Underpinnings

In celebration of the "Sexiest Night On Television" (the annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show) I decided this would be a great time to post about wedding night attire.  Don't be nervous.

One of the items you will purchase pre-wedding is what you'll be wearing post-wedding that night.  What you wear or don't wear is completely up to you, but its a continuation of the excitement and celebration from the day.

We've seen in the movies women shopping at Saks Fifth Avenue or LaPerla (tres expensive) for their underpinnings, but you don't have to shell out a ton of $$$ if you don't want to.  There are a lot of affordable options that are just as great as boudoir boutiques. 

PERSONAL FAVORITE:  BHLDN Underpinnings

I love the term underpinnings, it's flirty.

For some more affordable options consider shopping outside of the bridal section.  In my opinion you'll find better choices.  You also don't have to wear something white- you've been in it all day!  Have you considered American Apparel?  Yup, left field, came out of nowhere and guess what?  They have some great pieces that are significantly less expensive than a department store or specialty shop- their accessories are affordable too.

Believe it or not your future husband thinks about the wedding night just as much as you do, probably more.  It should be of no surprise that he's most likely hoping that you're going to put something on that he'll immediately want to remove with his teeth. Don't stand there looking like a cupcake with frills.  Be adventurous, but be sophisticated.  Be confidant, be sexy.   It's your wedding night- tea time is over.

Photo Source:  BHLDN Chantilly Romper

Post-Holiday Message and Cyber Monday

Welcome back from the holiday weekend, I hope everyone enjoyed themselves!  I love Thanksgiving because it’s a holiday that doesn’t seem rushed.  It’s always on a Thursday so you know you’ll have a long weekend. You know it takes time to cook the Thanksgiving meal so youre not killing yourself to get it done (at least in our family… and we still manage to eat by 6PM).  It’s just one of those kick back, enjoy your time, eat and be merry types of holidays.  And also having a holiday that revolves around “what are you thankful for?” is always a good thing.

I don’t want to take away from the holiday spirit of Thanksgiving, but I’d like to remind everyone that today is Cyber Monday.  Online shopping is having tremendous sales and discounts that you should take advantage of.  Don't just think of Cyber Monday as an opportunity to complete upcoming holiday gift shopping… next years wedding registries are already up online!   BUY YOUR GIFTS NOW.  You'll receive a great discount and won't pinch your pennies so much.  I have 3 weddings in April, May, and June.  I'm fully taking advantage of today!

Photo Source:  PSF Web- Blog Perspectives

Lavender Comforts

The weather's been a little inconsistent.  Jumping from 60-76 in 2 days, in November, pull it together Atlanta.  I'm looking forward to constant colder temperatures.  When I think about being comfortable, I think about being warm. 

Side note:   I still find an uber amount of happiness wrapping myself up in warm towels when they come out of the dryer. I make no apologies for these types of decisions.

When I think about being warm, I think about blankets and candles. When I think about candles, I think about my Chamomile Lavender LAFCO.  Make sense? Doesn't have to.

Photo Sources: Hanging lavender, Heidi & Jeff,  Bella Figura, BHLDN Tuileries Invitation, Olive Branch Headband, rustic white wedding, Lavender Box, Wedding Barn, Purple shoes, I DO box

Tips & Tricks: Effortless Evening Makeup

Makeup artist Jemma Kidd provides a great tutorial for how to apply sohisticated evening makeup.  Perfect for weddings or all of those holiday events coming up soon!

P.S. Always do a makeup trial before any event.

For more information on the products in the video visit Jemma Kidd Makeup.

Hint of Winter

With December approaching I can't help but share some of my excitement for the season. I'm looking forward to sending out holiday cards (I found a great set), smelling fresh cut pine and a crackling fire, wearing camping socks and fleece leggings, and kicking my Sorel boots by the door.  I also like it when I can feel my nose and cheeks blush from the cold.

It's a whispy sense of humor and the result is below.

Photo Sources:  Winter Bride, Anthropologie Jack Club Chair, Anthropologie Lunet Chair, Mens Tuxedo, Bella Figura Empire in Espresso Invitation, Wedding Hot Chocolate, Blitzen Trapper "Furr" lyrics, Tablescape in Cabin

*  The source for Tablescape in Cabin could not be located.  Please verify source by emailing CharlotteLucey

Another Proposal

In the past few weeks I've seen several photos and updates from female friends who are happily and excitingly accepting their "Will you be my bridesmaid?" proposals. A few years ago the typical invitation came in the form of a phone call, email, or trip to lunch.  Now brides are becoming more creative and indeed are offering a proposal themselves to their leading ladies.

Some fun ideas on how to ask!

Design-her-Gals
I mentioned Design-her-Gals a while back (click here for post).  This site allows you to create a custom "mini-you" or "mini-person". You design everything from your skin tone, eye color, hair length and style and of course clothes. You can add accessories, pets, the list goes on and on just like the types of items you can order.  Labels, stickers, note pads, mugs, phone cards....

