Primp My Bride

TML Events Vendor Spotlight: Barcelona Wine Bar in New Haven, CT

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 12 Jun 2015 16:26:00 +0000

For those of you who may not know, New Haven, CT is a foodie's paradise. With world-renowned pizza places and an incredible array of ethnic restaurants, the options for a delicious meal are endless! That's why we were THRILLED to learn that one of our favorite New Haven eateries Barcelona, an amazing wine and tapas restaurant, provides catering for special events and weddings all throughout Connecticut.

Warning--these food images may cause you to drool all over your smartphone or keyboard so proceed with caution!

I was invited by Barcelona New Haven's event manager Helen to come in for a tasting of some old favorites as well as some new additions to the menu. I was super impressed to learn that they don't actually have a separate catering menu--any of their dozens of tapas and entrees can be served at events both big and small. Some of my new favorites included the Smoked Trout Pate with pickled onions, the Shrimp Escabeche and the Potato Tortilla served with chive sour cream. Delicis!!

Smoked Trout Pate on the left, Shrimp Escabeche on the right

Potatoes Tortilla w/ chive sour cream

These dishes were incredibly tasty, especially the Potato Tortilla. For as many years as I've been dining at Barcelona, I realized that I had never once ordered dessert (and anyone who knows me knows that dessert is my favorite part of any meal!). So we decided on a dessert sampler which included Flan Catalan, Crepas Salguero, Warm Chocolate Hazelnut Cake and of course Churros. Each dessert was spectacular and I can't believe I had been missing out on them for all of these years!

Awesome desserts!

If you'd like a refreshing and modern break from the chicken/beef/fish entrees that are standard fare at most weddings, I think Barcelona offers fantastic options that will wow your guests--leaving them thoroughly satisfied and super impressed. Not only are they located in New Haven, but they have several locations throughout CT too, from Hartford to Stamford. Barcelona has also expanded to Boston, Atlanta and the DC area.

What I also learned is that they have another restaurant called Bartaco , a taco bar with a laid back beachy theme. Any one of these restaurants can cater your wedding--whether you are looking for tapas style dishes, custom tacos or a giant paella dish that can feed around 80 people each!

Huge paella pan that can feed up to 80 people per dish

Tacos galore

Depending on the size of your wedding, you can also choose to have your wedding at their locations as well if you have your heart set on a restaurant reception. In addition to weddings, they of course also cater any type of event, including corporate events, dinner parties, etc. We hope these photos didn't leave you too hungry and if they did, you now know where you must have your next meal :)

Photographer Credits: Troy Lilly for Barcelona food photos, Manny Vargas for Bartaco food photos, me for Barcelona tasting food photos (aka the ones obviously taken from a cell phone!)

Adorable Lingerie Collection from AdoreMe

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 20 May 2015 17:05:00 +0000

Have you ladies heard of AdoreMe? They're an online lingerie company that sells super cute matching sets of bras and undies. They just released some items from their sexy lingerie Spring Collection, so we thought it would be fun to create wedding mood boards around the colors of these new sets--check them out below!

The Lace set comes in a gorgeous shade of pink called blush, which has been (and still is) one of the most popular choices in wedding color palettes. We envisioned Lace paired with some really pretty uses of blush--within wedding flowers, an invitation suite and even fabulous wedding shoes!

Next up, we have the Bonnie set! Anyone who knows me knows that blue is my absolute favorite color, so we really had fun with this one. We used turquoise as our color inspiration and paired the set with some bridesmaids' dresses in various shades of blue, simple but elegant blue hued vases (for more of a rustic or vintage wedding theme) and a gorgeous blue wedding cake.

Yellow has always been a popular spring and summer wedding color, so the Sharieta set really caught our eye. We were inspired by lemons (mostly because we recently planned a wedding that used lemons as centerpieces!) so chose images that best reflected that! If having a yellow themed wedding, a candy bar with lemon shaped candies work well, as does a macaron tower for a wedding dessert twist and a beautiful bouquet with succulents and yellow craspedia (also known as billy balls).

And last but not least, we've got the Kacie set in a fiery (and sexy) shade of red! Most people think you can only use red for fall and winter weddings, but we were inspired by the idea of pairing red with some lighter shades which can easily work for a summer wedding. Pair it with pink or blush in a bouquet, white on a cake or with black(berries) for a fun signature drink.

Which set is your favorite?!

Exciting News for This Modern Love Events!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 28 Apr 2015 14:19:00 +0000

Wedding season has begun! In the midst of coordinating a wedding with over 200 guests for this coming weekend and coordinating a 2-day corporate event a few days later, we thought we'd throw yet another project in to the mix (because we're clearly not busy enough as it is!!) We are thrilled to reveal that we are working on a complete branding and website redesign for This Modern Love Events!! We are so excited to be working with the super talented GoldenFox Design :) Here is a teaser of our new company logos--we are seriously in love with them all!

We just love how the colors pop and how my favorite colors (teal and gold) are so beautifully integrated. Goldenfox also created a custom brand board for us which will be used to design our marketing materials and new website. We LOVE it!

There will be more reveals in the weeks to come so stay tuned!! What do you think of our new logos and colors?

This Modern Love Events Real Weddings: Pine Orchard Yacht & Country Club Branford, CT

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 28 Jan 2015 14:04:00 +0000

When bride Liz reached out to me for day-of coordination services four weeks before her October nautical-themed wedding at the Pine Orchard Yacht & Country Club in Branford, CT, I knew we'd have our work cut out for us! But nonetheless, we were very excited to help her and fiance Ed have a beautiful and flawless wedding day.

We got to work right away and ironed out all of the details (both big and small) that always seem to materialize in the few weeks leading up to the big day. We introduced ourselves to each vendor they had booked, reviewed and confirmed the details of each signed contract, established set-up/delivery times, created a budget sheet to keep track of final payments and created a meticulously detailed itinerary (seven pages long!) for the wedding weekend. We also accompanied the mother of the bride on a final meeting with the florist and helped the couple book last minute limo transportation for the bridal party and coach buses for the hotel guests.

Ed and Liz were a joy to work with--they were such a sweet, easygoing couple with a loving and supportive group of family and friends to help them celebrate their big day. We also got the chance to work with some fantastic local vendors who helped execute a beautiful wedding day for the happy couple--we had such a blast working with them all!

All photos by John-Paul Teutonico Photography.

Liz and her bridal party were primped and pampered at JoBella Salon at the Omni Hotel in downtown New Haven, while the guys got ready in the best man's room at the hotel. My fabulous assistant Katie held down the fort at the Omni, making sure the hair and makeup team got the girls done on time, while I was over at Pine Orchard Union Chapel and the Pine Orchard Yacht & Country Club to start setting up for the big day.

The entire bridal party was then transported to the Pine Orchard Yacht & Country Club for Liz and Ed's romantic first look as well as photos with the bridal party.

Guests then started to arrive at the historic Pine Orchard Union Chapel where the ceremony was to be held. The bride's uncle officiated the wedding which put such a heartfelt and personal touch to the ceremony.

The Chapel was a five minute walk from the Country Club, so while Liz and Ed took off towards the reception venue in a golf cart (how cute is that!?), the bridesmaids led guests in a procession towards the venue. In the meantime, Kati and I collected all of the floral arrangements in the Chapel to bring them over to the Country Club, adding some additional decor to the space while guests mingled during cocktail hour.

By the evening, the reception was in full swing with dinner, drinks, heartfelt speeches from Liz's mother, sister/MOH and Ed's brother/best man. The band kept the dance floor hopping all night and provided the perfect backup when one of Ed's groomsmen did an impromptu performance!

We wish Liz & Ed a lifetime of happiness and were honored to have been a part of their special day!

From the bride Liz via WeddingWire;

"Choosing to work with Martine at This Modern Love Events was one of the best decisions that we made during the whole wedding planning process! From the very first consultation meeting we could tell that she was the right planner for us, and so we hired her on the spot. We chose the "Month Of / Day Of" planning services, which was so helpful as we came down to the most stressful part of the planning process - trying to pull all the final pieces together....

We really cannot say enough about Martine. She is very professional while still keeping it all fun, and she is extremely patient! No matter how many times I changed my mind or put off a decision until the last minute she was always calm and supportive, which helped me to keep my anxiety in check. Her expert advice along the way helped us to make some of the most difficult last minute decisions. She definitely went above and beyond our expectations a number of times.

Most importantly, working with This Modern Love allowed my husband and me to feel confident before our wedding weekend and to enjoy a stress-free wedding day. TML was crucial in the days before our wedding coordinating the vendor services. The help that Martine and her assistant offered during the set-up, the rehearsal, and the day-of was invaluable.

We had initially been on the fence about whether or not we needed to use a coordinator or if we could just handle things ourselves, and after my experience I cannot imagine any other way. Choosing to work with This Modern Love was a great investment and we wholeheartedly recommend their services!"

