The Smart Bride

Colorful Flowers = Colorful Pictures

deannacasey — Tue, 18 May 2010 19:55:34 +0000

Colorful flowers are a photographers dream! Not only are they pretty in color, they show lots of great detail. Below are some examples from a recent wedding I just photographed. The types of flowers you see are hydrangeas, peonies, roses, ranunculus, and lily of the valley.

DIY wedding invitations

Cloud Nine Events — Fri, 07 May 2010 11:56:44 +0000

With a larger number of brides creating, designing and producing their own wedding invitations many companies have begun to surface with the materials to make the job a little easier. One such company is called Paper and More. A great website filled with wonderful product and tips on how to create your wedding invitations. We have personally worked with this company and I was impressed with their product, pricing, & delivery. We received a great product within 5 days of placing our order. They have an extensive product line offering almost everything you could need for your invitations in one place. I especially like the ever popular pearlescent paper in two different weights. Cardstock can sometimes be a little more difficult to run through a printer and often not needed for the actual invitation itself. I love the paper weight pearlescent to use as the invitation itself when we are adhering it to a coordinating scrapbook design.

Whatever you may be looking for to create your one of a kind invitations, Paper and More is definitely worth taking a look! You can find them at www.paperandmore.com. Good Luck!

Andrea/Cloud Nine Events

Bridesmaids gifts

Cloud Nine Events — Wed, 05 May 2010 11:54:29 +0000

We are always running across some great products that we want to spread the news about. It is often difficult to find just the right gift for your bridesmaids to thank them for all of the hard work and dedication they have given you during this stressful time. You want them to know how special they are and how you have enjoyed their friendship throughout the years. A unique and fabulous way to do this is with this great product the ChaCha Bella ring.

Offering special bridal packages to fit any brides party size, they make it an affordable way to give your girls something unique and exciting. You can choose from their large collection of pre-designed rings or custom design a ring specifically for your girls. With so many colors it’s an easy way to match your wedding colors and give that extra special gift to those who mean so much to you.

Visit the ChaCha Bella website at www.chachabella.com for more information, styles, colors, photos and ideas.

Andrea/Cloud Nine Events

Engagement Session Themes

deannacasey — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 14:26:57 +0000

When doing your engagement session, come up with a theme that fits your relationship. This is a great way to personalize your engagement pictures! Below are some examples from 3 different shoots.

The first couple loved to go boating and fishing in their spare time. Therefore we headed to the marina where her dad’s boat was docked to do the shoot.

The following couple moved from the east coast to the west coast and loved the beach. So we decided on the classic beach shoot.

And the last couple was going to have their wedding on a farm so of course we had to utilize the land for some cool shots!

Tips on How to Prepare for Your Bridal Pictures

deannacasey — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 13:14:39 +0000

- Schedule your bridal portrait on the same day as your hair and make up trial run.

- When choosing a location to have the shoot, pick a place that has meaning to you. Such as your parent’s house, the garden where he proposed, etc…

- Bring a mock up bouquet to brighten up the pictures.

- Wear comfortable shoes. You will be moving a lot so you want to be as comfortable as possible.

-Choose to have some pictures with and without your veil. This will give you both, a traditional and a laid back look for your photos.

- Bring along your maid of honor, mother and/or grandmother. They are sure to get you smiling and they will be a great help with your dress and makeup touch ups.

-Drink plenty of water. Pictures can be exhausting and therefore can make you dehydrated. Also, make sure you let something before the shoot to give yourself some extra energy.

-Have fun! Be yourself and relax. You want the pictures to reflect who you really are.

The Smart Bride Blog’s Beauty Expert

Jussette Odom — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 01:07:03 +0000

Lashes and Mascara

I don’t have the greatest lashes so I am always in search for products that can help me achieve my best lashes.

With so many brands and formulas to choose from I know choosing a mascara can be overwhelming. Also I have noticed a lot of advertisements for mascara with fine print lately. It often discloses that false lashes were used to achieve the model’s look. Most of us will never have those fabulous lashes you see in print ads. We just need to find the right “fit” that will give us the each our best lashes.

Here are a few ideas to consider:

Decide whether you would prefer to use waterproof or water-soluble mascara. Water-soluble is easier to remove without eye makeup remover, thus minimizing the amount of rubbing around the eyes, which can lead to saggy skin. Waterproof is a better choice for those who are prone to tears and also can be a great choice for the physically active.
Choose a mascara color according to your hair color; brunettes should use black to bring out their eyes, while black/brown or brown mascara will have a more natural effect on red or very fair-haired women.
Choose the type of mascara brush according to your preference. A straight brush is good for coating the hard-to-reach corner lashes, while a curved brush makes it easier to coat more of your lashes at once.

