The countdown begins to money saving drooliness

Gilt Groupe, one of my favorite online fashion sale stores, is celebrating love birds everywhere, and as soon as I heard about it, I knew it was for you! I always say good taste is a right, not a privilege – so here’s some hot designer duds at deep discounts, yo!

Teaming up with Martha Stewart Magazine, Gilt Groupe is offering brides a special sale for Wedding Weekend, March 12-14….  chock full of the stunning styles you want at the prices you’d never thought could be possible. Whenever I’ve made a purchase with them I always feel like that Ikea Lady who looks at her receipt and then runs out of the store yelling, “Start the car, Honey! Start the car!”

A sneak peak at some the sexiness available

Get your something blue and your something new from this fabulous sale with designers such as Carolina Herrera, Vera Wang Lavender Label, and Judith Leiber just to name a few. Is this too much fabulousness for you to handle? Fear not, ‘cuz Darcy Miller, editorial director at Martha Stewart Weddings (aka my hero), has sifted through the glitz and the glam to show you some of her favorite seasonal offerings. Always a bridesmaid? Gilt Groupe has your dress, your wedding gift and even your man covered too.

Everyone loves a little extra green in their wallets…especially when those wallets are made by a fantastic designer and you got them for a steal! You can even earn credit for recommending this awesome find to others. I’m telling you, this is a  fashionistas best kept secret, so sign up for your free membership to the Gilt Groupe. The sale only lasts one weekend so get shopping!

The event space looked amazing, thanks to Beth Helmstetter’s hardworking team. One of my favorite details was these Origami Cranes hanging from the rafters.

Origami cranes by Michelle Chang.

The Dollhouse Hair & Makeup team was on hand to do glittery and bedazzled bad-ass cupcake tattoos, or chopstick accessorizing for the ladies’ hair.

I kinda love it. PS: my dress cost all of $12 thanks to a sale at Tulle!

They also dolled up our Alfred Angelo wedding gown models from NTA Talent – and those ladies were looking super lovely!

The models loved their Alfred Angelo gowns!

We love photo booths, but wanted something unexpected and quirky to match the kitschy Japanese inspired theme… and Oh, Snap! Studios was the perfect find! They brought in a freaking adorable Japanese tea house setup and some of the craziest props I’ve ever seen! The silly poses people came up with kept me laughing every time I walked past their station. I loved it! Check out more of our funny photos on the Oh, Snap! website gallery!

I love the hamburger helper hands!

As a couple of serious foodies, we know there’s nothing worse than being at a party and leaving hungry, so we had food and drink coming out the wazoo, yo. Not only were there sweets enough to send a nation into diabetic shock from Fantasy Frostings stunningly gorgeous dessert display, but delicious savory bites from The Food Matters, yummy and healthy cocktails from O.N.E. beverages, and a Pinkberry yogurt bar on the way out the door at the end of the night. If that wasn’t enough, we sent home Kick Ass Cake Bash cookies from Weddingish in the gift bags, along with issues of The Bride & Bloom magazine, lipgloss tins from e.l.f. cosmetics, and a few other goodies.  Yeah, we like our guests fat and happy. And who could resist the adorable “maids” of Royal/T Cafe?

The waitresses at Royal/T Cafe dress in these adorable outfits!

Speaking of the dessert display, Leslie had a stroke of brilliance when she invited her girlfriends from The Bachelor to create inspiration boards from which she then designed the cakes and displays. DeAnna Pappas, Amanda Rantuccio, Holly Durst, and one of our intrepid photographers, Holly Steen from Cakes and Kisses Photography created diverse and dreamy inspirations that we hung next to the confections so our guests would understand that each cake in the Fantasy Frostings’ Broke-Ass Cake Collection is custom designed with the bride and groom with the same full-service attention that their celebrity clients love so much.

Holly's was pink, feminine and romantic.

....And her cake was just as girlie and delicate as she is.

DeAnna’s was my favorite, and they designed the whole dessert table after hers – all pink lemonade-y and refreshing.