The Wedding Team
Wedding Planner/DOC: This Modern Love Events
Ceremony Venue: Pine Orchard Union Chapel
Reception Venue: Pine Orchard Yacht & Country Club
Photographer: John Paul Teutonico Photography
Band: Cracked Ice
Florist: Myers Flowers
Hair & Makeup: JoBella Salon

Primp My Bride Real Weddings: Classic Elegance in New Rochelle, NY

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 18 Dec 2014 15:37:00 +0000

Today's real wedding is very special to me because the bride Marilyn is one of my oldest friends in the world. We've been best friends for 18 years and I was luckily able to witness the beginning of her and her awesome husband Joey's love story, which began in high school. It was an honor to be standing by their side as a bridesmaid and watch them start a new chapter in their lives as husband and wife (cue the tears)!

All photos by Forged in the North Photography.

Okay now that I'm done being sentimental, their wedding was gorg, fun and full of awesome surprises...Giant vodka ice luge? Check. Cigar and whiskey bar? Check. Live drummer alongside the DJ? Check!! Here's our Q&A with the bride.

When was your wedding and where did it take place?

Joey and I were married on September 12, 2014 at St. Luke's Church in Whitestone, NY. The reception was at the Glen Island Harbour Club in New Rochelle, NY. The weather was absolutely picture perfect that day!

When did you know that your wedding dress was "the one"?

I had a pretty clear idea of the dress style I wanted, so that helped narrow down the options when I went dress shopping--I also knew that I would definitely be a Pronovias bride (since they specialize in lace), so booked my only dress appointment at their beautiful flagship store in NYC. I only tried on three dresses before I found "the one" (which was dress style Leroig). I felt stunning in the gown, but what really sealed it for me was the look on my mother's and sister's face--I knew then and there that it was the one!

Rank your top 10 favorite memories from your wedding day!

#10 - Seeing our vision and personal touches come together. I have a Type A personality, so making sure every little detail was perfect was crucial. Since I'm all about the personal touches, walking into our decorated reception venue for the first time was definitely one of the highlights of my night. From the candlelit orchid centerpieces, the perfect placement of the beautifully wrapped favors and the sixty-eight hurricane candles that lined the bay windows to the vintage birdcage card holder, everything was absolutely perfect.

Choosing a DJ for the wedding was also very important to us as we both LOVE to dance. We decided to go with DJ Serg, a DJ we've seen spin since we started going to clubs as teenagers! He had also DJ'ed at some of our favorite weddings, so hiring him was a no-brainer and one of our best wedding decisions. He kept the dance floor packed and provided the amber uplighting for the entire room. He also prepared our wedding slideshow, which was one of the most emotional parts of the wedding for us. Seeing pictures of us as children with our dearly departed grandparents as well as pictures of us at the Prom was truly special.

Last but not least, the vodka ice luge was not included in the original plan--it was actually a last minute gift from our banquet manager. Anyone who knows me knows that there are few things I love more than drinking and reminiscing about college, so of course proving to everyone that I could still chug ice cold vodka from an ice luge shaped like a martini glass without choking was one of my favorite wedding moments!

#9 - Cutting the wedding cake. Cutting the wedding cake was a lot of fun because it showed what a pair of spazzes we are. We started cutting the cake and couldn't get the knife through--turns out we were cutting a layer that wasn't actually cake! After the maitre d' took over and showed us how to properly cut the cake, we had a blast taking huge spoonfuls of cake and force feeding them to each other. Yet another reason we are perfect for each other!

#8 - Opening my wedding morning gift. I will honestly say I was not expecting a wedding gift from Joey. I thought my engagement ring and wedding band were more than enough so I was extremely surprised when my matron of honor gave me a gift from him. The box was almost too stunning to open! But of course I did, and inside was an exquisite gold swarovski elephant.

Not only am I completely obsessed with collecting elephants but it was gold, one of our wedding colors. From the moment I received that beautiful symbol of good luck, I knew the wedding would be perfect.

#7 - Getting ready with my friends and family. I chose to get ready in a hotel suite rather than my childhood home for several reasons--location, comfort, and because it would guarantee that my family wouldn't be late! We had two makeup artists and three hairstylists to help me, my mother, several of my 10 bridesmaids and flower girl get ready. I also had the hotel set up a breakfast buffet in the suite so we could drink champagne and eat while we got ready. My best friend Martine set up the coolest playlist which had us all singing and dancing. Getting ready in that room with my closest friends and family was one of my favorite memories from my wedding day.

#6 - When my mothers buttoned the back of my dress. When Pronovias told me I could alter my wedding dress to have buttons run all the way down the back of my dress, I was over the moon! But of course I didn't realize how much work would go into buttoning the entire dress, so it became quite a task on the day of the wedding. Originally, my mother tried but she only got halfway through, so my stepmother stepped in and buttoned the rest. Having both my mothers help me get ready was such a touching and personal moment.

#5 - Taking pictures! One of the reasons I think our wedding was so perfect was definitely the weather. It was neither hot nor cold and there was not a cloud in the sky. This stroke of good luck, combined with our super talented photographers and the most scenic wedding venue ever resulted in the best wedding pictures we could have asked for. I'm pretty sure a lot of brides wouldn't say that taking pictures is one of the highlights of their wedding day, but it actually was for me.

It was so fun hanging out with our bridal party near a stone castle in the woods and our photographers turned it into quite the adventure--they even had me and Joey climb rocks! It was a lot of fun but it was also one of the few private moments that Joey and I got to spend together on our wedding day. Even though we had our videographer and photographers with us, it still felt very intimate. I think you can truly see how much we love each other in those particular photos.

#4 - Sparkler Send Off. I was definitely a Pinterest bride--I actually can't imagine what planning a wedding without Pinterest is like! So of course a lot of my ideas came from there. One idea that I saw on Pinterest quite a lot was the Sparkler Send Off. It looked like a lot of fun and the pictures always turned out so awesome but putting it into practice was a lot harder than I thought. I had so many questions! How many sparklers did I need? How do I let the guests know when it was supposed to happen? Where will it take place? How do I make sure it happens before everyone leaves?

Luckily, my amazing banquet manager Rocco and superstar photographers, Forged in the North, knew exactly how to make it happen. It turned out perfectly and was so much fun that we ran through the "guard of honor" twice! Not to mention, the photos were pretty amazing!

#3 - Dancing with my father. They say weddings are about the bride, but I believe that they are also about the father of the bride. Not only was he at my side for the biggest day of my life, but he was glowing just as much as I was. My father and I have come a very long way in our relationship so having the perfect father/daughter dance was very important to me. I actually chose the song we would dance to before I was even engaged. My father's favorite band is Guns N' Roses so I wanted to dance to one of their songs but it was very difficult finding a song that wasn't too fast or rock-and-rollish. With the help of my fabulous DJ, we were able to find a rare acoustic version of "Sweet Child of Mine". The look on my father's face when the song started playing was priceless. It was truly a perfect moment.

#2 - Our First Dance. There were many songs in the running for our first dance as husband and wife. I always imagined that my wedding song would be "Never Tear Us Apart" by INXS but that was before I was even with Joey. It dawned on me that I should probably include my future husband in the decision for our first dance song, and he actually surprised me with the perfect choice. He told me that when we were together as teenagers, he always thought of me when "The Scientist" by Coldplay came on. I realized that I too always thought of him when that song played.

Even though the song may seem like an odd choice for a first dance (since it's about a breakup) given our history, it was the perfect song for us. With lyrics like, "I had to find you/ tell you I need you/ Tell you I set you apart" and "Tell me you love me/ come back and haunt me/ Oh and I rush to the start/ Running in circles/ Chasing our tails/ coming back as we are", it was literally our song. I still get teary-eyed when I think of us dancing to that song.

#1 - Walking down the Aisle. I loved our wedding ceremony so much but walking down the aisle was one of the most nerve-wrecking moments of my life (comparable only to walking on stage to get my law school diploma). I did not expect the church to be filled to capacity nor did I anticipate what it would feel like to have all those eyes on me. However, once I got over the initial shock and found Joey through the crowd, we just locked eyes and I pretty much floated towards him. We didn't have a first look, so seeing him at the altar with that look of happiness on his face was truly one of the best moments of my life.

Wedding Vendors

Photographer: Forged in the North Photography
ReceptionVenue: Glen Island Harbour Club
Ceremony Venue: St. Luke's Catholic Church
Florist: Arcadia Floral
DJ: DJ Serg
Videographer: Patken Photographer
Limos: Ultimate Class Limo
Bridesmaid Dresses: My White Wedding Bridals
Photobooth: Send in the Clowns
Favors: Casa del Corredo

Ask Primpy: How Do I Choose the Perfect Wedding Photographer?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 08 Dec 2014 16:40:00 +0000

This is another question we are often asked by couples--with the vast array of talented wedding photographers out there (especially if you live in or near a big city), how do you choose the one that's right for you? For this Q&A, we chatted with the super talented Connecticut photographer Joanna Fisher of Joanna Fisher Photography! Joanna's work has recently been featured in Style Me Pretty and she gives some excellent tips below on finding the perfect wedding photographer for your big day.

