Your Wedding Advice - StrictlyWeddings.com Blog

WendyCityFaces Brings Beauty to the Windy City’s Brides

All brides are beautiful, but Wendy Woodside, a professional makeup artist and licensed esthetician, has the talent and experience to give you fresh, natural makeup that’s classic, glamorous and defined all at once. Her makeup and spa services are performed on location, providing you and your wedding party the personal attention to detail and service all brides deserve. Wendy, along with her team, are passionate about creating a look that suits your personality and style, while at the same time, keeping you looking like you – just better! Wendy brings 25 plus years in the industry with extensive experience in film, television and a BFA in theatre along with a list of celebrity clients such as The Oprah Winfrey Show, Fox News, CBS, ABC, Deborah Norville, Jim Belushi and Bill Kurtis to name a few. Wendy looks forward to making you look and feel FABULOUS!

Visit WendyCityFaces on StrictlyWeddings.com Chicago!

Vintage Brooch Bouquets – Amanda Heer Creates Lifetime Memories

Brides need look no further for something old and something new with Amanda Heer’s Vintage Brooch Bouquets. These exquisite creations are a work of art that any bride would want to add in her wedding.

Amanda, owner of Fantasy Floral Designs, could have never imagined that ten years after her first creative spark to turn her vintage brooch collection into a bouquet, would lead her to where she is at now…handcrafting and selling vintage brooch flower bouquets to brides world-wide! According to Amanda, brides from every country are on the search for brooches, often asking family and friends to contribute. Each bouquet consists of approximately 50 to 60 pins, earrings and pendants – creating a family heirloom that can be treasured for ever.

Many thanks to Amanda for sharing these incredible photos with StrictlyWeddings.com.

Tips to Plan Your Honeymoon

Your honeymoon destination is a personal choice, so here are a few things to consider as you plan your romantic getaway for two:

• Availability. Are you lucky enough to be able to take off two weeks for your honeymoon extravaganza? Maybe just one week? If not, how much time will your work permit you to be gone? With today’s economy, more and more couples are choosing to have honeymoon weekends where they travel to destinations closer to their home town. That way, they can have a relaxing getaway weekend and still be home in time to be back at work monday morning.
• Weather. It is extremely important to research the weather of the location you’d like to visit for your honeymoon. If you choose a tropical paradise, make sure you aren’t going during their rainy or hurricane season. The best thing to do is to research which locations have the best weather during the month you plan to get married and then take it from there. Check out weather.com for the best weather advice.
• Budget. When choosing a location, you must factor in a budget. If you are looking for a way to stretch your dollar, there are many travel sites that offer all inclusive packages to many romantic locations in the Caribbean, Mexico, and South America. These exciting locations can be good for the soul and good for the budget!
• Off Season. Some fancier locations may offer lower prices during their off season. Besides the price, another major advantage to a destination during off season is privacy. During this time, hotels are less crowded, allowing you to enjoy your environment more peacefully. Just know that you are going to be taking a gamble with the weather if you go this route. More and more couples are electing to take advantage of this opportunity and find the gamble well worth the risk.

Jai Girard Photography on StrictlyWeddings.com Chicago

We’ve found a wonderful photograph through Jai Girard to go on our StrictlyWeddings.com Chicago landing page. It’s such a wonderful shot and the Chicago skyline is brilliant. On a fun note, one of our employees saw that image and said “that’s where I proposed to my wife!” Definitely a popular site for the bride and groom!

What is Dancing Between Courses/East Coast Style Wedding?

(David Rothstein is one of StrictlyWeddings.com Chicago partners. He shared this great information with us on Dancing Between Courses)

First let’s define what dancing between courses is. It is used for all weddings on the east coast and amazingly enough called East Coast style. It has become very popular for weddings throughout the country because of the many benefits. The biggest difference isthat the dance orchestra starts at the beginning of dinner instead of after.

