Bride on a Budget

Let's be honest, planning a wedding would be soooo much easier if you had a limitless budget. A lot of the stress of wedding planning comes from keeping the costs down... and little things add up so quickly, you can be over budget long before you even realize it. We have some ideas for those brides who are trying to throw a gorgeous wedding without emptying their pockets.

Enter today's topic: Centerpieces.

Centerpieces can range on the price scale from "reasonable" to upwards of $700 a pop!!! Isn't that crazy?! I mean, it's an arrangement of flowers for goodness sake. And having one on each table can get very costly, even if you opt for smaller/medium sized arrangements that can cost anywhere from $50-$300+ a piece! The most depressing thing of all is that more often than not, these gorgeous arrangements get THROWN AWAY at the end of the night (we've seen it happen too many times). So they literally sit there to look pretty for 5-6 hours, and then get dumped in the trash. Ouch.

One of the easiest ways to save $ on your big day is by spending less on flowers. Yes, they're beautiful to look at, but sometimes they are simply impractical.

Check out these lovely inspiration photos for smaller centerpieces that still create a "wow" factor. Try using bud vases-- paint them, use different size and shaped vases, use different kinds of flowers in them that are all different colors or shades of the same color. Play with texture in your flower selections, use a lot of candles to create a romantic look, and mirrors can add a lot when placed underneath your centerpieces. Mason jars, fruits, soup cans... the options are endless! So get creative and save a little dough!

All images via Pinterest.

To Fast or Not To Fast

A juice fast. A juice cleanse. A detoxifying, juicing, body purifying experience...? Who has an opinion on this? Apparently by drinking 6-8 servings of pure juice a day you can clear your skin, improve mental clarity, reap anti-aging benefits, lose weight, experience a better mood, and get healthier nails and hair.... plus MORE.

Story of our lives...

As brides-to-be, we have both heard of this trend and it seems like every gal these days is swearing by it... we are both intrigued by it. We may be testing the waters with a 3 day fast next week. We'll report back to you and let you know how it goes. It sounds good in theory, but we're a little nervous about the lack of solid foods. How can not eating improve our moods?!

Blueprint Cleanse

Ritual Cleanse

While we contemplate and research, tell us if you've ever done one, what your thoughts are on it, and which brand/kind you recommend. See you next week!

 

"OMG, you have a truck made out of food?"

...Did anyone get the Happy Endings reference in the title? Sorry... it had to be done, it's one of our favorite sitcoms ever. 

We digress. FOOD TRUCKS. Let's talk about 'em. 

So they seems to be all the rage these days, especially in larger metropolitan areas like LA. They offer SO many varieties of food, it's ridiculous. Next time you're having a party (or wedding, if you're into the casual vibe) and want to do something unique for your catering needs, consider hiring your favorite food truck! It will be all the rage, trust us, we've seen it. Guests will love the unique food experience they get with a food truck. Here are our personal favorites... 

The Grilled Cheese Truck
There are no words... just go try it! Thank us after.

Nom Nom Truck
Definitely healthy compared to most other food trucks.

Buttermilk Truck
Red. Velvet. Chocolate. Chip. Pancakes. OH MY.

The Sweets Truck
All the best desserts from all the best places in LA.

Which ones are your favorite food trucks? 

Who Needs Mascara?

OMG you guys, have you tried eyelash extensions yet??? It's definitely a risk, because once you have them applied for the first time, you may be hooked for life.

These are perfect for special occasions (i.e., here comes the bride or the birthday girl)... but the beauty of eyelash extensions is that they are amazing for everyday wear, and unlike false lashes that you apply with glue (we've all been there, it can get messy and frustrating), a professional applies these individual lashes and the adhesive lasts for weeks!

We can't rave enough about them... if you haven't tried them yet, what are you waiting for?!

Our all-time favorite place to have them applied is Makeup Mandy in West Hollywood... but there are several places that offer them.

On your next salon day, go treat yourself to these bad boys (it's way more gratifying than a mani/pedi, and an even better investment than a pair of new high heels).

Back in Action!

