Entertaining Sex and the City Style

The movie event of the year is only two weeks away...well, at least according to Sex and the City fanatics like me. As Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha fans across the country get ready for opening weekend of Sex and the City 2 the movie, you can bet that plenty of SATC themed parties are bound to follow. And what kind of Sex and the City fan party planner would I be if I didn't offer a couple ideas for putting on such a fabulous affair.

• Play up the color pink in your decor with fuchsia lighting, table cloths, balloons, flowers or votive candle holders. Black, silver and zebra print are great accent colors, and don't forget to throw around a couple faux diamonds to play up the fab factor.
• Encourage your girls to let out their inner Carrie by asking your guests to come in their fiercest stilettos. You can even add a little competitive fun to the mix by having all the girls vote on their favorite pair.

• What would a SATC party be without Cosmopolitans. Have a Make Your Own Martini station with plenty of vodka and mixers for drinks like Cosmos, Appletinis and Manhattans. Have items like sugar, strawberries, raspberries and lime slices on hand as well to garnish the glasses. If you're mixing drinks up before the movie though, just make sure to cab it over to the theater.
• Hostess With the Mostess has some great templates for Sex and the City embelishments, which make for the perfect napkin holders, cupcake toppers or even place cards. You can print out the templates for free here.
• Send your guests off with a cute little party favor. Perhaps the Sex and the City book, and I <3 NY shirt, pink nail polish, a mini stiletto keychain...

Getting Fit For Your Big Day

Ahh, summer is upon us...my favorite time of year. Not only does it mean beach season, but as the warm California sun begins to make regular appearances, it also means wedding season is in full swing.

Bikinis and brides have more in common than just this shared season. As summer approaches, women all across the country are stepping up their fitness regime to make sure they look flawless, whether they're planning a walk down the boardwalk or a walk down the aisle.

If it's the gown and the garter you'll be donning this summer, why not add a little fun to your calorie burning quest by getting fit with other brides in your area? Last week, I came across BWell Fit's Bridal Fitness Bootcamp and have been pinching myself ever since for not coming up with this great idea first. Just think about it, not only are you guaranteed a great workout, but the benefits of getting fit with other ladies with wedding bells on the brain is a reason to join on it's own. Chances are the woman holding your knees as you do your crunches will have a photographer to recommend, ideas for that DIY centerpiece you've been racking your brain over, or other wedding tidbits to share to make this hour-long workout a lot more bearable.

BWell Fit's Briadal Bootcamp is currently being offered at Mother's Beach in Marina Del Ray, CA. For more information about how to sign up, head on over to their website.

Cake, Cake, and more CAKE!

Fabulous cakes by some of my favorite Southern California cake designers.

I Believe It's Cake

A Pinch of Spirit

Hansen Cakes

Fantasy Frostings

Rossmoor Pastries

Torrance Bakery

Wednesday's Wanderings

My has it been a busy week! As part of my "bill paying" job as PR professional, I'm working to produce an exciting event for a group of mommy bloggers next week in Laguna Beach -- which means some long hours in the office over the next few days. As I write this post I'm sitting in bed with my eyes getting heavier by the second, so here's a lil something to hold you over until we meet again:

I have to give a big thank you to Life Purpose Coach and Bride-To-Be Nailah Blades of Polka Dot Coaching for featuring me and Fabulously Ever After in her new "Rock Star Squad" blog series. Polka Dot is a great resource for all you 20-something ladies out there working towards living life on your own terms. Check out the feature here. 

How could I forget to mention. Last week my first guest blog post went live on Marriage.com, where I offered a few pointers on planning the perfect destination wedding.

And, don't forget to enter for your chance to win more than $2000 worth of free wedding planning services from Fabulously Ever After!

"The real act of marriage takes place in the heart, not in the ballroom or church or synagogue. It's a choice you make - not just on your wedding day, but over and over again -- and that choice is reflected in the way you treat your husband or wife." - Barbara De Angelis

Your Fabulous Affair...On Us!

