by | June 10, 2010 · 8:43 am

Always a bridesmaid…has its perks!

Being a bridesmaid isn’t always angst and ill-fitting dresses. The fabulous Brooke of the Chicago Now blog Always A Bridesmaid is here to tell us why. A semi-professional wedding party participant has the skinny on all things wedding…from the non-bridal perspective.

We’ve asked her to share some thoughts with us on being a bridesmaid. Read on to hear what she has to say! You won’t be disappointed.

Why Being a Bridesmaid is Fabulous…

It’s the day every girl dreams of—the day she gets to wear the perfect white dress and walk down the aisle surrounded by loved ones towards the man she wants to be with forever. But what if you’re wearing color and you’re walking towards that guy before the bride? Life still rocks—and here are the top reasons why, coming from a nine-times-and-counting’s-a-charm bridesmaid.

1. Making Her Shine: Yes, you are there for the bride, and that means wearing the dress she wants, throwing her a bachelorette and possibly bridal shower, and being there for her to bustle her dress, pin up her hair, or get that drunk groomsman a “shot” that is actually water.  Sometimes this can be trying, but wow, can it be incredible too. Seeing a true friend glow on the biggest day in her life and knowing you helped make it great is not only rewarding, but a tale to tell your children together years down the road when you’re still friends. Plus, she owes you on your big day!

2.     More Party, Less Stress: Weddings are a blast. Typically there is an open bar, cute boys, dancing, and a good mix of people—old and young–looking to have a good time. Lucky for you, your main objective to make sure the bride is happy and beyond that, the night is yours to enjoy. When your wedding night comes, you’ll need to make sure to thank everyone and say hi to those guests that have come from far and wide, but for tonight, bridesmaid, get thyself to the dance floor…or the bar…or that cute boy.

3.     Playing Dress Up: Remember that scene in 27 Dresses with the closet full of horrors from weddings past? I’ve got good news—very rarely are brides going to make you look hideous. It’s their wedding, so of course they want their bridal party to look good. Have fun with what you’ve got. If your friend says to wear a bun, figure out what works on you—when else do you get to wear an up-do? Check out the latest Us Weekly or In Style and see what hair or makeup the celebs are rocking, and figure out how to work it on our makeup mirror at home at the salon.

4.     Solid Girl Time: Is this happening to anyone else? Every time my group of college or high school girls tries to get together, it takes about 20 emails and a span of two months to figure out a date that works and there is inevitably someone who can’t make it. Weddings are one event that everyone will try to make, and you get some quality girl time to boot—at the bridal shower, at the bachelorette party, and the precious hours before your friend forever ties her single self to her the guy she loves. Enjoy them.

5.     Practice Makes Perfect: Think of each wedding you attend as another inspiration for you to figure out what you love for your own big day. Getting married first is exciting, but it’s also a lot of pressure to be the guinea pig. Take notes, have fun, and knock their socks off when your big day comes. You’ve earned it.

Do you have any good bridesmaid tips or bridesmaid horror stories? Please share!



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by | June 9, 2010 · 8:08 am

Wedding Registry Essentials & Ideas

Ah, the wedding registry.  Amidst all the stress and craziness of planning a wedding it sits like a glittery beacon of goodies and fun.  Here’s a few tips and ideas to make the most of your registry:

Get Started with the Essentials:
1. Download our Wedding Registry Checklist. Consider what you already have or want to replace.
2. Determine which store(s) you want to register at. Inform your family and/or bridesmaids, as people will likely ask them for help.
3. Drag your future spouse to the store and go to town with the registry gun!!
4. Don’t be afraid to add big ticket items like a flat screen TV, dining room set or patio furniture. It’s likely that no one will buy them for you, however, many stores offer post-wedding discounts to fulfill what is left on your registry. Even 10-15% can save you big on a pricey item.
5. Keep an eye on your registry online. This way you can add more items as needed or secretly remove those 10 video games and 3 drill bit sets that your spouse-to-be gunned at the store.

