Buying only on cost as opposed to waiting to plan

 In 2009 3rd quarter, most brides made cost the only factor in deciding whom to choose as their wedding vendor. While shopping for the best value is still very important, be sure that you are making the best decision for your wedding. Purchasing soley on price can end up getting you a wedding you never dreamed of. It's better to give yourself more time to plan, another trend for 3rd quarter of 2009, than to compromise your one only chance for the wedding of your dreams. (industry report from the Wedding Report 2010)

the september issues: jennifer aniston channels babs & glossies get big

Doesn't Jen look just beautiful!  What a great idea making her into Babs! 

Original blog post taken from http://www.seasonfive.com/
Jennifer Aniston plays a convincing (and very cool) Barbara Streisand in a photo spread for Harper's Bazaar September issue. The photos feature Aniston recreating classic Streisand looks from the past with modern designs.

The September issues, hitting newsstands now, are pleasantly plump. This is excellent news in an industry lean with advertising pages in recent years. September is the most important month for glossy magazine advertising. Publisher Conde Nast reports that it expects a rebound for Vogue with 532 ad pages - a 24 percent increase over 2009. Glamour will have 241 pages of ads - a 57 percent increase from last September’s issue. Hachette Filipacchi’s Elle improved by 18 percent as did Harper’s Bazaar (12 percent) and Marie Claire (11 percent). (sources: All the Rage and Yahoo!)

Chelsea Clinton's Turns Princess Bride in Vera Wang

Who did the bride take for better or for worse? Vera Wang. And it was better than anyone could imagine.

Barbara Kinney via FilmMagic / Getty Images

In a floor-length gown with a bejeweled, shimmering waist-band, Chelsea Clinton surpassed the fashion expectations of the so-called "Wedding of the Century."



What do you expect at an event where even emergency electricians were instructed to wear tuxedos? For the rehearsal dinner at a nearby estate, the dress code was "country chic". But on the big day, the look among the 400 guests gathered at Rhinebeck’s Astor Court, was American royalty. The Queen Mum, Hillary, wore a wine-colored Oscar de la Renta gown. But all eyes were on the princess bride.



From the moment the former first daughter confirmed her engagement to banker boyfriend Marc Mezvinsky in 2009, speculation turned to her wedding gown. By November, Vanity Fair had already pegged Oscar de la Renta as the forerunner. After all, he’d dressed Hill for her husband's ‘97 inaugural ball and again for Obama's swearing in. When Hillary was spotted at Oscar's Manhattan showroom this week, Chelsea’s decision was clear. Or was it?



A few weeks ago, a new name was thrown into the ring: Vera Wang. After the bride-to-be was photographed (hiding under a floppy hat) at the New York designer's midtown showroom on Tuesday, Women's Wear Daily published a cover story proclaiming Wang the chosen dress-maker.



Family allegiances aside, it was an obvious choice for a celebrity bride. With a client roster that reads like the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Wang's wedding gowns have draped everyone from Victoria Beckham to Jennifer Lopez—not to mention power daughters like Karenna Gore and Ivanka Trump.



Since launching her line in 1990, the Vera Wang brand has become synonymous with luxury weddings. Her gowns range from classically romantic to whimsically high-concept, taking detailed cues from past eras. That may have been a draw for Chelsea, a history major at Stanford.



Nevermind the fact that the first daughter has never followed in her parents footsteps—in career or fashion. “Vera Wang's recent collections have definitely had more avant-garde moments," says Fiorella Valdesolo, a contributor for New York Magazine Weddings and Style.com. "Recent seasons have seen multi-layered tulle and organza confections with horsehair sashes and complex trumpet silhouettes."



But for Chelsea’s custom gown, Wang dreamed up a dress fit for a fairytale. Cinderella, to be precise. Tiers of white tulle bustled beneath a hand-stitched organza overlay. A jewel-encrusted waist completed the regal confection. In a floor-length veil draped over her elegant updo, Chelsea was escorted down the aisle by her father, as Wang—a wedding guest—looked on. No doubt, with pride.





In a floor-length gown with a bejeweled, shimmering waist-band, Chelsea Clinton surpassed the fashion expectations of the so-called "Wedding of the Century."



What do you expect at an event where even emergency electricians were instructed to wear tuxedos? For the rehearsal dinner at a nearby estate, the dress code was "country chic". But on the big day, the look among the 400 guests gathered at Rhinebeck’s Astor Court, was American royalty. The Queen Mum, Hillary, wore a wine-colored Oscar de la Renta gown. But all eyes were on the princess bride.



