MAIL BY HAND

These amazing and beautiful card boxes are my new find! Creative Custom Cardboxes is a wonderful little company that handcrafts every box to fit your needs and your style. Born out of a bride's inability to find something elegant and secure for her wedding, these boxes are the perfect answer. They are made of paper mache' and hand painted. Each one is a unique work of art! I love them all. You can learn more about these boxes and read the Creative Custom Cardboxes blog and see for yourself the many designs available.

Photos courtesy of Creative Custom Cardboxes

PRETTY PLEASE: MORE AQUA AND RED

This is such a pretty ring pillow! I should have had it for my earlier post!! It's From Pretty Please, where you may find other goodies for your wedding!

COMIC RELIEF

Road to the Altar episode called Parade of Vendors is really funny! Another episode of the web series that every bride can relate to when planning the perfect day. The stars, Jaleel White (Urkel from Family Matters) and Leyna Juliet Weber from As The World Turns are great as a couple stumbling toward the altar and meeting every imaginable obstacle along the way. I also love the episodes interviewing the wedding planner- the chick with the blue hair-OMG! Here is a synopsis of the show:

Jaleel portrays Simon, a thirty-something man about to tie the knot with his Jewish girlfriend.

“Basically a couple sells their pending nuptials as a reality show to win a honeymoon. And the groom quickly realizes that he is in over his head,” Jaleel told AccessHollywood.com. “She’s not quite a ‘bridezilla’, but the decision making process from the valet to the catering is definitely bringing out his fiancee’s neurosis.”

“Road to the Altar” is shot as a mockumentry, poking fun at the process leading up to a wedding by taking the possibilities to the extreme. The series also allows for the spotlight to be shared, as supporting characters post in-character Tweets and blogs in between episodes, something Jaleel wishes he had been part of.

You really need to watch this! It's funny and inventive and will take the stress of planning away- for a little while!

VARIATION ON A THEME

Since the 4th of July is only a few days away, I decided to put together an inspiration board of red, white and sort of blue! I love the combination of aqua and red or fuschia and teal. What could be better for a summer wedding than these vibrant and festive palettes? Good luck to all of you 4th of July brides getting married this weekend!! And, for you 2010 brides looking for a theme- hope this brings you some inspiration!

CHILD CARE EXTRAORDINAIRE

This is such a fabulous idea! Imagine having a custom designed party for the kids while you enjoy your reception! You don't have to insult family by excluding the little ones and you don't have to worry about where they are or if they are bored. Anywhere Child Care will take care of anyone under the age of 12 with certified child care workers, all with a background check and a first aid certification. So, contact Micah at anywherechildcare@gmail.com and find out how she and her staff can help you take care of your mini wedding guests!!

BEAU- COUP DIVAS

PLUS

EQUALS

Wedding Paper Divas and Beau- coup have joined forces with a new and exciting site called Resourceful Brides! To kick off this wonderful source of information for a bride on a budget, they are having a contest!! All you have to do is go to the site and tell them your best money- saving tip for planning your wedding. The contest runs until July 20, 2009 and the winner receives $1000 to spend on invitations and favors. With this economy, it is nice to have a place to go and get help with where to save money, that makes sense. So many brides try to save money by trying to be all of the vendors and that makes for a stressed out bride and a wedding that doesn't end up being a "dream wedding". Girls, you owe it to yourselves to BE THE BRIDE and let the professionals do the work. But, with sites like this one and help from experts and brides, you can stay in budget and have a perfect day!! So, good luck with the contest and thanks to the Divas and Beau- coup for your help!!

GET MARRIED COMES TO PHILLY...

...and I was included!! Carolyn and I talked about budgets, quick fixes and moms, among other things. It was a real thrill to be involved in Get Married's first trip to the City of Brotherly Love. I tried to get the skinny on who else is going to be on the show, but all lips are sealed! I guess we have to wait until it airs. I will keep you posted. In the meantime, this article written by Colin Cowie is a "must read" for all you brides out there stressing over your wedding!! Stay tuned for more Get Married!

COME MEET DAVID TUTERA

Come to the Morris Museum in Morrisville, New jersey next Thursday, June 25 at 6:30PM and meet David Tutera! He will be hosting an event and speaking on the latest wedding trends. Cocktails and hors d' oeuvres will be served and there will be vendor showcases and gifts from Tiffany and Co. So, call and reserve your space to hear the dynamic David Tutera and enjoy an evening of fun and prizes.
For Reservations, Call 973.971.3713

Fiji
Planning your honeymoon can be as confusing and complicated as planning your wedding. Where to go? What is the weather like? Do I need a passport? These and many other questions can be answered by OneWed's new resource guide to honeymoons. You can plan your honeymoon, your destination wedding, book a cruise or your airline tickets or find a Sandals Resort. It's a good place to start
when you are looking for honeymoon answers.





