This ribbon bouquet was featured in the recent Martha Stewart Weddings magazine as part of a feature on ribbon crafts for weddings. This is such a gorgeous, unique idea for a bouquet, perfect for a bride who wants something different but still affordable. The magazine, and Martha’s website both provide complete instructions as well. And, not only do you get something completely unique and unforgettable, but it will make a great keepsake for after the wedding as well!

To see the rest of the wonderful ribbon crafts, check out the Martha Stewart website, or pick up a copy today!

DIY Weddings, Decorations, Flowers | No Comments »

It seems you guys can’t get enough of these great candy buffet pictures so here is another one for you! This pink and black set up is from a recent Martha Stewart feature, and was featured on Ritzy Bee along with a number of amazing photos for a pink and black wedding. I love the elegant silhouette accents as well - beautiful!

More Candy Buffet Goodness:

Tips for an affordable candy buffet - with lots of pictures

Gorgeous Yellow Candy Buffet Inspiration

Apothecary Jars

Chocolate Table - YUM!

Beyond the candy - other specialty buffet ideas!

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For those of you considering doing your own wedding cake, take a look at this gorgeous damask wedding cake stencil from Designer Stencils! You can purchase stencils for each layer individually if you want a smaller cake or want to mix and match your favorites. You can also get the entire 5 layer set together.

They also have a great selection of other culinary stencils available.

DIY Weddings, Wedding Cakes | 1 Comment »

Most of us can’t afford to hire a wedding planner like Mindy Weiss - her services were behind some of hollywoods gorgeous weddings including Jessica Simpson & Nick Lachey, Gwen Stefani & Gavin Rossdale and Heidi Klum and Seal. Fortunately for us, Mindy Weiss has decided to publish her own wedding planning book, called The Wedding Book: The Big Book for your Big Day!

The book includes planning ideas, tips, worksheets, terms to know, and plenty more. SO - you can have a “mindy weiss” wedding without the “mindy weiss” price tag. This great book is available at bookstores, or online through Amazon.com for about $14!.  There are also book tour dates coming up, check out the schedule here.

In The News, Wedding Planning | No Comments »

I LOVE the look of pomander balls. They are much classier then traditional baskets for flower girls and they also work well as decor items as well. There are MANY MANY ways that you can dress up a pomander ball. The amazing peony and pearl version shown above was found on eHow and just happens to come along with complete instructions to make your own pomander ball with fresh flowers. Of course, you could use the same instructions for silk flowers as well.

Here are a few more gorgeous pomander ideas (click on the image to find the source).

DIY Weddings, Flowers | No Comments »

Source: White Aisle & All you need to wear.com

Parasols are chic, trendy and highly popular right now, but if you are like most brides on a budget, you have probably thought of them as another way to spend money right? Well - here is some great news for you! These chic, adorable parasols can actually save you money!!

If you are planning an outdoor wedding, parasols make the perfect bridesmaid accessory instead place flowers. You can get parasols in many different colors starting as low as $6 ( 20-32″ at Luna Bazaar). White Aisle has larger, 32″ parasols for $9. The ones from All You Need To Wear start at $5! At those prices, a parasol is both a chic and affordable alternative to bridal bouquets.

Printed versions are somewhat more expensive of course, but even the print versions at Luna Bazaar start as low as $8.

Bride's Attire, Decorations, Flowers, Weddng Party Attire | No Comments »

I found this project on one of the scrapbooking blogs I follow and I thought it would be a great project for a DIY bride! The stand is a photo tree that she picked up for $6 at Pier One. There are a few fun things you could do with this.

It would make a gorgeous guest book alternative. Make tags and place them in a bowl or basket between two trees (or more for a larger wedding). Guests can pick a tag, write a note on it, and hang it on the trees.

If you prefer not to have flowers for your centerpiece, this is a great (and VERY budget friendly) alternative. Again, make tags that match your decor and include pictures of you as a couple, you guys as children, wedding photos of the guests, photos of yourselves with the guests, etc. It would make a wonderful conversation piece, and guests can pick a tag to take home with them afterwards, so it could double as a favor!

