December 2012 - Page 2 of 4

TLC’s Four Weddings Episode Recap: December 20th

December 21, 2012 Leave a Comment

Did you watch last night’s episode of “Four Weddings” on TLC? Here is a recap of the episode:

Who are the Brides?:

Amanda is a bride who loves men in uniform. This formal wedding took place at a historical hotel where both the ceremony and reception were set. The ceremony was beautifully decorated with white flowers down the aisle and all over the alter. The bridesmaid’s dresses were all designed and styled by the bride herself. The dresses were pink with a high slit on one side of the dress. The men were dressed in their military uniforms. The reception styled with purple up-lighting, tall white flower centerpieces, cupcake place seating, and a blinged out cake. All tiers of the cake were covered with rhinestones. Amanda and her groom along with their guests danced to a salsa band.
StacyAnn is a Jamaican bride who loves purple. The ceremony took place at a beautiful church. The church details included stained glass windows, woodwork ceilings, and simple decor with a touch of purple. The bridesmaids wore lavender colored dresses. The reception was at a Italian style venue with hanging chandeliers, tall vaulted ceilings, and stunning tall mirrors. The cocktail hour featured steel drums, Caribbean flavored food, and other food stations. The reception had blue color up-lighting, purple candle centerpieces, dancing, and a ice cream bar. There were two cakes, one simple white cake with white and purple roses, and the other was a traditional Italian style cake.
Larissa is a bride who adores butterflies. Larissa and her groom had a traditional Catholic ceremony set at a gorgeous church. The ceremony featured fuchsia, pink, and white colors, baby pink and fuchsia bridesmaid’s short dresses and ushers escorting each guest to their seat. Prior to entering the ballroom, guests found their table seating by looking for their escort card which were placed in a grass box. The ballroom had pink toned coloring, grand chandeliers hanging, butterfly ice sculptures, and a beautiful cake with cascading flowers and butterflies. The dance floor was like a party, with everyone dancing the night away.
Kathy loves the ocean and has a beach side wedding. Set on the sand, the ceremony features white chairs, tall white stands with large white flowers on top, and a alter full of white flowers.Cocktail hour provided guests with a variety of food stations like Asian food, seafood, and carving stations. The inside of the reception had red, black and white colors throughout. Each guest table had a tall centerpiece with floating white orchids and a huge chandelier topper, surrounded by a few vases with floating orchids and candle on top. Dessert consisted of cake, candy apples, cotton candy, popcorn, and ice cream.

Cool factor: There was one detail from each wedding that stood out for me. What was really amazing at Amanda’s wedding was after they got married at the ceremony, they walked through the arch of swords. I thought this was a wonderful way to incorporate the military element to the wedding. It is something that is special to the groom who is in the army, and also the bride who really wanted to have a formal military wedding. I loved this! At StacyAnn’s ceremony, the bridesmaids met the groomsmen halfway down the aisle and were presented their bouquet. This was something unique that I had never seen at any other wedding. I thought it was pretty nice! Larissa’s dress was absolutely stunning on her. It was a simple dress with a fitted top, and then flowed out on at the bottom, and a pink satin sash on the waist. It was simple, yet very elegant and sweet. She looked amazing! What I thought was so heartfelt at Kathy’s wedding was the unity candle ceremony. Kathy and her groom included their six children in lighting the candle. I thought this was very sweet as it was the coming together of both families into one. Very touching!

Who won? Congrats to Larissa for winning! She and her husband won an all expenses paid honeymoon to Costa Rica. I was not surprised about Larissa winning at all, she seemed to deserve it! While I can not account for the food since I wasn’t actually there, all the other details – venue, dress, and originality – were owned by Larissa’s wedding, easily exceeding the rest. I thought that every detail of her wedding reflected her butterfly theme. You can see how sweet and elegant the butterfly theme showed throughout the wedding. Amazing job Larissa! So how did the other three brides score? Amanda came in second, Kathy in third, and StacyAnn in fourth place. Were you surprised by the results?

