Fall Archives - Bridal Hot List

Irvine Regional Park Engagement Session

January 12, 2015 Leave a Comment

I will always be a fan of the fall season. Its hard for me to move forward to winter, especially when you have a super gorgeous fall engagement session from Jaime Davis Photography. I have also become a fan of this adorable couple and the love they obviously have for each other. All I imagine are big hearts just popping out from each and every image. This e-session features the loveliest details, and honestly most of them are from the couple. Yes, the backdrops are full of stunning fall trees and beautiful surroundings, but when you have a couple as darling as these two, all you can focus on is them and their love. They are so darn cute! Of course when you have Jaime Davis Photography there to capture it all, the session is even more breathtaking. It is no wonder I am a bit obsessed today, as all the gorgeous photographs are keeping me busy on this Monday morning. It is sessions like this one that makes me love what I do even more everyday. I do not know about you, but I am going to grab another cup of coffee and browse through these amazing photos just one more time. Enjoy and Happy Monday!

From Jaime Davis Photography…

Meet Adrienne and Robert. I knew Adrienne from working with her a venue where she worked. She was always so sweet and lovely to work with. When I found out she got engaged, I was thrilled! Then of course when they asked me to be their photographer, I was honored. Adrienne and Robert wanted a fall themed engagement session. We found the perfect location at Irvine Regional Park! When we arrived I thought it was going to rain pretty hard, but the weather cleared up and I was able to capture some amazing shots. The whole session was super fun with these two, and just a total blast. Congrats Adrienne and Robert!

Filed Under: General Tagged With: bridal, engagement session, Fall, Irvine engagement session, Irvine Regional Park, Jaime Davis Photography

Happy Thanksgiving from Bridal Hot List

November 27, 2014 Leave a Comment

Happy Thanksgiving! Today it is all about saying our ” thank you’s”, and showing how much we appreciate the fabulous things we are so blessed to have. Our first thank you goes to all of our Facebook “Likes”, Twitter and Instagram followers. Without all of you, this bridal blog would not exist! We are truly thankful for all the love that is poured in each and every day. We also have to take a moment to thank all of our fantastic vendors, venues, photographers, and videographers for allowing BHL to share their brilliantly talented inspiration with us. We feel pretty darn lucky to have the opportunity to experience such gorgeous wedding details and share them with all of you. We are also so very thankful to our family and friends who have showered us with so much love and support since the inception of the blog. We can not thank them enough. We love all our readers, followers, vendors, family and friends. We thank you!

Please share with us what you are thankful for today.We love to hear from you!

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

-Love the BHL family

Filed Under: General Tagged With: bridal blog, Bridal Hot List, Fall, Happy Thanksgiving, November, thankful, thanks, wedding blog

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.

Filed Under: General Tagged With: bridal, bride, bridesmaids, Fall, health, healthy

Top Five Spooky-Glam Bridal Beauty Tips

October 30, 2014 Leave a Comment

Boo! Did we scare you? It’s all in good fun, since it’s Halloween! Halloween is such a fun holiday and so easy to get in the spirit of. Yes, it can be scary but it can also be so sexy and fun. Spooky glam is perfect for Halloween, but it can also work for your wedding. Double dip on the Elvira look this year with our top five favorite spooky glam looks.

Deep Red Lips

Go for blood red, if you can. Fall and Winter are perfect for these deep plummy red lips and they look so fabulous on all skin tones. Think plump and rouge and nail this look with a whole lot of lip conditioner and a good lip liner. If you’re a little more edgy with your costume or even your bridal look, get a lip liner that’s really deep and make your lips as full as possible.

Claw Nails

Whether you’re going as Catwoman or Grumpy Cat, claw nails are perfect for this Halloween. Even better- they’re hot right now and will be the trendiest nail shape for your wedding. These are easiest to pull off with acrylics but if your nails are super long and strong you should be able to rock it. Skip circle and square and go for triangle nails. They’re long, sexy, and and spooky glam enough for any occasion.

