Groomsmen in Sweaters?

Right now, weddings are all about allowing brides and grooms to be a bit quirky and to express their true styles and personalities. Wedding gowns, bridesmaids’ dresses, and tuxedos are not selected from cookie-cutter collections just because they should be. Engaged couples are more inspired than ever to add their own unique twists to every aspect of their celebration!

This is why I so loved this picture when I saw it! These groomsmen look relaxed, fun, and most importantly, like they are happily comfortable. From the khaki pants, to the charcoal cardigans, to the old-school Converse All-Star footwear, this look rocks for a funky, casual, indie-ish wedding day.

Of course, this look isn’t for everyone, but hopefully my random wedding obsession of groomsmen in cardigans will help brides to feel free to think outside of the box when planning her wedding fashion concept.

For all your wedding planning questions and wedding or event services, The Bliss Collection is your source for Northern Virginia’s finest wedding professionals.

Wedding Pictures in a Library Setting

Fun Personalized Thank You Notes

Ah, thank-you notes! Etiquette demands that they must be written. Oh, and you should also probably include a wedding photo in each note as well.

Why not do something adorably trendy and create thank you notes from a special “thank you” photograph from your wedding day?

If done correctly, this super-cute trend can serve as the perfect “last task” following your celebration.

The trick is to work with your photographer ahead of time to design the look (in terms of the pose, the type of signage, and setting) of the thank-you note.

Be sure the photographer is able to prepare ahead and provide the exact style of signage you prefer. Handmade posters created at the last minute are NOT the goal here!

Try to go with a thank you sign that pays tribute to your wedding’s look or theme. The retro chalkboard signs (above) are perfect for a funky, quirky wedding, while the festive, fanciful cutout letters provide a more traditional vibe.

Take the time to really pre-plan this picture, and your thank you notes will be just as fabulous as your big day was!

For all your wedding planning questions and wedding or event services, The Bliss Collection is your source for Northern Virginia’s finest wedding professionals.

Member Spotlight: Marti Wright

I got a chance to chat with one of our newest members this week, Marti Wright!

Marti is with Tica Beauty and Cosmetics.

What makes you unique and different from other vendors in your category?

20 years of experience, our Artists are focused on custumer service and are trained in the latest techniques while constantly educating themselves in the industries latest trends. Tica Beauty Cosmetics are glamorous wearable colors with the highest quality of formulations.

What is your favorite aspect of the wedding industry?

Making “Brides to be” look and feel beautiful on one of the most important days of their lives.

What is your favorite new trend (pertaining to your category) for spring 2012?

Bold bright lips, saturated shadows, and perfectly primed skin

What is the most important piece of advice you can offer to engaged couples who are planning a wedding?

To make sure to start looking for vendors a year or more before their wedding date!

Thanks, Marti!

Check out Tica Beauty at www.ticabeauty.com !

Member Spotlight: Myrna Hyman

Member Spotlight: Jeanna Hilton

I had a quick conversation with Jeanna Hilton of Stonewall Golf Club regarding her thoughts on the wedding industry.

What makes you unique and different from other vendors in your category?

We really try to be as flexible as possible and make the day what the bride and groom want and not what we as the venue want. And of course our view!

What is your favorite aspect of the wedding industry?

Selection of venue of course, it’s the biggest decision they make and can set the tone for the whole event!!

What is your favorite new trend (pertaining to your category) for spring 2012?

Healthier wedding eating and a more “farm to table “ approach to dinner.

What is the most important piece of advice you can offer to engaged couples who are planning a wedding?

Try and not get STRESSED. Wedding planning should not be stressful. Hire a planner and enjoy your day!! And make sure you eat the food you are spending so much money on!!

Thanks, Jeanna!

Great Book for Brides!

As your wedding day gets closer and closer, you tend to develop lots of worries about how to look glowingly perfect for the big event! What you need is to relax and make a plan.

Luckily, author Laura Pepper has made that 30 day plan for you. Her new book Wow! Glowing Bride in 30 Days offers brides a specific month-long plan to get beautiful, healthy, and prepared for the wedding!

The book is based on research and advice from health, beauty & wellness experts, as well as the author’s own experience.

The guide helps brides to overcome the stress felt during wedding planning, by explaining the emotional aspects of getting married such as changing identity, a new lifestyle and so on.

The book also helps brides to look and feel their best by adopting simple beauty and health advice garnered from top experts in the field; Skin specialists, make up artists, a nutritionist, medical doctor and mental health specialist are among the advisers for the book.

Wow! Glowing Bride in 30 Days lays out an easy-to-follow, fully customizable plan for brides to adopt in the month leading up to the wedding.

According to the author, if you incorporate these easy changes into your lifestyle (nutrition, exercise, stress management, beauty tips) and you’ll see results fast, and without much effort on your part. After all it’s going to be a busy month!

Here’s what you’ll find inside of Wow! Glowing Bride. Remember that you don’t have to follow all of it; there is a calendar at the beginning that will help you to organize the areas you want to work on!