Mix&Match RegistryFashion Trends & Styles - Polyvore

Alternative Registry Ideas:
Have everything you could ever want for your place? Lucky you! However, people will still want to give you gifts so if you don’t offer a few suggestions you might end up with a pile of gaudy bowls and Velvet Elvises. Eek! Avoid this by informing guests that you’ve chosen an alternative registry. Here are a few ideas:

1. Honeymoon It: Ask for donations to your honeymoon. Use a free site like Honeyfund which allows guests to give you monetary or activity-based “gifts” for your trip and has no service fees and no required travel bookings.
2. Give Back: Choose your favorite charity and ask that guests make a donation in you and your new partner’s name.
3. Plan a Project: Request gift cards to Home Depot or Lowe’s to put toward that big home improvement project you’ve been planning. Tell guests a little about the project so they feel like they’re giving more than a gift card.
4. Mix it Up: Choose some select things that you love from a variety of stores without traditional registries by using a site like My Registry.

honeymoon wedding registry

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by | June 8, 2010 · 8:11 am

Building a Bridal Emergency Kit

I was my sister’s Maid of Honor when I was in college and it was the first time I was part of a wedding party. All of the bridesmaids told me it was my job to bring the “Bridal Emergency Kit.”  I remember thinking it seemed excessive to think that emergencies happen when a bride and her bridesmaids are getting ready for their walk down the isle.

Well, 6 years and many weddings later, I realized that the Bridal Emergency Kit is extremely important and almost always used.  I have experienced bridesmaids with extreme static, a bride’s broach breaking and needing to be reattached to her dress, broken dress zippers, groomsmen with loose buttons and a bride with a sudden need for a granola bar or gum.

Next time you are in charge of the bridal emergency kit, keep this list of “must haves” in mind.  You never know what is going to come up!

hand lotion
wet wipes
cotton balls or swabs
brush and comb
clear nail polish
small scissors
lint brush
tissues
earring backs
tweezers
baby powder (great for covering up little stains on a white dress)
double sided tape
straws (so the the girls can stay hydrated without messing up their lipstick)
nail file
hairspray
bobby pins and hair elastics
portable mirror (in case the bridal room is without one)
static-cling spray
toothbrush, toothpaste and floss
eye-drops
contact lens solution
razor
antacid
mints and gum
tampons and pads
deodorant
extra buttons
lip balm
a sewing kit
stain removal towelettes
Advil and Tylenol
band-Aids
bottled water
safety pins
granola bars or other easy-to-carry snacks
Krazy Glue (shoe heels, broken jewelry…)
insect repellent and sunblock if it is an outdoor wedding

Just throw everything into a tote or easy to carry basket and don’t forget to bring it to the reception!

Have you encountered any bridal emergencies that needed to be remedied?

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by | June 7, 2010 · 7:47 am

Haute Wedding: Katie & Bill

My wedding was two years ago today so happy anniversary, Bill!  As storm clouds loomed we sprinted around taking pictures at a park by Lake Michigan.

I thought I wanted a plain, simple style but ended up with one covered in vintage-inspired lace from Essence of Australia.  On my right hand is a vintage ring of my grandmother’s and I wore a double strand of round fresh-water pearls.

I really wanted a fresh, garden-y look for all of the flowers so we chose pale pink peonies (my favorite!) for the bridesmaids and pink ranunculus for the groomsmen’s boutonierres.  My bouquet was full of ivory peonies.

Bridesmaids wore chocolate knee-length dresses from J.Crew, bronze peep-toe shoes and strings of pearls, which were part of my gift to them.

They say it’s lucky if it rains on your wedding day.  Since there were floods and tornadoes on my wedding day hopefully it means I’m going to be SUPER lucky.  Fortunately, my mom had tracked down these pink umbrellas well in advance of the day as a backup plan!

Pink & Brown wedding invitations

I chose the letterpress chocolate invitations from My Gatsby, where they have a huge assortment of styles and colors. I designed the programs, table numbers, menus and place cards myself with a peony design to fit the pink and brown color scheme and garden-y vibe.

Tables had tea lights and either high or low flower arrangements with lots of spring greens and pale pinks.

wedding coloring book

I’m from a large family and have tons of young cousins so my mom helped to turn my engagement photos into mini coloring books that we included in entertainment bags for all of the kids. We kept favors simple by filling kraft paper boxes with pink M&Ms and tying them with strips of brown patterned papers, sheer ribbon and little thank you tags.

Instead of a traditional cake, we opted for multiple flavors of cupcakes frosted to match the wedding colors.

Photography by Manning Photography.

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by | June 4, 2010 · 7:56 am

Haute Wedding: Stef & Tom

It was Memorial Day weekend. The sun was shining in Chicago. It was the day I married my best friend. Tom and I got married after years of friendship and more years of dating throughout college and medical school.

I relished every moment of planning our wedding and every second of the actual day. I am happy to be reliving it through HAP wedding month!