Stay tuned to Bridal Hot List for more TLC updates on wedding themed shows!

Filed Under: TV Shows Tagged With: bridal, bride, guests, television show, TLC, weddings

TLC’s Four Weddings Sneak Peek: December 20th

December 20, 2012 Leave a Comment

Are you ready for this week’s sneak peak of “Four Weddings” which airs on TLC? This show features four completely different brides who attend each other’s weddings with one wedding being deemed “the winner” at the end. The brides rate the food, dress, venue, originality, and overall experience of each wedding, except for their own. At the end, all the scores of each bride are tallied, and the one with the highest score wins an all expenses paid honeymoon.

On tonight’s episode the four brides are: An army bride, a butterfly loving bride, a Jamaican bride, and a beach loving bride. Each of these brides share their unique style and taste on their wedding day. Which bride will be your favorite? Which bride’s detail’s will you like the best? Which dress will stand out the most? What ceremony will be the most touching? Which bride do you think will win? What do I think? You will have to wait until Friday where I will provide a re-cap on this episode. All I can tell you know is that you do not want to miss this episode, it will blow you away!

TLC’s Four Weddings airs tonight at 9/8c. So set your DVR’s, or watch it live tonight!

For more information on Four Weddings, check out the website: http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/tv/four-weddings

Filed Under: TV Shows Tagged With: bride, four weddings, groom, television show, TLC, wedding

Ready to Dance at Your Wedding?

December 19, 2012 Leave a Comment

You just walked down the aisle and said ” I Do”, and now it is time to continue the celebration of your love with your closest friends and family. Looking forward to dancing and having a great time? When does the dancing start? The first dance is typically by you and your new husband. You and your groom will dance to a song which is romantic or meaningful. After your first dance, there is a traditional order of dancing among the bridal party and parents. Lets take a look at these first, and then we can talk about other options.

The father-daughter dance: The father of the bride will dance with his daughter. The song is one that the bride chooses is special for her and her father.
The mother-son dance: The mother of the groom will dance with her son. The son can also choose a song which has meaning or possibly his mother’s favorite song.

Next, the groom’s father can dance with the bride, and the groom with the mother of the bride. Following the bride and best man, groom and maid of honor. The groom can then dance with all the bridesmaids, and the bride with all the groomsmen. Not at the same time of course, but taking turns. Once all bridal party and parents had a chance to dance, the dance floor is now open for all the guests to join in. You and your bridal party will keep on dancing until the dance floor is full!

So, this was one option of traditional order of dancing at a wedding. It is your wedding, so you do not have to follow this order, you can do whatever you like. Here is one other way of dancing options you can do at your wedding:

Married Couples: Following your first dance, the DJ or band will announce that all married couples join the bride and groom on the dance floor. A romantic song to do a slow dance with is played, and all couples can have a moment together with you on your first day as a married couple. It is a wonderful moment that is shared with your friends and family.
Open Dancing: After the married couples dance, the DJ or Band can play a fast up beat type of song and invite all your guests to the dance floor. This is a great way to “break the ice” and get everyone to have some fun before dinner time.
Anniversary Dance: Later in the evening, the DJ or band can ask for married couples to join the dance floor. This time it is to celebrate their anniversaries. So for example, it will start with the couples who have been together for one year of less, then two, then three, and then go all the way up to fifty or more. This is a wonderful way to include your guests who are married and can celebrate their love with you. It is always amazing to see how high the anniversary years go up to!
Bridal Party Dance: You and your groom along with your bridal party will take the dance floor and dance! It can be a slow dance or fast song. So, all the bridesmaids will dance with their partnering groomsmen, and maid of honor with the best man. You probably have taken so many photos up to this point, but why not another photo op for keepsakes?

There is really no right way to incorporate dancing into your wedding, just remember that is your day and you do what you love best! Oh, and have fun of course!

