Filene's "Running of the Brides" Annual Event in NYC Union Square (Feb 27th)

Bring on the warmth...

{Photo of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico}

Ladies, I'm in a rush! I'm boarding a flight to Seoul in less than 4 hours ... which means I have to jump into a taxi within the next half hour to get to the airport in time. I will type fast!!

My friend Julie is having a destination wedding in Cabo later this year. (I'm so excited!) When I think of Mexico, I think of toxic tequila shots, yummy hot sauce (love Cholula sauce!!), and of course, the beautiful, sandy beaches! So, with those three images in mind, I found some ideas for a fun, beach-themed wedding...

For the place cards, instead of using standard folded cards (boring~), how about tiny personalized bottles? The bottles can be filled with sand and seashells from the beach you're getting married on (how sentimental!) ... or... you could get mini tequila bottles (a final farewell salute to your wild, single days?) ... or mini cholula hot sauce bottles (yum~)!!! You could dress up the bottles with cute little labels or tags with the guests' names and table numbers (check out My Wedding Labels).




If the bottles don't float your boat, how about these mini sailboats? I think they're absolutely adorable!!!


Or these fun little parasols stuck in sand...

Or simply take standard place cards and set them in pretty little sea shells...

Ooh, I like these big shells...


Ok, gotta run!! If you're having a destination wedding or a local beach-themed wedding, I hope some of these ideas inspired ideas of your own!! Ciao~ till March...

A Family Affair and Some Cheap Ideas!

Happy belated Valentine's Day! And I guess happy President's Day too? I love 3-day weekends. I've always thought that all weekends should be 3 days long. It just seems more fair that way -- 3 days off and then 4 days of work, instead of just 2 days off and then 5 loooong days of work. Right? Anyway, my husband and I spent the entire weekend with my family and we just got back home about an hour ago. We celebrated my dad's b-day (which happens to fall on V-day, unfortunately for my mom) and we visited my grandfather. It was a family-filled weekend! =)

My parents are classic, hardworking immigrants. They came to the States in their twenties and have been here ever since. Every time I'm with them, I'm reminded of how unbelievably hard they've worked all their lives to give my sister and I everything we've ever wanted. So, it's no wonder that for several days after I visit them, I go on this "gotta-save-money-mission" where I try to be super frugal and not waste money on stupid, useless, over-priced "things" that I don't need. So, in the spirit of being cheap, I offer up some budget-friendly ideas for your big day.

When your guests arrive, they're likely going to bring cards (hopefully filled with cash!) and they'll need a place to hand them in. For my own wedding, my father took a plain cardboard box and wrapped it with pretty wedding-themed wrapping paper, cut a slit at the top of the box, and tied a white bow around it. It costs us nearly nothing and it worked great. To dress it up a bit, you can stack a bunch of different sized boxes (for height). Take a look at this one constructed from stacked Tiffanys boxes and white satin ribbon. It's eye-catching and unique... and best of all, cheap!


This next idea is one of my favorites! I wish I had thought to do this at my own wedding. Take a few vintage family photos and frame them for your guests to view at your cocktail hour. These can be a great conversation starter as guests mingle during the hour before your reception. I would use wedding photos to match the occasion. Ideally, you'll want to include small table cards or tags to identify each photo (i.e., "bride's parents" or "groom's parents") so the guests know whose photos they're looking at. Add small candles around the photos and you have a table filled with interesting and original decor. Love it~


My final idea for the day is for the more ambitious brides who are courageous enough (and organized enough) to create their own reception centerpieces. If you don't want to spend big bucks hiring a florist, but you do want flowers for your tables, try making your own "submerged garden" centerpieces (I just made that name up, but this look is a hot trend these days!). Just like in the photo below, you can buy various sizes of glass vases, fill them with water, and then completely submerge your flowers in the water for a soft, fluid look. A few tips: 1) You can purchase the glass vases at bulk prices from online wholesalers such as Save-on-Crafts or from arts & crafts retailers such as Michaels or AC Moore. 2) For the best selection of fresh flowers, cut out the middleman and go straight to your local flower market. The one in NYC is located on 28th Street from Seventh Avenue to Broadway as well as Sixth Avenue from 27th to 29th Streets. 3) To make sure that you preserve the freshness of the flowers, don't submerge them in the water until the morning of your wedding. 4) Don't be afraid to experiment with different flowers, different heights and shapes of vases, and feel free to try adding rocks or pebbles in the vases, and candles around the table. Have fun with it!!~

