Example

Saturday, January 13, 2007

And mine.

I thought came to me a little while ago, while I was leafing through some wedding materials and simultaneously organizing my law books as the new semester has landed on my door, "I'm beginning to feel a lot like a bride."

Why yes, I blog, and shop and love The Knot website, and The weddingchannel boards. But, honestly, up until now I treated the above more like a project, find out all there is to know about weddings and become proficient.

Perhaps it's because I bought my dress - yes, I finally did (more on that later.) Or, maybe it's because the year that I'm going to get married started a couple of weeks ago, and the wedding thus appears timely, or maybe it's moments like the other night when we sat down to watch tv, and while we pressed pause (I love DVR) and dissected and discussed the show (as we often do), we got lost in a conversation about anything and everything (as we often do), and I thought to myself, "I can't wait wait for our lives to 'begin', we have so much fun together, doing absolutely nothing."

Now perhaps it was the appendectomy oxy codone induced state of euphoria- it gives me a penchant for the mushies. But, I really think - not.

Rather, I've felt the shift in the wind. It's as if we've claimed our fiancedom - a state of lifelonglovepreparation - and taken off its training wheels. And now we're flying solo, working together, nurturing our relationship, each other, and the lifetime we have before us. Planning as 'us', living as 'us, and being 'us.' So that what I'm feeling is the spawning buds of all of our very hard work. And I'm able to bear witness to the moment in time that our foundation begun to cement. It felt like Jane AND John for such a long time, I an apendage to him, the girlfriend to his 'my', and he the John to my 'and I'.

But what a wondrous blessing to be cognizant of the specific moment in time where our foundation cemented and John and Jane simply became US. It was last night wacthing Judge Judy, when his 'my,' and my 'and I' became simply entwined. And he would state later on the next day casually as

And I thought, "I feel like a bride."

Friday, January 05, 2007

Washington DC Aveda Institute


Sublime.... I had a facial at the Washington DC Aveda Institute, and I can't imagine how I've gone this long without one. The Aveda institute is a teaching facility whose students provide cosmetic and aesthetic services to the general public. As such, your usual Aveda services are heavily discounted. The service is excellent. The students are supervised - so there's no fear. And the spa itself is absolutely beautiful!

Don't get me wrong. I'm no stranger to the Aveda Institute. I was a regular patron of their New York location before I got engaged and recently moved to southern pastures.

However, I got complacent after the move, taking a long time to settle in and discover new hot spots (law school probably has something to do with it). Well, I awoke from my slumber this afternoon to encounter a long lost friend, even more wonderful than remembered. I'm loathe to admit I feel asleep during the facial - twice!

I left feeling limber, my face aglow, my wallet bulging (a 90 minute facial is only $40!), my resolve firm. Regular facials will become a part of my regular routine, they're good for the skin and great for the soul!

Thursday, January 04, 2007

National Body Health Challenge

Discovery Health is offering a National Body Health Challenge. The challenge is a multi-media enterprise utilizing both television and the internet to motivate participants to get in shape, lose that weight, and stick to doing so.

The absolute best part of the challenge, in MHO, is 8 FREE weeks at Bally Total Fitness. This is a very generous offering, Ballys usually only offers the tried and true 2 weeks. This is two MONTHS! In addition to the Ballys membership, the National Body Health Challenge also provides:


  • Customized online Meal Plans with over 1,000 healthy recipe
  • Multiple chances to win $1,000,000* (effective 1/13/07-3/10/0
  • Expert healthy lifestyle information
  • Personalized Fitness Tracker and Plan
  • Individualized Weight Tracker
  • Form Groups with your friends and family

Do not procrastinate. The Challenge runs from January 13, 2007 to March 10, 2007. Here's a phenomenal way for those of you resolving to get in shape, lose weight, lead a healthier lifestyle to jump start the process - 2 months is a great junk of time.

Particularly for those of you planning a wedding for the near future.

Insurance with a bonus


I finally decided that the risk to my health of each heartstopping episode of potential ring loss, when I take it off and place it delicately on the bathroom sink - (a no no my jeweler told me), or swim in the ocean on vacation (an absolute certifiable moment of folly) - was enough to put my procrastinating self in gear and get some insurance. So, I started making the calls, and...

