On the weekend I was enjoying the beach as the sun was going down and I noticed 2 teenagers molding wet rope into shapes on the sand. I sat and watched them for a while wondering what they were doing!

A professional photographer started walking up the sand towards them and whispered to all of us spectators that there was going to be a proposal happening. The teenagers were brothers of the soon to be groom and they were spelling out “Will you marry me?” in rope that was saturated in lighter fluid!

Of course we had to stay there and watch the performance so we all sat on a log near by!

Finally the car showed up and the two brothers ran down the beach to hide behind a statue. The beach was all set up and all the "proposer" had to do was lead his lady to the rope on the sand and light the rope on fire!

It was so cute! We all clapped when she hugged him and said yes!

Do you have any original proposal stories to share??

Warmest Wishes,

Kris

Image courtesy of flickr.com

How many weddings have you attended where you actually received a favor that you kept and enjoyed?

Favors are a tricky thing for the bride and groom because they want the favors to match their personalities and the theme for the wedding. A lot of the times the guests don’t even take their favors home and that just turns out to be a waste!

In our family it is tradition on New Years day dinner that each of us receive a lottery ticket! This is a wonderful gift to leave for your guests! A – Its cheap and B – They could win Millions!

I don’t know about you, but when I receive or purchase a lottery ticket I feel amazing! I picture everything I will do with the money when I win and how I can help others close to me. You are on a high for days until the big draw happens.

Giving a gift like this will keep the guests dreaming big and having a great time out!

Here are some ideas to incorporate lottery tickets as favors:

1. Message (or money) in a Bottle!
Roll the tickets up and tie a ribbon around them. Place the ticket into a small glass bottle.

2. Candy Rolls
Roll the ticket around a roll of personalized candies.

3. Fortune Cookie
Place a Fortune Cookie and the ticket in a small “take out” box.

4. Place Card Poem
Along with the Place Cards for each guest, type up a poem about sharing the bride and groom’s special day and place the lottery ticket with it.

5. Flower Power
Place a small potted plant for each guest and have the ticket stuck into the soil.

Using the lottery tickets as your favors will relieve so much stress! You don’t need to spend a lot and you can wait until the last minute to purchase them!

Good Luck!

Warmest Wishes,

Kris

Images courtesy of www.beau-coup.com

Weddings are my thing and I can talk for days on color schemes, locations and themes, and honestly I can admit I have never been big on the fairy tale weddings. But I am always in love with new fun locations and destination venues!

Today we are taking a trip to the Oheka Castle in New York. I am totally in awe of how beautiful and how seriously “fairy tale” this location is! Some of you might be thinking that this location is a little out of your price range or budget…..but I am here to show you what this facility has to offer. I hope all of you who need that fairy tale dream fulfilled will gain from this article.

Oheka Castle is located in Huntington, NY which is just 1 short hour out of Manhattan (perfect for your guest to do some sight seeing when they come for the wedding!). This castle was built between 1914 and 1919 and is filled with wonderful history! It was built as a family home for the Otto Kahn family and it was inspired by chateaus in France so the vibe is totally European! Imagine all the wonderful gatherings and parties thrown here back in the 20’s! If the walls could talk!

This is a picture of Otto Kahn’s daughter getting married at the Castle.
What a dress!

There is only one wedding held per day at the castle so you are guaranteed your day is set and perfect from the moment it starts! The staff is outrageously friendly and helpful and you will be amazed by the smallest details that they take care of for you. The Bridal Suite is HUGE and you are able to be relaxed and comfortable there all day.

All of the reviews and people I have spoken to rave about the award winning cuisine provided. Cocktail hour can be held outside where the staff will arrange their beautiful cushioned lawn furniture and keep the champagne flowing while your guests are lounging!

Of course the price is going to depend on how many guests you have attending. The castle does accommodate for 400 guests with tables of 12. You also have the choice (for an additional cost) to have a jazz band play in the library after the wedding! How much fun is that!? It will be a late night so the family and friend will most likely enjoy a stay at the castle. There are 32 guests rooms and suites available for rent. The bride and grooms suite is included with the package as well as your beautiful cake!

For the guests that do decide to spend the night on site will get to enjoy a morning after brunch with the bride and groom.

