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The fashions, colors, destinations, decor, entertainment, and exclusive elements that will make your 2012 wedding a spectacular success you and your guests will remember for a lifetime.

Download PDF – Fabulous Forecast Wedding Trends

Fashion
Three L’s: long sleeves, lace, and ladylike. Vampires and Royals are the trends in 2012 with sleeves and lace on the wedding dress. Alfred Angelo has done a knock-off of Twilight’s lead character, Bella Cullen’s, Breaking Dawn wedding gown by Carolina Herrera, and there are Kate Middleton-inspired looks everywhere, like Monique Lhullier’s Spring Collection.

A return to formal ladylike elements like hats and gloves are making a comeback. A headpiece by JNH Designs is a yummy way to complete the wedding ensemble with vintage style.
JNH Designs, nicole.hillsd@aol.com

Colors
Colors for spring and early summer 2012 will be: Yellow in all shades, especially canary. Other colors will include Tiffany blue, hyacinth, ink/ midnight blue, grass, orangeade, poppy, geranium, and honey. Ivory and white bridal parties are in (a la Kardashians).

Jewelry
Grandmother’s pearls remain timeless, but brides will be donning less traditional bridal jewelry in 2012. Think investment pieces that have a life beyond the big day like a gorgeous Todd Reed set that offer a personalized and unexpected edge to the long white dress and the Stella & Dot necklace lends high style to a simple cut frock. The year will also feature more rose gold wedding bands and raw diamonds.
www.toddreed.com
www.stelladot.com/carolinelarocca

Colored shoes, jeweled bouquets, unmatched bridesmaids dresses and other delights
Personal style overshadows tradition more than ever. Brides are escaping what “you have to do” and replacing it with what they “want to do”. Etiquette? Whatever feels right is the answer, just as long as it makes sense and everyone involved is comfortable. There are no rules except to reflect and enhance the personal style of the couple getting married, and to stay true to their wedding dreams and desires. The information and opinion overload from family members, friends, and even the industry can be overwhelming and can stress a bride out in no time. Stay focused on your desires and stay healthy by eating nutritious foods and moving your body everyday!
Photo by William Mahone
www.insightphotos.biz

Professional Makeup
How many times have you heard, ”All you have left are the pictures”? Well, darling, besides memories, it’s true. So make sure everyone in your wedding party is photo ready with a professional make up session, and without question for the bride. Everyday makeup just doesn’t have the impact to stand up to the camera. Additionally, a makeup artist has the talent and training to hide blemishes, uneven skin tone, and bring out the most beautiful you with techniques learned from experience.

Rising star artist Christin Burdette styles wedding parties all over the East Coast and can remain throughout the day to keep you looking fresh and fabulous.
www.christinburdette.me
Photo by William Mahone
www.insightphotos.biz

Destination Weddings
Whether it is a dreamy Venetian castle like Villa Foscarini Cornaro in Italy, a luxury Virginia mountain retreat like Primland, or a gentile estate in the South with Jefferson cups and magnolias, destination weddings are growing by leaps and bounds. When the wedding magically morphs into a festive getaway for your nearest and dearest, it becomes more of a memory. Nobody likes goodbyes, so why not spread the celebration over a few days away from home, and party with your posse all weekend long?
www.primland.com
www.villafoscarini.com

Decor
2012 brides don’t just hire the local florist. Wedding day decor has morphed into an experience that encompasses much more than fresh flowers. Customized table linens, ambient lighting, lounge areas, and complete room transformations have taken the place of the table centerpiece of days gone by. The fact is this does not have to mean extravagant. With so many decor options, brides can choose to invest in certain elements to make a statement, such as a luxe table linen with a very simple centerpiece. This still makes an impact on the tablescape without breaking the bank. Brides will also opt to invest in a single high impact focal point, balanced with simple less expensive elements. *Birdcage is an exclusive design by www.carolinelarocca.com
Photo by William Mahone
www.insightphotos.biz

Interactive Elements
Guests can expect more than the first dance and the bouquet toss to engage them at the wedding reception these days. Photo booth rental is at an all time high and will only grow over 2012. Guests get to dress up, let loose, cut up and engage in some serious bonding at the photo booth. Weddings, after all are MEANT to be fun!
www.i-entertainment.net

Foods
More sit down dinners with fewer guests, but with longer and more elaborate cocktail hours and midnight snacks served while people are dancing. Snacks will include mini PB&Js, sliders, cookies and milk, and freshly popped corn. We see a lot of creative packaging at the cocktail hour as well like as dim sum served in mini-Chinese take out containers.

