January 2009 Archives

Lela Rose is featured on the InStyle Weddings Magazine blog today.

When you're planning your wedding, you think long and hard about who you want invited to that wedding.  Most people understand that the wedding invitation is not necessarily extended to their loved ones.  What a lot of people seem to have a hard time understanding is that their kids aren't always included in the invitation.  While it would be nice if everyone could afford an on-site daycare for children present, the fact of the matter is that that is not a reality and children often times disrupt weddings.  So how do you make it clear to your guests that their children are not invited to the wedding?

Traditionally, wedding invitations specifically request attendance by name.  It's seen as rude to write something like 'No Children' on the invitations.  A better idea is probably to spread the word among friends and family that the wedding will be one without children.  Don't make exceptions for anyone.  Offending guests who would have liked to have brought children isn't worth it.  

If a guest brings uninvited children anyway, don't turn them away.  Try your hardest to make the wedding a happy occasion and accommodate the children however you can.

Every woman dreams of having beautiful flowers at her wedding.  Whether she hopes to have them ornamenting the entire wedding venue or simply in her hands, it's safe to say that flowers are a pretty essential part of a wedding.  But flowers can most certainly add up money wise.  If you're having trouble knowing which kinds of flowers you should pick to work with at your wedding, this list below of the the top 10 least expensive flowers might interest you.  Basing your decorations upon these flowers instead of other standard wedding flowers will save you money in the long run.  

1.  Alstroemeria Lily

2.  Baby's breath

3.  Carnation

4.  Chrysanthemum

5.  Daisy

6.  Freesia

7.  Gladiolus

8.  Queen Anne's Lace

9.  Sunflower

10.  Sweet William

Once you pick the flowers you'd like to use, make sure you use them wisely.  Keep them placed in highly visible areas and don't overdo it if you don't need to.  

I am thin, in shape, and I don't really believe in dieting.  If you're wondering why not, I'm happy to share.  Dieting creates results for short-term goals, not long-term ones.  The end goal is to be healthy and your ideal size your entire life, right?  Sure, you may be trying to lose weight for your wedding, but how badly do you really want to gain it right back as soon as the honeymoon kicks in?  You don't want all of that hard dieting work to go to waste, so the key for losing weight for your wedding day is to lose weight-period.  Losing weight, however, requires a lifestyle change. And I know it is difficult.  I never really got around to changing my eating and exercise habits until my dad had his second heart attack.  It took nearly losing a loved one for me to fully process the concept of how to treat my body.  Hopefully it won't take something so drastic for you!

If you're in the market to lose weight for your wedding-and for after your wedding-here are tips I have to offer that I know pay off.

-Eliminate white flour in all instances possible.  Switch to wheat with your pasta and bread and anything else (Kashi even makes wonderful little wheat crackers, cookies, granola bars, etc.).  White flour pretty much turns straight to fat in our bodies, but wheats actually offer nutrients our bodies need.  Once you've made the switch, cut back.  Generally speaking, we eat way too many of these kinds of carbs and they get stored as fat if we don't burn them off.

-Drink more water.  I know, you've heard it before, but it is essential.  Not only does water aide in digestion, but it helps to keep you feeling full throughout the day, too.  Replace all other drinks that you can with water.  If you're in the habit of drinking juices and soda regularly, start replacing those drinks with water.  You'll notice a difference immediately.  When you're out drinking, make sure every other drink is water, too.

-Chew gum, brush your teeth.  A good way to signal to your body that you're done eating is to chew a piece of gum or to brush your teeth.  The minty taste will override the taste of whatever you just ate and minimize your cravings.

-Only eat until you're 80% full.  You never want to eat until you're bursting at the seams.  It takes a while for our digestive systems to process how much food we've eaten.  Ideally, you should eat until you're 80% full and let your body do the rest.  Not only is this good for avoiding that sickly full feeling, but you're stomach and intestines will actually have some room to work with when digesting your meal.

-Focus on the fruits and veggies.  This is another one I'm sure you've heard, but it's true!  I can definitely say that most of what I eat throughout the day is comprised of fruits and veggies.  Does this make what I eat boring?  No way!  I mix up my fruits and veggies and have made a habit of making all kinds of tasty sauces with veggies in the food processor to marinate lean meats and potatoes in.