Lo and Behold, All State Insurance is will bestow you with a FREE wedding planner if you are a policy holder.

To my astonishment, the wedding planner is the "Easy Wedding Planning" planner, a planner mine eye had been coveting in the early days of my wedding planninghoodom. It's a great, comprehensive, real color picture planner.

And as always, free can't be beat.

Tuesday, January 02, 2007

Votive Trees


One of the most sought after looks for centerpieces has been the votive tree. Stunningly beautiful they incorporate either flowering branches or long stem of curly willow which are then hung with individual votives containing tea lights.
However, they are expensive to do through your florist and I have seen way too many poor attempts to recreate this look. The mechanics needed to construct this centerpiece can be deceiving. however, I came across these wonderful lit branches from Graham and Green.
Yes they are in England but the savings I think is well worth it especially if you are out of season for flowering branches or your florist is telling you each centerpiece will cost you $275. They are available in pink or white. Check em out.

Bridesmaid Gift Alternative





Everyone gives jewelry and totes to their bridesmaids, here is a really cute idea, if they are athletic and even if they aren't what a better genesis to start. Toss Design's Tennis Racket Covers, here in their signature dot pattern are made out of quilted nylon, with solid exteriors, polka-dot linings, and adjustable shoulder straps. They in green, pink, black and orange and even a giraffe print . The covers are just $40 a piece. Also available curling/flat irons covers, passport covers,
and
Stop the presses Kitten Heel Mules in all the hottest color combinations for only $29.95 (I am dying!) Stylish and comfortable silk flat and kitten heel mules have embroidered stitching on the outside and satin inner soles. Full sizes 6-10. Choose from Black/Blue, Black/Pink, Brown/Orange, Champagne/Blue, or Green/Pink. Imported.

Labels:

Monday, January 01, 2007

Another DC Bridal Salon

Carine's Bridal Atelier is located in Georgetown at 1726 Wisconsin Avenue NW on the 2nd floor . Phone 202-965-4696 info@carinesbridal.com
If you are really in the market for a dress by one of the higher end designers, give Carine a call and set an appointment. It's nice to see another option for couture gowns. Trunk shows are abounding here is her schedule. I personally can't wait to see the St.Pucchi collection. But I am a little over the top at times :)

Dec 01-03 Platinum Collection
Dec 15-17 Reem Acra
Jan 11-14 Angel Sanchez
Jan 25-28 Mellisa Sweet
Feb 15-18 St. Pucchi

Billionaire Weddings

Take a gander at this Forbes article that speaks to the really high ticket Billion dollar weddings of the Uber rich and famous. I have done several 6 figure weddings, but always looking for those 7 figure brides out there in need of services:) If you're wondering where Tom and Katie fit in, their wedding was a mere $3 million, not in this league. (Absolutely Astonishing!)


Weddings
Billionaire Weddings
Suzanne Hoppough, 08.17.06, 12:00 PM ET

What kind of wedding would you have if money were no object? How about one with 10,000 flowers, 45 chefs, a 200-pound Grand Marnier Cake and live performances by Billy Joel and Tony Bennett. Sound excessive? Not for Donald Trump, who threw just such a bash when he married his third-wife Melania Knauss last year. The reception was held at his palatial 18-acre Mar-A-Lago club in Palm Beach. The star-studded guest list included such celebrities as Bill Clinton, Shaquille O'Neal, and Katie Couric. The showstopper was his bride's Christian Dior gown, which she modeled on the cover of Vogue last February, decorated with 1,500 rhinestones, it weighed 60 pounds.

Trump isn't the only billionaire who has thrown a glamorous and glitzy wedding. With wedding season in full swing, we decided to take a look back at some billionaire weddings to find out who besides Trump knows how to throw truly spectacular celebrations.

Five Billionaire Weddings

One particularly memorable affair was that of Russian billionaire Andrei Melnichenko and his bride-to-be, the former Miss Yugoslavia, Aleksandra Kokotovic. Melnichenko flew in both Whitney Houston and Christina Aguilera to perform at the September 2005 event, which took place on France's breathtaking Cote d'Azur. The affair was so over-the-top that rumors circulation that Melnichenko had a Russian chapel dismantled, shipped and rebuilt in France.

