The name says it all. Buuuuur-lap. Yes, burlap’s rough, no-frills nature wouldn’t go far in that fancy wedding department dominated by lace and satin. That is, unless you are planning a beach wedding. In that case, it’s the fabric du jour. It’s got that all-natural appeal and, for those thrifty brides, the tightly-woven, course fabric is pretty cheap. (Depending on your needs, prices can start at $3 a yard.)Thinking sea shells, sand, and sea glass? Burlap’s in the same department when it comes to creating a warm, cool theme that brings elements of the ocean and beach to your wedding and reception. The fabric, which can be picked up on online and at craft stores, can be used to fashion table covers, gift bags, ribbons, banners and more. A tricky fabric to work with, if you are not the do-it-yourself patient gal you might want to head over to Etsy.com, which is where we found these lovely creations.
Myth #1: If it’s on the beach, it’s gotta’ be casual
Casual beach weddings are fun & easy. What groomsman would say no to khaki shorts?! But what about a more formal beach wedding? You may need to save the stilettos for the dance floor but let your wedding reflect YOU and your style. There are tactful ways to incorporate a more sophisticated look. Hiring local wedding professionals is a sure-fire way to make sure you get advice to help mesh your style and formality with the elements of the beach and other details of your wedding, such as time of day, and season.
Myth #2: The summer heat will be too much!
In general, the San Diego coast line has a nice breeze and doesn’t get as warm as inland San Diego. Here are some other ways to make sure you, your guests, and your wedding doesn’t “melt”:
Pick light weight fabrics for your bridal party’s attire, as well as your dress.
Put a few parasols tucked on the sides of the last few rows of seats for your guests, or larger umbrellas in the back rows.
For florals and decor, stick to blooms that your florist suggests, which will be more hardy and ‘weather-proof.’ Or consider using items besides flowers. For example, fabrics are a great way to bring in color.
For other ideas and tips, talk with your hired professionals. We are here to make your wedding a success!
Myth #3: Since the beach is public, that lady in her bikini is going to be in the background…
The majority of people are very respectful of your wedding ceremony. You can expect to have bystanders watching in the distance, and you must be willing to laugh at the occasional loud bird or airplane, but that is all a part of the beauty of the great outdoors. The biggest factor will be the exact location you choose. If you are concerned about being in a public spot, there are places in San Diego that have private beaches and wedding locations that are more secluded, allowing just you and your guests, so your don’t have any worries about the unwanted wedding crashers.
On that very special wedding day, every bride wants to look like a million dollars! Whether you are applying your make up yourself or you have hired a professional for the day, wedding make up can be very daunting. You take so much time choosing your dress, jewelry, shoes and hairstyle, don’t let your face take a backseat! Are you wondering how you are going to keep your make up looking flawless in your photos all day? Easy! We HIGHLY recommend hiring a professional like Melissa Rae who uses airbrushing, an alternative to traditional foundation. It is water resistant, weightless and achieves an amazing naturally flawless looking complexion.
If you insist on applying the make up yourself, please keep these tips in mind. Firstly, don’t scrimp on the moisturizer. You will look chalky in pictures without it. Give it a few minutes to sink it before you apply your foundation. Also, highlight your eyes and temples. It will brighten your skin and keep you looking a lot more natural. Do NOT forget to wear Waterproof mascara! You will be crying tears of joy and the last thing you want is to look like someone threw a bottle of black paint on your face! Next, set your make up with a quick dusting of face bronzer or powder. This will give you a more lightweight finish. And lastly, a little trick of the trade: take a picture of yourself before you head out so you can see anything you may want to change. The camera picks up things that the human eye does not. This may be your last chance to fix it! Remember, you want to put your best face forward. These special moments only happen once in a lifetime.
With these tips, you will be feeling like a Hollywood Bombshell in no time!
Chances are, you want to have an original wedding. You want to carry something down the aisle, but you aren’t quite sure if you want it to be flowers. What if you, GASP!… are allergic to flowers? Believe it or not, there are actually a bunch of other options instead of a flower bouquet. In wedding traditions, it was custom for a woman to carry aromatic bunches of herbs, garlic and grains down the aisle when they got married to ward away evil spirits. Now, more than ever, brides are swaying from the old school traditions and are doing their own thing!
Here are some other alternatives to the traditional bridal bouquet. Crystal bouquets: Extremely fragile but have a beautiful, elegant regal look to them. They aren’t the most cost effective option and if you are a self confessed klutz..this would not be for you! If you have a sweet spot for your sweetie…why not walk down the isle to him, holding a candy bouquet? If you are a beach bride, a simple bouquet can be completely made out of seashells….perfect for a summer wedding! If you are the crafty type, a button, fabric or paper bouquet could fit your style! For a fancier look, stop by www.emplume.com to see their one-of-a-kind feather bouquets…absolutely stunning!
No matter what item you choose to carry with you, they will be a special symbol regardless. As long as it is meaningful to you.. you can carry whatever you would like! So go get creative!
… or rather, plant one. Toss aside those Hershey kisses in miniature chinese takeout boxes, an emerging trend in wedding favors are seedlings and actual trees wrapped up in pretty paper and bows. Light in calories, uber friendly to Mother Earth. We dig it. Recycled wedding dresses, reusing wedding decor from a wedding last week, and now this? Yes, ladies and gents, going green is EVERYWHERE on the wedding scene. Plant the memory of your special day with an oak seedling. Check out The Magnolia Company’s Seeds of Life, which sells oak seedlings wrapped in pretty boxes. They have a pretty extensive collection with favors hovering at about $4 a box, depending on how many you order (see photo above). If that’s not in your budget, a trip to Home Depot, Michael’s, a glue gun, some bows, and a little creativity could do the trick.
