Fink's Jewelers and Bride's Magazine Event!

 

Invites You!

View beautiful platinum jewelry by Ritani while

sipping champagne and savoring fine wedding cake.

Bridal and jewelry expert Alison Rowe will be available to

discuss the hottest trends and provide style consultations.

Plus, enter to win a custom cake by Tizzerts

or a Ritani wedding band set.

 

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2010

12-5 p.m.

 

Cake tasting 1-3 p.m.

 

SOUTHPARK

4400 SHARON ROAD, SUITE199

CHARLOTTE, NC

RSVP by November 5 to FinksRSVP@condenast.com



Color Your Wedding Wonderful -Part 1

Feature Article
By Tracey Baxter

Your wedding color choices should embody your personality. After all, that is the spirit of the event! Even if you want a light and airy feel to your wedding, if you don’t like yellow, you won’t enjoy the décor. So first think of colors that you love for the dominant color for your flowers and decor. If you love rich colors you can still achieve a breezy feeling by choosing lighter tones of your favorite shades.



Once you have narrowed down the main color, you have to decide how you’re going to accent it. You could search the internet for “orange weddings” and see what design boards come up. But if you want to create something a little more unique than everyone else’s color palette on the web, start with a color wheel. Remember from grade school ROY-G-BIV? Now take that concept and put it in a circle and you’ve got a color wheel. So let’s explore some color combining techniques.



Monochromatic:


If you want a monochromatic style, you’ll be using your main color in darker and lighter shades. On a color wheel, the darker shades are toward the outer edge of the circle and the lighter shades move in toward the center. Not getting that visual? Think about the paint department in your local home improvement store and what easily comes to mind is the array of paint swatch cards on the wall. The cards are typically arranged in monochromatic schemes with a dark shade on one end, a light shade on the other end and 2-4 shades in between. Find your favored color on a paint card and voila instant monochromatic scheme right? This is a fairly straightforward idea but you should still take the time to choose your shades wisely. To be sure to create an authentic monochromatic event, continue to check your color palette swatch against the linens, flowers and other décor you select. It’s easier to veer off the monochromatic path than you think. The danger in monochromatic schemes is they can look monotonous so carefully think of the space where your design will be used.






Analogic:


Analog colors neighbor each other on the color wheel. Because of this, they will have an harmonious feeling when used together. In simplest terms: red, orange and yellow are great autumn tones but technically speaking; they will work together because they are neighbors on the color wheel. Analogic color schemes are quite common.


If you want to try creating monochromatic and analogic color schemes, check out our post on 10/12/10 for links to fun and free tools!

Love Story Parody!

I thought this would be perfect for a whimsical day!



Did you see yourself in the first verse?  Embossed invitations, dad's freaking out about the costs... and the bottom line: a wedding without stress!

 What can you do to make your wedding stress free?  Hire a professional wedding planner!  Wedding day can turn overwhelming in a heartbeat! Your fiance will not be a great point person for the wedding professionals.  (Guys, don't trow tomatoes! You know it's true - you don't want that responsibility, you deserve to relax, after all it's your wedding too right!?)  Your mom, your sister, your bridesmaids- they all want to enjoy your wedding day as much as you do!

Aisle Do can help you at whatever stage of planning you have landed.     

The Bride's Shoes

I love this shoe! I would love it more if it had a platform, but that’s a post for another day! I love it because this is an incredibly versatile shoe.

It’s the Flash 647 and it also comes in a chocolaty brown. The white is great because it’s dyeable. I know, yawn – a white satin dyeable shoe, BTDT in 1987 right? But I look at this and see a graduated shade of your favorite color or maybe in blues to complete your set of somethings. With each fold of the satin, the color gets gradually darker.  Or instead perhaps make the heel, back and front most folds one of your wedding colors and the other folds are the accent color. This is the kind of shoe you can really get creative with. A strappy shoe also makes an easy DIY dye project! There are lots of dyeable shoes out there and there is no reason why you have to dye them a solid color.



