sisterly love

I got really excited when I found out that my sister, Karissa, was recently a model in a bridal photoshoot!  The dresses she helped model were designed by Rosalind's Bridal & Alterations.  Check out some photos below and see more pictures on Simply Two Photography and A Lil' Wedding Planner!

Image Credit: A Lil' Wedding Planner

Image Credit: Simply Two Photography

Image Credit: Simply Two Photography

Image Credit: Simply Two Photography

versatility at its finest

It's tough choosing bridesmaid dresses for many reasons.

Chances are your friends aren't all exact clones of each other (probably a good thing) so certain styles look good on some, but not on all.

Same thing with color.  I'm a big fan of bright orange, but let's be honest -- not everyone loves bright orange.

Not everyone is rolling deep -- price is a huge factor.  You don't want money to be an issue.

Then you have to factor in what you want the "look" of your wedding to be...

Do you want them all to be the same style? Do you want them all the same color? Or different shades of the same color? Or different colors all today?

If you've seen the movie 27 Dresses, it's clear that bridesmaids dresses have a reputation of being ugly/ridiculous.  This is NOT true...and I'm here to show you one amazing option!  

I have a friend who's getting married soon, and she showed me these super versatile dresses, and I just had to share them!  Made of a jersey material these dresses are the epitome of versatile.  They can be worn many different ways, there are different lengths, colors, and best of all they're super comfy!

Image Credit: Erin Leigh on Etsy

Image Credit: Erin Leigh on Etsy

Image Credit: Erin Leigh on Etsy

Image Credit: Meg Perotti Photography

Image Credit: Steve Depino

Erin Leigh sells these dresses on Etsy for about $98! These dresses are also sold by Butter by Nadia and Dessy Group.  They retail for about $240.

a little something for the gentlemen...

I think it's safe to say that the majority of my readers are female, but for all you male readers who are looking for some inspiration -- this one's for you!

There's always so much focus on finding the perfect dress, what color the bridesmaids dresses are, their style, the shoes, the veil...the list goes on and on.  It may seem like your apparel options are limited to a tux, and...well, a tux.  Granted, you can go jacketless, add a vest, change the color of your vest.  But don't worry you've got lots of options too!  Here are some fun alternatives & additions to the traditional suit and tie.

1.  Opt for a colorful bow-tie instead of a tie...

Not only the bowties...but suspenders anyone?
Image Credit: Aaron Shintaku Photography

...or stay classy with a black one.  James Bond style (you know you've always wanted to rock that look).

2.  Change up the shoes. 

Rocking the Converses.
Image Credit: Aaron Shintaku Photography

I'm sure these are way more comfortable than your dress shoes!
Image Credit: Ashley Rose Photography

3.  Let your boutonneire reflect who you are.  No, you don't have to wear fresh flowers if you don't want to. I fell in love with these on Green Wedding Shoes by Lauryl Lane!

For all you music lovers.
Image Credit: Alec Vanderboom

 Also, check out these fabric ones by JL Designs!

Image Credit: Ashley Rose Photography

So there's a few ideas that I hope inspire you today!

need a wedding dress?

Finding the perfect dress is difficult.  As a picky shopper, I know the frustrations of walking around from store to store for hours and coming away with nothing.  Too expensive.  Too big.  Too "typical".

Well if you're in the hunt for one, maybe this is the dress you've been looking for.  Please take the time to check out this beautiful dress by Maggie Sottero.  It originally retails for about $1200 but my friend is willing to sell it for much cheaper.  Size 0. Tags attached. Made 3" shorter. 

You can check out more pictures on this website: http://maggiegown.shutterfly.com/.

Please email me at belovedevents@yahoo.com or comment on this blog if you're interested!  As always, thanks for reading!

Maggie Sottero's mission is to make dreams a reality for every Maggie Sottero bride by delivering innovative designs, superior quality and best-in-class service.

wedding cakes gone wrong...or right?

This post should probably be titled "Inspiration: I don't event know".  You'll understand why in a little.

One thing I've been saying lately is that anything goes on your wedding day -- it's your wedding day.  So go ahead, break the rules and go non-traditional.  Be unique.  Have a Nike shoe wedding cake and be proud of it!

