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Today’s Trend Setting Tuesday is all about acoustic songs for weddings. While listening to Justin Timberlake Pandora this week a really cool acoustic version of Suit & Tie came on. It blew me away. You really can take any up beat song and slow it down by playing acoustically  The chorus is perfect for the guys to walk down the aisle to “all dressed up in black and white, and you dressed in that dress I like, love is swinging in the air tonight”. We watch singers do it all the time on the Voice and American Idol. These are also great songs to download for the wedding. So it got me thinking what other versions of some of our favorite pops songs are out there and how can they be incorporated into your wedding.

After lots of research we found this You-tube sensation who sings just about every song acoustically. He makes great videos and has a lot of song selection for wedding music. 

Suit & Tie – Tyler Ward cover of Justin Timberlake
Tyler Ward is so very talented and pretty nice on they eyes too. He had several versions of songs we just love.

You can buy the song here: Suit & Tie

You Da One – Tyler Ward Cover of Rhianna

You can by the song here: YOU DA ONE

If your a Britney fan then you’ll love this. I think this would be a unique song for a first dance.

You can buy the song Here: TILL THE WORLD ENDS

There are also a lot of great local musician who are open to learning new songs and playing just about everything you can think of. Here are a few of our favorite locals that are available from Lake Tahoe to Napa Valley.

Remi & Chloe – Two 16 year old girls who do awesome covers and are very affordable.

Jeff Jones Band – He is located in Tahoe but travels all over. They are a great band or Jeff also performs acoustically.

Bobby Jo Valentine – He based out of Petaluma and Napa area but also willing to travel.

Adam Donald – He lives in Sacramento but play all over as well.

Check out their website and you will see they can play just about anything. Don’t be afraid to ask.

For today’s trend setting Tuesday we bring you a Bacon Themed Wedding styled shoot. Bacon is all the craze these days. From desserts, signature drinks, wedding cakes and so much more. Bacon is the flavor everyone loves. We love the delicious bar that they setup with everything made out of bacon. The styled shoot is so adorable incorporating the yellow and black with the chevron pattern. Located at the urban venue – The Icehouse in Phoenix the modern space was the perfect location for this styled shoot. Thank you to Jill Lauren Photography for sharing this adorable photo shoot.

Photographer:  Jill Lauren Photography
Dress Store: Almond Tree Wedding Boutique
Makeup Artist: Ashley Paige
Floral Designer: AZ Flower Bar
Event Planner: BTS Event Management
Equipment Rentals: Classic Party Rentals Phoenix
Cake Designer: Glitz and Glam Cupcakes
Dress Designer: Juju’s Tutus
Event Designer: Modern Revival
Ceremony Location: The Icehouse

It’s almost spring time and Grapefruit signature cocktails seem to be the latest trend for weddings. Your going to see the word grapefruit everywhere and why not want to incorporate this tangy fruit into your wedding. Here are a few drink recipes we found on the web to help you get inspired about this bright and wonderful fruit.

Sparkling Grapefruit Cocktail
Ingredients
Coarse sugar or salt
1/2 cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice, from 1 grapefruit
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice, from 1-2 limes
1/2 cup vodka or clear tequila
2 tbsp. simple syrup
3/4 cups club soda, divided
Directions
Rim 3 cocktail glasses with juice from a grapefruit wedge; dip in coarse sugar or salt, giving a gentle turn in each direction to coat the glasses.

In a liquid measuring cup or cocktail shaker, combine grapefruit and lime juices, liquor and simple syrup. Mix or shake well to blend. Fill glasses with crushed ice.

Pour 1/4 cup club soda into each cocktail glass. Top off each equally with the grapefruit mixture. Garnish with grapefruit wedges, if desired.

For further details or to print the recipe CLICK HERE.

Grapefruit Soda/Cocktail

This is a refreshing drink for you non-alcoholic drinkers or as a welcome drink on a nice hot summer day.

Yields 4 servings

2 pink grapefruit, juiced
1 lemon, juiced
Pinch of salt
Vodka (optional)
Lemon-lime soda
Ice (optional)

In a pitcher, combine the grapefruit juice, lemon juice, and salt. Run the juice through a strainer to remove any pulp.