Reception Entertainment
More and more brides are going for bands and DJs. The DJ plays when the band breaks, and the atmosphere morphs from elegant to clubby with club music and unique mixes.

Creative Lighting
Ambient and mood lighting is no longer a luxury; it’s a necessity. Creative lighting has been in fashion now for at least ten years in the wedding industry, but almost never a line item on the budget worksheets and checklist you see in so many publications, and often a surprise to brides. That changes now. Nothing impacts a room like ambient lighting. Without it, you are stuck with institutional room lighting, or if you are in a tent no lighting. Let there be ambient light!

What’s out:

• Signature drinks. Who wants to be forced to drink a concoction called an “I’m Yours,” when all they really want is a Grey Goose and tonic?
• Table names. It’s as difficult to find the “Machu Picchu table” in a ballroom of 36 tables in dim lighting as it is to find the actual pre-Columbian Incan site. It’s much easier and simpler to find Table 12.
• Matchy-Matchy colors. No more bridesmaids dresses matching tablecloths or specific colors for the event. More brides are going with colors and styles that make the most sense in their chosen venue—i.e. if the carpet is burgundy and green swirl, no more pink and purple stripe tablecloths and flowers.
• Bridal party head tables. But darling, tables are definitely in.

So, as the expedient, intelligent, Divinely Modern Bride that you are, why not get a a little step up on the planning before he even asks?  I tell all my wedding planning clients, “Don’t do ANYTHING until you meet with me!”  Not because I’m a control freak (I am but it doesn’t apply here), but because with 20 years of wedding planning experience, my job is to find you the perfect style, the perfect blend of wedding professionals who have a symbiotic relationship to bring you the most cost effective and customized event that reflects you 110%.  The industry pressures brides to act now, buy this, order those, reserve these NOW or it will be too late!  And the industry is really good at it.  So brides sometimes end up hiring a photographer who is sub par only because he is on the venue’s list and they feel compelled to make a quick decision.  I have seen it happen! I have seen lost deposits on dresses because it wasn’t just the right one, double charges because the the bride didn’t realize that the DJ could have offered the same lighting package that she hired another vendor for, and disgruntled guests because there was not enough attention devoted to a realistic time line and they ended up waiting forever for the doors to the ballroom to open long after the cocktail food ran out.

So, while I feel passionately about hiring a wedding planner and designer, here are a few tips to get you started, just in case you want go commando with your own bad self…

1. Be flexible with your date. For some reason brides place their weddings RIGHT AFTER graduation, or two months before their brother’s wedding, or the DAY AFTER her fiance is discharged from serving our fine country.  WHY??!!!!  Why bring on more stress? Choose a date that gives you enough time to plan (preferably about a year), and that’s not crowded with other major life events. Once you choose a month, give yourself a few date options that month so if you find the venue of your dreams, there will be more chance of availability if you are flexible.

2. Say yes to the dress. But not until you choose a venue. Dress shopping is so much more effective when you can visualize yourself in the dress on the wedding day.  If you fall in love with a charming mountain winery, you may want to rock a vintage style antique lace sheath, but if you choose the grand ballroom of the Grand Plaza, you’ll be channeling Princes Diana with beads and a cathedral train.