-Speaking of lean meats-eat lean meats.  My advice, first and foremost, is to cut back on meat-period. I think we, collectively, eat more meat than we really need to.  You don't need to eat meat every day and you certainly don't need to eat it for multiple meals a day.  Think realistically about how much meat you're eating and examine whether or not you're including it in most of your meals.  Once you've come face-to-face with how much meat you're really eating, start eating lean meats primarily.  Fish is best (think salmon and tuna), but chicken and turkey are both okay, too.  What you really want to avoid are red meats if possible.  It's also important to learn more about protein.  Instead of having meat every day, try incorporating more beans or nuts, for example.

-Don't ignore the little things.  Egg whites instead of full eggs will lose you weight.  Fat free, if you can bear it, can be a good addition to your diet.  Choose the low-calorie options of dairy products (and anything else).  Avoid cream-based soup.  Start eating vegan hot dogs instead of regular ones (they taste nearly identical and save you so many calories and grams of fat.  That goes for veggie burgers vs. regular burgers, too).  

-Get enough fiber.  Fiber will keep your digestive system moving the way it should.  More importantly, it will keep you feeling full longer.  Spinach, for example, has essentially no calories (I think it's 7 calories per cup?).  Yet spinach is filled with fiber and will help to keep you feeling full.  Eat smartly! 

-And yes, exercise.  Exercise is the one part of losing weight that no one seems to want to do, but trust me, it is important.  Not only is it important for helping you to lose weight and maintain overall health, but it's a great mood-booster, too.  Tons of people take anti-depressants daily that raise serotonin levels in their brain, but consistent exercise can provide the same feeling.  

Whatever you do, don't diet drastically and don't diet temporarily.  If you're eating unhealthfully and not exercising, then you need to make lifestyle changes.  This isn't just about your wedding, but it will certainly help you look great on your wedding day.  

It's not like I have to tell you how important a wedding dress is to a bride.  The wedding dress is the single most thought about dress in most married women's lives.  Not only is it expensive in many cases and elegant, but it also carries sentimental weight that most dresses can't even touch.  Yet, for whatever reason, most brides store their dresses away poorly after their weddings and leave them susceptible to dust and unnecessary damage.  If you care about your dress, you should be concerned with preserving it.  

Tips for preserving your wedding dress:

1.  Have the dress treated professionally.  

There are cleaning services that can and will prepare your dress for storage so that it can retain its color and condition.  Make sure that you find an establishment that is reputable...after all, you don't want to leave your dress with just anyone, right?

2.  Store it correctly.

Once your dress has been cleaned for storage, it's just as important that it is stored properly.  It should be wrapped in acid-free tissue paper to minimize creasing.  Avoid using cardboard.  Carefully fold the gown and pack it away.  Many places offer the above steps as part of their storage-preparation process, so if this sounds like a task you don't want to take on, try to find a cleaner who will also manage the actual storing of the dress.

3.  Store it in the right kind of place.

The storage box should ideally be placed somewhere cool and well-ventilated.  A dry closet or under the bed are safe bets.  You want to make sure it is out of the way of heat, light, and humidity.  

It may also be in your best interest to refold the gown every year or two as to avoid any permanent creasing.  

If you're going to put so much thought into which wedding dress to buy and wear, you should make it last, right?

Affording a honeymoon while on a budget can be stressful.  Not every couple gets a honeymoon as a gift , unfortunately.  The good new is that there are romantic options for honeymoons that won't break your bank.  Here are some tips for making it happen:

Set aside money.

Set aside money for your honeymoon when you're making all of your wedding budget calculations.  This way you'll have a base to work with for budgeting the trip.

Stay in your country.

Leaving your country will make for tremendous additional expenses in most cases.  Find a beautiful destination spot in your own country and I can nearly guarantee that you'll be saving money.

Road trip it!

Flying is expensive.  If you choose a destination that you can drive to, you'll save money (as long as gas prices stay down).  Plus, a road trip can be a great way to bond with your partner.

Think about parks.

There are beautiful parks everywhere in this world, especially in the U.S.A.  Many of them offer dirt-cheap camping and if you and your fiance are nature lovers, this could be a great way to vacation for next to nothing.

Honeymooning doesn't have to put you in debt.  In fact, I would say it's not worth it if it does.  How can you truly relax if you're spending money you don't have?  Do the research and make sure you plan a honeymoon that you can afford.  

Trying to think of the perfect date for you and your hubby before the big day?  Of course you are-or should be!  Finding time to bond with your groom-to-be once all of the kinks of wedding planning are out of the way is important.  It's a time to relax and support each other in the big decision that you're about to make.  

So what kind of date is appropriate for the pre-wedding date?

I suggest an intimate one.