Filed Under: General Tagged With: bride, dancing, father daughter dance, first dance, groom, mother son dance, wedding

Beverly Hills Wedding from Sara Jordan Photography

December 18, 2012 Leave a Comment

I totally want to sneak in and be part of this wedding. Can I please? It has tradition, elegance, and some whimsy elements which makes me smile. I can not stop smiling. I am literally smiling from cheek to cheek. I love all the gorgeous details of this wedding which is set at Il Cielo in Beverly Hills, California. This wedding is full of happiness and love. Smiles all around!

Get ready to smile as you take a look at the shots that Sara Jordan Photography captured.

From Sara Jordan Photography:

Lisa and Matt are both Doctors and live in New Zealand. Lisa who’s originally from Palos Verdes wanted to have her wedding here in Los Angeles, so she could include all her family and friends in her nuptials. In a way, it was sort of a destination wedding. Even though Lisa is from Los Angeles she had to do most of her wedding planning from abroad. When it came to finding her photographer, her brother who is a photographer in New York helped her to find me. One thing I love about this wedding is the planning and layout. Even though I was the only photographer for the wedding the way they laid out their big day helped them to get the most when it came to their photography.

Lisa got ready at the Beverly Hills Four Seasons. After capturing her getting ready in their beautiful hotel suite, we headed down stairs for a first look in the Four Season’s garden. After a touching first look and a couple of photos, we went up stairs for the traditional Ketubah signing. They had the most beautiful Ketubah I have ever seen, super colorful. After the Ketubah signing the groom and I headed across the street to the wedding venue, “Il Cielo.” In Italian Il Cielo translates to the sky. The reason this restaurant is called Il Cielo is because their main room has a glass celling that can be open or shut depending on the weather. Photographers love this venue for its natural light.

It is fairly common for wedding invitations to invite guest 30 minutes before the start of the ceremony, just to make sure everyone is present before the ceremony starts. Usually guests arrive at the venue expecting the ceremony to start so they take their seats and wait for the ceremony to start. Instead of having guest board, looking over their shoulders they staged Il Cielo’s outdoor patio like cocktail hour. Which gave guests the opportunity to mingle and enjoy the time before the ceremony. Since I was the only photographer it gave me the opportunity to photograph the guest in a cocktail hour environment without cutting the couples after ceremony photo session short.

The wedding was a traditional Jewish wedding. The bride’s father walked her down the aisle. When she reached the groom she walked around him a couple times and then the rabbi started the ceremony. Their chuppa was roses on top of roses. I loved the way the flowers were done. Each rose was peeled open to give them a rounded shape.

During cocktail hour I got the opportunity to photograph the couple around Il Cielo. Then couple did their grand entrance where cocktail hour was finishing up on the patio. The guest made a circle around the couple and they had their first dance and afterward everyone did the hora.

Dinner was candle lite inside under the stars. During dinner the bride’s father gave a beautiful toast and cut the Challah. After dinner guest danced the night away.

At the very end of the reception Il Cielo does a traditional Italian send off, which is really special. Lead by a man playing the accordion, all the waiters start singing traditional Italian love songs, holding candles and fabric to create a chariot they walk the couple with all the guest following, across the street to the Four Seasons Elevator, where guest wave good night.

Filed Under: Real Weddings Tagged With: Beverly Hills, bride, il Cielo, Jewish wedding, LA, wedding

Five Tips in Finding the Perfect Bridal Stylist

December 17, 2012 Leave a Comment

You have the dress, the shoes, and the groom, so what is next? Choosing a bridal hairstyle and makeup are the added elements to your whole bridal look. You want to look and feel beautiful, so choosing the right bridal stylist is very important. It is about you and what makes you feel not only amazing, but comfortable at the same time. You want to be yourself on your wedding day! So we asked our hair and makeup expert, Gina Ludwig at Hair Comes the Bride to share with us five tips in choosing the perfect bridal stylist. Here is what she told us:

Finding the perfect bridal stylist can be a little overwhelming! There are so many talented stylists out there, but, doing good hair and makeup is only one aspect that you should take into consideration when choosing a stylist. Not all stylists are created equal and the right (or wrong) stylist can really make or break your wedding day experience. Below are my tips for choosing the right bridal stylist for you:

Style: Everyone has their own style and personality, they way they do things, including your potential bridal stylist. The first thing you want to do when narrowing down your choices is to find someone whose style is in line with yours, someone who you think you will get along well with. Your first impression of your potential stylist is going to be their website. Do you like the look of it? Do you like the photos? The colors? What they say about their business and their brides? And, most importantly, their style of hair and makeup? If you find a stylist whose “style” really impresses you, the next step is going to be to contact the stylist for information.

First Impression: In my opinion, when you contact a vendor for information, if they don’t get back to you within 24 hours, if not sooner, MOVE ON! I know this sounds harsh but there are too many choices out there and if someone doesn’t get back to you quickly, it means one of two things, either they are disorganized or they don’t really care. Both of which is not a good thing! Now let’s assume your potential stylist has gotten back to you in a timely manner, I hope I don’t have to tell you that when you talk to them if they don’t answer all of your questions in a thorough and pleasant manner or if they are short, impatient, rude or rub you the wrong way in ANY way, MOVE ON!

The Most Important Question to Ask: So you found a stylist who you really like. Their style of hair and makeup is in line with yours, you get a good vibe from them, they got back to you quickly and answered all your questions in a pleasant and thorough manner. Now comes, what I think is the most important question you can ask, that question is: “What is your policy if I am not happy for any reason?” More specifically, “If I am not happy for any reason after my preview appointment, will you do another trial for free OR give me my money back?” If a stylist has a proven track record of making brides happy and he or she is committed to being of service to their brides, they should not have a problem putting their money where their mouth is and guaranteeing the preview appointment!

The Preview: Now, it’s time for your preview. Your preview is a great way to see, not only what you are going to look like on the wedding day but to see what your wedding day will be like working with this particular stylist. Remember, your stylist is going to be the vendor who is literally going to be the closest to you right before you walk down the aisle. You are going to spend 3-4 hours with her/him along side your friends and family. Your hair and makeup trial should be a good indication of what that time will be like. If after your preview appointment you feel anything less than thrilled and completely confident, you should not sign a contract. You should, depending on how it went, request another preview with your stylist OR find another stylist altogether. AND, if you took my advice and went with a stylist who offers a guarantee, you really have nothing to lose since even those few hours you spent at the preview will help you determine what you do or don’t want next time!

A Word About Budget: Most every bride has a budget and let’s be honest, it is usually one of the first things taken into consideration when looking for a stylist. While, of course, there is nothing wrong with having a hair and makeup budget, keep in mind that compared to the other details of your wedding (flowers, food, venue, etc) your hair and makeup is going to be one of the least expensive. Now, if you can find a stylist that you are thrilled with who is within or below your budget, awesome! But, my advice is to take all of the other factors I have mentioned into consideration first and then look at budget last (not first like many brides do). When it comes to your hair and makeup, it is too important a detail, don’t settle! If going with your best choice, the choice that feels right for you ends up costing you even a few hundred dollars more than you budgeted, that is really not much when you look at the big picture and what you could potentially gain (or lose) by hiring the right (or wrong) stylist.

Filed Under: General Tagged With: bridal hair, bride, hair, hairstyle, hairstyle tips, wedding

Toasting Tips for the Best Man

December 16, 2012 Leave a Comment

Perhaps the biggest duty of the Best Man during the reception is giving the all important toast to the new wedded couple. For some, this is the single biggest point of fear in taking on the job because it calls for the Best Man to come up with a great speech and give it in front of a large audience. As the old adage goes, people tend to fear public speaking as much as death, making this task daunting to say the least. However, here are a few great tips for making the toast memorable and successful.