A mouthwatering feast for the senses.

A flavor party in your mouth!

Holly Flora’s work was a huge influence on our wedding flowers, so when Beth suggested having her create a work of floral art for the event, I was so hyped! The floral mural she created was unbelievably luscious and exquisite. The guys from Aspect Lighting came in and made this mural absolutely glow in an ethereal warmth. It was stunning!  They made the party spaces so much warmer and sexier, and projected some ultra trippy and cool effect onto the dance floor.

I just wanted to lay on it and roll around.

As broke-asses, we’re suckers for free swag, and we definitely wanted to give our partying buddies something to remember the night by, so having Family Industries on hand to do on-demand custom screen printing of Broke-Ass T-shirts was ridiculously awesome. The guys who run Family Industries are straight up rad dudes, the kind you want to grab a beer with, and so creative and nice. They brought 4 screens and let guests choose which artwork they wanted and where to place it. Most popular style? Strategically placed boobie cupcakes.  They also printed a cuppie onto Hunter’s tie so he was the most stylin’ (and sweet) hubby in the room.  I smell a new wedding trend… how dope would it be to go to a friend’s wedding and get a cool tie or t-shirt as a favor?

Guerilla fashion.

Gives new meaning to the nickname "sweet tits"

Then of course, we had the amazing, the radical badical, the ever-jamtastic Flashdance DJ spinning beats all night. I can’t count how many compliments we got on the DJ that night, and it just proved once again, that Michael is the only DJ for us. As Hunter so eloquently put it during our (spastic and ineloquent thank you’s) when recalling the time I sprained my ankle dancing my face off at our wedding – “Michael is the only man who ever hurt my wife, and I thanked him for it”. Not only a totally genius musical ninja, but a good friend that I love partying with whether its over beers at a neighborhood haunt, or in a room with 400 caked-up revelers.

Spinning beats like a freak!

And my favorite entertainment moment of the evening, when after our thank you’s, Hunter and our friend K.U. performed a rap they had composed especially for the occasion, surprising everyone in attendance and showing off their mad skillz.  There are few things sexier than a husband who writes raps for his wife, I’ll tell ya…. I love to watch him perform!

"Rock your Broke-Ass"

I really have to give it up to Beth Helmstetter, without who’s planning prowess and flawless execution of the evening, we’d have been utterly lost. She brought some amazing ideas to the table, and made our vision for the evening come to life in unexpected and wonderful ways. I can’t imagine doing it without her, she was a lifesaver of awesomeness.

We also want to give major props to our sponsors The Bride & Bloom magazine and NTA Talent. Without their support and generosity, none of this would have been possible. We are so proud to have had them be such a major part of the evening – and loved getting to celebrate all together!

All in all, it was a totally memorable and unique event, and so nice to get to host all our friends with fun and interactive elements, lots of delicious food and drink, and all the broke-ass love in our hearts.

All photos by the fabulous Shannon Lee.

On a speaker. In a tiara. No shame.

So when Michael asked us to compose a playlist for his monthly Rad Influence series, we were thrilled to throw down some of our favorite jams to share with the internets. In this mix you’ll hear the music the played during our wedding processional, our first dance song, and lots of happy favorites that have nothing to do with our wedding. So, go check it out. Download it, even. It may not get you dancing on a speaker, but it will definitely get your toes tappin’.

Rad, man.

Unbelievably Luscious Floral Mural by Holly Flora

A Wonderland of Decadent Desserts

A Disco Dusted Mosaic Feast

O.N.E Drinks provided the healthy cocktails

Models rocking gorgeous Alfred Angelo Gowns

Cupcakes Nearly Too Cute To Eat

Me and our Partner Leslie Maynor of Fantasy Frostings! But where is her main man, Earl?

Oh THERE he is! Hm, do those girls look familiar? Oh snap , its DeAnna Pappas and Holly Durst!

The Flashdance, yo! We don't know how to party without him.