Dark Dreamy Eyes

Don’t be afraid of the shadows- get deep dark purples and blue tones and create a mysterious and sexy look. You should definitely do a trial run if you’re thinking about doing this- it can be hard to pull off. If you’re doing this for your wedding, stick to only one big feature- either eyes or lips. If you’re doing it for a costume, go all out. Why not?

Light Twilight

No, not the teen vampires. Add a little sparkle to your look but just in subtle ways. Use a sparkly highlighter in your cheeks, a glitter liner in the corners of your eyes, or a sparkly lip color layered with darker tones. Little specks of glitter cause some intrigue in your look and create some serious sultry looks.

Long Flowy Locks

There’s something so romantic about long flowy hair that’s perfect for dressing as Princess Buttercup or while you’re getting married. Put the updo on the shelf for now and opt for flowy soft hair. You can start by dressing up as a Hollywood starlet for Halloween and keeping the party going all the way down the aisle.

Filed Under: General Tagged With: 2014, beauty, bridal, bride, Fall, Halloween, trendy, wedding

Top Five Spooky Wedding Decor Ideas

October 28, 2014 Leave a Comment

We’ve just got a few days until Halloween, which is one of our all-time favorite holidays! The best part about Halloween is all the spooky fun, why not bring it into your wedding? If you’re having a Halloween wedding, a fall wedding, or just want to keep things a little different for your big day, we’ve got five awesome spooky tips for your wedding.

Black Lace

Want to add a dash of spooky romance? Throw in black lace into your decor. Use it in the linens, in your bridesmaid dresses, and if you’re edgy- in your veil. Black lace creates an edgy feel to the usual white lace and makes everything that much spookier and sexier. If you want to be more subtle, use it to tie your flower bouquets or incorporate it into your napkins. Little touches can go a long way.

Tall White Candles

Lately we’ve been seeing lots of tea candles or smaller candles, but if you want to make things a little spookier go for tall. Taller candles, especially with a little bit of wax drip already going, are reminiscent of haunted houses and mansions in scary stories. Candles are innately romantic, but old-vintage looking candles make it that much spookier.

Dark Red Wine

This is a subtle touch of spooky, but go for a blood-red wine. Find something deep like a cabernet or merlot and serve in goblet-shaped wine glasses. It’s sexy, it’s a little spooky, and who cares if your teeth get a little red? Our next spooky decor tip will take care of that.

Low Lighting

Keep the dimmer in business and try to rely on candlelight as much as possible. Give your photographers a heads up so they can plan the lighting for photos accordingly, but have dinner by candlelight. It’s so romantic and makes everyone look that much more mysterious. Use those tall vintage candles to light your night!

Vintage Plates and Stemware

Old school Hollywood horror stories have one big thing in common- big scary mansions where everything is vintage. Take a note and look for vintage or vintage inspired plates and stemware. We love goblet-shaped glasses for your red wine, but up the ante with some vintage plates and long elegant forks and knives. Tones like gold and more muted silvers look so pretty and still look spooky glam.

Filed Under: General Tagged With: 2014, brides, decor, decoration, Fall, Glam, Halloween, romantic, spooky

Top Seven Do’s & Don’ts of Haunted House Bridal Bonding

October 21, 2014 Leave a Comment

We’re in the final stretch until Halloween, are you brides to be excited? If you’re looking for something fun to do with your bridesmaids before the big day, we suggest hitting up a haunted house before they all close. If getting spooked with your best friends sounds like the best way for bridesmaids to bond, we’ve got the scoop on how to do it right.

DO Define the Group

Make sure you know if it’s going to be a date night, or if it’s a girls’ night. If you have a bunch of single girls in your party it may be easier to keep it to a girls’ night so no one feels left out. If everyone’s attached and you all get along, think about inviting the significant others too. Just think about the group before you start sending save the dates to keep it fun and low drama.

DON’T Drink Beforehand

Sure a few cocktails can be fun, but save the champagne toasts for the big day. You don’t want to risk barfing, screaming, tripping, or acting unlady-like while you’re scared. It’s not a cute look for anyone- and you’re getting married soon. Keep you and your bridesmaids appropriate.

