wedding blog Archives - Bridal Hot List

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

Happy Easter from Bridal Hot List

April 20, 2014 Leave a Comment

Good morning lovelies! It is a beautiful Easter morning here at BHL headquarters in Southern California. We are taking a break from blogging today to wish all of you a very Happy Easter. Whatever today’s agenda looks like today, we hope that each and every one of you has a very blessed day full of happiness, love, laughter, and joy with friends, family, and loved ones. From our family to yours, Happy Easter!

Take a look at some of our favorite Easter inspirations: (yes they are all flowers, but we love them!)

Filed Under: General Tagged With: bridal blogger, Bridal Hot List, Easter Sunday, Happy Easter, sunday, wedding blog

Five Must-Do’s the Night Before the Wedding

April 8, 2014 1 Comment

The wedding day is not any ole’ event. This is like they say, “the big day”, and it features a super detailed agenda. An agenda that starts as early as 6:00am and ends past midnight. So, it is a LONG day ahead. So just like any big event, you must be prepared and ready to go. However, this event is full of emotions and special moments. Moments like your dad seeing you as a bride, and shedding tears, to celebrating with your girlfriends moments before your gown is first put on, and then of course the instant that you say “I Do” to the the love of your life. That is a lot of emotions in one day! On top of that, there some wedding events throughout the day. Yes, having a wedding planner is key, and a must in my books, but there are a few things you can do as a bride the night before the wedding day. We’ve got some fabulous tips to help ease the stress and day of emotions!

Sleep: First, and foremost, you must get a good night sleep. Yes, the nerves are totally there, and it is such a exciting day ahead, that you can not sleep. However, if you do not get a good sleep, you can not enjoy the day as much as possible. Let us tell you, you want to enjoy each and every moment of your wedding day. To help, make sure that you go to bed early, at least 7 hours of sleep( if possible, if not then 6 for sure). Have your close friends or family over to stay the night with you, so you are not alone, and can get that nice sleep with your besties around you. They can also help (for the most part), make sure you go to bed on time. You can take a over the counter sleeping pill like melatonin an hour before you want to go to bed. ( Do not take any prescription or something strong like Tylenol PM. You will feel really our of it the next day!). This will help with calming your body down so you can sleep more naturally, then being knocked out! You must get up the next day with a fresh look.
Food: Watch what you eat the night before to even the week of the wedding. Do not try new foods, or eat anything heavy. Do not starve yourself, but eat light and healthy. Something with protein and greens are really good. Breakfast can be a smoothie, yogurt, or cereal. Lunch can be a sandwich or salad. Dinner can be a steak/chicken with a side of veggies, and salad. Dessert: frozen yogurt with fresh fruit. If you eat right, then you will not have to worry about anything for the big day.
Breathe: This may seem like an obvious one, but take some time to breathe! One really easy exercise is to sit down somewhere comfortable (a chair, couch, bed, etc), close your eyes, and then think of something very positive, and then breathe that thought in, hold it for a few seconds, and then breathe out the opposite thought, and breathe out the negative energy. Do this at least five times. This will help you focus on YOU, and not all the crazy things that may be going around you. It can get crazy and stressful! So make sure to take that time to relax and breathe! Trust us, it really helps!
Massage: A nice relaxing massage is the key to a relaxing night before the wedding. Make an appointment way in advance, (if weekends, they book fast!), and make sure to do it at least a few days before, or the day before the wedding. If you are doing it the day before the wedding, do it early in the morning. If you go to a regular massage spa place, ask for the person you always work with. They know your body, pressure points, and YOU. You can make this into a day event with your girlfriends, or maybe even do a couple’s massage with your love.
Have fun!: All the tips above may seem kind of boring and dull, so do not forget to have fun too. The night before, you typically have your rehearsal dinner, and that is a great time to spend with close friends and family before the big day. It is a preview of the wedding day, and a chance to practice your smile, and show off your fun side! Tomorrow you are getting married, and it is okay to party! Just do not party too much or too hard. Smiles!

Happy Wedding Day, and Happy Pre-Wedding Day!

