Valentine's day Archives - Bridal Hot List

Top Five Gifts for Galentine’s Day

February 12, 2015 Leave a Comment

This weekend could not come soon enough! We’ve been so excited to spend the special day with our loved ones- all our loved ones. You may have been focused on your significant, but you can’t forget about your girlfriends! Valentine’s day is all about showing love and giving to the people that you love. If you’ve been focusing on the fiance the last few days, take some time out to pick up something sweet for the ladies in your life too. If you’re caught up on the 14th with Valentine’s Day, save brunch on the 15th for Galentine’s Day!

Frame Your Friends

Need something quick but cute to do? Pick up some fun frames (we love the frame section at Target for a good score) and look through your timeline for some fun pictures. Look for throwbacks (happy Throwback Thursday!), group pictures, just really cute pictures together. A framed photo is a perfect quick reminder of the good times.

Bag It

You know what we ALL need that we never have enough of? Reusable bags! Reusable bags are perfect to help the environment, transport your groceries safely, and they’re cute. Go on a hunt for some cute reusable bags for your girlfriends- it’s always a great little gift! If you’re on a budget these are easy to afford for all your friends. We’ve spotted cute ones at Trader Joes, Forever 21, and Target that are all under $5.00. If you want to be really sweet, stuff it with their favorite snacks!

Spa Night

If you have a little more cash to spend, put together a full night of indulgence for your friends! Get a basket or bag and stuff it with candles, a bath bomb, and a face mask. Give her the gift of relaxation! If you want to get really fun, you can get a mug with some tea or hot cocoa to make it a cozy night in. You can also tuck away a bottle of wine in there to make it an extra special spa night.

But First..

If your friends are all about that #Instagram or #SelfieLife, make it easier for them and spring for some selfie sticks! They are seriously the gift of the season and it’s still going strong. If you look hard enough you can score them for around $5-$10 each, and for a few extra bucks you can get a bluetooth button so you don’t have to do the whole ten second timer thing. Just make sure you make your girlfriend promise they only post pictures where you all look good!

Binge!

Want to really make your friends smile? Indulge their guilty pleasures and pick up a season or two of their favorite girly show. Gilmore Girls, The OC, Gossip Girl- it’s all fair game! Make her promise to binge watch a few episodes with you so you get some girl time in. She’ll love having something fun to watch and she’ll remember how awesome you are every time she picks it up!

Filed Under: General Tagged With: bride, bridesmaid, fiance, friends, friendship, girlfriends, Valentine's day

Valentine’s Day Wedding Inspiration Styled Shoot: Vintage Oaks Ranch

February 11, 2015 Leave a Comment

Bows, arrows, hearts, and glitter are some of the things we can not stop talking about during this week of love. When we opened up our inboxes, the images made our hearts smile, and knocked our pretty little socks off. This wedding styled shoot put together by Shelly Taylor Photography and the fabulous team of vendors is absolutely amazing. We are loving all the Valentine’s inspired details. It is not just pink color, or the hearts, but this styled shoot has some glam and glitz as well. Set in such a rustic setting, the pinks and gold compliment this venue beautifully. Actually, in our eyes, just perfectly. If you are looking for a dose of Valentine’s love with some wedding style and design, then you will not want to miss this one! Be warned, you may get stuck for awhile, so make sure you clear your schedule and enjoy!

The inspiration from Shelly Taylor Photography…

Vintage Oaks Ranch is a brand new venue, and we wanted to create a romantic Valentine theme wedding inspiration with a mixture rustic and glam textures. The gold arrows were the central design theme, for a subtle Valentine design element, which can carry over into the couple’s home as keepsakes. Katy Girl Goods Etsy shop designed the table numbers and coasters. Many of the design elements and furniture were also borrowed from the venue, and this is one service they offer their brides.