Now the pricing….when I contacted the Oheka Castle they explained to me that the pricing varies depending on what the couple has in mind. From what I have found from my research is the cost is roughly $200 - $500 per person plus the site fee. Really though when you think of all that you get included in the pricing it isn’t as bad as you may think. Living like a princess doesn’t come cheap!

ta – ta!

Kris

images courtesy of Oheka Castle

I was out for my Sunday morning walk to Starbucks and it was sunny and breezy out. I put lip gloss on before I left the house to only make it a few steps before my hair was stuck to my lips like flies on honey! This drives me absolutely crazy! I started thinking and googling a perfect lip color that will give the appearance of gloss but without the stickiness.

The last thing any bride wants is for her photographer to always be waiting for her to get the hair off of her lips. Can you imaging if all your pictures were with your hands covering your face! So I have found the perfect lip product for all brides out there! Especially the ones that want to wear their hair down.

This Creamy Lip Color by Bobbi Brown has been featured in “Instyle Weddings” magazine this month. This is a lipstick that provides comfortable wear, shine (without the stickiness) and rich color that lasts. One of the major ingredients in this lipstick is Shea Butter so it will provide a ton of moisture to your lips and keep them soft for the kisses throughout the night! The price of this lipstick is so reasonable and you can pick it up for only $22!

I always trust the makeup reviews on Makeup Alley and this product received rave reviews! Now go walk in the wind with this lipstick and enjoy the hair free lips ;)

Till next time

Kris

image courtesy of www.bobbibrowncosmetics.com

A great glass of wine is my favourite treat to have on the weekend. It has to be good wine, which most people believe that means it has to be expensive wine which is not the case.

Purchasing wine for your wedding can get a little overwhelming as there are so many different wines to choose from! Make sure you check with your venue and ask if you are able to bring your own wine in. This will eliminate a lot of extra costs for you.

How much wine do we purchase? How much wine will the guests drink? These are the number one questions that the soon to be bride and groom ask. I have put together a “How To Guide” for your wedding wines!

1.Before You Buy
Before you even begin to choose and purchase wine it is important to ask yourselves these questions:

• How many guests are you expecting?
  This will determine how much to buy. Obviously a larger group of guests will drink more than less!
• Is the environment of the wedding more relaxed or formal?
  A relaxed event has more people drinking at a faster past. A formal event has a much slower pace with the alcohol consumption.
• What time is the wedding scheduled to?
  A later wedding will need more booze!
• This one is the good question – What is the average age of the guests?
  I know the last few weddings I have been a guest at had a lot of younger guests who like to drink.

2. The Golden Question
How much to buy? This is the golden question. Each bottle of wine is 750 ml which will server about 2 – 3 people depending on how much you serve in the glasses.

These are rough estimates I found online to help you out. This wine estimate is based on three hours of drinking time and calculated based on 750ml bottles or 6 x 4 oz glasses. Also we are keeping in mind you will not only be serving wine at the wedding. The wine however should be about 30% of your alcohol served.

• For 50 guests you will need 10 bottles of wine.
• For 100 guests you will need 20 bottles.
• For 150 guests you will need at least 30 bottles
• For 200 guests at least 40 bottles
• For 250 guests at least 50 bottles
• For 300 guests at least 60 bottles

3. Basics Is Best
Always stick to the basics so you know the guests will enjoy the vino. The whites should be Chardonnay and the Red’s should be Merlot. There should be equal amounts of both.

4. Good’n Cheap!
Good but cheap wines come with the price range of $12 - $15 each bottle. But you can shop around and find some really great hidden gems out there for cheaper! Try going to a local wine shop in your area and ask for a taste testing session. This will help you out so much in the choosing process and it will be a fun day out!

4. Sneaky
Too much is better than too little so ask the waiter to make sure they don’t always top up the glasses especially closer to the end of the night….sneaky I know…but this will help keep your mind at ease that you will have enough wine the whole night through!

Choosing the perfect wine for the wedding is important and fun! Now go enjoy a glass of wine!

ta-ta
Kris

images courtesy of www.wineglassinfo.com

After the rainy day today I started day dreaming of my Hawaiian vacation last June. Maui is one of my favourite places. I love the weather, the people and the sweet pineapple smell!

My most favourite place for a wedding is on the western end of Maui and is at the Ritz Carlton Kapalua. The hotel is amazing and is perfectly placed on the cliff over looking the Pacific Ocean which provides the perfect photo opts. The groom can play a relaxing round of golf on the morning of the wedding at the Kapalua Golf Course while the bride and her clan can receive massages at the Ritz Carlton Spa. The spa offers Organic Skin Care facials and treatments! I love this!

