SavvySugar

Must Read: Colin Cowie Wedding Chic

partysugar — Mon, 25 May 2009 20:35:35 -0700

View Slideshow ›

Essie's 2008 Spring Bridal Collection

BellaSugar — Fri, 02 May 2008 09:01:44 -0700

This 2008 Essie Bridal Collection is just the type of classical peachy, white and muted pale pink polish range that I like to see from time to time. For those of you blushing brides who are interested in attaining the quintessential French manicure, or, for the rest of you who are just looking to paint on a neutral nail, you'll be on Cloud Nine with these colors. My bets are on Happily Ever After on becoming the next cult color, but I'm partial to No Pre-Nup (wink) - how about you?

View 7 Photos ›

For a brief description of each of the shades read more.

Blushing Bride: is pale nude with a hint of pink and gold.
Cloud Nine: is a sheer white with a touch of creamy mocha.
True Love: is a bubblegum pink with a hint of coral.
Tie the Knot: is the sheerest and most natural buff color.
No Pre-Nup: is the deepest rosy pink.
Happily Ever After: is a cool pale pink with a twist of blue.

To see all of our wedding coverage, check out IDoSugar.

Vera Wang Spring 2009 Bridal Collection

FabSugar — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:08:33 -0700

View Slideshow ›

Wedding Trend Alert: Adorn Me

FabSugar — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 17:15:15 -0700

View Slideshow ›

Holy Hysteria Brides!

FabSugar — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 15:25:01 -0700

View Slideshow ›

Oscar de la Renta Spring 2009 Bridal Collection

FabSugar — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 13:20:33 -0700

View Slideshow ›

Wedding Trend Alert: Short Stuff

FabSugar — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 15:28:33 -0700

View Slideshow ›

Come Party With Me: Wedding - Invite

partysugar — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 09:27:20 -0700

View Slideshow ›

Reem Acra Spring 2009 Bridal Collection

FabSugar — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 11:28:29 -0700

View Slideshow ›

Etsy Find: Hip Wedding Favors

CasaSugar — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 12:00:14 -0700

Since I'm trying to decide what type of wedding favors to have at my wedding this Summer, I had to tell all those other brides out there about these adorable Origami Wedding Favors ($25 for the first 25). Not only will they give your wedding guests something to do while making awkward small talk with your distant relatives, it'll also give them a pop quiz on your dating history. These cute little wedding favors hearken back to the days of playing "Fortune Teller" (also known as "Cootie Catcher" in some circles) on the bus ride home from grade school, only these Fortune Tellers are personalized with questions about you and your future husband.

The favors are made from 24-lb. ivory parchment paper, and are available in a variety of paper and ink colors. Are you as delighted by these favors as I am? For all of our wedding coverage, check out IDoSugar.

View 5 Photos ›

Wedding Planner: Advice From a Wedding Photographer

CasaSugar — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 09:15:39 -0700

Wedding photographer Jessamyn Harris is known for taking lovely, striking images of couples in love. I recently interviewed her about her business, and she provided all of those brides-to-be out there with valuable knowledge about what to look for when choosing a wedding photographer. Read on to find out all about Jessamyn's advice for hiring a wedding photographer, and if you're interested in hiring her, you can do so here.

CasaSugar: What's your favorite part about being a wedding photographer?

Jessamyn: Definitely the people I get to work with. I am really lucky to work with kind and creative clients who genuinely want a beautiful wedding because they love each other, and to whom artistic photography is a high priority. Combine that with gorgeous details to photograph, and it's a pretty nice setup. The best moments are when I really feel the connection between the bride and groom during the big and small moments of their wedding day, and of course when I know I got an amazing shot.

To see a gallery of Jessamyn's work, and to get her advice for choosing your own wedding photographer, just read more.
CasaSugar: What are the most challenging parts of your job?
Jessamyn: The most challenging aspects to being a wedding photographer are much the same as running any small business that is so based on the identity of the business owner - in other words, it's all me. I do all of the booking, planning, shooting, editing, and designing myself, as well as all of the other aspects of owning a business. Most of the time this is awesome and rewarding (because I hated working a full-time job for someone else!), but the flip side of that is that it can be exhausting and hard to escape. At the wedding itself, I work very hard physically and also emotionally to keep everyone happy and comfortable while being photographed. This is also something I like about it, though, so there are really two sides to each aspect.

CasaSugar: What should couples consider when choosing their wedding photographer?

Jessamyn: The number one thing a couple should look at when searching for a wedding photographer is style. You definitely want to be sure that what appeals to you is thoroughly represented in the photographers' portfolios. For example, my style is a mix of fine art, documentary, candid/ lifestyle shooting, and most of my clients are interested in keeping the more traditional family portraits to a minimum, with some time for unique portraits of the couple being the main focus. Most of my clients want candid, natural shots of the connections and moments between people, as well as some classic and beautiful portraits of themselves in their wedding finery. If I get the sense that a potential client wants a more traditional style than I tend to shoot (my style is something like "quirky, modern elegance"), I'll refer them to someone who has a little more mainstream sensibility. Besides style, I definitely think it's important to have a personal connection, or at least high comfort level, with your photographer. These two usually go hand in hand, but be sure they are someone you'll actually want at your wedding day. The more comfortable you feel with the photographer, the better the photos will be.

CasaSugar: What are some of the most memorable wedding shots you've taken?
Jessamyn: I have a shot going around the internet from a wedding last Summer of the bride's former roller derby teammates who served as usherettes at the couple's beautiful Napa Valley wedding, all in roller skates! This same wedding had a bounce house, and some other very unique details (and was recently featured on Style Me Pretty. Otherwise, it's usually the shots that I can tell will take the couple's breath away, or a shot of the bride looking like a beautiful vintage painting as she gets ready to get married. I also offer a "photo booth" type of setup, and these are often very memorable as well! This weekend, I had a very pregnant woman and her husband pose themselves as if she was about to deliver the baby, and there have been many other hilarious and shocking self-portraits taken.

View 21 Photos ›

Source

Wedding Trend Alert: Bows, Fabulous Bows

FabSugar — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:33:33 -0700

View Slideshow ›

Power Couple: Beyonce & Jay-Z

FabSugar — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 14:09:00 -0700

View Slideshow ›

Wedding Planner: Vertallee Press

CasaSugar — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 11:00:06 -0700

When it came time to print my wedding invitations, which had been designed by a friend, I knew that I had to have letterpress invitations, budget be damned. Letterpress printing is printed with movable type, and the surface of the type is then inked and pressed against a smooth substance, such as a note card or envelope. Letterpress was the go-to source for printed matter for over 500 years, but since it is so time and process intensive, letterpress has become a specialized art and rather expensive as well. While I knew that in theory, I wasn't prepared for the price of letterpress invitations for my wedding. After frantic searching and re-evaluation of the budget, I stumbled upon Vertallee Letterpress, which basically saved my wedding budget (and life).

Owned by husband-and-wife team Kat and Brad Murph, this full-service letterpress and design firm operates out of a shop in Austin, TX. They roll out their designs on a tabletop Hohner letterpress as well as a Heidelberg. They're happy to design everything from wedding invitations to business cards, and are just as willing to work with other designers as well. They also provide finishing services such as scoring, die cutting, perforating, folding, and trimming.

Working with Kat and Brad was a dream - they answered all of my emails in a timely manner, were up front and on budget with estimates, and were just darn nice. Their work is stunning as well. Take a look at the gallery for some images of their work and press. You can also check out more of their cards and invitation work at their Etsy shop.

View 9 Photos ›

Source

Monique Lhuillier Spring 2009 Bridal Collection

FabSugar — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 10:28:57 -0700

View Slideshow ›

Come Party With Me: Wedding - Invites

partysugar — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 06:58:45 -0700

I'm taking on a pretty difficult task this week: planning a wedding. A few weeks ago I threw an engagement party for lucky reader julieulie and this week the wedding talk continues with my inspirational ideas and helpful tips for her wedding. Julie will have a traditional Jewish wedding in Philadelphia on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend in 2008. Following DearSugar's wedding time line, the bride to be should start thinking about invitations at least six months before the date of the wedding. Wedding invitations are incredibly important to setting the tone, feel, and look of your event and when your guests receive a thick beautiful envelope in the mail, they should know that their presence is requested at a very special moment - think of the invite as a keepsake memento. If the wedding is a black tie formal event, it should be reflected in a sleek, elegant invitation with classic lettering. If the wedding is a low key beach party, the invitations can be more playful with seaside motifs. An invitation is about making a grand opening statement, so get artistically creative with your fiance(e) and let your style as a couple shine. Use the colors of your wedding in the paper, font, and detailing and choose a motif or symbol (a flower, your initials, a pattern, etc.) to give each aspect of the invitation a uniform look.

I spoke with my buddy Jake over at Paper Source, a wonderful resource for wedding invitations, and the colors that are hot this year are chocolate brown, bluebell blue, and vibrant red. Currently their best selling motif is a birds and leaf design. Remember that there is more than just an invitation that must be considered. A complete set of wedding invitations include (choose what you want to include inside the envelope with the invite):

save-the-date cards
the invitation
response cards (this is how guests rsvp)

programs
seating cards
place cards
menu cards
thank you notes
directions to the location
hotel information (if it's a destination wedding)

With wedding stationery, the options are limitless from the paper that you choose to the method of printing. The paper can come in many shapes, sizes, and textures with various glosses, finishes, and weights. Generally the heavier the cardstock, the more expensive the paper. The shape of a traditional invitation is a 4 1/2 by 6 1/4 inch flat card although Jake said that this year the A7 (roughly 7 by 5 inches) and A10 (about 4 by 9 inches) are popular.

The most formal and expensive printing method is engraving when the information about the party is etched into metal plates that are then impressed on the paper. Engraved invitations will have small indentations on the back of the paper along with raised type on the front. Engraving makes a powerful statement with a light colored text on a dark background. Letterpress is an old technique where the type is created by impression resulting with indented words that have a handmade feel. Offset lithography is flat printing that you'll find on standard greeting cards and invitations. This is the least expensive printing technique and can create very modern invitations. Thermography is another affordable option that uses a heat based process and a resin powder to create raised lettering that looks similar to engraving.

Now that we've covered the basics it's invitation making time! To see what I've created for Julie in her light blue, black, and white color scheme, read more

Julie's wants her wedding to be a black tie formal event with a jazzy, sophisticated, classy urban feel to it. The wedding will take place completely indoors in the ballroom of the beautiful Loews Hotel (the building was America's first modern skyscraper!).

To make Julie's card you will need:

cardstock
decorative paper
invitation backing
ribbon (I used a blue velvet and trimmed satin)
envelopes (in the same color as the cardstock)
pretty wrapping paper
scissors
glue
computer and printer
ruler
pencil

To assemble Julie's card:

Start by creating a new word document on your computer. Use elegant wording and fonts to convey the information surrounding the marriage. Traditionally the wedding is hosted by the bride's parents so their names head the invitation. At the top I used Julie and her fiance, Scott's initials to establish the relationship between the two. Next I wrote the following (in Edwardian Script ITC bold, size 16):

J & S

Mr. and Mrs. James Barber
request the honor of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Julie Samantha
to
Mr. Scott Eric Rotenberg

Sunday June 1, 2008
7 o’clock pm
Loews Hotel
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Dinner and Dancing to follow

Print a test copy of the invitation to make sure it is correct in size, lettering, and wording.

Print out on the nice cardstock. Cut down to the size of the invitation backing.

Tuck the text sheet up into the backing and with the pre-punched holes as your guide trace holes into the text sheet. Punch holes.

Slide the ribbon through the wholes and tie a pretty bow. (A special thanks to DearSugar for helping me tie the perfect bow)

Cut the decorative paper of your choice down to size. These two sheets of paper are going to act as doors to the invitation. The important information will be hidden underneath until the doors are lifted.

Center the cardstock on the invitation and using the ruler establish where you want the two side holes to be. Punch the holes in the black backing and then in the decorative over laying doors.

With the satin ribbon gently tie each door into place. Voila! Your invitation is complete.

To line the envelope, roll out the wrapping paper and trace the shape of the open envelope on the back of the paper.

Cut down to size, cutting 1/4 inch inside the traced lines.

Slide the backing inside the envelope and with a glue stick, glue to the back inside of the envelope. Fold to crease the paper. Address the envelopes with your best calligraphy, seal with a wax insignia, and stamp with beautiful vintage stamps.

For the reply cards: make small post cards and self address and stamp. Use the same cardstock, font, and sophisticated wording.

Note: Keep the wedding stationery as uniform as possible Use the same cardstock, decorative paper, ribbon, envelopes, initials, and font throughout. My favorite wedding resources are Dauhpine Press, Paper-Source, Cat Seto, and Felix Doolittle.

What did your wedding stationery look like? Do tell us your ideas and inspirations below! Stay tuned all week for more of this fabulous wedding, because there is much more planning to come.

View 39 Photos ›