The Knot's Top Bridal Beauty Don'ts

I came across this article on The Knot the other day on the Top 13 Bridal Beauty Don’ts.  While most of them are quite simple to avoid, many brides don’t even think of a lot of these. Below are some of the ones that stood out, but you can check out the full article on TheKnot.com.

Don't drink wine or eat dark-colored foods like berries.
Unless you want to capture a stained smile in your wedding photos, you should avoid foods that can tint your pearly whites…

Don't get your first-ever bikini wax just before your wedding.
If you plan to wax your bikini line, begin the process at least three months beforehand -- or face the consequences. "Waxing that area becomes less painful each time, and you'll avoid major pain, swelling, and irritation on your wedding night," says Houston makeup artist Jen Marine.

Don't ingest excess sodium the week before the wedding.
That means no salty foods, sauces, dressings, or salty deli meats. Instead, choose low- or no-sodium everything starting at least seven days before the wedding. "Sodium holds 50 times its weight in water, so you can shed two to five pounds the week before the wedding just by doing this!" says Liz DiAlto of Fit, Healthy and Beautiful in New York City.

Don't sit around in your bra the morning of your wedding.
…this is the best way to avoid those unsightly pink indents on your back and shoulders (especially if you're wearing a strapless dress!)…

Creating a Candy Buffet

I'm a firm believer that weddings and special events should always incorporate something a little sweet. Whether it's a plated dessert, a wedding cake, or a Pinkberry station, guests always look forward to that little touch of sweetness.

The candy buffet is a sweet trend that I see popping up at events everywhere. I always have to use restraint when setting up these delectable displays (the treats always look so good!), which double as favors for your guests.

A candy buffet is quite simple to construct and usually mirrors the colors or theme of your event. Here are some things to consider when constructing yours:

• Drape the candy buffet table with a colorful table linen to set off the display.
• Select 5-10 different kinds of candies that match your event colors or theme.
• Purchase candy in bulk from a retailer like A Candy Store.
• Head to your local craft store or Ikea to purchase clear glass containers at different height levels for each type of candy. (The different container heights will create a more intriguing display than if they were all one level.)
• Make sure the containers you choose have a wide enough opening so guests can access the candy.
• Don't forget to buy candy scoops for the loose candies. For individually wrapped candies, guests can just pick them up with their hands.
• Pick up some small cellophane bags or mini chinese take out boxes for guest to put their candy selections in.

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Fabulous Florals: An Experiment With Floral Design

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to do the decorations for a wonderful Valentine's event hosted by the Michael Ferrera Custom Clothing brand. Held in a private room at the Il Fornaio italian restaurant in Pasadena, this intimate event to discuss love and relationships was a great opportunity to market my new business.

I decided to create a couple floral arrangements for the table centerpieces, and since I've never created floral designs from scratch, this was an excellent learning experience. The pieces turned out great and were a huge hit with the guests. Take a look at some of the picures below.

Downtown wholesale floral district

Prepping the flowers in my kitchen

The final products!

Wedding & Event Beauty Tip: Eyebrow Shaping

While waiting my turn in line to get my eyebrows threaded the other day, I was reminded of an important tip that I'm sure all my fabulous female readers will appreciate.

When preparing for you wedding or event, always schedule your eyebrow grooming appointment for several days before your actual event date. NEVER get your eyebrows waxed or threaded the day of, or day before your big day. Waxing especially causes skin discoloration because it removes the top layer of skin. And, depending on how sensitive your skin is, both procedures can cause mild to severe blemishes and breakouts.

My advice, don't risk it. Schedule your eyebrow treatment for 5-7 days before your event. If you're worried about new growth during that time, simply break out the trusty tweezers. Make sure not to alter the shape of your freshly arched brows; just tweeze the random little hairs that may develop, which should be minimal.

Eyebrows looking fresh several days after threading 

First image via www.ehow.com

Destination Event: Cabo!

After quite a grueling week at the office for my day job as a PR professional, it was a great treat to head down Cabo San Lucas, Mexico for a friend's 30th birthday bash.  I spent the long weekend with 17 other guests, relaxing and celebrating at the beach front Pueblo Bonita Pacifica (an abosuletely AMAZING holistic resort).