DO Research

There are so many haunted house attractions this year- more so than ever before and they’re always getting bigger and better. There are some, however, that isolate the groups to specific numbers or even make you go through alone (such as ‘Alone’ in Los Angeles). Make sure that your numbers match up to what’s allowed so you can all stay together- you don’t want to be left alone in a haunted house!

DON’T Dress to Impress

Haunted houses can sometimes get messy- whether it’s fake cobwebs all they way out to more scary things. Warn your bridal party ahead of time to save the stilettos for the reception and wear flat comfy shoes and jeans. Dress to be warm (most haunted houses kick into gear after dark) and be ready to run a little if you need to (or need to- these places are creepy!).

DO Carpool

After running around in the dark for an hour with your best friends getting scared, do you really want to drive home alone? Carpool as much as possible to keep your girls together for both bonding and gas purposes. You’ll have time beforehand to go over any last minute wedding updates, and time afterwards to unwind and laugh together so you don’t have nightmares about haunted hayrides.

DON’T Make Them Match

It’s perfectly fine to have them in matching peplum fuchsia dresses when you’re getting married, but not when you’re just going out for girl time. The bachelorette party and bridesmaid dresses are enough for a matching dress code- let your girls dress comfy and warm when you go out. This is not the time to wear your white ‘Bride to Be’ tank. Save the wedding wear for more official functions. Yes, that includes your plastic ‘wife’ tiara from your wedding shower.

DO Take Pictures

Some haunted houses won’t let you take pictures inside, but take pictures as a group when you get there! This will be a fun experience that you’ll reminisce about- you’ll want to remember it. Check in, hashtag it, and be sure you get your smiling bridal party all together. It’s all in good fun and you’re all there because you love each other. Keep a keepsake!

Filed Under: General Tagged With: bachelorette party, bride, bridesmaids, Fall, girl time, Halloween, haunted house, spooky, wedding

Top Five Fall Bridal Party Gifts

October 16, 2014 Leave a Comment

It’s customary for the bride and groom to give little presents to the friends that they ask to stand by them on the big day. Bridal party gifts can range depending on how big the event is or what your budget is. It’s a sweet way to thank your best friends for helping you out (or putting up with you) while you plan the biggest party of your life. No matter what your budget is, we’ve got fun fall gifts for your girls! Pick one to go with, or pick a few and make a gift basket!

PSL Mug

When you think fall, what do you think? Crunchy leaves, sweaters, and the return of fun fall hot drinks. The pumpkin spice latte is probably the most common and loved fall drink (for a reason!), so give your girls something to drink it out of. Mugs are cute, easy to make or order, and you can find fun mugs at any budget. You can get unmarked ones at a dollar or craft store and Pinterest them to be personalized if you have a free day to do arts and crafts. If you have a little more money to spend, you can get personalized mugs made with pictures or nicknames done for your girls. To make this gift a whole present, stuff the mug with candy or small knick-knacks and wrap it all in cellophane. This practical present is super cute and will be loved until the handles fall apart!

Selfie Set

If you’re going to be #hastagging your wedding, give your girls the proper tools to do so! These new toys have been popping up everywhere and we’re starting to see cute versions come out. We (unapologetically!) love selfies, and so do so many out there. Our selfie sets include a selfie stick and a selfie remote. Selfie remotes are little buttons that are on a cord that plugs into your phone’s headphone jack. You just turn on your camera and hit the button for a sneaky selfie! And of course, the selfie stick has been out, but we’re starting to see more compact versions that you can stash in your purse. This gift is a little more gag-gift, but it’s still fun and will be used! You can get cute stickers for them, or if you have time go ahead and rhinestone them for a glamorous selfie set!

Glam Bag

Diamonds be a girl’s best friend, but fun makeup is a close second. Pick up makeup bags (we love the cheap ones from Ulta, Forever 21, and Drugstores or high end ones from boutiques) and stuff them with some of your favorite things! If you want your bridesmaids to, say, all have red lips with their outfits this is the perfect time to spring for that lip color for them. Keep an eye out for sales at places like CVS, Rite Aid, and Ulta. Those stores tend to do makeup sales like BOGO and can seriously help keep your budget down for these. If you’re going to go a little higher end, be sure to shop at stores with rewards programs (like Nordstrom, Sephora, and Ulta) so you can get something fun for yourself too. If you stick to more skin-neutral things like palettes, glitter, black eyeliner, and red lipsticks you can get everyone the same thing that they will be able to use.

