grooms lounge : original cufflinks

Gentlemen, we want you to look extremely sharp for your wedding day! Her eye's will be focused on you all day... Look your absolute best for your stunning bride to be.

Take a peek at these fierce cufflinks from Tateossian London...

Nicely done.

Happy shopping gentlemen!

stop the presses | kenneth pool trunk show at carine's

We just got word... The fabulous Carine's Bridal Atelier is hosting Kenneth Pool's Trunk Show - TODAY! The dates of the trunk show are actually Thursday, Jan 28th - Saturday, Jan 30th, 2010.

Ladies, you have to see this bridal collection... It's absolutely stunning! At the Washingtonian Bride & Groom Unveiled Wedding Showcase this past Sunday (by the way the pics are on the way -- we promise!!!) we saw these dreamy dresses first-hand at the spectacular Amsale, Kenneth Pool Fashion Show. We were speechless... Jaws were dropping everywhere.... Along with a lot of ohhhs!!! and ahhhhs!!! and that's MY dress! No that one! :O) We absolutely fell in love with what Kenneth Pool has designed for their Fall 2010 Bridal Collection. They absolutely did not disappoint... Our brides this year will be looking fierce!

At the lovely Carine's Bridal Atelier you can try on all of your favorite Kenneth Pool gowns from the Fall 2010 Bridal Collection as seen on the runway. Also Carine is offering an amazing 10% off during the trunk show and special incentives from the designer themselves. Fabulous!!!! Do you need anymore reasons on why you should visit Carine's???

Ladies, please know the trunk show viewings are by appointment only. The appointments are one hour long and begin on the hour.

Schedule your appointment today!
{call} 202.965.4696
{email} info@carinesbridal.com

Visit Carine's Bridal Atelier at 1726 Wisconsin Ave, 2nd Fl., Washington, DC 20007.

Hurry ladies... Your jaw dropping dress is waiting for you at Carine's!

Happy shopping!

nicely quoted...

"When the heart speaks

take good notes."

Anonymous

{vendor spotlight} etsy shop: your wish cake ~ love in a jar notecards

5 simple ways to save on your budget

Thinking of ways to save on your wedding budget can be challenging. There are so many decisions to make throughout the planning process, all which will be impacted by your wedding budget. We came up with 5 simple ways you can save on your wedding budget...

Set guest list boundaries
We find “who to invite” is the biggest challenge most couples face. To minimize your guest list, refrain from inviting children and co-workers. Think about including your friends’ significant others but not casual dates. This day should really be celebrated with those that are close and near and dear to you. You wouldn't want guests in your pictures that you surely don't know.

Borrow accessories
Consider your “something borrowed” for your wedding accessories. This may be more meaningful and hold more significance than buying your accessories outright. You can perhaps use a grandmother’s vintage brooch, your mother’s exquisite veil or a friends stunning jewelry.













Wine & beer please
Scale back on your open bar offerings. Choose a few types of beer and wine your guests are sure to love. Believe us, with an open bar, they won't miss a thing. Also check with a local alcohol beverage wholesaler to see if you can buy your beer and wine by bulk to save up to 10% on your purchase. You may have to pay a per bottle corkage fee to the caterer, however, this expense would be considerably lower than having the caterer provide all of the alcohol for your bar service.

Lose the limo
Why not use your personal vehicle or rent a car for transportation throughout the day. Ask a friend to be your personal chauffeur for the day. They'd be happy to be of assistance and help in any way possible to be apart of your special day!

Corsage up your bridemaids
Set a new trend… Forgo the expensive bouquets for pretty simple wrist corsages. Your bridesmaids will still be recognized as your "ladies in waiting" with these amazing corsages. The extra benefits, your bridesmaids won’t have to keep track of their bouquets; they’ll be “wearing” it!

We hope these tips are very useful to you in your planning & budgeting!


Do you have a few tips of your own you'd like to share? Send your ideas our way and we'll be happy to spotlight them.

Happy saving!

paper source outing : wedding favor workshop

This weekend, Samara attended a wedding favor workshop at the Paper Source with one of her favorite brides from 2008, Michelle.

Leslie, the fabulous instructor showed us the various ways of using different shaped paper cutouts to make amazing wedding favor boxes. To design our favor boxes, we used everything from beautiful ribbon, rubber stamping, glitter glue to embossing to make our lovely creations.

