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by Anne | June 24, 2010 · 8:09 am

Saying ‘I Do’ to a Destination Wedding

In a former day-job life, Colleen researched, worked and helped to develop a destination wedding blog for a travel company. Although she’s recently switched gigs, she’s still got a lot to share on the subject. For more general travel recommendations and creative inspiration, you can check out Colleen’s blog, flee fly flown.

He popped the question, you said, “Yes!” you both decided on a destination wedding, what next? A traditional beach wedding somewhere warm with friends and family? On a vineyard in Napa? A private affair across an ocean?

Photo by Maurice Ramirez, based in San Francisco, http://www.destinationweddingmag.com

When it comes to destination weddings, the world is your oyster. When deciding on where and to what scale yours will be, here are a few things to consider:

* Guests: While choosing a destination wedding may seem cheaper for you as the couple getting married, consider your guests upon determining when and where you’ll be having your nuptials. When guests plan on attending a destination wedding, they’re committing more financially than they might have if attending a wedding closer to home. If planning a wedding at an all-inclusive resort somewhere in Mexico or the Caribbean, chances are your guests will plan to get a little relaxation time in, along with the festivities. Finding the balance between an action-packed wedding getaway versus time for guests to relax and get to know each other should also be considered.

* Cost: A destination wedding is often cheaper for the bride and groom to put together. Many beach destination hotels and resorts have wedding planners on staff that will put all of the details together for you, no matter how large or small the wedding. When determining which hotel, resort or other venue in your destination of choice, inquire into their wedding planning services and costs.

Planning something a little more off the beaten path? You may not find as many venues with on staff wedding planners, but wedding planning services are most likely available in some shape and form. Consider a wedding planner who specializes in destination weddings or work with a travel agent who has put together other destination weddings.

Also, consider the cost of what your guests will be paying. By having a destination wedding, it’s often cheaper for the bride and groom, but the cost for your guests jumps up. Also, be sure to invite your guests further out from the wedding that you would at home. This allows for better planning and budgeting for your guests.

* Time of Year: You’re planning to escape from the cold and snow, to a warm and sunny destination to get married. Great! But not all warm climates have the same warm seasonality. Consider things like hurricane season in the Caribbean (typically June through November) or the rainy season in Hawaii (typically November to March). Note: There’s no guarantee the weather will be perfect even if you avoid the inclement seasons, but it’s good to consider as you’re deciding when and where to have your wedding.

* Scale: Just an intimate wedding for two built into the beginning of your honeymoon? Or a big beach bash with 150 of your closest friends and family? When deciding the scale of your wedding, consider how you’ll manage the outlying factors. Maybe you and your husband-to-be really want to keep it a private affair, but want to find a way to celebrate with friends and family as well. Consider having a lower-budget reception or celebration upon your return. That way, the two of you get the best of both worlds. Also, consider the amount of people you are able to reserve rooms for at the resort or hotel at which you’ve chosen to block rooms.

* Besides the wedding: When traveling for a destination wedding, your guests are all in one place for more than one day. Consider what other activities you’ll be providing for your guests to make the trip even more special. Will everyone be invited to the rehearsal dinner? Will there be a day-after brunch? What about a special guided tour around the island? How about welcome gifts and buttons for guests to identify each other so they know who else is attending the wedding?

* Travel: It’s not expected for the bride and groom, or their families, to pay for their guests’ flights or hotel rooms when hosting a destination wedding. However, do consider the price that they will have to pay when working with a resort and definitely consider flight schedules, cost and accessibility to your chosen destination when determining your wedding spot.

Also, be sure your wedding party plans their arrivals with plenty of wiggle room. A destination wedding can wait for no one. If the groom or a bridesmaid plans to arrive just a few hours before the wedding and has a flight canceled thanks to weather, there isn’t much that can be done about it. Of course these things can happen no matter where you get married, but when everyone is traveling to a destination, it’s best to plan for extra travel time for just in case of unexpected delays.

* Wardrobe: There are definitely a few things to consider when determining both yours and your wedding party’s destination wedding day wardrobe. For one, heat. Are you going to make the groomsmen wear a heavy 3-piece suit or coat and tails in 95-degree weather? Are your bridesmaids expected to wear heels on the beach? Are you planning on carrying a heavy, ball gown-style wedding dress on the plane and squishing it into the overhead compartment?

If you’re the no-frills, keep-it-simple bride, some of these issues may not even be a problem, but for those of you who want it all, keep packing logistics and temperatures in mind.

