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I work with many brides who are having out of town or destination weddings. They feel more comfortable doing their own makeup than leaving it to chance with a local artist, so they come to me for a lesson. I always try to convince the bride to take me with them (especially to island destinations), but unfortunately the air and hotel costs for me isn’t in their budget - darn economy! 
A lesson is always fun and even if the bride is going to use a local artist, I will often design the look for a bride and she can use that as a guideline for anyone who does her makeup. I don’t want to disparage non-NYC makeup artists, as there are great artists everywhere. The trouble is finding someone with the same aesthetic. And because makeup styles differ regionally and culturally, it can be difficult to explain your preferences to a foreign artist. A good makeup artist will understand this and should be happy to have as many details as possible and not consider it an insult.
Alisa came to see me for a makeup lesson last April, and we worked together to find a great look for her upstate NY wedding. Alisa was kind enough to share her experience with me.
I’m a big supporter of those starting out in the floral and wedding business. A curious person by nature, I’m fascinated by people who want to enter into the wedding floral business because it just isn’t for the faint of heart or for those who do it for the money. It’s often a thankless, laborious business where change is constant, things are unpredictable, and emotions can run rampant. Because of this, I admire people who dive into it with such passion, courage, and of course - a great attitude.
Kelly Kaufman from Southern California has some wedding advice to share. Kelly is an avid follower of my blog, and she loves flowers and floral design as much as I do. Let’s give a big welcome to Kelly of Florette Floral Design.
Hi! I am very excited to share my first wedding project with you! The lessons I learned from my first experience goes beyond just the floral part. I learned so much about wedding planning. This wedding is very dear and special to my heart because it is my very own wedding. 
I’m so excited person today because all of my equipment has finally arrived for the dessert studio! We are in the final stage of everything and hope to open by the end of the month!!! I even got to meet with some clients in my new office this past weekend. It was so much better than meeting up in a coffee shop! I will definitely be taking some more photos of the studio and post them up soon, but for now I wanted to share a fun cake decorating technique with you! I originally saw this design on another cake and loved the look of it, so I thought I would try it out. I came up with this easy method to get the lines even…I mean it has probably been done before, but I never saw a tutorial on it, so here it is for your viewing pleasure!
Check out our Ranier cherry seating cards over on 100 Layer Cake!
We were inspired by a trip that Christina, our finance manager, took to the farmer’s market here in San Francisco a couple weeks ago, when cherry season was at its apex. She brought back these pretty cherries and that was it! We placed them in a vintage teacup saucer to give the display a polished look and help them stay upright.
![[a100879_fal04_monogramdoor_xl.jpg]](http://www.weddingbeepro.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/a100879.jpg)
Hi Nancy,
I’m planning my wedding and trying to keep within budget. What is your take on DIY? You have such great suggestions, but I secretly want to know can I do my own flowers? Feel free to be honest, I need to know if I can handle this.
-C.K.
Dear C.K. and other Soon-to-be-Brides,
I’m very hesitant to answer this question, which actually came to me a while back. At first, I wanted to reply that anyone can do simple flowers. It’s true -you could go to any craft, outdoor garden resource and online floral wholesaler to purchase your flowers. However, I don’t think that’s really the point. Anyone - if they put their heart and soul into something- could do anything they want. The point is, will it be worthwhile? Anyone that considers doing their own flowers might want to look within themselves and ask…
{photo from Shop Composition}
It must be the paper, because I have never tasted the chocolate. Above are chocolate bars from the Mast Brothers -leaders of the chocolate revolution and pretty packaging with Italian papers. From all the articles I have read, it sounds like people would give their left arm for a tiny morsel of this goodness. I am completely charmed by their process. The brothers clean, sort, roast, and refine the cacao beans in small batches themselves and develop the flavors, like almond + sea salt. They also hand-wrap and tape each bar closed themselves {my favorite part}.
In the brief and fleeting moments I have thought about our wedding favors, I think an edible one is the way to go, especially when they are this pretty. Many people will be traveling to our wedding and to give them something such as a small plant or flowers {our first choices} will only be appreciated for a day or two, then left behind. Plus, who does not want to nibble on a bit of chocolate before their dinner comes?
But back to the paper. I actually own some sheets of the same paper. Which makes me think -maybe I should do this myself. If I did it myself I could:
1. Customize the paper as well as the label; 2. Buy chocolate bars from local shops {such as my favorite, Haven’s, in Maine}; 3. Then I would not have to travel to Brooklyn to get these chocolate bars; and 4. Not spend $7 - 8 per bar {well, I will have to crunch some numbers and get back to you on that part}, even though I am quite sure they are worth it.
Now I want some chocolate. 
![[gh+web+5.jpg]](http://www.weddingbeepro.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/gh2bwe.jpg)
Could that really be a striped vase? Of course not. Sometimes, when you can’t find the right colored vase to match your decor, you’ve got to create it on your own.
Today, I want to show you my trick to creating sweet and simple containers out of ribbons. For this vase you will need a very straight and simple votive glass that’s no taller than 3 inches. The key to this trick is to use a very straight glass. This won’t work if the glass is slightly tapered.
You will need:
Make sure your glass is clean. Cut a 3 inch wide ribbon to fit exactly around the votive with a 1/4 inch hang. Using double sided tape, adhere the 3-inch wide ribbon to the votive. Then cut a 1-inch wide ribbon and adhere to glass using double-sided tape. Voila, you’ve just created your own vase.
Insider’s tip: The trick to making this vase pretty is to use non-wired ribbon. Also, I find that an inexpensive acetate works well too, just cut the ends very straight. Using a high quality ribbon scissor is the best. Also, when I make an arrangement in these tiny votive cups, I put a little piece of Oasis inside so that way no water spills over and ruins the ribbon.
Good luck!
Castle in the Air is hands-down one of our favorite resources for crafting supplies. We paid a visit a couple weeks ago (along with our other favorite, Tail of the Yak), and it was fabulous as usual!
Just the other day I was singing the praises of consumable wedding favors. Then, I found these Oreo truffles made with Oreo cookies. Wouldn’t these make divine DIY wedding favors? Place them in a lovely box with ribbon and presto - your guests will love you. I discovered them on Whismy Love, and I’ve been dying to make some of my own. I enjoyed the step-by-step photo tutorial on Whimsy Love (especially the Oreo truffle smile photo). Check it out. The recipe is from Recipeazzar.
All you need is:
Ever wonder how… to keep fully wrapped bouquet stems hydrated?
*Disclaimer: Sorry if this post seems a little risque! I’m trying to be technical. Thank you to my assistant Shana for sharing this amazing little trick with me!
I’m about to share with you all a little florist secret- shh! Don’t tell anyone I told you this!
Take for example this stunning bouquet by Karen Tran via Away Soiree:
Notice that the satin ribbon wrap fully covers the stems, even at the bottom of the bouquet, allowing for a luxe, tailored look.
Since the bridal bouquet is the star of all wedding flowers, it’s crucial that the flowers have a supply of water until the last possible second to keep blooms fresh. I usually don’t do full bouquet wraps for this reason. I feel more secure when I deliver the bouquets in a vase with water so I know the thirsty stems are drinking and are ready for a full day of wedding action. But there is a way to keep fully covered stems hydrated. Don’t giggle please. Condoms.
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