Part 1: Beauty

• The best, easiest & cheapest ways to get white teeth
• Simple steps to clear, bright skin
• How to get rid of ‘bacne’
• Tattoo/ scar/ birthmark cover-up
• Secrets to removing under-eye dark circles
• How to fight hair frizz
• Super steps to shiny hair
• How eyebrow shaping can change the contour of your face!
• DIY makeup tips
• How to quit biting your nails

Part 2: Health

• The vitamin & mineral supplements that will make you glow
• Foods to avoid to prevent bloating, constipation & other stomach complaints
• Detailed toning workouts for your wedding dress type
• Tips for a flat stomach
• How to prevent & beat cold, flu, PMS
• The 12 superfoods all women should be eating.
• 8 simple rules to eating out, healthily.
• Nutrition 101

Part 3: Staying Stress Free

• Achieve the perfect night’s sleep
• What to do about difficult friends & family members
• Relaxing & managing stress
• How to deal with worries, constructively.
• The Pre-Wedding blues – and why they are totally normal
• Accepting RSVP disappointments without getting upset

PLUS! Bonus sections:

→ How to pose for the camera and look slimmer and sexier.
→ An Emergency kit checklist (for you and the Groom)
→ Getting ready on the day time-line.
→ Rain, zits, being on your period & other potential mishaps
→ After the wedding (honeymoon) tips (& much, much more!)

Laura Pepper, the author, is the founder of a tech company, a freelance writer and a social media consultant. With a busy day job and a tight schedule she knows full well how difficult it is for brides to take care of themselves around wedding planning!

The idea for Wow! Glowing Bride in 30 Days came from discussions with friends who felt the same way – they wanted to look beautiful and healthy on their wedding days but the stress of wedding planning was making it difficult.

The 30 day plan was born! Tips and advice on how to look after one’s beauty, health and mental well-being prior to the big day. Nothing too taxing or time consuming, just sensible, practical advice on achieving that bridal glow.

For all your wedding planning questions and wedding or event services, The Bliss Collection is your source for Northern Virginia’s finest wedding professionals.

Groom’s Cakes: What Are They?

If you have been to a wedding lately, chances are you have seen a smaller cake quietly situated very close to the traditional wedding cake. What is it?

This cake, known as a groom’s cake, is actually a gift to the groom from his bride. Stemming from a Southern tradition, this cake is meant to reflect the personality of the groom.

It can accomplish this task by either reflecting his unique interests (such as sports, cars, or travel), or by reflecting his taste in cake flavors.

Traditionally, the groom’s cake is made in a richer, heavier flavor that the groom loves, but just wasn’t quite right for the “real” wedding cake. Cheesecakes, fruitcakes, and dark chocolate cakes used to be quite common, but nowadays, anything goes!

Couples may opt to cut and serve the groom’s cake right along with the other cake, or it may be sliced and boxed for guests to take home and enjoy later.

Fun fact: legend states that a single woman who sleeps with a slice of groom’s cake under her pillow will dream of her future husband. I seriously do not recommend this tactic.

For all your wedding planning questions and wedding or event services, The Bliss Collection is your source for Northern Virginia’s finest wedding professionals.

Wedding Gown Shopping With a Crowd: Don’t Do It.

If you are addicted to the show Say Yes To The Dress like I am, you may have noticed a shopping trend. Many brides seem to find it necessary to gather a large posse of friends and family members to join in the fun of wedding gown shopping. But is it really wise to bring so many different people along for this momentous shopping occasion?

My answer is no. Here is why.

1. Save the surprise! Your wedding gown is special and unique. It will have much more of an impact on your guests if they see it for the first time as you walk down the aisle. Isn’t this fashion moment the real reason why the bride walks slowly and deliberately down the aisle?
2. Not everyone knows fashion. Let’s be realistic here. Uncle Phil and cousin Carlton are fun people, but do you call them before you purchase a new sweater to see if they approve? Then why on earth are you letting them give an opinion on your wedding gown selection? Don’t do it!
3. People in large groups can mysteriously develop “agendas”. Your three sorority sisters, best friend from ballet class, and aunt from Chicago may seem like supportive people, but when you put them all together in one room, they will compete to see who knows you the best and can pick the right dress for you. This will accomplish nothing and truly frustrate you.

Keep your wedding gown shopping simple. Invite one person, perhaps your mother or your maid of honor. You could even (gasp!) shop alone. The sales consultants in most boutiques are highly trained to help you choose a dress that will express your personality and flatter your body type. They have no hidden agendas; they want you to find a dress that you love. Do not underestimate the knowledge and opinions of these consultants.

For all your wedding planning questions and wedding or event services, The Bliss Collection is your source for Northern Virginia’s finest wedding professionals.

How to Write a Wedding Toast

Okay, you have been asked by the bride to give a toast at her wedding, and you are completely perplexed about what to do. You don’t want your toast to be ordinary, but you want to be sure you are following the established rules of etiquette. What to do?

Just follow this formula, and your toast will be both appropriate and spectacular.

1. Thank guests for coming and express your gratitude for being selected to speak. You can never go wrong by being gracious!
2. Mention the emotional significance of the event and that you could not be more excited that the bride and groom have decided to spend their lives together.
3. An appropriate story or reminiscence about the bride and groom meeting or the moment when you realized they were made for each other is always touching. Be sure the story is one that everyone will appreciate, though.
4. A fun story that explains your relationship to the bride can also be entertaining, but be sure it has a purpose. For example if you were childhood friends who both loved princesses and fairy tales, you could tie this in to a reference to the bride finding her prince and living “happily ever after”.
5. Emphasize how much the bride means to you and offer the couple best wishes for a happy life together.
6. Complete your toast with “Cheers!”
7. Enjoy the compliments for giving a fabulous toast.

For all your wedding planning questions and wedding or event services, The Bliss Collection is your source for Northern Virginia’s finest wedding professionals.