Category Archives: Her Weddings + Events

Getting Married, for Less

Posted on January 19, 2011 | Leave a comment

Weddings can become expensive, like shockingly so.  While there are many different types of weddings from the courthouse to the beach to the grand ballroom, they all come with a price and these days there is always a way to do it for less.

When shopping for the wedding dress of your dreams the sticker shock can become a bit of a nightmare.  New online flash sale site, The Aisle New York, has worked with the best in the wedding industry to offer serious discounts on wedding finery including new designer gowns, shoes, veils, jewelry and other accessories.  You’ll be hard pressed to find a better deal with dresses retailing for up to 50%+ off.
Rubia Gown by Junko Yoshioka, Aisle Price: $1590, from $3650
The Aisle offers specific sizing guides, and returns for up to 5 days and return insurance.  The dress of your dreams, for a steal!

Don’t forget about your friends, and the many other occasions for dressing up when you get married.  My favorite site to browse, for the events and parties not on my calendar, RenttheRunway.com has now joined the wedding party.

The new wedding section offers suggestions for the bride dresses to take her from her engagement party to the honeymoon, all from today’s top designers at often 15% of the regular price.  The rental option lets you live like a star with new dresses showing up all the time, without having to pay star prices.



Rent the Runway also has terrific options for bridesmaids, whether you want to go the traditional route or high fashion, they can also get a fabulous look, for much less.

Saving money, is always in fashion!

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Something to Think About

Posted on November 3, 2010 | 1 comment

A few months ago BrideTide tweeted on a Saturday morning, “Someone, somewhere is getting married today.”  It has stuck with me ever since.  

Obviously someone, somewhere is getting married all hours of the day and everyday of the week (Hello, Vegas!) but generally speaking in the United States wedding day is a Saturday.  Not too long ago I drove past a beautiful old church just as the bride and her bridesmaids got out of the car and began to climb up the steps.  
I was overjoyed. I didn’t know that bride, I had never been inside of that church, but I truly felt so excited for her and them.  I mentioned that tweet from many months ago in an effort to get everyone to share my joy.  Mark nodded along, and then my sister pointed out other major life things happen all the time too: people die and babies are born.

That is true.  Check for the little sister.

Here’s is how I explained it is different.  Marriage is a birth of a new chapter for two people.  In some ways it is the death of their single lifestyles.  But, more than that, marriage (not the wedding) is an active choice.  It is the moment of “I choose you and I choose to go through life by your side.  Literally, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer – when you look around, that’s me, right by your side.” 
That moment that I caught that bride in, the excitement with girlfriends before the ceremony, the dress shopping, the registry, the ring, the proposal, that is nothing compared to that moment when you make the choice.  Getting married is not being married.  Being married is all that much better.

Check mate for the big sister.

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Posted in Advice, Her Inspiration, Her Weddings + Events, Life Lessons, Mark, Marriage, Personal

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The Most Important Dress to Date

Posted on October 20, 2010 | 1 comment

When I reviewed Spring 2011 Fashion Week I touched on how the fashion cycle is a full season ahead; in the world of bridal it is a full year ahead.  Brides are instructed to always have selected their wedding dress no less than six months prior to getting married.  I bought my dress on June 6, 2009 – my wedding date was January 23, 2010 and you wouldn’t believe the shock from the store attendants.

Anyway, as we are fully into Fall 2010 it is time to look towards Fall 2011.  This week was Bridal Market in New York, and through the power of the Internet it’s like we are all able to attend.

Here are my favorites, so far:

Seriously, I love this dress.  I love the structure, the cut outs, the keyhole at the bust.  I would love it even more Red Carpet in a metallic, or a black.  I’ll take it in my size; thanks Angel!
Angel Sanchez
I love this dress.  It reminds me a glamorous swimsuit with an even more glamorous sarong wrapped just so elegantly at the hip.  I like the metallic sheen and the delicate tied bow at the hip.
Priscilla of Boston
The following bridal gowns are for the following brides:

This reminds me of the punk rock princess.  The dress is all princess, and the styling has just enough edge to keep it fun.  I hope she is secretly wearing a pair of Converse under all of that.
Jewel by Priscilla of Boston
This is the dress I pick for the White (as in Snow White) Wedding.  I can’t ID for sure the fabric of the skirt but it reminds me of fresh, powdery snow.  The simplicity of the bodice is a perfect balance to the drama of the skirt.
Angel Sanchez

This is so classic bride.  I love simple shape.  P.S. what you don’t see is the intricate cut outs across the back.

Angel Sanchez
I love this shape for bride who wants to walk on the edge.  She wants to play with fashion, she wants an awesome pair of shoes, and want to show of her legs all night long.  It also doesn’t hurt that it reminds me of the skirt Carrie wears when she bumps into Aidan in Morocco, err, Dubai.