How else can you customize your shoes? Add crystals, add ribbon, add glitter, sequins, a broach, paint the toe, paint the heel (yes, you can paint shoes!)… jazz up the soles with paint or if they are new add blue crystals to spell “I DO”, your names or initials, your wedding date or other lovely words. If your shoes are not new, you might want to get them resoled (any shoe repair shop can do this) or if they are in good shape but just dirty, clean them up well.


Don’t be the only one with great shoes – let your bridesmaids have some great shoes too! A cheese and chocolate gathering to work on some shoe crafts would be a fun addition to your bridesmaids itinerary!  

Wedding Fashion Photos

So many beautiful spring wedding gown collections are being unveiled! I love the run way shows! I’ll post some this week for you but because it’s a Monday, this is not all about the fabulous side of bridal fashion. See, I have one major pet peeve with wedding gown advertising, particularly in magazines. The model's posture! I have such a hard time looking at some ads without thinking the models are in pain, they hate the gown or they have scoliosis or maybe even early osteoporosis. Oh so you’ve seen them too? Yes, those!


Let’s look at this for a minute:

And this is not even the most atrocious example out there. Cropping it actually made the whole thing look better.To protect the innocent and/or the guilty, I’m not going to list this gown by name or designer but if you’re interested, I’ll be glad to supply you with the link! It’s actually a lovely gown. It’s a shame that it gets portrayed as difficult to wear. 

Draw your eye to the red arrow highlighting the accentuated curve of her back and angle of her shoulders. Does that look natural? I have yet to see a bride intentionally or accidentally pose like this at her wedding for even a millisecond. So why is this pose so popular in advertising?  What story is being told here? To me these types of photos are screaming “get me the heck out of this gown”.

Do we blame the photographer …the model …the designer? They have a mutual vested interest in the ad photo looking fabulous. I think they are equally guilty of getting caught in a whirlwind and following what others photographers and advertisers are doing to showcase their gowns. That’s unfortunate! But it gives people like me a good laugh at how utterly uncomfortable the model looks. I’m curious about the statistics of how many gowns are sold when featured in a way making the dress look excruciating to wear vs. gowns that were featured on a comfortable and relaxed looking model.

Wait, I almost forgot the blue arrow. Notice the model’s opposite shoulder is symmetrical? But where is her other arm? It’s bad enough we have this poor girl stuck in a dress that hunches her back but her arm has to be chopped out out too? Smooth their skin, make them look more or less shapely – but removing a whole arm is above and beyond the call of editing duty don’t you think? Seriously!




So what do you think? Does this style make you think of true haute couture or a hot mess?

Don't Invite Trouble

Feature Article
by Tracey Baxter



Have you checked out the Internet for inspirational wedding décor? Of course! There are great websites chock full of fun ideas. So who wouldn’t spend hours searching for inspiration and help? Many of the fabulous inspiration sites have an “Ask Us” section where you also can find all the answers for your biggest wedding etiquette questions. But beware – etiquette doesn’t change with the times and trends like the wedding décor ideas that you have found.





Let’s talk invitations! Invitations should be hand addressed for both the outer and inner envelop. So many websites will tell you that it’s OK to print labels or print the invitations. It’s not. It’s really not!! The first impression your guests will have of your wedding is based on the invitation. A printed label screams that you care so little about your guests attending that you can’t spend the time to write their address on the invitation. Ouch! Surely that is not the message you want to send with your jazzy invitation.






Do you have to get a calligrapher? No! Anyone with legible handwriting will do just fine. In fact, my brides often enlist a group of friends for an invitation addressing party. Sometimes its bridesmaids and sometimes other friends who want to help in any way they can. And this wedding planner I know (wink) usually shows up with wine, cheese and other treats! 5 girlfriends + 20 envelopes each = the work is completed fast and fun is had by all. But wait, you say? You’re concerned your half dozen friends all have different handwriting? That’s OK. It doesn’t have to be the same handwriting. It just has to be done with handwriting. Your guests are not going to call each other to compare envelopes. Trust me on this – you want the invitations hand written!






