The Knot Magazine Ipad App

When I was in NYC, I was fortunate enough to go to The Knot gala at the New York Public Library (more on that party soon!) When I was there, I spoke with Carley (founder of the Knot) and Miles Stiverson (who is also the developer of this awesome app) and they were telling me about this awesome new app they had coming out for the Ipad (which, by the way me and my family are addicted too!) Well it is here! and you NEED to download it, it is a magazine but it is also interactive, like you are instant messaging other brides in real time, cool right?! So be sure to download it here, and spend the $4.99 for the upgrade, your wedding planning sanity will thank you.

{abc's of wedding planning} Bridal Luncheon

Bridal Luncheon…what is that? When I meet with my brides I like to help with any other activities they may have planned for the week of their wedding. Whether it is a welcoming BBQ, Golf outing, Clambake or a Spa day just to name a few! But most of the time when I ask “Are you having a Bridal Luncheon?” The brides look at me as if I am wearing linen after Labor Day! So this post is going to explain the Bridal Luncheon. Though it is not mandatory, a Bridal Luncheon usually is hosted by the bride at a venue, backyard or a home in the town they will be getting married. It is a VERY casual lunch/brunch that consists of the bride and bridesmaids (Feel free to invite whomever you want, but to keep it intimate stick to the females of the bridal party). This lunch is a great way for the bride to thank her bridesmaids and give them their gifts for participating in your special day. It is also a great way for the bridesmaids to meet each other and share stories how they all know the bride. That way the day of the wedding there isn’t any “Oh hi, I am Sarah I went to URI with Kara” “Oh really my brother went to URI do you know Mike Smith?” “Yeah he dated Meghan” ….then it could get ugly! It makes for a better time when you get all that out BEFORE walking down the aisle to support your friend. Let the bride have her time to shine! Do you plan on having a bridal luncheon?

{ABC's of Wedding Planning} Accessories

You have the gown, now what do you need?! Accessories! Here are some tips on what you may need on your wedding day when it comes to accessories.

-Get your accessories AFTER you purchase your dress, matching a dress to a necklace is much for difficult then matching a necklace to a gown.
-Veil vs. Headpiece. Some brides opt to wear a veil during the ceremony and switch to a beautiful pearl/rhinestone incrusted hair clip for the reception.  Have one of your bridesmaids go with you to your hair appointment so they can assist in this transformation and learn from the stylist how to remove the veil and insert the clip.
- Lingerie- purchase this after you have found your dress but before your first fitting.  Having your wedding day undergarments for this appointment helps securing the proper fit of the dress.
-Shoes- these can be purchased before the gown if desired, just bring them with you when you try dresses on. If you do not purchase the exact ones you will be wearing on your wedding day, bring a pair with a similar heel you would like to wear.
-Wrap/Shrug- If you are getting married in the cooler months, make sure you get something that will keep you warm when going to your ceremony, ceremony to reception and reception to where you will spend the night as husband and wife.
-Garter- some brides use this as their something blue, and it is not necessary to do a "garter toss", keep it for sentimental value.
-Purse- a clutch style purse for your wedding day is the best option. Just big enough to hold your lip gloss and room key in.
-Necklace/Rings/Bracelets- look in your families jewelry box. Wearing "something old" from grandma's collection is a nice way to start a family tradition.
My last piece of advice for accessories is, make sure you switch your engagement ring to your right finger just before you walk down the aisle.  Your wedding band is ALWAYS supposed to be closest to your heart.

{photo credit The Knot}

Personalized hangers

It's your wedding day......You are with your bridesmaids sipping mimosa's and getting your makeup applied. At the corner of your eye hangs your wedding dress ready to be worn to walk down the aisle to marry the love of your life.  You probably spent a good 6 months oohhing and aahhing over your perfect wedding dress.  Of course the wedding dress looks best on you, but while it is waiting to be worn why not hang it on a custom wire hanger. For me it would have said Mrs. Grimm, that alone brings a smile to my face. Lila Frances makes stunning custom hangers. Make sure your photographer gets a photo of your dress hanging on this unique detail, you will be happy they did.

{photo credit Lila Frances}

{ABC's of Wedding Planning} Aisle

I thought it would be fun to start a new series of wedding planning ideas, ABC's of wedding Planning.  First up... Aisle. It does not matter where you are getting married, a church, a synagogue, at the beach, in your backyard or at the court house....there will be an aisle for you to walk down.  The question I am asked the most about the aisle is "Do I have to decorate the aisle" Of course this is not a necessity, but a little added something would always make it extra special.  Some ideas to dress up the aisle could be, flowers in buckets, mason jars tied with fun fabric with an electric candle in it, paper pinwheels hanging on the ends of the aisle chairs, loose flowers bunched together secure with a satin ribbon, a satin bow, or a custom aisle runner.  Just be aware you need to ask your place of ceremony if they allow any decorations on their pews or chairs (some have restrictions) What are some fun ways you are dressing up your aisle?

{photo credit HK-Photography}

Rain, Rain Go Away on my Wedding Day!

Well, if you are getting married in Newport this weekend, you have been watching the weather channel religiously because all it has done is rain for the past 3 days! (don't worry, it is going to be gorgeous this weekend!) But what if it does rain on your wedding day?  My advice as a wedding planner is, always have a plan B. Make sure the tent is water sealed, bring the tables at least 8 feet away from the sides of the tent due to drainage, put the band/DJ in the middle of the tent (because the party must go on!) and have some indoor locations on back up for photo opportunities.  In Newport, there are a few indoor spots that will let you take pictures (these ALL need permission beforehand and their may be a fee involved) but some great options would be the Newport Art Museum, Edward King House, Newport Marriott, The Chandler, The Rotunda Carousal, and Ochre Court at Salve Regina. Keep your sprites up, invest in some fun wellies and umbrellas, and pass out some plastic ponchos to guests with a note attached that says "It's raining, who cares...we are STILL getting married!"

{photo credit} Connerton Photography 

Newport Wedding Map

A very FUN addition to your wedding is a map of your wedding festivities.  Because Newport is a destination place, and many guests are from out of town, you should include a little guidance for your guests.  Yeah I know there is GPS in every car, but these are WAY more fun and they can be used as a keepsake of your wedding day.  It can also can be made bigger by the artist so you can frame it and hang it in your home.  The picture below was hand painted by Kristy Rice of Momental Designs. (It can also be changed to what ever venues you are using)  She is an amazing artist, who can also hand paint your invitations. She offers an array of stationery for your wedding needs, but of course the map caught my eye being Newport and all!

{photo credit Momental Designs}