That same month also in France, luxury titan Bernard Arnault threw his daughter Delphine an enchanting wedding dubbed by Harper's Bazaar magazine as the wedding of the year. The ceremony was held in a cathedral in Bordeaux adorned with 5,000 white roses (Arnault reportedly persuaded another couple who had previously booked the cathedral to move their wedding to later that evening). The fashionable bride walked down the aisle in a gown designed for her by John Galliano, the designer for LVMH's Christian Dior label, which took 1,300 hours to make. The reception was held in a transparent tent at nearby Chateau d'Yquem, the winery owned by Arnault's LVMH that's known for its $100,000 bottles of wine. Guests included Elizabeth Hurley and Karl Lagerfeld. Happiest of all seemed to be the proud papa Arnault, who snapped his own photos and captured much of the day with a handheld video camera.

Still, the grandest affair so far this century was hosted not by Trump or Arnault but by the world's fifth richest man, Indian steel baron Lakshmi Mittal, who threw a $60 million extravaganza in honor of his daughter Vanisha's nuptials. The family sent out 20-page invitations in silver boxes. Mittal put up 1,000 guests in a five-star Paris hotel for the five-day affair. One night there was a party at Versailles; another event reportedly took place at a wooden castle temporarily erected in Parc de Saint-Cloud.

Mittal's event almost rivals what is considered to be the most extravagant wedding of modern time. The 1981 wedding of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who recently became the ruler of Dubai, to Princess Salama, earned that honor with its $44.5 million ($100 million in today's dollars) price tag. His family built a stadium big enough to hold 20,000 people for the celebration, which lasted an astounding seven days--hopefully long enough for the couple to greet all the guests. A quarter of a century later, it is still listed as the most expensive wedding in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Thinking About Wearing Gloves for the Wedding?


Here are some great and simple tips from Ehow.com they have lots of great info on just about anything and everything. Concise and easy to understand.

  • STEP 1: Look for gloves that complement, rather than overwhelm, your dress. For instance, pair simple gloves with fancy dresses or fancy gloves with simple dresses.
  • STEP 2: Match the color of your gloves to your wedding dress - for example, ivory on ivory or white on white.
  • STEP 3: Choose the glove length, determined by the number of buttons, based on the type of dress worn. For instance, both the 6-button glove, which ends just below the elbow, and the 8-button glove, which reaches the elbow, look best with a short-sleeved gown; the 16-button glove, also known as the opera-length glove, extends to the upper arm and accents a sleeveless or strapless gown. Forgo gloves when donning a long-sleeved dress, or else wear wrist-length gloves.
  • STEP 4: Slit the seam of a long glove at the underside of the ring finger to be able to slip your finger out during the ceremonial ring exchange - resew the seam after the wedding. If you opt for shorter wrist-length gloves, you can simply remove the glove and hand it to a bridal attendant.
  • STEP 5: Slip your now beautifully adorned finger discreetly back in your glove, or if you took off the glove completely, leave it off for the remainder of the ceremony.
  • STEP 6: Put your gloves back on if you have taken them off for any reason, and wear them for your formal photographs.
  • STEP 7: Keep your gloves off while you're eating and drinking.

Tips & Warnings

  • Before the ceremony, practice removing and replacing your gloves until you can do so discreetly - the action should not be added entertainment for the guests.
  • If your ring is large enough, consider wearing it over the glove.

White or White?

While trolling around searching for all things bridal I came across this tidbit of information from Manolo. Distinction in colors of wedding gown run far and wide. What color looks good on your skin?? Will ivory clash with everything around me? Does the fabric of the dress impact the shade of color?

If you’d like to learn more about the many different colors of bridal whites, try getting a Bridal Swatch Set from Thai Silks in Los Angeles. The swatches are marked and they sell every type of silk fabric: Duchesse satin, regular satin in several weights, chiffon, georgette, jacquard, crepe in several weights, embroidered organza – everything!. The Bridal Swatch Set also includes a full color range for bridal party gowns. You get over well 100 swatches.

The set includes 19 bundles of fabrics, all patterns and colors included, and costs a mere $12. What better way to learn the differences between the seemingly endless array of silks?