Fill glasses with ice, then half full with grapefruit juice, top off with a shot of vodka (if desired), and fill the rest of the way to the top with lemon-lime soda. Garnish with lemon slices. Absolutely refreshing!

For further details CLICK HERE.

Grapefruit Margarita

Ingredients:

• Juice from 2 grapefruits
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 oz lime juice
• 3/4 cup silver tequila
• Extra slices of grapefruit, for garnish

Directions

1. Heat water and sugar in a small sauce pan until completely dissolved and the water is clear. Remove from heat and let cool.
2. Pour sugar water (simple syrup!) mixture into a pitcher with grapefruit juice.
3. Add tequila and lime juice, and stir. Throw a few slivers of grapefruit into the pitcher for color and added flavor.
4. Pour over ice and garnish with grapefruit slices.
5. Enjoy immediately over ice.

For further details CLICK HERE.

Also think about adding grapefruit flavored soda to your champagne toast. There are so many brands that make grapefruit flavored soda. You can add just a little to your champagne glass and you have a signature cocktail. It’s that simple.

Today’s trend setting Tuesday is all about the wedding honeymoon pictures. This trend is just taking off. Throw your dirty wedding dress in a bag and throw it on the plane. Have your “Husband” grab a suit and tie and then arrange for a local photographer to capture some amazing wedding pictures of you on your romantic honeymoon. A styled shoot with Hawaii, Mexico or the Bahamas behind you would be breath taking. Wedding honeymoon pictures can be fun and a great way to trash the dress and remember your honeymoon forever. And don’t forget about the proposal too. If your on vacation and your “Fiance” proposes to you think about hiring a photographer the next day to capture your engagement pictures and reenact your proposal. If you plan your shoot on an off day like Tuesday or Wednesday you should be able to hire the photographer for less then a weekend price. We hope you keep wedding honeymoon pictures in mind for your wedding.

“Olga and Dmitry were certainly one of most stylish couples I had the chance to have a photoshoot with. After their wedding in Russia, they chose to come to Santorini for some unique honeymoon photos that they would cherish for the rest of their lives. The concept of the photoshoot had a strong affinity with fashion editorials, since both of the newlyweds shared a keen interest in styling and Olga in particular has a blog dedicated to style and fashion. The wedding dress of the bride was by Pronovias, while the groom wore a dark Moschino suit.” explained the photographer Vangelis Beltzenitis of Vangelis Photography.

“We went to a small native village with beautiful hand painted walls and handmade arts and crafts to capture the bride and groom after their wedding day. Regina and Alejandro also brought their wedding day clothing and put it on for some images before we left. We had a fun time walking around the town and making images. When we saw a military patrol we asked them if we could grab some frames with them. They obliged and we got some very memorable frames.” explained John Argueta of JargaPix Photography.

You can also take amazing pictures like these while on a vacation or at the place you got engaged. Now every time you go on vacation think about hiring a photographer to capture your romantic vacation.

“Anna hired me for a photo walk with her boyfriend while they were on vacation in Italy. Since the morning session had been so great, I offered to meet them again a bit before sunset. While Anna was getting ready Maksim shared his plan to propose and asked if I knew a romantic place. The idea I had was to go to S. Giorgio Island in front of San Marco square and rather free from people despite the nice view, leave the camera on a tripod in video mode and then leave them alone under the excuse of having a phone call to make. This sentence was the agreed keyword for Maksim to start his proposal. What a great moment to be apart of.  During the day most of the images were taken in Dorsoduro area of Venice and in the evening we were near Palazzo Ducale and on San Giorgio island ( a good and quiet destination just one ferry stop away from the crowd). – Luca Fazzolari of Luca Faz Photographer in Venice.

Hello 2013! We are excited for the 2013 Wedding Trends and we just thought we would share our predictions for this year. We are also loving the Pantone color of the year! Finally a good color and much better then the Tangerine Tango from last year. EMERALD GREEN is the color of the year for 2013. Oh so pretty!! Make sure to read all of our 2013 Wedding Trends predictions. 

moniquelhuillier.com.