All photos by Joanna Fisher Photography.

How early in the wedding planning process should a couple start looking for a wedding photographer?

If you have your heart set on working with a particular photographer, give them as much notice as possible! A great time to start searching for your photographer if you don’t have a particular one in mind is right after you book your venue. This allows your potential photographer to check their availability against your wedding date so they can hold it for you.

Alternatively, if you don't have a specific date in mind, you can work alongside your potential photographer and venue to ensure that both are available on the same day!

What’s the best way to ﬁgure out if a photographer is the right ﬁt for you?

There are so many amazing photographers in the industry and it can be a daunting and difficult task to decide who might be the best one to capture your wedding day. It’s been my experience that the best way to get the most out of your photographer is to make sure that your personalities really click. Beautiful photographs that you love and ﬁt your style are important - but your photographer’s personality can make or break your experience!

Your photographer is going to be with you for the better part of your day. You want to be sure that you get along, that you trust them completely...and a sense of humor never hurts! After all the planning you put in to your wedding day, it often happens that the wedding day timeline simply doesn’t happen the way you’d planned. You want to be sure your photographer can roll with the punches, adapt to the situation and laugh about it with you!

What if I’m shy/not photogenic/hate having my picture taken, etc? What advice do you have for people who are uncomfortable in front of the camera?

A great way to make sure you’re going to be comfortable in front of the camera on your wedding day is to take advantage of an engagement session beforehand - this is something that many photographers are now including as part of a complete wedding package. Not only is this a cute way to create Save the Date cards and a fun way to spend a few hours with your love, but it’s the perfect practice run before the big day! Your photographer’s personality should shine here. Wedding day portraits can sometimes feel rushed, but during an engagement session you get to slow everything down and focus on just the two of you - which will in turn allow you to relax and get used to the camera being pointed at you all day!

What should a couple do when they’ve found their dream photographer, but ﬁnd out they are totally out of their budget?

This can be such a tough spot to be in - especially if you’ve found a photographer that you click with and who’s work you love. My advice would be to see if the photographer has a “basic” package. For my brides who want the quality of my work, but don’t have an unlimited budget (because who does, really?), I offer a completely “a la carte” Wedding Collection. This is for coverage only, but allows the couple to add on things that are most important to them - whether that be digital ﬁles, an album, or anything else.

Deferring the cost of those products until after the wedding (and after the couple has received any monetary wedding gifts!) can also allow the couple to get exactly what they’re looking for in their photographer without compromising their immediate budget.

How long does it typically take to receive your wedding photos?

Every photographer is differrent, so this is an important question to ask your photographer during any initial consults. I promise a turnaround of 6-8 weeks in my contract, though it’s often much sooner - my average is about 2-3 weeks.

Start your search early for your photographer to ensure availability and if photography is one of the top priorities for your wedding day, splurge a bit on the one you love (and cut the budget elsewhere on things that don't matter to you as much). Happy hunting!

Ask Primpy: New Q&A Series!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 20 Nov 2014 18:21:00 +0000

We are launching a new series on the blog called "Ask Primpy", where we answer your most burning wedding planning questions. I'm kicking this series off with the most popular question I hear from engaged couples which is..."How do we cut down on wedding costs?"

By far, the most efficient way to save money on your wedding is to cut down your guest list. The cost per guest you incur usually includes catering, rentals and even the number of centerpieces needed (most couples are surprised by this but think about it--more guests + more seating = more centerpieces). Because the number of guests directly impacts all of these things and more, this is where you'll see the biggest cost savings when planning your wedding.

Cutting the guest list can be done in a number of ways, but there are certain things to consider before deciding if sweet Aunt Josie will make the cut or not. First, who is paying for the wedding? If you and your spouse-to-be are responsible for most or all of the budget, then you pretty much have free reign on determining who will be invited or not. If either of your parents are paying for the wedding, this is where things get much more complicated. As the hosts, your parents can pretty much dictate the guest list. So unless they have explicitly told you that they are leaving the list in your hands, avoid going bridezilla on them if they decide to invite their childhood friends, college friends and the guy at Starbucks who makes their coffee "just the way they like it". After all, they are footing the bill!

Now if you are in charge of the guestlist, cutting the number of invited guests can be done in a number of ways. Here are my top tips on saving big bucks for your wedding!

Have your ceremony and reception at the same location. This can potentially save you a ton of money and stress. You'll be saving big on transportation costs and having to pay for separate ceremony and reception rental fees. And having all of your events at one location is less stressful overall since all of your vendors only need to show up to one location.

Make it an Adult-Only event (aka leave the kids at home). If this is the route you decide to go, it's fine if the only children invited are ones that are in the bridal party.

No Unknown Plus Ones. What this means is that instead of giving guests free reign on the RSVP to invite "Guest", make sure you actually know who "Guest" is and that person is invited by name.

Consider having a destination wedding. If you are really keen on getting your guestlist down, but know it'll cause lots of drama if you have a local wedding and don't invite certain local family and friends, my favorite solution is this...have a destination wedding! For the most part, your key guests will make an effort to travel where ever your wedding will be and you won't offend guests (if you invite them and they can't make it, that's not your fault!). Just note: if your destination is far enough to require getting on a plane, obviously this won't work if any of your VIP's have a flying phobia, so chose your location wisely.

Have a wedding planning question that is stressing you out? Send an email to info@thismodernloveevents.com and we'll answer it on the blog! And if you find yourself in need of a wedding pro, check out the various wedding planning services we offer at This Modern Love Events. We'd love to help you plan a stress-free wedding day!

NYC Bridal Fashion Week 2014

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 14 Nov 2014 18:46:00 +0000

Last month was that time of the year again--Bridal Fashion Week in NYC! I was down there with the Sally Conant Ph.D., the Executive Director of the Association of Wedding Gown Specialists, where we spent the weekend running two booths--one over at Pier 94 for the International Bridal Fashion Week show and the Couture Show hosted by TheKnot at the Metropolitan Pavilion. We saw some GORGEOUS wedding dresses from various designers' 2015 Spring collection and we had the honor of getting an invite to the biggest wedding industry bash of the year, TheKnot Gala (where I got to meet the famous Randy Fenoli from Say Yes to the Dress!)

At Pier 94, we saw gorgeous wedding gowns from both well-known and up & coming designers.

We also met with a fabulous new designer, Kelsey Ganna, from New Zealand. Her line, The Flower Bride totally nails the boho/chic vintage bridal look. We were swooning!

Over at TheKnot's Couture Show, we saw some fab gowns and got to chat with some of our favorite designers, including LA-based designer Madeleine Fig. TheKnot had the most adorable set-up for the welcome lounge at their show!

After 3 days of working both markets, I got to eat, drink and dance the night away at TheKnot's annual wedding industry Gala at the New York Public Library. There were over 1,000 attendees and I also got the chance to mingle with wedding industry elites such as Carley Roney (TheKnot's co-founder), Randy Fenoli (Kleinfeld Fashion Director and star of Say Yes to the Dress) and the tremendously talented Jannina Figueroa, owner and designer of Madeleine Fig.

Photographer Credit: Ready Luck Photography

My awesome husband came with me and was the perfect arm candy--we had a BLAST :)

Entertainment was provided by Hank Lane Music who kept everyone dancing all night long with the incredible live band!

We loved every minute of it and can't wait to see what TheKnot Gala has in store for 2015 :) Check out more amazing photos from TheKnot Gala here!

Primp My Bride Real Weddings: Vintage Farm Wedding in East Lyme, CT

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 23 Oct 2014 13:02:00 +0000

It's one thing to see photos of swoon-worthy weddings, but it's another thing entirely when you not only get to attend said swoony wedding, but are also good friends with the bride and groom (hi guys!). Karen & Kam had a beautiful outdoor wedding on a farm in eastern Connecticut complete with delicious food, awesome guests and a rockin' DJ. Oh and did I mention that instead of cutting a cake, they decide to pop the biggest bottle of champagne you've ever seen?!?

All photos by Ian Christmann of Catalyst Photography.

When was your wedding and where did it take place?

We got married on August 16, 2014 at White Gate Farm in East Lyme, CT. Although August in New England is typically known to be hot and muggy, the day was absolutely gorgeous--70 degrees and partly sunny with a nice breeze!

How long did it take you to plan your wedding?

We got engaged in March 2013 but decided to wait a few months before delving into wedding planning--we just wanted to enjoy being engaged! We started making wedding decisions in the summer of 2013, which still gave us a full year before our wedding to plan.

When did you know that your wedding gown was "the one"?

I had been struggling to make a decision between two dresses I had tried on--problem was I was on my own so didn't want to make a decision until I had the opinions of the ladies who mattered most to me. In a stroke of luck, both my mother and future mother-in-law were both visiting Connecticut one weekend, so along with my future sister-in-law, they all came to the dress shop with me. They liked the first dress I tried on, but when I saw the expression on their faces when I came out of the fitting room in the second dress, I knew it was "the one"! It was a Justin Alexander gown and I got it at Bliss Bridal in Cheshire, CT.