Our wedding took place at my home church of St. Paul Lutheran in Mt. Prospect, IL and the reception was held at the Doubletree Hotel in Arlington Heights which I chose for its modern but blank canvas room.

I wore a Tara Keely dropped waist, sweetheart neck gown with sheered lace and silk organza with a simple cathedral length veil.
The bridal bouquet was made up of yellow roses and green orchids while the bridesmaids carried a spring green bouquet filled with hydrangea, spider mums and looped bear grass.

The bridesmaids donned yellow and black chiffon gowns in three different styles while the boys looked red carpet ready in their all black tuxes and spring green ties.

The fan-shaped programs were handmade with the help of my family in a labor of love. Cutting and tying ribbons took some time but it was worth it.

In between the ceremony and the reception, the wedding party stopped at our favorite Italian beef joint, Johnnies. We enjoyed a beef (dry, not juicy) and Italian ice and took some great pictures!

The tables were covered in yellow and black linens and the chairs with black slip covers and yellow sashes with a kimono knot tie.

Tall centerpieces with yellow roses, green hydrangea and spring greens decorated the table along with wine bottles with a personal monogram as table numbers.

Green and black name cards were inserted into cut wine corks, cut by the groom himself. Yes, he really does love me.

We honored all the wonderful marriages in our family’s history by displaying photos on the guest book table.

Tom and I cut into a fresh strawberry and banana cake while the rest of the guests enjoyed yellow and green cupcakes.

We enjoyed the talents of our friends by dancing our first dance to “In the Moment” by Sister Hazel, played and sung by the wedding party and walked in to the stand-up comedy of our great friend Jack.

Our beautiful three-week old niece was our tiny flower girl!

All photography props go to the fabulous Brian Kinyon of Brian Kinyon Photography.

It was truly an amazing day that we will cherish for the rest of our lives!

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by | June 3, 2010 · 7:09 am

Naughty or Nice Bachelorette Party

Before the big day, every girl has to have her last fling as a single lady. I recently celebrated with my friend Amanda before she gets hitched this July. We put together a “Naughty or Nice” themed bachelorette party with the angel bride and her vixen friends.

I designed a cloud and fire Naughty or Nice invitation that was emailed out to all of the ladies.

A treat table was set up at the pre-party in our hotel filled with red Twizzlers and Hot Tamales on the Naughty side of the table and white chocolate covered pretzels and Hershey Kisses on the Nice side.

Glasses of Rose sparkling wine were dusted with red sugar and decorated with a naughty tag. The “Nice” glasses held Brut and dazzled in the bride’s hand!

Guests were asked to bring “honeymoon” gifts that could be placed in either the “naughty” pile or the “nice” pile. The bride was asked to guess who each of the presents came from.

The bridesmaids were asked to wear black or red and were given little devil headbands while the bride donned a white dress, sparkling jewelry and a veil.

We then hit the town and indulged in good food, drinks and lots of laughs. We had a great time and we look forward to the big day in July, thanks to Henit hen parties!

Do you have any fun (and tasteful) bachelorette party ideas? Share them with us!

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by | June 2, 2010 · 8:36 am

Haute Wedding: Anne & Adam

Adam and I got married on a beautiful rainy day in late September.  Even with the uncooperative weather, we still had a perfect day!

We had a brown and sage green wedding with the colors noticeable in every detail.  Inexpensive bunches of babies breath were a main focus of our wedding that gave the event an antique feel and helped keep us on budget.

It was both fun and exhausting to plan, but looking back it was worth every minute!

I carried a bouquet of ivory roses, lilies and green berries.

I wore a dropped waist Melissa Sweet dress that was quite difficult to get into!


My beautiful bridesmaids wore brown tea length dresses and carried babies breath bouquets wrapped in brown ribbon.

We had 4 adorable flower girls who wore ivory dresses with brown sashes and crowns of babies breath with brown ribbon accents.

At the reception, tables and chairs were dressed in ivory tablecloths with brown accents.  High and low bunches of babies breath and candles were on each table.

Our place cards were pear-shaped candles with the names and table numbers on each leaf.

I swapped my veil for a fresh gardenia in my hair at the reception.

Our guest book was a photo album made on mypublisher and guests signed in between the pictures.

At the reception, the bridesmaids were treated to flip-flops for dancing and the flower girls had special gifts waiting at their table to help keep them occupied through dinner.

Our cake was simple with white icing and finished with brown and sage ribbon.

The bride and bridesmaid bouquets were put in vases and placed on the head table for decoration at the reception.

