Friday 31 July 2009

Carolina Herrera Secret Sample Sale in NYC


Calling all Brides-to-be who don’t yet have their perfect gown!

Carolina Herrera is having a sample sale on Saturday, August 8th from 10:00 am – 6:00 pm in New York City.




At the event you will find:

• 30-70% off Select Carolina Herrera Bridal Gowns
• Collections through Fall 2009
• Many sizes and styles available
• Mother of the bride and select evening wear 50% off

To be added to the guest list and for more information, please call 1-212-249-6552 and email Michelle Kim at Michelle.Kim@cherrera.com

To view Carolina Herrera's bridal gowns from Fall 2009 and before, go to:
http://www.brides.com/fashion/dresses/gallery/wedding_dresses/runway/designer/carolinaherrera?page=4

Friday 24 July 2009

The wedding blog for men: GROOMASAURUS


Calling all grooms! You just have to check out Groomasaurus. If you don't understand all of the wedding lingo, events, and traditions - don't fret! Jeff Kear, a groom himself, has created a wedding blog for men with the tagline: "Move over bridezilla....wedding planning is for grooms, too." Funny, right?

Jeff's blog enlightens men on the wedding issues: The music dilemma - Band, DJ or Ipod?, How many bridal showers can one have?, How to make the wedding registry guy-friendly?

You will also find many anecdotes and stories about Jeff's own journey to the altar, which will be in November in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

Definitely check out the blog or pass it onto your groom!

Tuesday 21 July 2009

Ask the Expert: Smoky eyes, Summer weddings


Hey ladies,

With summer in full swing, planning last minute wedding details and lounging by the pool buried in fashion magazines, you may be thinking: Can I pull off a smoky eye for my wedding? We can’t get enough of some of this season’s trends, so why not include one of your favorite looks on your very special day?

Some variations of the smoky eye seen at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week for Fall 2009 were earth tones in darker shades that looked like colors seen in a forest. Warm browns and earth tones - like forest green with gold undertones - definitely compliment your summertime glowing bronzed body.

For a rich brown smoldering eye: Try blending Saddle or Folie shadow in the crease paired with Bronze, Sable or Mulch on the eyelid. Add Teddy pencil (all by M-A-C).

For an earthy green smoky eye: Blend Humid or Greensmoke eye shadow on the lid, blended with Tarnish pencil (all by M-A-C).

A more glam version of the smoky eye creates a show-stopping look for black tie and evening weddings.
To get this look: Try Carbon or Nehru shadow all over the lid up to the crease. Then liberally apply Smolder pencil all over the base of the lid adding a bit of darker blue shadows with a frost, such as Deep Truth or Freshwater, in the center of the lid to brighten and offset the darkness drawing attention to the sexy look of the eye makeup without looking too harsh. (all by M-A-C).

Brows are still going strong seen brushed and natural, so put down the tweezers and pick up a clear brow gel like Laura Mercier’s Eye Brow Gel, which is Amanda’s favorite.

Cheers,
Laura

Saturday 18 July 2009

Glowing review of Stellina Events by Laura Hooper Calligraphy!


Great news! We are very excited to say that Stellina Events has just been featured on A Lucky Orchid Wedding - the official blog of Laura Hooper Calligraphy.

You may know Laura Hooper from her calligraphy work that was featured on Platinum Weddings on WEtv on May 24, 2009.

Check out the review at the link below:
http://luckyorchidwedding.blogspot.com/2009/07/spotlight-on-stellina-events.html

Wednesday 15 July 2009

A breathtaking view in a lounge space on the Mediterranean: PHI BEACH, SARDINIA




















Picture yourself arriving by boat to be ushered down the aisle amidst sand and stone with endless views of the azure blue Mediterranean Sea. You and your groom exchange vows under the warm Sardinian sunset amongst all of your family and friends.


Champagne cocktails and mojitos are served with canapés following your vows with guests lounging on large white chiffon canopied beach beds whilst jazz music sets the scene in background.


Once the sun sets the entire space is lit up by fairy lights, which cue the start of a long supper of Italian regional specialties like frutti di mare, fresh pasta, sea bass caught locally on the island, and a scrumptious dessert.


