Top Seven Best Holiday Bridesmaid Bonding Activities

December 4, 2014 Leave a Comment

It’s getting chilly outside but that can’t stop you from getting out with your girls! If you want your bridesmaids to bond this winter leading up to the big day, we’ve got seven awesome ways for you all to bond. You can turn any of these into one of your bachelorette party, or even a pre-bachelorette party. Get out, have fun, and stay warm!

Secret Santa

A cute, sweet way for you to bond with your bridesmaids is to get everyone together and have a secret santa party. Arrange secret santas a week or two before your party, and get everyone together. You can theme it to add to the mystery, like as a masquerade party where secret santas are super secret! You’ll all have to get to know each other while you’re shopping for each other, and it’s a great excuse to hang out and bond with a low level of bridal talk.

Volunteer Together

‘Tis the season for giving- both for loved ones and for those who need it. Get together as a group and do some serious good. If you’re all crafty or Pinterest fanatics, have a baking or cooking party and donate food to a local shelter or pass food out to those who need it. If you’re more hands on, volunteer at a soup kitchen. If you’re all mallrats, go out and pick up blankets, jackets, winter gear, anything at all and donate them to those who need it. It’s such a great way to give back and get close together. Plus, you can brag on how your bridal party gave back during your big day!

Santa Crawl

Every big city nowadays has a santa crawl around the holidays, and it’s so amazing! A ton of people dress up as Santas, elves, and all sorts of fun holiday characters and go place to place. It’s totally fun and a great way to experience fun new places with your girls. You can all dress up as a themed group and have a great time! Team bridesmaids is always the best team to be on- especially if they’re sporting some holiday cheer.

Gingerbread Bake-Off

Want to stay in for the night? Have a little competition with a fun holiday classic. There are gingerbread house kits that can be as low as around $5 for a whole box, or you can bake everything fresh yourself (but that’s more of an advanced move). Get your girls together, put out some icing and candy, and see who can build the best gingerbread house. Trader Joe’s has a great gingerbread house kit that’s under $10 and actually is super yummy. You can hashtag your whole night and see which of your bridesmaids is the most creative.

Ice Skating

Remember all those birthdays in the fourth grade you got invited to at ice rinks? Yeah, it’s still fun to go ice skating! Some places even have discount nights during the week when it’s a little slower, and if you go on a school night it can be less crowded. If you have a more athletic group of bridesmaids, this could be a really fun way to bond and get into the holiday spirit. There’s a whole bunch of outdoor ice rinks popping up this season in major malls and shopping areas and they’re way more fun than they look.

Tree Decorating Party

Get together at someone’s house and everyone needs to bring different ornaments to decorate a bridesmaids-only tree. You can sit around in footy pajamas, sew popcorn together, throw tinsel up in the air, and hang your ornaments with care. If you’re able to keep it to just bridesmaids so it can be your ‘family’ tree. Fake trees are actually fairly inexpensive (under $50 for some serious tree height!) and are a great addition to any house to make everything look more festive.

Hot Cocoa Night

Stay home and make a whole ton of hot cocoa and have fun stuff to go along with it. You can add things like raspberry, pirouettes, gingerbread cookies, all sorts of fun stuff to your hot cocoa. Have everyone make a different flavor and have fun with it! Take pictures, compare recipes, and see who can make the best original hot cocoa. If you find a recipe you all really love, write it down and maybe save it for your next winter party! Or if it’s really good- your wedding!

 

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Top Five Bridal Beauty Tips for Cold Weather

December 2, 2014 Leave a Comment

It’s finally December and the weather is seriously cooling down. Time to upgrade the Fall sweaters to winter coats (it’s okay- still totally cute). If you’re getting married soon, or have wedding activities on the horizon, you’re going to need to look your best even if you’re shivering and shaking. Whether you have photos, a shower, a party, or even the main event scheduled soon, we’ve got five awesome tips for this holiday season to keep you looking your best through the new year.

Lip Holidays

Loose lips may sink ships, but chapped lips ruin pictures. Since it’s been getting colder outside, your lips are going to be in much need of extra moisture. Every other day, go ahead and skip the lipstick in favor of a thick lip hydrating lip balm. We love the Jack Black lip balms- they have SPF and leave our lips so smooth. Wearing a lip color can be drying (although it looks SO good), so take breaks for yourself in between. If you have to wear lip color every day, at the very least go to sleep with a layer of lip balm on. Your lips will absorb while you’re sleeping and you’ll wake up with soft beautiful lips that are perfect for your first marital kiss.