Rank your top 10 favorite moments from your wedding day!

10. Getting ready in the morning. Few things are better than sleeping in and having a latte delivered to your door first thing in the morning. The morning of the wedding was this and so much more! Sipping lattes and getting pampered with my sisters and sisters-to-be is my version of fun. And having the most important women in my life help me button my wedding dress was beautifully symbolic of the wedding day.

9. Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. I hadn't remembered it was tradition to wear something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, until my sister-in-law gifted me a beautiful blue monogram embroidery to sew into my wedding dress. ‘Something blue’ – check! ‘Something new’ (dress) – check! My ‘something borrowed’ was especially meaningful. I wore a strand of pearls from my husband’s grandmother, which had been worn by the women in his family on their wedding day. My ‘something old’ was a handkerchief from my grandfather’s mother, which came in handy during the exchange of vows.

8. Popping champagne. I am never one to say ‘no’ to dessert – but cake lands at the bottom of the list of my favorite sweets. And with a husband who would rather have a second entrée than a sugary treat, we figured we would invest our money into something we love – champagne! Not only was it epic to pop a 9L bottle of Schramsberg Blanc de Blanc (vintage from the year we met!), but the champagne was delicious and the photos were even better!

7. The food! Anyone who knows my husband knows he is serious about food. Which is why hiring A Thyme to Cook was an easy decision. They source all of their ingredients locally and were able to use our own honey for the chicken course. Oh – and they took notes from our floral design and incorporated lavender into the lemonade and chicken.

6. The first look with my father. These days it seems that more and more couples are opting for the photography trend of first looks before the ceremony. But it was important to me to be old-school and see each other for the first time as I walked down the aisle. I was torn between wanting to capture the emotion of a ‘first look’ on camera but also waiting to see each other as I walked down the aisle. Instead, I did a ‘first look’ photo with my father and they are my favorite photos of the two of us!

5. The last slow dance of the night. The final slow dance of the night was “Better Together” (Jack Johnson) – a song that fundamentally defines our relationship. Already loving slow dancing with my hubby to one of our favorite songs, tears filled my eyes when our family and friends encircled us with their arms around each other.

4. Our wedding officiant. It was important for us to have a meaningful relationship with the person who would marry us on our wedding day. We wanted someone who knew and loved us both as individuals, but also as a couple. So the decision was obvious. Our officiant was our dear friend who introduced us the first night we met and who has watched us grow in our relationship. His ceremony was the perfect mix of hilarious and heartfelt – and his sincerity, evident.

3. The toasts. It's always flattering to have someone stand up at an event to tell stories about how wonderful you and your spouse are together and as individuals. We had asked my husband’s brother (best man) and my sister (maid of honor) to each make a toast at the reception. They both exceeded expectations in flattery and story-telling – what more could you ask for?! I had also been nudging my stage-shy father in the weeks leading up to the wedding to make a toast. After some cajoling, he agreed to make a short toast, briefly thanking people for coming. So it was very unexpected when he took the mic and began imparting marriage advice and his wishes for a long and happy marriage! I can barely remember the details of what he said since I was in shock – but from the photos, it appears he was melting my heart!

2. Celebrating with family and friends. Guests traveled across the country and around the world to participate in our wedding. Seeing people from all the parts of our life together under one tent was awesome. But more than that, our guests knew how to party. The dance floor was never empty – and isn’t that the hallmark of a good celebration?

1. Marrying my husband. Our wedding day was filled with happy tears and laughter for me – but never more so than during our wedding ceremony. Even with a faulty microphone and wind that kept tussling my veil, there is nothing I would change. While the details of the reception, flowers, music, etc were fun to plan (but stressful at times) the significance of those moments ultimately hinged on the reason for this wedding celebration – the beginning of our marriage.

Wedding Vendors
Photographer: Ian Christmann of Catalyst Photography
Location: White Gate Farm
Caterer: A Thyme to Cook
Planner: Josh Chalmers of Earth2Events
Florist: Gira
DJ: DJ Renzo Hernandez
Hair/Makeup: Simply Gorgeous by Erin
Groom + Groomsmen Suits: Enson's
Bridesmaids Dresses: Weddington Way
Videography: WeddingMix

Hottest New Wedding Gown Trends from LA's Bridal Market

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 25 Sep 2014 13:42:00 +0000

In addition to my own wedding planning company This Modern Love Events, I am also the Assistant Director for the Association of Wedding Gown Specialists. It's an awesome gig that I happened upon when bringing my own wedding gown to Sally Conant Ph.D., who not only runs the award-winning gown cleaning & preservation company called Orange Restoration Labs in Orange, CT, but is also the Executive Director for the Association of Wedding Gown Specialists. This is so perfectly complementary to my business and means I get to live and breathe weddings pretty much every day!

They tasked me with representing the Association in Los Angeles last month for TheKnot's bridal Couture Show, where dozens of designers showcased their new gowns for the upcoming bridal season and where bridal shop owners can place orders for these gowns for brides (like you) to purchase!

The Association is a sponsor at all of the Couture Show events hosted by TheKnot, and are there so we can meet with designers and offer them our free gown care labels to put in the wedding gowns. This is so that after the wedding, a bride can call one of our Gown Specialists (represented in 500 cities around the world) to clean and/or preserve their wedding gown.

I invited my cousin Tiffany along with me (her first time to California!) and she helped me set up our sponsor lounge.

Tiff helping me put together preservation boxes for our display!

Sponsor table

Sponsor lounge where attendees were able to relax and munch on some donuts and fruit

We saw some fabulous gowns from both established and up & coming wedding gown designers.

Casablanca Bridal Runway Show

How gorg is the back of the 2nd dress on the left?!

Lost in a sea of wedding gowns!

More fab wedding gowns. The one in the middle actually had a bluish tint which was really unique and pretty

The show happened over the course of two days and on the first night TheKnot threw a fabulous party on a rooftop that overlooked the Hollywood sign.

Enjoying cocktails and hor d'oeuvres courtesy of TheKnot

We had a great time! Sally and I will also be at the upcoming bridal fashion week shows this October in NYC, again hosted by TheKnot, held at the Metropolitan Pavillion, and another show hosted by New York International Bridal Week at Pier 94. It's going to be a busy but fun-filled weekend! I'll be sure to share lots of photos :)

$1,000 WeddingMix Wedding Package Giveaway: Early Access for Primp My Bride Readers!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 13 Aug 2014 18:24:00 +0000

Our friends over at WeddingMix (aka our favorite DIY wedding videography service out there!) are doing an awesome giveaway in partnership with SimplyBridal!

The grand prize winner will receive a $500 SimplyBridal Package to use towards couture wedding gowns and accessories, as well as a $500 WeddingMix video package to receive an edited video filmed by those they love! Each entry will also receive a 10% WeddingMix coupon good for any of their video packages.

The giveaway doesn't officially start until tomorrow, but Primp My Bride readers will get early access to it today! Enter here for your chance to win :) Good luck!

How the Modern Bride Uses Social Media for Wedding Planning

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 01 Aug 2014 15:00:00 +0000

We are big believers in using digital media to plan your wedding day. In fact, this is why we offer a digital wedding planning package through our events company, This Modern Love Events! Check out this eye-opening infographic below from TheKnot & Mashable to learn more about how today's modern bride plans her wedding in the digital world. Are you using social media or the internet in any of these ways to plan your big day?

Primp My Bride Real Weddings: Old New York Charm in New York City

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 22 Jul 2014 12:33:00 +0000

Julie and James envisioned an "Old New York" theme for their New York City wedding this past March. Although it was cold outside, the sun shone brightly over this gorgeous couple, who had their ceremony in the city, a photo shoot in Grand Central Station (complete with plenty of onlookers of course) and on to Long Island for their glam reception. Instead of a photobooth, they had a fun surprise in store for their wedding guests--a Slow Motion Booth (you've got to see the video of it below, it's hilarious)!

When was your wedding and where did it take place?

James and I got married on March 1, 2014 at the Church of St. Xavier in Manhattan. Our reception was held at the Inn in New Hyde Park on Long Island.

How long did it take to plan your wedding?

We got engaged back in November 2011 and originally wanted a destination wedding. We narrowed our locations down to a handful of places down in the Caribbean, but it turned out that many key family members wouldn't have been able to make the trip down, so we scratched that idea and opted for a local wedding instead.

When did you know that your dress was "the one"?

I had tried on more than 20 dresses at a few different bridal salons over the course of a few months but still hadn't found a wedding dress. I didn't have much luck at sample sales either, so when my friend told me about a sample sale at Mark Ingram Atelier, I went in without any expectations. None of the samples caught my eye, but on the way out I noticed a gorgeous trumpet gown in the style I was looking for, right by the elevator!