3. Ask efficient questions. When you meet with professionals, you’ll most likely get a sales pitch, and then a close.  But it turns me on more than anything when brides ask challenging questions! It gives me a chance to shine as the professional that I am…and all your potential professionals should be up to this!  The right questions at the inception of planning prevents disappointment later on! Ask the band how many breaks they take and how often, and if they expect a meal and what they charge for overtime.  Ask the venue how late your guests can stay.  Ask the caterer if you can have leftover food wrapped up or if health code regulations prevent them from doing this.  Ask the venue if you are responsible for trash removal and clean up. Ask the venue if they place out place cards or if you need to designate someone for that.  Ask the photographer if they bring an assistant, what time they arrive, and how late they stay and when you will receive your proofs. Ask the makeup artist how long she takes to complete each face. Ask the florist if they will be pinning on boutonnieres and corsages or if you need to designate someone for that. And once you get the answers you want, put it all in writing!  Most importantly, assume nothing! I have no empathy for brides who feel slighted because a vendor did not meet their assumptions. It’s YOUR responsibility to ask for what you want.

4. For the DIY Bride. You are so resourceful, you Divinely Modern Bride! You are taking advantage of the numerous do-it-yourself tips and info for today’s frugal bride.  That is awesome.  But here’s a little advice: Think it through and be realistic about exactly what you can do.  DIY takes A LOT of preparation and help.  As wedding designer, I have had brides say that some friends are coming to string lights in the tent at 4pm, to save money. Ok, so I’m there delivering wedding flowers with my crew and two friends show up.  They ask the venue owner and one of my crew members how the bride wants them hung.  No idea. No one was told.  Then they ask for a ladder.  Then they ask for some extension cords. Another bride said, I want to provide all the table votives and candles to save money.  So someone shows up two hours before the reception with two shopping bags and drops them in the ballroom.  I happen to find them.  It takes one of my crew members ONE HOUR AND A HALF to UNWRAP and place and light all the candles in the right places.  So please dear bride, if you are going to do it yourself, think about designating the right people for the right jobs.  I promise you, you will have no time to do any decor yourself on the wedding day, so those that you designate must be given the proper information and the proper tools, WAY in advance.

5. Don’t scrimp on makeup and hair. It pains me to look at wedding pictures and seeing two bridesmaids with great makeup and two others with pasty complexions and frizzy blowouts, and knowing these photos are memories for a lifetime.  Invest in a trip to the spa on the day of the wedding.  It’s the BEST gift you can give your bridesmaids, trust me, it’s so much better than a monogram necklace or  pair of garnet earrings. It’s girl fun, it’s a happy memory, it’s camaraderie, and it’s an excuse to drink champagne.  Top it off by having your photographer come out and shoot you and your BFF’s in spa robes…how often do you get a shot of the girls all together in their bliss!

6. Stay positive.  Keep it real. Don’t stress. Stay true to your desires. Laugh a lot. Let your beauty shine through.

Rashida and Adriennes’ wedding had so many unique components that attracted me to it as the wedding planner and wedding flower designer.  Ok, “attracted me to it” is a masterpiece of an understatement.  Let’s say the second I found out they were engaged, I would have moved mountains to have some role in this wedding.  And thankfully, the universe brought it…and them… to me via the referral of some mutual friends.  One of the things that turns me on so much about being a wedding planner is the PEOPLE.  I am selective about the couples I work with.  I want them to be as enthusiastic, passionate, and excited about their wedding as I am about my job as wedding planner and designer.  I want to hear their dreams and desires, know their vision, learn their likes and dislikes…so that I can create and execute a TOTALLY customized event for them.

Ok, so enough build up.  Let’s get to the meat of this.  This wedding was especially close to my heart because it was to take place during the same weekend as the Worldwide Sister Goddess Reunion in Miami Beach in November.  Intrigued yet?:)  Real quick background: This is the annual reunion of an organization called the School of Womanly Arts, a New York based movement that is centered on empowering women to live their fullest most extraordinary lives.  Women from all over the world attend the NYC offerings of the school, and the Miami event is a gathering of women from all over the world who have participated in the school for years to those who just want to drop in and see what the hype is all about. It was during the 2009 reunion weekend that Rashida’s gorgeous intoxicating charm caught the attention of Adrienne, who had just signed up to see what the excitement was all about. Fast forward to NYC a few months later, Adrienne dropping rose petals and arranging carriages in Central Park, and popping the question with a rock that would make any girls’ heart jump up and down screaming YES! But most importantly, it was Rashida jumping, weeping, laughing, and saying YES.