5 predictions for 2013 Wedding Trends:

1. Action Dessert stations like a cotton candy station, hot fresh made donuts and Gelato stations.

(images above from Brit+Co.)

2. Fun Prints! More prints will come out this year and be used everywhere from runners, napkins and bridesmaid dresses. Chevron was huge but patterns like that will be even bigger this year.

3. Creative food! Food stations are super popular this coming year and most couples want their guests to be able to eat throughout the night.

4. Spicing up the toast! Champagne is so traditional but why not spice it up by adding a splash of color to the champagne or even change out the champagne and serve shots of tequila or your favorite beverage.

5.The sparkle is back. Bling, bling and more bling! Brides love it and want more and more. We’re seeing lots of chandeliers, crystal curtains and crystal centerpieces.

This Glitz and Glamour Bachelorette party was creatively designed by True Emerald Styling & Planning. We love all the bright colors and design for this glitz and glamour bachelorette party. With good food, great friends and a fun DIY photobooth this is such a fun idea for a bachlorette party. All of these items are easy to find and make for a DIY look. From disco balls to crystal strands and signature drinks to sweets and cakes, this table is set for a PARTY. Who wouldn’t want to sip on a signature Peach 75 drink at this celebration. We also love the favor bags that included mini bottles of vodka, nail polish, a martini shaker, a bag of confetti and sparklers. We wish we were invited to this Glitz and Glamour Bachlorette party! Photos by Studio 13 Designs

Today we bring you some of the celebrity inspired wedding dresses from the 2013 Golden Globes. The celebrities inspire a lot of fashion design especially in wedding fashion. From the hottest hair styles on the red carpet to the new color trends the Golden Globes inspire bridal fashion. The celebrity inspired wedding dresses from the Golden Globes will shortly be seen in wedding gown shops around the nation and fashion runways everywhere. We love these dresses and the gorgeous celebrities who are setting these trends.

The first trend that we saw is the PLUNGING NECKLINE.These celebrities pulled it off beautifully. I’m sure with a lot of help from some sticky tape.

Here are some celebrity inspired wedding dresses with plunging necklines.

The second trend that we saw was a lot of this BLUSH COLOR dress. Three of which were all strapless sweetheart style dresses.

Here are some Celebrity inspired wedding dresses in blush tones.

The third trend that we saw was this bright color of orange and coral colors. Orange was the color of the year last year and has changed into a darker coral color this year.

Here are some celebrity inspired dresses in Coral for your bridesmaids to wear.

The last trend that we saw was lots of bling. Sequins and jewels were very popular and very stunning. A perfect trend for a wedding dress.

These celebrity inspired wedding dresses we found are full of sequins and sparkle.

Our favorite couple of the night was Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner. They both looked amazing and we just love them together.

Are winner for the night of the best dress and best celebrity inspired wedding dress was Jessica Alba. We love the color the style and everything about it. Her hair was gorgeous, the jewelry was amazing and the dress fit like a glove. This dress in white would be an amazing wedding gown.

For our Trend Setting Tuesday we bring you the ever so popular “Wedding Chandeliers”. You can add a chandelier just about anywhere at your wedding and it will be a main focal point throughout the day. They are meant to catch your eye and can be any length, shape or size. So where do you get these beautiful wedding chandeliers for your wedding? You can find them just about anywhere but we’re going to tell you a few of our favorite places. You can hang it above your ceremony site, over your sweetheart table, above your cake, over the dance floor or even as centerpieces over each table. The possibilities are endless. We hope you get inspired and add a FABULOUS Chandelier to your wedding.

You can make these lamp shade chandeliers from a small chandelier from Shopwildthings.com and the lamp shade was from Ikea.

Photo credit – Fearon May Events

Both of these chandeliers are available on Save-on-crafts.com

Picture 1 – $145  Picture 2 – $79

This gorgeous chandelier you can buy for $129 at Shopwildthings.com

(Note that they also have this on Save-On-Crafts.com but it is $140 plus shipping. So order it from Shopwildthings.com because it’s only $129 and free shipping)

Even places like Home Depot have some pretty cool chandeliers. Buy for the wedding and then put up in the dinning room after.