While speaking with a coordinator at the Ritz she explained to me that they generally host an hour cocktail reception prior to the dinner that will allow the guests to mingle when the bride and groom get some photo’s taken. The Bride and Groom will dive into the party for the remaining 20 minutes where they can get some Mai Tai’s in before the big night begins!

The dinner / reception locations available at the Ritz Carlton Kapalua are spectator!

If you feel you want more of a private reception they suggest the Avenue Room. This room is open yet closed off and very pretty! It has a gorgeous view of the Pacific Ocean, Kapalua Golf Course and Island of Molokai. This location provides both plated and buffet menus. So cute!

This Plantation Ballroom is super elegant, yet still provides an outdoor private balcony! This room does not have a noise curfew so you can dance and sing all night long! Get your nana out there to show everyone a thing or two!

Personally I love the outdoors so my reception and dinner would be out here on the Beach Lawn! You do have to check the availability 6 months prior as this location is used quite often for corporate events. So if you are interested in dinner under the stars get in contact with the Ritz now! While you are dinning you will hear the crashing waves and view the romantic sunset….not to mention the tiki torches! I love the tiki torches. Unfortunately this area does have a noise curfew of 10:00pm which is a price to pay to have outdoor beauty on your special night.

If you are not interested in a wedding on Maui you should consider it for your Honeymoon!

Aloha!!

Kris

images courtesy of TheRitzCarlton.com

Today I was out at the beach today enjoying a warm beverage because it is still pretty chilly here on the west, but still very beautiful!  I was looking at the bright blue sky and it inspired me for today’s post.

Tiffany Blue is one of the most popular wedding scheme colors, and really why wouldn’t it be?  It is so elegant and timeless and everything that comes in that little blue box is always magical, just like your wedding will be!

There are many complementary colors that work hand in hand with the tiffany blue dream, please see the below:

Black, Deep Red and Blue complement each other very well!  I enjoy the darkness with the light blue and I think it adds a bit more “mystery” to the night.  Deep Red is such a sultry color and it pumps up the “expensive” a notch with this million dollar blue.

                                  

Ahhhhh, Now this is my favourite I love they way these two colors play together!  Yellow is so bright and fresh and adds such a spark to the decor!  You don’t just need to work with yellow and blue add some more color like lilac for some extra oomph!  Love it!

Well maybe I love this one equally…It is not as bright as the yellow but it is very rich and classy.  Pair together a chocolate brown or a elegant copper with the blue. Copper is an amazing color for a wedding as it really goes with many colors and it is very rich when displayed in a fabric.

These maids look super cute with the Tiffany Blue and Brown dresses and the hint of pink that they incorporated with the bouquets!

              Cute Copper ribbons that hang the escort cards!  Flag this idea!!!

                 

If you are seeking traditional Tiffany this is your scheme.  Blue, White and Silver whispers classic calmly and sweetly.  People may think this is too “boring” for them but really its not as boring as you think.  I do appreciate the simplicity of this scheme.  Very elegant!

Well as seen above the Tiffany Blue doesn’t always need to show her face as a small blue box to display her beauty, she can appear in a whole day and evening!

I would love to hear about your Tiffany wedding, please post me and all the readers a note!

ta-ta
Kris

Images courtesy of www.theknot.com & www.brides.com

If you feel like you would like to change it up a bit and add a different look on certain tables place a pot of white daisies in a yellow vase or flower pot and alternate tables.

Here is a little interesting fact on the color Yellow – Yellow represents Joy, happiness and energy! By dressing the tables in white and yellow with a hint of black will bring great energy to your guests!

The Black can be incorporated in by dressing your bridesmaids in black dresses like these.

$22.80 http://www.forever21.com/ - This cute little black number is not only an incredibly amazing price, it is totally flattering, fitted and has a padded bust!
As you can see the maids can still look super sexy and cute while your future groom thanks you for not spending the down payment on the house!

White accent table linens and runners with black floral print will add the bit of darkness to the tables. Add black ribbon to the wedding cake! Have white chair covers with black bows, or better yet to cut the cost down – if the chairs are not hideous just add the black bows! I love this look!

Have you or any one you know worked these colors into a wedding? I would love to hear all about it! Please post a comment!
Ta~ta for now! Kris