New TLC Show Casting

Have you seen the new You Tube sensation of married couples with truly amazing and funny first dances? Check out this one by clicking here.

TLC is looking for lucky couples to team up with our TOP NOTCH CHOREOGRAPHERS who will turn their first dance into an unforgettable production number! If you want to surprise your guests with an awesome performance that will make your wedding truly memorable, contact us ASAP to set up an interview.

We are looking for couples getting married in May, June, or July in the Southern California area.

Send an email to firstdancecasting@gmail.com for more information or to set up an interview.

Good luck!!

Photo by Robert Evans Studios.

Carolina Herrera, Simply Perfection!

Carolina Herrera is next up on our fashion re-cap. Her gowns are simply stunning, simply chic, and simply perfect. "Wow" is the best way to describe her current collection, keeping with the equestrian and riding theme she brought to us last October. Love it!! Wool, lace, fur, shades, coats, vests, hats, feathers, the list goes on...nothing boring, everything original!For more fashion week coverage, check out the pages of GetMarried.com - thanks for the fabulous photos!

Opps, she did it again!

Kim at Papeterie is sharing with us her newest invitation - a second round of shower invites for a second shower for Jessica Alba. Hummm...two showers with similar invitations? Could it be twins? Congrats Jessica and congrats Kim on a fab eco-friendly invite (the invite has seeds in the paper and is meant to be planted instead of tossed!)

Win a Cinderella Honeymoon from Get Married

Get Married is giving one lucky couple a honeymoon fit for a princess and her prince charming – in a place that even royalty money can’t buy – Cinderella’s Castle at Walt Disney World!

The contest winning couple will enjoy a 6 Night stay at the Walt Disney World® Resort including: round trip airfare for two, round trip limousine transportation to and from the Orlando International Airport, two-7 day Magic Your Way Park Hopper tickets, and 6 nights at a Disney Resort Hotel which includes one special night at Cinderella Castle Suite.

To enter, contestants register on GetMarried.com and submit a :30 second to 2:00 minute video telling why they are the prince and princess deserving of this honeymoon prize. Videos will be available for viewing throughout the contest period which runs from April 18, 2008 to May 26, 2008.

The three videos judged to be the most creative and persuasive will be posted for final selection by registered members on the Get Married website from 6/2/2008 to 6/9/2008.

Don’t miss this once in a lifetime opportunity to begin your “Happily Ever After” with a Dream Fairy Tale Honeymoon at the Cinderella Castle Suite!

Fashion Week NYC

That's right ladies, we were there with the fabulous crew from Get Married (tv show on Lifetime, you know the one.)

Over the next few weeks you will see some of our favorite shots from our favorite designers. Trunk shows hitting stores soon so keep an eye out for these fresh-off-the-runway looks!

First up, how could we start anywhere else other than Monique Lhuillier!?!? These are a few of our favorites from the collection.Teal is oh-so-in this season! For the full line, check out the fashion and couture pages of Get Married!

Happy Earth Day!

Today is Earth Day, and while every day should be Earth Day, we wanted to remind you of a few fun ways to keep in mind your event impact on our planet.

Looking for out of the box ways to go green? The industry is making big strides, so take note!

The Cotton Bride by Chris Kole takes the comfortable, classic fabric of cotton and makes is classic, couture, and perfect for the eco-chic bride.Go tree-free for invitations. Couture letterpress studio Hello!Lucky is a trend-setting design studio and going green certainly doesn't mean sacrificing beauty...their work is inventive and environmentally sound.Location is key, we all know that. So select a natural setting that pays homage to our earth and doesn't destroy it.Photo by Isabel Lawrence Photographers.

On the beach? In a park perhaps? Why not wed in the day. End your fete at sundown and save on electrical output at your event. You've got the whole evening to spend with your new husband that way...Photo by Isabel Lawrence Photographers.

With this elegant daytime event, you have the ability to create a rustic-chic tablescape for your guests to enjoy. Opt for a wooden table top that requires no linen (less chemical cleaning required) and dress with minimal florals (locally grown and organic of course) and embellish with soy-based candles and reclaimed containers and accessories. Classic Party Rentals makes a fantastic collection of "descanso" furnishings to fit the bill. The result will be a unique conversation-starter and a detailed decor backdrop your guests will love.Photo by Isabel Lawrence Photographers.

When your guests sit down to dine, make sure their food is fresh, locally grown, responsibly-harvested, and from an organic and eco-friendly catering company if at all possible. And if you end up with leftovers, look for your local charity like Angel Harvest to donate the excess to a food bank or shelter.Photo by Robert Evans Studios.

We've barely scratched the surface, so stay tuned for more tips. But we will leave you with one more...when Honeymooning, stay in eco-style at properties that participate in environmentally responsible practices like those of the Leading Hotels of the World Green Initiative and the Fairmont PropertiesPhoto by Robert Evans Studios.

How to Get the Most From Your Photographer by Isabel Lawrence Photographers

Part one of two from the masters at Isabel Lawrence Photographers (and we mean masters - think Halle Berry's wedding among others.) Check out what they suggest to make your wedding day flawless and your photos unforgettable:

You’ve found the perfect photographer and you’re ready to hand over enough money to feed a small country in order to secure his services. How do you maximize your investment? Read on for some helpful tips.

First of all, get everything you’ve agreed upon in writing. I know this seems really obvious but if for instance, you and your photographer discussed receiving your negatives or digital files two years after your wedding album is complete and it isn’t written into your contract, there is a very good chance this conversation will be forgotten when that time comes. Save yourself future problems and get all oral modifications to your contract down on paper.Speaking of contracts: sign your copy and return it to your photographer with the deposit as soon as possible. This is what ultimately secures your day. You may run the risk of losing your preferred shooter otherwise.