My cousin (hi Sara!) used Design-her-Gals to ask her troupe of bridesmaids if they'd like to say yes by creating personalized key chains each with their own mini. 

Georgetown Cupcake
I am 100% biased. Georgetown Cupcake is from my neighborhood- Washington, DC and I'll be darned if anyone has said they are not impressed with the cupcakes.  Cupcakes can be delivered (within the greater Washington DC area) or shipped anywhere in the US. 

A sophisticated and sweet pink box will arrive on their doorstep and a personal note may be inserted as your formal invitation.  Custom monograms or labels can also adorn the petite treats.

PERSONAL FAVORITE:  Paper Source

DIYCare Package
If you love making things (as I do) and personalizing them for people this option is for you.  I love the idea of creating a small gift-box that has fun girlie things in it.  Essie nail polish, a LAFCO Little Luxuries candle, Anthousa Diffuser, a framed photo of you and the person you're asking, etc.Consider choosing a unique wrapping paper for each person, may I suggest PAPER SOURCE?  And please oh please secure it with twine or string. It's so lovely.

FedEX Kinkos
Not the first thing you think of for all-things-wedding, I know. However they have really affordable photo-printing that can be placed on tee-shirts, mugs, aprons, sweatshirts etc.  Again, take a photo of you and your maid-to-be and place it on the front. On the back- "Will you be my bridesmaid?" and you can also put the date of your wedding below. Cute.

Just some fun ideas to think about!  If you have more stories or ideas feel free to SEND AN EMAIL!

Take A Minute

Take a minute and pause today.  Sit back, close your eyes and take in a deep breath.  Then let it out.  Drown out any interfering noise and only focus on your breath.  Stay here for a moment, or a minute.

Every day we are pulled in lots of directions.  We're asked to make choices, affirm decisions, back-down, buck-up, run in circles, and stand perfectly still, sometimes all within one day.  It's very easy to get "caught up".  Especially when everything around us seems to be spinning and then it can happen in an instant. We lose our temper. This happens in life and will happen during your planning process. 

It's important to remember during these high-stress moments to pause and catch yourself.  There will undoubtedly be many opinions given (or thrown) at you for how your wedding should be prepared.  Ultimately it is you, the planner, who will need to set the tone for how the process will continue. 

PERSONAL FAVORITE:  The Little Book On BIG Ego 

I know a bride whose bridal party contains many different personalities... one that is particularly difficult.  She asked me the best way to go about speaking with this BM (bridesmaid) to ensure that no ones ears would spout steam.  I told her about The Little Book On BIG Ego by Joel Epstein.

This book is one that everyone should read whether you're planning or involved in a wedding, or not.  The book is great in explaining how to take information in, process it, pause... then respond.  I think too often our inherent reaction is to react. We forget sometimes to take that extra second to fully digest the information we're given.  We are such little egomaniacs. 

Most often, the people who are the most difficult or unyielding are the ones who lack the most confidence. The loudest person in a conversation typically has the weakest argument, and as such, uses stubbornness or volume to try and maintain dominance. 

Remember this and remember to stay in your moment.  Allow an open ear and respond accordingly. Be cool, calm, and collected.   It's easier said than done, but an excellent exercise for anyone to try or consider.  Taking that extra moment to allow your "information traffic cop" to fully interpret the message being received will save a great deal of mental exhaustion and unnecessary annoyance. 

Oh and what about that bridesmaid?  The bride kept her ears open and in a firm, yet friendly manner laid the ground work for her day. The bridesmaid understood, didn't argue, and is happily moving forward with the rest of the bridal party. 

Wishing you a very calm rest of your day :)

Gift Returning, Exchanging, and Donating!

Hello Monday!  I've been asked by numerous people why I chose not to cover the Kardashian/Humphries wedding...it's self-explanatory.  I won't lie and tell you that I haven't been following some of the recent updates, but what I find to be most interesting are the points made by event and etiquette experts about "returning the gifts". 

I'm not going to discuss when a marriage dissolves and what to do, but rather flip it to a conversation about what Brides and Grooms should do when they want to return or exchange a gift given to them. This post is about the gifts you don't want, the gifts you don't need, and a way to respectfully return them. One thing you should know is that it's 100% guaranteed that you will be returning or exchanging a few of the gifts you receive.

The easiest gift to return is one that can be exchanged.  This is a gift purchased from a store you registered at, but isn't on your registry. What makes this easy is that an easy exchange occurs and the unwanted gift is credited towards something you do want.

RULE OF THUMB GIFT GIVERS:  If you are purchasing an item OFF of the registry, make sure to purchase something that is ON the registry as well. 

I attended a wedding in May and wanted to play up a "salad theme".  The bride and groom were registered for a set of salad plates and a salad dressing mixer. I purchased those two items with some money left to spare in my gift budget. Because of that, I decided to buy an item related to the "salad theme" that wasn't on their registry, but from the same store.  It was a large salad bowl and tong set. If the salad bowl and tongs were returned at least I had purchased two items they wanted and the credit of the salad bowl could go towards an item they hadn't received or a future purchase at the store.  Who would be offended by that? Not me.