Tip: Talk Briefly About the Past

The special part of a wedding stems from the fact that it is a singular point of origin in time that you and others will refer to for the rest of your lives. It’s the undeniable, most memorable start of a new era, perhaps with the only exception of when that couple becomes parents for the first time. Nevertheless, the wedding day is the start, not the end. There’s no need to expand on the past, or any trials and tribulations people have gone through to get to that point. The important emotion that everyone is feeling is the fact that they are at something singularly unique, something previous and something fleeting. Going back and talking about ex-girlfriends or ex-boyfriends is passe and frankly in bad taste.

Tip: Talk a Lot About the Future

While you don’t want to go on predicting a million kids or huge fame and fortune, the tone of the wedding is hope, love and togetherness. These three elements should be the basis for all the prognosticating you do during the speech for the happy couple’s future. Fill them with hope, fill them with love, fill them with the knowledge that they will not be along on their journey – that everyone on-hand will be there with them along the way. Talking about the future, as opposed to the past, lends the tone of the speech to a romanticism that many in the audience will latch onto and enjoy.

Tip: Don’t Wing It

There’s a common trick in show business that dupes the audience into thinking that an act was all made up on the spot and improvised when in fact it was a thoughtful and explicit attempt at interacting with the audience. The greatest showmen always make it look easy, as if they made it up on the spot. Those that know better understand that many hours of practice, thought and planning win the day. You must take this approach to your speech as “winging it” will simply not be good enough. You are the best man, not the best improvisational orator, so act accordingly and prepare. Practice your speech, think about the thoughts and emotions you want people to feel and don’t be afraid to get back some feedback from other groomsmen. Give the happy couple the respect of a thoughtful speech, not something you put together seconds before being handed the microphone.

Tip: Watch the Drinking

People say stupid things when they drink, a practically indisputable fact of science and life. The last thing a Best Man should have happen during his toast is to let something slip that nobody else should hear. Be it a curse word or some story a certain someone wanted dead and buried long ago there’s always something that could possibly slip. You’re supposed to be the guy looking out for the guy getting married so he doesn’t have to worry about anything else. Man up, be responsible and represent yourself like a true gentleman when giving the toast at the reception.

Filed Under: General Tagged With: Best man, reception, tips, toast

Garter-Bouquet Toss

December 15, 2012 Leave a Comment

One of the last events that happen at the wedding is the garter and bouquet toss. About half hour before the end of the night, have the DJ or band get everyone’s attention. What comes first? Garter or bouquet toss? Well, ladies first, so bouquet toss! The DJ or band will ask for all the single ladies to come to the dance floor, while the bride holds a bouquet, ready to toss over her shoulder. Typically, the florist will give the bride a “toss bouquet”, so she does not have to toss her own bridal bouquet. She probably wants to keepsake the bouquet, so she does not want it to get trashed. The DJ or band will play a song chosen by the bride or the DJ/band themselves, and then count one, two, three…and toss. You then see all the ladies jumping up and down until one hand finally grabs the bouquet. Hopefully the bouquet is still in one place! The ladies can get very excited.

Following the bouquet toss, is of course the garter toss. All the single men are asked to gather on the dance floor, while the groom removes the garter from his bride. Sometimes there is a song for the garter removal, and then one song for the actual garter toss. It does not really matter if there is one or two songs, as long as there is a song playing. The groom does the same as his bride, counts to three, and tosses the garter over his shoulder.

So now that there is lady who caught the bouquet and a guy who caught the garter, the two are considered lucky and next to be married.

Filed Under: General Tagged With: bouquet toss, bride, garter toss, groom, wedding

Cutting the Wedding Cake

December 14, 2012 Leave a Comment

The wedding cake is the focal point of the reception space, so you really want to make sure it is placed where everyone can see it. However being careful it is not in the way of people walking or obstructing the view of you and your new husband at your table. The cake is itself a wedding decor which adds to the style and design of your wedding. It is something you want everyone to see! Eventually, the cake will need to be cut, but when?