Hey people! After a ridiculously long hiatus, we are BACK! Our blog has been neglected for far too long... we've been so busy planning parties and weddings, we just haven't made any time to blog it up. That's going to change, starting today. See you back here soon!

 

Sunnies for Spring

Spring is officially here! And we are having a hard time holding ourselves back from purchasing any and every fabulous pair of shades we see out there. Check out these amazing styles we're currently coveting...

Chanel

Kate Spade

Prada

Chanel

Dior

Ray-Ban

Stella McCartney

Victoria Beckham

Vintage Pucci

Words for Today

Life has been a bit stressful as of late. Reading these words helps us to stay centered. Hopefully they will speak to you as well. 

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Host A Better Party: Music

Music, music, music. It sets the tone and the mood for every event, no matter how big or small. Consider your guests' taste, the atmosphere you want create for your event, and make sure the music is at the right volume level (quiet enough for people to hear each other at a dinner party, loud enough for people to dance to on a dance floor).

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Weddings + Music

Let's start at the ceremony space. While guests are busy arriving and getting seated (usually a good 30 minute period), consider playing songs/music during this time. It will set a nice ambiance, relax the mood, and it will get people excited for what's to come. If you don't have music playing, the only thing people will hear is the buzz of conversation, which could be slightly boring... and if you're the bride getting your final touches of lip gloss and hairspray in the back/side of the church or near the ceremony site, your nerves are probably a hot mess, so hearing some calming or sweet music will probably help to keep you happy and calm. 

For the procession and recessional, it totally depends on your personal taste. You can pick any songs your heart desires! Classical music, songs that have meaningful lyrics, instrumental versions of any song, live performances/singers, etc. But if the ceremony is at a church, they may have strict rules about using only sacred/religious music, so keep that in mind and make sure you know the rules before the big day--you don't want any surprises thrown your way at the rehearsal! 

As far as the reception goes, the biggest dilemma is DJ vs. live band. It's totally a personal preference, but no matter who you book, make sure you hear their sound and get referrals before you commit. We've been hearing (thanks to Pinterest and the "bridetip") about the option to send out cards with your invitations that give your guests the option to write in a song request for the reception. It's a very cute idea, but it also sounds like a DJ's worst nightmare! A few requests here and there are fine, but if you have 100+ guests all requesting songs, the DJ/band won't have any freedom to do their own thing. Just something to consider...

Dinner Parties + Music

If it's someone else's (or yours!) birthday/anniversary/special day: play the music he/she/they love! Ask the guest of honor beforehand what their favorite songs, bands, albums and genres are, and play that for the celebration! Just make sure to keep the vibe of the overall event in mind... if it's a small dinner party, keep the music low so people can actually converse. If it's a huge gathering, turn up the tunes a bit. 

If the dinner party is just for fun, get some of all the guests' favorite music in there. You can mix it up with a lot of different genres to keep them guessing, or keep it all in the same family (Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, etc. for a wine + cheese party)... just have fun with it!

Music makes every party better. Don't you think?! 

...And We're Back!

We have been SO busy in the past week! We have Glitterati stuff going on, and we have both had our family visiting to help us plan our own weddings. We've had moms, dads and sisters in and out of town and we're finally getting back into the swing of things. Our past week has consisted of work + family + friends + celebration + food, food and more food... and we're not complaining!

Wedding Gowns... we could try them on every day and never tire of it!

Bridal Accessories... so many decisions to make.

Wedding Venues in Palm Springs... Emily is still deciding,
while Morgan has her venue in Hawaii all secured! 

Steak dinners with family, you can never go wrong. 

Lunches at Lemonade... always amazing. 

Videographer Spotlight: Cana VP

No words really even need to be said about Cana Video Productions, a company based out of San Luis Obispo, CA. They have captured weddings of some of our clients, and their work is magical. Check out how they filmed our clients' wedding in NY last year. Epic.

Style Icons

These celebs are always in style. We totally want to play in their closets.

Olivia Palermo // via

Charlize Theron // via

Lauren Conrad // via

Zooey Deschanel // via

Katie Holmes // via

Nicole Richie // via

 

Brooklyn Decker // via

Rachel Bilson // via