It was a Matthew Christopher gown with a beautiful lace overlay, which made it so different from all the other dresses I had seen. I quickly took a picture to show to my mom and sister and decided to make an appointment for a later date to try on that gorgeous gown. When I cam back for my appointment and slipped into the dress, it was love at first sight! I immediately knew it was "the one".

Rank your top 10 favorite moments from your wedding day!

10. Seeing our vision and personal touches come together. We wanted an "Old New York"-inspired look for our wedding, but we still wanted our style and personal touches to show through. James is a designer, so naturally he worked on our save the dates, invitations, menus, programs, wedding website, and anything else we could personalize. It was important for us to incorporate our culture into our wedding, so we included Filipino traditions during the ceremony and had a Filipino rondalia group play during cocktail hour. We also let our florist have creative reign, and she gave us some amazing floral pieces -- including a wall of flowers!

9. Having fun in the Slow Motion Booth! We loved the idea of photobooths, but we wanted something with a bit of a twist. One of my bridesmaids sent me an article a few months before the wedding featuring something new -- slow motion video booths! After a lot of research, I finally found a great company in the area and decided to book them for our wedding. It was hysterical seeing everyone do the craziest things in front of the camera and then watching it play back in slow motion.

Julie & James Veluya Wedding, March 1st 2014 The Inn At New Hyde Park, New York, Long Island from Edgewater Pictures on Vimeo.

8. Getting ready with all the important girls in my life. It's amazing how calm I was the morning of the wedding, but it was only possible because I was surrounded by my family and my best friends. We got dressed, had hair and makeup done, snacked, told stories, and sipped mimosas all while staying on schedule!

7. Spontaneous serenade from James and the groomsmen. Instead of us throwing the bouquet or doing a garter toss, the groomsmen called over all the guys to the middle of the dance floor and serenaded me. It was a very funny and sweet surprise.

6. The photo shoot at Grand Central -- and a random proposal to one of my bridesmaids! Grand Central was such a great place to take bridal party photos after the ceremony. As expected in New York City, there were plenty of observers, some photo bombers... and one proposal! Apparently, this young man had it on his bucket list to propose to someone in public, and he actually carried a fake ring with him. Unfortunately for him, the bridesmaid that he dropped down on one knee for was already married, but at least he tried!

5. The limo ride from the ceremony to the reception. I'm so glad the bridesmaids and groomsmen bonded and got along so well! Joking, singing and sharing stories with old friends and good company during the entire ride to the reception made the trip go by so fast.

4. Our wedding ceremony and the same-day video edit of it. I absolutely loved our beautiful church, the amazing music and wonderful officiant. We tried to have as many of our close family and friends involved directly in the ceremony as possible, and made sure to incorporate some cultural traditions. It was awesome to be able to relive it all over again at our reception through our same-day edit video.

Julie & James ||SDE from MPW Media Group on Vimeo.

3. The best men and matron of honor speeches. James's two best men, Omar and Eric, gave unrehearsed, off-the-cuff speeches filled with stories from their teenage years. You would never know they were coming up with everything on the spot, since they did such a great job! My sister's words about us growing up together were so touching and made everyone laugh and cry -- hallmarks of a great speech.

2. Walking down the aisle with my mom and seeing James waiting for me at the end. My mother has been such an important figure and the rock in my life, and I'm so happy she was able to walk down the aisle with me. One thing I didn't expect to see was James tearing up as I was walking down the aisle! I didn't actually think he would get so emotional, but that definitely set off the waterworks for me.

1. Marrying the love of my life! All the planning and anticipation led up to this moment. After seven years together, I finally married my best friend and love of my life. There isn't a single thing about that day that I would change!

Wedding Vendors
Photographer: Morgan Lynn Photography
Venue: Inn at New Hyde Park
Event Planner: Ted Martinez Event Management
Videographer: MPW Media Group
Florist: Ivie Joy Flowers
DJ: Lifetime Entertainment
Hair/Makeup: Sachiko Yanase and Sissi Chan
Bridesmaid Dresses: Amsale
Slow Mo Photobooth: Slow Mo Party

Photographer Styled "Shoot-Out" in New Haven, CT

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 19 Jun 2014 17:24:00 +0000

Stella Blue Photography

I must say--there are some seriously talented wedding photographers here in Connecticut! I met with local photographer Joanna Fisher a few weeks ago and was able to provide some wedding gowns (through my work with Orange Restoration Labs) for a photo shoot she set up at the historical mansion/photography studio Chetstone.

She invited a few other very talented photographers to join in on a "shoot-out", so they could all showcase their wedding photography skills. She also hired Leah, owner of Brasile Beauty, to beautify the models.

Check out shots from these amazing photographers!!

Photos by Joanna Fisher Photography.

Fabulous hair and makeup artist Leah

Photos by Robyn Blasi Photography.

Photos by Stella Blue Photography.

Photos by Brittanie Jones Photography.

How stunning are these photos?! Are you (or someone you know) looking for a photographer or makeup/hair stylist for an upcoming wedding? You can't go wrong with any of these amazing ladies, so shoot me an email at info@thismodernloveevents.com and I can put you in touch directly!

Primp My Bride Real Weddings: Winter Wonderland in Saratoga Springs, NY

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 08 May 2014 13:55:00 +0000

Stephanie and Will decided to say "I Do" this past December and got the ultimate wedding day surprise--lots and lots of snow! The snow transformed their outdoor wedding photos into a winter wonderland and made their special day even more unforgettable. Check out their story and beautiful wedding below!

All photos by Luke Walker of Clark+Walker Studio.

When was your wedding and where did it take place?
Will and I got married on December 14, 2013 at the Canfield Casino in Saratoga Springs, NY.

How long did it take you to plan your wedding?
We got engaged in July 2012, so it took us about 16 months to plan the wedding. We gave ourselves plenty of time to plan and I'm really glad we did!

When did you know that your wedding dress was "the one"?
I had tried on about 15 dresses but none of them wowed me. So I did some more research online and found a photo of a Jim Hjelm wedding gown. It looked perfect! I immediately made an appointment at the famous Kleinfeld Bridal salon in Manhattan, where a sample of the gown happened to be in stock. As soon as I tried it on, I knew it was "the one"!

Rank your top 10 favorite moments from your wedding day!

#10 - Signature Drinks. We felt it was really important to incorporate our personalities into the wedding, and the best way to express ourselves was through our love of cocktails! Will chose the Dark & Stormy, a favorite on Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands where his family has been vacationing since he was a baby. It's also the place where he proposed to me, so this had a VERY special meaning! I chose the "Cusemopolitan" since Will and I met when we were undergrads at Syracuse University and my favorite drink is a Cosmo. As a marketer, it was all about the name, so the actual recipe wasn't created until 2 days before the wedding!

#9 - My Yiya's Vintage Watch. Both my mother's parents passed away before I was born, so I never had a chance to meet them. Because of this, it was extremely important to both me and my mom to have part of them with me on my wedding day. So a few months before the wedding, my mom had my grandmother's beautiful watch completely restored. Not only did it perfectly complement my wedding gown, but I felt so lucky to be able to wear something so meaningful on my special day.

#8 - My Bridesmaids (and their Dresses)! Some people may think that black isn't a typical color for a wedding but being the jaded New Yorker that I am, the color fit perfectly with my vintage, classic wedding theme. I fell in love with these black lace bridesmaid dresses from Lazaro Noir and every single one of my girls looked absolutely fabulous in it! I am so lucky to have these women in my life who are beautiful both outside and inside. Each lady represents a different phase in my life and have all provided me with so much love, support and laughter. It was truly an honor to have each of them stand beside me on the most important day of my life.

#7 - Our Amazing Venue & Flowers. The two fit so well together and was the picture perfect setting I had envisioned for my wedding day. We looked at many venues up in Saratoga Springs but as soon as we walked into the Casino, we knew it was where we'd be getting married. Because it's a popular venue, we had to choose a winter date and looking back I couldn't imagine our wedding day in any other season! From the beautiful stained-glass ceiling to the checkered floor in the bar, this place exuded class, character and charm. When it came to the florals, I wanted lots of texture and greenery, so Evan (our talented florist and owner of Anthology Studios) knew exactly how to pull it off.

#6 - The Band. One of the first things people say to me about our wedding was how great the band was! One of our main goals was for our guests to have a fun and memorable night and because of the New York Players, the dance floor was packed all night!

#5 - Our Interfaith Ceremony & Traditions. It was important that both of our faiths and heritages were represented at our wedding. We incorporated Methodist, Jewish and Greek traditions within the ceremony and during the reception. Will's friend Jonathan even became an ordained Rabbi to help officiate the ceremony! My aunt surprised me by doing her reading entirely in Greek. These special touches really made the ceremony memorable. At the reception, we had a blast dancing the Hora and Zorba!

#4 - My Wedding Dress. I absolutely loved everything about my dress. It felt very bridal with the lace and modern trumpet silhouette. I had so much fun twirling the skirt on the dance floor all night! I added a delicate rhinestone belt to give it a little winter sparkle.