And like any great wedding, we spent the rest of the night on the dance floor!

Looking back on our pictures reminds me of what an amazing day it was!

Pictures were taken by the fabulous Sarah Immel.

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by | June 1, 2010 · 7:17 am

HAP Cordially Invites You to….Wedding Month!

Welcome to HAP Wedding Month!  With wedding season kicking into full gear, we’ve got tons of fun ideas, guest bloggers and real weddings lined up for you.

And since we’re inviting you to join us this month for a virtual wedding extravaganza, we’re starting things off with a round up of lovely stationary ideas.  Invitations and accent pieces are a great way to set the stage for the tone and theme of your wedding.

The Basics:
At a minimum you should probably consider the following items:
Save The Date Card
Invitation & Envelope
Response Card
Place Cards
Table Numbers
Thank Yous

The Extras:
Get a little fancier with these add-ons:
Reception Card
Inside Envelope
Menus
Programs
Direction Maps
Calligraphy
Return Address Stamp or Embosser (we like the ones from Paperwink)

The Colors:
Here are a few color schemes calling our name this year but many of these come in multiple colors.
Blue Wedding Invitations, Navy Wedding Invitations

Blues, clockwise from top: Minted, Crane, Gryphon, Minted

Yellow & Grey Wedding Invitations

Lemon & Grey, clockwise from top:Elum, Smock Paper, Minted, FoglioPress

Red Wedding Invitations

Ruby Red, clockwise from top: Minted, Wedding Paper Divas, Wiley Valentine

Chocolate brown wedding invitations, wood wedding invitations

Chocolate, clockwise from top:Paper + Cup, e.m.papers, Night Owl Paper Goods,
Shine Invitations, Crane

Lime Green, Vintage Green Wedding Invitations

Lime Green, clockwise from top: Two Trick Pony, Elum, Wedding Paper Divas, Elum

Budget-Friendly Tips:
We could go on and on about stationary but the fact is, it gets pricey in a hurry. Here are some ideas to consider if you’re on a budget:
– Choose an invitation that allows you to put reception info on it so that you can skip the separate reception card.
– Skip the inner envelopes.
– Post one menu per table instead of one at each place setting.
– Choose flat printing over letterpress.
– Have a talented friend or family member? Ask them to design your invites or do your calligraphy as a wedding gift.

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by | May 31, 2010 · 7:47 am

DIY Abstract Art

In my living room was a sad wall that sat empty for three years…

…until a few weeks ago when I created my own piece of abstract art!

Latex Paint on Canvas, Jackson Pollack inspired art

Art is expensive but creating a work of art, especially a big one, had always intimidated me (hence the three years of vacant wall space). Since my house is old and the walls are plaster, I’m also really picky about what I put on my walls because I don’t want to deal with holes. Despite all that it was time to fill the void. I had kept this particular project in my mental “craft file” ever since I saw the fabulous Nathan Thomas do something similar on Bravo’s Top Design.

My husband and I spend a lot of time fishing on Lake Michigan, so I took inspiration from the smokey blue-green colors of the water for my palette. Using multiple quarts of latex paint, I went to town splashing and dripping the paint across a basic stretched cotton canvas.  Just call me Jackson Pollack.

abstract paint palette

Thinking about creating your own art? Go for it. Now I understand why artists feel so liberated by their work!

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by | May 28, 2010 · 7:56 am

Have you tried the grape salad?

I dedicate this post to the Spanny family.

Awhile back, my Grandma came across the recipe for a grape salad, whipped it up and brought it along to one of our many family gatherings. News traveled quickly and the grape salad was a hit.

“Have you tried this grape salad? It’s delicious.”

“Isn’t this new grape salad great?”

“Stef, did you try the grape salad.”

I do believe every person at the party asked every other person about the ever so delicious grape salad and it’s been legendary ever since.

I recently whipped it up for a little BBQ gathering I held at my house. And once again, the grape salad stole the show.

Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs red seedless grapes
  • 4 oz low-fat cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 C. low-fat sour cream
  • 1/2 Tbsp. vanilla
  • 1/4 C. brown sugar
  • 1/2 C. chopped pecans

Wash, pluck and dry the grapes. Set aside. Mix cream cheese, sour cream and vanilla. Add mixture to grapes and mix thoroughly. Top with brown sugar and pecans.

This is a simple, delicious recipe that is easy to whip up in a pinch. You’ll have everyone asking, “Have you tried the grape salad?”

Have a great Memorial Day Weekend!

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