There is a common thread that runs through fashion shows and weddings where models and brides are similar in many ways. Whether it’s on the runway or on the street, the influence of style is everywhere. Both have an audience, strive for the ultimate beauty, and are preparing for an unforgettable moment.
Capturing that special moment has many components, which requires an eye for design. From choosing a memorable location, the décor’ of the atmosphere, and most importantly - the perfect dress, the influence of style is everywhere. <
By: Cho Phillips Photo Credits: Preston Bailey, Versace
Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week is the largest media event in New York City, taking place bi-annually in midtown at the historically-chic Lincoln Center. The event showcases more than 80 designers’ shows over 8 days and is attended by top designers, industry insiders, and notable celebrities. As a result, NYC’s fashion week is known worldwide as the premier event for fashion enthusiasts.
Remarkably, the New York City Economic Development Corporation reported that fashion week on an annual citywide basis generates $233 million per season. With fashion’s elite on hand to witness this massive spending spree, it is easy to see why this event’s “ready-to-wear” styles trickle-down into other markets, especially the bridal and event markets.
Most of this trickle-down effect can be contributed to top designers who participate in both markets. For example, top bridal designers Vera Wang, Monique Lhuillier, Jenny Packham and Badgley Mischka will all have a chance to dazzle onlookers this week in Lincoln Center. For that reason, many of the same fabrics, styles and designs that grace fashion week catwalks, will also be found in some variation in 2013 bridal collections. For instance, world renowned red carpet and bridal designers, Badgley Mischka, are notorious for replicating fashion week styles into their future bridal collections. In fact, earlier this year they presented ready-to-wear dresses in eye-catching mermaid shapes, only to later borrow and introduce this popular design into their summer wedding dress collection.
Fashion week’s prominent trends influence, translate and forecasts design and themes for wedding and events. These influences range from color trends seen through the clothing to theatrical settings created by the designers. As you can imagine, wedding and event planners throughout the world are fixated on each vibrantly staged production hoping to be inspired by either classical or novel event themes. For example, Marc Jacobs recently created a corky Mad Hatter theme for his fall 2012 show, which later inspired many in the industry to re-create the magical theme for their own events. One party in particular was thrown for Queen Elizabeth while on her Diamond Jubilee tour. The Queens guests, keeping with the enchanted theme, playfully arrived one by one wearing exaggerated hats, much like the ones Marc Jacobs portrayed in his whimsical setting.
As Melissa Mamelli, (goforthbechic.tumblr.com) a seasoned contemporary buyer recently remarked, “fashion week is all about daring to push boundaries and looking forward to what’s next. With this in mind, I think the “Great Gatsby” trend for 2013 will have a huge impact on wedding and event themes in the near future. This prediction surely begs the question: Who wouldn’t want to be Daisy Buchanan for a night?!”
Other notable examples of fashion week’s ripple effect were certainly evident after last spring’s colorful shows. Bright splashes of color, ombre effects, and color blocking that were so prevalent in each collection, eventually started popping up all over the world at different wedding and events. Moreover, bright centerpieces and tropical floral boutiques filled with orange, yellows and reds began trending into the summer. Indeed, florists went so far as to create the ombre effect with three centerpieces seamlessly fading from light pink to maroon flowers.
It is safe to say that, fashion week is the most celebrated fashion event of the year and continues to annually influence weddings and events throughout the world. As a result, make sure you stayed informed about every shade of color, stylish design and provocative themes the fashion houses have to offer.
Oh, how we love etsy! And handmade items! And wedding details! Afterall, it’s the details that can really set a wedding apart. We have fall on our minds these days so we decided to see what kind of fall wedding items etsy designers have available. Here are some of our favorites! Do you have any favorite etsy finds to share?
LWPI again welcomes Sally Lorensen Conant to the blog! Sally is also known as the Gown Care Lady, and she has a wealth of invaluable knowledge for brides and certified wedding and event planners. Be sure to visit her website, the Association of Gown Preservation Specialists, too.
Plastic bags are the worst possible choice for your gown because plastic emits fumes that can yellow your gown. If you have a bag made from muslin or tyvek, there will be no harmful fumes, but bags are not a particularly good choice for long-term storage. Hanging for long periods of time can distort the shape of your gown even if it is hanging from the ribbon loops attached to inside seams. All fabric, especially lace, will stretch if you hang it, and who needs a big bubble where the bustle should be or a saggy-looking bodice?
Having a professional clean and pack your gown in an acid-free wedding chest is a much better option. A professional will pack your gown so that it maintains it shape perfectly with a minimum of folds and creases, and the wedding chest takes up a lot less room in your closet than a big bouffant gown bag. Wedding chests also protect your gown from sharp objects that can slice into your dress. And they are a much more effective barrier against insects and mice than bags. A bride once came to me in tears because mice got into her bag before the wedding, shredded her train to make a nest, and left her a present of lots of little black stuff!
No museums that I know use bags to store textiles, and that, too, should tell you something: An acid-free wedding chest is a better choice than any bag.
Saying thank you to wedding guests is one of the most important things for couples to do, and it’s made a lot easier when a little creativity is involved! Here are some of our favorite thank-you card ideas. Do you have any to share?