Forward Thinking

Since we’re starting to get towards the end of the year, get your girls set up for success with some 2015 planners/agendas. Fun brands like Moleskine and Kate Spade already have their 2015 agendas available online and they are too cute, practical, and perfect to keep your girls on track. We love stationary, cute agendas, and anything that keeps us organized. You’ll be the first person to get them ready for the next year, which means you’ll be their favorite all year long (probably)!

Cozy Kit

It’s starting to cool down, get your girls ready with a cozy kit! Get a cute tote bag (that can range from $1 to however much you’d want to spend) and stuff it with warm accessories like infinity scarves, cozy aloe socks, and lined leggings. It may be a little silly to buy in bulk for your girlfriends, but it’s totally practical and they’ll be thanking you when they’re bundled up marathoning shows on Netflix. You can get them all different pieces depending on their personality or the same ones so you all have BFF outfits.

Filed Under: General Tagged With: 2014, Autumn, bride, bridesmaids, cozy, Fall, gift, trendy, wedding

Top Five Fall Trendy Wedding Favors

October 2, 2014 Leave a Comment

Want to make sure that your wedding guests remember your big day? Give them something to remember about it! If you’re getting hitched in the Fall and still don’t have favors, check out our favorite Fall wedding favors. Your guests will thank you- seriously!

Candles

What screams Fall more than some yummy-scented candles? Pick up woodsy scents like pine and make them all yours. It’s easy to find websites that do promotional items that will let you order candles that are laser-cut with whatever you want (a good fallback are your names and the wedding date). If you want to do this on the cheap, go out to the dollar store or drugstore and pick up a whole bunch of candles. Get stickers made with whatever you want and stick ‘em on to personalize them.

Reusable Tote Bags

Fall is a time for practicality- it needs to be to balance out Holiday spending. One of the most practical can’t-have-enough items right now are reusable tote bags. You’re able to use them more than once, they’re good for the environment, and they can even save you some money at the grocery store (some stores will actually take money off of your bill if you use a reusable bag). Reusable totes can start at less than a dollar each with personalization and are perfect for stuffing with candy for guests. Plus, they’re easy for your guests to take with them!

Photoframes

A sweet, personalized gift is to do picture frames pre-stuffed with pictures of the guests in them. If your wedding is small enough, this could be a fun one-day task. You can set them out as placeholders for the reception and have it serve a purpose!

Custom Candy

Wanna play to your sweet tooth guests? Buy candy in bulk and get stickers made up to cover the logo. You can write cute things like “thanks for sharing our sweet day” on them to make it cheeky. Everyone likes candy, and with Halloween being the next big holiday, candy totally works!

Reusable Water Bottles

It’s getting quite cheap to pick up reusable water bottles now a days- they’re not the commitment they used to be! At personalization websites, it’s easy to find water bottles at around $2 a piece to start, and they make such a great practical gift! Get a clear reusable water bottle, personalize it for your big day, and stuff it with tissue paper and candy for your guests. It’s a great looking gift, practical and awesome, and good for the environment! This awesome gift encourages drinking water, supports reusable materials, and is one of the most unique things you’ll see at a wedding.

Filed Under: General Tagged With: bride, Fall, favors, green, reusable, trendy, wedding

Top Five Trendy Fall Wedding Pieces

September 25, 2014 Leave a Comment

Fall fashion is always exciting- just check out any fashion magazine right now! This fall we’re seeing this beautiful blend of deep darker colors that we usually use mixed in with peachy neutrals and light colors to contrast. This Fall is sure to be a special one in the world of fashion, and we could not be more excited!