What about the guest? You know the guest - the one you don’t actually know … the one coming with your 3rd cousin twice removed. Oh yeah, that guest. Is it proper to address them ‘and guest’ on the invitation? Let's be honest. It looks awkward because it is. The best thing you can do is call your cousin and ask their guest’s name and address so they can be properly invited. This gesture conveys that not only do you want this cousin to attend; you want their guest to feel truly invited and welcome at your wedding too. The rare times an ‘and guest’ would be necessary, this would not be included on the outer envelope. Rather, you would address the inner envelop Ms. Jane Doe and Guest. If you are not using an inner envelope, including a personal hand written note indicating that they are welcome to bring a guest and request they let you know with the RSVP. Then enclose this note with the invitation.






Etiquette may seem like a lot of extra work. But it’s well worth the effort. The time you take to do these important details will be appreciated by your guests. They will also be freer to enjoy the other special wedding day décor details you have created because they know you didn’t take etiquette short cuts. You only have this one chance to make the best first impression on your guests.




Your Wedding Planning Homework!


Practice your handwriting! Set the date for the invitation addressing party! Invite bridesmaids, friends from the office who want to help or your mom and future mother in law. It's a great way to get make a seemingly big task more manageable and fun!






Want to use this article in your e-Zine, blog or website? You may as long as you include this complete statement:


Wedding Solutions Specialist Tracey Baxter publishes the "Aisle Do" bi-weekly e-zine. Get your Free Report: "5 Fun and Fabulous Reception Ideas for a Reluctant DIY Bride” at www.aisledoweddings.com

Surprise the Bride

Do you love creative engagements and surprise dances or skits at weddings too??!  Me too!! Actually, I just love all kinds of surprises but I pay too much attention to everything so it's pretty impressive if someone surprises me.

This choreographed toast is so much fun!  It continued to be surprising even after it got going.  My husband would have scored major points if he pulled this off at our wedding! 

Visit the Bridal Showcase!

Have you recently got engaged and need to start planning your wedding? 

Planning to get engaged over the holidays?

Do you still have a few vendors to find for you spring wedding?

Aisle Do can help!

Appearing at The Bridal Showcase

Sunday January 23, 2011

12pm-5pm

Charlotte Convention Center

Special promotions will be offered at the show!

Announcements coming soon!

Hope to see you there!

Who's Ready for Some Cake?

Feature Article

by Tracey Baxter




Ahhhh -the wedding cake! Few wedding elements are as anticipated! Even those who won’t eat any will still marvel at it! So of course you’re going to look at photos and pick a super design and taste the finest cakes in town right? But do you need to spend a fortune on a cake? No. Here are some ways to make sure you get the most bang for your frosted sugarlicious buck:



Know who is cutting your cake! Of course I am aware that by the time it’s to be cut, you’ll have already paid for your cake, but you don’t want that money wasted. Cake slices are typically 1 inch wide by 2.5 inches long. Bakers will use that as the guide when planning the tier sizes and number of tiers needed. If the person cutting the cake varies greatly from that standard slice, some of your guests may not receive a slice of cake. In effect you just increased your cost per slice. So proper cake cutting is a must! If you don’t have an event-day coordinator, just be sure your caterer does not pass the cake cutting off to an untrained intern! Unfortunately, I have seen this happen at all wedding price points and have had to offer 'on the job training' and have even taken the reins myself when I was just supposed to be a guest!






Don’t plan for extra slices so guests can have seconds.  Bakeries charge “by the slice” so definitely use an accurate guest count when you tell them how many guests you’ll serve. Few guests want a second piece of cake and fewer will be bold enough to ask. In fact, some don’t eat cake at all; especially if they have been provided a full meal at the reception. Nor should you think about giving a bigger slice for all guests. Properly cut, a standard 1 x 2.5 inch cake slice is a generous portion at 5 inches tall.