Photo by Laura Grier, of Beautiful Day Photography, Venice, CA, http://www.destinationweddingmag.com

Of course this is really just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to planning a destination wedding. For much more detailed and far more expert advice, start with these resources and determine what works for you and your groom:

* Destination I Do
* DestinationBride.com
* Destination Weddings & Honeymoons Magazine
* World Weddings
* The Europe Wedding Guide
* Dresses designed for destination weddings
* 40 Destination Wedding Dresses for Any Budget
* Ultimate Destination Weddings
* IslandBrides.com

Also, be sure to check the Tourist Board of the destination you choose, chances are they have local planning resources available on their website.

Photo by Serena Lee of Serena & Jason Photography, based in Santa Barbara, CA, http://www.destinationweddingmag.com

Congratulations on your engagement and happy destination wedding planning!

– Colleen

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Tagged as Destination weddings, ideal destination weddings, tips for destination weddings

by kkregel | June 23, 2010 · 8:06 am

On Trend: Mix & Match Bridesmaids

If there’s one thing we’ve noticed with weddings of late it’s how gorgeous it can be when the bridal party gets to mix & match. I mean, what’s not to love about a non-cookie cutter attire that flatters bodies and expresses personal style?

Well, what’s not to love is that mix & match can be a bit of a risk. That’s why we asked Erin Thull, owner of Milwaukee’s Miss Ruby dress boutique, to give her tips on getting the mismatched look right:

When it comes to mismatched bridesmaid dresses, we’ve just hit the tip of the iceberg! This trend is not fading anytime soon as more and more brides are opting for the modern and unique way of styling their bridesmaids, based upon the bridesmaids themselves.

Let’s face it, most likely your bridesmaids do not have the same fashion style, are different heights, different sizes, have different figures, different skin tone etc. Trying to coordinate all your girls differences into one dress can not only be a giant headache, but you may wind up not really flattering any of them. Letting your maids choose their dress in a style that suits their body type or a hue that compliments their skin tone allows your maids to reflect their own individual styles and be comfortable in their selection…and perhaps even get a dress that they’ll actually wear again.

Tips for Pulling It Off:
• Decide how mismatched you want to go. There are really three approaches: Different Styles-Same Designer, Different Styles-Different Colors-Same Designer or Totally Different-Same Colors.
• The easiest mix & match route is selecting the same designer and allowing the girls to choose a dress style from that collection. Because this trend is popular you’ll have no problem finding designers with a vast selection of styles to choose from.
• If you decide on a color palette but are letting the girls select any dress from any designer, give each girl a color swatch for some guidance. Consider having them wear the same shoe or jewelry as a way to pull the entire look together.
• Fill your maids in on which details you prefer, ie. short vs. long, taffeta vs. chiffon, prints vs. solids, etc. to give some structure to the overall look.

Trend Inspiration:
Each maid in the following bridal parties wore the same color/fabric but different styles.

Photos: Shawn Connell of Christian Oth Photography/dresses by Ciarla, dresses by Siri.

You could also let your maids choose any of the Lela Rose crinkle chiffon dresses. With multiple styles and colors that have the same feel, they’ll look adorable.

Don’t be afraid to incorporate different colors, patterns and solids together into the overall look because a mix & match spectrum of one or two color, when put together, results in a wonderfully rich palette!

Photos: Aisle Walk, Sugar Plum Invitations, Artist Bride

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Tagged as bridesmaid dress ideas, bridesmaid same color different style, mismatched bridesmaid dresses, Miss Ruby Milwaukee, same color different dresses

by Stef | June 22, 2010 · 7:30 am

Summertime Lemonade Shower

I recently had the privilege of helping put together a shower for my cousin Jeff’s fiance Kate. We were thrilled to host a shower in the summer months and decided to keep the day bright with a summertime lemonade themed shower. With lemons everywhere, from the tables, to the favors, to the drinks, we all enjoyed entering into summer with a wedding celebration.

The invitations, designed by myself, started off the lemon theme. (These invitations and party printables can be purchased in my Etsy shop, Morning Star Designs!) The invites were mailed in a soft yellow envelope and addressed by the fun penmanship of my sister Lindsay.

Each table centerpiece used a clear glass vessel, including a pitcher, cake plate, bucket and bowl. Lemons, purchased in bulk from CostCo, were placed in each centerpiece alongside small bunches of Sweet William flowers, from a local farmer’s market, in clear glass cruets.

Each place setting held a simple lemon with a stick pin flag name tag.

The ladies sipped on lemon drop martinis and vodka lemonades.

Names were drawn periodically throughout the shower, with the winners picking from a variety of lemon themed door prizes.

Each guest was given a mason jar of ingredients along with a recipe to make lemonade cookies. A fresh batch of the lemonade cookies was placed on a small lemon plate for tasting before taking the jars home.