Photo Courtesy of Louisa Marion Photography of Minneapolis
Photo Courtesy of Three Blondes and a Camera of Maryland
Photo Courtesy of Ben Godkin Photography of Austin, Texas
Photo Courtesy of Chantel Marie of Salt Lake City, Utah
When it comes to interviewing possible bridal clients there is one thing every certified wedding and event planner must be: prepared. Being prepared means being on top of new and exciting wedding trends, and it means that planners must anticipate the questions brides-to-be are going to ask. Here are some of those questions; how would you answer them?
. How long have you been a planner?
. Are you a certified wedding and event planner?
. Is this your full-time job?
. How much do you charge?
. How many weddings have you planned?
. How many clients do you take on at one time?
. What is the largest wedding or event you have planned?
. Will you be at the wedding?
. Are you willing to travel to another region on the day of our wedding?
. Do you bring a staff with you?
. What are the best venues that fit our budget?
. (Once they choose a venue) Have you worked with this venue before?
. Can you help us with venue contracts?
. Can you get us discounts with vendors?
. Are you willing to stick to our budget and not guide us in a direction we can’t afford?
. How, and how often, may we contact you?
. Do you also plan honeymoons?
Suffice to say - brides are likely to add numerous questions to this list, but these are some common ones that every planner should expect to answer, and answer well. Remember that brides want to feel comfortable and feel heard. They’re likely going into this interview with a very specific vision in mind, and although your ideas may enhance their dreams - they’re still the clients’ dreams!
It’s important to remember, also, that although you’re the one being interviewed it’s a good time for you to get to know potential clients and try to figure out if you will work well with them. Trying to figure out how to say no? Read this great column by LWPI instructor Amanda Allen of MMD Events in Tampa, Florida: Insight from the Wedding Planning Institute: Saying No. To do a great job and end the day with a satisfied client you have to make sure your personalities mesh well!
What other important questions would you add to this list?
Whenever I think about a fall wedding I envision leaves on a tree on an autumn day. These are the colors that are customarily used in a fall-themed wedding. Typically, you start with yellows, oranges, greens and reds. All of these colors give off the warm, bold and vibrant colors characterized by fall. Below is a great inspiration board that demonstrates some of these colors in a fall-themed wedding.
Autumn Wedding Inspiration Board (Weddingblogger on Polyvore)
I love this time of year because it is just the right weather to have an outdoor wedding during the day and not have to deal with scalding-hot or freezing-cold weather. This can prove to be great for the bridal party as well as the guests. It is also great because this time of year yields some wonderful ideas for wedding favors or decorations that can be very cost-effective, like fresh apples, gourds and pumpkins. These are great things to use as table decorations or as favors for your guests.
The reasons to have a Green Wedding are obvious: They’re better for the environment and better for future generations. Ideas for planning a Green Wedding are numerous, too. But have you thought beyond the wedding? That’s right: Eco-conscious couples can also plan a Green Honeymoon, even further stretching their green footsteps. As Kate Harrison of The Green Bride Guide says, “Being a responsible honeymooner does not mean you have to give up style or comfort.” Here are some great websites and options for planning an eco-friendly honeymoon.
Eco-Luxury Tours by Elevate Destinations
Elevate Destinations, a company that specializes in Green, philanthropic and eco-friendly tourism, is a favorite of The Green Bride Guide. If your couples are looking for something green yet traditional, check out these options from Sandals and Beaches, also recommended by The Green Bride Guide. Even if your couples go the more traditional wedding route they may be interested in these honeymoons, which reduce carbon footprints. We also love the ideas at Great Green Travel, a site “devoted to the green, environmentally conscious traveler.” This site breaks down travel ideas into such categories as adventure, bike, and luxury, just to name a few. We especially think the idea of canoeing in St. Augustine, Fla., sounds relaxing and amazing!
Here are a few other websites to check out for your couples, or direct them to when they ask about eco-friendly honeymoons:
Interested in becoming a Green Wedding Planner? Find out all the details of LWPI’s Green Weddings Course or register for a class online or in your area today!
We’ll be the first to admit that these are ideas we’ve never seen in person. Fake wedding cakes? Rental wedding cakes? That being said, we can see the need for these in many bridal situations. Wedding cakes can be very expensive, and some couples just don’t see a reason to spend so much of their budget on dessert. Chances are, however, that they still want cake-cutting photos even if they want to forgo a traditional cake! What to do, then? Here are a couple of nontraditional and unexpected ideas that certified wedding and event planners can work with. Brilliant or bonkers? You be the judge.
Fake the Cake, of California
Fake Wedding Cakes. How many times have you been served a piece of wedding cake that tasted, well, just not so good. Fake wedding cakes solve that problem. They can be gorgeous - filled with details and flowers and everything that wedding cakes are known for. Fake wedding cakes are gorgeous in photos, too, and they’re less likely to get ruined on their trip to the venue. There’s just one thing: You can’t eat them! If you have a friend willing to decorate your cake for free this is a good option. They save time by using styrofoam, and you save money by skipping the bakery. But what about your guests? They get a slice of sugary perfection - straight from a sheet cake hidden in the venue’s kitchen.
Rental Wedding Cakes. Don’t have a friend with handy decorating skills? No problem. There are companies with fake wedding cakes to rent. That’s right. You get to choose a cake that matches your theme. They set it up for you at your reception, where your friends and family ooh and ahh over it. Then it’s whisked away (your guests, once again, get a piece of sheet cake), and the rental cake is off to amaze the guests at another bride’s wedding. You can’t get more budget-friendly than this!
So what do you think? Is the wedding cake a disposable part of the overall wedding budget? Have you ever seen these options where you live? We think they’re a smart option, if done right.
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