Prime Time

If you’re going out and wearing those beautiful sparkly shades on your eyelids you’re going to need some serious primer. Holiday going into New Year’s Eve is the best time of the year to wear some chunky fun glitter. We love the MAC glitter to pile on for special occasions. The one downfall of fun glitter? It can get everywhere. Use a heavy duty primer before you pack it on. We love the Urban Decay Primer Potions and the Too Faced Glitter Glue (it’s specifically made for glitter! LOVE.). Keep that glitter where it needs to be- off of your ironic holiday sweaters and on your beautiful face for all the bachelorette parties you’ll get invited to this year.

Oil Up

You can’t miss out on moisturizing at all this year- seriously, everywhere. Now may be the time to pick up some cuticle oil for your nails in between manicures. Your manicurist will seriously thank you by the time you get your nails done for the big day. You can also mix some cuticle oil in your regular lotion to boost the moisture getting locked into your skin. If you want something on the go (i.e., not messy), Sally Hansen makes a cuticle oil pen for easy application right onto your nails.

Wear a Mask

Face masks are such a must for nights in, but are you also taking care of your hair? Hair masks are perfect for this time of year- especially if your hair reacts to the cold weather. If you get extra frizzy when it’s cold or rainy out (guilty!), a hair mask can do some serious damage to the factors doing damage to your hair. There are a TON of DIY hair masks you can find on pinterest that uses items from your fridge, or you can get to a salon or beauty store for a tub of hair mask. If you want to spend money, we love the It’s a 10! hair masks. They make your hair smooth, silky, and even smell that much better. Frizzy hair can make a beautiful bride look like an electrocution victim. Keep it smooth and you’ll look back on your glorious hair with fond memories.

Red-Balancers

One rough part of the cold- it makes your skin that much more sensitive. One big thing that happens to your skin in the cold is that it can get red really quickly. If your skin is a little too red, you can look sick or your blush can get really overwhelming. One of the best ways to combat this is to switch to a red-balance primer. Clinique makes a great one that is sensitive enough to never break you out, but powerful enough to keep you looking fantastic til you honeymoon in the Spring.

 

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Top Five Black Friday Tips for Brides

November 28, 2014 Leave a Comment

Happy Black Friday! Once you’re officially out of your food coma from Thanksgiving, you can take advantage of the best shopping day of the year. This is a great time for you to swoop up some fun stuff for your personal stash, but also for you to get great wedding items and gifts for your bridal party. If you’re waking up at the crack of dawn (or maybe even waiting until Cyber Monday), make sure you’ve got our tips for a great shopping day.

Do Your Homework

Before you head out to the mall, have a game plan. If you have a favorite store, go online and check out their deals. Some stores have deals that only last through certain hours and end at specific times, while some go all day. Figure out what stores you absolutely have to go to by a certain time, and which ones you can swing by later in the day. It can also help to park centrally between all your stores- it may be easy to park in front of one store, but if you need to run out to drop off bags, it’ll be smarter to make trips that are easy to get to from anywhere rather than park on one side of a mall and have to lug your bags through a department store crowd every time you need to drop stuff off.

Double Your Deal

While you’re out- look more for deals that will pay off later, rather than just one that has a flat discount. Keep your eye out for anything that will give you gift cards or some sort of credit for next time you go shopping. Rack up the credit for a future shopping trip will make last minute wedding buys that much easier for you.

Look Out for Your Friends

If you’re at the point in your wedding planning where you’re still looking for wedding party gifts, this is literally the best day of the year to pick fun stuff up. Keep an eye out for electronics deals- they’re great for both genders and are an easy and impressive gift. Fun things like tablets can be really affordable right now and are great for anyone. If you can’t afford to do something like a tablet for everyone in your wedding party, smaller fun things like waffle makers or LED showerheads are quirky fun for everyone you know.

Stock Up on Staples

If you have a vision for your wedding decor, keep an eye out for anything you can stock up on for fun DIYs. Black Friday isn’t just about high price ticket items- those are just usually the ones that get the best press! Find a local crafts store for fun stuff like vases, doilies, ribbon, DIY materials, anything you may need for wedding projects. You can take a DIY project and make it that much more affordable by stocking up now!

Stay Home and Dream Big

Not into the mall? Totally fine! Instead of waking up, putting on shoes, and running to the store do one type of shopping you have to do from home- travel shopping! Black Friday is effective in all realms nowadays, including travel. If you have a game plan for your honeymoon, go ahead and book something right now so you have another fun thing to look forward to! Aim for hotels since those are easier to cancel if anything (like your dates or location) changes. Flights may not even be that much cheaper than usual and are hard to cancel.