All three of these were under $150.

Chandeliers can make a big impact and focal point.

Picture 1 – Shopwildthings.com $169 /  Picture 2 –  Ikea’s cute little chandelier $39

You can rent these large chandeliers from Hartmann Studios

These are the perfect chandelier for a retro wedding. They can be purchased at Save-on-crafts.com $129

Don’t feel like buying one, you can always rent one. You can rent the above chandeliers from The Find.

Today’s Trend Setting Tuesday is all about wedding orchids. This flower has been seen in bouquets, centerpieces, boutonniere, and all kinds of floral arrangements for many years. They are considered the luxury wedding flower and so delicately beautiful. The most popular of the wedding orchids is the White Phalaenopsis. The best place to find these amazing flowers is at the San Francisco floral mart. So when working with your florist ask if she has access to the floral mart. This will help you keep the cost of the flowers down but will give you the luxury look that you want. This is a flower that will never go out of style and will be gorgeous in your wedding pictures for years to come. There are so many wedding orchids to choose from, which one will you choose?

For today’s Trend Setting Tuesday we bring you something fun and different, feather bridal bouquets. Not everyone loves flowers or you might even be allergic to them, so what is your alternation to flowers, FEATHERS! We were looking for some feathers to add to our cousins bridal bouquet and came across some feather flowers that look just like Peonies. She really wanted Peonies in her bouquet but they are out of season and super expensive. We were able to buy some gorgeous feather flowers on www.save-on-crafts.com. You can also add Ostrich feathers to your bouquet or peacock feathers. We are in love with Cloe Ann Designs feather bridal bouquets.

These are the feather peonies we found on save-on-crafts.com.

We are in love with feather bridal bouquets from Cloe Ann Designs on ETSY.com. They are so cute and very affordable.

And don’t forget about the guys they can have matching feathers too. Cloe Ann Designs

Or if you are a flower lover you can always incorporate some feathers into your bouquet as well.

Today’s trend setting Tuesday is to help you prepare for Thanksgiving decor with spray painted pumpkins. Since last week we did a feature on gold and everything gold, we thought this week we would show you how to spray paint pumpkins for place cards, decor and anything else. A little creativity with colors and simple spray paint can make a huge difference for your table centerpiece this year.

What you need:

– Bags of small orange pumpkins (you can use white too) We got these at Safeway on sale for $2.50 for a bag of 8

– One can of spray paint, any color. We like the Krylon Metallic Gold. It worked well on the pumpkin and it stayed on when it was dry. We also bought a glitter gold to spray on it but you couldn’t really see it so we suggest going with just the metallic.

– If you have an old piece of ply wood in the backyard they make for great spraying boards. I would try to stay away from new paper or anything that would stick to the paint. You can use a tarp or plastic liner.

– rubber gloves (this keeps your fingers from getting gold)

We would hold the pumpkin and spray the bottom of it then sit it down and spray over the top. Because they were sitting on the table I didn’t care so much if the bottom wasn’t perfect. Evenly spray over pumpkins and let dry for an hour.(If your a perfectionist like my husband then you would put them upside down spray the bottom, let them dry for 2-3 hours then turn over and spray the top. I’m too impatient to wait that long and I still think they turned out great!)

We also wanted to share that we found these adorable leave bowls at Michael’s on clearance for $1.00. They add perfectly to the table.

The color silver goes with everything and has been very popular over the last couple of years. But now we are seeing more GOLD WEDDINGS make it’s fabulous return. We are seeing gold wedding dresses, gold bridesmaid dresses, gold linens, gold wedding cakes and so much more.  Before when you would think of gold weddings you had flashbacks to the 80’s with big puffy sleeves and shinny metallic! Now we are seeing the color in more of a sophisticated look. Sequins are perfect in the color gold and make for gorgeous bridesmaids dresses. Adding gold decor to your wedding is simple with gold chargers, gold centerpieces and gold linens. So stop thinking about the 80’s and warm up to this gorgeous color. It goes great with lots of colors including champagne, navy, purple, teal, red and ivory.

Image 1, Image 2, Image 3, Image 4

We love all these sequins bridesmaid dresses all for under $150.

