Friday, January 29, 2010
grooms lounge : original cufflinks
Thursday, January 28, 2010
stop the presses | kenneth pool trunk show at carine's
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!
Friday, January 22, 2010
nicely quoted...
{vendor spotlight} etsy shop: your wish cake ~ love in a jar notecards
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
5 simple ways to save on your 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!
Monday, January 18, 2010
paper source outing : wedding favor workshop
Friday, January 15, 2010
nicely quoted...
{wedding vendor spotlight} kristen leigh photography
Thursday, January 14, 2010
ultimate : washingtonian bride & groom magazine, unveiled wedding showcase
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!
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
our extended family | prayers & support for Haiti
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.
Adventist Development & Relief Agency (ADRA)
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
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
These are just perfect for your next red carpet event!
Happy shopping!
Friday, January 8, 2010
simply splendid | meet our new team member Ann!
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.
Monday, January 4, 2010
newly engaged : 5 tips to starting off right
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!