Think of something cozy that can't be interrupted by others.  The last thing you need on the last date before becoming husband and wife is a terrible experience out on the town because of factors you can't control.  Try to think of something that will primarily only involve you two.  Something as simple as dinner and a movie at home can really suffice for relaxation and understanding during this confusion pre-wedding period.  A long walk through a park, town, or even a trek back to your favorite hiking trail would also be perfect.  

This date should be a calm night for you both; a chance to celebrate the choice you're making and remind yourselves of how in love you are and why you've decided to marry each other.  

Are you trying to figure out the perfect wedding hairdo?  This can get a little complicated if you're planning on having a wedding in a humid climate, particularly a beach wedding.  

If you'll be having an outdoors wedding that might make keeping sleek and straight hair an impossibility, you might as well shoot for a wavy style.  Beach wedding hairstyles especially can be difficult to get just right.  

The key to getting the perfect wavy style like the one in the picture is to use curling irons of all sized for the hair.  Spritz each section both before and after it is curled. 

Pull the curled hair up by twisting each piece separately and pinning it up.  You might want to take a large chunk of hair and pin it into a loose bun.  If you want a casual and soft look, pull a few pieces down around the face.  

For a finishing touch that will be pretty and elegant, consider adding in a silk flower near the bun in the back of the hair.  

So before you put your destination wedding plans aside because you're apprehensive about the climate and your look, keep in mind that there are ways to achieve a beautiful look without staying inside.  

A dress maker makes wedding dresses from eco-friendly fabrics like bamboo and hemp.

If you're ready to find the perfect diamond, you probably already know that you're going to have to spend a lot of time researching.  While this may not be a mystery at all, how to go about doing this research can certainly be mind-boggling.

Not sure where to start?  Here are some tips.  

Know Your Budget

Sure, we all wish we could have P-Diddy's budget for diamonds, but the fact of the matter is that most of us don't (and god bless your heart if you do).  What you need to do instead is find a way to pinpoint the finest diamond that your budget can afford.  The price of a diamond is going to depend on the combination it has of the four Cs:  Cut, Color, Clarity, and Carat.  The good news?  Diamonds don't depreciate, so your investment will be lasting.

Know The Facts

Most couples tend to spend around $2,000 on a diamond engagement ring.  However, few of them are educated in the four Cs.  Make sure that you know all about these diamond characteristics before you make your purchase.  

Know Your Style

The style of a diamond should certainly express your personality.  After all, there are so many different styles of diamonds to choose from, you should be able to find something that you truly connect with.  Make sure the ring is tried on before purchase.

Note to grooms to be:  You may not want to be quick to buy a ring.  Consider proposing without a ring, all romance aside.  Lets face it, most women can pick items like jewelry out for themselves much better than you can.  You don't want to spend loads of time trying to find the perfect ring and then be wrong, do you?

Also:

*Buy from only reputable jewelers! 

*Get the ring appraised to verify all facts on your bill of sale.  

If you're a little in the dark about how to plan for your wedding celebrations, don't feel cornered:  everyone feels in the dark about this at least once during their wedding planning.  Luckily, I've got some tips for you below for cocktail parties that should help you square away some tough numbers with a bit more ease.  

HOW TO KNOW HOW MANY DRINKS YOU'LL NEED

Most cocktail parties that last about three hours allow for about three or four drinks per person.  

HOW MANY SERVINGS YOU'LL GET OUT OF A BOTTLE OF WINE, CHAMPAGNE, OR LIQUOR.

First, know how many guests you have attending.  Then consider what your guest will favor drinking.  

Then start your counting:

-A bottle of wine yields 5 servings

-A bottle of champagne yields 6 flute glasses

-A case of champagne yields 72 servings

-A 26 oz. bottle of liquor yields 17 servings

-A 40 oz. bottle of liquor yields 25 servings.

You should also account for three bottles of mixers for every bottle of liquor.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO SET UP FOR THE BAR

-11 pounds of ice cubes for every 10 adults

-Common mixers:  soda water, cola, ginger ale, lemon-lime soda, tonic water, tomato juice, orange juice, grapefruit juice, pineapple juice, cranberry juice

-Other things you'll need:  Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, salt, pepper, sugar, celery sticks, maraschino cherries.

-Garnishes:  olives, cocktail onions, sliced oranges and lemons

-Tools:  ice cube storage, corkscrew, bottle opener, can opener, ice tongs, shot glasses, sharp knife, long-handled spoon, cocktail napkins, toothpicks

Getting a wedding dress to fit you perfectly is crucial, but that doesn't make it easy, per se.  Some women struggle with finding their perfect dress for the big day and a lot of that struggle comes down to not know what to look for.  