Okay, we’ve gotten all of the boring legal stuff out of the way; let’s talk about the fun creative stuff. If your photo package doesn’t include a pre-wedding shoot, consider splurging on one. This is a great way for everyone to get to know each other better. You’ll get a sense of how your photographer works, and he or she will be able to get a sense of how you photograph. Some people need a little more coaching in front of the camera than others, some have a knock for blinking just as the shutter is tripped (yes, we have tricks to deal with that). These are all helpful things for the photographer to know before the big day. This fun informal shoot can really alleviate any pre-wedding photographic jitters and you’ll have lots of wonderful photographs to use in ‘save the date’ cards or for your guest book.As the big day approaches, you’ll want to talk to your photographer about the schedule of events and establish a shooting time line. This is one of the most important conversations you will have with your photographer. He/she will establish how much time they need for shots of the two of you alone and for the formal shots of your families and bridal party. The single most important thing you can do to maximize your investment is to give him/her all of the time that they have asked for. The more time you give your photographer, the better shots you will have. It’s just that simple. I’ve shot enough weddings to know that stuff happens and things run late, which is why it is so important to build a little elbow room into the schedule. Planning things minute by minute is, as they say, a recipe for disaster. I have, over the years however, developed a few strategies to combat the wedding time warp phenomenon. First of all, makeup artists and hair stylists can sometimes alter the best-laid photographic schedules. They are there to make you look your most beautiful. Like photographers, they are artists and perfectionists willing to primp and fuss over you for hours and hours. What you need to remember is that every minute they spend beyond their allotted time comes out of another scheduled element, often times with the photographer. When this happens you are not going to forgo photos with parents, siblings, cousins and friends. So the photographer has to perform equally beautiful work in a fraction of the time he had planned on. Keep in mind that you have not hired a magician (unless you actually have, in which case he will be performing slight of hand tricks at the reception and stealing people’s watches). My technique for avoiding these problems is to tell everyone involved that you need to be done half an hour earlier than you actually need to be done. I promise you, you will never be sitting around idly for 30 minutes. The worse that can happen is that you’ll have a little extra time to spend with whomever is helping you get ready or some last minute Spanx emergency will fill that void. I also suggest you use this technique when letting family know what time the formal portraits begin. Always tell them to be ready a little earlier than the planned schedule calls for.Stay tuned for more tips from Isabel Lawrence Photographers next week with part two of their tips and trade secrets.

Jessica Alba's Baby Shower Invites

Congrats to Kim and the team at Papeterie for creating a fabulous baby shower invitation set for mommy Jessica Alba! Tucked into a lovely tea pot all the a-listers were treated to Kim's work. Congrats!!

Radio Silence No More!

A week and a half with no posts must be a record for us! Sorry to have left you for so long, but back from lots of travel and ready to show you what's been going on.

To start, last week we got an inspiring tour of the new Resort at Pelican Hill in Laguna Niguel. Not open to the public until the fall, this hillside beauty will wow you. And what wowed us was some of the decor they provided for the day...Could this be the new hot spot for weddings? Stay tuned...

Aisle Style

Check out some of the hottest aisles we've seen as of late. Love them all! From natural and understated to abundant and elegant, you can't go wrong as long as you give your aisle a little personalized style.

Top left photo of the fabulous ceremony site at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Top right photo by Robert Evans Studios. Bottom ceremony design by Tic Tock Couture Florals.
Top left ceremony by Cobalt Events. Top right photo by Aaron Delesie. Bottom left photo by Robert Evans Studios. Bottom right ceremony by Details Event Planning.
Top left ceremony designed by Oh, How Charming! Top right photo by Joshua Bobrove. Bottom photo by Robert Evans Studios.

Complimentary Wedding Hair & Makeup!!

One of our favorite celebrity makeup gurus has a new tv show and you could be on it!

Napoleon Perdis and TLC have teamed up for a new reality competition show about make up. They are looking for a couple that is getting married on May 3 to be a part of the show.

Makeup and Hair will be provided for the bride, bridesmaids and mothers, flower girls and groom (up to 10 people.) They will give you and your maids the royal treatment for free on your wedding day! No drama, no bad hair days, just excellent makeup artists down to the final group of the show. Taping will occur only during prep and the ceremony. They won't intrude on your special day, and they will be gone by cocktails.

The catch? You've got to be getting married somewhere in the greater Los Angeles Area on May 3rd of this year!! If that's you, contact Jill.Garelick@evolutionusa.com for further information.

Good luck ladies!!!

Bridal Bar Booth

Just wanted to give some big shout outs to the people that helped make The Bridal Bar booth at last weekend's Soolip Wedding event a big success!! I think we had the best booth in the building!Sticking to our signature pink and white color palette, Eddie from Tic Tock Couture Florals created this magical lounge made of vintage-looking furniture pieces mixed within modern plexi and leather accent pieces. He hung a floral chandelier in the center of the pink-draped booth and created a window-like floral treatment popping through the pink plexi cutouts. The table was dressed with a stunning centerpiece draped in strands of crystals and playfully pink flowers..Classic Party Rentals was again our partner in crime and they are to thank for the amazing white leather bar, beautiful table top pieces, and their Designer 8 antique sofa. To get these amazing rentals, call the Culver City Classic and have Leticia Ortega dress your dream wedding!

Then Dyal Productions created some amazing mood lighting for the day and hooked us up (literally) with the flat screen tvs (yes, we are high tech.) Carter and his guys always go above and beyond!

Fantasy Frostings baked all weekend long to provide 500 bite-sized cupcakes for guests to feast on, and a little champagne from bartender's Jen and Curtis never tasted so good.This event is such a labor of love for everyone involved and we just want to thank you for always making The Bridal Bar look so good!!