#3 - My Dad Walking Me Down the Aisle. I'm not ashamed to admit that I was totally one of those girls who had always dreamed about her wedding day. And I always envisioned that special moment when my dad would walk me down the aisle towards the love of my life. My dad has always been there for me and I feel incredibly lucky and blessed to have had that experience with him.

#2 - The Snow! Even the most meticulously planned weddings are left to the mercy of Mother Nature. But instead of being upset, we embraced it and were rewarded with the most gorgeous blanket of snow falling in the background as our ceremony began. By the end of the evening, we had the perfect winter wonderland right outside the venue doors and had the opportunity to take some gorgeous photos.

#1 - My Husband Will. Will and I had been dating for almost 8 years when we got married. We met as juniors in college and grew into adulthood together. We've already been through so much happiness and sadness together, and have supported one another through it all while keeping a sense of humor about things. I value him so much and feel so fortunate to have met and married such an incredibly wonderful man!

Wedding Vendors
Photography: Luke Walker of Clark+Walker Studio
Venue: Canfield Casino
Caterer: Mazzone Hospitality
Hair/Makeup: Make Me Fabulous
Bridesmaid Dresses: Lazaro Noir
Flowers: Anthology Studio
Cake: Lake George Baking Company
Entertainment: New York Players

Stylish Wedding Suits for Spring

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 10 Apr 2014 17:03:00 +0000

Spring is FINALLY here folks and you know what that means! It's time to put away those heavy overcoats, boots, gloves and dark clothing in favor of lighter and brighter apparel. With that in mind, check out these chic and stylish suits for Spring, courtesy of designer Bonobos.

Their new collection features lightweight seersucker and cotton suits that are not only perfect for spring weddings, but for hot summer weddings as well. We love the colors and styles!

Have a groom who's a bit more on the casual side? Check out these looks below.

And for a splash of color, these ties and pocket squares are the perfect accessory.

If your groom prefers a more formal look for the wedding but comfort is just as important to him as style, these suits below may fit the bill.

And the best part? Bonobos offers Groom Service at retail locations to helps grooms find the perfect looks for their wedding. This service is by appointment only, so find the location nearest you and schedule yours today. Happy shopping!

Primp My Bride Real Weddings - Chic Rustic Vineyard Wedding in Long Island, New York

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 31 Mar 2014 13:16:00 +0000

New Yorkers Angela and Kevin traded in the hustle and bustle of New York City for the peace and beauty of a Long Island vineyard--the perfect setting for their rustic vintage wedding. In addition to a Jewish ceremony, they decided to also honor Angela's heritage by having a traditional Korean ceremony as well. Read more about their beautiful and unique wedding below--especially to find out what they cut instead of a reception cake!

All photos by Angelica Glass.

When and where was your wedding?

Kevin and I got married on October 15, 2012 at Martha Clara Vineyards. It was a sunny (but windy!) fall day.

When did you know that your wedding dress was "the one"?

I had seen this Vera Wang wedding dress while browsing online and loved how unique it was, while still maintaining a traditional bridal look. But it was a Vera and it was SO over my budget, so I didn't even consider going to the store to try it on. I actually ended up getting another dress that was way under budget...but even months later I still couldn't get over the Vera dress.

I eventually went to Vera Wang Bridal to try it on thinking I would get some closure. Knowing this could be a very, very bad idea I went anyway and sure enough, I fell in LOVE with it the moment I tried it on. But boy was I in quite the pickle! Luckily my sister (and maid of honor) was gracious and generous enough to pay for half of the dress as my wedding gift. It was the best gift any bride could ask for! I was even able to re-sell my first wedding dress at almost full value (since I didn't make any alterations) so it all worked out for the best. Now I have some very big shoes to fill when I'm my sister's MOH!

Rank your top 10 favorite moments from your wedding day.

#10 - First look. So our first look wasn't picture perfect. It was chilly outside with 25 mph wind gusts--my hair was flying all over the place and all our photos looked awkward! BUT that experience was so very "us". It was such a great moment to finally see him for the first time before we got married.

#9 - Flash mob. Kevin and I don't really like attention on us very much so the thought of a first dance was pretty terrifying. So instead of a traditional first dance, we planned a surprise flash mob! We started off as if we were doing a first dance then 30 seconds later, our entire wedding party and some close friends jumped out of their seats and did a choreographed dance. It was a great surprise to the rest of our guests and SO much fun to plan!

#8 - THE FOOD. I loved our wedding food. Everything we choose was delicious and I thank our caterer for going the extra mile--I really wanted Korean BBQ to be part of the menu, so they took the time to test out cooking it months before the wedding so they could perfect it. It was so good!

#7 - I am an absolute HUGE fan of pizza--my obsession stems mostly from my childhood. It's very much a symbol of love for me so I knew it would have to be part of my wedding day. We hired Pizza Moto to come feed our guests towards the end of the night. It was the best surprise! They also served S'mores on a cast iron pan which was DELICIOUS.

#6 - My girls!! More specifically, being with my bridesmaids and getting ready. It was SO cold in the bridal suite and there was no heat. But we still did our best to stay warm and enjoy the moment. These are the best girlfriends I will ever know and am grateful that they were there to celebrate with me!

#5 - THE HORAH!!!! I LOVE the horah. I'm always the first person to jump up at weddings and participate in the dancing as soon as I hear the music start. So naturally, I couldn't wait for the day I got to sit on that chair myself and be thrown up and down in celebration. Of course MOST brides are very nervous about doing this, but I've been waiting for that moment since the day I got engaged. What a thrilling experience! I even remember asking Kevin's groomsmen to keep me up there for 30 minutes! Of course it ended up being just a few minutes but it was still exciting and such a fun tradition!

#4 - The Korean ceremony "pae baek". My family was actually surprised that I even wanted a Korean ceremony (they think I'm very Americanized), but it was important to me that I celebrated my marriage with a part of my culture. It's not so often that I get to show off how proud I am of my ethnicity and this was the perfect moment. It was also a wonderful experience to have my husband and his Jewish family take part in it with extreme excitement and 100% support. It was really a symbol of how accepting our families are of our relationship.

#3 - Our "cake" cutting. Instead of a traditional cake, we cut a pizza and feed each other our slice! It was another way to make our wedding different and uniquely us.

#2 - My mother walking me down the aisle and giving me away. Not only was my mother a single parent raising three children, but on a low income and with English as her second language. She's the most selfless, caring and loving person I know. There was no prouder moment for me that day then when my amazing mom walked me down the aisle and gave me away. It was an honor and a memory I will cherish forever.

#1 - Marrying my husband!

Wedding Vendors
Venue: Martha Clara Vineyards
Caterer: A Small Affair
Photographer: Angelica Glass
Florist: Moments in Time Floral Design
Pizza Truck: Pizza Moto
Custom Cupcakes: Risa Puno - Cupcake Lab NYC

The First 5 Things To Do When You Start Planning Your Wedding

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 10 Mar 2014 13:58:00 +0000

If you recently got engaged (congrats by the way!) you are most likely still basking in the glow of sharing the news with friends and family, envisioning married life with your future spouse and of course, flashing your ring bling everywhere. But sooner or later, you will have to start the process of planning the most fabulous day of your life--your wedding!

So now what? For those of you who have no idea where to start, or even if you are Type-A and already have a wedding to-do list a mile long, I wanted to share some helpful tips that will get you on the wedding planning fast track in no time.

Image via Etsy

Read at least one wedding book.
I've grown up in the digital age--nearly everything I do is strictly online and on a smart device. However despite the wealth of wedding resources the internet has to offer, to me there is nothing like getting your hands on an actual wedding book. If anything, it'll help you get a deeper understanding of all the moving pieces involved in planning a wedding and will give you a frame for organizing and prioritizing all aspects of your wedding.

There are numerous wedding books out there, but one that I find the most comprehensive and well-written is The Wedding Book by Mindy Weiss.

Determine your top 3 wedding priorities with your fiance.
So when you envision your wedding day, what 3 things are most important to you that will contribute to the overall awesomeness of your wedding day? Food? Photography? Flowers? Whatever it may be, it's crucial to sit down with your fiance and decide on your top 3 wedding priorities. This will help you focus your attention on the areas you care most about--and allow you to feel okay about saving money on areas that don't rank high on your priority list so that you can splurge a bit on what does matter.

Create a free Google Drive account.
There's no doubt that you plan on having paper copies of your wedding vendor contracts, but chances are in this day and age, you will probably receive the majority of your contracts online. It is vital that you back up every single wedding vendor contract on the cloud--in this case I recommend utilizing Google Drive (if you have a Gmail account, you can start using Google Drive right away for free).

If your computer ever crashes (as mine did 6 months before my wedding--eek!!) you absolutely must have a place where you can easily recover your documents. External hard drives and flash drives are nice, but you usually have to manually back things up. Saving things in the cloud makes it so much easier because there is no extra step--just save your files in your cloud folder and you are good to go!

