Bliss Collection Honors: Washingtonian Bride and Groom

The members of The Bliss Collection are always so proud when other hard working members are acknowledged for their excellence!

Washingtonian Bride and Groom has listed some of our beloved members in its latest issue! Why exactly is this an important honor?

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Well…

According to wedding planner Myrna Hyman, “I found out that one finds themselves on this list based on votes from colleagues in the industry, which I think is pretty special.”

Miles Stiebel of MSE productions added ” MSE Productions is listed in the most recent 2012 Washingtonian Bride & Groom under Music & Entertainment.  MSE Productions has been recommended by the Washingtonian as “One of the Best” for over ten years.  This publication has become a fabulous resource for brides and grooms planning their wedding.”

So…which members of The Bliss Collection were listed?

Jessica Piscitelli (videography), Kristi Odom (photography), Myrna Hyman (wedding planner), Miles Stiebel (DJ services), Kelsey Thompson (photography, one to watch)

Congratulations, everyone!

More Bliss Collection Honors: Wedding Wire’s “Best Of” List

Great news, Bliss Collection members! Sooo many of us were listed on yet another prestigious list: Wedding Wire’s Best Of!

Susan Smith was listed under the category of Wedding Planners.

Myrna Hyman was listed under the category of Wedding Planners.

Kristi Odom was listed under the category of Photographers.

Kelsey Thompson was listed under the category of Photographers.

Jeanna Hilton of Stonewall Golf Club was listed under the category of Venues.

Miles Stiebel was listed under the category of Music and Entertainment.

Jessica Piscitelli was listed under the category of Videographer.

Congratulations to everyone! This is an awesome honor!

Bliss Member Wedding

By Jessica Piscitelli Robinson

As you can imagine, I have a lot of friends who work in the wedding industry, and only one wedding to go around.  Choosing vendors from among my friends was very difficult, but I ended up with the best wedding team a girl could ever hope for.

I have listed everyone I worked with with at the end of this post.  They were all fabulous and I highly recommend every one of them, so please follow links to their websites and hire them for all of your weddings.

But I need to say a few words about the Bliss Collection members, because Bliss was a wonderful resource for me for planning my wedding.

In the following video, I made sure to include live audio from both the procession and the recession because Eric Waters, a guitarist with MSE Productions, did such a fantastic job.  I married a Robinson so the recession song was particularly key and, even though it wasn’t on his playlist, he learned it especially for my wedding.

As you can see, I shortened the video of the ceremony considerably.  Not so in the Blu-Ray disc we have at home.  It was such a beautiful ceremony that I kept in almost every moment for our own video. 

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Kristi Odom: Winning!

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This image won first place in WPPI's First Half Competition in the Bridal Party category.

Our own Bliss Collection member, Kristi Odom, has been rocking in the world of photography (and wedding vendor) competitions lately!
Some of the recent competition wins and personal accomplishments of our own Kristi Odom include:

2012 “Best Wedding Vendor”: Washingtonian Bride and Groom
The Knot: Best of Weddings 2010
WeddingWire: Brides’ Choice Awards 2011
1st Place: WPPI 1st Half International Photography Competition
4 Fearless Photographer Awards
National Geographic Wild Angle Photo Contest: Honorable Mention
2010 WPPI 2nd Half International Photography Competition: Multiple Accolades of Excellence
Kodak Connect with the Pros: selected for Times Square Display
Myphotopipe: featured pro of the month

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More Tuxedo Tips From Blush Bridal Boutique

We are so excited that Blush Bridal Boutiquein Gainesville is now offering men’s formalwear! Ok, let’s continue our lessons about tuxedos!
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Lesson 6: The Rules
All tuxedos should be rented from the same vendor and any man who will be in many of your wedding pictures should be in a tuxedo to ensure a consistent look across your wedding party and in the pictures you are taking to create memories. This means if grandfathers will be in many of the pictures they should wear a tuxedo, too. It is a good overall look for any man with a role in the wedding to be in a tuxedo.
The groom’s vest, tie and shirt color usually matches the bride’s dress color, usually white or ivory. The groomsmen’s vest and ties match the color of the bridesmaid’s dresses. The ring bearer matches the groom or flower girl. The ushers, fathers and grandfathers typically don vests and ties in black or silver. This is to avoid too many different colors in a small group. Again, think of how the wedding photos will look.

Blush Bridal Boutique Has Tuxedos!

Did you know that Blush Bridal Boutique in Gainesville now offers tuxedo rentals? The consultants at Blush are fully trained and ready to help the men in any wedding party to look their best! So how does the tuxedo selection process work? Here are some pointers!
Blush Bridal Boutique now offers a spectacular selection of men's formalwear!

Blush Bridal Boutique now offers a spectacular selection of men's formalwear!

Once you have picked your wedding colors and the groomsmen for your wedding party, it is time to select tuxedos. Finding tuxedos for your wedding party is an easy item to check off your to-do list, and gives your groom a pivotal role in the wedding planning process.
For starters, have all of your men measured as soon as you pick out the tuxedos (the ring bearer should wait until one month out to ensure his growing body fits his tuxedo).
Most tuxedo shops work with out of town wedding members; don’t let that be an excuse for tardy measurements. Here’s a crash course in Tuxedos 101 to ensure you pick the right look for your wedding party.
Lesson 1: Tuxedo Jackets

Boutiques Are Best!

Blush Bridal Boutique in Gainesville provides fabulous customer service and an amazing selection of bridal gowns and accessories.

Blush Bridal Boutique in Gainesville provides fabulous customer service and an amazing selection of bridal gowns and accessories.

I recently read a wedding blog that advised brides to avoid shopping in bridal boutiques if being semi-clothed in front of a stranger sounds stressful. The writer noted that it is way less mortifying to buy online or shop at the “warehouse” stores that just leave you alone to put on the gowns you wish to try.

I could not disagree more!

Allow me to explain.

When a bride shops at a bridal boutique, like Blush Bridal Boutique in Gainesville, she isn’t just shopping! She is consulting with a trained professional who understands what looks good on each different body type. The boutique experience goes something
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