Questions to keep in mind:

1.  What kind of body shape do you have?  

2.  What kind of fabrics work best for you?

3.  What kind of colors work best for you?

4.  What are your favorite current styles?

5.  Do you have a trustworthy friend who you can bring shopping with you?

Knowing the answers to the questions above will help to steer you in the right direction when searching for the perfect dress.  Once you start narrowing down your choices, there are still important things to keep in mind and rules to follow.

1.  Wear the shoes and undergarments you plan on wearing on the big day

2.  Take a picture of you in the dress-this always helps!

3.  Bring the jewelry you plan on wearing.

You're going to want to schedule several fittings.  Most brides-to-be have at least three fittings.  The first fitting is when you figure out what needs to be adjusted with the dress.  The second fitting is all about making sure that the adjustments have been made correctly.  The third fitting should be when you clear up all kinks with the dress and bring your mother or maid of honor with you (or whoever will be helping you get dressed on the wedding day) so that she can make sure she understands the dress fully.

The most important thing you can do in a fitting:  Speak up.

If something seems uncomfortable or wrong in any way, say something!  You'll regret it later if you don't.  

DG has just updated the After Six Tux site with the new spring rental styles. The new looks include traditional styles that have been updated such as the Rhodes featuring new styling with a narrower lapel and slimmer fit in 100% worsted wool. All bridesmaids dress styles for these photo shoots were provided by Dessy Group and can be seen on the Dessy site.

Enjoy the cool flip-book technology.

Want to make sure only crowd favorites are played at your wedding reception?  Of course you do.  Who wants songs playing that no one wants to hear?!  The celebration of your wedding is important and since music plays a huge role in any party, you should be concerned with making sure your reception plays all of the hits.  

This list below, by no means, includes all of the best wedding reception songs, but it certainly will help to get you started.  

1.  YMCA-Village People

2.  Shout- Otis Day & The Nights

3.  Love Shack- B-52's

4.  Billy Jean- Michael Jackson

5.  Macarena- Los Del Rio

6.  Brown Eyed Girl- Van Morrison

7.  Electric Slide- Marcia Griffiths

8.  Ice, Ice Baby- Vanilla Ice

9.  Vogue- Madonna

10.  Hey Ya!- Outkast

11.  Humpty Dance- Digital Underground

12.  Push It- Salt 'n Pepa

13.  Pump Up The Jam- Technotronic

14.  Bust A Move- Young MC

15.  You Really Got me- The Kinks

16.  Great Balls Of Fire- Jerry Lee Lewis

17.  I Can't Help Falling In Love With You- Elvis Presley

18.  Twist & Shout- The Beatles

19.  White Wedding- Billy Idol

20.  Footloose- Kenny Loggins

21.  You Shook Me All Night Long- AC/DC

22.  Walk This Way- Aerosmith

23.  Tainted Love- Soft Cell

24.  I Love Rock n' Roll- Joan Jett

25.  My Sharona- Knack

26.  I Can't Get No- Rolling Stones

27.  Ain't No Mountain High Enough- Marvin Gaye

28.  Zoot Suit Riot- Brian Setzer Orchestra

29.  Someone To Watch Over Me- Ella Fitzgerald

30.  At Last- Etta James

Read the reviews, then run to your local theater this weekend with your closest 'FRENEMIES'.

Have you ever sat down and thought about what a 'formal' dress code actually means?  We're told to dress formally for certain events throughout life, but rarely does anyone specify what that means.  The term can be misinterpreted from just about every angle possible, but today I want to discuss the tie.  What is appropriate for a formal occasion:  a black or white tie?

The difference is separated by a fine line, but it's one that you should be familiar with.  The black tie events tend to insinuate the use of a tuxedo.  This means you have a black dinner jacket with pants to match, a tuxedo shirt, bow tie, black shoes, etc.  The white tie events are equally formal, but different.  The white tie is normally worn with satin or silk collars, a black tailcoat and matching pants.  

Alright, I get it.  Both black and white tie events are fancy , but what's more important than how you intertwine your tie with your outfit is how you look-generally speaking.  None of the above matters at all if your get-up doesn't fit you remarkably well and look sharp at first sight.  Scoring a dressy outfit, whether for a white or black tie event, requires knowing where to shop.  