They booked me in July for a November wedding and my mission was to plan their dream day in the midst of the reunion where they met one year ago.  So I had a few missions: make sure the wedding doesn’t lost in the midst of the reunion; make sure the reunion doesn’t get lost in the midst of the wedding, personalize their dream day in the midst of a party for 300 people.  For starters, THANK GOODNESS their colors were pink, pink, and pink because those just happen to be the official colors of the reunion. Part of the weekend’s activities is the “Pink Party”.  This was where the reception was to be incorporated.  So…I just made it a bit PINKER than usual, by installing a pink LED light wash in the room at the National Hotel, installing pink sheer fabric treatments in the doorways, placing pink votives everywhere, pink linens, and of course pink flowers.  This is historically a late cocktail party with no food, but we just had to “weddingize” it a bit so I brought in Cupcake Couture from Delray Beach with a tower of cupcakes designed with pink bustiers, flowers, fleur di lys…so cute, and the taste test winner from our cupcake tasting tour of Miami back in August!  They wanted a wishing well for gifts of money and inspirations, so I brought in my gorgeous flamboyant BIRDCAGE brimming with feathers, orchids, and roses, and filled with pink rose buds.  Complete with a performance  our own gorgeous burlesque sweetheart Mary a.k.a. Kitty Cavalier, we danced the Pink Party right on into the after party at Karma.

However…the ceremony was the element of the day that Rashida and Adrienne had to OWN. That thirty minutes had to be the most sacred, gorgeous, personal, loving, amazing celebration of the entire weekend for them. Everyone would attend…but amidst all the parties, lectures, dinners, spa escapes, and get togethers of the weekend..THIS WAS THEIRS.  And I had to plan that celebration and create that space.  What a gift.  I was humbled and honored.  After a day of driving around Miami with them back in August for our planning venture, I got to know them well.  I sat with Rashida’s beautiful son Rashad in the back seat and I watched the couple communicate, ponder, dream, bicker, love, and laugh, all the while negotiating Miami traffic.  I knew that at the ceremony Rashida was going to shine with radiance and that Adrienne was going to speak with eloquence leaving not a dry eye on the beach.  I knew that friends and family would have a sacred role.  I knew the the energy level would be so high that couples would want to clutch one another in awe of the love that brought them together and singles would leave with a new found hope for the dream of unconditional love that is just a whisper away. That all happened.

My canvas was a 40′x80′ space on Miami Beach, behind the National Hotel, at 7pm, on a November night, lit only by the moon. I kept the elements simple but of the highest quality. Lighting was the most important element…so the space would come to life.  With the help of a genius lighting friend, we used four high powered fixtures–two lit the space, and two spotted the bridal party area…so everyone could see the superstars. Music was key.  A kick ass sound system was brought out to the beach, and we played a list lovingly chosen by Rashida and Adrienne  that included Brian McKnight, Luther Vandross, Aretha Franklin, Pure Soul, and Prince. I created the ceremony backdrop with a simple column treatment enhanced with very luscious and sensual floral designs.  It was meant to frame the couple and finish the space and that it did. And the pink aisle runner was a dream to walk on. My only little cheat was the battery operated pillar candles on the aisle.  Rashida so wanted candlelight and that was the ONLY way they would stay lit on a breezy beach. And of course, with a night time beach wedding, I needed a photographer who I knew could shoot with the utmost precision and talent, so I brought in Bill Mahone who knocked it out the park…

Jill Fredal Rogers, creator of the Seven Sacred Steps was so beautifully profound as the officiant. LaTonia Taylor, creator of Rebirth International, performed the most gorgeous Libation Ceremony which incorporated the past, ancestors, and history into this marriage to continue those legacies. Adrienne recited a poem that she had written that was so heartfelt and perfect, not once losing Rashida’s gaze as she spoke it.  To quote just one line, “I am grateful for the eternal mark you have left on my soul”.  Adrienne’s best friend Annabelle stood close as her honor attendant and Rashida’s sister Charise so gracefully held her sister’s space.  Rashida’s son, Rashad’s face was shining with excitement.  But the guests…never did I a see a throng of wedding guests so engaged, so enthused, so involved, so present. They leaned in and grasped every word.  They watched with awe. They wept, they laughed.