Raven, who put the whole event together for her husband, Ian, did a great job planning the weekend and made sure her guests had everything they needed to have a relaxing, worry-free weekend.

Here are a few tips you might consider when planning a destination event or wedding:

• Consider using the services of a travel agent, who can help alleviate some of the tedious work of arranging flight and travel arrangements for your guests.
• You may want to hire a local event coordinator or make use of the hotel's event and concierge services to help plan the event.
• Have welcome bags delivered to your guests' rooms upon, or soon after arrival. Themed bags are great idea. For example, Raven had beach bags filled with a beach towel, flip-flops, sunblock and other trinkets waiting for us on arrival night.
• Host a group dinner for your guests where they can meet and mingle with the rest of the party attendees on you.
• Provide guest with an optional itinerary or recommended list of activities, restaurants and attractions they can experience during their stay. It does not need to be an exhaustive list of everything the destination has to offer, just some ideas.
• Give guests plenty of free time to explore the destination on their own. Sure they're there for your event, but they still want time to relax and enjoy what the city has to offer on their own.
• Make sure you have a list of all your guests names and room numbers, in case you need to contact them. Remember, most guests probably won't have cell phones affixed to their hands for you to contact them on in international locations.

The view from the hotel lobby

Hanging out boatside while Michael Ferrera goes scuba diving

 

Ahhh....

Utterly Engaged Magazine

I'm so in love with the Utterly Engaged online wedding magazine. Though I just discovered it, Utterly Engaged is the first 100% online wedding magazine and is now on it's 7th issue. It provides great wedding tips, images and inspiration on everything from the budget, dresses, cakes, flowers, fitness and so much more. And best of all, it's FREE!!

Support the magazine and check out the ladies of @UtterlyEngaged on Twitter

10 Ways to Save Money on Your Wedding Day

The other day, I was reading this article that a friend sent me on budgeting for a wedding. Given that the average price tag of weddings in the U.S. is inching towards $30,000 (and even more than that if you live in a major metro area like L.A.), the article provided some good information on how to save and plan financially for your big day.

Whether you have $30,000 to put towards your big day or not, here are 10 ways you can cut costs and save money:

1. Cut down the guest list – this is the number one way to cut costs on your wedding day. Typically you’re spending upwards of $100 for every guest that attends a dinner reception.
2. Off-day or off-season wedding - most venues offer reduced pricing for Friday night or Sunday weddings, and even bigger discounts if you have your wedding during the off-season months of November-April.
3. Morning or brunch reception - breakfast and brunch receptions are often less expensive than 3-course dinners. You’ll also save on alcohol cost because people are less likely to drink as much mid-day. 
4. Signature cocktails - selecting a signature drink to serve guests during the cocktail hour can help cut down on bar fees since the caterer/venue will not have to set up a fully stocked bar. Whatever you do, never have a host bar where guests have to pay…it’s just tacky. Do it right, or not at all.
5. Use in season flowers - take advantage of in season flowers for your arrangements. They will cost much less than out of season flowers, that have to be flown in from international locations. Consult with your florist about which flowers are in season during your wedding month. Roses, orchids and gerbera daisies are great options that are always in season. 
6. Use a dummy cake - since bakeries usually charge per serving, try ordering a small cake for the cake-cutting ritual, then serve your guests from frosted sheet cakes. They’re just as tasty, but don’t require the elaborate design and decorations that a full-size wedding cake would. 
7. Wear the same dress the whole night - wearing one dress for the ceremony then a different dress for the reception is becoming more common, but it is definitely not necessary. Pick a dress you love and keep it on the whole night. It will give your guests a chance to admire it up-close at the reception and give your photographer more time to capture the dress you spent so much time and effort selecting. 
8. Book vendors well in advance - reserving your vendors 6-12 months in advance will save you money, and stress in the end. 
9. Standard invitation size - steer clear from oversized and square invitations, or invitations with many inserts. The increased size and weight will increase your postage costs.
10. Online RSVP - set up a wedding website that tracks RSVPs rather than including a traditional RSVP card. Note the link to your website at the end of your invitation which will help save money on stationary and postage cost. (You will also want to include a RSVP number for the few guests without internet access.)