Your Wedding Advice - StrictlyWeddings.com Blog

Jai Girard – Wedding Photographer Bends Creative Curve

Jai Girard has for years been described as the most innovative and talented wedding photographer in Chicago. Booked as much as two years in advance, she shows an unrelenting desire to bend the creative curve so that every picture becomes not just a chronicle of an event but the capture of a memory that will last a lifetime. She dedicates herself to finding the unique excitement between a bride and groom, has been a pioneer in urban realism, and is known for her unique understanding of the understated simplicity of a wedding’s emotion.

StrictlyWeddings.com is thrilled to add Jai as one of our Chicago partners. Visit her page on StrictlyWeddings.com or her web site.

Valentine’s Bridal Promotion – Carolina Herrera – Highland Park, Dallas

Carolina Herrera Higland Park Village is having a Valentine’s bridal promotion on February 12th, 13th and 14th in store. We will have samples on sale for various discounts, we will have one of a kind samples from the Spring 2010 collection that are not available for order and we will be giving 10% off new orders. Please call Allison Presser at 214-219-6060 to be on the list. First come basis.

Photo courtesy of Carolina Herrera Highland Park Village, Dallas, Texas

Sedona – A Honeymoon with Beauty and Serenity

Your StrictlyWeddings.com post is coming straight from the majesty of Sedona, Arizona.

As I’ve toured Sedona and hiked many, many miles in the beauty of the Coconino National Forest, it made me realize what a wonderful honeymoon this could make for just the right kind of couple.

The Sedona honeymoon couple needs to love fresh, crisp air (so clean there is no overwhelming fragrance), the outdoors …as there is an abundance of beautiful places to hike where you go from semi-aired foliage to forests of pine, cedar and more and appreciate the history of a great land. Although we didn’t endulge, there are so many spas you don’t know which to choose!

I dropped into the tourist center and picked up some information on Weddings…seems like there are a lot of weddings in this place. It has a lot to do with the overall spirituality of Sedona and it’s location. Yet it could just as easily make for a memorable honeymoon.

We stayed in a very nice and comfortable Hampton Inn, but there are expensive resorts and cabins by the river in Oak Creek Canyon (5 minutes away). We had several great breakfasts at the Airport restaurant on top of a Mesa – tasty and affordable w/ a great view. Splurged a few times for dinner (must reward ourselves for all those calories we hiked off!). And enjoyed window shopping (and buying a few things) and looking at the various native arts and paintings.

There are side trips close by to Flagstaff, the old mining town of Jerome and other adventures to be found. Personally, your best bet is to go when the weather is cooler (we actually had snow on one of our hikes!). So it’s a perfect honeymoon destination from January through April.

Photos courtesy of my iPhone.

• Sedonna Luxury Weddings & Events
• Bliss Extraordinary Floral
• WeddingsinSedona.com
• SedonaWeddingCakes.com
• Sedona Tourist Center

Fairytale French Wedding Courtesy of The Left Bank Chicago

When our ideas and creativity are challenged, we look to our partner at The Left Bank in Chicago and their Everything But The Dress Blog for ideas they’d like to share with our readers. Once again, they came through. Below is their dream French wedding:

As avid Francophiles, we would love to host a fairytale French wedding. Become a true princess bride and rent a luxury French chateau in the heart of the Loire Valley, just two hours outside Paris.  The Chateau de Guerinet is a breathtaking castle filled with spectacular French  architectural details. If you’ve ever dreamt of a wedding in France, you must set your eyes on this property that offers amazing rentals for an intimate French wedding.

Here are our picks for must wear jewelry to your French Wedding.

Our exclusive “Les Beaux” tiara

The Parisienne Chandelier Earring

The Duchess Cuff Bracelet

For other jewelry ideas, please visit their web site to view their beautiful Wedding Jewelry. You also have the convenience of purchasing online!

Here at StrictlyWeddings.Com, we are loving the Butterfly Theme for your Big Day

Who would have thought that butterflies are a hot trend for spring and summer weddings? But one of our own, Jordan Payne of Jordan Payne Events said that the trend began in 2009, but it’s “really” going to be hot for spring and summer weddings in 2010.

At getmarried.com we found this advise on the “butterfly theme.”

… keep the looks light and colorful. If you are having your wedding based on all kinds of butterflies, choose pastel or bright colors for the bridesmaid dresses. Should you prefer a certain kind of butterfly over others (like a Monarch), then choose colors based on that (shades of orange and black).

Accent colors on bridal gowns are becoming trendy. Choose one with light sparkles or a sash or ribbon to complement the wedding colors. Tiaras with rhinestone butterflies are a beautiful touch to a bridal hairstyle. Jewelry for the bride and bridesmaids easily incorporates a butterfly theme:

• Pendant necklace (James Avery has a lovely butterfly necklace in sterling and gold)
• Hair clips
• Charm bracelets
• Stud earrings or dangles with butterflies

The flower girl dress offers the most options for incorporating a butterfly theme. You may find some little girls’ dresses that have butterflies embroidered on them, or choose a simple white dress and place wings on your girls’ backs.

Men’s clothing should match the bridal party colors as well. Informal wedding attire might include a tie that features butterflies. More formal wedding attire could do traditional tuxes, but have a small cloth butterfly pinned into the boutonniere.

Ceremony Decorations

• Have the butterfly theme worked into your ceremony decorations and accessories.
• Have invitations and programs printed that incorporate butterflies on the front cover.
• Use a unity candle that has butterflies incorporated into the large middle pillar.
• Fabric butterflies can be wired into virtually any floral arrangement

Butterfly Wedding Cakes

• Using a wedding cake topper that has butterflies in it is an easy way to put butterflies on your wedding cake.
• You could also have your decorator make gumpaste or royal icing butterflies and affix them to your cake.
• Place sticks with butterflies on the top into cupcake wedding cakes.

Make a more unique centerpiece by having a butterfly net hang from the ceilings down over the tables (be sure to check with your reception site for rules regarding ceiling hangings). Have fake butterflies affixed to the sides of the netting and “hanging” in the center of the net using a wire.

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We found a few additional ideas for the Butterfly wedding theme:

Release live butterflies at your wedding - Wish Upon a Butterfly, Amazing Butterflies; Swallowtail Farms
Butterfly Wedding Accessories

And if you’d like to find examples of Butterfly Weddings just search Google! You will be amazed (or at least we were)!

This image came from WedSmack.com under Favorite Ideas