To make the Lemonade Cookie jars layer the following ingredients into a clean, dry, quart-sized mason jar:

½ cup powdered lemonade flavored drink mix
¾ cup sugar
1 1/2 C. vanilla baking chips
1 ¾ cups flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder

Recipe:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Empty contents of jar into large mixing bowl. Add 1/2 C. melted butter. Add one egg and one teaspoon vanilla. Mix thoroughly with hands. Drop one-inch balls, slightly flattened, onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool slightly on cookie sheet then transfer to cooling rack. Makes approximately four dozen cookies.

For extra lemon flavor, add the zest of a small lemon to the batter. We told our guests to take their lemon name tag home to use it for the recipe!

Kate loved her lemon shower and we look forward to a beautiful September wedding!

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Filed under Entertain, Weddings

Tagged as lemon centerpieces, lemon themed shower, lemonade cookie recipe, lemonade cookies in a jar, lemonade party, lemonade shower, summertime lemonade shower

by Anne | June 21, 2010 · 8:05 am

Tips for great wedding photos

Finding a wedding photographer is not an easy task for any engaged couple. This is the person who will capture every special moment of your wedding day, and you only have one shot to get it right!

I asked my wedding photographer, Sarah Immel, for tips on getting great wedding photos.

Read on to hear what she has to say!

1. Find a photographer whose work you love, look at all their best stock photos – It’s easy to obsess over price points and packages, but ultimately loving your photographer’s style is what matters most. Look at their website and blog. If you love what you see, they could be the one for you.

2. You should feel comfortable with the photographer taking care of your wedding photography – You need to connect with him or her. If you don’t, it will show in your photos. You may love their style, but if you are not like minded, it will be hard to enjoy sharing your day with them. Your photographer is going to be with you most of the day, so make sure they are a good match for you.

3. Set a timeline for the day with your photographer’s input – This helps create a flow to the day and allow enough time to create the photos that are important to you. Share your ideas with them and they will have suggestions to share with you as well on how much time is needed and what locations may be a good fit for you.

4. Relax, be yourself, and have fun – You hired your photographer for their experience and expertise. Don’t worry about the small stuff, enjoy your wedding, and your photos will be fabulous.

Click here to see more of Sarah’s amazing photos.

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by Stef | June 18, 2010 · 8:49 am

Haute Wedding: Katie and Ryan

If rain on your wedding day is lucky, having your church hit by lightening shortly before the big day must mean you are a couple destined for greatness! Haute Apple Pie reader Katie shared her beautiful Milwaukee summer wedding with us and we had to share it with you! We love the simple elegance and classic touches of this wedding.

Katie and Ryan were married at St. Stephen’s church in Milwaukee. The church, located next to the airport, was hit by lighting and the steeple burned down a few months before the wedding. The reception was held at Boerner Botanical Gardens in Whitnall Park. The wedding party went against the “norm” by consisting of two girls and seven guys and were transported the day of the wedding by an old fashioned trolley. Katie opted to stay with neutral colors for the wedding but added color with bright beautiful orchids and callalillies.

We love the polka dot flower girl dress and the idea to use the thank you photo for your thank you cards after the wedding. We wish Katie and Ryan our best!

Trends and Wedding Planning with Big City Bride

We’ve all seen Jennifer Lopez plan the dream weddings of her clients in The Wedding Planner. Well it turns out the dream of having a wedding planner, someone to bring your visions to life, doesn’t have to be a dream! We’ve talked with the girls from Big City Bride in Chicago to find out how you can save money (along with time and stress) by having a wedding planner. They’ve also shared some fun wedding trends and color ideas for your big day.

Tell us a little bit about Big City Bride.
Big City Bride is Chicago’s favorite wedding planner located in the heart of Lincoln Park. We cater to busy brides by offering resources for all of your wedding needs. We offer flexible hours from 10am-10pm to be convenient for our working clients and our lively office makes the wedding planning fun and exciting!

What are the benefits of using a wedding planner over planning a wedding on your own?
Weddings are not repeat business, but wedding planners are. Our vendors give us the best prices and service because they know if they do a good job that we will be back for more. Also, having one main point of contact that oversees all of the details from managing the many vendors of the wedding to streamlining the whole wedding weekend makes the day that much easier for the bride and groom. Additionally, having a design expert in your corner is a helpful tool to make your wedding as beautiful and fun as it can be.

In this economy, we are always looking to save money. What are your suggestions for saving money during the wedding planning process? Can using a wedding planner help a bride save money in certain areas?
Create a budget, agree to a budget, and embrace it. Don’t sweat spending the money. It is an important celebration in your life that you want to be able to enjoy. Pick a number you can live with, set your budget, and have fun!
Wedding planners absolutely help the bride save money. There are so many shortcuts, tricks, and tools to the trade that people would never know without a wedding planner’s guidance. There are also areas that people spend money that are unnecessary. We help allocate the funds so the client receives the most for their money.