No cake will taste good after a year in the freezer. Not even a cake from the best bakery and covered with industrial foil wrapping will taste good after 12 months in a freezer! So instead of saving it for your anniversary, plan to cut and serve that top tier. 6 inch round cakes serve 12 guests. At $4 per slice or more, you’ve just saved at least $48! A larger top tier would be even bigger savings. To celebrate your anniversary with your wedding cake, order a small cake in the same flavors from your baker in a year. If your baker offers a free top tier, ask if you can have a certificate to be redeemed for a fresh anniversary cake instead. Trust me; you’ll want a fresh anniversary cake in a year!




Fondant is smooth and elegant but always additional per slice. Not to mention it's a rare baker that makes fondant yummy. Most bakers offer butter crème frosting with piped butter crème decoration in their base per slice fee. A professional wedding cake decorator actually can create a smooth butter crème frosting that is almost as flawless as fondant. I know this because I can do it and I’m not even a cake pro! So just ask to see photos of their butter crème covered wedding cakes specifically. That way so you can compare their work to the other decorators’ frosting smoothing capabilities. You’ll probably be surprised at how smooth butter crème really is!





Brides often ask, “What about sheet cakes in the kitchen and a dummy cake just for pictures?” Well, I didn’t want to go here but… there is a reason these things are called ‘dummy cakes’! Dummy cakes are not free. “Dummy” cake forms are made of Styrofoam and still must be decorated. Styrofoam forms are not cheap so to the cake form price, add the decoration costs, the decorator’s time plus the real sheet cakes you still have to purchase; added up dummy cake is not a money saving option. Oh yeah… and then what do you do with the dummy cake? Put it on your mantle? Toss it in the trash? Nope, not such a wise investment after all. I guess if you are enterprising, you could rent it to others. Which leads me to – can you rent a dummy cake? Yes. They are usually around $150 to rent. That’s One Hundred Fifty Dollars…. to rent….a cake…. that isn’t real … that you have to return … because it will be rented to others again. ...just like it was rented to others before it was yours. Yuck. Yes, I’ve seen them cheaper. Yes, they look cheaper too.






Your Wedding Planning Homework!


It's time to taste some cake! Cake tastings in most bakeries are free. Take advantage and schedule one ...or two ...today! Bring pictures but until you've tasted their cake, don't show them. They'll always tell you " Yes, of course we can do that lovely design". The question you need to aske yourself is - do you like the taste of their cake enough that you actually want them to?














Want to use this article in your e-Zine, blog or website? You may as long as you include this complete statement:


Wedding Solutions Specialist Tracey Baxter publishes the "Aisle Do" bi-weekly e-zine. Get your Free Report: "5 Fun and Fabulous Reception Ideas for a Reluctant DIY Bride” at www.aisledoweddings.com 

Whimsical Wednesday!

What could be better than wedding cake bling?  Chocolate wedding cake bling of course!  Check out this simple wedding cake design that's made simply spectacular with the addition of Bedazzle My Bonbons. 







The twin packs make great favors for your guests, top your wedding attendants gift with a box of 6 or 8, garnish a cocktail with a single bonbon, or use them in your candy or dessert buffet.

There are so many ways you can add some dazzle to your event with these sparkle-luscious goodies!!

Orders can be any mixture of the 24 colors and 6 flavors available.  Yes, you read that right, you can mix colors and flavors- at no extra charge.  That is a pretty sweet deal!  But even sweeter than that, if you provide a swatch, the chocolatiers at Bedazzle My Bonbons  will create the custom special color you need for your event - complimentary! 

Now that's the kind of real service we like at Aisle Do and we look forward to incorporating these into an event soon! 

Technical Tuesday... Wedding Colors

What colors are you using for your wedding decor? How did you choose them?



There are lots of 'rules' to follow or to break depending on your bent for drama ;) ... and of course some colors will blend well and others...well, not so much! ("Oh yeah, you blend"...Mona Lisa Vito played by Marisa Tomei in My Cousin Vinny, circa 1992)





Naturally you want your wedding colors to be unique. But it's understandable that you can't add a degree in design to the wedding budget. So how can you be sure that your personalized color scheme isn't a personalized hot mess?


Here are a few great tools. No DIY bride should be without these! Visit Kuler and Color Scheme Designer for shades, monochromatic, and more!