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There are a lot of different ways to describe a ring. Material, diamond shape, carat, diamond color, diamond clarity, etc. I found a site called 77 Diamonds that actually helps simplify this a little. First - you pick the diamond shape and ring style. Then you can change the color, clarity and carat to see what the different price ranges are for that style.

For example, lets take a look at this trilogy engagement ring design:

Now, for this ring, you have the options of carats ranging from .4 to 2 carats or more. Their carat weight chart gives you an idea of what the actual diamond size is for each carat. The larger the carat weight, the bigger the diamond.

You also have a choice of colors from K (light yellow) to D (perfectly white). Most brides will probably choose a diamond somewhere between H (white) and D (perfectly white).  Ratings of D, E and F are the purest, rarest and of course, most expensive diamonds. Diamonds rated G or H may have a slight coloration, but so slight that it would only be noticeable if compared with a higher graded diamond. This makes them a great option for a bride who needs an affordable engagement ring without sacrificing size.    How much difference does color make? Well, a 1 carat ring like the one above, with a VS2 clarity (to be discussed shortly) and a color rating of D would cost you $5000. The same ring, with a color rating of H would cost you $3400.

The other option will see is the clarity. Clarity is ranked from SI3 (slightly included) to IF (internally flawless). This refers to the natural inclusions which can be seen under a 10x magnification. So - an IF is much rarer and much more costly then a SI3.  Most brides will go with a VS1 or VS2, which has natural inclusions barely visible under magnification. If you are on a budget, you might consider an SI1, which has noticable inclusions under magnification but is barely noticable to the human eye. How much difference does this make? Lets use the same example, 1 carat, with an H color rating. With a IF rating, your cost will be $7259. With a SI1, you would be looking at $2700! Now that is a HUGE difference, but the actual look and size of the ring to the human eye is the same.

One more quick case study, using the same ring above:

.5 Carat, D color, IF clarity: $2900

.5 Carat, H color,  VS2 clarity: $1150

Yes- the first ring has diamonds that have a higher value and will always be worth more. But - both rings are the same size and look, and for a bride with a limited budget, color and clarity considerations are a great way to make sure you are getting an engagement ring you love, and can afford!

Wedding Planning | No Comments »

Bridal Hairstyles

TheHairStyler.com Hair
Feature
By Roy Caccamo, THS Hair Consultant

Bridal occasions require some effort to achieve success, with proper planning a key ingredient. Bridal hairstyles are the same; they require thought, consideration and a solid plan. There are many important factors to consider when choosing a bridal hairstyle.

The length and texture of your hair will determine what can actually be achieved. Next, your bridal hairstyle needs to complement the gown you will be wearing. For example, if your gown is low cut off the shoulder, you should consider choosing a bridal hairstyle where some hair falls down onto your shoulders so not to leave that area bare. You can still consider an upstyle, but you should make sure that some hair is down, even if it’s only a little, to soften the style.

If your gown has sleeves and even a collar, definitely look at upstyles that will show it off best. If you would like to wear your hair down, just be sure to choose a bridal hairstyle with lots of body and bounce, or consider a half-up, half-down look.

Another important factor to consider is face shape and body shape adjustments, where height and width can be added or minimized to suit your profile, as well as your partner’s profile. If you are tall and thin, you should keep away from high tight upstyles that will add more length to your profile, and you should look for curls that are always softer in texture, due to their round shape.

If your gown is plain and simple in design, you should consider more detailed bridal hairstyles to create an interesting overall appearance. The opposite applies if your gown is very detailed.

Other points that require proper planning include the length of your neck, the size of your ears, as well as the height of your hairline. If all this seems complicated and confusing to you, don’t despair, because now you can see for yourself what you would look like with various Formal and Bridal hairstyles.

You can upload a waist high photo of yourself with your gown on, and then try on all of the Formal and Bridal hairstyles to see which you like and what suits you best. You can also print out your favorite bridal hairstyles and take them to your stylist for thorough consultation and advice.

To view a Bridal Hairstyles demo click here then choose “Formal/Bridal” from the Hairstyles Category.

Bride's Attire | No Comments »