"Tis better to give than receive." Well, this month I'm in a giving mood! And you, my wonderful readers, are on the receiving end. Fabulously Ever After is offering FREE wedding planning services to a lucky reader in the Southern California area! Yes, you heard right..FREE!

Valued at more than $2000, the Fierce wedding package is perfect for the couple that has taken care of some of the preliminary details on their own, but still needs assistance planning in the months leading up to the wedding, as well as full coordination on the actual wedding date so you can relax and enjoy your special day.

Sound too good to be true, well it's not. There's no catch. We simply want the pleasure of being involved in your big day and the challenge of helping you make your wedding dreams a reality.

Want to be considered? It's easy. Send an email to contest{at}fabulouslyeverafter{dot}com with the following information by Friday, May 28:

1. Couple's Name
2. Wedding Date & Location
3. Wedding Budget
4. In 50 words or less, tell me why you need my help. You can be creative, funny, frank...as long as tell me why you need me.
5. A picture of the lovely couple

The Fabulously Ever After team will review the entries and announce the winner on Monday, May 31.

If you're not getting married, surely you know someone who is, so spread the word!

***UPDATE***

Fabulously Ever After is now teaming up with professional photographer Kristen Simental to offer free wedding planning services AND wedding photography to a lucky couple in the Southern California area. That’s more than $4000 worth of free wedding day services!

So, in addition to the Fierce wedding planning package from Fabulously Ever After, the winner will also get the following photography services generously donated by Kristen:

• Up to 6 hours of photography coverage
• All high-resolution digital images delivered on a disc at 300 DPI, ready for printing
• Online viewing of selected images provided for you, family and friends in a private, password protected gallery
• A separate engagement shoot
• All high-resolution image files on DVD

It doesn’t get much better than this folks. We’ve extended the entry deadline through Friday, May 21st, so get those entries in now!

Ask A Planner: Say Yes to the [Pre-Owned] Dress

Recently, a follower of our Facebook Fan Page asked us to do a post on alternative wedding dress options. Now we're not talking about alternatives like walking down the aisle in your bikini here (though I think that could be a fabulous option for a beach wedding), but rather alternatives to shelling out the Benjamins for a dress you're only going to wear once. This must be the theme of the week because Broke Ass Bride just did a great post on the same topic.

Whether you want to believe it or not, there are many alternatives to that couture Pnina Tornai gown you see on Say Yes To The Dress every week (the new season just started on Friday by the way!). One option is to buy a preowned gown. It's kind of like buying a certified used vehicle. These gently used dresses look spankin' new in most cases, have minimal wear (usually less than 10 hours), but cost a fraction of the price - we're usually talking around 50% off.  Sites like Recycled Bride, Bravo Bride, Wedding Dress Market and the like all have great options, like this gorgeous Kenneth Poole for Amsale dress, originally $4700, for only $2500. I'm tempted to buy it myself right now, but Prince Charming might get a little freaked out if he finds a wedding dress in my closet before he's even proposed. 

Kenneth Poole for Amsale

Just like you rent a car for your weekend road trip, you can do the same for your wedding dress as well. Stores like Bella Bridal in Los Angeles rent gorgeous gowns, sometimes even ones that are brand new! The saving will be even greater than buying a preowned dress...rental gowns usually cost less than $1000.

If  buying or renting aren't your thing though, don't count out stores like David's Bridal or the Bridal Salon at your local Macy's department store. If you thought these stores offered tacky or out of season dresses, think again. In fact, David's Bridal just announced they'll be launching a new line designed by Vera Wang, which will retail from $600-$1500.

David's Bridal

So now that you know your options, don't be afraid take advantage of them. Just think of everything you can do with a few extra $$$ in your pocket - reception centerpieces, that dessert bar you wanted, airline tickets for your honeymoon....you get the point.

Celebrating Life!

You don’t have to be heading towards the altar anytime soon to live Fabulously Ever After. You can incorporate fabulous elements into all types of life’s celebrations – whether it’s a baby shower, birthday bash, engagement party or a shindig for no good reason at all - and I’m here to help you do that. 