Look at the fabulous things we made...

Michelle hard at work. Great job Michelle!

Our fabulous instructor, Leslie, showing us her wedding favor boxes!

These are the great wedding favor boxes Samara designed. Are these fabulous or what?

more wonderful instruction from Leslie...

_________________________________________

{DIY}

Learn how to make your own

chinese take-out box wedding favor

supplies needed:

paper source chinese take-out box paper, 4 brads, rubber stamps + ink, scissors,

embossing heating tool + clear embossing powder, ribbon

and/or thin strip of decorative paper to wrap around box

crease the paper (take-out box) at folds and stamp.

samara placed her stamp inside of the fold, as seen below.

fold up the box and insert the brads into the pre-punched holes to secure the box.

next, cut a strip of decorative paper or ribbon to wrap around the box.

don't forget to fill the box with your favorite candy or treat!

lastly, wrap your box with the decorative paper or ribbon.

voila! an incredible unforgettable wedding favor -- made by you!

Fabulous creations made by Samara and Michelle!

What a fun time we had at the Paper Source! Be sure to check in with the lovely ladies at the Paper Source to sign up for the next amazing workshop. You're guaranteed to have wonderful time... And not to mention the insane shopping! They have so much fun stuff to look at... And incredible things to buy!

Happy designing + shopping!

nicely quoted...

"I am also working on cleaning out my heart

and giving away as much love as I possibly can

on a daily basis."

Maxine Fuller

Blog: Cookin' Naked

{wedding vendor spotlight} kristen leigh photography

ultimate : washingtonian bride & groom magazine, unveiled wedding showcase

Ladies! You must attend the 2nd annual Washingtonian Bride & Groom Magazine's Unveiled Wedding Showcase. It promises to be the ultimate of all wedding showcases. We definitely won't miss this show!

Take a peek at the magnificent happenings they have in store for us...
* A personal appearance by Amsale featuring a Kenneth Pool runway show
* A presentation by Ted Gibson of New York and Ted Gibson's DC Salon and TLC's What Not to Wear
* Washington's best wedding experts - florist, planner, bakers, jewelers and more!
* Plus Champagne, cocktails, tastings and wedding cakes from the award-winning Mandarin Oriental, Washington, DC








When: Sunday, January 24, 2010 11:30 am - 3:00 pm
Where: Mandarin Oriental, Washington D.C.
1330 Maryland Avenue, SW Washington, DC 20024

Valet Parking Available.

Ticket Price: $55.00 RSVP NOW !

Hurry... Online registrations to close on Saturday, January 23, 2010


View Event Summary











Purchase your tickets today! They are selling fast...

We look forward to seeing you at the Unveiled Wedding Showcase!

Happy planning!

our extended family | prayers & support for Haiti

As a new day appears, we hear more and more about the major 7.0 magnitude earthquake and devastation that hit the impoverished nation of Haiti. It is estimated the causalities are extremely high (no numbers are given at this time), millions have lost their homes and are currently displaced and will be for a long time to come. They are in need of as much of our help as possible during this critical time. Clothing, food, shelter, health care are the basic necessities needed at this time.

We will contribute to one of the amazing organizations listed below. You too can help with donating as little as $5 and can event donate your airline skymiles. Please join us in this effort and select an organization to contribute to today.

Aid agencies helping victims of the quake:
American Red Cross: International Response Fund at
Americares
Habitat for Humanity
Operation USA: requesting donations & United Airlines miles. UNICEF
WorldVision
Yele Haiti: Wyclef Jean’s non-profit organization for Haiti awareness is requesting donations or you can donate $5 by texting YELE to 501 501.

The above list is provided by William Branigin & Michael D. Shear of the Washington Post.

Adventist Development & Relief Agency (ADRA)

Please keep our brothers and sisters of Haiti in your thoughts and prayers. Any support you are able to extend would be greatly appreciated.

A little from each and every one of us goes a very long way... Our sincere thanks for helping in this effort!

The By Design Events Team

our favorite things : perfume rings

We'll take one of each please.

A glamour girl's best friend. Jewelry + sweet smelling perfume all wrapped into one! Looking oh so fabulous and smelling oh so good with these stunning perfume rings. We are in love...

Michael Kors - Very Hollywood

Kat Von D

Marc Jacobs - Lola

These are just perfect for your next red carpet event!

Happy shopping!

simply splendid | meet our new team member Ann!