At the close of the ceremony, some guests walked off quietly, some remained and viewed the love and laughter of family pics. But every guest left with a gift… a little dose of the divine, genuine, gorgeous, and simple, true meaning of love.

Yet, sometimes with all the pressures of the wedding industry, it’s hard to hear that little voice, that inner clock. The one that tugs at you in the most critical moments.  Sometimes it’s the one we ignore. Yet, it’s the one we almost always regret ignoring.

My book is about rising above those pressures, and staying true to what you want, especially as you approach your wedding.  So here’s a little look a what is to come, Divinely Modern Bride. This is an abridged teaser of Chapter 2, Rockin’ the Rock. Enjoy! And I’ll keep you posted on the release!

Rockin’ the Rock

My mother says I didn’t open my eyes for eight days after I was born, but when I did, the first thing I saw was an engagement ring. I was hooked. Elizabeth Taylor

It’s real! You are engaged! You can’t keep your eyes off the rock as you are driving, working out, clicking your keyboard, hailing a cab. You are awestruck when the stone catches the sunlight and shines like fire. You have suddenly become more expressive with your hands, especially your left hand. Your new photo pose always seems to include the back of your left hand. You are on top of the world.
It is now time to begin PLANNING YOUR WEDDING. You are a smart woman. This should be a cinch.  The 21st century Divinely Modern Bride has conquered much larger tasks than planning a wedding. She finished graduate school third in her class; she made partner in her firm before turning 28; she teaches quantum physics on the college level; she is an editor at Harpers; she manages employees twice her age; she co-founded a wildly successful web based business. So why does planning a wedding seem so overwhelming?

Because it is. Before that rock even takes on the warmth of your body heat, it feels like everyone under the sun who has anything to do with weddings, is pressuring you to buy this, order that, try those, and reserve these. You are told that you must set a date right away and if you don’t order your dress by a certain date, you’ll never get a dress. You are told that you better make a decision fast, or your date will get booked by some other bride. You are deluged with timelines, dates, and deadlines. But you are a divinely modern bride…so you will shut out all of those voices and pressures and find some silence (perhaps during a lovely massage or facial).  
When you arrive at that silent, sacred place that is yours alone, listen to your own voice. The one that all women have, the one we sometimes allow to get drowned out by all the other voices.  I promise she’s in there.  She’ll guide you on exactly how to go about planning your divinely modern wedding. She told you to buy this book, so she knows what she talking about, trust me.

Now, just like you visualized  and put yourself and all your senses into the marriage proposal back in Chapter 1, you are going to that same place with your wedding.  What season do you want it to take place in? Are you seeing a crisp sunny winter day?   You in that vintage fur stole you always dreamed about, bridesmaids in midnight blue matte satin with those precious stretch velvet shrugs, your winter white bouquet chock full of snow berries, pearl studded stephanotis, and fragrant gardenia, your man in an impeccable tux with a sexy white satin double Windsor knot tie, and to top it all off you fly away to a deliciously warm tropical resort.

Perhaps you are feeling a springtime wedding?  Late May, when the weather is not too hot nor too cold. You are wearing that beautiful short white shift you have been eyeing because you know it is the perfect dress for you, even though mom purses her lips when you mention it. Your legs are tanned to perfection (via self tanner of course—no sun damage for the DMB) and your gorgeous light blue jeweled Louboutins are visible to all. You carry a mass of plump succulent white peonies, and your bridesman (so your BFF is a guy, this is the 21st century after all) is wearing the most beautiful white lilac boutonniere on his Brioni jacket.  You gather for a celebration dinner on the patio of your favorite bistro overlooking the river while sipping Perrier Jouet poured from those pretty flowered bottles, as the jazz trio you went to see on your first date together fills the air with sultry sounds.  Then, off to Quebec City for a romantic getaway with your new hubby.