Today, I came across a spectacular post on Hostess With The Mostess showcasing a contemporary urban baby shower (pictured below). The décor was absolutely stunning and looks nothing like what most people expect from a baby shower. It simply serves as a reminder to be creative, think outside the box and incorporate elements into life’s celebrations that make them uniquely you.

Google Docs Wedding Planning Templates

In an ideal world, all soon-to-be brides would have their very own wedding fairy godmother. She would be free, handle every detail of planning and executing the wedding, and when she appeared out of thin air, a small briefcase full of money to grant the bride's every wish would come with her.

Well, unfortunately, this is not an ideal world. So, for those brides who can't hire a wedding fairy godmother wedding planner, here's a tool that might make staying organized and on budget a little easier.

You've all heard of Google Docs, but what you may not have known is that Google Docs has a whole set of templates just for weddings. From budgets and guest lists to timelines and seating charts...just head over to docs.google.com/wedding to browse through the available templates.

Just remember, while the templates are great, they certainly don't replace a wedding fairy godmother. I come with all the above...minus the briefcase full of money. If you're wondering what about the free part, we'll get to that in an upcoming post ;)

Trend Alert: Ring Bowls

If you're looking for a cute way to incorporate your wedding bands into your march down the aisle, but just aren't feeling the traditional ring bearer pillow, I've got just the thing for you. Ring bowls are becoming one the season's hottest wedding ceremony accessories.

The bowls, which can be inscribed with the couples name and wedding date or pretty much anything else you desire, are perfect for the pair who want to add a modern and personalized twist to a traditional wedding custom.

And after its served its purpose for your wedding, the ring bowl makes for a great keepsake to display around your home or even to store your wedding bands in at night.

PalomasNest on ETSY (pictured here) has dozens of great options to choose from.

Ask A Planner: Keeping Uninvited Guests Off Your RSVP

Dear Fabulously Ever After,

I’m getting ready to send out invites for my summer wedding but have a small concern. I’m afraid that some invited guests will see the invitation and assume that their entire household is invited, instead of just the adults the invite was intended for. I have a fixed number of seats for the wedding and reception and want to make sure that only the invited guests RSVP for the event. Any tips?

Dear Bride-To-Be,

I’m so glad you asked this question because this is a frequent concern for brides and grooms. I’ve seen situations where five people RSVP to an invitation, when the invite was actually only intended for two. It’s also not unheard of for someone to add a “plus one” to their RSVP when only one was really invited in the first place.

Nothing is worse than having to inform someone who RSVP'd for your wedding that they actually weren’t invited after all. So, as you prepare your invites, keep the following points in mind to prevent this from happening:

The outer envelope for your invitation should make it very clear who the invitation is intended for and who is invited. So, for example, if you want to invite the whole Jones family, your invitation should be addressed to Mister and Misses Jones and Family. If only Mr. & Mrs. Jones are invited, the wording should simply say Mister and Misses Jones.

It is always polite to give single guests the option of bringing a date. So, if your friend Ashley Smith is welcome to bring the new guy she’s dating, the invitation should be addressed to Miss Ashley Smith and Guest. But, if only Ashley is invited because you want to use this opportunity to set her up with your fiancée’s handsome cousin, simply address the envelope to Miss Ashley Smith.

Regardless of the how the invitation envelope is addressed, you still may have some not so savvy wedding goers that think they can bring a date or their children. If you’re still concerned you can also use the RSVP card to reinforce who is invited. Consider the following layouts:

We have reserved___ seat(s) in your honor.

M__________________________________

__Accept with pleasure

__Decline with regret

OR

M__________________________________

____of _2_ accept with pleasure

These recommendations should have you covered. However, in the off chance that someone you invited still RSVPs for an uninvited guest, this is where your wedding planner comes in. Your planner will respectfully and kindly call your guest to inform them that while the bride and groom would love to celebrate their day with the entire Jones family, unfortunately only blank number of seats have been reserved for them.

Good luck!

Zoe'
Fabulously Ever After