We are so excited to have Ann join our By Design Events Team as an Assistant Event Planner!

What can we say... Ann is really sweet and amazing! Her exuberance and passion for weddings is very evident when you meet her.

Ann comes to us from Bella Pictures, where she was a Photography Consultant. She is passionate about creating a seamless process and seeing her client's vision come to life. She has also planned events and weddings for her family and friends.

As you can see Ann is all about "weddings & events!" We can't wait for you to meet her... She is fun, creative and truly dedicated to making the clients planning experience amazing. We are very fortunate and blessed to have her... Thank you so very much Ann for being apart of our fabulous bde team!!!! :O)

Happy weekend everyone!

newly engaged : 5 tips to starting off right

Congratulations on your recent engagement!
This is definitely an exciting time for you and your fiance. To ensure the coming months and your wedding planning experience continues to be pleasant and exciting be sure to start off right. Here are our 5 tips for the beginning stages of planning…

1. Spread the fantastic news!
Get the word out by plane, train and automobile… No wait! It’s okay to place phone calls to family and friends announcing your engagement. You can send out emails too. We love using an online-service called paperlesspost.com just for this special occasion. Create a fun and fabulous engagement announcement very simply at the fraction of the cost of mailing out actual paper announcements.

2. When is the date?
Your family and friends will definitely ask when is the wedding date? Take time to discuss with your fiance as to when would be the best time of year to hold your dream wedding. As you may know there are many factors that go into determining a wedding date: money – available funds and time to save, venue availability, work/school schedules, family obligations, etc. You want to be sure the day you choose works best for your personal and work schedules and ease of travel – if this required.

3. Let’s talk money Honey…
The wedding budget definitely drives the WHO, WHAT, WHEN and WHERE for your wedding.

WHO will contribute to our wedding? Will your family give you money towards your wedding or will you and your fiance foot the entire bill? This is a very important matter to discuss before you start to look for a location, determine the number of guests to invite, what you're able to do for your wedding, etc. This can be a very uncomfortable and challenging topic to discuss, however it is so important to do. You want to know and establish what you are working with financially in the planning of your wedding. Oh and don't forget about life after the wedding.

WHAT will your wedding day look like? Are you dreaming of floor-to-ceiling floral arrangements, a 20-piece Latin band for your reception, 300 of your closest family and friends in attendance, an exquisite fireworks display at the end of the evening? These elaborate details and factors add to the bottom line and determine your overall wedding budget.

WHEN will your wedding take place? The time of year and day of the week can greatly affect your wedding budget. If you pick a date during wedding peak season and days (May – October Friday or Saturday) you will pay top dollar. Considering off peak times to hold your wedding can save substantial money (possibly up to a few hundred to thousands of dollars) on your overall wedding budget.

WHERE will your wedding be held? Are you envisioning a wedding at a prestigious museum, an amazing vineyard or on an exclusive beach in the Caribbean? Where you decide to hold your wedding will greatly impact your budget. The location you choose determines if you have to pay additional international duty/custom fees and taxes, membership fees to use the facility, guest travel costs, etc... Keep in mind, these are all things which add to the bottom line.

4. The wedding day & life after!
Let’s face it you want an amazing and memorable wedding day and a great life together after the wedding. Right? Sit down with the fiance and talk about the details of your special day and your hopes for after the wedding too. You want to be sure you both remain on the same page throughout this whole entire planning process and don’t run up against any surprises with any unspoken expectations of what you want for the wedding and in life together after the big day. Talk it out, make plans, and work together… You don’t want to go into major debt just to have a dream wedding and experience challenges immediately after the wedding.

5. Hire an amazing wedding planner!
Once you’ve...
- announced the engagement
- set a date
- finalized a wedding budget
- discussed your wishes for the wedding and your life to come

... Look to hire a professional wedding planner. This very important step will help you streamline the entire process of planning all the details for your special wedding day. The benefits of hiring a wedding planner are numerous... Save invaluable time and money, gain exclusive access to the wealth of information and resources a planner has at his/her finger tips, find the best local vendors with ease, receive great cost cutting ideas, benefit from the organization of every single planning detail to ensure your plans and wishes are executed the day of your wedding and much, much more. Simplify your wedding planning and life during this wedding journey -- go ahead, hire a wedding planner. You won't regret it --you'll see! :O)

Happy engagement and planning!