The Second Biggest Question After The Proposal

Asking your nearest & dearest to be in your wedding party is a big deal, especially for the ladies.  I love the idea of making this a celebration, not just asking someone over text.  I did a post on grooms asking their friends to be in their wolfpack and here are 3 terrific ways for the brides to ask their best gals.  Enjoy!

#1. Make it memorable. There are so many sweet cards on the market (this, that and this one with a gift) and then there are a few items that create a great keepsake.  I love the idea of wine labels with your own photos or creating your own card to add an extra pop of personalization.

#2. For the above & beyond bride- DIY bridesmaid boxes. When The Wedding Chicks posted about these adorable Will You Be My Bridesmaid boxes, I kind of squealed for joy.  An honor this important needs to be presented in a big way and if you are up to this DIY task, crafting a special momento is the perfect expression of love.  Be sure to include bridesmaid dress ideas, a list of their duties and a countdown timeline to the big day.  

#3. Bridesmaid photo shoot.  This "Will You Be My Bridesmaid?" photo shoot featured in Style Me Pretty is a fantastic idea.  Professional photo shoots are such a rare treat, why not indulge your gals?  This could be a surprise shoot to ask your bridesmaids or scheduled to honor your favorite ladies in the world.  Keep the theme simple so all of you can enjoy the excitement.

Knowing When To DIY

Personalized and cost effective are two words that come to mind when most brides decide to take on DIY projects.  In reality, "Do-ing It Yourself" can be overwhelming and stressful if you take on too much.  So how do you know what will be a great project and when should you leave it to professionals?  The main rule is to consider the actual amount of time/energy/money needed for the project.  Ask yourself if your bridesmaids available to help, can it be finished in a weekend, is this project really going to add to my wedding and are you really saving money by DIYing?  When DIY projects succeed, they are spectacular personal items with real sentiment.  On the down side, I did once see a reality tv bride stressed to the max scrambling to finish individually painting 200 mini pumpkins for her escort table the day before her wedding- who needs that hassle?

DIY items can range from decor to attire to favors to stationary.  The main areas brides should stay away from DIY are the vendors- especially forgoing professional photographers, caterers and rental companies. Any web savvy bride can find multiple DIY posts on wedding blogs each week.  Here are a few of my recent favorites.  The Wedding Chicks have a whole DIY section and frequently post on their blog DIY wedding details.  Like this post detailing how to make your own birdcage veil, this post giving instructions on how to make your own strawberry jam favors, or this post on how to create custom drop earrings.  Another one of my favorite blogs, Hostess With The Mostess, posted this floral DIY, making your own country chic decor.  This post on no sew bow ties is perfect for adding some prep from Style Me Pretty.  Last but not least, Ruffled blog showcased upcycling vases & lanterns.  Enjoy!

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The 411: Creative Food Bars

Men, women and children all will remember one main element at your event.  Be it a wedding or a summer bbq, the food is a key element to any party's success.  I have been seeing a ton of creative additions to weddings with creative side bars to keep guests happy until the last song.  But scale down these same ideas and they would be a perfect fit for a more casual affair.  Here a four of my favorite inspirations right now:

#1. Ice Cream Parlor
Wedloft featured a spectacular ice cream parlor set up that made me curse the stars that I am lactose intolerant and don't have free range of every item on this table.  Of course you can provide soy ice cream for your guests along every topping under the sun, making sure there are labels for each item for any guests with allergies.  Timing & location is an issue since you don't want your beautiful display turning into a sloppy mess, so save this idea for an indoor reception, limit the bar's availability to 2 hours and always check with your venue first.  If you want to try this out for a home party, limit the types of ice cream and keep any unused cartons in the freezer.

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#2. Trail Mix Buffet
Who doesn't enjoy trail mix?  This is a personalized and fun update to the dessert bar featured on Style Me Pretty.  You can set out the different items for guests to create their own trail mix or you can set out different styles of pre-made trail mix.  Perfect for health nuts and this is the lowest cost bar on the list.  Yum!

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#3. French Fry Bar

So mashed potato bars have become fairly common but what says all-American party more than french fries?  Wedloft featured this mouthwatering setup which makes french fries look classy and chic at a wedding, imagine that!  I could easily see this being a huge hit at a house party as well as a great compliment to burgers and dogs.  I would suggest using plates so guests could pile on cheese, crab meat, bacon, chili... the possibilities go on and on.