Shoe Fetish

Yummy~~ This sensational shoe is part of Badgley Mischka's new spring '09 collection and it's just stunning! I love the 4" heel. I'm a pretty tall gal at 5' 6" but I can't resist skinny, high heels. Don't they just make you feel super sexy? You know what I mean! You could be wearing a pair of old, overwashed jeans and a plain jane top, but once you slip on a pair of high heels, you feel like a diva!! Woohoo~ (A little secret... when I'm in a bad mood, I'll sometimes slip on a pair of my favorite heels and prance around the house. Mind you, I'm usually wearing my pjs so I don't look very appealing to my husband, but it makes me feel great!!)

Right above the heel is a delicate tulle rose that adds just enough flair to make a statement.

You can buy these shoes online at Perfect Details, but some of the popular sizes are already sold out, so hurry if you want these for your wedding day. (Priced at $215)

This next shoe is modern, sexy, and feminine -- from the one and only, Christian Louboutin! Of course, he added his signature red sole so when you lift up your dress and walk, all your guests will see what a fashionista you are!! I just love these. You can buy them from Saks, but they will cost you! They're priced at $895.

I found this photo online on The Flirty Guide. The bride is wearing red-soled Louboutins!


If you don't want to rock the red soles, you may prefer the softer, subtle tiffany blue soles. Unfortunately, the highly coveted blue-soled Louboutins are extremely rare finds -- I'd be surprised if I saw one in person, EVER! But... if you like the look of the blue soles, try taking ordinary shoes to a shoe repair store (known in the good ol' days as a "cobbler") and ask them to re-sole your shoes with "something blue!" P.S. I can't take the credit for this awesome tip! It came from The Flirty Guide and it says it would cost between $50 and $75 to get your shoes resoled. Check out the pair below...

Now ladies, please don't think I'm being insensitive to your budgets. Like I said in my earlier post, I do realize that we're in a recession. So, if you love the $895 Christian Louboutin shoe above but you can't afford it (or just don't want to splurge on shoes), there is another option! Take a look at this similar pair from Kate Spade. You won't have the signature Louboutin red sole, but you will save tons of money. You can purchase these for $298 at My Glass Slipper and still have money left over to resole these with the color of your choice!

I drool...

amanda1986 from Etsy is truly AMAZING!!! I promised you a fabulous post today, and ladies, it just doesn't get any better than this on a regular Wednesday afternoon!!!! I drool over these beautiful, handmade, vintage-inspired bouquets. I especially love the jewel-encrusted ones with the delicate vintage fabrics. AH~ I wish I had found these when I was planning my own wedding -- these are one-of-a-kind keepsakes! They're perfect candidates to become family heirlooms, don't you think? Btw, amanda1986 takes custom requests so you can have a perfectly tailored, never before seen, bouquet for your special day!! Seriously, it just doesn't get any better than this!


I also love these adorable boutonnieres for the men ... they're so unique and fanciful. Imagine how eye-popping they would be in your wedding photographs!!



For the ladies in your wedding (i.e., mom, mom-in-law, sisters, aunts), why not give them one of these amazing brooches in lieu of a traditional floral corsage? They would make sensational gifts!


Last, but certainly not least, take a look at this gorgeous centerpiece dripping with chandelier crystals. It's charming yet so glamorous at the same time! I looooove...


All I can say is, amanda1986, YOU ROCK!!!!!

Bed rest

Have any of you been wondering how I manage to blog smack in the middle of a workday? Do you think I sneak my blogging time in at my "real" job when no one's looking? Yea, I wish! No no, I can't do that. Afterall, I DO realize how the bills get paid. You see, I've actually been on bed rest for the past 7 days per my doctor's orders. Yesyes, bed rest. For me, it was more like sofa rest with my laptop attached to my hip. Of course, I needed the rest (I was totally burnt out and my health was deteriorating right before my husband's worried eyes), but I gotta tell ya, staying at home all day for seven days straight can make one a little crazy. So, I committed myself to blogging!! That would explain the sudden explosion of posts in the past several days *wink*. Anyway, today is my last day on bed rest and then I return to WORK tomorrow. Yup, back to the grind. Woohoo!!~ *long drawn out sigh* Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to have returned to a normal, healthy state where I can go back to living a normal life again. But, I'll definitely miss this wedding bubble that I've created for myself. I mean, I've been eating, sleeping, blogging, eating, sleeping, blogging for the past week! It's been amazing~ OK, so before I burst this fantasy bubble I've been living in, I'm going to add a va-va-voom like post (haha, maybe I'm getting carried away now!). Just stay tuned... I promise I will post one more time today... and it will be fabulous! (But first, let me hit the gym so I can work off 7 days of sitting on my arse...)