However, the other day I was looking at Cake Wrecks -- they've documented many wedding cakes, and it's made me reconsider the "do anything you want rule."  I mean, extra points for creativity and having a cake probably no one else will ever have (EVER), but maybe there's a line we need to draw for ridiculousness...

I'll let you decide! Here's a few of my favorites.

Yes, you're on a boat, but I'm pretty sure you're not mermaids...Image credit: Jet City Cakes

It's the leaning tower of...cake? I think your wedding day is stressful enough -- now you have to worry about your cake falling over!

I'm a fan of bright colors, but there's a line I have to draw.

This looks like layers of rocks. Enough said.

"And that's why you always let the groom have his cake." -- Cake Wrecks

Yes.  That's live fish in champagne glasses.

This is just a small sample -- go check out Cake Wrecks!  It's hilarious!

strut your stuff

So when you typically think of the colors that a bride can wear on her wedding day you think...

White. Ivory. Silver (maybe?). Red? Purple? ...

Seem strange?  I mean, the first time I saw a bride in grey I'll admit I was a little shocked.  But the more weddings I've done, it seems that all the rules of what we consider "traditional" for weddings are slowly being broken, including the "bride has to be in all white" rule.  It seems that color has been sneaking its way into all aspects of the bride's attire (I mean how could we resist, colors are great)! 

Of the many ways color has been incorporated into bridal attire, my favorite trend are shoes, especially the bright colored ones (I'm a big fan of bright colors)!  I may be slightly biased -- I have a pair of purple ruffle booties that I LOVE, but also, I think colors are a way of communicating your personality (i.e. bright = loud, happy, excited, optimistic).  And it's just one more way to make your wedding day special!  So if you decide to opt for the not-so-typical bridal shoe, be sure to hike up your dress a little and show them off on your big day!

Image Credit: Natalie Moser, TOMS Shoes - Jessica Hill Photography

Image credit: Cory Parris Photography

Image Credit: SimplyTwo Photography

inspiration: Home Depot

It's not everyday that I walk into Home Depot and find inspiration for weddings.  Nor do I walk into Home Depot, really, ever.  Maybe I should start checking out hardware stores more often -- I may find some hidden gems.  So the other day I went with a friend to Home Depot to simply get some nails to hang up some pictures in my house.  Nothing special.  My friend, on the other hand, was looking for something more unique: chalkboard paint. 

I had always heard of it -- but I don't think the excitement of the paint really hit me until I saw it.  Not only did they have classic black chalkboard paint, but they also had one you could tint different colors!  Legit.  If you know me at all, I get excited about, well, pretty much everything.  Literally, it does not take much.

Anyways, I was inspired to share all the creatives ways you can use this paint in your event or wedding -- menus, favors, signage, escort cards, table numbers.  It's a great (and cheap!) DIY project for a bride on a budget.  Simply find someone with cool handwriting and you're in business!

I absolutely love these escort cards!  So creative!

Spice up a black background with bright chalk colors!

I think that says it all!

 
So who's going to be getting some chalkboard paint soon?  I sure am!

wedding cakes: Nike Edition

I read a lot of blogs -- especially ones about weddings, everything and anything related to weddings.  Photography. DIY projects. Flowers. Cakes.

One of my favorite things to do is come up with creative ideas for my friends' weddings that uniquely capture their interests and personalities.  Some people have their own weddings planned out in their heads.  Not so for me -- I only got so far as my color scheme, and even then I'm unsure.  But other people -- I'm all for coming up with creative ideas.

I have a friend who loves shoes -- and when I say shoes, I mean Nike Jordans.  She's even gone so far to describe them as "sexy."  So the other day, when I was looking at Sweet and Saucy Shop's blog and came across a Nike cake, I was stoked!  And they even happen to be her wedding shoes too (yeah, she's got all white Jordan elevens).  Let's just say I was extremely excited and sent this to her immediately.  Who says you can't have a Nike cake at your wedding? Goodbye 3 tier round cake, hello Nike! Check out this awesome cake!

Check out more pictures on their blog!


What creative twist will you take to make your wedding cake special?