Filed Under: General Tagged With: bridal, bridalhotlist, bride, night before wedding, tips, wedding, wedding blog, wedding day

A Bridal Blogger’s Photo Shoot by Jaime Davis Photography

March 26, 2014 1 Comment

Good morning lovelies! It probably comes to no surprise that I am obsessed with all things wedding. I mean, I get to write about pretty wedding things all the time. From viewing gorgeous images on my computer screen, and swooning over each and every image, to attending some of the most fabulous bridal shows in town. Oh, how I love my job! Today, I am doing things a bit different. I am viewing the images from the mini shoot that I recently had the pleasure of being a part of. Do you want to know how a bridal blogger’s mini photo shoot looks like? You are about to see how much fun this bridal blogger had with this photo shoot.

My husband and I have not had professional photos of us since our wedding day, and that was nine years ago! I wanted this shoot to be perfect. Perfect for my husband and I. It had to be set in nature, and somewhere quiet with breathtaking views. The photographer also had to be perfect in capturing the images in nature. So, I reached to brilliantly talented photographer, Jaime Davis from Jaime Davis Photography , and when I told her this, she was so excited to be part of this photo shoot. Jaime knew exactly where to go, and as soon as she showed me photos of this location, I knew that was the place. It was perfect!

Let me tell you, getting ready for this photo shoot, and then arriving at location seemed like a dream. I still thought that I was there to be behind the scenes of someone else’s photo shoot. I was not used to being the subject of the shoot. After the first few shots, it still felt a bit strange, and then soon after I was super comfortable and we started to have some fun! Thanks to Jaime who knows how to make a girl feel totally comfortable in front of the lens. My husband and I felt like it was our wedding day all over again. Without the white dress and tux, but the feeling of overwhelming love for each other. We truly had a great time. Can you tell how much we love each other? I think these images speak for themselves. Ready to see the gorgeous images from a bridal blogger’s photo shoot?

Hair and Make Up: Laura Cavanagh of Star Beauty by LC

Photography: Jaime Davis Photography

Filed Under: General Tagged With: bridal blogger, Bridal Hot List, husband, Jaime Davis Photography, love, minishoot, nature, photo shoot, wedding blog

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

2014 Kick Off: Ask the Chief Editor Anything

January 8, 2014 2 Comments

Another year is in the books and 2013 will be looked back as an incredible year at Bridal Hot List. We celebrated our first year, and each and every day we are growing in our followers and readers. We are so thankful for what the year brought, and look forward to 2014! To kick off the year, the writers of Bridal Hot List were encouraged to write in and ask the Chief Editor of the site anything at all. Here is the Q&A…

Q. How did you get into wedding business?

A. I took a class at a local college about the “Business of Weddings” where I learned about weddings and the wedding planning industry. It was one my favorite classes, and was so much fun to attend! I quickly became more interested and was an assistant to the top two wedding planners in Orange County. I was an assistant for a year, and learned the ropes until I felt that was ready to go out on my own. It has been a great time so far, and look forward to 2014 weddings!

Q. What is your favorite thrifty wedding trick?A. One of my favorite and easiest budget saving tricks is simple – Create your very own wedding invitations. This is a great place to save money! If you are on a really tight budget, then skip the “Save the Date” cards and instead you can email your guests and include a link to your personal wedding website, which are free! If you have good handwriting and the skill of arts & crafts, making invitations will be a perfect way for you to save money. A stack of embellished cardstock at JoAnn’s Fabric cost $19.99 and can make about 35 invitations. Or if you are not the crafty type, you can customize and design the invitations at VistaPrint.com for as low as $3.99 for 10.

Q. What event would you like to see Bridal Hot List be a part of in 2014? A. There are so many amazing events, but I would have to say the one that I would love BHL to be a part of would be New York’s Bridal Fashion Week. I am in love with all things wedding, but bridal gown trends are my favorite and it would be so great to have first look into all the bridal gown trends. I would LOVE to be part of this!

Q. What is the biggest mistake you’ve ever seen at a wedding? Was there any way someone could have prevented it?A. I have to say the biggest mistake I have seen is when a bride insisted to have her ceremony outside when it was a 95% chance of rain on that day. She insisted that she have it outside because they wanted an ocean-view. Even though a tent was going to be up, and the ocean-view will not be seen with the rain and all, they went on with an outside ceremony. When the day came, it poured hard, and it was very cold inside. Heaters were not allowed inside the tent due to Fire Marshall standards. So it was a beautiful ceremony… but cold, wet, and with no ocean view. It could have been totally prevented by going with Plan B, and moving the ceremony inside where it was warm and cozy for the couple and their guests. But at the end of the day, it is the bride’s decision, and no matter what, you have to support that. (even it may not be the right one)
Q. What new features on the site are you hoping to implement in 2014 that readers can get excited about?