Typically you want to cut the cake about an hour after dinner. If you prefer a different time, then just make sure that you let the staff know. The staff will need to know so they can be ready to cut the pieces for all the guests and have coffee or tea ready to serve, (if you are having a sit down dinner. For buffet type dinner receptions, there may be a coffee/tea station). You also want to capture the moment of cutting the cake, so make sure your photographer and videographer are aware of the time of cake cutting.

The cake is usually cut with a special cake knife which may have your names engraved, or decorated with ribbon or flowers. If not, the venue or caterer can provide one for you. The knife and the cake server can be placed on the cake table, with a small plate, napkin, and two forks. This can all be placed during the reception set up. Now it is time to cut the cake! Place your hand on the knife, and then your husband places his hand over yours. It is a wonderful moment when you cute the first slice together, and feed each other the slice of cake. This is the first of many sharing moments in your lives.

Enjoy this moment, and be careful of getting cake up your nose! It can happen!

Filed Under: General Tagged With: bride, cake, cutting cake, decor, reception, wedding, wedding cake

Manzanita Branches Wedding Decor

December 13, 2012 Leave a Comment

My favorite wedding decor for the week are manzanita branches. Beautiful branches that can add elegance, chicness, and style to any wedding day. Manzanita Branches shares with us how their branches can be incorporated into the wedding. Branches can be used at ceremony aisles, entrance ways, for cake stands, table centerpieces, guest book table, escort table, and reception decor. Manzanita Branches is open to your ideas and can make it happen. So if you have an idea on how you like to add branches to your special day, Manzanita branches is ready to help. They are always looking for new ways to use branches for weddings. The branches are for rent or for sale. Some couples like to buy them and then bring them home and use it as home decor. What a great way to keep the memories from such a important day. Lets take a look at some of the amazing ways these stunning branches add elegance and style to a wedding day.

Filed Under: General Tagged With: branches, bride, cake stands, centerpieces, ceremony settings, chic, decor, manzanita branches, style, wedding, wedding decor

How to choose a dress for the Mother of the Bride

December 12, 2012 Leave a Comment

Your wedding day is a special day where you share your love with your closest friends and family. This is also a very special day for the mother of the bride, who wants to feel and look beautiful. What is the best way to find that perfect dress for her? Here are some tips:

Brainstorm session: Sit down with your mom and just talk about the wedding. The colors and design of the wedding, the style and colors of the bridesmaids dresses, and other bridal party attire. You want to make sure that she is fully aware of what the overall look you are going for. This is also the time where she can share with you her ideas about the dress. Once ideas are shared and there is a vision for the dress, the shopping can begin!
Shopping: Its nice if you can accompany your mom for her dress shopping day. This way you can see what the dresses look like, provide your thoughts, and also support her at the same. Make it a mother-daughter day!
Color: Find out what color your mom likes to wear. The mother of the bride does not have to match the bridesmaids with their colors. However you want to choose a color which will look good on her skin tone. You want to stay away from white, ivory, cream, or any color which would look to close to the bride’s dress. You do not want to be upstaged by your mother. She can still look lovely, and stunning without having to take away from your big day. It is important that your mother feels beautiful! Just make sure the color does not totally clash with the colors and overall theme of the wedding. So if you are going for a vintage romantic look for your wedding, probably want to stay away from bright colors. Maybe a soft pink or soft yellow color would work best.
Style: What style is going to work best? If the wedding is formal, a long dress is best. If it is a day time wedding and informal, the dress can be two piece top and skirt. Your mom needs to feel comfortable, and herself when she wears this dress. So if she normally does not wear strapless dresses, then maybe its best not to try this style on. However, sometimes you can add a little jacket or shawl, which can work too. Try on various styles and see which one your mom feels most beautiful in. It is your day, so you also need to feel comfortable with her style.

Filed Under: General Tagged With: bride, color, design, dress, mother of the bride, style, wedding