Oh, and did I mention it's free to use these tools? That's right! Aren't free tools great!? No excuses! You can create a spectacular color palette for your wedding that is not a carbon copy of all that you find online!

Manic Mondays First Installment!

It's been a long time coming and not without some bumps in the road but without further ado - welcome to the first official Manic Mondays post! 

Want to try something delicious -try Orange Ginger Creme Brulee!  Where can you find such a treat you ask? I found it at Eez Fusion & Sushi in Huntersville, NC, in the Birkdale Village near the movie theater.

Oooo MMmmm Gosh!!! Can you say Yum?? I think I need to go there right now.  Everything I have had at Eez has been fabulous but the Orange Ginger Creme Brulee was the best dessert I have had in a long time.

So what does this have to do with weddings? Eez will cater! YES! I'm very excited about this!!  If you are looking for an interesting late night snack for your reception guests, why not California rolls? Light, yummy and hits the spot after a full night of wedding festivities!  Bridal luncheons, rehearsal dinners, the list is endless.  But they are always packed so plan in advance!  See their website for booking catering or have your wedding planner do it for you!    

Will You Even Remember You Got Married?

Feature Article 
by Tracey Baxter


At the end of your wedding day, your marriage has already begun but the wedding will already be just a memory. How well, and an in many cases if you remember all the intricate details you created or exactly how uncle Sal looked in his groovy rust colored tux will depend entirely on your photographer. Capturing your event on film –or in modern terms, digitally, your photographer has the ability to keep your memories vibrant and alive. It’s important to know the difference between features and results when choosing a wedding photographer. And features do not necessarily achieve the expected result. For example, the feature would be a state of the art digital camera that only 10 people in the world own. A result would be eliciting the kind of memories you desire. But that state of the art camera may or may not get that result you desire depending on which of the 10 people are using it!


Your wedding photography begins with the results!


Do you long for traditional portraits or your story in a journalistic montage? Or maybe blending these styles is more your goal? Photographers will present you with their best work samples in a consultation so before you scout out photographers to interview; it’s helpful to know your preferences because this is the result you are looking for! Look for photographers who capture the emotion you want to feel when you look at these pictures in three years… 10 years… 25 years and more from now. Some couples want to feel reverent and others glee when reflecting on their wedding photos. Whatever that feeling is you desire, it is critical to pinpoint. Until you know this first, you will not be able to find a photographer that is able produce that result for you.


What features are important to you?


Once you have narrowed down photographers by the style and feeling they can evoke in their photos of you in your price range, it’s time to determine what features are relevant to your needs. Not every photographer offers the same features even if within the same price range. What features you need and what can you do without depends again on your style and personality. There is not necessarily one right feature set for everyone. Here are some features to consider when choosing your photographer:


1. Do they have a second photographer shooting the event?


2. Will there be a time limit or is service for the full event day?


3. Will the photographer(s) travel to locations other than your ceremony and reception sites on your wedding day?


4. Is there a limit to the number of photos they will take? Some photographers still set a limit on the number of shots taken.


5. Do packages in your price range contain more than 2 elements that you don’t want? And if so, can you negotiate trading for something else. For example, if you don’t want a 4x5 album for your parents, can you trade that for additional hours, an engagement shoot or something else?


6. How much does it cost for prints?


7. Who gets the copy rights?? In other words, must you order prints through the photographer?


8. Will you see actual printed proofs or will only online viewing be available?


9. Does the photographer touch up the photos in any way?


10. How long will it take to see proofs and then get finished products?



Your Wedding Planning Homework:


Knowing your style and desires for how you want to reflect on your wedding is the key!  No other photo album will be as emotionally charged as your wedding album or scrapbook.  Take time to really ponder how you want to feel when you look at your wedding photos in the years to come.                  .

  

Want to use this article in your e-Zine, blog or website? You may as long as you include this complete statement:


Wedding Solutions Specialist Tracey Baxter publishes the "Aisle Do" bi-weekly e-zine. Get your Free Report: "5 Fun and Fabulous Reception Ideas for a Reluctant DIY Bride” at www.aisledoweddings.com