A. We are hoping to add a more mobile friendly feature, making our articles even easier to view for our readers. We are also going to add interviews and live seminars where readers can ask us anything about weddings! We want to make it even more personal for our readers out there.

Q. Can I get away with not wearing a white wedding dress?

A. Totally!! If you are a traditional bride and want to rock out in something non-white, then go for it! These days, brides are wearing colors of blush, red, and even black. Yes, black, the total opposite of white. A wedding gown is reflective of a bride’s personality, and as long as it doesn’t clash with the venue, then wearing a non-white gown is fine.

Q. Do you have any flower suggestions for people with allergies?

A. We asked our friend and florist Sussanna Davidson from French Buckets to help us with this one! Here is what she told us: I would say any floral with no scent. Calla lilies and roses that have been in a green house and not scented. Succulents are also a perfect choice. Flowers that definitely needed to be avoided are: Stargazers, garden roses and flowers with lots pollen.

Q. I’m bad in heels, how do I work around that for my wedding?

A. You can opt to go with a shorter heel, and just make sure when you go to your alteration appointment, that you take those shoes with you, so they can make sure the dress is the right height. You would really not want to have your dress dragging all day. Actually, when I got married, I had to get shorter heel shoes, and they were not the prettiest shoes, but my dress was long and no one saw those shoes anyways! The key is to be comfortable. This is your wedding day, and you want it to be an incredible day!

Q. Is it tacky to register for more high priced gifts?

A. I think the best way to register gifts is to choose items from all price points. This will allow for your guests to have the option to choose a gift which best fits their budget. You do not want to force your guests to buy highly priced gifts if they can not afford it. So, yes you can totally register high priced gifts, because family members or those close to you will want to buy you something super nice to enjoy as a couple in your new home. Just think balance!

Q. Should I send thank you notes to everyone that attended my wedding, or just those who brought gifts?

A. Saying ” Thank you ” at the wedding reception to all your guests that attended the wedding is good enough. Unless you have a destination wedding, where they had to travel long ways to attend, then a thank you card would be appropriate then. If you sent a thank you card to those that did not bring a gift, it may seem like you are fishing for a gift. You do not want to make anyone feel bad or guilty. Make sure to make your rounds during the reception to thank your guests for coming to your wedding.

Q. What advice would you give someone who is planning their wedding on a tight budget?A. Hire a wedding planner! Wedding planners can help save couples money as they can help with setting a budget, and making sure they keep with in their budget. Most couples will set a budget, however they do tend to always go above that budget because things come up which they had not thought about. I always sit down with my couples and we go through a checklist of all possible items that is needed for the wedding day, and then we priotorize each one based on whats important to the couple. When couples work with me from the beginining of their wedding day planning process, and we have set a budget together, we are always under that budget. The couple is happy and so are the parents… or whoever is paying for the wedding!

Q. What is the most romantic honeymoon destination you have seen?

A. I know this may be obvious and not so surprising, but I have to say Kaui, Hawaii. This island is perfect for newlyweds. The island is small, with nothing but paradise bliss. What I love about this island is that is it simple, lovely, and very romantic. It may not have a whole lot of city life, but there is plenty of gorgeous surroundings to enjoy. Waterfalls, gorgeous mountain views, delicious foods, stunning beaches, Waimea Canyon, and lovely weather. After all the hustle and bustle of wedding day, this is the perfect place to relax and enjoy your loved one. If you want to have a little bit of city life, you can take a quick airplane ride into Oahu, Hawaii.

Filed Under: General, Interview Tagged With: bridal blog, Bridal Hot List, brides, interview with chief editor, questions, wedding blog, weddings

Happy Holidays and Season’s Greetings from Bridal Hot List

December 25, 2013 1 Comment

Good morning lovelies! It is gorgeous Christmas morning here at BHL headquarters in Southern California. We are taking a break from blogging today to wish all of you a very heartfelt Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. We hope that each and every one of you has a very blessed day full of happiness, love, laughter, and joy with friends, family, and loved ones. From our family to yours, Merry Christmas!

Take a look at some of our favorite holiday inspirations:

Christmas tree: We love this Christmas tree. It is not over the top, but simple, and the best part is that is it Disney inspired. Do you notice the ornaments are shaped with a very iconic Disney character?

Holiday Centerpiece: We fell head over heels in love with this over the top centerpiece. Glamour and chic meets California love. What a beautiful fusion which makes for a fabulous centerpiece for a holiday party. Super stunning!