 

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Top Five Tokens of Thanks from Brides

November 25, 2014 Leave a Comment

Tis the season of thanks! We’re all in the process of getting ready for Turkey day, but remember- the day isn’t just about eating until you’re bloated and getting pumped for cheap flat screens. If you’ve also got your wedding on your mind, this is the perfect time to say ‘Thank You’ to the people that are helping make it happen (or made it happen, if you’ve already gotten to have the best day of your life!). We’ve got five small cute things that are perfect gestures of gratitude.

Drinks on You!

A staple for a reason- the coffee shop gift card. Why is this on our list? Because with this little thank you token, a little bit goes a long way. A ten dollar gift card is realistically at least two trips- maybe more if they’re tea drinkers. To make this little thank you go a little farther, add in a note on their favorite drink (“A hot cup of coffee for the hottest bridesmaids I know!”). Be sure to really work in why you’re thanking them- they’ll feel much better and more willing to help with any upcoming wedding tasks.

2015 Planners

Beat them to the punch on the organization game! Pick up a 2015 planner/organizer early, and post it the big date ahead of time for them. It’s a sweet, thoughtful gift that they’ll actually use, plus it’ll keep them on point for the coming months. Be sure to post it birthdays and special dates as well!

Personal Cards

If you want to just do something small for a lot of people, say, your soon-to-be in laws or all members of the bridal party, do personalized thank you cards. Get a great group picture and have them printed up on cardstock and write something sweet and meaningful on each one. It’s a cute little memento for a desk, fridge, or vanity station that shows you really care.

Mini Monday-Buster

A ‘Monday-Buster’ or stress-relief pack is a perfect small DIY pack you can do for your friends to say thank you. Get little paper lunch bags or small boxes and stuff them with small versions of things that would make your friend smile. Get tiny bottles of champagne, their favorite candy, a stress ball, a tiny journal, fun things like that. Keep the theme to mini versions of fun stuff and leave a note along the lines of “thank you for all the little things”. It’s cute, thoughtful, and totally practical! This will work for any vendors who have been going the extra mile, your bridal party, and even your fiance!

Good “Bad” Movies

Time to dig into the guilty pleasures! Go out to the older movie section (i.e., non-new releases) and pick out some silly, funny movies. Lots of stores like Target and Walmart have really affordable movies that you can pick up for $5 (or less!). Search through that section for the silliest movie you can find (Talladega Nights, anyone?) and pass it off to a friend. You can leave a note with something along the lines of “thank you for all you do- you deserve a laugh/night in!”. It may be a little silly, but it’s a great gesture.

 

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Top Five Tips for a Healthy Bridal Party This Fall

November 20, 2014 Leave a Comment

Fall is one of the best times of the year- the leaves changing, the warm colors, the pumpkin spice lattes… But Fall can also mean some serious sniffles. If your wedding, any photo shoots, bridal party, bachelorette party, or anything are on the horizon, you need to stay healthy this season. We’ve got five fun tips for you and your bridesmaids to put into play so you don’t have to worry about taking any sick days any time soon.

Shots All Around

Go ahead and make a day of it- get your flu shots with your girls! Round ‘em all up, grab brunch, then head to the pharmacy. Flu shots are such a bummer chore to do- might as well have someone to gossip with during it. Bring a bit of an agenda to really maximize your time. Have your girls wear their wedding shoes to break them in or bring in sample pictures of flower arrangements.

Vita-Mocktails

For your next girl’s night in or pre-game before a night out, shake things up with some vitamin based mocktails. Instead of diet cola, grab some fresh squeezed orange juice to mix in with other drinks. Get crafty and come up with fun drinks that involve emergen-c so you get that extra boost of vitamins. It’s fun, a little healthy, a little guilt-free, and a lot yummy.

Hitting the Juice

If you’re really motivated for the vita-mocktails, or if you just want to spend an awesome weekend morning with your bridesmaids, grab a juicer and hit the farmer’s market. If you don’t have a juicer of your own, now you have an excuse to register for one! Hit up a local farmer’s market and go for things like kale, carrot, and oranges (duh). Play around with different mixes and see what random concoctions you like the most.