Weddingbee Love! Glitter, Moonbeam, Me, Sprinkle and Poodle!

A surprise rap performance by K.U. and.....

...The Fresh Hubby! Performing a broke-ass rap they wrote together! Get Broke!

What a rockstar! Le Swoooooon!

All photos by the amazing Holly Steen of Cakes and Kisses Photography!

Our amazing friend and agent Nick Terzian rocking his Elton John as we rock bunny ears

The word "fun" does not even begin to describe it, "Kick Ass" is getting closer.

There will be many more details to share and many more pics to post. I hope you have a Kick Ass day! I’m going back to bed to indulge my sugar coma.

When you wish upon a star...

From their site:

“Wish Upon a Wedding was founded based on the concept that two people in love should never be denied the chance to marry their soul mate, even if they only have months (or weeks) to live. The idea came to me when I was producing a large scale wedding giveaway in San Francisco valued at over $100,000.00. Over 350 couples entered to win, and I found myself wishing there was an opportunity to donate this to more than just one deserving couple. Stories of financial ruin due to overwhelming health care bills were prominent, and instilled in me a sense of urgency to do something positive.

As a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, Wish Upon a Wedding’s primary purpose is to serve as a charitable foundation. Dedicated to providing weddings and civil union ceremonies at destinations across the United States, we grant one of the most profound moments in a couple’s lifetime, the celebration of love. By bringing these ceremonies to individuals faced with terminal illnesses, we believe that other people facing similar situations will find their own sense of hope.”

The L.A. chapter and chapters around the country, are currently seeking Wish Granters, submissions and donations. To find a location near you click here.

We could use your support, whether in the form of a blog post this week to raise awareness, the donation of supplies or services for wedding wish granting, or financial donation. If you believe, like I do, that everyone deserves love and the chance to celebrate it, then come join the party. Let’s make some wishes come true!

We’ve teamed up with some of our favorite and most inspiring colleagues,  The Bride and Bloom (one of the best wedding magazines in the world), NTA Talent Agency (representing the top models and talent in L.A. and…moi.) and Beth Helmstetter Events (So you know this party is gonna rock AND look good doing it)

This Tuesday, Beth Helmstetter Events, will be taking our party mojo to the next level, as we dance all night with the hottest DJ in town (the man responsible for Dana spraining her ankle at our wedding) The Flashdance, getting our drink, our groove, and our cake on. With many many maaaany more surprises (ooooh I can’t wait to tell you about the one I’ve been working on).

Here’s how excited one of the hardest working members of our team is:

While we wish we could invite all our readers to Kick some Ass at our kicking Cake Bash, we don’t want the fire warden to shut us down (and he is sure to show up ,’cause the roof is gonna be ON FIRE!!!).  You guys are our favorites, and it is important to us to pull back that velvet rope and have you walk the red carpet. So we are giving away 10 tickets! 5 Pairs of 2.

How do I enter?

Dana and I love T-shirts. So if you were making a t-shirt for either The Kick Ass Cake Bash, The Broke-Ass Bride or Fantasy Frostings what would it say?

1) Tweet your funniest, witty or matter- of-fact T-shirt phrases with the hashtag #KickAssCakeBash

2) email us your funniest, witty or matter of fact T-shirt phrases to info@brokeassbride.com

You can submit one entry a day via email, but on Twitter as long as each entry is original, you can enter as many times as you want. So bring the funny and get ready to bring the party. ‘Cause we’re gonna have FUUUUN!!!

Contest ends at 5pm Monday! Winners will be notified shortly after.

P.S. If you are already coming, we still want to see your brilliant T-shirt sayings

In my research, I’ve noticed that many bridal resources encourage negotiation, but few offer solid suggestions on how to best approach the game, and being able to hold your own in negotiation is the gift that keeps on giving. I want you brides to feel empowered to fight for what you want, so I’m sharing some of my best tricks for handling the mighty task of haggling.