Long Sleeve Skaters

Skater dresses were super cute for Spring, held strong over the Summer, and have had the best update for Fall! Scoopneck longsleeve skater dresses are starting to hit the shelves and are perfect for more casual weddings. Dress it up with fancy jewelry to create a really dynamic contrast. You’ll look super on trend, stay warm, and be cute and comfortable out on the dancefloor!

Loose Lengthy Cardigans

If you’re heading somewhere not too sunny for the big day, grab a structured but loose cardigan to go over your dress. This especially works if you’re doing a dress that’s a little more tight or short. Pair the cardigan to contrast your dress so you don’t look too matchy-matchy. Aim for fitted sleeves so it doesn’t look too untailored. If it gets too warm, use it to mark where your chair and bag is while you’re dancing.

Large Clutches

Red carpets have been showing us a trend of large, envelope style clutches to pair with your outfit. This fall, grab a large one that you can fit your wallet, phone, keys, and back up beauty supplies in. Pick up this piece in a neutral color to pair with wedding outfits all season long!

Delicate Chains

This season we’re seeing a lot of this beautiful contrast of delicate and girly with rough and tough. Play this trend up with doing a delicate chain necklace. A light jewelry piece is girly and dainty, but the chain is edgy. Delicate pendants like arrows, anchors, or even a small gem create a beautiful look that is easy to pair with most wedding outfits. Bonus points if you can find a vintage piece as your something old!

Bad Girl Booties

If you’re intimidated by spending a day in stilettos, opt for some bad girl booties. This season we’ve been seeing lots of black, buckled booties paired with sweetheart dresses and girl outfits. Pick something you can really move in and can reuse for other outfits. Pick something that is pretty as a standalone (i.e., try it on with a skirt before you try it on with jeans) so you know they’ll still be dressy enough for a wedding.

Filed Under: General Tagged With: 2014, dress, Fall, fashion, outfit, shoes, trendy, wedding

Top Five Trendy Shadow Shades for Fall Weddings

September 23, 2014 Leave a Comment

Fall is such a beautiful season, and people can get so caught up in staying in the same color palettes. Fall is a time all about beautiful complimentary colors. Don’t be afraid to show some shine on your eyelids at your next wedding- own it and look good doing it! Break out of the matte shades of the last few seasons and add a little dimension to your wedding look with these five color palettes!

Pretty in Pink

If watermelon was your color palette of choice last summer, go for something similar this Fall. A peachy and neutral warm palette with gold flecks brings all out of your remaining summer glow. Light warm colors create a romantic look that’s cute and gentle without being overwhelming. It is lovely as much as it is natural, and is perfect for the sweetheart bride or bridesmaid.

Woodsy Woman

Want to warm up a neutral look? These basic neutrals are beautiful and gold based enough to blend with most skin tones. If you were doing golds all summer, this is the best Fall transition for you. Yellow-based neutrals are complimentary on so many skin tones and help give eyes a certain sparkle that can be hard to obtain. This color palette is so seamless, you could share it with the whole gang of bridesmaids! Just be sure to clean your brushes in between.

Deep Brunette

Brown tones are so fantastic for all skin tones and is optimized for Fall wear. If you want to do something smokier and sexier for a night wedding, play with deeper neutral tones to make your eyes look stronger. Use the deepest toned brown in the crease of your eye to create a more natural smokey look and be ready to catch the bouquet.

Royal Plum

Cranberry and plum tones with pieces of purple make green and brown eyes pop out like crazy and will make you look stunning in wedding photos. If brighter colors were your thing last summer, make this your wedding go-to look. If you keep the tones warm, you’ll still get that golden glow but with a deeper more sultry overall look. Pair with black on black eyeliner and mascara for a full on glamorous look.

Sliver of Silver

If you want to do more edgy looks for the wedding, go for something slate grey and silver. Something deep with flecks of shimmer makes your look pop, and is especially beautiful on darker skin tones. Keep it a little warmer to keep it from being too frosty (save that for Winter!). Since this is more cool-toned, be sure to pair it carefully with your lip and cheek colors. You’ll be the belle (or bride or bridesmaid!) of the ball!

Filed Under: General Tagged With: 2014, beauty, bridal, bride, bridesmaid, eyes, Fall, trendy, wedding