And the must have for every make up bag? An eye lash curler! Curled lashes help open and enhance the eyes.

You can choose from a standard metal curler or a battery operated heated curler. If you decide on the standard metal be sure to use it prior to applying your mascara. If you choose the heated curler you can use it before or after mascara.

I personally use Mary Kay’s Ultimate Mascara in Black and JAPONESQUE® Heated Mini Eyelash Curler. It lifts and curls my lashes with heat. I find that I get the best result when I use it after mascara application. I love the results I get by using these two products together!

New ideas!

Cloud Nine Events — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 14:07:15 +0000

We recently received information about a company that opened here in the USA in January 2010, started in Germany in 2008. The company is called Chocri and they create custom candy bars. You start by picking your base, white chocolate, milk chocolate or dark chocolate, and then move onto choosing the mix in’s from more than 100 toppings. What a great way to create a custom candy bar favor for each of your guests! Or maybe a custom bar to give to your bridal party. Imagine the fun you’ll have creating this special gift for those you will celebrate with. Imagine the love your guests will feel when they find out that you have created this candy bar especially for them.

2010 Perfect Bridesmaid Toast Contest: Win $300 Cash!

Cloud Nine Events — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 13:21:10 +0000

The folks at www.perfect-bridesmaid-dresses.com are having a great contest for bridesmaids. Check out the details below or go their website for more information.

Whether it’s a funny story about a shared experience or a moving tribute to a loving friendship, the bridesmaid’s or maid of honor’s wedding toast to the bride is often one of the most memorable moments of any wedding.

It’s simple: Write your best bridesmaid’s toast and submit your entry on the form provided between March 16 and April 16, 2010. Voting takes place between March 19 and April 19, 2010. The wedding toast with the most votes wins! Get your friends and family to vote for your toast – and you might win $300!

Your bridesmaid’s wedding toast could be one that you actually delivered at a wedding, one you plan to deliver – or one you made up right here on the spot. Have fun, get creative, and join in. And don’t worry about getting it just right – the perfect bridesmaid’s wedding toast is like the perfect bridesmaid’s dress, it’s as unique as every bride!

2010 Wedding Cake Trends

Cloud Nine Events — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 13:35:58 +0000

Cake trends are beginning to change in 2010 and we are seeing brides choose simple decor with a great mix of fun flavors. If you had the opportunity to read our article on 2010 wedding trends you’ll remember we had mentioned that fondant is out. That still remains true, whether it’s the look of buttercream or the cost of the fondant, brides seem to be choosing the less expensive alternative of buttercream.

Decor on the cake is simple and true to the theme of the wedding. We are seeing a mix of modern and vintage and cakes are taking on that same theme. Painting on the cake is a continued trend we are seeing this year and we are sure that it will be a continuing trend. Painting allows very artistic renderings as well as a cohesive look to your chosen wedding theme without the high cost of other cake decorating techniques.

Flavors are fun and fanciful this year and the creativity is endless! We are seeing more flavors for each tier giving the guests a wide variety of choices. We have even begun to see different flavors within each tier creating a colorful and tasteful combination. The possibilities are endless so keep an open mind when visiting your local cake designer.

Whatever you decide, have fun with your cake. With so many designs, shapes, combinations and ideas out there, it can become overwhelming when it comes to choosing the perfect cake for you. Research and find pictures of those cakes that you love and take them with you to your consultation. It will help you and your cake designer narrow down exactly what you like and help you in creating the perfect cake for your wedding day.

Brides Group – Virginia Beach

Cloud Nine Events — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 13:35:34 +0000

At our March 9th Planning Seminar, we had the honor to meet a bride who has taken a new approach to planning her wedding. It was great to see brides take an interactive approach to their wedding day! Dani (the bride) has started a small brides group where brides can meet other brides and get ideas and support while planning their weddings. Here are the details…

Meeting the 1st Tuesday of each month to help each other:

Plan Wedding Details

Stay on Budget

Make new friends

Have fun as a Bride

Relieve some planning stress!

The group assists each other in planning their big days, tip time revolving around common wedding tasks, magazine and book swaps, and a chance for each bride to ask the group a question to get their input.

If you have questions or would like to join the group, email Dani at pdkaple@gmail.com for more information.