Many ladies are intimidated by the thought of negotiating, but a bride in charge of “wearing the pants” (if you’ll pardon the antiquated phrase) has one of three possible effects: 1. It commands respect 2. It serves as a disarming distraction, or 3. It doesn’t faze the vendor at all. None of those reactions put you at risk, so just suck it up and try. Now, let’s be straight. I’m not talking about pushy bridezilla pants. I’m talking about respectful, savvy negotiator pants. Trust me ladies, they’re much more flattering on you.

The key principle I operate upon in many life situations, is one my parents taught me growing up: It never hurts to ask. The worst they could say is no, right? But they might just surprise you with a yes…and wouldn’t you rather be sure than miss an opportunity due to insecurity? This is the hallmark of my approach to negotiation.

If above is the entree to a negotiation, it is crucial to have a good side dish: Ask nicely. It will make or break your deal. People like to help nice people. They may not reciprocate. They might even act like you’ll be lucky if they deign to accept your booking, but don’t be distracted by their style. Always keep cool and positive.

But I’m not talking about acting nice. People can smell that a mile away.  Treat them more as a potential friend than a business deal. Get to know them a bit and relate to them on a human level. Be genuine. Its something that rarely happens in business transactions these days, and that’s whack. A good relationship may make them more inclined to have a vested interest in your business. This isn’t about manipulation, its about being open. After all, wouldn’t you rather have a friend at your wedding than just another vendor? I’ve come to learn some really cool things about the people I’m working with—and I loved feeling such camaraderie with my vendors.

Now listen. Don’t be afraid to speak on their level. Show them that you know your stuff. While there’s no guarantee they’ll respect your knowledge, at least they’ll know better than to try pulling the wool over your eyes, which will save you both time and effort. Great expectations yield great results, so be confident and it will inspire confidence in you.

The best way to get comfortable with speaking on their level is to know your product or service inside and out. Research which companies are in your budget range, and evaluate which are most likely to be a good negotiation candidate for your situation. Keep in mind:

What’s your wedding date? Are they in high demand during that season/on that day of the week? Or are you in off season/on an off day? Are you flexible on the date?

Are they a promising new company, talented small business or an industry star? Do they need to build a portfolio, or can they afford to be picky?

What reviews can you find about the customer service and employees? What’s your experience with them (ie: response time, friendliness)?

What similar companies are out there, and what are their prices? Try to seek out any specials or discount offers you can find, from all competing vendors in your area.

Know everything possible about what you want and what it’s worth, and then determine your bottom line. Know both your “dream price” and your absolute maximum, be armed with specifics. Sometimes competitive company statistics win the battle. Let them know that they’re your first choice, and ask if they’ll beat competitors’ pricing.

Another tactic: simply make an offer. Even if a company advertises a specific price, they may respond to fair and respectfully made offers. Even my high-end wedding photographer is starting a name our own price option for some couples! This is especially common among smaller and newer companies with a need to build a portfolio or word-of-mouth, or made more likely depending on the specs of your event. But, remember to be fair. Be aware and respectful of the value of their expertise, talent, time, goods and overhead. A good approach is: “This is what I need for my event, and this is my budget for this item. I’d love to work with your company because of (insert flattering but honest reason here), and I hope we can work something out.” You’re really just opening a dialogue!

Now this one is the battleship of my bargain army: Barter. Whenever possible, offer something in exchange for a discount. Play to your strengths. What can you do well for people? What service can you provide? Anything from cleaning their office/studio to a trade of service like marketing or graphic design could be appropriate, depending on the company. Try and identify any needs they have, and politely offer your assistance in exchange for a discount or full trade. I  did work-trade for my dream wedding dress, by doing invoicing and fabric cutting for the designer in my spare time… major win!

So, c’mon ladies – start small…but be brave. After all, the worst they can say is no, right? Trust me, if you approach with preparation, openness and confidence on your side—you can be one bad-ass negotiator—and experience the empowerment of getting what you want at a price you can afford.

Stay tuned for part 2 of this post – more tips, and pitfalls to avoid!