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What Booking Season Means for Brides

Can you believe that a week from today is FEBRUARY?!  Yeah, me either.  January has flown by for Felicity C Weddings and the fact that a lot of engagements happen over the holidays is probably a main component.  January-March is considered the typical "booking season" in the wedding industry, vendors are looking for new clients to set up their wedding season.  That is why there are a lot of bridal shows and a lot of vendors are offering deals.  As for the huge deals this time of year, I have posted a bunch on the Felicity C Weddings Facebook page as I see them.  Today I have a few more specials offers for you to take advantage of.

First up is the Ming Wang Mother of the Bride Makeover contest.  Definitely a great way to make mom feel special and let her know that you both are thinking of her with all the bridal excitement in your life.  Next up is the annual David's Bridal $99 bridal sale where you can find $50 to $300 off bridal dresses including new arrivals and designer collections!  They also offer online exclusives that allow you to save up to $300 by ordering online. 

Subscribing to different bridal blogs will also score you some great deals.  The larger known the blog is, the better deals you will find such as Style Me Pretty's Paperless Post giveaway.  SMP is definitely the mecca for all things bridal blogging and I would recommend any bride-to-be subscribing asap.  The larger bridal blogs will also keep you up to date on national bridal shows so you can find one close to you.  I found out about the Unveiled bridal show in DC this past Sunday from Atrendy Wedding Blog.

In addition to bridal dresses and shows, there are a lot of other vendors that are offering deals across the internet.  Wedloft posted the $350 EmersonMade Shopping Spree Giveaway on Jan 19th and Snippet & Ink posted 10 discounts & giveaways in this one post on Jan 14th!  These are just a few deals and I'm really just scratching the surface here.  Keep an alert eye out for any vendor promotions between now & March and definitely don't be afraid to ask vendors if they have any deals going on.  Good luck!

David's Bridal $139.00

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Ole For Hispanic Influences!

Hello.  My name is Felicity and I am an official wedding blog junkie.  The first step is admitting that you have a problem.  So I've heard.  I honestly get such a rush when I go through my Google reader scanning hundreds of exciting and creative wedding ideas daily.  Every now and again something catches my eye and I have to share it on Every Last Stylish Detail. 

TodayI actually have 2 posts I'm happy to share.  The first amazing post is a wedding inspiration shoot with a Mexican/ Frida Kahlo/ Hispanic theme.  One of my very first posts was celebrating my Colombian heritage with a look into Colombia's wedding traditions.  I love seeing wedding inspiration shoots because they are so practical- trying out attire and decor details for the big day in a shoot that makes it all feel so real.  Even if a full-on Mexican theme is not your style, you can still find a few small details from this inspiration shoot that may work for you.  I was super excited when I  found a real wedding with a Mexican theme done so beautifully that I had to share it as well.  Both posts are from Style Me Pretty (please check out each link for the full galleries).  So without further ado, please enjoy my latest favorite posts:

Palm Springs Wedding Inspiration Shoot:

 

 

The Long & Short Of It

Tradition schma-dition.  Knee length wedding dresses are all the rage in the bridal industry right now.  Lots of designers are featuring shorter, non-traditional dresses to cater to a wider client base.  This is really a fashion choice that each bride needs to make for herself.  Are you not a long dress type of girl?  Are you having an informal, outdoor wedding?  Do you want a second dress to be fun & flirty?  This trend might be for you.   

 Photo credit: blisseventgroup.net

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Although many designers are jumping on this trend, one of my favorite new designers are Ivy & Aster.  Highlights of this new collaboration include short gowns range from $600–$900, tea-length and long gowns range from $1200–$3000 and all bridesmaid dresses are less than $300! 

Colombia Continued

So in my search of all things Colombian, I stumbled across a really cool profile on a Colombian wedding on one of my favorite blogs, Style Me Pretty. This blog is a fusion of real weddings, cool vendors, new & unique ideas, and pretty much the latest details people are weaving into today's events. Being sooo new to blogging, I definitely have some favorite blogs that I rely on for ideas for not only Felicity C Weddings events, but as a template for what I want this blog to feature. Check out Style Me Pretty if you have a free hour (or ten), because it is definitely worth a look.

The post is Perfect Wedding in Colombia and everything is absolutely gorgeous. I love that it is whimsical and light and it feels like anyone would be comfortable at this wedding. I'm so glad to have found this link because I did want to point out that while cultural traditions do affect weddings, every detail can vary so much from region to region and couple to couple. That being said, I was pretty excited to see a picture of the candle ceremony. Disfrutala! (Enjoy!)