Be Pro-Antioxidant

Fall is such a great season for food, especially foods that are great for you! This season, go out to eat to talk over the bridal party makeup looks and look for foods with cranberry, pecans, blackberry, raspberries, and other antioxidant-rich foods.  You can do a bridesmaid bake-off using only foods with antioxidants and keep each other healthy and in check. You’ll find awesome new ways to get antioxidants in your system and bond together.

Healthy to a T-ea

One of the healthiest habits you can easily pick up this Fall is switching from coffee to tea. Tea can also be a source of caffeine, so you don’t have to sacrifice your morning boost for health. If you’re not a tea drinker, the best time to start is when it’s cold because your body will react better to it and love you for it. Green tea is one of the best teas that you can drink because it flushes everything out of your body and keeps you running smooth. Take your bridal party to a fancy tea shop (popping up everywhere) and find some fun blends to try. Then get cozy, watch sappy wedding movies on Netflix, and repeat.

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Five Fun Wedding Detail DIY Projects

November 18, 2014 Leave a Comment

Let’s face facts- weddings are expensive. You may want a Mercedes Benz wedding, but be on a Honda budget. That’s totally fine, you just have to know where you can save and where you should spend. If you’re doing your dream wedding on a budget, we can help you save a few dollars here and there. These five DIY projects for your wedding will help you save some cash and still make the big day special.

Custom Stationery

One big expense that can rack up faster than you realize? Stationery and mail-related products. There’s a quick way to get around the high costs of printing out certain things. You can download free templates online and create your own return labels or guest address labels. It’s quite cheap to get label stickers from any sort of customized label you’ll need. Return address labels and guest address labels are probably the easiest thing to make at home. They can be quite costly to custom print, so just do it at home!

Bridesmaid Bouquets

You may want to spring for an arrangement for your bouquet, but for your bridesmaids it’s easy to actually do at home. Do some research on pinterest or flower blogs and go downtown to buy some loose flowers the day before or the morning of. It’s best to task this to one of your bridesmaids. It may feel a bit tedious, but it can seriously save you some money. If you want to get super fancy, you can do boutonnieres for the groomsmen too!

Have Your Friends Marry You

It can be a surprise cost to hire someone to marry you- you may not realize it but there can be a cost associated with almost everything. It can save you some money and make it much more meaningful to have a friend or family member do the ceremony. It can be sweet to ask whoever set you up or aided in you two meeting, or whoever has known you two as a couple the longest. It can be pretty cheap to get certified to officiate weddings, so you can save a few dollars here.

Lower the Lights

Renting or buying big extravagant candles can be seriously pricey. Candles are so beautiful and romantic, so it’s kind of hard to skimp on them. One easy way to get around the cost of something too extravagant is to take the same concept and shrink it- literally. Skimp the huge pricey candles and buy a few packs of tealight candles. You can get a ton of these for seriously cheap. Arrange the tealights on different levels to create depth and a sense of flow or drop them in water to have floating candlelight. It’s super romantic, creates gorgeous lighting, and is cheaper than springing for huge candles.

Stencil Yourselves

A quick way to ‘brand’ your wedding favors is to create a stencil and paint it over blank favors such as cards and small gifts. If you’re thinking of doing a little favor such as a tote bag, a candle, a selfie stick, any sort of favor for your guests- it will almost always cost a little more to put your name and/or date on it. You can actually get discounts or better rates on items to get items that are blank or not marked yet. You can make your own stencil using cardstock and some creativity and brand everything at home. It’s a fun art project that can save you money!

 

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Top Five Tips for the Perfect Engagement Selfie

November 13, 2014 Leave a Comment

You said yes- congratulations! After you’ve calmed down and called the most important people in your life, it’s time to release the news to the public. It may be tempting to spill the beans as soon as you are officially engaged, but waiting can sometimes be a good thing. Take some time before uploading a blurry ring picture to really perfect your engagement selfie and it’ll pay off tenfold in likes.

Check Your Nails

Yes, focus is going to be on your new favorite piece of jewelry but you’re going to want to make sure your fingers are looking good too. Do a quick swipe under your nails to pull out any dirt. If your nails are chipping, do a quick fix with a layer of darker polish over your existing polish. It doesn’t have to be a new full manicure, but it shouldn’t look sloppy. You’ll look back on this picture a lot, you want it to be awesome and beautiful.

Mattify Your Face

If you’re going to be smiling in the shot, mattify your T-zone so you don’t look oily or greasy. You want to remember your natural happy glow, not that you get oily when the weather changes. Do a quick light swipe of an HD powder or a spray of a mattifying face sealing spray.