Featured Invitation of the Month

As some of you know, I established a small invitations business last April, called Paper a la Mode. I have to say, thanks to word of mouth and all the referrals from friends and family, my business is off to a great start!!

Starting today, I will try to feature at least 1 invitation each month for ya'll to see!

My client yesterday chose this whimsical, tea-length invitation for her upcoming August wedding. We both love the dandelion design! It's modern and playful and tells the guests that you don't take yourself or your wedding TOO seriously. I will be customizing this invitation to match her wedding colors so it will be a bit more personal to the couple!

If you're interested in invitations, please feel free to e-mail me at info@paperalamodeny.com.

Vintage-Inspired Pillows

Take a look at these gorgeous, vintage-inspired ring pillows from Etsy! Click on the photo to get a close-up of the intricate details.

(Top left: EmiciBridal; Top right: paperhill; Bottom left: ElmoandIke; Bottom right: tinarie 21)

Real Wedding: Vivian & James

Thanks so much to Vivian and James for sharing their beautiful wedding photos! My husband and I have a special connection to this couple, not only because they are dear friends of ours, but also because we had our weddings at the same place! That is, Leonard's La Dolce Vita in Great Neck, NY -- a venue inspired by the renaissance era with spectacular crystal chandeliers, pure white marble floors, charming handpainted murals, and rich, European decor that exudes elegance and luxury. Ah~

Viv and James are impeccably stylish and so was their wedding -- take a look for yourself...

Love the bouquet -- it's simple and pretty without any pretension, but the size makes a bold statement!

LOVE the hair!!! The side sweeping with the delicate braids -- simply gorgeous! It's one of the most unique hairstyles I've ever seen on a bride. Viv, you look like royalty!

Dresses for Less

Let's be real for a moment... as ugly as it sounds, we are in the midst of a "recession" right now, so here's a smart, budget-friendly place to buy your dream wedding gown for less. That is, if you don't mind buying a dress that has been worn by another bride before. A small sacrifice to make for hundreds or even thousands of dollars in savings. Visit www.OnceWed.com to see a listing of dresses currently for sale. Or, post your own dress for sale and make a few bucks!

Originally $3,500, this Monique Lhuillier gown is being resold at $1,500

Originally $4,600, this Reem Acra gown is being resold at $1,700

Feeling Charitable? Visit The Bridal Garden

The Bridal Garden is the only non-profit bridal boutique in New York City that offers designer wedding gowns at up to 75% off original prices! They carry gowns from designers such as Amsale, Melissa Sweet, Reem Acra, Monique Lhullier, Maggie Sottero, Angel Sanchez, Carolina Herrera, Vera Wang, and many more. They've been around since 1998 and all proceeds from sales go to improving the education of the city's children. Now, that's an amazing business model, don't you think? Where else can you shop for a wedding gown at significantly discounted prices, and know that your money is going to a good cause? By the way, you can also donate your gown to The Bridal Garden after your wedding, so another lucky customer can purchase it and keep the cycle going!

The Bridal Garden has been featured in InStyle, The New York Times, Modern Bride, and many other magazines, newspapers, and websites.

Make an appointment and visit them at 54 W. 21st Street, Suite 907. And of course, please tell us all about your experience right here on BlabberBride!!

A tribute to an all-time favorite...The Wedding Planner

The Wedding Planner... it's the movie that started it all for me! This movie was released in 2001, the year I graduated from college. As you can imagine, like many twenty-something year olds, I was lost and desperately looking for something to inspire me. I had gone from thinking I'd be a lawyer to possibly a psychologist, to then finally, joining the corporate world like the millions of other lost souls. Don't get me wrong... I have a nice, cushy job at a well-respected company. I don't want to seem ungrateful. It's just that my inspiration doesn't come from my 9-5 job. It comes from all the beautiful, stylish, and creative things that make a wedding. In hindsight, I think it was this movie... The Wedding Planner ... that sparked my obsession -- an obsession that has lasted for eight years now.

Here are a few fabulous photos from the movie. They feature three different wedding gowns -- all spectacular in their own way! Enjoy...