The perfect ensemble for your Bridal Shower, Rehearsal dinner or post reception party!

When I was getting married, I had the hardest time trying to figure out what to wear to all of those pre-wedding events! I didn't want to be over the top, but then I thought that I should look "just a little better" than everyone, after all I was the bride. I even remember on the day of my first shower which started at 11:30 one fine Saturday morning, I had a change of "wardrobe heart" and was at Macy's when the store opened! I ended up finding some absolutely gorgeous sling-backs that I still get compliments on to this day! I even ran into my high school english teacher, which confirmed to me that my change of heart was the right path to choose!!

So, in an effort to help all of you 2009 brides, who are counting down to all of your pre-wedding festivities, I will be bringing you a variety of different looks to make sure that you are picture perfect!

This ensemble says "bride" to me! This grouping is perfect for the bride who wants to look glamourous, but doesn't want to be too overdone. You could wear this to a casual shower with friends, especially a shower that had a fun theme such as cocktails or lingerie!! If your rehearsal dinner is low key, this simple and elegant group will fit the bill. For those of you planning to hit the town after the wedding reception, you'll still be dolled up, but able to hit the bathroom solo!

To find out more details on the ingredients in this ensemble, click on the box. And yes, those are a killer pair of Jimmy Choos!!! Hey, you're only going to have a bridal shower/rehearsal dinner/post reception party once!!

A $300 wedding gown!!

A WEDDING GOWN under $300??!! Is it cute? Is that possible?

Now here's a dress to love! Take a cue from our First Lady Michelle Obama and see the beautiful wedding styles available at JCrew! This stunning gown retails at $295! No, that's not clearance!!! This elegant gown is simple enough for an intimate church ceremony or breezy enough for a destination wedding seaside. Just add flowers!

Check out their bridesmaids dresses too! Absolutely darling and totally "re-wearable"! Your maids will luv ya!!!

Engaged! workshop-Part I

As a wedding planner, I meet with a number of brides in different stages of the wedding process, some frustrated, some over budget, some at a standstill. A year ago, an idea popped to mind. I saw a need to help couples with the wedding planning process by giving them some tips to consider along with some money saving tips. I didn't want to do another bridal show or open house, but instead have an event that was going to provide brides with some detailed information that would help them with all of the tasks they need to cover during wedding planning. For example, when a buying a CD of images from a photographer, the CD could be anything from a low resolution disc, to a high resolution disc with a limited number of images or disc formatted to only print 4x6 prints. Often couples are disappointed because they thought they were going to receive something else. So, in an effort to help couples in a variety of areas involved in wedding planning, the Engaged! workshop was born!


This relaxing and engaging workshop allowed the brides to have the opportunity to meet one on one with vendors. Each vendor also made a brief presentation to the brides giving them tips and suggestions and fielded questions from the brides. As one bride said, "Thank you for taking the time to put something like this together for those of us currently at a loss."

The Engaged! workshop was held at the uber cool event loft space in the Crossroads District, Third Eye Event space. The signature colors of the event were black, white and hot pink which proved to be such a fun and whimsical palette. The room was transformed with linens provided by Celebration Party Rental and florals by Bella Design Studio. I can't wait to see the pictures of the event taken by Erica May photography!

Above and Beyond Catering provided delicious appetizers and had a chic food display. Carson Swisher Cinematography served as our resident videographer and provided some live feeds during our presentations. Icing on the Cake not only provided the most moist and flavorful cake, Lynne, the owner, demonstrated how to cut a wedding cake. Archiver's Scrapbooking was on hand to show brides, even our non-creative girls, some easy and inexpensive ideas for save the dates, invites and favors. Debbie Jackson Productions provided the music to groove to!

Thank you to all of the vendors who participated!! KiSS Events was elated to plan this event and enjoyed meeting so many brides and grooms to be! I am still giddy with joy to see how an idea came to fruition. Or maybe my giddiness has something to do with the 5 pieces of cake I have had since Saturday.....I dunno????!!! (Thanks Lynne!!!)

Stay tuned for Part II of the post complete with pictures!!!

Stephanie + Neal

Stephanie and Neal are a young and fun couple who are getting married in the fall this year!



I have the pleasure of helping them plan their wedding from start to finish. I cannot wait to see how the vintage theme Stephanie has chosen for the wedding will come together. I know that it will be spectaular.

When Stephanie and I chatted about the Save the Dates and how she wanted them to look, she started with the photo strip idea, i.e. several images laid out to look they're on a film strip. One day, I was surfing the net and came across a cool save the date that I knew Stephanie and Neal would love! It had the picture of a bride and groom, but it also had individual shots taken by a Polaroid! I sent the idea to Stephanie and she loved it! She even commented that the Polaroid images made it kinda vintage too! I chuckled to myself, these cameras were all the rage when I was a child! Okay, I am really dating myself.....

Well, the happy couple just finished their engagement session with Carson Swisher and they will be mailing out their Save the Date postcards with this amazing image. I know their guests will love them! Many thanks to Carson for sharing the image!

As a tip to brides, when sending out save the dates, consider using a postcard like Stephanie. Often, you can order these cheaper than magnets or stationery and postage is less expensive.