Dress 1 $45, Dress 2 $149, Dress 3 $70, Dress 4 $51

Chair covers by Mimi & Co.

Image 1, Image 2, Image 3

Gold is also great with bright vibrant colors, perfect for cultural weddings. Images

Gold Cakes are making a great trend as well. Image 1 & 2 , Image 3 & 4

Today’s trend is all about the winter months ahead and stylish winter weddings. Most girls dream of having the outdoor wedding under the sun mostly taking place from May to October. However we are seeing a trend in winter weddings. Winter weddings can be glamorous and very romantic. You can have your wedding ceremony by candlelight indoors which will give a soft glow and be super romantic. You can go rustic with trees, birch wood and pine cones or glamorous with sparkles, sequins and snowflakes. The options are endless.

This is also a great way to save a few dollars. Most venues offer awesome discounts during the winter months to help fill the space. Vendors are a lot slower as well and can offer additional add-ons and greater services during the slower months. Incorporating a hot chocolate bar into your wedding reception is a fun way to keep your guests warm. The possibilities are endless with a winter wedding. Your guests are also more likely to attend because they’re not so busy like during the summer months when they have vacations planned. Winter months can be anytime from November to February. We hope you get inspired to think about planning a winter wedding.

sampleweddingdress.blogspot.com

Today we normally post a “Trend Setting Tuesday” blog. So today we have to tell you about the latest trend in upscale bridal shows. If you are not into the large bridal shows with lots of booths and are looking for a show that will inspire you then Lavish & Fabulous is the show for you. With cocktails, delicious hors d’ oeuvres, designer table tops themes created by Fearon May Events and the top wedding professionals in the area. This is a great night out for you and your fiance or a night to grab all the girls. There is a live band, New Orleans Themed Groom’s lounge and lots of inspiration. Tickets are only $15, so it’s a great price for all the alcohol, food and inspiration you will get. We are so excited to be a sponsor this year at the event. Come out and have some fun. It’s the best bridal show you will attend!!

Go to www.lavishandfabulous.com to buy tickets.

Come see what these Lavish & Fabulous Vendors can do:

Image by XSIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY

Image by EYE CONNOISSEUR

Image by SHOOP’S PHOTOGRAPHY

Image by CARMEN SALAZAR PHOTOGRAPHY

  A great way to make a bold statement in your wedding designs is by adding a pop of pattern in your linens. There are SO many different linen options, varying in prints, patterns, colors and fun fabrics so don’t be quick to chose a plain sold color for your linens and overlook all the great patterns out there! Maybe you’re not ready to commit to one of these fantastic options for every guest table, so you might want to go with a printed table runner for a more subtle approach. Another great way to tie in a crazy fun linen is by using it on a few important tables like the cake or head table or you can intermix it with other solid linens in similar colors throughout your table design for an eclectic style. The possibilities really are endless!

What better way to sparkle and shine on your wedding day then to by adding a little SEQUIN! You can tie in the sequin through your table linen, invitations, or even your cake design! It has been seen all over the fashion world as well. Jazz up your heels or help your bridesmaids pop with a sequin dress that they will love. A great way for you to bring in the sparkle without a full sequin wedding dress is by changing into a fun and flirty sequin champagne or ivory dress for the reception, perfect dress to help you get down on the dance floor! Maybe your not ready for some full blown glam but a little here and there on a pillow or shall can really make your big day shine!

Light up your wedding with some fun glow! Glow sticks are a low cost way to add some fun to your wedding. Afraid of walking through sparklers at the end of the night. Let’s say a few guests have had a few to many to drink. Maybe giving them something on fire to wave at you is not the best idea. Get the same look with these long glow sticks.

Need a way for guests to find your venue in the night. Stick a few glow sticks inside a balloon prior to filling with helium. They will be easy to see while driving and look great too. Looking for something to float in a pool but don’t want to spend a ton on flowers. These lily pads light up and float. You can purchase 12 of them for $60. CLICK HERE.

We love this cute glow stick station for a wedding. Everyone loves to wear a glow stick! We also love the idea of the glow sticks inside these fluffy cotton candy desserts. Perfect for a fun wedding.

