{Summer of Love} Easy Design

I know that many brides want to have a unique wedding but there takes careful thought into how unique it should be. I love trying to incorporate new trends and more importantly easy add ons. You want your decor and ideas to have a lasting impression with the pictures after the wedding. Be open to more creative options.

Many of my brides know that I get very excited with those extra details. Check out some fun trends going on right now that I want to share with you.



Mrs To Be - Insert Wedding Dress Here
Etsy



Mr & Mrs Mustache - Great Post Ceremony Pics
 Etsy



Just Married - Sunny Kind of Love
Etsy



Garter of Love - Love the Vintage feel
Etsy




Styling Ring Bearer Pillow
Etsy



{Engaged Me} Royally Accessorize my Dress!

Bridal fashions stand center stage in our minds and you can't help but keep up with the likes of Kate and William's royal wedding plans. If you're keeping up with their wedding, every wedding detail is on display including the dress. You may or may not like the styles or just want to make your dress stand bold amongst the other wedding gowns. Iris D Bridal hinted at a fun trend this past week that I find especially pleasing to the eye to make your dress look really amazing, bridal belts. They come in floral designs, beading, black with feathering just to name a few. See some of these belts below. There are styles for every girls tastes and they fit any size. This is great news for any bride that wants fashion without a shopping headache. The fun part about these new accessories is that they are all around $150 each.

Grab your girls and mom to try on these fun new accessories and even pick out your wedding dress. Or, if your dress is already picked, bring a picture of your dress to match up the style that coordinates best. This is the fun part of shopping when you start styling your perfect day.

 Girly Crystal Belt

 Fabric Floral Belt

Black Belt  (One of my favs)

You can find more of these bridal belts along with gowns and accessories at Iris D Bridal. They have an online shop and a boutique located in Tempe, Arizona off of the I-10.

Ask for Kristen Barker for your exclusive wedding consultation appointment.

Twirl’s “Serial Bridesmaid” Contest

Ever see the movie 27 Dresses? I guess that is a silly question.

Well, it just so happens that the owners of Twirl Boutique of both Arizona and Kentucky have been bridesmaids themselves a combined 27 times.

That is a little bit ironic.

Twirl has come up with its own way of finding the QUEEN of “serial bridesmaids” with the opportunity to win great prizes.

All you have to do is submit your personal stories of being a bridesmaid and explain why you think you are the ultimate serial bridesmaid.

Some topics to consider in writing your story include: What sets you apart other than being a bridesmaid so many times? What money have you spent? What wild and wacky dresses have you had to wear? What hair styles did you have to submit yourself to? Where have you traveled? How have you helped to put out fires at weddings? What showers have you thrown?

Twirl is looking for honest, heartfelt and humorous stories. There are many unique instances that could set you apart from every other serial bridesmaid.

To submit your stories to be considered in Arizona (if you live here or will be traveling here), email: angela@twirlboutique.com.

The prizes are as follows:

• 1st Place: Up to $250.00 to spend on a dress at Twirl Scottsdale
• 2nd Place: 10% off wedding services for the entire bridal party at Dolce Salon & Spa
• 3rd Place: "Whateverz" spa set personalized with "serial bridesmaid"

The contest ends at midnight on July 31st. Winners will be announced the week of August 16th along with the stories on the Twirl blog.

Engagement Ring Shopping

BLUEman: The Male Perspective

When shopping for that perfect engagement ring, there is always a question that men ponder: Should I or should I not bring my girlfriend with me?

That’s a very good question, and I think most men are split on the answer. There are of course some pros to bringing your girlfriend with you. For example, you’ll know what carat she wants (most women would like at least a carat), in addition to the shape, the style and the cut. And if you don’t know her ring size, you’ll find that out too.

The downside to taking your girlfriend ring shopping is the element of surprise is gone. She may also feel like she had to pick out the ring herself and that she may have pushed something she really wanted on you, regardless of cost.

So what are some ways to overcome this situation and do the shopping all on your own? Do your homework! Do your research and ask her questions in a subtle way over a period of time so that when you do go ring shopping, on your own, you’ll have a great picture in your mind as to what she wants.

Here are some tips:

1. Find out her ring size (and don’t worry if you’re off, most jewelry stores will gladly take it back and resize it if need be)
2. What type of setting does she like?
3. What’s her style? You can likely find this out by looking at the jewelry she already has and wears.
4. Talk with her girlfriends and if you need the help, take one of her girlfriends with you, so long as you know they won’t spill the beans.

This is an exciting time for you. So have fun with it and become a ring expert. More helpful tips will come in future blogs related to picking that perfect engagement ring.

Until next time, happy ring shopping!

Vendor Insights || How to Pick Wedding Veil {P.1}

Custom wedding dresses, veils and other wedding accessories are specialities to a local online boutique owner Iris Drevet of Iris D Bridal. Iris provides many fashionable styles to brides looking for any wedding style to fit their budget. Read below on some tips she provided on picking your ideal wedding veil. Enjoy!

Intro
Selecting a wedding veil can be very complicated. Along with all the other tasks related to the wedding, this seemingly small one can become rather stressful and overwhelming unless you’re a bride who knows exactly what she wants. The right veil is necessary to help complete the entire look for your wedding day.
One of the most important steps while choosing a veil is selecting the veil color. Ideally, the color should match the dress, but there are plenty of colors that are very similar to white and can work with it in case you can’t an exact match. By following the tips and tricks mentioned below, you can reduce the stress before your big day and easily select the right colored veil for your wedding.
One of the best things nowadays is that you can easily get a custom veil, instead of having to settle for one you don’t like as much. Find a good vendor, and give them your specifications so you can get the veil of your dreams made for you.
Steps

1. The first thing to decide on is your bridal gown. Once you have chosen a wedding gown, many things will fall into place, including the limitations you have for your veil’s colors. This is because you can only choose a veil that is the same color, or a lighter shade, than your dress.

2. There are many colors to choose from. You will need to decide the color your dress and then choose a veil that goes with it best. Here are the colors commonly found:

• White: This is bright white. If your gown is called “white” in color, than this is the color you should go with.
• Diamond White: This is an off—white shade. It is best for gowns that are a silk white, which is barely off-white. It is also great for candlelight or antique white gowns.
• Ivory: This has yellow undertones so is best for an ivory colored gown.
• Champagne: This usually needs to be special ordered and has a slight brown overtone to match champagne or dark ivory dresses.

3. Once you have decided on the colors, or shortlisted the ones you need to look at closely, you can ask your custom veil maker to send you a free veil tulle swatch which you can then hold against your dress to confirm the actual color you will need.
4. When you are sure about the color, you should custom order your veil since this is the only way to ensure you get the exact veil you need.