Vendors:

Photographer: Shelly Taylor Photography

Event Designer: Shelly Taylor Design

Location: Vintage Oaks Ranch

Rentals: Action Rental

Baked Goods: All Sugar’d Up

Bridal Gown: Georgio’s Bridal & Prom

Bridal Gown Designer: Maggie Sottero

Handmade Goods: Katy Girl Goods

Make up: Kimberly Cutler Professional Make-up

Hair: The Experience Salon

Flowers: Wolfe’s Florist

Paper-goods: Noteworthy

Filed Under: General Tagged With: bridal, love, pinks, Shelly Taylor Photography, Styled wedding shoot, texas wedding, Valentine's day, Valentine's Day Inspired, Vintage Oaks Ranch

Top Five Ways to Say ‘I Love You’ to Your Fiancé

February 10, 2015 Leave a Comment

Do you feel that love in the air? Or maybe you feel that ring on your left hand? Either way, tis the season to celebrate the most fun thing in the world- LOVE! You don’t necessarily have to do a grand gesture (but if you feel like it, our holiday splurges would work just fine!), sometimes it’s the little things that mean the most. We’ve got five sweet ways for you to say ‘I Love You’ this weekend that are sure to get you brownie points.

Snack Attack

Have you heard the phrase “the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach”? Yeah, it’s an oldie but a goodie for a reason. If your fiiancé is a snacker, swing by the store and grab his favorite snacks. Keep a stash in a secret place like in your car or in your purse, and surprise him with them. Sneak them into his lunch (if he brings it to work), into the center console of his car (as long as it doesn’t melt), or surprise him while he’s at his computer or watching tv. It’s one of those little things that reminds them you care and you like spoiling your sweetie.

But First… Send Him a Selfie

If you’re feeling cute, write down something cute like “I love you!” on a piece of paper, hold it up, and shoot a selfie to send to him. It’s a more personal way of getting your message across, you remind him how adorable you are, and it’s something easy on your end. Just remember, keep it safe for work in case he’s in public. Always keep it classy, ladies. Just saying!

Do Some Leg Work

It must be a guy thing- so many guys have a TON of clothes that they love that they will never get rid of that are covered in holes and patches. Why do they do that? A lot of guys are sentimentally attached to some outfits or pieces of clothing and will wear them into the ground. So where do you come in? Go ahead and sneak them out to get them patched up by a tailor. Get those hems fixed, those zippers replaced, just go ahead and refurbish the beloved pieces that your fiancé just can’t let go of.

Treat Him to a Guy Date

You always get to go on dates with him, why not let him have a date with his buddies instead? Hint- you may not want to phrase it like that, but the sentiment is there. Something fun you can do is order a big fight on pay-per-view and some beer for your man and his men to enjoy. You can set them up with dinner at a wing joint. You could even (if they’d be up for it) get them manly manicures at a guy-friendly salon (they do exist, and they’re awesome).

Have a Date Night In

You know what every guy loves? Staying at home and enjoying it. Even if they won’t admit it or claim to be outdoorsy, there’s nothing wrong with being at home and having a good time. Tell him it’s date night but stay in. This is the time to get your inner chef on (or even better- order in!) and cater him in the comfort of his own home. Stream a movie you both love, have a good meal, and keep it simple. Sometimes that’s the best way to spend a night with the person you love.

Filed Under: General Tagged With: date, date night, fiance, love, romance, valentine, Valentine's day

Georgia: Kisses and Hugs Engagement Session

February 9, 2015 Leave a Comment

Kicking off the week of love with this darling engagement session from Julie Anne Photography, LLC. This e-session has us totally getting into the Valentine’s Day spirit, and we can not get enough of it. The Kiss booth, the vintage Coke bottles, and a couple who is so darn cute and adorable, we cant stand it! It is the type of session that has us totally in love and wanting to celebrate Valentine’s Day a few days early. When you are in love like these two obviously are, then you know it will be a perfect engagement session full of nothing but laughs, kisses, hugs, and pure happiness. Enjoy your Monday morning with a dose of Valentine’s Day love from this beautiful couple.

From Julie Anne Photography, LLC…

Atlanta is known for Coca-cola, the Georgia Bulldogs, and Falcons so the color scheme was easy – red & white! Here in Georgia, we also love the outdoors, running barefoot and our little sundresses. The inspiration for this shoot was to take the vintage concept of carnival kissing booths and old coke bottles and recreate them with a bit of whimsy in one of my favorite fields. We started with straight letters on the booth but a gust of wind knocked the letters crooked and I thought it just really added character. The lighting was perfect and the couple was so natural. Very little posing or direction was given. Samantha was the one who took her shoes off and hopped up on the picnic table. Jared with his five o’clock shadow, button down with the rolled sleeves, and big smile just screams southern boy. The whole session took less than 45 minutes to shoot because they made it so easy – laughing and having a great time!