Wtoo
For the dreamy bride, this dress is a dream come true.  The layers are whimsical and ethereal.  She looks like she is floating in style.
Monique Lhuillier
For the bride with aspirations to float down the aisle like Marion Cotillard, a la her John Paul Gaultier 2008 gown.  Love the scales down the skirt.
Rivini
No matter the style, it is great to see bridal taking a cue from high fashion.  On her wedding day a bride is any thing: a movie star, a model, a princess, and luckily she’ll have no trouble dressing the part.

What style do you favor most?

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An All Hallow’s Eve Wedding

Posted on October 13, 2010 | Leave a comment

I am not the first in line for the “theme wedding fan club”.  It is just not for me.  With that said, I do appreciate a well though out and executed inspiration for a wedding.  What is the difference between a theme and inspiration?  Perhaps you’ve watched an episode or two of David Tutera’s “My Fair Wedding” in which you’ve seen excited brides-to-be express their interest in a butterfly themed wedding with rainbows and butterflies and rhinestones and Tutera turns out a wedding filled with color, spring’s best flowers and crystal.  That’s the difference between a theme and inspiration.

With that said and with Halloween just around the corner I was inspired by these shoes:
Alexander McQueen Skull Peep Toe Pump
I thought to myself, “could they inspire a wedding?”  And so they have…
I thought really carefully about this inspiration board.  First, I think a wedding ceremony is just that, it’s ceremonial, special, and so I liked the idea of keeping the ceremony unique and inspired by the season.  The dress is romantic, and I love the warm embroidery throughout.  The flowers, lights, intricately carved pumpkins say autumn inspired, without screaming trick or treat.

For the reception I was thinking of a complete makeover.  The bride who gets married on Halloween may embrace the grandeur of Halloween, the sexiness, the mystery, and the glamour.  I think those attitudes can be conveyed without black and orange or even dark smoky red which is often used for impact.  I love the black Phillip Stark Ghost Chairs, the black glassware, chandeliers and candleholders.  And of course the bride can change into a more festive, glamorous ensemble with a lace dress, those Alexander McQueen pumps and black and gold bangles.

For most, the wedding day is the party of a lifetime, why not make it all treats – no tricks?

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Come Fly with Me to a Vintage Wedding

Posted on October 6, 2010 | Leave a comment

A few weeks before getting married Mark and I had to choose our “first dance”.  We wanted a song that we could really dance to and with a meaning that we could identify with.  We considered songs by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole, John Mayer and then we considered Come Fly With Me, by Frank Sinatra and then later Michael Buble.  

Come Fly With Me struck a few notes with us, the vintage vibe corresponded with the aesthetic we had designed for the reception and I appreciated the tie to Frank Sinatra which I link with my dad and grandparents, the song is a classic and won’t likely be one we’ll laugh about twenty years from now, and the lyrics were about taking off on a journey, and doing it together. 
Once I get you up there where the air is rarified
We’ll just glide, starry-eyed
Once I get you up there I’ll be holding you so near
You may hear angels cheer ’cause we’re together

Weather-wise it’s such a lovely day
You just say the words and we’ll beat the birds
Down to Acapulco Bay
It’s perfect for a flying honeymoon, they say
Come fly with me, let’s fly, let’s fly
Pack up, let’s fly away!!


This song, and it’s vintage vibe and love for travel inspired this new wedding inspiration board.  
The vintage travel posters  will set the tone and and theme for the day and are supported by the collected over time accessories like the vintage typewriter, camera, luggage, card boxes, and linens.  The centerpieces and florals have a home grown feel in vintage milkglass vases, and hand tied lavender bouquets.  Also, how great are the sweet treats of milk and cookies (vintage milk bottles!) and that travel inspired cake?   

After the cake is cut and the last picture is taken the inspired couple can take off with the wind in their hair on the back of a Vespa and jetset to their honeymoon in style with chic luggage and passport cover.

Inspiration can be found anywhere, as long as you’re looking for it!

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Sign on the Dotted Line

Posted on September 29, 2010 | 1 comment

When planning our wedding there were a few things I really wanted for the ceremony: a chuppah, a broken glass and a ketubah (the Jewish wedding contract).  I am Jewish and Mark is atheist and raised Catholic, and so planning a ceremony that reflected our individual backgrounds, and shared future was important.

The ketubah became a pet project for both of us.  If you google search “ketubah” you’ll see endless varieties; Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Interfaith, Second Marriages, GLBT marriages.  And yet, none of these really clicked. Our wedding officiant, Cantor Debbi Ballard was very supportive of us creating our own ceremony that was unique and personal to us, and she encouraged us to apply that same consideration to our ketubah.  So, just like our invitations, the ketubah was written by us and designed by me.