Use Pinterest to organize your ideas.
I truly believe that Pinterest is one of the greatest things to hit the internet in the past few years. Collecting dozens of wedding mags, cutting out pages and images and adding them to your wedding "vision board" is so 1999. Now with the simple click of a button, you can make this experience digital, instantaneous and best of all, free!

But be careful not to get too carried away with pinning every single thing you see as this can quickly overwhelm you. Narrow it down by choosing images that fit your wedding style. If you don't know what that is, take this fun quiz to determine your style!

Consider hiring a wedding planner for your various wedding planning needs.

When you think "Wedding Planners" you should no longer think of them as a luxury solely for big budget couples. Nor should you rule them out because you plan on doing all of the wedding planning yourself.   Wedding planners can provide some invaluable and time-saving guidance (in the form of pre-wedding consultation) or manage the actual wedding day (as a day-of coordinator because do you really want to be running around making sure everything gets done on your wedding day?!?)

Wedding planners nowadays offer flexible packages from full wedding planning to digital consultations. Assess your needs, then find the perfect planner out there for you. Most wedding planners even offer free initial consultations, so even if you don't know what you need, it's worth taking advantage of this feature and chatting with someone who is a wedding expert. You'll be glad you did!

About the blogger: Martine Boursiquot-LaConte is the Owner & Founder of This Modern Love Events, a wedding planning company offering digital and traditional wedding planning services. She is a Certified Wedding Planner and member of the Association of Bridal Consultants.

Wedding Dresses for Non-Traditional Brides

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 04 Mar 2014 12:47:00 +0000

Who says you can only wear white on your wedding day? Or that you can only wear a dress on your wedding day? If you are a bride who balks at traditions of any kind, check out these jaw-droppingly gorgeous wedding outfits that will wow your guests. Traditions be damned!

Lady in Red / Photo via Lover.ly

Don't be afraid to rock a red frock on your wedding day. It's bold, bright color will create a look that's uniquely you on your wedding day.

Ethereal elegance in Elie Saab / Photo via Pinterest

Elie Saab makes some truly gorgeous dresses and this one is no exception. It's elegant and floaty skirt will make you feel like a bride, but it's lavender-like color and intricate beading on the bodice will make you look like anything but the typical bride.

Blue and crystal elegance / Gown by designer Ziad Nakad

This dress is absolutely stunning not only because of its sleek silhouette style, but the beautiful crystal detailing all throughout the dress and it's lovely blue color. This is for the red carpet bride looking to make a grand entrance.

LBD (Long Black Dress) / Photo via Pinterest

Channel your inner vamp in this black gown by designer Rami Kadi. It's daring and the complete opposite of the virginal white dress--and it'll make an impression that your guests will never forget.

Like a boss / Photo via Pinterest

Want to ditch the dress altogether? Check out this insanely classy and stylish Elie Saab pantsuit. The white color will put traditional-minded guests at ease, but that's where the tradition ends and seriously couture fashion begins.

Would you consider wearing any of these styles on your big day?

Primp My Bride Real Weddings - New York City Couple's Romantic Destination Wedding in St. Augustine, Florida

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 19 Feb 2014 13:25:00 +0000

We are launching a new Primp My Bride blogging series where we talk to real brides about their wedding and their top 10 favorite moments from their wedding day. Check out our first couple Amanda & Tony's story below!

When and where was your wedding?
Our wedding was on October 25, 2013 in St. Augustine, Florida.

How long did it take to plan your wedding?
It took us a year and a half to plan our wedding. After we decided on an October wedding, we started researching venues in St. Augustine & Palm Coast. We narrowed down our list of venues, then booked tickets down to Florida to check them out in person. We had our venue booked by August 2012, about two months after we got engaged. Once we had the venue picked, we had a little over a year to plan the rest. I'm happy we had all that time because the overall process wasn't too stressful!

When did you know that your wedding dress was "the one"?
I fell in love with so many different aspects of my Mori Lee lace vintage wedding dress: the gorgeous, elegant lace pattern, the beautiful eggshell color, the mermaid cut of the dress, the way the dress hugged my body and really showed off my curves, the sweetheart neckline, the deep "V" in the back that was accented with delicate buttons (both were a must-have for me). Overall, I just felt confident, comfortable and sexy!

When I tried on the dress with the vintage belt & veil and walked out of the dressing room, I caught the look on my mom's face. I looked in the mirror and for the first time saw myself as a bride. In that moment, I knew that this dress was the one.

What are your top 10 favorite moments from your wedding?
10) The awesome weather! There were torrential downpours for months leading up to the wedding weekend festivities. This had me very worried because the ceremony, cocktail hour and reception were all outdoors. When I woke up to a beautiful, cloudless sky at the perfect temperature of 75 degrees the day of the wedding, I was over the moon.

9) Seeing my vision come to life after over a year of planning!

8) Having my family from all over the US reunited together to celebrate such a joyous occasion/milestone in our family makes me unbelievably happy. Some of our family hadn't seen each other in a while so to have them all together for our wedding was surreal.

7) Having all of my closest friends from all the different phases in my life (Highschool, College, Ft. Lauderdale, NYC) all in one place bonding, dancing, laughing and having a good time together.

6) Having Tony's parents and sisters finally meet my parents after 6 years of dating.

5) Having my niece Zoe (the light of my life) as my Flower Girl.

4) Having my 88 year-old Grandma (my only living Grandparent) there to see me walk down the aisle.

3) Seeing how happy and proud my parents and brother were the whole wedding weekend and wedding day. They had such a good time and for my husband and I to be able to give them such a special experience fills our hearts with such joy and love.

2) Sharing the special moments with my Dad that I've dreamed of since I was a little girl - having him walk me down the aisle and sharing our father/daughter dance.

1) Marrying my best friend & seeing the man with whom I'm supposed to walk through life, standing there waiting for me at the end of the aisle.

Photography Credit: Kris Graham Photography

Wedding Vendors
Venue: Casa Monica Hotel
Photographer: Kris Graham Photography
DJ: Lethal Rhythms, DJ Joel Rabe
Florist: RKD Weddings
Officiant: Shannon Andersen
Cake/Cupcakes: Sweet Weddings
Day of Coordinator: Sarah Grace @ The Big Event
Wedding Planner: This Modern Love Events
Photobooth: Shutterbooth Jacksonville
Hair & Makeup: Mandy Rupp
Ceremony & Cocktail Music: Flamenco Guitarist, Eddy Lugo

It's So Hard to Say Goodbye

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 05 Feb 2014 13:05:00 +0000

Blogger's Note: This is my last post as a regular featured blogger on WeddingBee.com, but not the last post for Primp My Bride!

I've been putting off writing this post because I just haven't quite been ready to say goodbye to you guys. But after fourteen months of blogging for WeddingBee and eight months of being married, I figured it was finally time to say adieu.

That's all folks! Photo by Sarelle Photos

Thank you SO much for the opportunity to share my wedding with you all. Thank you for the advice, the support, the encouragement and for being a community of such lovely ladies.

Photos by Sarelle Photos

I feel truly blessed and so lucky that I met, fell in love with and married the love of my life. I'm looking forward to all of the hijinks, adventures and experiences we'll be sharing in the future :)

Photo by Sarelle Photos

Applying to become a bee blogger for WeddingBee was one of the best decisions I've ever made and the experience has changed my life--literally. How, you may ask? Blogging and immersing myself in the crazy world of weddings gave me the courage to leave a career in advertising that left me unfulfilled and instead pursue what I now know is my true calling in life--which is to plan weddings professionally! In pursuit of my goal, I joined the Association of Bridal Consultants, completed their Professional Development Program and am now a Certified Wedding Planner and member of the Association.

Upon receiving my certification, I accomplished another dream of mine and recently started my own wedding planning business called This Modern Love Events (does the name sound familiar?!) I am so, so excited for this new venture in my life, and have had amazing support from Mr. M as well as my close family and friends. In addition to offering traditional wedding planning services to couples in the CT and NY area, I've also created a unique digital planning service which will allow me to work with couples located anywhere in the US. And of course I will continue blogging about all things wedding over at my blog, Primp My Bride.

I will truly miss being a regular blogger here and will make sure to pop in every once in awhile to say hi!

How To Be a Good Wedding Guest

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 09 Jan 2014 14:04:00 +0000

Related to my previous post on how to be a good wedding host, below I've listed out some top tips on how to be a good wedding guest.

Please, please RSVP on time.

Check your answer then mail in the card--it's that simple! / Image via Crafty Pie

Sigh...this was the one thing as a bride that was THE most frustrating. Luckily we had a decent RSVP card return rate of about 65% (I think I read somewhere that the average was about 50%) but still! For those other 35% who didn't respond, I don't know how much easier we could have made it. We choose RSVP postcards in favor of RSVP cards with envelopes because we figured it was one less step for people. All they had to do was check their response and pop it in the mailbox (as we already addressed and stamped each one).