Here’s what the overall schedules would look like:

Dancing after Dinner (Mid-West Style)

Schedule Overview:
5:45 – 6:30pm Ceremony Classical Duo (Violin and Piano)
6:30 – 7:30pm Cocktails Jazz Trio (Piano, Bass and Sax)
7:30 – 9:00pm Dinner Jazz Trio Continues
9:00 – 12:00am 10-Piece Orchestra

Ceremony:
___________________________________________
5:45-6:30pm Ceremony Classical Duo

Cocktails:
6:30-7:30pm Jazz Trio

Dinner:
7:30-9:00pm Jazz Trio Continues

7:30pm Doors open (Guests enter ballroom)
Bridal Party Introductions

Flower Girl: escorted by Ring Bearer:

Parents of the Bride:
Parents of the Groom:
Ushers:
Bridesmaids and Groomsmen:
escorted by
escorted by
Matron of Honor: escorted by Best Man

Bride and Groom:

Toasts:
Toast 1:
Toast 2:
Toast 3:
Toast 4:

Blessing Over Meal:

Meal is served

Cake Cutting

Dancing:
9:00-12:00am 10-Piece Orchestra

First Dance:

Father/Daughter Dance:
Mother/Son Dance:
Everyone begins dancing

10:30pm Bouquet/Garter

Dancing Between Courses (East Coast Style)

Schedule Overview:
5:45 – 6:30pm   Ceremony Classical Duo (Violin and Piano)
6:30 – 7:30pm   Cocktails Jazz Trio (Piano, Bass and Sax)
7:30 – 9:00pm   Dinner 10-Piece Orchestra
9:00 – 12:00am Dancing 10-Piece Orchestra Continues

Ceremony:
5:45-6:30pm Ceremony Classical Duo

Cocktails:
6:30-7:30pm Jazz Trio

Dinner:
7:30-9:00pm 10-Piece Orchestra

7:30pm Doors open (Guests enter ballroom)
Bridal Party Introductions

Flower Girl: escorted by Ring Bearer:

Parents of the Bride:
Parents of the Groom:
Ushers:

Bridesmaids and Groomsmen:
escorted by
escorted by
Matron of Honor escorted by Best Man
Bride and Groom:

First Dance:
Father/Daughter:
Mother/Son Dance:
Everyone dances one song

“Ladies and Gentlemen we will have plenty of dancing throughout the evening. In the meantime, please be seated”

Toasts:
Toast 1:
Toast 2:
Toast 3:
Toast 4:

Blessing Over Meal:

Announce

Salad is served Cake Cutting

After Salads is being cleared:
“Ladies and Gentlemen, while you are waiting for your main course we’d like to invite to join us for dancing.”

The Catering Director cues David once the main course is served.
“Ladies and Gentlemen we will have plenty of dancing throughout the evening. In the meantime, please be seated as your main course is being served.”

Dancing:
9:00-12:00am 10-Piece Orchestra Continues

10:30pm Bouquet/Garter

Dancing Between Courses has several huge benefits to the flow of your wedding:

WHAT HAPPENS:
Dance Orchestra starts performing as the door to the ballroom opens.

BENEFITS:
You will make a big impression having a full orchestra playing as your guests come in.

WHAT HAPPENS:
When you are introduced with a standing ovation, you walk right to the dance floor for your First Dance, Father/Daughter and Mother/Son.

BENEFITS:
All the formal dances are completed. After dinner you will have 3 hours of uninterrupted dancing.

WHAT HAPPENS:
Your guests are invited to dance one song.

BENEFITS:
The dancing will jump start your party and put your guests in the mood for a great night.

WHAT HAPPENS:
Guests are invited to dance after the salad course.

BENEFITS:
Instead of sitting at their table with a dirty plate with waiters reaching around them, they can dance to their favorite songs.

WHAT HAPPENS:
The dance orchestra performs for 4 ½ hours instead of 3.

BENEFITS:
You can choose more of your favorite songs.
If toasts are long or the food is running behind, you’re covered.

SUMMARY:
Dancing between courses is a huge advantage to the overall success of your wedding if you can afford it. Think of it as an insurance policy for having an amazing wedding.

Feel free to contact me at my web site below to ask any questions.

David Rothstein
David Rothstein Music, Inc
www.drsmusic.com

Click to view David on video - This is a detailed and helpful video about how dancing between courses actually works. I describe the differences between mid-west style weddings and east coast style.