We love to hear from you, so please tell us your favorite detail from this engagement session!

Filed Under: General Tagged With: atlanta bride, Atlanta wedding, bride to be, engagement session, Georgia couple, groom to be, Valentine's day, Valentine's inspired engagement session

Valentine’s Day Cookies and Milk

February 14, 2014 Leave a Comment

Happy Valentine’s Day!

When you think about V-Day, what comes to your mind? C-H-O-C-O-L-A-T-E! Chocolate gets the spotlight, front and center of every possible dessert creations. However, there are many other dessert-like dishes that can be created on this sweet day. Here is one of my favorites. Great for couples to share, for single friends to sip and enjoy together, and for families to slurp with children. It is super fun, easy, and cute!

COOKIES AND PINK MILK

This is what you will need:

1 Gallon of milk (choose your favorite nonfat, 1% or 2% or whole)
Sugar cookie dough (buy your favorite brand. Just make sure that it has direction for making it into a rolled out cookie dough).
Red food coloring
Heart shaped cookie cutter
Round shaped cookie cutter (or anything other round shaped item that you can use to cut out cookies)
Milk bottles or shooter glasses or vintage looking glass
Vintage paper straws

Directions:

1) Preheat oven by following the directions on cookie dough package

2) Follow cookie dough directions for rolled dough.

3) Roll out your dough and cut your cookies. I made round cookies and then cut the center with a heart shaped cookie cutter.

4) Bake your cookies and once done set aside to cool. PS: you can also bake all the heart shaped cut outs and freeze them. Use them to decorate cupcakes or any other dessert at a later time.

5) Pour your milk in a pitcher.

6) Add one drop of red food coloring.

7) Mix. If too light of a pink, add one more drop. Go slowly so that you can achieve your perfect hue.

8) Pour the milk in the individual glasses.

9) Place straw and place 2-3 cookies on the straw.

10) Repeat for each glass.

A perfect treat for a day filled with love, no matter who is by your side.

Filed Under: General Tagged With: Cookies and Milk, Cute idea, February 14, Happy Valentine's Day, love, romance, Valentine's day, Valentine's Day ideas

Top Three Valentine’s Day Cake Ideas

February 13, 2014 Leave a Comment

Valentine’s day is almost here, and I can totally smell the sweetness of the love in the air. But do you know what else I smell? Yummy and delicious treats ready to be indulged by sweet lovers. It is the perfect excuse to have a little something yummy. Love and sweets, a lovely combo! Do you know what other combo I am in love with right now? Weddings and Cakes! Valentine’s day inspired cakes that is. I am obsessed with my lovely friend, Alexis Sturgeon and her designer cakes. So obsessed, that I kind of want to take each and every one of these cakes for myself. Is that bad of me? She is so amazingly talented, she whipped up three amazing Valentine’s Day inspired cakes for us, with each and every one with it’s own style and design. I am in love! See for yourself, and believe me, you will fall in love as well. TRUST ME!

Three Tiered Valentines Day cake: This is an adorable Valentine’s Day wedding cake designed with a simple backyard wedding in mind. Three tiers generously iced blissful buttercream with hearts strung around the top and bottom tiers like music notes. On the middle tier, two lovebirds are featured. One asks the other to be his valentine to capture the essence of this special holiday. This cake was made at Susie Cakes Manhattan Beach.

Cupcake Tower: This is perfect for a Valentine’s Day party. Cupcakes dressed in pink, magenta, rose, and white buttercream. All decorated with Cupid’s sanding sugar. This cupcake tower was made at Susie Cakes Manhattan Beach.

Single Tiered Valentines Day Cake: This beautiful cake was created with a more traditional wedding design in mind. Its sweet and sensational pattern leaves you floating away on a cloud of love. A gorgeous bouquet of flowers tops this cake giving it a fresh organic look. This cake is perfect for a small wedding whose bride is looking to add a rustic or vintage touch to their special day.

About Alexis Sturgeon…

Alexis Sturgeon is a cake artist located in Los Angeles, California. Alexis has been designing cakes since 2007. Her specialty is showpiece, wedding and celebration cakes. She spent time working for the Roosevelt Hotel as the Resident Cake Artist,. During her residency, Alexis made cakes for various Hollywood stars and shows such as Gordon Ramsey and Fox’s The Simpsons. Currently, you can find Alexis working for Susiecakes in Manhattan beach where she continues to perfect her craft in the world of beautiful and artistic cakes.

Filed Under: General Tagged With: Alexis Sturgeon, cake, desserts, Susiecakes, sweet, Valentine's day, Valentine's Day sweets

Top Three Valentine’s Day Inspired Wedding Flowers

February 12, 2014 Leave a Comment

Fact: I am in love with flowers. Blooms that are simple, over the top, or just a single rose, they make me happy and smile each and every time. In my book, without flowers and blooms, this world be pretty darn boring and ugly. With Valentine’s Day just a couple days away, a gorgeous detail is popping up at each and every floral shop. Beautiful blooms, ready to be picked up and shared with a loved one! I am all about the romance, and romantic details. That is why today I want to talk about romantic weddings and how florals can make any wedding day oh-so-pretty! With the help of our incredibly talented friend and floral designer, Sussanna Davidson at French Buckets, we have three gorgeous Valentine’s Day inspired wedding florals to inspire any bride for her wedding day. Go ahead, take a look, and see which bloom is for you.

Peachy: Oh so peachy! This gorgeous floral arrangement is made up of peach Amaryllis, garden roses, pink jasmine and rice flower. What a lovely arrangement and so perfect for that garden style wedding. This charming set is bright, lush, and full of smiles. (The pretty background is paper from paper-source).

Red Hot Love: These blooms are super stunning and totally scream Valentine’s Day. Look how bright and vibrant these flowers look. This super gorgeous arrangement is made up of red amaryllis, pink hyacinth, pink jasmine and wild raspberries. Looking to have a classical wedding with a touch of surprise? This will surely be a showstopper. A total knockout!

Simple and Sweet: These lovely blooms are made up of sweet pea’s, geranium, pink sweetheart roses and pink hyacinth. It is simple, yet is so pretty with the pop of colors that are present. This sweet little centerpiece compliments a romantic style wedding. (The pretty background is paper from paper-source).

Filed Under: General Tagged With: blooms, Christopher Todd Studios, Florals, french buckets, Happy Valentine's Day, love, romantic, Valentine's day, Valentine's Day flowers, Valentine's Day ideas, wedding florals

Five Fun Valentine’s Day Gifts for Grooms

February 9, 2014 Leave a Comment

It’s almost Valentine’s Day! Are you ready? Even if you’re not, there’s no reason to worry. Save the stress for the ceremony and check out our gift guide for your groom.

For the Chef

If you landed a man who’s great in the kitchen, you might as well get him the right tools for the job. A good knife block is a great addition to any kitchen, and will encourage him to cook more! Knife blocks can range anywhere from $40 and up, depending on the quality and how big the set is. Just remember, a knife set is a great investment and you do get what you pay for.

For the Man of Mystery

Boys do love their toys, and spy toys are a sure-fire hit. A spy pen camera or spy watch is something fun for him to play with and are typically under $50. Typically the cameras in spy gear aren’t very high quality, so he really can’t get into too much trouble. It may not be as practical as a knife block, but it sure will be fun.

For the Gamer

Are his thumbs always sore from all the video games? Trick out his device in a cool way. Get a cool skin for his handheld device so it’s easier for him to find in the man cave. We’re obsessed with these fun skins from Etsy ($6-$10 each skin). You can also spring for another year of either his PlayStation or XBox online membership, or load his Nintendo account with some funds for downloadable play.

For the Pop Cultured

Does he speak in movie quotes and wish he were the long lost Bluth brother? Find some fun fan art from his favorite television show or movie. Just search the title in Etsy and you’ll find tons of cool fan tributes that would be perfect and original for him. If he’s a Potterhead, we love this fun flask (Etsy, $20).

For the Architect

If your groom likes to tinker and create fun things, give him a blast from the past with a cool lego set. It’s a great fun activity that you can help out with, plus it’ll look great as a centerpiece. We’re obsessed with the limited edition ‘Back to the Future’ set ($35, lego stores) that builds a floating Delorean.