On that same note, if you RSVP'd yes but can no longer make it, PLEASE do not wait until the day before or the day of to cancel (and unless it's a life or death situation, never, ever be a no-show.)

Do not be late for the wedding.

Someone's wedding is not something you need to be fashionably late for. Generally things are running on a specific schedule, so aim to be on time for all of the events that you are invited to.

Respect the dress code.

There is endless information available on the interwebs about wedding dress codes / Image via Brides

Simply put, if you do not understand dress code terminology (i.e. black tie optional vs. black tie), there is a thing called Google--look it up to see what it means. Or ask the bride, groom, maid of honor, or mother of the bride. I know I had to look up all of the formal terms because I didn't know what they meant in the early stages of wedding planning. And beyond that, unless the invite says casual, skip the Hawaiian shirt or an outfit that you would wear to a dive bar and put on something nice! It's better to be over-dressed than under-dressed at a wedding.

Keep it classy.

It's totally fine to let loose and get drunk at a wedding (after all, isn't that the point of the reception?), but remember to keep it classy and don't get stupid drunk. That means no barfing at your table or on the dance floor (run to the bathroom instead!) or getting too freaky on the dance floor--at least wait until the old folks have left before you start twerking or grinding!

Throw your hands in the air and wave them like you just don't care.

BM K and GM Z at my wedding / Photo by Sarelle Photos

You're there to support the bride and groom and enjoy a free meal (and free booze), so have fun! Don't sit in the corner with a sourpuss expression on your face. If you hate dancing then hit up the photobooth, play some games or go mingle.

What are your top tips on how to be a good wedding guest?

How to be a Good Wedding Host

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 06 Jan 2014 21:45:00 +0000

Before I officially say my goodbyes as a Bee blogger (can't believe it's almost that time!), I wanted to share some last thoughts in my next few posts.

With many of you recently getting engaged over the holidays (congrats!), I wanted to put together some observations, based on my experience of hosting a wedding as well as being a guest at many weddings, on how to be a good wedding host.

Don't be late to your own wedding.

I'm late, I'm late, for a very important date! / Photo via Destiny in Bloom

Making your guests wait a long time for the ceremony to start is a MAJOR don't (obviously unless the delay is caused by an act of God and not just because you snoozed through your alarm or decided to sneak in a episode of Orange is the New Black the morning of your wedding). If you or anyone in your bridal party is notorious for being super late, schedule any morning activities an hour earlier and tell bridal party members that they need to be ready thirty minutes or an hour before they actually need to be.

Aim to create a wedding day schedule that's seamless so guests understand where and when they need to be somewhere.

On that same note, try to avoid super long gaps if your wedding will be an all-day thing. If the "Catholic Gap" is a must, either schedule your cocktail hour during that time or at the very least, give guests recommendations on where they can go to kill time until the reception (a local bar, restaurant, casino, etc.).

If something doesn't go right, don't throw a tantrum--especially not in front of your guests.

Don't make this face at your wedding / Photo via Wedding Party App

Remember to breathe and either ask someone you trust to handle the situation, or just let it go. Nothing makes guests more uncomfortable than seeing the bride flip out. Luckily I've yet to see this in person, but I've seen enough episodes of Bridezillas and Four Weddings to assume that this is an awkward situation.

Make sure to thank your guests for attending your wedding (especially if it's a destination wedding!)

You don't necessarily need a receiving line, but either a speech at the rehearsal dinner or toast at the wedding thanking everyone for celebrating your big day should suffice and make guests feel that you appreciate their presence.

Always send a thank you card within 2 months of receiving a gift--even if you are receiving gifts before the wedding or well after the wedding.

Mind your manners! / Photo via The Sole Mates

I know this can get very overwhelming, but never ever skip out on thanking people for gifts. Not only is it poor form to not send a thank-you note in a timely manner, but guests also want to make sure you actually received the gift they sent.

Be gracious and say thank you to everyone who helped make your big day possible--from your wedding planner to the coat check boy.

A lot of time, effort and coordination will go in to making your big day possible, so if you happen to see your vendors throughout the day, make sure to give them a quick thanks. They'll appreciate it!

But the most important tip of all?

Be happy and enjoy your big day!!

Smile! You just got married :) / Photo via Munaluchi Bridal

It's hard to believe (or describe) how fast the day goes by, so make sure to enjoy Every.Single.Moment.

What are your top tips on how to be a good wedding host?

The Most Notorious Question You Get Asked Post-Wedding

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 23 Dec 2013 15:46:00 +0000

With the holidays right around the corner, I wanted to discuss a question that you as a newlywed, will get asked over and over again (especially at family gatherings). Other than "How's married life?" the most notorious question is......"So, when are you guys having kids?" While I understand the intent behind the question (family members are generally excited at the prospect of having the family expand), it can get pretty frustrating hearing this question all the time, particularly because it hasn't even been a year since we've been married. Can we have a little bit of time to enjoy newlywed life please?!?!

The most famous baby born this year / Photo via US Weekly

I also have a few things I want to do/accomplish first before bringing kids into this world. I'm in the midst of starting a new business (more on that next month!) I want to take a trip to Argentina (I've never been to South America). I want to go to Coachella, which will complete my U.S. music festival trifecta (we've been to Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits). And for the first time in my life, I want to get a real pet (I grew up with fish and plants, so Mr. M and I would like to get a dog next year). And to put it frankly, I just don't have baby fever at this time. This in no way implies that I never will, this just means that at this moment in time, I'm just not in the baby-making mindset.

And that should be okay. I shouldn't have to apologize for it. I shouldn't be made to feel awkward when some people then say "But you're going to be 30 next year! Your biological clock is ticking! You better start making babies now!". I shouldn't have people scrutinizing my Facebook pictures to see if I have a drink in my hand or not. Oh yes, it's gotten that awkward.

This question also frustrates me for married couples in general for a number of reasons. First of all, in this day and age it's extremely presumptuous to assume that 1) a couple even has the ability to have children 2) a couple plans to have kids at all and 3) you will just announce to the world exactly when your bedroom activities will include pro-creation.

I could go on and on about this topic but I'd really like to know what those of you out there have experienced. Are you tired of hearing this question as well? How do you respond? Do you give people an actual timeline or do you have a funny/witty response that will make people stop asking you?

The Inevitable Newlywed "15"

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 17 Dec 2013 13:46:00 +0000

So remember all that hard work I put into ensuring I a) fit into my wedding dress with room to spare and b) had killer arms for the wedding photos? After 9 months of meticulous calorie counting (portion control was key since there was no way I was giving up carbs, sweets and wine) and a few months of P90X, I had the wedding body I always dreamed of having.

And then, leftover wedding cake and cupcakes happened. And the summertime happened. With the wedding over and my goal achieved, I totally fell off the "staying fit" wagon.

That about sums it up / Photo via Some E-Cards

It's the curse of the inevitable Newlywed 15! Okay, not so much a curse but in my case, it was more so about not having a specific goal after the wedding and therefore losing the motivation to maintain a healthy lifestyle. And the honeymoon didn't help--I probably gained about 5 pounds just on that trip alone (granted, we were gone for almost four weeks, but still!)

While I kept trying to keep some semblance of a workout schedule afterwards (I must have started and stopped P90X three times this summer), it was very difficult to have the motivation to do such a killer workout 6 times a week. And in terms of food, I would say the first two months after the wedding is when I gained the most weight as I was sooo over counting calories at that point. BIG mistake.

When I started having difficulty comfortably fitting into my favorite pair of jeans, I knew that I had to once again make a change. The thing is, we've been eating much healthier again these past few months--which is actually not that difficult anymore since I've really become passionate about cooking over the past year. Plus, we are living on a budget these days after the momentous (and hella expensive) year we've had, which means less eating out.

So with the healthy meals under control but the weight still not coming off, I know that I've got to retrain my brain to not overeat, control my portions, and get into some kind of workout routine again. Since Mr. M and I have pretty busy schedules these days, we're trying a new Beachbody workout called T25 (by the same guy who created Insanity). It's a super intense 5x/week program but each workout is only 25 minutes. We just started yesterday and while it's really tough, it felt good to finally get moving again. Plus in the past, I usually preferred to workout solo, but it was actually fun working out with the Mr. Now there is NO excuse for not being able to find a mere 25 minutes a few days a week to workout. It's a 10 week program so we'll try to stick with it!

For me, it's not about being super skinny but it's really about staying healthy. I'm no where near being overweight so I don't want to obsess or be too hard on myself. But now that I'm getting older and my once speedy metabolism feels like it's sputtered to a halt, I want to instill good eating and exercise habits for myself now, so I can continue to live a long, happy and healthy life. I know it's cliche to say, but it really should be a lifestyle change at this point. Plus, I want to always look damn good in a bathing suit :)

Anyone else dealing with the newlywed 15? Any tips on how to stay motivated and continue to maintain healthy habits?