The Alix&Kelly Collection – Hollywood style goes bridal

Brides and their maids have all the more reason to celebrate now that acclaimed costume designers Alix Friedberg and Kelly Mijailovic have released their collection of classic, luxurious, and affordable dresses designed for more than one-day wear. With 28 years’ combined experience dressing finicky actresses in over a dozen feature films, including Gone Baby Gone , Dan in Real Life, and the upcoming futuristic film Game starring Gerard Butler and Amber Valletta,  Alix and Kelly have refined their keen ability to flatter any woman’s body.

Now they’ve taken their skills from the big screen to the big day.

The alix&kelly collection reflects its designers’ passion for timeless beauty. All garments—from bridal gowns and bridesmaids dresses to flower girl dresses and yes, even the groomsmen’s neckties—are crafted with only the finest fabric. “We pay close attention to the construction, fabrication, and fit of our dresses so that women will want to wear them again and again,” says Alix, who the Hollywood Reporter recently recognized as one of ten people under 35 worth watching.

Though alix&kelly officially launched May, 2008, Hollywood had its hands on the coveted collection long before. The dresses were featured in a December, 2007 episode of The Real Housewives of Orange County and adorned the divas of CSI Miami last March. Though Alix and Kelly love Hollywood’s attention, their biggeest joy comes from helping real brides and maids feel their most beautiful and confident on their big day and beyond.

Bird Cage Wedding Veils

Who started the trend?  Movie stars, of course!

Reese Witherspoon donned one in Sweet Home Alabama, then Grey’s Anatomy star, Katherine Heigl wore a bird cage veil at her 2007 winter wonderland wedding in Park City, Utah. This glamourous star has true old Hollywood style and wore it just shadowing her beautiful eyes for a sultry vintage feel .

Traditional bird cage veils or face veils as they were called in the 1940’s are crafted with either French or Russian netting. French netting has a delicate soft lace feel and Russian netting has a bit more volume and has more pouf. Wearing a bird cage veil is a terrific modern alternative vs. a traditional and often fussy tulle veil. They are great on short hairstyles and are so light they can be easily pinned on.

Wearing it on an asymmetrical angle brings on the air of vintage charm and adds instant style to simple contemporary style wedding gowns. For added kick, add an embellished fascinator of feathers, silk flowers or a fabulous hair gem to it. Depending on your face shape, lash length and shape of bird cage veil you choose, we recommend wearing them above your lips, so there’s no hesitation to your first kiss!

Source: Susan Metropoulos, The Left Bank Jewelry, Chicago, Illinois

New Jenny Yoo Bridesmaid Dresses on StrictlyWeddings.com

So many of you were thrilled to see the very fun dresses by Quail Bridal in our recent post. So we thought we’d let you know that we just posted new images from Jenny Yoo’s collection under our Dallas and Chicago Bridal Fashion category. Shown below are several of those pictures. We love the color! To see more go to the Jenny Yoo web site.

Sinfully Delicious Chocolate for Your Valentine

Chocolatier Katrina Merrem founded NOKA Chocolate with the goal of returning chocolate to its pure, luxurious state by crafting the finest single-estate dark chocolate truffles and chocolates.

Their passion is tasting real chocolate, in its rarest and purest form, unadulterated by vanilla and emulsifiers such as soy lecithin (an ingredient found in almost all other chocolate). NOKA Chocolate has been featured in such magazines as Neiman Marcus’ InCircle, Men’s Health, and Conde Nast’s Traveler. In the United States, NOKA Chocolate is sold exclusively at Neiman Marcus stores.The cost for a 5 piece box is $14.50, 10 piece $24.50 and 20 piece $39.50.

Quail Makes the Bridesmaid the Belle of the Ball

Frumpy shapes, insane frills, and unflattering color choices—such is the fate of many a bridesmaid forced into the traditionally heinous bridal-party dress. Finally, rescuing us from those inevitable wedding woes, Quail designer Michelle Williams has introduced a bridesmaid dress collection that we could actually get some wear out of and won’t be stashed away in a dark closet right after the reception. Her reliably gorgeous and feminine dress designs will appease even the fussiest of bridesmaids like a vintage-inspired florette dress and they are affordable, too. Go to www.quailbridal.com for more info.

Pictured below from her collection –  The Peony Top (left) and The Peony Dress (right)