own because you have so many varying topics by different vendors. The butcher, the baker and the candlestick maker all have blogs! This benefits the brides tremendously, because they get an opportunity to learn the work style and personality of potential vendors, as well as get ideas and learn information. Some that have taken the world by storm, and have changed the how and whys of wedding blogging are Wedding Bee and Blue Orchid Designs.
15.) Coordinating Separates for Bridesmaids: Somewhere, someone in the world is on their knees thanking the wedding gods for this invention. Now brides can pair their embellished tops with jeans for a sexy casual look or with another formal skirt for a different take on elegance. Not pigeonholing your bridesmaids into a dress that could earn you a sniper’s red dot on your forehead? Priceless.
16.) The iPod: The iPod has revolutionized the world, so it is truly no wonder that it crossed into the wedding realm. Smaller weddings who don’t call for the use of a DJ, rent systems and use their iPods to get a party started. I can vouch for this first hand– at a larger wedding, the DJ did not have the song the bride wanted for her bouquet toss. Luckily enough, I had it on my iPhone so we hooked it up (Saundra will tell you I’m a geek). and no one was ever the wiser…except now you, so keep your mouth shut 🙂
17.) Photojournalism: Seriously, I don’t know who woke up one morning and said, “I am so sick and tired of these weddings looking like they were shot in a Sears portrait studio” and decided to do something about it, but I HEART YOU. Weddings are about love and emotion, and that should be captured…not the Ma and Pa Kettle pose.
18.) The DIY Movement: Crafty girls unite! When brides couldn’t find exactly what they were looking for, they did it themselves! With such fabulous sites (and now books!) by Khris Cochran of DIY Bride, even the most timid of do-it-yourself’ers can get in on the fun.
19.) Cinematography: Note, I didn’t say videography. Before, brides were considering this a negotiable. Now with the high end concepts of cinematography have it the wedding scene and it is a must have. It’s not Uncle Larry with his camcorder– this is mini-scaled movie production. Seeing the day as it happeend is wonderful to relive the moment– especially in HD 🙂 Just check out my friends at Turner Classic Weddings or Stellar Films.
20.) Two Words: New Rules. Eh, a girl can hope, right?
What’s on your list?
As I am browsing for various things on the internet I yet again found the coolest (literally) party detail I have seen in awhile…
I found them at Perpetual Kid. The best part is, they are 3 demensional–so they look real!
It says they were featured on the Today show, I guess I missed that episode!!