Oh, yes she can! Thanks to the lovely Pippa Middleton and that spectacular royal wedding just weeks ago, brides are starting to think: Oh yes she can. Wear white, that is. It used to be a huge no-no at a wedding. Only the bride could wear white, right? Well, we did our research and sure enough, it’s not immensely popular on this side of the pond but it has been done. (Over there, in good ol’ England, it’s pretty much a tradition dating back to the middle ages.) It’s a brave, brave thing for a bride to do. A poll of our gal pals say they never would. (Who wants drunk guests accidentally congratulating your college roommate?) But if you want to live on the edge and have an all-out white wedding give yourself a “rebel yell” and check out some of our tips:
(1) The white bridesmaid dress must be simple. Straight lines, a little flow-y perhaps, but no poof. You don’t want your wedding to look like a scene out of “Swan Lake.”
(2) If you have more than four bridesmaids we would urge you to opt for pale blue or pink instead of white. You big day could run the risk of resembling the waiting room at city hall.
(3) A little color can help give you the best of both worlds. Here we mean a little sash around the waist in one of your wedding colors might help distinguish the bride from her maidens.
(4) Think short. We loved Pippa’s look, but that was a royal wedding, with jeweled crowns and kings and queens. For your day, check out cocktail-length dresses to add a bit of informality to a trend borrowed from the palace.
(Photos above courtesy of JCREW. See www.jcrew.com for details.)
If you think that the lighting at your wedding is as simple as walking into the room and turning on a few lights here and there… you may want to consider taking a different approach. Lighting creates ambiance and mood, and it is this very lighting that can be the difference in whether your flowers (and even some of your guests!) look drab or fab. The truth is, the right lighting can completely transform a wedding. So many of us are guilty of planning the meticulous details of invitation fonts, music tracks and wedding cake flavors but when was the last time we gave a second thought to the appropriate lighting? Without the proper lighting, details like the intricacies of the dress may be missed, the right atmosphere may not be created and flower centerpieces may go unnoticed. If you plan on dimming the lights, also opt for inexpensive tricks like using small spotlights to highlight architectural features around the room or lighting candles for a soft glow. Paper lanterns and inexpensive Christmas twinkle lights can add the perfect romantic feel to your outdoor wedding, while also making sure your wedding pictures come to life!
Whether you decide to use soft lights, colorful strobes, big spotlights, or tea light candles… remember that each beam will add its own distinct radiance to your celebration. The only thing stopping you from creating a masterpiece of light.. is you!
Food Tips for catering to everyone
Your Wedding is a really big day. As stressful as it can be, it can also be an overwhelming task to cater for all the dietary needs of your guests. At the end of the day, it is impossible to foresee every single wedding guest’s needs and preferences… so here’s a few tips on the best way to keep Vegan Vanessa happy and also avoid any embarrassing Heimlich maneuvers on wedding night!
Your absolute best bet is to pick one basic meat entrée to start with. A safest choice is always a chicken dish. This will always keep almost all guests happy and in a universally ‘safe’ meal. Next, you want to try choosing one meat-free entrée to cater to those guests who may not like Chicken, or are looking for the Vegan or Vegetarian route for the night.
You can also opt for something like a buffet that includes a variety of foods. Your special dietary guests won’t expect to be served their very own individual meals and the last thing we want to make them feel like is an outcast!
Almost all caterers are flexible and surprisingly, they are used to getting these requests. It might a good option to talk to your caterer about these needs; chances are they will be flexible enough to maybe even throw in a few gluten free or vegan options free of charge!
After all – it never hurts to ask!
Happy Eating!
Here’s a hint: It’s your favorite place to buy yogurt by the case. Yes, Costco has said “I do” to offering wedding gowns! (No, you do not have to buy them in bulk!) According to an article in the Los Angeles Times, the Costco line features six dresses designed by Kirstie Kelly, who said she was selling the gowns for 40% less than they would normally retail for. They range in price from $700 to $1,400, in sizes 2 to 24, and in a variety of wedding-worthy materials: taffeta, organza and silk. Now, Costco Wholesale Corp. has always done a little work in the wedding department with travel, flowers, invites, rings, and other wedding must-haves, neatly packaged at its Web site. But dresses? Yes mademoiselle, in the form of a traveling trunk show. Check your local store for more details!
Oh roses, how do we love thee. Let us count the ways. You are rich in color, delicate and classic. When it comes to weddings, you are the queen of symbolizing love, passion, emotion. That’s why we love you, oh sweet rose. OK, you get my point. And now to the nitty gritty on roses, dear brides to be. Right now, the week of Valentine’s Day, prices for roses can skyrocket to as high as $12 a stem. So if you are planning a February wedding next year and don’t have a royal budget, better look at alternatives. Other times of the year? Roses are still the fairest of all in terms of digits in your checking account so get ready for a hefty floral bill. One thing florists like to tell clients is that if the budget is an issue, to mix. That means you can add other flowers in with your roses, filling bouquets with other, less expensive flowers alongside those precious gotta-have-em petals. We actually think this makes bouquets more interesting and original. As for colors, the choice is yours thanks to creative modern science— green roses anyone? If your the kind of person who’s into symbols, check out the meaning behind some popular rose colors, courtesy of www.theknot.com:
Coral: desire
Lavender: enchantment
Orange: fascination
Pale Pink: grace
Red: true love
White: Purity
Yellow: friendship