Filed Under: General Tagged With: gift, groom, love, present, valentine, Valentine's day

Top Five Valentine’s Day Cheesecake Flavors

February 7, 2014 2 Comments

Can you believe Valentine’s Day is right around the corner? Do you know what I think of when I hear “Valentine’s Day”? DESSERT! Yes, all I see is chocolate, cookies, cupcakes, and whatever is yummy. My mouth is watering right now, just thinking about it. So besides a birthday, this is also the time of year to indulge. Why not? I always say if you are going to indulge, why not do it with something amazing and delicious. So, if you are a bride and worried about not fitting into your dress, don’t worry, just don’t indulge too much. Maybe one cupcake, instead of like three? The time before you get married is a special time, and if there is something like a little sweet to have, go for it! Maybe make a special date night for you and your love, and enjoy your favorite dessert.

So what are my favorite desserts? There are way to many to count, however, I love myself some cheesecake. My favorite place to get some delicious and savory cheesecakes? None other than Pacific Cheesecake Company. They never disappoint with their mini cheesecake flavors. This time of year with Valentine’s Day here, their flavors are so divine.

Here are some heavenly and oh-so-yummy Valentine’s Day flavors. Which one to choose? I am kind of embarrassed to say that I want one of each. Can you tell that I have a sweet tooth? But when it looks this good, and tastes so darn good, how can I choose just one? Which one do you want to indulge in?

Red Velvet– Red Velvet Cake, Vanilla Cheesecake, Cream Cheese Frosting

Lemon Pie- Vanilla Cheesecake, Lemon Curd

Salted Caramel– Vanilla Cheesecake, Caramel, Fleur De Sol

Strawberry– Strawberry Cheesecake with a Strawberry Reduction

Cookies & Cream– Vanilla Cheesecake, Oreo® Pieces

Photography: Tommy Wu

Filed Under: General Tagged With: Bridal Hot List, cheesecake, desserts, Pacific Cheesecake, trends, Valentine's day, Valentine's Day sweets, wedding blog

Five Budget-Friendly Valentine’s Day Dates

February 3, 2014 Leave a Comment

Weddings are expensive, and it’s a wise idea to start saving where you can. With Valentine’s Day coming up, you may feel pressured to spend some extra money on your honey- but don’t! We have a few ideas for those couples who may be saving up for the big day, or just like to be romantic on a budget.

Netflix Picnics

This could be particularly nice if you’re in a colder area right now. Stock up on your honey’s favorite treats, grab a gigantic blanket, and pop open a nice bottle. Go back and forth throwing on your favorite episodes of your guilty pleasure shows (but be sure to keep it light- no need for drama on Valentine’s Day!) and noshing on candy. You can even order pizza and make a night of it. It’s a romantic, intimate, and light-hearted way to spend Valentine’s Day.

Show Deals

Check out sites like Groupon and LivingSocial for any deals on a pair of tickets to local shows. Local theaters and venues love discount sites because it helps get their name out and fill seats. Comedy clubs and magic venues often have deals for tickets and even package deals that could include food and/or drinks. You can try to schedule something fun on the fourteenth, or pick up a voucher and hang on to it for a later date.

Hit the Arcade

Take the morning off of work and hit up the arcade and mini golf course before the kids get out of school. Pretend you’re high school sweethearts and challenge each other to skee ball (bonus points if you get enough tickets to win a giant stuffed bear!). Light competition is flirty and fun, plus you get to play games you won’t even have realized you missed. Just be sure to be out of the place by three- you don’t want to end up in a line behind actual high school sweethearts just to play whack-a-mole.

Volunteer

It may not be the most romantic or extravagant way to spend Valentine’s Day, but if you’re not into mushy dates this could be a great experience for you. Local shelters and soup kitchens do their best to get as many volunteers as possible, and today could be a great day to volunteer as a team. Working together creates stronger bonds and that ‘feel good’ feeling will make you both feel happy and satisfied with your time.

Go on Safari

It may feel a little silly, but when you look back you’ll both be guaranteed to love it. Grab a camera and go on a selfie safari through your favorite parts of your city. Go to the spot of your first kiss, your favorite bar or park, wherever you went on your first date and snap and smooch away. You can print them out and hang them up as souvenirs, or get creative and make a photo album of your day together. These pictures would also be perfect to use for any announcements, or in a wedding slideshow.

Author’s Note: HUGE thank you to BHL reader Thomas McLaughlin for giving permission to the author for using his photos. Happy Valentine’s Day, Thomas!

Filed Under: General Tagged With: budget, date, dating, relationship, Valentine's day, wedding