Holiday inspired TableScape: Gasping over this tabletop. This table has all the holiday charm adorned with glitz, glamour, and elegance. We can not get over how fabulous this table looks. Don’t you just want to sit down and have dinner here? You will feel like a Hollywood star! If we could, we would eat at this table for every meal.

Happy Holidays- BHL staff

Filed Under: General Tagged With: BHL, bridal blog, Bridal Hot List, christmas, happy holidays, holiday season, wedding blog

Seven Beauty Tips to Prepare you for Wedding Festivites

December 22, 2013 Leave a Comment

Good morning Sunday goers. Whether you are attending a holiday party, engagement affair, bridal shower, or any pre-wedding event, you want to look your best. But choosing the right beauty products can be somewhat difficult. With so many products available, it can be almost impossible to know which beauty products are right for you. We are taking a break from prepping for the holidays to provide seven tips to help you choose the products that work best for you.

If you have a hard time getting your eyeliner to stay put, you can apply eyeshadow after you put on eyeliner. You should lightly put your shadow over your eyeliner with a cotton ball. This will seal the application of eyeliner and it will last longer and not run.
Invest the extra money in a set of quality makeup brushes. Remember, these tools will be touching your face every single day. Spending more on these brushes can get you a set that will last for years. You should also pick up a bottle of brush cleaner, which is to be used regularly, at least twice per week. This removes dust and bacteria.
Before you apply makeup, moisturize your face lightly. Moisturizers are great for your skin but also help spread your makeup evenly. Without a moisturizer, your makeup could appear to be blotchy. When you want to look good all day long, this is the best step to start with.
You can use coconut oil as a more affordable and all-natural alternative to expensive face moisturizers. Coconut oil provides you with a soothing moisture that easily goes through your skin. In addition, it also makes you look younger because it helps to eliminate lines and wrinkles. Coconut oil can also help eczema, psoriasis and it will fight acne. It has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal agents to aid with this.
Vitamin E plays a vital role in beauty. It can serve many different purposes. Vitamin E can help keep skin healthy and soft. Get a lotion that contains vitamin E for your nails if you tend to break them easily.
Select a curling iron, one size smaller than the curls you desire. This will help to ensure that your curls don’t get limp or fall out after you put all the work into curling them. They will be a little tight at first but after you finish, gently run your fingers through them to break them up, and then hair spray to perfection.
Your skin is constantly changing from day to day based upon your age, hormone levels, climate, and even our daily activities. As a result, you should be aware that your skincare and beauty regimen should be flexible enough to change in order to adapt to the needs of your skin.

Filed Under: General Tagged With: beauty, beauty tips, bridal, Bridal Hot List, bride, holiday season, wedding, wedding blog

Photography Workshop + Vineyard Styled Shoot by Hope Stanley and Nancy Orozco

December 11, 2013 Leave a Comment

We’ve got something super special on the site today. I am so excited that my wedding-loving heart is bursting with joy! You know how much I love weddings and all the pretty details that come with them. You also know that I love the photographers that capture all the lovely, romantic, and beautiful details. If it was not for the incredibly talented professional wedding photographers, I totally would miss out on so many gorgeous wedding details. And THAT would be a such a bummer. If I was not able to view pretty images, one after another, my job would be really boring and dull. But when you have amazing weddings and a photographer on hand to capture it all? Then you have yourself a happy day. Yep, I can look through wedding photos all day long and never get bored. You can imagine how happy I was when I received news from my friend and bridal stylist, Hope Stanley about a photography workshop and styled shoot that she planned. When I heard about it, I almost fell out of my chair. The images? I probably viewed them like 100 times, and it was pretty hard to choose which ones to feature. See for yourself, and you will see what I am so in love with!

Hope Stanley tells us a bit about the workshop…

I co-hosted a workshop with photographer, Nancy Orozco and other photographers. The idea was to teach photographers how to shoot photos for blogs. I spoke with them on how to work with vendors and models, and stressed the importance of acknowledging everyone that is involved with organizing a photo shoot. I try to convey to brides how important it is to have a group of professionals work together hand and hand. For instance for this workshop or any styled photo shoot we plan, we choose a location, a theme or feel, and the gown and tux. We then research on the hair and makeup that will complement that entire feel. A florist is then given a story board of location, gown, make up, hair and theme of wedding. When planning a wedding you need to do the same and remember that when vendors work together, your photos will turn out amazing.