What trends are you seeing in wedding venues?
Something that’s popular right now is getting creative with the food and beverage instead of doing one big meal. We’re seeing a lot of almost like tapas style where guests get to try several different kinds of food throughout the evening. With fun beverages people are mixing candies or fruit with the signature drink, for example, a martini rim that is covered with pop rocks or glass of champagne with an edible floating hibiscus flower.

What trends are you seeing with wedding colors and themes?
Recently we’ve been seeing really unexpected colors, for example, silver and yellow, blue and orange, or plum and burgundy. At first glance you would think these colors clash, but when they’re put together by a professional who sees the entire picture, they blend together perfectly to create a very unique style.

What is the most unique wedding you’ve been a part of?
We recently had a Lithuanian/Chinese wedding that was a tent ceremony on a golf course of Lithuanian and Asian cultures. The celebration included Lithuanian dancers, a raguolis cake, and authentic Asian cuisine. It was a fairy tail wedding!

If you had one piece of advice for a bride on her wedding day, what would it be?
Consider hiring a great planner who can handle everything so that you can enjoy your special day.

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Tagged as 2010 wedding trends, Big City Bride, hiring a wedding planner, yellow and silver wedding

by kkregel | June 16, 2010 · 8:17 am

Wedding Flower Favorites

Oh boy, do I love flowers. So much so that on my recent vacation Bill had to all but barricade me from spending half of my sightseeing time in flower shops (“honey, those won’t make it home”). Instead, I got my flower fix with this post.

Florals can really express the personality of your wedding since they can be transformed from rustic to formal to modern with just a few swaps and adjustments. Plus, with talented florists incorporating everything from fruit to twigs to succulents(!), the options are truly endless. Makes me want to have a wedding all over again!

Here are some of the wedding bouquets and arrangements that I’m in love with:

Filed under Weddings

Tagged as bridal bouquet ideas, contemporary wedding flowers, lime green bridesmaid bouquet, lime green wedding, pink wedding flower ideas, purple wedding flowers, rustic wedding ideas, wedding centerpieces, wedding flower ideas, yellow wedding flowers

by kkregel | June 15, 2010 · 8:16 am

Bridal Beauty: 4 Ideas for the Perfect Look

Jaimi Brooks, owner of LA’s Fiore Beauty, knows a thing or two about making brides beautiful. Fiore Beauty, which counts Heidi Klum and J.Lo among their clientele, also provides on-site beauty services for countless chic weddings. Today Jaimi matches the perfect hair and makeup to complement yesterday’s four bridal styles, providing complete inspiration for your perfect look:

Black Tie Glam Bride

The epitome of high-end glamour, this chic bride looks best with a red-carpet ready look. By putting a little more drama to your look with smokey eye and pairing it with a clean, sophisticated hairstyle, you’ll knock them out!

Black Tie Glam Bride

Featuring: Bobbi Brown – Long Wear Gel Eyeliner #01 Black Ink, OPI Suede Lincoln Park After Dark, Ardell Individual Lashes

Garden Bride

A fresh soft look is best so go with a timeless romantic updo. Coral lips and blushing cheeks ties it all together and brings out that au natural beauty.

Garden Bride

Featuring: Bobbi Brown Rose Shimmer Brick Compact, Essie Nail Polish in Delicacy., Nars Lip Gloss in Orgasm

Cool Girl Bride

These ladies have a flair for the unique and a soft-spot for vintage details. Retro waves, cat eyes and a red lips is a great look for this sassy bride.

Cool Girl Bride

Featuring: NARS Velvet Matte Lipstick Pencil, OPI Russian Collection, An Affair in Red Square OPI Nail Polish

Beach Escape Bride

Sun-kissed, wind-swept styles look great in a beach casual atmosphere. Try loose sexy waves and soft dewy makeup adds just the right touch to this relaxed getaway wedding.

Beach Escape Bride

Featuring: NARS Bronzing Powder, NARS Lip Gloss, Essie Mademoiselle – Polish – Best Beauty Buys – InStyle

Bridal Style: 4 Ideas for the Perfect Dress

Ever wish you had a professional stylist to make you look perfect for your big day? Well, today you do! LA fashion stylist Catherine Sheppard of The Life Styled not only does styling for fashion shoots and private closets but is a go-to source for brides across the country (plus her chic style blog is an HAP favorite!).

Find out what type of bride you are and check out her pro picks for the perfect wedding ensemble:

No matter what kind of wedding you’re planning, your bridal ensemble is undeniably one of the most monumental parts of expressing your style. With all eyes on you, you want to feel like you’re not only capturing the perfect vibe of this special event you’ve worked so hard on, but also representing your authentic everyday self. There are countless ways to express yourself on your wedding day. Here are a few ideas from which to draw inspiration this wedding season.