ANOTHER THING TO KEEP IN MIND:  It's very rare that someone will be outwardly offended if you return a gift.  Guests should know and understand that a registry is a wish-list.  Any off-the-list items may be exchanged for something not fulfilled. 

IF YOU ARE CONFRONTED:  This shouldn't happen and is incredibly tacky for a wedding guest to do, but if you are confronted with someone wondering where their gift is the above paragraph can help, or the response below...

"We appreciate your thoughtfulness.  There were still some key items from our registry that hadn't been fulfilled so we decided to exchange the items we hadn't originally needed to put towards purchasing those from our list."

It's polite, to the point, and honest. It also shows your appreciation. A guest should be more than happy that their item was used towards something you really need. Are you going to keep a ceramic, rooster-shaped cookie jar that you didn't need, want, or ask for? Or put it towards completing your flatware order? Just saying.

A GIFT OUT OF LEFT FIELD:  This is a gift you can't use, don't want, and can't return.  I love these gifts.  My sister and her husband received a few of these for their wedding.  These are what I like to call "mystery gifts" because no one knows where they come from.  Sure, we know who the sender is, but there is no gift-receipt, logo, or name on the box.  It just came from nowhere.  So what are you supposed to do?

Don't keep things in your house that you can't use- it's a bad habit. It also causes clutter in more ways than one. Every gift you receive you should appreciate because someone took the time and money to give it to you.  However, if you're never going to use it it has no place in your home.  Don't shove it under your sofa or bury it in your closet hoping its existence will fade with time. It won't. All you're doing is avoiding the inevitable.  Throwing out a gift is hard because we don't want to seem unappreciative for what we received. There is a fantastic alternative though- donating!

Donation centers are always happy to received household items, especially unused ones.  You'll feel better knowing these items can go to a place where someone may be able to really use it for themselves.  You're doing your part to contribute to the community and not be wasteful.

Enjoy your gifts and enjoy exchanging, returning, and donating the ones you can't use. It's all a part of the fun!

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to email CharlotteLucey!

Thank-shhh-giving

I can't believe it's already November.  I thought 2010 flew by, but 2011 proved to move much faster.  Only 60 days until the New Year! I digress...

When I think of November the usual things come to mind:  Thanksgiving, the Fall, turkey, food.  LOTS of food.  I also thought about how easy it is to have a fall-inspired wedding, but how do you make sure that when your wedding takes place in one of these celebratory months that it doesn't fall victim to cliches and gimmicks?  Well here's some food for thought (pun intended).

Idea #1- Hors d'oeuvres Inspired by the Holiday (not main course)
Butternut squash shooters
Turkey meatballs
Twice-baked potato canape
Roasted vegetable mini quiche
Sweet potato skewer with marshmallow dipping sauce

The reason why I don't think the main course should reflect holiday fare is because it will scream "THIS IS A THANKSGIVING WEDDING".  I don't like things that scream, only things that suggest.

Idea #2- Seating
The usual 10-12 person rounds can always be expected.  Try something more rustic.  I love farm tables. Long, rectangular, communal farm tables. They can be of various sizes and accommodate different numbers of people.

PERSONAL FAVORITE:  Bella Figura Villie-Marie 

Idea #3- Family Style Eating 
I've never been to a Thanksgiving where I was served a plate.  I've always had my food passed to me by the person to my right or left.  I love this style of eating.  It's very much in the spirit of giving and receiving and always being thankful.

I know what you're thinking.  Do I really want to wait for lots of dishes to be passed around the table?  Is it too informal?  Will it make the tables look cluttered and distract from the centerpieces?  What happens when/if the food runs out?

At large tables, request that each side of the table be treated like a separate group.  They should each receive their own sets of all of the dishes.  Your catering manager will be able to assist in portions.  If you are plating meat, typically there will be only one portion per guest which is easily seen, so no one should take more than their fair share.  If they do, slap their hand.

Family style for the most part is less expensive than a formal dinner service, but I still consider a sit-down meal.   There is a way to incorporate individual service to your guests through dessert.  Individual slices of wedding cake is always a great presentation along with coffee or cider service. Learn where you can save your pennies, and where it still counts to have that extra attention to detail.

Idea #4- Use of Natural Materials
I beg of you- please DON'T place a cornucopia in the middle of your table and call it a day.  Bring natural elements into your decor such as trees, twigs, reeds, and wood.  Flowers should be warm and inviting, and rich in color.  Play up your candlelight by using cream or brown wax.  If you want to add an industrial or metallic element, consider copper or rust colored accents.

Oh yeah, let me mention my personal favorite.  As always, it's a Bella Figura letterpress invitation.  I love how subtle it is.  Extremely appropriate and is just enough to say "join us for an autumnal holiday affair".