Maldives







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Italy

A WEDDING ON THE WATER

Tucked away in Bucks County, Pa is a fabulously dreamy location for a wedding! The Lake House has a magnificent view of Lake Nockamixon and a cozy retreat for you and your guests. You will be treated like royalty at this wonderful 1700's inn. When you arrive, the bride and her maids will be whisked away to the bridal suite for hair and make up, as well as champagne, cheese and fruit while you prepare for that elegant walk down the terrace steps to garden and your groom. The boys will be treated to Philadelphia soft pretzels, beer and a garden suite to prepare. Early guests won't be left in the dark either. A cool drink and a view of the lake await as they look to the start of the ceremony. After the ceremony, the guests will be escorted to the lakeside ballroom for a delicious meal prepared by the competent staff of Jeffrey Miller Catering and an evening of dancing and fun. For those overnight guests and the wedding party, an after party at the firepit with wine,beer and snacks and a sumptuous breakfast with the rising sun will round out the perfect weekend and a fairytale wedding. There are so many possibilities at the Lake House Inn and with a sunset ceremony, complete with hundresed of candles leading to the altar and the moon over the lake,what better place to start your life together than this! But wait! There is more!! On Wednesday, June 24th at 7PM, Kate and Glenn Stevens are hosting a Game Show Party! The winner will receive a free wedding!! So, click on over to Lake House Inn for all the details and register to attend. Your dream wedding might be on the horizon! See you there!!.

NEWS AT ROCK PAPER SCISSORS

Rachel, at Rock Paper Scissors is full of news! She has designed a whole new line of Destination Wedding invitations and she is about to launch a new site with a new concept- wooden, engraved invitations. Stay tuned for more news about the new site and look at these incredible pieces for a Hawaiian wedding!

HOLLY AND JAMES AND A WEDDING AT THE BEN

Now, I have to shout out about the vendors for Holly and James' wedding last Friday. I have already told you about the amazing flowers and the effervescent DJ, but there is more! Kristen, at I Do Originals created a beautiful monogram that was painted on a gorgeous aisle runner, a unity candle, a banner for the martini bar and for the corner of these great favors from Festive Fotobooths. I wish I had a photo of the runner. Of course, I can't leave out the beautiful Ballroom at the Ben! These are shots of the Ben lobby- and the beautiful girls, the fotobooth pix and Kristen's monogram on the candle.
































I saved the best for last! Kamila Harris took these incredible photos!! She has a real vision and she enjoyed Holly and James as much as I did! We were both so excited for this wedding and her photos show it! Holly and James just lend themselves to taking pictures of them. They are both very photogenic and adorable! Kamila I love these photos! All of them were taken at The Ben.

























































Thanks to Kamila Harris for the portrait shots here!

HOLLY AND JAMES: A BEAUTIFUL DAY

Last Friday, with all the rain, Holly and James got married! These photos of the absolutely stunning Holly and her lovely bridesmaids are from my phone
( my camera died!) and from candids taken at the wedding by guests. Holly's Marisa gown was the perfect dress for her long and lean figure and her fabulous sense of style! She was a vision, the perfect bride and her sweet disposition and attention to detail made her all the more adorable to me! We had such a good time planning this amazing day and it all happened just as Holly wanted. James was equally as fabulous in his tux with his dark curls and his infectious smile. They are quite a pair and a joy to be around!!




















Holly chose to wear a vintage birdcage with a fuschia feather accent instead of a veil. Can I tell you how she looked like a movie star? Like I said, she has an incredible sense of style. Her shoes were fuschia satin with just a little bling. The girls were dressed in pale yellow dresses with hot pink shoes and pashminas, given to them by the dear Holly as a gift. The flowers- OMG! Brittany, of Petals Lane, did a phenomenal job of bringing to life the vision that Holly had for her flowers! The vibrant purples, fuschias and oranges just wowed everyone at the house when she brought them in. I knew that when I sent Holly and James to Brittany, they were in the right hands!




Are these not two of the cutest babies you have ever seen?! Evey and Quinn did a great job as flower girl and ring bearer!! Evey was so sweet as she went down the handpainted aisle runner from I Do Originals, she stooped down every few steps and placed the petals in her basket on the floor. It was precious- and she is not quite 3. the handsome Quinn, was quite the little man as he walked down the aisle with the maid of honor. She definitely had the most handsome escort!


















The party was a blast! Everyone was up on the dance floor and Steve Croce, of Silver Sound, was right on top of the crowd at every step! He was awesome! From the kids to the college friends of the bride and groom to the grandparents, no one was in a seat for very long. There were some great moments throughout the evening and a surprise or two. Holly had a basket of flip flops for the ladies and a big hamper full of crazy props that everyone really enjoyed- as you can see below. And, at about 10PM the Mummers strutted in to dance with the crowd! If you are from Philly, you know what fun that was!! If not, the Mummers are a huge Philadelphia tradition- come visit on New Years Day!!




























It was a wonderful day for a wonderful couple and a gorgeous wedding all around! It even stopped raining so that Holly and James could go outside for some photos on Chestnut Street. Thanks Holly and James for letting me be a part of your day! You are THE BEST!