Or are you a summer bride? A beach ceremony unwinding during the perfect sunset, you and your bridal party framed by a gorgeous natural branch arbor fashioned with panels of gauzy fabric undulating in the soft breeze, and glass cylinders chock full of flickering pillar candles down the aisle.  Your groom looks so dashing in his white linen shirt and Italian cut natural linen trousers as he locks his gaze on you gliding down the warm sand aisle carrying unkempt cattleya orchids and wearing that Claire Pettibone dress you have been daydreaming about. The energy is intoxicating as guests anticipate an evening of dancing wildly under the stars to reggae and calypso beats till dawn.

Finally, you, DMB, may be turned on by autumn breezes. A picturesque winery in late October, when the leaves are at their multicolored peak, you are wearing the ivory lace gown you fell in love with, nana’s vintage choker around your swanlike neck. The winery is abundant with antique hydrangea, amaranthus, dahlias, rosemary, artichokes, figs… and soft candlelight bathes every nook and cranny of the stone encrusted space. The fireplace is crackling. You have arranged for your symphony’s virtuoso to play a Bach Chaccone in D minor on the piano as you process, and it has begun to rain softly over the mountains outside.  As you stand before the man of your dreams, encircled by your loved ones, with rain hitting the fallen leaves outside of the picture windows, you feel like you are wrapped in a cocoon of loving warmth.

Now, isn’t it so much more pleasurable to look inward instead of outward to visualize your dream wedding? You may not be a wedding planner, or even creative for that matter…but you know you better than anyone else does.  Once you have done that initial visualization and can feel what season you want your wedding to take place in, the path becomes clear to set a date and for the planning to fall perfectly into place.

You know by now that I’m a city girl…New York all the way…horns, crowds, bring it on! But when my DC attorney bride, Nicole, approached me and said I want a Napa Valley style wedding…that’s music to my ears! Nicole and Brian’s wedding was oozing with details and lovely signage( kudos to Valarie, the MOB:). And I got to play with some of my favorite design elements…artichokes, apples, antique hydrangea, dahlias (PERFECT in September) and I got to mix delicious textures in the bridesmaids bouquets–thistle, mums, and orchids BOO-Yah!  I was in heaven….   And check out the inlaid wood invitations and table numbers…yeah baby, that’s what I’m talking about!  And the thing that made it the most pleasurable for this wedding planner, event designer: Nicole was a fun loving, down to earth, relaxed bride…she had FUN.  And I hope she is having fun right now with Brian on her honeymoon on the delicious isle of Capri. My guess, is…they are living it up:)

Clear photos by Bruce Nelson , fuzzy photos by moi

compliments of manolobrides.com

And I can’t help but notice how different brides are in 2010!  Is it because of skyping? Facebook? On-line classes? Netflx?  Not sure which modern convenience may be the cause…but they are just different!

They are smarter, savvier, more in control, they know what they want. Simply put, they are OWNING their brideship.

You know that planning your wedding CAN and SHOULD be PLEASURABLE, and you can do it by grabbing the TOOLS a traditional planner uses, and taking them and flying! Without the high cost of a traditional planner.
RICH GIRL WEDDING on a REAL GIRL BUDGET in NOT a Bridal Showcase.  It is NOT a Bridal Expo. It is NOT an Informational Seminar.  It is NOT a event where ANY businesses are going to pressure you to sign here, charge this, register for that, or buy those.
It is a WORKSHOP FOCUSED ON YOUR WEDDING

You are a bride with a purpose.  A purpose to plan the wedding of your dreams and keep it within a budget.  YOU CAN HAVE IT ALL.
I have been planning phenomenal weddings since 1996 (you can see how hot they are by going to  www.carolinelarocca.com ).  Like, big deal, celebrity style, no holds barred, sky’s the limit…princess weddings.  And I have the time of my life doing them.   I live and breathe wedding.

