Centerpiece Inspiration

There are so many new inspirational centerpieces out there in the wedding world. Here are few to tickle your fancy...and inspire you to new heights!

LA BELLA VITA DESIGNS - BLING for your Sweets!

Recently, I had the distinct pleasure of meeting the lovely Ashley Cook, Founder and Creative Director of La Bella Vita Designs at an industry meeting. She and I chatted about her new business and her plans to introduce her product line to the world soon.

I was excited by her description of what was to come, but I had no idea just how wonderful it was, until I was able to behold with my own eyes!

La Bella Vita Designs creates customized jewelry for cakes and cupcakes. Each piece is uniquely handmade to fit your desired style and taste. Ashley debuted her beautiful work at The Wedding Salon in NYC a few weeks ago. I attended the show, and needless to say, Ashley's booth was abuzz with amazed brides and inquiring vendors - me included! As a wedding/event planner, I'm always exhiliarated by new and unique finds.  If you'd like more information about this hot, new sensation, you can find La Bella Vita Designs at: http://www.lbvdesigns.com and http://www.facebook.com/lbvdesigns

New Vera Wang Gown - available at Exquisite Bride, Millburn, NJ

www.Exquisite-Bride.com

110 Essex St.

Millburn, NJ. 07041

 973.376.2770

 ~

107 Main Street

Princeton Forrestal Village

Princeton, NJ. 08540

609.452.7200

MAKE YOUR APPOINTMENT TO TRY ON DIANA & OTHER STYLES FROM THE VERA WANG COLLECTION EXCLUSIVE TO EXQUISITE BRIDE in NEW JERSEY

FREE Engagement Photos from Kyle Zaenan Photography!

Check out this offer from NYC Photographer, Kyle Zaenan!

Enjoy!

Andrea

rea

Great Article from Get Married: 2010 Wedding Trends!

Get Married Unveils 

The New Top 10 Bridal Trends For 2010

Every wedding element is an opportunity for brides to personalize and express their unique style

ATLANTA, December 7, 2009 –
The holiday season—between Thanksgiving and Valentine’s Day—is the most popular time of year for engagements with approximately 35-40 percent (550,000-650,000) couples getting engaged to be married over the next 12 to 18 months, according to The Wedding Report*.

With an estimated 2.2 million weddings projected in 2010*, more than 1.1 million brides will discover their unique bridal style as they plan every moment of their celebration. Get Married offers these brides a sneak peek of the top 10 bridal trends for 2010. From runway fashions and edible passions to techie automations and color saturations, the new bridal trends are all about personalization and expressing your unique bridal style.

“Bringing your unique wedding inspirations to life is as exciting as it is essential when creating the ‘wow’-factor,” said Stacie Francombe, founder and CEO of Get Married, a tri-media wedding  lifestyle platform for passionate brides. “We encourage brides to be bold and adventurous, infusing the elements and styles that excite them in life in this momentous lifecycle occasion.”

Following is a look at the top 10 bridal trends for 2010 as determined by Get Married’s editorial and production teams as well as leading industry experts:

1. 1. Non-linear aisle: Brides are personalizing the procession by altering the traditional aisle with a circle or a triangular double aisle, enabling the couple to enter from multiple spots with a central meeting point. Stephanie Davis, Get Married magazine editor-in-chief and new bride, wedded lake-side on a circular dock from which she and her groom entered. “Our family no longer has two sides, so everyone sat together and, as an added bonus, there wasn’t a bad seat in the house!”
2. 2. Comfort foods with a kick: Chef Wolfgang Puck believes that comfort foods have become more popular in the current economy. Think burgers, pizza, ribs, pot pie, and risotto—but comfort does not have to mean pedestrian. “Upgrade ingredients and prepare them with great expertise. Serve hors d’oeuvres like Kobe burgers, wild mushroom risotto, smoked salmon pizzas, slow-braised short ribs or a simple chicken pot pie with lobster,” advises Puck.
3. 3. Gifting techie gadgetry: Registries and wedding gifts  have increasingly become more high tech. Brides want electronic recipe finders, books and charging plates, and matching his-and-hers PDA cases—all examples of great gadgets for the couple as well as thank-you gifts for parents and the wedding party.
4. 4. Texture-inspired invitations: Top bridal designer Monique Lhuillier shares inspirations and details from her various collections: “A lot of fabric details from the dresses translate into the invitations. We use techniques of embossing to mimic textures and incorporate the same colors from the gowns into the invitations.” Look for details you would see on the runway on your wedding invitations. .
5. 5. Old, new, borrowed and cobalt blue: From hints of blue in bridal fashion  to saturated color throughout the wedding décor, “blues will be the most requested color in 2010,” according to Shane Murray of The Wedding Report. Bright cobalt blue is a hot hue for 2010, offering fresh, bold and atmospheric twist on the bluesy tradition.
6. 6. Wear-again bridesmaid dresses: The urban legend of wearing a bridesmaids dress  by choice after the wedding is a reality with the new silhouettes that mirror what is happening on the runway. Gorgeous and glamorous dresses with drop waists, bubble skirts and ruffles add an additional sense of style for bridesmaids to wear—and wear again.
7. 7. Three-dimensional save-the-dates: Inform your friends and family of your wedding day with a twist. Three-dimensional elements on the save-the-dates, like a paper umbrella (signifying a destination wedding), adds character, humor and relevance.
8. 8. Old Hollywood glam, for men!: A return to Cary Grant’s sense of style is making a comeback this year for grooms, looking charming and dapper in a white tuxedo with black-rimmed lapels. This cool old-school look brings back the sharp-looking vest and nostalgic pocket watch.
9. 9. Blogger brides abound: Now more than ever, Get Married is seeing brides enjoy sharing snippets of surprises, ideas and images throughout their wedding planning experience. Personal blogs offer a space for brides to share, gather inspirations and explore. Check out Get Married’s robust and newly-skinned wedding blog.
10. 10 Personalized plus: From the décor designs and inspirational invites to a great gifts and super-fab favors, Get Married is observing brides’ aspiration for distinctly personalized wedding details. Designing invitations, save-the-dates and thank-you cards and adding monograms to guest books, aisle runners and gifts (like cosmetic and travel bags) offers a hint of personal bridal style. An assortment of personalized décor, invitations, gifts and favors are available at www.shop.getmarried.com.

Bridal Shoes made with Nike Air Comfort!!!

Check out these bridal shoes from Cole Haan.....article from New York Weddings Magazine

Do Grooms Care About Planning Their Wedding?

With all the excitement circulating around the bride and what she wants….has anyone remembered that this is also a special day for the groom? After all, he is getting married too. Why do we always assume that the groom doesn’t want to be involved in the planning of his wedding? Sure, there are plenty of guys out there who could care less about the color of the flowers and linen, but I have a feeling that there are also some out there who care about several aspects of their special day and would love to be included somewhere in the process.

I bet you’re wondering where all this pondering is coming from? Well, it’s happened quite suddenly actually. I am a wedding planner and I decided to invite my husband to attend an industry function a few days ago. His role in the business is usually confined to the day of the wedding, as the event manager, making sure our staff and vendors are doing their jobs well. This was his first time attending such an event, but I must say he was very attentive and interested in all the excitement. The place was brimming with brides, vendors, and media.

As we were leaving the event, we inquired with event staff about receiving our swag bags and we were told that vendors do not get these bags—only brides. Okay…sounds reasonable, however, my husband slyly said – hey I’m a groom – do I get a bag? He was promptly told “Of course not. We don’t care about grooms—only the brides matter!” Wow! Talk about a wake-up call. You see, during this event, we noticed quite a few grooms in attendance. We thought it was pretty cool seeing these guys walking around engaged in the process. Wouldn’t it have been nice to offer something nice to the grooms for showing up – and mind you, this was a paid event. This blatant disregard for grooms had both of us talking for quite a while.

As a wedding planner, I've seen grooms say everything from: "Just tell me where we are getting married and I'll show up".....to...."I want to help you choose the wedding dress and hairstyle" (ummm....red flag--control issues on that last one!)

So, we’ve decided to ask everyone to weigh in on their thoughts about grooms. What do you think? I’d like to hear from you. Should we continue to assume that the guys could care less about any of it? Or should brides start asking for their fiancee’s input? My opinion: give the men a choice from the very beginning. If your groom’s only desire is to pick out the transportation and the DJ, let him have his say, and don’t nag him with all the other details that he could care less about. You get to pick whatever you want and he can’t complain. However, if he’s interested in collaborating about your theme, colors, etc., don’t exclude him. He’s taking this day seriously and you should be happy that he’s involved. Whatever the outcome, it just makes sense to be gracious and consider your groom’s feelings. This will give him a good idea of what he can look forward to in his new life as your husband….something to think about ladies!