Upgrade to a Couplie

It may be a little harder to wrangle and coordinate, but an engagement couplie is probably the most appropriate use of a couplie. We love the classic kiss shot with the ring featured- it’s a romantic way of telling the full story all in one picture. You can also get creative with how you both end up in the shot- make it fun, and make it you!

Filter Wisely

No one actually goes #NoFilter- especially not for such an important selfie! Pick something that is well saturated and doesn’t blur any edges. You want your ring to sparkle against your skin, so it’s important you flash a natural glow to contrast. Avoid anything that softens- you want to emphasize the sparkle! And don’t do black and white, it drowns out the whole picture.

Caption Accordingly

Yes, the “He liked it, so he put a ring on it!” is cute, but it’s been done. A lot. Try a little harder and come up with a caption that more fits you as a couple. Mention how long you two have been together, maybe hint at how the proposal went, or do a cute play on word on your names (if applicable- don’t push it). Be creative, be fun, and make it personal. Those little steps go a long way.

 

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Top Five Wedding Wishlist Items

November 11, 2014 Leave a Comment

Make a wish- it’s 11/11! You remember the old superstition that you can make a wish on 11/11, right? Well we (not so) secretly still love it. Speaking of wishes, we have five things that you should keep on your wish list while you’re planning your wedding!

Wedding Planner

Obviously we’re a big advocate for hiring a professional for the occasion. Our very own Editor-in-Chief, Niloufar Gibson is one of the best wedding planners in Southern California is and lives and breathes weddings. If you’re not out in sunny SoCal, ask around, check yelp, and ask your venue if they recommend any wedding planners. Wedding planners will make your life a million times easier and make it possible for you to actually enjoy your whole wedding process. Wedding planners also usually know the best vendors to work with, so you’re immediately well connected before you even get started.

Full Coverage Photography

It may be cheaper to just get stills from the day of, but you’re going to want to remember all your friends and family from the moment they all get into town. If you can afford it, splurge and have photography going from your welcome party (if you’re doing one for out of town guests), your rehearsal dinner, your final night out, all that fun stuff. Also if you can, opt for a tester video or a highlight reel from your photographer. Stills can do some serious justice, but you’re going to want to really look back and watch your big day.

Big Girl Panties

You know how a good bra or your favorite pair of undies can make you feel a million times better? Don’t skimp on the lingerie- if you can, go big! It’s not just about looking good after the ceremony- it’s about how your body is shaped under your dress and how you feel in it. The right lingerie can make you look leaner and more fit than an ill-fitting set of lingerie. It can feel like a more silly splurge, but it can seriously change your entire silhouette. If you’re not the type to usually splurge on lingerie, now is a better time than ever.

Diamonds- your Other Best Friend

Yes, there’s one specific piece of jewelry that you’re going to be flashing all day, but you shouldn’t tone down the rest of your jewelry. Borrow or rent some fun jewelry that you wouldn’t otherwise have a chance to wear. Often times in larger cities there are some jewelers that will rent out pieces for a few days with a credit card on file. It can be worth it to go ahead and factor in a jewelry budget.

Honeymoon

You should try to factor this into your budget off the bat- a honeymoon is some serious business. With the cost of weddings always going up, it can be easy to just push it back and do a honeymoon when you can afford it, but you’re going to want some alone time after the wedding. At the very least, you can take a short weekend or few days after the wedding, stay in a hotel, and just enjoy being married. It can be a harder thing to plan and budget for but if you can pull it off, it’ll be totally worth it.

 

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Top Five Do’s and Don’ts of Wedding Photo Booths

November 6, 2014 Leave a Comment

One of the most fun modern staples of weddings is photobooths. They’re fun, easy, and a fantastic souvenir for all of your guests to take home. Photo booths are becoming pretty commonplace now, but they can be a little difficult to navigate while you’re shopping. No worries- we’re here to help!

DO Know What Kind of Photos You Want

Not all photo booths spit out four action shots- these ain’t your mall’s photo booths. There are a multitude of different kinds of photo booths that create all sorts of fun and different photos. There are booths that create gifs that are emailed to you, 3D photos made from two images, sticker photo booths, and of course the classic photo booths. Shop around different photo booths in your area and really think about what you want, and what you want to offer your guests.

DON’T Forget The Space

You really can’t just stick a photo booth in a corner of your venue- you need to work it out with the venue coordinator. You’ll need power, power cords, room for set up and breakdown, and in some cases for instant uploads, a solid internet connection. You don’t want to be dealing with putting the photo booth in the right place while you’re busy putting on your wedding dress. You’ll also need to deal with the flow of the room and put the photo booth in a convenient spot that doesn’t interfere with anything else going on.