After dinner the DJ turns the music up at the tiki bar to play the loungey jazz music combining old and new tunes to get everyone on the floor til the early morning hours. Fun is had by all and guests are left amazed by the sights and sounds of your big day.

With a sunset to leave you speechless, PHI Beach is a hip destination that is chock full of romance and allure. This is a venue for all those who love the lounge scene and are looking for a unique, memorable wedding. PHI Beach is located in the Costa Smeralda on the italian island of Sardinia.


I just returned from a holiday in Sardinia and the moment I discovered PHI Beach, I knew it would be a fantastic venue for a special couple out there. The manager of PHI Beach, Chicca, is lovely so if you are interested in this venue for your big day, you can contact her through the website below or just let me know and I can put you in touch with her.


For more information on PHI Beach, go to: http://www.phibeach.it/


If you love lounge music and this type of venue but don’t want to have to head all the way to Sardinia to find it, then don’t worry – you can create a similar environment to this one by doing the following:

- Find a wide open space on the water


- Ask your favorite local DJ at the lounge bar you adore to play at your wedding


- Do some research at the local rental companies to see where you can rent large wooden beach beds, teak lounge chairs and teak sculptures of different shape and sizes (your fave lounge bar might be able to help you with this info)


- Rent white cushions and chiffon to cover the chairs and beds


- Rent a tiki bar – ask your caterer for suggestions as to where to find one. This vendor may also be able to provide you with the furniture.


- Pick up some fairy lights to wind around any teak sculptures - don’t overdo it on the lights, just use them as nice accents to brighten up the space. Make sure to keep it elegant and chic, not Christmas-tree like.


- Find a caterer who specializes in Italian food or any food that you prefer but try to stick to one type of food to keep the island feeling going whether that be French, Japanese, Caribbean or any other favorites you have. (Do keep in mind that this is just a suggestion)


- Rent a row boat for someone to usher you to the wedding site – just be careful and make sure that you have enough room to sit in your gorgeous white gown!

Saturday 4 July 2009

Stop and smell the roses: a Bride’s dinner and a Groom’s dinner the night before your big day



While it is customary to have the rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding, another option that I think is an interesting one is to move the rehearsal dinner either to 2 nights before the wedding or to have a rehearsal brunch the day before the wedding.


Why the change you ask? Because another great option is to spend the evening before your wedding having a bride’s dinner with your closest family and friends while your groom enjoys dinner with his nearest and dearest.


By spending the night apart you both get to have some time to relax, get all gushy with your family, talk about your crazy single days with your friends and share in the excitement of the day to come.


The dinner can be as fancy or as casual as you like whether you decide to have it in your parents’ home or at a restaurant in the area. It is completely up to you – the only requirement should be that it will take place somewhere where you can unwind.


A bride’s dinner could give you that bit of time you need to stop and smell the roses the evening before your big day.

Friday 3 July 2009

The Kiss - Swap the traditional clinking of the glasses for this fun idea


After everyone was seated in the spectacular Montreux Palace, Sue and Philip made an announcement asking all guests to forgo a tradition that is popular in the US and Canada = tapping glasses with silverware to encourage the bride and groom to kiss. Typically, the glass clinking is accompanied by shouts of “Kiss kiss kiss” from guests.

In lieu of this tradition, Sue and Philip asked each table to come up with a way to say “Love” using their creativity and upon completing this task sometime during dinner, the bride and groom would kiss.

The table that had the courage to go first stood up and sang a verse of “All You Need Is Love”. Another table wrote and performed a haiku. Our table planned to do a cheer but through planning got so deep into conversation that before we knew it we were all on the dance floor.

It was great fun, bonded the tables full of people who cared about the bride and groom but didn’t know one another and just made the evening that much more exciting and interactive.

Whether you enjoy the traditional clinking of the glasses or not, this is a great idea to break the ice at dinner tables during the reception and to get your guests to get to know one another through a fun activity. If you like the idea, why not go ahead and plan a similar task to the tables but put your own spin on it?