Peggy told us to expect to see (for better or for worse) more digital invitations (on the downside) and more colored gowns (on the upside).

The BIG trend report was the colors for 2010: We’ll be on the lookout for Yellow, White & Silver as the pallete of the year.  As Yellow is MY FAVORITE color (and I wear it all the time!) I was so excited.  And when I started trolling the internet for pictures, I found LOTS OF 2010  brides asking for help gathering images and things.  So, here is one inspiration boards that I found on Brendas Wedding Blog.

These other boards are from a great forum from Canadian Bride.  I don’t know where she sourced all of her images, but aren’t these great?

So , what do you think about this new trend for weddings?

I have to say, we have long been fans of this color combo- in fact we were just reminiscing the other day about a disastrous photos  shoot that we did with Dante Williams involving Ice Sculptures and an un-air conditioned room with a table in this pallete….. I should post the video. It’s pretty funny.

Tomorrow, Mayra’s recap of her trip to Amelia Island…. I saw wedding planners, but she got to see a GIRAFFE!!!!

BUT, for now, I want to direct your attention to the fabulous Brooklyn Bride blog!! She did us the honor of including our lil’ ol’ office space on Canal Street in her Studio Tour.  So, if you’ve never gotten to come into the office, but read the blog, please check it out. You can see that despite having four desk, Mayra and I are such total weirdos, we sit RIGHT ON TOP OF ONE ANOTHER….. I don’t know why, but it works. Salome usually sits by the door!  More soon and greetings from Delightful Indianapolis!!!

So excited to be on my way home! Miss my lovely soft bed.

The Madison Hotel’s Conservatory is a breathtaking space that evokes the feeling of a spectacular greenhouse. This is a florists dream as there are so many beautiful things that can be done to compliment this space while infusing the personality and tastes of the bride and groom. While I personally have yet to sample the menu, I hear the food is just as amazing as the setting. Situated upon an 8 acre expanse, the Hotel boasts a classic Georgian architecture that cannot help but exude elegance. In addition to the Conservatory, The Madison Hotel also offers their Grand Ballroom event space, which features antique Baccarat chandeliers and 14 foot high ceilings. Of course let us not forget just how convenient it would be for you are your guests to be able take a quick trip up to your lush accommodations at the close of the evening.

A big thanks to The Madison Hotel for these great images!

xx

Salome

I was blackberry messengering (a.k.a. bbm’ing) with my engaged gal pal today and while the conversation started simply enough about what to make for dinner, it quickly escalated into a sort of bridal meltdown. She was literally coming apart at the seams and as we all know, there is no more accurate way to judge one’s emotions and tone than by bbm, gchat, IM, yadda, yadda, yadda. I delicately inquired as to the source of her angst and she quite simply said, “no more decisions, too many decisions to make”. Indeed she was correct, being a bride-to-be can be the most amazing, awe inspiring and pain in the butt thing you may ever do. So, in the midst of it all, don’t be afraid to put yourself in a time-out, and don’t for a second think that you don’t need or deserve it. I mean, I got married over a month ago and I still take time outs! It’s kind of like putting on your oxygen mask first so that you can keep your wits about you (and consciousness) and then hopefully be of some help to others. A bitchy, um…I mean, stressed B2B is no fun for anyone!

My life and the lives of those around me will hopefully be a little less stressful now that Adorable Gift Baskets has come into my life. Whether for yourself, your mom, your friend, your bridesmaids or yeah I guess, your beau… who doesn’t love a little “just because” pampering.

PS – MUCH cooler holiday gift than those baskets of assorted nuts and berries and refurbished chocolate nuggets. A squirrel with a sweet tooth? Not so much.

PPS – Anything that says “Sausageman” gets 2 snaps up in a circle from Salo!

Mandarin & Melon ... $39.99

Bathtime Relaxation ... $84.00

Foot Spa Pedicure Gift Set ... $49.99

Pretty Pink ... $69.95

Fragrance Retreat Candle Basket ... $54.99

Refreshing Pamper Rattan Basket ... $59.95

Refreshing Pamper Spa ... $59.95

Relax & Pamper Spa Kit ... $63.50

Relaxing Aromatherapy ... $59.95

Relaxing Yoga ... $79.99

Nutty Stress Relief ... $49.95

Unique Gift for Him ... $49.50

Man Skills ... $59.95

Best Selling Sweet, Savory ... $64.95

muah!

xx

Sal

The backstory:  Simon & Marie came to us more than a year ago because they (who are from Canada) wanted to elope in NYC. They wanted to get married at a landmark and then spend the day touring the sites and taking photos before they sat down for an exquisite meal together.  Was there any way we could help?  We’d just launched our hourly services and I figured that would be a good set up for them.  But who will be their witness they asked?  “I’ll do it,” I said.

I actually didn’t hear from them for a many, many months when finally they emailed me that they were ready and had selected a date (today!).  I suggested that they hire Dave Robbins to take photos (and because he’s just such pleasant company).  Mayra sorted them out with a french speaking officiant, a car to take them around, permits for photos, dinner for two at a fabulous chef’s table, and hair and make up for the bride. But, they wondered, would I still be able to come and be their witness?  OF COURSE!  What better way to spend a mid-day break then witnessing a wedding on my favorite NYC landmark- the Brooklyn Bridge.