DO Timeline the Photo Booth

You’ll need to know how much time the company needs to set up and how long they will have an attendant for. You’ll need to know if they have enough attendees to cover any breaks or if there will be any gaps in service (some states have restricting labor laws that require employees to take breaks a few hours into a shift, even if they want to waive it). You’ll also need to know how long they’ll need to break down after the wedding so if they’re there longer than you are you can warn the venue. You probably won’t need it that long, but it’s good to give the venue a heads up.

DON’T Settle Fast

You shouldn’t settle for anything in general, especially not anything for your wedding. Take your time to shop around before you settle on one vendor. Narrow down what kind of photo booth you want (our first ‘Do’!) and from there, see who offers it in your area. There’s bound to be a few different companies that offer a similar service. Meet with everyone and figure out who you like the best, who can do the best deal, and who puts out the best product. Take your time and pick the booth that works best for you.

DO Work Out a Deal

Once you’ve got it narrowed down to the final few companies, do your research to work out a deal. Check out deal sites like Groupon and Living Social- deal sites almost always have deals for Photo Booths. You can look into what’s offered and call the companies to see if you can tailor fit a deal with them to what you want. You can even try to use that as leverage with a company you want to work with- bring up the deal to the company you want to work with and see if they can come down to a comparable price.

 

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Top Five Repurposed Halloween Items for Your Wedding

November 4, 2014 Leave a Comment

 

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Halloween is sadly over, and we’re a little heartbroken. But there is always a silver lining- the best sale is going on right now! Post-Halloween sales are in full swing and only have a few more days before they’re all picked over and done. If you have time, swing by the store and pick up these five awesome items that you can use for your wedding. And hey, if you get a wedding task done you definitely deserve that bag of chocolate. Or that big bag of popcorn. Or the gigantic novelty sized rice crispy treat. Or… actually buy all the candy you want, just be sure to get at least one wedding task done.

Mints

This may be easier to find since Halloween is more of a sweet treat holiday. Look for big bags of mints and you can repurpose them to be adorable wedding favors or to be laid out in dishes for guests. If you have the time and maybe some creativity, create custom labels and stick those over the skeleton logos and all that spooky stuff. If you can’t get away with creating all new stickers for the mints (they may be a funny size), find little glass dishes or bowls to pour your mints into. Serve them after dessert so your guests are ready to mingle with fresh breath.

Tiny Toys

Some stores will carry tiny toys as Halloween treats. If you can spy any of these, pick up a bag to have to entertain any younger guests. They may need something to preoccupy themselves while the grown ups are dancing. Our pick has been the little tubs of Play Doh to tie over little ones. Fun all-ages toys like this are perfect and parent friendly. Plus if you get them this time of year, it’s a cheap way to keep kids from crawling away or getting into trouble.

Solid Chocolate

If you have some time or are at least adventurous, you can pick up lots of solid chocolate and do some dipped creations. You may not be able to have the time or means to dip chocolate strawberries for everyone, but you should be able to pick up a bag to do treats for the wedding party. Just be sure you have solid chocolate only- anything with extra ingredients will alter the texture and may not settle right. Microwave a bowl of chocolate for two minutes- 30 seconds at a time while stirring throughout. Add some solid chocolate to the hot bowl and your chocolate will get down to around 85 degrees, which is perfect for dipping fruit, cookies, pretzels, anything you want. It’s a great little gift that’s easy to do and will be the perfect personal touch for your wedding party.

Faux Fabulous Jewelry

Swing by the costume section and look for old flappers, divas, and princess jewels. One fantastic trend we’re seeing is mixed media in flowers- draping jewels or strands of beads throughout large floral arrangements. One easy way to pull this off is to get a ton of cheap necklaces and break them apart as decorations. One of our favorite no-fails is to do pearls through lilies. Long strands of pearls broken up and weaved throughout lilies is feminine, delicate, and totally trendy.

Long Lashes

Our favorite beauty pick from Halloween is long lashes. Halloween is a big day for wearing falsies and they often put out special lashes just for the occasion. Shop the sales for long lashes that you could use for your special occasion. There are a lot this season that are similar to cobwebs- and they’re totally more sultry than scary. Pick up a few pairs while they’re on sale- lashes are great for your bachelorette party, wedding, honeymoon, and every occasion to come.

 

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