I have always wanted to bring that same mojo to brides who don’t have a traditional planner in the budget (or simply choose not to hire one) and who want to have the princess wedding….(IT’S POSSIBLE)

So we’re doing it in small groups (like NEVER more than 20 brides, but typically 12-15). And the small group concept is more beneficial in some ways than traditional planning–like how often do you get to kick ideas around with other brides???? NOT opinionated family members…NOT bridesmaids…but a few OTHER BRIDES IN THE SAME BOAT.  Have you ever been around two women in a social setting who come to realize they are both getting married? Honey, this gives the term “let it rip” a whole new meaning…

So what will we do? What do you get? How in the heck will we get your wedding planned in 8 hours? You are so smart for asking those questions!
MY GOALS:  
Give you TOOLS that I use as a traditional planner.  
Give you INFORMATION that I give my princess planning clients.  
Give you YOUR OWN BUDGET.  
Give you your own TIMELINE for the wedding weekend events with a full drawn out plan for your director if you have one, as if I were directing (the key here is the plan, not just showing up).
Give you TRUTHS about what industry pressures (I’m on the other side, remember?).
Give you NEGOTIATING strategies that I use as a traditional planner.
TELL YOU LIKE IT IS if I think something will or won’t work for you.  
Give you a BLUEPRINT for your wedding the same as I would for my traditional clients right after the initial consultation.
Give you MY SECRETS so that you learn how to do and make certain things yourself that princess brides pay thousands for.  
Give you my ANSWERS to every question from “How do I communicate with my mother-in-law on things we disagree about” to “How do I address my situation on the invitation?” to “How do we honor relatives who have passed away?” to “Should I expect so and so to pay for THAT?”…and ladies this is the place to ask WHATEVER you want, cuz the doors are shut and it’s just us gals if you catch my drift
And I give it all to you with STYLE, FUN, FLAIR and TRUTH. Ladies, this is not a boring day long seminar.  Life is a celebration, and if you are not celebrating everyday…somethings gotta give! We round out the day with a CHAMPAGNE LUNCHEON, a couple of inspirational guests who will get you moving and breathing so you stay centered and focused on the purpose of getting your wedding planning off the ground, and of course a little bit of fashion….because we are after all, GIRLS!  
You will leave inspired with a sense of accomplishment, lots of goodies, a strategy, a plan…and a GIFT BAG.  And…after the workshop, you get one more hour of one on one consulting with me.
So here’s the thing. You CAN plan it all yourself.  I just give you the nudge you need to get on the path the you need to be on.  And I’m always available for you, should need you need to pick my brain some more…
Check it out and go to the link to find out about registering and t see my cool video promo.  Our first workshop is in Roanoke in October…and then we are hitting DC, Miami, Charlotte, NYC, and Toronto.  Hopefully we’ll catch you on the tour.  MWAH!!!!

www.richgirlweddingrealgirlbudget.com

The family was blown away by what we did with their tradition, and I can’t tell you how many brides saw it and wanted it for their very own! The moral of the story is this.  You can take ANY tradition, no matter how outdated, and make it your own elegant style, with a little bit of creativity, and of course, a genius wedding planner.

The Family Jewels
Not THOSE jewels! I worked with a fun loving Texas couple who wanted the wedding dinner to feel like it was in their living room (even though it was in the lovely Tower Suite at the Homestead).  So the MOB, packs like, ALL the family silver and sends it to me.  “Use it for the centerpieces”, she says in here coy Texan drawl.
It was like freaking Christmas, unwrapping all that silver. My very Southern mother-in-law (she could be a ya-ya) says, “you can’t separate a woman from her family silver”, whatever that means, I was hearing her in my head as I unwrapped it all…the Yankee that I am.
I had the most amazing time, designing a different centerpiece for each table, utilizing lovely silver urns, revere bowls, Jefferson cups,relief sculpture vases…heaven. And just because I was in the spirit, I threw in one of my own family pieces, a Baccarat crystal vase from my family, finished with the crystals from a Baccarat chandelier that I happed upon at a certain flea market.  How lovely to use them in a wedding…
It just takes a little planning and a little effort…