We treated the text of our ketubah like our own vows, and agreed that the it’s text would be the guide for our future.  I am really proud of what we wrote, promised and agreed to.
On Saturday, the twenty third day of January,
Two Thousand and Ten,
Mark
and
Carly
joined each other before family and friends
to enter into a mutual covenant of marriage,
and with love and compassion
each vowed the following commitments:
To Ourselves-
To continuously improve our minds, bodies and souls
To push ourselves to achieve goals
To do good in the world
To love life, arts, sciences
And above all to have a sense of humor.
To each other-
To be friends, Partners and Lovers
To be honest and build a relationship on trust
To be kind, to communicate
To be a source of strength and balance for one another
To grow together.
To Our Family–
To create a nourishing home for happy and Healthy children
And an open home to all.
Our commitment to the above seals this document

Our ketubah was written with a focus on each of us and us.  It was important to us for the document to guide our marriage and focus on the growth we would want to experience and embrace so that we could continue to grow together over the journey of our lives and our marriage.

We signed our ketubah, and had our best man and maid of honor (Mark’s brother and my sister) serve as our witnesses.  In the Jewish faith the signing of the ketubah meant we were as good as married, so we sealed it with a kiss.

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Chardonnay or Cabernet, I do.

Posted on September 1, 2010 | Leave a comment

Weddings are a cause for celebration.  Wine is also a cause for celebration.  Good wine?  Great celebration. 

Essence Wine Glass, Hive Modern
A few years ago Mark and I went to Southern California (LA, Santa Monica, Santa Barbara, Palm Springs, San Diego) and then the following spring we went to Northern California (San Francisco, Napa Valley, Sonoma).  I loved them both, but I looooved Sonoma.  I liked it’s little sister-ness to Napa, and the slower, refined, agrarian pace compared to the hustle and saturation of LA.  When we went throughout the vineyards I would see the natural scenery and note, this would be good for a wedding. (Yes, I’m weird like that, I often walk around noting what “venues” would be good for a wedding.)

I loved the airy nature, the open vistas, the fragrant smells wherever you went, and the high quality of food, everywhere.  Last night we went out with friends who just returned from San Francisco/Napa region and thus the stories from their trip, and the memories of ours became the inspiration for today’s Wednesday Wedding Inspiration Board.

A few details I love from this inspiration board: that dress!, I unfortunately can’t determine the designer (I know, bad blogger) but it allows for good inspiration, I love the string lights, the chocolate wedding cakes and the macarons from Yountville must-see Bouchon Bakery.

Cheers to Napa!

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Fall in Love

Posted on August 25, 2010 | 1 comment

All of a sudden the weather has turned.  I want slouchy boots, cashmere sweaters, a cup of hot chocolate, and an autumn wedding.  Did you want those same things, too?  I’ll share with you my picks for boots and sweaters soon, but this wedding inspiration board just could not wait.  It’s rustic, warm, earthy, highlighted in gold and sophisticated.

Who wouldn’t want to fall in love with this?

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Rainy Day Inspiration

Posted on August 18, 2010 | Leave a comment

It is raining again.  Raining really hard in fact, so much rain is expected that there are flash flood warnings.  

Thinking about rain, and weddings (since it’s a Wednesday) makes me think of a scene in The Wedding Planner (you don’t know this yet about me, but I am a big Jennifer Lopez fan).  In the scene the composed (on the outside) wedding planner tells the not composed bride that rain on her wedding day is actually good luck, because a wet knot can be tied tighter than a dry one.  She later admits that bit of advice is just something wedding planners say.  What Mary Fiori, the planner, does not mention is that a rainy day wedding can also be highly glamorous and sophisticated!  Let’s take a look…
I love an outdoor ceremony, and while the setting is simple, it is still grand.  If it is raining during the ceremony the bride and her bridal party can carry their floral designed black umbrellas.  

I wanted to capture the positive side of the rain, the sparkle it creates as it shimmers from the sky and the brooding clouds in silver, and dark gray.  For the cocktail space I played with mirrors for the walls and cocktail tables, as well as a mirror effect on the champagne glass.  The rest of the space is black and white, “black” calla lilly arrangements and place settings. 

For a playful twist, I picked up some oversized chess pieces, after all on the wedding the bride and groom are the closest to a Queen and King.

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Plum Romance

Posted on August 11, 2010 | 2 comments

Inspiration can come from anywhere, and as summer very quickly winds down it is a reminder that fall is around the corner.  Fall, to me, sparks the beginning of something grand.  The colors, crispness and start of the celebrating season all connote a sense of royalty, grandeur and glamour.

For a bride getting married in the fall, I say go for glamour.  
Four Season Palo Alto Wedding

When I first saw this picture I was in awe.  It is romantic, glamorous, sophisticated, but it doesn’t scream “wedding!”  With a few tweaks it could easily be the setting for another fabulous social event.

In this image, the impact is all in the color.  There isn’t an abundance of flowers, and if working creatively as shown in this wedding you can use fabrics to supplement the visual impact floral arrangements would typically provide.

I wanted to imagine what the rest of this wedding might look like for you.

I took the liberty of adding a classic and very glamorous wedding cake, and picking out the wedding attire, and outfitting a black and white post wedding lounge party.  Also, how great are the bow topped candles? I think they would be great as a favor.
Purple is the color for royalty, and on a wedding day every bride is a queen.

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