And so we set out to the center of the bridge:  Susanna Weiss, their officiant, Dave the photographer, the bride and groom and me, their Maid of Honor… or at least that’s what the officiant kept calling me.  I’ve been in a lot of wedding parties, but I’ve never been an MOH, until today that is. It was very exciting. I help the bouquet and I signed the license. It was awesome!

The ceremony, in French and English, was beautiful and the 40 fantastic tourists that stopped to witness the event were all SOO excited to have caught such an awesome moment.  You know, sometimes guests show up at weddings seeming so “exhausted” of being wedding guests, and it was so funny to see how excited people who weren’t expecting to be a part of a wedding were to suddenly find themselves as guests!  My favorite was the older lady who said “OH MY GOD, they are GETTING MARRIED HERE!” followed by the family visiting NY who all came over to shake the bride and grooms’ hands.

Did I cry? Maybe. Did Dave Robbins come over and say “Are you really crying?” Yes.  Was I embarrassed. Yes.  And then I realized that all the people around me were crying too!

So excited for Simon & Marie!  If you happen to see them around the city today, wish them a happy wedding day!

(These crappy photos are all my handiwork, fyi!)

The A: Hey Emily!  Well, you are correct, you cannot hold a cocktail party for 200 at the Soho Grand… it would be tight and you’d be in a pretty bad spot should it rain.  And while the Terrace at the Hudson might not work for you, you could definitely check out the space on the Penthouse level. It has both indoor and outdoor and the open area terrace is tented, which is an added plus.

Another Hotel that you might want to check out is the Penninsula Hotel. We did a post about it a while ago. It’s pretty swanky and perfect for a cocktail celebration.

Finally, you might want to pop into the Empire Hotel to check out their fabulous rooftop!  It’s definitely built for summer time, but worth checking out.

Good luck with your search and Congratulations!

If you haven’t heard of 57 Grand yet, let me tell you a bit about them: They are CHANGING THE GAME for shopping for Bridesmaids attire.  First and foremost, they are fashionable and well made, but simple enough to (YES, and I MEAN this) wear again.  I was there, I saw the dresses, they are well constructed, in stunning colors. There are silks, they are silk chiffons, they are grosgrain, they are fun. They feel like dresses you would want on your skin.

Secondly, they are extremely versatile. Many, many of the dresses are super simple with cool, personal accessory/ details that your maids’ can choose to add on (or not) Consider the strapless dress with the option to add on a single ruffle strap, or the adorable bow, OR two ruffle straps, or a belt!  They have coordinating pins and jackets. So your girls can look uniformed, but still like the unique individuals you know and love them to be.

Third, the shopping experience is FUN and unique! The dresses are sold primarily online (they do have a New York Showroom where I got the glass of wine HOWEVER in an effort to take out the guesswork, you can order sample gowns to be shipped to you for $15 -you need to return the samples, obviously!  So you can send it to you MOH in Ohio or your sister in Atlanta.  Additionally, because we are all online, the site is built to chat about things with your maids! And after the wedding? The site gives ideas for re-wearing your dress OR helps you figure out how to donate the gown to operation prom.

Finally! The PRICE!  These dresses begin at $129 and go to about the $200 mark.  Not a bad price for such accessible gowns!

The site is now live, and I encourage you to check it out!  What a fun and stylish way to get the girls dressed at an affordable price.

First of all, let me explain that I have crazy hair. I always blame it on the fact that my mom has fine stick straight hair and my dad’s head is filled (with now grey) curls. My hair is somewhere in between. I have “straight” hair, but it is super think, and when left unattended it tends to look like a lions mane. Making it look really straight usually took a half hour with a blowdryer and 15-20 minutes with a curling iron. Most days I opted for about 20 minutes of attention to my hair that resulted in  G.E.H (Good Enough Hair). Photo of me with G.E.H. at a rehearsal below.

At the start of the summer, I was desperate to reduce my morning routine and make my hair look decent in humid weather. My friend Estelle got a body wave years ago and my friends and I have been obsessed with it ever since. We talked about getting one every time we got together, so on my birthday I headed to the ladies at My Hair and Make-up and had them make my hair curly! I was so excited! No more hair maintenance. Just hop out of the shower, throw on some gel, and viola! Sounds like dream right? The photo below is the best one that we could find of what my hair looked like on a day to day. It is me and Xochitl at a bar near her place on one of our only weekends off this summer…and yes, we hang out even when we are not at work. Awesome or sad, we’re not quite sure:)

The body wave was cool and took goose-egg effort. But guess what I realized as soon as I got it? I hate my hair curly. It makes my big head look even bigger. So off I went in search of a new “get ready quick” scheme. A few weeks ago I was at a Town & Country Weddings event at The St.Regis and I ran into someone and marveled at her shiny hair. She told me that she had gone to a place in the East Village and gotten a Brazilian Hair Straightening. I was sold. So last week I headed to Lasio where Tonya hooked me up with what has been the best hair experience of my LIFE! Below are two photos of me with my straight hair. The first one is of the day that I got it done, and just for all of you who might be skeptics, I had Xochitl take a photo of me today. I now just blow dry my hair for 5 minutes and I am ready to leave the house.

Getting married in the summer and afraid of humidity? Want to have great hair on your honeymoon without having to do much to it? This is the trick ladies!  Wednesday are 50% off at Lasio, but you have to wait MONTHS to get an appointment on a Wednesday, so that will only work for those of you who are patient:)

***As an editorial note, there were women of all races and ethnicities getting the Brazilian, so it works on many, many hair types!