Give Carnations a Break
Part of my floral consultation is the question “What flowers do you NOT like?” That way, I know to steer clear of anything the bride is not fond of. The answer is typically, “Ugh, carnations.  I don’t want to see ANY carnations!” The poor carnation. They conjure images of prom corsages and supermarket arrangements finished with baby’s breath, dyed to resemble colors not found anywhere in nature.
So, I can’t blame my brides.  Who would want lowly carnations at their most spectacular and memorable affair?Well… I can make them look hot.  You see, the answer is conceptual.  Wen they are used conceptually, they are acceptable.  Like pave diamond chips.  Nobody like little itty bitty diamond chips, but when we pave them, en masse… then they become acceptable, and beautiful.
So the cost effective route for kissing balls is carn balls, as opposed to rose balls, because they cost about a third, and they look like velvet, and they last so much longer (sturdy little bloom the carnation is).  And the cost effective route for any treatment that needs to appear textual, velvety, and luscious is the lowly carnation! This head table was fashioned out of thousands of carnations.  Everybody asked, “What is that made of??”.  I could have said “spun gold” and they would have believed me it was so incredible. So, open up your mind a little, and don’t discount the forgotten carnation…she has her place in the the most amazing applications.

Seeing each other before the ceremony I grew up with the notion that seeing the bride before the ceremony was bad luck.  And so have many others.  As a wedding planner, I have gone great lengths to protect the groom from seeing the bride prior to the processional.  Holding them in cars, communicating on walkie talkies to ensure that the “coast is clear”, setting up lookout teams…you name it.But look at these two…don’t they look relaxed??
And then there are the couples who want to see each other.  They are practical thinkers who want to make the most of their photographer fee, and get to the reception in time  for a cocktail and some bacon wrapped scallops. Some of them feel that the nervousness will disappear if they see each other beforehand.  
Either way, I respect their wishes.  But it is pretty dang cool when they meet up before the actual ceremony.  
I like to make it special.  Like have him waiting while she steps off the elevator.  Or have him at the foot of the stairwell that she descends.  It needs to be ceremonious no matter what.  
Either way, I love witnessing how cute the bride and groom are when they first see each other.  In most cases, she had a hand in choosing the tux. But to see him coifed and groomed and smellin’ fine–in that tux she chose, it’s so adorable.  And…the bride.  To watch his face as she enters, donned in that gorgeous gown…everyone, not the just the groom is aghast.  
So, whether is it before or during the ceremony, make it a special moment. Life is too short not to.

Guest Book Creativity
To even call this a guest book would be a stretch. But the heck with it I’ll tell you anyway.  
I am always encouraging my brides to gather the names and faces of their guests i the most unique and extraordinary ways.  Signing their names in a ho hum guest book is just not an option.
For starters, I do not recommend having the guest book at the ceremony.  It creates a line to enter the venue, and guests are generally rushed to sign their name.  I recommend having it available at the reception, and the cocktail hour is the perfect setting for a few reasons.  Number one, it is a conversation starter.  Say your brother has his eye on your cute single friend from college.  What a fine way to break the ice by saying “have you signed the guest book yet?”  And there they are, off to sign together…
Another more practical reason, is that it gives your guests time to write a sentiment–not just sign their name and be done.  Most guests favor the opportunity to write you a little anecdote or massage of love.
It done not have to be a “book”.  You can collect your guest’s names on just about anything.  Some ideas are: placing out a coffee table book that represents an interest of the bride and groom.  Each guest can find a page they love and write a sentiment; placing the bible or other spiritual text out for guests to sign with love; displaying a photograph of the bride and groom and allowing guests to sign the matte; placing a polaroid camera with a scrapbook and allowing guests to photograph one another and then adhese in the book.  I have even seen actual photo booths at weddings, where guests have a ball posing for pictures.  They keep one as a memento, and leave one behind, signed for the bride and groom.
And then my sweet Laura came along.  Laura LOVES Christmas.  Her dream was to have an ornament signed by every guest, that she could keep forever and place on their Christmas tree.  Oooohhh, this is the stuff I love!!  So, we acquired lovely blown glass balls, placed them in beautiful vessels with metallic pens.  Guests had the best time signing them throughout the course of the evening.  As they signed, the balls were placed on a white branch tree, and served as part of the reception decor.  Lovely! And what a beautiful keepsake…