Cut open a slow stick and empty into a mason jar. Add some sparkly glitter and replace the lid. Shake the jar and there you go. Perfect for lighting pathways, centerpieces and so much more.

You can find glow products in every shape and size. The possibilities are endless.

They make customized glow sticks with your wedding date on it. we also love these cordless lights that are prefect to put in a centerpiece or other products to create that glow. Not battery needed and you don’t have to plug them in. Only $8 CLICK HERE.

Posted on Tuesday August 6th, 2012

Since bridesmaids dresses are starting to take a more simple look we are seeing a huge trend in printed shoes. Bridesmaids dresses in the past use to be these huge ball gowns that were uncomfortable and something you would never wear again. Now they are short simple and something you really can wear again. Most dresses are a solid print, so how cute would it be to dress it up with a fun printed shoe? We are seeing everything from floral prints, to leopard print and even hand painted shoes. The options are endless.

These celebs rocked the leopard print shoes with cute dresses.

(picture 1, picture 2)

You have your bridesmaids all wear the same shoe or if they all have different body types that don’t always do good in heels you can allow them to find their own leopard print shoes. The mixed matched prints still look great together.

(picture 1, picture 2)

(picture 1, picture 2)

(red stripes, orange zebra, black lace)

We also so found some incredible hand painted shoes on esty.com. You can have them painted to match a theme or pattern that you have for your wedding. We love these Star Wars high heels for the bridesmaids to wear. (Picture 1, Star Wars Shoes $85)

The guys can also get in on the printed shoe trend with some fun Vans or hand painted shoes. Some many options and so many prints.(Picture 1, Picture 2)

Posted July 24rd, 2012

We have talked about over sized balloons before but wanted to showcase them today as the Trend for Trend Setting Tuesday. We are seeing more and more people use them for so many unique ideas. One creative idea we love is having each bridesmaid and groomsmen walk down the aisle holding one. This also makes for great pictures and added color when the bridal party is standing at the altar. Covering a ceiling with balloons or creating your own ceiling using just balloons can be cute and more affordable then draping. Tying large balloons to a small centerpiece can make a big impact in the room with out a big cost. The sky’s the limit for ideas with these large balloons. And for some reason these over sized 36″ balloons just seem so much more classier and a whole lot more fun then smaller ones.

(Photo1, Photo2)

(photo3, Photo4)

(Photo5, Photo6)

Photo’s by Carmen Salazar Photography, Styled by Fearon May Events.

If your looking to purchase some large balloons for your wedding or engagement shoot we suggest purchasing them on www.shopsweetlulu.com for $5.00 a piece. They come in all kinds of colors. You can also buy a value back that comes with 6 assorted colored balloon for $11.99 at Party City.

Posted on July 17th, 2012

Burlap has been being used in wedding everywhere for a while now. We love the feel of the burlap and natural farm look it gives. Another texture that we are seeing more and more as a trend for weddings is Chicken Wire. It’s an expensive product that has an amazing pattern to it and can be a great rustic element to add to your rustic style wedding. Here are some great ideas and inspiration for you to include chicken wire into your wedding.

Photos above: Photography: Matthew R Photo | Planning & Design: Ashton Events | Florals: Events In Bloom (source)

Sometimes chicken wire can be hard to handle and when used as a table runner the ends might be ruff and pokey. This green and black plastic chicken wire is 3ft wide and would still make for an interesting table runner. You can also use these to easily cover a glass vase or even an aisle runner (just be careful with heels).  You can find a 25ft roll at any Home Depot for $19.77.

We love the chicken wire letters with the bride and grooms initials. (Source) If your having an outdoor wedding we love these spray painted globes that were custom made and really cool.

These adorable milk crates are available at www.saveoncrafts.com

(picture 1) (picture 2)

These are very cute to hang on Shepard hooks for the ceremony. (Source)

These chicken wire window frames are perfect to hang pictures or place cards on. (source)

If you don’t want the chicken wire you can always find chicken wire pattern on fabric. These would be great for table runners to add the texture look with a softer touch.

This fabric goes for $9.00 a yard and  you can CLICK HERE.