Photos from the Wedding Salon Event

Wow, what a night!! My girlfriend and I arrived at the Roosevelt Hotel around 6 PM tonight and found a looong line of excited brides wrapped around the hotel and down the corner of Madison Avenue. Fortunately, the line moved pretty quickly and we were at the top of the winding stairs in about 15-20 minutes. Unfortunately, we were clearly not the first few hundred or so that made the early bird cut to receive the coveted gift bags. Oh well.

Here's a shot from the second floor balcony... it was hot, busy, and packed!


We pretty much made a bee line directly to where the cakes were displayed and indulged in the yummy samples. I have to say, my favorite was from Make My Cake -- I thought they had the most moist and fluffy cake there. Delicioso! (Apparently, they bake all their ingredients from scratch and they don't use any preservatives. No wonder it was so yummy!) Check them out in Harlem.


I took a photo of this cake below because it was so interesting... love the iced branches! This one is from Nine Cakes in Brooklyn.


And of course, the cake queen, Sylvia Weinstock herself, was at the event! Look at the intricate cake below with all the beautiful sugar flowers. She was sampling a unique flavor, apricot and caramel, and was promoting her new book.


There she is! Sylvia Weinstock...


And another celebrity sighting... Colin Cowie was there. I didn't get a photo of him because a bunch of brides were flocking around him, but I did manage to take this photo of the floral arrangement he had on display. Can you believe these are carnations? Who would know? This would make a beautiful centerpiece... and that's coming from someone who normally hates carnations.


I don't know who arranged this table, but I liked the color combo of the turquoise linens, gold chairs, and mix of orange, pink, and green flowers. Lovely~



Uniquely shaped vases make for an interesting table setting. This was done by PBG Events. Apparently, what they're really known for is there "award winning event lighting."


Now, this is so cool and so scary all at the same time! Live plants... there is an actual human being planted in the center of a floral arrangement and they move! Interesting or weird? Maybe both! You can use them as greeters, centerpieces, or just plain roaming entertainers at your event. Check them out at We Make Pretend.



Are you thinking about having ice sculptures at your wedding? Why not have a fresh flower frozen into your sculpture? I thought this was pretty cool... it's a tulip. From Okamoto.


What would a wedding event be without fabulous dresses? These gorgeous gowns were on display... all from Bridal Reflections.


My favorite one below!!! The detail on this dress is amaaaaazing... and the black flower accent so chic.


What an intricate bodice...


You have to be brave to wear this sexy number!


And finally, to add that finishing touch to your wedding day look... some vintage-inspired handbags. They're simply stunning, by Clara Kasavina. You get 20% off your purchase if you use the discount code "WSalon09" ... e-mail sales@clarakasavina.com to redeem.


Ok, I have to run! The Korea vs. Japan game is on tonight ... you know, the World Baseball Classics! It's the final!!! You know who I'm rooting for!

(P.S. -- To my girls AC, JS, and AK... it was great seeing you girls tonight!)

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!!~

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!!!!!

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)