From the moment the former first daughter confirmed her engagement to banker boyfriend Marc Mezvinsky in 2009, speculation turned to her wedding gown. By November, Vanity Fair had already pegged Oscar de la Renta as the forerunner. After all, he’d dressed Hill for her husband's ‘97 inaugural ball and again for Obama's swearing in. When Hillary was spotted at Oscar's Manhattan showroom this week, Chelsea’s decision was clear. Or was it?



A few weeks ago, a new name was thrown into the ring: Vera Wang. After the bride-to-be was photographed (hiding under a floppy hat) at the New York designer's midtown showroom on Tuesday, Women's Wear Daily published a cover story proclaiming Wang the chosen dress-maker.



Family allegiances aside, it was an obvious choice for a celebrity bride. With a client roster that reads like the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Wang's wedding gowns have draped everyone from Victoria Beckham to Jennifer Lopez—not to mention power daughters like Karenna Gore and Ivanka Trump.



Since launching her line in 1990, the Vera Wang brand has become synonymous with luxury weddings. Her gowns range from classically romantic to whimsically high-concept, taking detailed cues from past eras. That may have been a draw for Chelsea, a history major at Stanford.



Nevermind the fact that the first daughter has never followed in her parents footsteps—in career or fashion. “Vera Wang's recent collections have definitely had more avant-garde moments," says Fiorella Valdesolo, a contributor for New York Magazine Weddings and Style.com. "Recent seasons have seen multi-layered tulle and organza confections with horsehair sashes and complex trumpet silhouettes."



But for Chelsea’s custom gown, Wang dreamed up a dress fit for a fairytale. Cinderella, to be precise. Tiers of white tulle bustled beneath a hand-stitched organza overlay. A jewel-encrusted waist completed the regal confection. In a floor-length veil draped over her elegant updo, Chelsea was escorted down the aisle by her father, as Wang—a wedding guest—looked on. No doubt, with pride.

by Piper Weiss, Shine Staff, on Sat Jul 31, 2010 8:00pm PDT

Prayers Please!

Hello all!  Well I'm here to post about a personal issue today.  My nearest and dearest Serena is in the hospital having contractions with her twins. Problem is, she's not due until October!  Please everyone say a little prayer for the health of Serena and little Gabriella and Isabella that they get home safe and soon. Also, say a prayer for the sanity of daddy Chris.  I know he's super worried and soooo tired.

DragonFly Custom Invitations Website is up and running!

Hello my darling followers! You are few, but much appreciated!  I  wanted to let you guys know that they new DragonFly Custom Invitations website is finally up and running! I've uploaded tons of samples and information about printing techniques.  Check it out at http://www.dragonflycustominvitations.com/!

We finally made the switch!

Well, as many of you already know, I'm no longer taking on wedding planning jobs, except for the few awesome clients I have already booked.  Rather than try to plan every aspect of every wedding, I've now focused our attentions on lighting and design projects as well as custom and album invitations.  So far, we've been recieved pretty well and we're planning to grow quickly from here! 

I finally changed my home website to reflect more of what we do exactly.  We focus on creating the atmosphere that creates the very best party, even if the event is during the day.  It could be lighting, special props for centerpeices or lounge areas, entertainment the guests won't expect, the prospects are limitless!

We will still refer our clients to the very best vendors, but we won't keep up with them, attend appointments, keep up with the budgets, etc.  We've found that many brides are preferring to do that on their own these days.  Of course, we do know the best planner in town if someone is looking for a full service guy.  Let us know and we'll send him your way.

I'm so excited to announce the unveiling of the new website.  When you get a chance, check it out!  The format the same, but I think you'll find the information is a little different! 

Have a happy day!!!!!

Another Pantone Link

Also, try this link http://www.dessy.com/PANTONE for the hottest trends in wedding colors, how to order swatches, and an app you can use on your phone.

Did you know that you can find the hottest color trends, decide on your perfect color pallette, and download an app on your phone to match this color with your florist, stationer, dress maker, lighting designer and other vendors?  It's all available through my.pantone.com. Specifically, for your wedding, the hottest colors are found at http://www.pantone.com/pages/pantone/Pantone.aspx?pg=20693&ca=4 .  The pantone color of the year is Turquoise.  No big surprise here as we are seeing this color pop up everywhere in invitations, bridesmaids' dresses, cakes, and in fashion, home decor, and everywhere else.   Check out the website above to get the hottest color trends for everything from your wedding to every day fashion.  Learn how to download the Pantone app on your i-phone and learn how to cross reference the colors for print projects, color matching, and more.  This is a really fun website when you start to play with it.  Enjoy!

Hi everybody! It's Monday and I don't know about you, but I'm ready to conquer the world. I still have a sore throat, but I think I may live after all! We had a great event this weekend for Mr. and Mrs. Dana and Grant Crosslin! The disco theme turned out great! Bless their hearts, they had some trouble with getting their custom suits done for the day, and can you believe it, they had to get married with their groomsmen in shorts and tee shirts. BUT this awesome couple took it all in stride and remembered that it was all about love and had a great time. Doesn't that just put it all in perspective? Congratulations to this wonderful couple and I wish them all the joy possible in their future together!

We've added more invites to look at!

Hello friends! I hope all are doing well today!  I added some new invitations to our portfolio.  They are a little big right now.  I have to go back and resize them, but if you click on the picture it will go to the next.  I hope you enjoy these as much as we do! We are so excited about our awesome new products and the team effort that goes into creating and assembling them. 

Go to our website at http://www.sharpweddingsandevents.com/ and click on "portfolio" then "invitations"  and you can see all of our newest creations (that we've taken pictures of anyways!  Many more to come!).  We're working on a brand new website for just invitations. Keep your eyes open and we'll let you know when it's ready.

Working on Miss Samra Aman's invitation now.  Her wedding's coming up September 25.  We can't wait!

My beautiful sister Dana

Well friends, we just got back from San Antonio where my beautiful sister got married (in Castroville, actually).  We had a great time and it was simply wonderful spending so much time with my sister, brother, and some family that I hadn't seen in over 20 years!  The Venue (Hoffman Ranch) was awesome but a little toasty on a June afternoon.  We didn't care, though.  The wedding was a blast, everything went perfectly, except for the whole "fish" incident (Cheryl......).  It's a long story.  Anyways, it all got fixed, the mariachi's were a hit, and that part of the country got a little bit brighter that day!  Dana and Grant, this blog's for you!  Congrats!

Congratulations to Niki Harper who just purchased her invites today!

Niki is having a destination wedding and is just the sweetest thing! We wish her the very best for her wedding and future with Mr. Jonathan Stafford!

Dana and Lucky are married!

Preceremony for Dana and Ricky's Wedding Story from Chris W on Vimeo.

Hello world!  It's been a while since our last post.  Sorry about that! So, we've been working on a stationary project for a while now for Dana Friday (now Dana Manzella) and Ricky "Lucky" Manzella.  These guys are finally married and the wedding photos and video are awesome!  They were such a pleasure to work with and a really great couple! It was such fun to get to know them! We'd like to highlight these guys as our stationary of the month couple!   Check out the first

 seven minutes of their wedding video (includes the great invitation we designed with Dana) as well as a few pics!   They are simply stunning!  Video is by Chris Watson at Watson Videography whom we've not worked with yet, but we are very impressed!  Also, one of our very favorite photographers, Mist Photography did their wedding pics. We just love them! They really did Dana justice in her beautiful bridal photos (coming soon)!  The first invitation pics are taken by little 'ol me!    I hear Bella Flora did the florals and planning of the wedding.  We think they did a great job!

.

Beautiful Cakes

I am in love with these cakes from Maples Wedding Cakes. These are beautiful custom cakes, I think you'll love them too! You can get some great ideas from these cakes for your own or contact Maples for your own creation at 615.867.2229; they are located in Tennessee. 

Pictures from maplesweddingcakes.com

Ok, so I have added more photos to our website of our invitations! Below I will post a few, to see more check out our website. Also follow us on twitter at SharpWeddingsTX and become a fan on Facebook! We love making you a part of our community.

I am so excited to finally be able to post some pictures of our custom invitations. I am currently working on getting more up, but to start I have quite a few. They are posted on our website under photo gallery then invitations. I am posting some pictures here below. I will be working this week on getting the rest up. These are just examples of what we have done, and what we can do for you!- Mason

Photo Tree

Looking for a cute idea? I found this and just love it. Think about hanging photos, like from childhood, from a tree. This one is outside, but you can do it inside to. Makes a wonderful conversation piece at cocktail hour. Hang crystals and candles to liven it up too. Truly a unique idea.

 

Photo from Shelly Kroeger Photography

Hot Color: Red

Like I've been saying, bold is back this wedding season, and red is a big show stopper. Here are some great ideas of how to incorporate red into your design! Have fun with color

 
Photos by: Tanja Lippert, Cook Images, and Our Labor of Love

Stationary

Getting married? Time to start thinking about your stationary. So your thinking what stationary, I just need invitations, right? Oh no, there is so much more.  

"Today’s invitations are as unique as the world is around us. There are hundreds of different card stocks, handmade papers of various colors, velum overlays and many other paper qualities or even fabrics to choose from. You can order pre-designed invitations that best suit your style, or you can stylize your own invitation with colorful sketches, illustrations, engravings, hand-sewn decorative edging, custom monograms and elegant hand lettering.  There are so many selections to choose from." -Susan Hellman

Here are your stationary needs:

Save the date- The teaser. Save-the-Date allows your guests to prepare well in advance for their traveling arrangements. If your wedding guests are coming from far distances, it’s best to give them 12 months to prepare.

Invitations and response cards-  They set the stage for the wedding . Sent out eight to 12 weeks before the wedding, they give details about the ceremony and reception and may also include invitations to the rehearsal dinner. It is standard to enclose response cards.

Programs- They tell the story. Programs are designed to acquaint your guests with your ceremony and introduce your participants. 

Seating cards- Introduction to the reception. This small card gives your guest their table assignment.

Place cards- Place cards show the guest where to sit at the table.

Menu cards- Main attraction. These describe the menu courses and add a nice touch.

Thank you notes- Pretty self explanatory. Thank your guests for gifts and attendance.

So much to decide and personalize. That's why we started DragonFly invitations, to give our clients their own personalized invitations. We do all of the above mentioned stationary. We design for the individual, to their own taste. Couture invitations are definitely hot now. Contact us for more info on our invitations!

Photo by Sun-Dance Photography

Do It Your Self Video from Cathy's Concepts

Check out this great video below. It has information on cool save the date magnets. Email us for more info!! info@sharpweddingsandevents.com

Great Save The Dates!

I love these vintage inspired "film strip" save the dates. What a great unique idea. Remember you can do something fun and uniquely "you" for your wedding.

Photos from TheKnot.com

Great New Wedding Essentials

These are great items that are hot right now. Check them out below. Love our work, but on a tight budget? Well these items you can buy and do yourself if you are on a tight budget! Check out our page at the Cathy's Concept store. Here you can get great items that we sell and love to use, at a discount just for our customers! http://sharpweddingsandevents.cathysexpress.com/
Email us today to place your orders or for more information!!
info@sharpweddingsandevents.com

DIvorced Parents

You're getting married and don't know how to handle your divorced parents. If you are worried about how this is going to work consider having a conversation with them. Tell them something like this: "We really want everyone to put aside their differences for the wedding. We're inviting both sides of the family. We hope everyone will come and be happy for us." Hopefully they will decide to just avoid each other if necessary. Many divorced parents just have to suck it up and co-exist at their kid''s weddings. Remember that it is your day; don't let anyone mess that up for you. Put aside the worry and enjoy yourself.

Cute Idea

This bride had table assignments in envelopes with vintage enamel flower pins; how inventive and pretty. You can also try vintage buttons, big beads, or rhinestones. This adds a personal and unique touch, plus a keepsake for your guests. Remember vintage is a big trend!

Photo from TheKnot.com and by Q Weddings

Something Blue

I like this idea. Instead of hiding your something blue in a garter under your dress, try showing it. Try throwing on a blue headpiece on your big day.

 

VuePhotographyOnline.net 

Update

Hi guys!
Just wanted to let you know we are currently working on getting photos of our custom invites. When we do we will put them on the website and some on the blog! Don't forget to check out our  Website
- Mason

Midnight Snacks

This idea is great. Want to wow your guests with a special surprise try a midnight snack. Just when everyone thinks the party is almost over, hit them with a great snack. Think mini cookies and milk shooters, mini burgers and crinkle fries, or a taco bar. This is a definite pleaser. We have bride's that do the late night snack and it's always a hit.

Photo from TheKnot.com

Why Hire A Wedding Planner? Article by Micheal Willms

"One of my favorite topics is, "Should I hire a wedding planner and why? After all, my mother and her mom did mom's wedding and everything came out just fine!"
One of the best analogies I can give regarding not having a wedding planner, given my dad is a surgeon, is opening up your own abdomen to do surgery, and then having second thoughts as you nick an artery, and then wanting to reach out for help. Little late I'd say. I urge you to avoid learning after the fact, because once you’ve had your wedding and you’ve gone through the experience to learn what it is all about, then you’ll know why having an expert on your side is needed.  

Today, I compare weddings to a movie production, but with only a onetime run through. All I can say for weddings without planners is the professionals hired better get it right and the photographer better catch it perfect on camera because if not, we may have Bridezilla comin' out and eating us all alive. Give me some humor here! But seriously, in a large production, there is always the need for a "go to" person to arrange everything and keep the show under control during execution.

From my initial "What I Do First?" list, there are 54 entries of pre-wedding things I count on needing to be done, not to mention any extraneous items from each person's needs...and these are just the pre-wedding details, now imagine it is the week of your wedding. Your family starts to arrive from Sunday to Tuesday; everything begins to be turned upside down. You have all kinds of last minute things you want to do and now most certainly, you don’t have the time as your family and friends want you to go to Universal City Walk, or whatever diversion is comparable in your town.

Most of the brides I work with are not available during the time the vendors are operating their business making it even more challenging for communications. Plus many vendors are occupied with several events at a time, which the event that is fastest approaching usually takes the focus making it difficult and time consuming to get the vendor to respond. A dedicated planner is persistent to get the answers you need and distribute information that is pertinent, confirming the vendor understands it clearly.

Where the real action is, is on the day of the wedding. This is when it’s truly action-packed as far as details. For most weddings, set up begins before makeup; leaving vendors with the need of a point person to fine tune what is live and happening. Most of my time during the last two weeks of wedding planning is spent refining time line adjustments for vendor time in/out, confirming time for highlights (like cake cutting), etc. as there are always last minute changes once everything plays out.

Along with all of what I’ve just shared, imagine the bride being a consummate hostess with a smile plus having to handle the RSVP management, wedding rehearsal execution, guest list management, guest's umpteen million questions that roll in all day long, transportation organization, amenity distribution.... I’d say that a mad woman would be an easier role for a bride left alone! But when you have someone you can trust working on your behalf, available to call, text and email like a maniac to get what needs to get done done, you have the comfort to actually relax, and enjoy your wedding day."

Written by Michael S. Willms of MSW Event Design for Your Wedding Day

Mary & Stefan: The Dress

What can I say? I am speechless! This dress is awesome it was designed by bride and made by Monaco Couture. This was the wedding of Mary and Stefan, held on Halloween, I just found the pictures from Erin Hearts Court. I love how all of the bridesmaids' dresses are different, and the shoes...forget it!! Behold:

All images from Erin Hearts Court, photographer 

Great Idea For Bridesmaid Gifts

The adorable necklaces by Gems by Emily, make great gifts for your bridesmaids. They come in different styles and metals. They are also affordable for gift giving. Check them out at the Etsy store.

Photos from Etsy.com at Gems by Emily 

Reception Idea, Choreographed Dance

Want to do something unique for your reception, but short on ideas. One of my favorites, a choreographed dance. I love it when our brides do it, and so do all the guests. You can do it as an entrance or after toasts. Think a cute father daughter dance or something spunky with your new husband/ wife. This is a real crowd pleaser, trust me!- Mason

Photo from TheKnot.com

Venue Idea

Looking for a venue location, but nothing fits your unique personality? I love this idea, an airplane hanger. This couple got married in a hanger in San Marcos, TX. Aces on the idea!

Jake Holt Photography

Hot Deal

Right now WeddingTracker is running a deal for Knot members. Use promo code Knot50 and get 50% off your personalized wedding website. Comes with the following features:

Gift registry page
Unlimited photo upload
Music/Video upload
Flash animation templates
Guestbook
Maps + accommodations
RSVP manager
And more!

Reception Ideas

A Grooms Cake that will WOW!

Your guests will remember a memorable Groom's cake. This is an area you can be super creative. These cakes are traditionally southern, but they are popping up everywhere now. Stick to something that represents the Groom's likes or personality, and have fun!

Photo from TheKnot.com

Reception Ideas, How To Wow Your Guests

Not Your Traditional Wedding Music-

Want to wow your guests and do something fun and different? Surprise your guests with some non traditional music.
"Sure, a string quartet is nice, but you'll blow guests away with a jazz trio or a Spanish guitar player. To get the party going during the cocktail hour, look into hiring a mariachi band, a bluegrass group, or even a barbershop quartet for some seriously memorable melodies." TheKnot

Your guests are sure to remember something unique! If you don't want a cookie cutter wedding, there are plenty of ways to stand out. Talk to your planner about new ideas.

Trend For 2010

The white wedding cake is back! A big trend in this coming year is a throwback to the classic. Think simple and clean.

"While dessert tables and candy bars have been popular for the past few years, wedding cakes have made a comeback. But instead of the colorful two-tiered styles we saw in 2009, this year it’s all about the classic white wedding cake. "- The Knot

Here are a few of my favorites- Mason

Photos from MarthaStewartWeddings.com