Consider purchasing from the following:

AJ's Tuxedo Junction

Oscar De La Renta (especially great for jackets)

Lord West (look here for pastels)

Pierre Cardin

Fumagalli

After Six

Ralph Lauren

Calvin Klein

If marriages are made in heaven, then a wedding at Sandals is like heaven on earth because no other resorts are so dedicated to couples in love. A Sandals WeddingMoon® is the perfect start to a perfect marriage, because they say that happily ever after begins there. Of course if you are going to have a beach wedding, a Sandals Destination Wedding dress is the ideal way to be in sync with any island resort. Right now Sandals bridal retailers are offering a free pair of wedding flip flops to brides just for viewing the collection. These tatami wedding sandals are just like the colored matching bridesmaids flip flops by Dessy Group everybody is raving about.

Forget fashion catastrophes and in-law awkwardness.  One of the biggest wedding-related fears seems to consistently be the toast-for those giving the toast, of course.  Speaking under pressure isn't easy for everyone (it very well may not be easy for ANYone), and a speech like a toast requires a bit of forethought.  If you're gearing up to give the perfect wedding toast, here are some tips that might do you well to look over before standing up to put in your two cents.

-First thing is first, make sure the glasses are all full before giving the toast.

-Raise your glass with your right hand, straight from the right shoulder.  (When the tradition of toasting first began, extending the hand straight from the shoulder was important because it verified to guests that you were coming in peace and not concealing weapons.)

-Toasts should never be made with tea, coffee, or water.  Wine, champagne, or non-alcoholic similar beverages are accepted instead.  

-The toasting beverage should be served to the bride first, then the groom, then the maid of honor, then the parents, then the best man.

-The toast should end with some sort of indication to the guests of what to say.  Example, "Lets toast to the love of Mary and Joseph.  Mary and Joseph!"

-If you are the person receiving a toast, do not stand, raise your glass, or sip your drink.  You simply smile and nod.

Toasting doesn't have to be a huge production, but skipping over the important traditional aspects of the toast can cause uneasiness for those involved.  Base your toast off of these ground rules and you should be fine!

One of the best ways to ensure that your bridesmaids are picture perfect on your wedding day is to choose dresses that best suit their body types.  First, you need to look at your bridal party objectively, and evaluate their body shapes honestly so that you can choose dresses that will look great on them and they will feel comfortable wearing.

 

These are your friends, so please be kind. It is not a good idea to ask anyone to lose weight - It's insulting and never works anyway.

 

Next, it is important to be realistic in choosing your bridesmaid dresses. You may have envisioned your entire wedding from the time you were five years old, including the dresses your bridesmaids would wear. I know I did. But, fast forward twenty years, and the blue Cinderella ball gown I had wanted for my bridesmaids has lost some of its luster - and I don't think my cousins and my sister-in-law would have appreciated it.  (They wore Dessy style 2044 and loved it!)

 

Your bridesmaids will look a lot less like Cinderella's ugly step sisters and will be eternally grateful to you if you remain open-minded when shopping for bridesmaid dresses.

 

For instance, if most of your bridesmaids have voluptuous figures, it is probably best to not choose a revealing sheath that shows off every body flaw. You will likely have better luck with something a little more forgiving, like an empire waist or an A-line silhouette.

 

Shopping for your bridesmaid dresses is pretty much the same as shopping for your wedding dress.  There are certain styles, necklines, cuts and silhouettes that are more flattering and forgiving than others.

 

Dessy.com is a great place to start searching for your bridesmaid dresses. They offer a search function that allows you to browse and search all Dessy bridesmaid dresses, After Six bridesmaid dresses, Alfred Sung bridesmaid dresses and Lela Rose bridesmaid dresses.  You can search by color, dress length, neckline, silhouette, sleeve length, fabric and designer. You can find the search function at the following link: http://www.dessy.com/bridesmaid-dresses/

Dessy.com makes it so easy to choose the perfect bridesmaid dresses!

 

I also highly recommend shopping with one helpful, resilient bridesmaid to start. Your maid-of-honor should be perfect for this.  Have her try on a multitude of dresses in different silhouettes, fabrics and necklines.  This will help you immensely in determining what will work for your bridal party.  You may even want to try a few on yourself. It can't hurt to put yourself in your bridesmaids' shoes when shopping for their dresses.

 

Ultimately, your wedding day is one of the most important and significant days of your life. As a woman who just recently celebrated her wedding, I understand the stress of planning your perfect day. If you follow the above guidelines when you are shopping for bridesmaid dresses, you can, at least, eliminate the stress and headaches of choosing the right dresses and you'll keep your bridesmaids happy too!

  

My bridesmaids wore Dessy Style 2044 in Mink with matching shawls:

 

Sue & Gabe:

 

 

Lizzy & Andy:

 

 

Daniela: My MOH with Madi and Jordan

 

 

Lizzy:

 

 

Sue:

 

 

 

 

Ben & Me: