With last night’s Oscars ceremony award season has come to a close. Anyone interested or involved in the wedding-planning business pays close attention to such shows because brides and likewise, bridal-gown designers, are watching Hollywood’s finest stars to see what trends are up and coming, such as color, cut and length.

Photo Courtesy of Small Screen Scoop.

Photo Courtesy of The Guardian

The Oscars proved that one way to go with color this year is soft and feminine. Two of our favorite gowns were worn by Mila Kunis (in Elie Saab) and Cate Blanchett (in Givenchy). While the purple hues aren’t exactly the same they’re in the same color family. Soft, sweet and feminine are what we’d call this color. It would be beautiful for spring weddings, and it’s an easy color for matching flowers as it’s so abundant in nature.

Photo Courtesy of OK Magazine.

Photo Courtesy of Just Jared.

Another color trend we noticed on the Oscars red carpet was bold and sassy. Two stars who took their fashion this way were Jennifer Hudson (in Versace) and Sandra Bullock (in Vera Wang). Hudson went with a tangerine color, and Bullock chose a gorgeous bright red. Such colors as red and orange are great for weddings with a fun and funky edge. While they can be overwhelming if overused, they’re perfect accent colors and can be beautiful on bridesmaids - if the right bridesmaid gown is chosen.

Photo by John Shearer/Getty Images

Another wedding trend already in our sights is the vintage style. Reese Witherspoon (in Armani) just screamed vintage to us with her high, full ponytail and classic black and white gown. This gown choice made us wonder if Reese is leaning toward a vintage theme for her own upcoming wedding.

Which gowns did you like best? Did you see any trends that are bound to make their way onto the wedding aisle this year?

Finding the perfect wedding venue isn’t difficult when you’re working with a bridal couple who has chosen their home church, or a church in their community, for their ceremony. But what happens when you have a couple who wants their certified wedding and event coordinator to think outside the box? That’s when it’s time to get creative, which means it’s a good idea for you to have a few ideas in mind at all times. As you gather information about the area you’re working in consider putting together a list of venues that not every bride would automatically think of. This can come in handy in several ways.

Historical venues often need little decor.

First, unexpected venues are often architecturally or naturally amazing, which means they need little decor to spruce them up. Such venues as botanical gardens, aquariums and art museums are great choices for brides on a budget who want to save money on flowers, and for eco-conscious brides who want to use fewer resources.

Other inexpensive yet unexpected wedding venues may include restaurants, especially ones that are considered local landmarks or serve cuisines that are directly related to the bridal couple. We also love the idea of weddings in theaters, performance halls and movie theaters with a vintage feel. Just think of the details you could pull together for a movie-themed wedding! If you live in a college town you’re very likely to encounter couples who want to incorporate their alma mater into their big day. Chapels, libraries and gardens are often special places to former students and may easily lend themselves to wedding ceremonies.

Some other eco-friendly wedding venues may include barns and working farms, which often put an emphasis on green farming techniques and organic foods. Bed and breakfasts and historic homes are often brimming with vintage charm, which means a green bride’s choice of antique linens and vintage gowns are a sure fit. And if you have a modern, yet green bride, photo galleries and art museums give off that perfect, minimalist feel.

Do you have a couple who wants to marry by the water? While the beach is an obvious option there are other choices. Weddings on a lakeside dock at sunset are unbelievably gorgeous. Or how about a wedding aboard a boat? Sailboats are great venues for intimate weddings, and they can be budget-friendly if the boat belongs to a friend or family member of the couple.

If your couple decides to go with an unexpected venue there are things to consider:
* First, work out the budget. Unexpected expenses are likely to pop up.
* Will you need extra bathrooms?
* If the wedding isn’t going to be short and sweet you may need to provide the seating.
* Does the venue allow engagement photos taken without extra costs?
* If the bride or groom are members of, say, a museum are there discounts available? Sometimes just being a local resident is enough reason to get a discount. Always ask!

The key to planning a wedding at an unexpected venue is to work with an open-minded, flexible couple. The music may have to be creative, depending on the space and whether electricity is available. But overall it’s important to simply have fun with the planning, and get the couple involved.

What are the most interesting wedding venues you’ve worked with?

Last week we introduced you to LWPI instructor Desiree Moore Dent, and we mentioned that she has a new book out. We’re so excited for Desiree and WEDology Notebook: For The Budget-Chic Bride! We wanted to share a bit more about it because we know there are many brides and certified wedding and event planners out there who could benefit from what Desiree has to say. In her words:

“The WEDology Notebook: For The Budget-Chic Bride was created by fusing “Wedding” and “Ology” together. A wedding is a celebration of marriage and the informal word ending “ology” means a branch of learning. As a wedding planner and instructor, it is embedded in me to teach and I find nothing better than instructing bride’s on how to plan a wedding celebration to best suit their style and budget.

Budget-chic does not mean Do-It-Yourself (DIY), but making sure you hire the best vendors to service you on your fabulous wedding day. The vendors should fit within the budget you and your fiancé have set, but you also want to make sure they are able to meet your requests. By using the Notebook, you will be able to ask knowledgeable questions and retain the answers in one location. Next, wedding planning can be stressful and financially overbearing when not done in an organized fashion or with assistance. I understand some brides cannot afford a wedding coordinator or do not understand the importance of hiring someone to direct their wedding day. In wanting to make sure you are equipped with planning tools to host a successful ceremony and reception, the Notebook was developed.

Last, I have witnessed brides visiting my office with their purse and another bag to carry their large wedding binder and contracts. In wanting to relieve some of the tension, I designed the Notebook to not only be user-friendly, but compact so that a bride can carry it in her handbag, tote bag or briefcase without feeling weighed down.

I hope you find the WEDology Notebook: For The Budget-Chic Bride to be a useful tool throughout your wedding planning process.”

To learn more about the book and find out where and when you can buy it, visit Desiree’s website and Facebook page.

This month’s Real Wedding is another beautiful affair from Nicole Brennan of LovelyGirls Weddings in Wilmington, Del. Nicole definitely took her training and business to a whole new level by becoming a certified wedding and event coordinator. Are you interested in designing events or owning your own business? Check out the course calendar today, and sign up for a class in your area!

Nicole says: Working with Liza was so much fun! She was so DIY and absolutely had a fabulous taste for great vendors and photography. When Liza and I had first spoke, she wanted to host her wedding at the Central Library branch of Philadelphia Free Library on Vine. Beautiful facility. Downside, it was not going to be big enough to host Liza and Tom’s 200-plus guest list. So, onto searching for a new facility.

Liza had a modern flair. Loves Philadelphia. Even a flair for the dramatics. So, what did Liza and Tom find as their best option? The Adventure Aquarium located just across the Delaware River in Camden, N.J. With its modern decor, panoramic view of the Philadelphia skyline, and the ever dramatic shark tanks in the Currents Ballroom, it was almost like Cinderella putting on her glass slipper at the ball.
Well, at least you would have thought with the amazing shoe selection worn by the bridal party!

The best part about the wedding was having such a great team to work with such as Pat Furey Photography and Synergetic Sounds + Lighting. Their ceremony was held at St. Augustines R.C. Church (or better known as the church featured in The Sixth Sense). Also … Liza loved wedding planning so much that she joined the LovelyGirls team shortly thereafter!

What a beautiful wedding! We love that the colors came straight from the venu - aquarium waters and rockin’ bridal shoes! This wedding is also a great example of letting the venue work for you when it comes to decor. Great job, Nicole and company!

Interested in having one of your weddings featured? Contact our managing editor for more information. And for more on the vendors used in Tom and Liza’s wedding see the following links.

Ceremony: Saint Augustine Roman Catholic Church
Reception: Currents Ballroom at Adventure Aquarium
Dress: Enzoani Couture, “Desiree”
Hair & Make-up: Sapphire Salon & Spa
Shoes: “Something Blue” shoes by MIX No6 from DSW
Groomsmen Tux: Chaps by Ralph Lauren
Bridesmaids: Davids Bridal
Floral: All done by the bride
DJ: Chris of Synergetic Sounds and Lighting
Trolley: Philadelphia Trolley Works
Cake: Brendenbeck’s in Chestnut Hill
Photography: Pat Furey Photography
Invitations: Whimsical Prints
Seating Chart: Sealed with a Kiss in Haddonfield, NJ
Accommodations: Crowne Plaza Hotel

Today’s Instructor Spotlight highlights Desiree Moore Dent, who will be teaching a certified wedding and event coordinator course at Elgin Community College, starting this week, and a Preston Bailey Wedding & Event Design Certification course, also at Elgin, starting Feb. 22. For more information or to register for the class, visit the class calendar.

Desireé Moore Dent established Dejanae Events in April 2000. She has since coordinated numerous weddings, employing her knowledge and research to assist couples with their special day while maintaining their specialized budget.

Desireé obtained her B.A. in Communications and English from DePaul University in 1995. Since working for a large accredited university and mid-sized law firm in downtown Chicago, Desireé has coordinated dozens of client events and assisted with sizeable client functions both in and out of state. She received her certification in Bridal Consulting & Event Planning in 2003 from the Professional Career Development Institute and from The Wedding Planning Institute in 2007, and is an active member of the Association of Bridal Consultants (ABC).

Additionally, Desireé is the Instructor of Elgin Community College’s Wedding Planning Certification Program and Preston Bailey’s Signature Event Design course hosted in conjunction with The Wedding Planning Institute, a division of Lovegevity Inc. She is recognized as a “wedding industry professional” and “academic leader” in the latest textbook edition of Professional Wedding Planning - How To Start A Wedding Planning Business used in the Certification course. She has been a guest speaker at Kendall College (November, 2005); Harold Washington College (September, 2006); and Washburn Culinary Institute (November 2006; March 2007) addressing the wedding and event planning business. And on May 8, 2009, Desireé appeared on Lifetime Channels newest wedding show called Get Married. She was one of the experts offering advice to couples planning a wedding on a budget. Her first appearance was in December 2007.

And now Desireé’s greatest achievement is authoring WEDology Notebook: For The Budget-Chic Bride, which was released Jan. 30, 2011.

Themed weddings often fall into two categories: well done and tacky. Many certified wedding and event coordinators would probably be less than thrilled to plan a wedding with a Valentine’s Day theme for fear of landing in tacky land. We understand! Plastic hearts, pink balloons and scarlet-red wedding gowns are a few choices that are hard to pull off and make classy. But there are many, many ways to create a classy affair, all the while fulfilling a bride’s fantasy of getting married on (or near) Valentine’s Day. We all know that today, being Valentine’s Day, is a day that many men will be down on one knee with a rose in one hand and a ring in the other. Be prepared for next year when these future clients come knocking on your door with dreams of a red, pink and white wedding. Here are some of our favorite ideas for Valentine’s Day themed weddings.

Valentine's Day Gown Ideas

From left: Candy Anthony London, Candy Anthony London, LOIC Photography of San Francisco (Amazing photos - be sure to check them out if you live in the California area!)

Valentine's Day Decor Ideas

From left: LMG Events/Chudleigh Weddings of Utah (So gorgeous!), Bridalwave/Hotel Bingham, Lund Photo of New York

Valentine's Day Cake Ideas

From left: Pink Cake Box, Martha Stewart Weddings, Maisie Fantasy Cakes

Valentine's Day Cookie Favor Ideas

From left: Eleni’s Custom Cookies of New York, Macarons by Food Blogger Tartelette, Williams-Sonoma cookie cutters

Valentine's Day Bouquet Ideas

From left: The Flower Magician, Vintage Paper Bouquet by Melisa Simo, Wedding Flowers

See? Valentine’s Day themed weddings can be classy, adorable and unique! What are your favorite Valentine’s Day wedding ideas?

Many brides are looking for fun and easy ways to make their weddings more eco-friendly. But it can be hard to figure out the perfect details to create a fabulous Green Wedding. Kate Harrison, the author of The Green Bride Guide, shares with us today the first of a two-part series on easy, eco-friendly wedding ideas. You can find more great ideas at Kate’s website, and if you’re interested in becoming a Green Wedding Planner sign up for her class through LWPI. It’s a great way to add a special niche to your wedding- and event-planning business!

Eco Friendly Wedding Favors from Do It Yourself Weddings

Many of today’s brides are thinking about having a green wedding, but it’s hard to know where to start. The good news is that even small green choices can make a difference in decreasing your wedding’s impact on the environment. Adding eco-details is easier than you might think, and as an added bonus, going green is usually a money-saver as well! You have to make so many choices for your wedding day, so why not make some of those choices with the environment in mind? Get started with these ten easy ways to add eco-details to your wedding.

1. Think Vintage: Vintage elements are a hot wedding trend right now, plus they are eco-friendly and will likely save you money, too. Your jewelry can be vintage — heirloom rings make gorgeous green engagement pieces, and your grandmother’s pearls are a special way to honor her on your wedding day — but don’t stop there! Infuse your day with a retro chic look. Scour consignment stores for vintage mason jars, pitchers, tins or vases. You can fill them with flowers for centerpieces, or load them with candy for a colorful and sweet display. Find vintage fabrics to use as your table covers, to wrap your bouquet, or to serve as or backdrop for your photo booth. Buy vintage postage stamps in mint condition on eBay to use on your invitations. For the ultimate in retro-glam, find a vintage gown and have a good tailor fit it for you. The possibilities are endless!

2. Green Your Travel: The impact of wedding-related travel is significant. Consider a small-ish wedding of about a hundred guests; even if four guests pile into a car (which is unlikely; most cars probably only carry two), that’s still twenty-five vehicles driving from one location to the next. One of the easiest ways to cut down on your wedding’s travel footprint is to have your ceremony and reception in the same place, which negates those emissions, and saves your guests the hassle of going from one place to another.

If you must have your ceremony and reception in different places, consider hiring a bus or van to move everyone en masse. If you provide snacks and drinks on board, a wedding bus can be a real highlight for you and your guests. A trolley could also be a fun option, and if you find a company that has electric trolleys, it’s even better.

3. DIY Details: Do-it-yourself projects can be a fun way to add eco-details and a personal touch to your wedding. Utilize your creative talents to decide what kinds of projects you can do, then green your DIY ideas by choosing repurposed, recycled, or vintage materials. Have beautiful penmanship? Create your own place cards from recycled cardstock. Crafty with a sewing machine? Stitch purses using reclaimed fabrics and give them as bridesmaids’ gifts. Have a penchant for paint? Repurpose old picture frames by painting them in fitting colors for your décor. Print or draw table numbers or menus on recycled paper to put inside the frame, or fill them with family or childhood pictures of you and your intended to decorate the ceremony or reception site.

4. Incorporate Natural Elements: There are so many ways to include nods to nature in your wedding décor. Coordinate the use of natural elements with the season of your wedding, and you will have a bounty of options: richly colored leaves in the fall, pinecones in the winter, beach sand and shells in the summer…you get the idea.

Wood pieces can be a great starting point for your natural décor. Fallen branches in the backyard can be collected and repurposed to create rustic ceremony adornments, or cut to become surprisingly elegant name card holders. You could even use a thin slice of wood as a uniquely beautiful ring pillow!

Using natural elements in your floral arrangements adds an unusual beauty, and cuts down on the use of flowers overall. Moss, grass, and driftwood are some options for creating beautiful bouquets and centerpieces.

Rocks and stones offer a variety of colors and textures to suit your wedding’s style. Work them into centerpieces, line them up at the ceremony site to create an aisle (instead of a wasteful disposable aisle runner), or use a water-based paint pen on them to create place cards without paper.

5. Surf for Green: Because most couples choose to set up a wedding website these days, this one may sound like a no-brainer. However, utilizing the internet is a great way to keep the environment in mind when you consider how much paper you can eliminate from your invitations and the wedding itself.

Use your wedding website to house all the important information your guests will need: directions, itineraries, carpooling options, lodging, menus, and more. Make sure your guests can also RSVP directly on the site, and there will be no need for the additional RSVP card in your invitation envelope. If you have relatives or friends who are not Internet savvy (and there are likely only a few), they can RSVP by phone.

According to designer Preston Bailey, mood boards “are a great way to visually summarize what your client is looking for in her event. Our boards consist of photographs, sketches, clippings, fabric swatches and color samples we want to incorporate.” They’re also a good way to gather your inspiration, whether it be color, architecture or fashion. Students in LWPI’s Preston Bailey Signature Design Course are asked to put mood boards together based on something that they enjoy or inspires them. Once their board is put together they also give a rundown of what their dream wedding would look like. We love to check out the students’ work and see what they dream about. Here’s a sampling of some of our favorite work from current students.

Student Kathrin L. Sorg-Brodtbeck was inspired by a trip she took to Italy, and she created this warm, inviting “Under the Tuscan Sun” mood board. She says, “Although most aspects of the event will be elegant, some rustic accents such as horse-drawn farm wagons fitted with cushions to transport the guests and long and heavy wooden tables elegantly set will complement the surroundings. Music will be provided by a classical string quartet during the ceremony and the cocktail and a jazz trio for dinner and dancing. Dancing will take place under the stars and an array of lanterns to provide a romantic ending to the event.”

Student Jessica DeGuida calls her mood board “Reception Under the Stars.” She says, “I envision an over the top, ultra chic wedding on a gorgeous summer night either on a roof top deck in the city or by a magnificent beach in the south of France. The colors primarily used are black, white, beige and navy. I would like to provoke a feeling of intimacy between by using candlelight and uplighting in a soft beige with the moonlight bringing an element of mystery to this spectacular event.”

Kimberly Harder of Elegant Touches in Edmonton, AB, calls her mood board “Anchored to You.” She says, “Dinner, dancing and merriment would be housed in a lavishly appointed tent just up the beach, with ample voile draping creating a very intimate and romantic effect. Ambient lighting would flood the tent. The rectangular mirror top tables would feature red charger plates, frosted votive holders and lush arrangements. This is meant to feel more like a dinner party with close friends than a wedding reception. After dinner, dancing would spill out onto the beach under the stars.”

These are all great examples of how a certified wedding and event designer can take a client’s dream theme and bring it to reality. Having all of your ideas front and center helps a designer and client weed out what doesn’t work and keep what does work. For some great examples of Preston Bailey’s work be sure to check out his mood boards, which have been featured on his Inspiration Blog.

And if you’re interested in learning more about Preston Bailey’s Signature Design Course, offered through LWPI, take a tour or register today.

Today LWPI talks with Carol Crist, who will be teaching an upcoming corporate event-planning class at the University of New Mexico. Crist is on staff at Madeleine’s Place Event Center in Corrales, NM, where she does wedding and event planning. For more information and to register, visit the LWPI website today.

How did you get involved in wedding and event planning? I believe they are decidedly different so…. I started in the event business by accepting a job as a catering secretary at a small Holiday Inn in Alexandria, Va., many years ago. (1973) When my boss became very ill I was asked to take over and run the catering department. I was very shy at that point in my life, and I was suddenly thrust into a very different setting by having to deal with clients and staff to create successful events. It really had a very positive impact on my personality.

What is your work/education/experience background? I have worked as a secretary in a variety of positions, and eventually landed an executive-secretarial position for Yokohama Tires Corporate in US (California), working for the Marketing Director. I was promoted to marketing coordinator and planned all the national and local sales meetings and trade shows; directed the national sales program with an inventory of $500K of goods; and managed their national signage program for new dealers and the co-op advertising program. I left Yokohama to work for a new Hilton hotel in Whittier, Calif., as the executive secretary to the owner and manager. This provided me experience in a start-up operation, which has proved invaluable. I left the hotel business in 1988 to work for Southern California Edison. Again, my secretarial background and hotel background led to my being the event coordinator to the CIO in our department of 1600 personnel. Additionally, I learned project management and headed up a very large two-year IT project involving the entire 13,000 employees. I retired from SCE in 2005 and moved to New Mexico.

Do you own your own business? No, I do not own Madeleine’s Place Event Center. I was asked by the owner to come out of retirement and help her start this business about three years ago. It works quite well because I can see the fruits of my labor in our recognition across the city.

What is your favorite part of being a planner? Working with the client to create their vision and keep it within their budget.

What is the toughest part? Dealing with dissatisfaction after you’ve done the best that you can.

What do you think is the most important lesson for your students? To always have a backup plan for your clients.

What trends do you see growing popular in 2011? Head tables are out; sweetheart tables are in; colors are brighter; and smaller, boutique-style weddings and receptions are growing more popular.

Planning a wedding can be the most stressful thing we do. We must choose so many things: reception site, church, dress, music, cake, who is going to be in the wedding party, etc. But the very first thing that you have to do is PLAN A BUDGET. This is going to determine how much you can spend.

So many people come into my office with elaborate designs, but when we sit down and start talking about money they realize they can’t afford that huge reception with an open bar, top-shelf liquor and top-of-the-line food for 300 people. They realize that they have to scale back tremendously.

Everyone has a different idea of a dream wedding. Some want a huge wedding with all the bells and whistles. Some want a small, intimate wedding in a backyard or garden. Whichever wedding is for you be sure to make it a wedding that you want and are happy with so that you can truly enjoy it. When planning your wedding you want to take into consideration what is important to you. Is it your dress, cake, reception, ceremony or food? Most people will spend the most money on what is most important to them.

To finish I’ll offer these key pieces of advice. Make sure that you:

1. PLAN A BUDGET
2. Make your budget realistic.
3. Stick to your budget.
4. Determine what is important to you before spending.

Do you have any ideas on how certified wedding and event planners can help brides create a budget and stick to it?

Be sure to visit Shafonne’s website, follow her on Twitter, and read more about her in this LWPI Instructor Spotlight.