WEDDINGISTAS | A Wedding Blog from Two Connecticut Wedding Planners

2010 New York Weddings Event

 

We’re only two months away from the grand 2010 New York Weddings event.  It will be held on Saturday, April 7 at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York City.

Attending the event should give you everything you need to plan the perfect wedding: more than 100 vendors, demonstrations and samples, countless creative ideas, complimentary food and drink, gift bags, and more.

There’s a special online ticket offer ($35 for 1, $50 for 2 tickets) valid through April 6^th at 6pm, at that point tickets will go off sale. Please note that the ticket price does not include taxes or TicketWeb fees.  And if I were you, I’d try to get there as soon as possible because gift bags are available on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last.

Have fun!

Sunday Sweepstakes: Turtle Island Honeymoon

I’m really excited to share this exotic sweepstakes with all of you this Sunday. The winner will receive a honeymoon package for two, which includes: 

• Two round-trip airline tickets on Air Pacific departing from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Nadi, Fiji
• Two seaplane transfers from Nadi to Turtle Island and two seaplane transfers from Turtle Island to Nadi
• 8 day/7 night all-inclusive hotel accommodations on Turtle Island in one of Turtle Island’s best available Grand Bures

All-inclusive services include: ALL meals, ALL alcohol, ALL activities. How great is that? And just in case you’ve never experience an all-inclusive vacation, your free activities include: snorkeling, one scuba-dive/day, fishing, sea kayaking, sailboats, sunset cruises, windsurfing, swimming, horseback riding, bike riding, hiking, picnics, Island and garden tours. As if all that stuff wasn’t good enough, you’ll also receive a 30 minute Lomi-Lomi massage per guest.

 

  Images: Turtle Island

Approximate Retail Value: $20,000

Promotional period ends: June 30, 2010

Random drawing: week of July 5, 2010

Please don’t forget to read the official rules prior to entering.  Plan accordingly, because your travel must be completed by December 31, 2012; which is actually pretty great. Normally, a lot of these sweepstakes don’t give you two years to cash in your prize. 

 

Beautiful Wedding Dresses: 2010 Lazardo Collection

I found myself lost looking through Lazardo’s Spring 2010 collection this morning. I spent a good 30 minutes drooling over all their beautiful dresses. But, the way I look at it, better that than online shopping, right? Anyway, I could not help but share a few stellar pieces with all of you.  

   

The embroidered English net along with the sequin tulle underlay really makes this gown stand out from the crowd. There’s a delicate, yet flirty elegance about it. And that vintage pearl ribbon belt that gathers at the natural waist is incredibly sliming. I honestly think this dress would make any woman look stunning. The gown is only available in ivory or white, but the belt comes in ivory, white, platinum, and gold. 

Images: Style LZ3007; StyleLZ3018: JLM Couture

And this beauty might just be my favorite of the day. I LOVE this antique silk faced satin gown, draped sweetheart bodice with wide jeweled band and box pleated skirt.  It embodies my train of thought: less is more. The dress is simple, but its simplicity is what makes it so beautiful. And once again, it’s accompanied with a belt that’s to die for.

If you like the Lazardo collections, you might want to visit Kleinfeld’s in February.  They’re hosting a Lazardo Trunk Show between February 12 – 15, 2010. But be sure to schedule an appointment!

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For The Modern Bride Card Boxes

I think card boxes are often one of the last things people think of during their wedding planning...and it shows. Couples are often left to borrow that old fashion birdcage that the venue has on hand, or they make that last minute trip to the craft store to buy whatever they have in the wedding aisle. Why would you put so much effort into every other detail, just to have the card box (which mostly everyone will actually see and use) stand out like a sore thumb? But how exciting can a card box really get? Well, you probably haven't see what For The Modern Bride can do.

For The Modern Bride makes some of the most beautiful wedding card boxes that I have ever seen. And these are no shoe boxes. They range from one present box to eight or ten, and resemble some gorgeous wedding cakes. You can even have them mirror your own wedding cake! Check out some of the beautiful boxes below.

Images: For The Modern Bride

These boxes range from $60 to $160 and come in a variety of sizes. They hold approximately 150 card, but can accommodate more if needed. There is also a level of security that comes with these boxes. Unfortunately, there have been reports of some card being stolen, due to the accessibility of the envelopes. No need to worry about that here. The cards are completely hidden until you are ready to take them out. Just one less thing to worry about!

For The Modern Bride is currently taking orders for events that are happening September 3, 2010 and beyond. All orders are usually completed two weeks before your event date. If you have any questions about how to order or questions about the boxes in general, check out their great FAQ section. 

Silver Moon Ice Cream

If you are a faithful Weddingistas reader, then you might notice that I am a large fan of cakes, cupcakes, chocolate, candy and all other yummy goods. Now, this might come as a surprise to you, but I am also a huge fan of ice cream. So when I came across Silver Moon Ice Cream, I knew I had to share it with you. But beware, this isn't your average ice cream.

Image: Silver Moon Ice Cream

Silver Moon Ice Cream fuses delicious ice cream flavors with liquor. You heard me right! Liquor. They describe it as "the perfect paring, dessert and liqueur". You literally have to be 21 or older to even order it online. Let me just share a few of their flavors with you:

• Coffee with Brownie Bits: Pure coffee liqueur accented with a generous helping of chewy brownies
• Strawberry Daiquiri: Delicious strawberry puree with lime juice, dark rum, and triple sec
• Creme de Mint Chip: Creamy mint liqueur with delicate dark Belgian chocolate bites

Now, while I personally will see to it that I try each and everyone of these flavors and report back to you on it STAT, I can see these working perfectly at a summer wedding. I am picturing a "mature" ice cream sundae bar where your guests can take a break and enjoy a grown up treat. If you are looking to just enjoy this on your own, you can build your own 5-pint multipack for $40.

The question is, which five do you pick?

Your Wedding from Overstock.com?

I decided to shop around on the internet for some great deals on a counter height kitchen table when I decided to check out what Overstock.com had to offer (on a side note, if you find any great deals on a table, send the my way!). I was surprised to see that their homepage was adverting their new Wedding Central area. So, naturally I had to check it out.

Image: Overstock.com

Wedding Central has a few areas for you to choose from. Most areas such as wedding jewelery, fresh flowers and wedding books brings you to an area within Overstock that has been created just for weddings. Technically, you could search for these items through the regular part of their site, but they were nice enough to make everything easily accessible. There is a helpful section called Wedding Essentials, where you browse through a variety of different categories and see items that you can get on Overstock. While you are limited to products that are sold on the site, it might be helpful for you to check out those items that you may have neglected to think about.

If you are a big fan over Overstock, then I think you will love this site. As I mentioned it is pretty limited to the products that they feature on their site, but they have a lot to offer, so its not a bad deal. I think it is a great help when it comes to finding some gift ideas for friends and family who are getting married, or even celebrating an anniversary or a new home.

Also, if you are going to let your bridal party choose their own dresses, you can use their wedding attire section to search for some great dresses and accessories. The prices are usually pretty good, so it is a nice way to save everyone money.

Check out this special section of Overstock and let me know what you think? How do you feel about a big shopping site like this narrowing in on weddings?

Sunday Sweepstakes Winner: Laura Gibson Jewelry

I'm excited to announce the winner to our Laura Gibson Jewelry giveaway! Congratulations, Kenya F! 

Kenya picked these gorgeous sterling silver and freshwater pearl chandelier style earrings... which I love. 

 

Clearly, she has spectacular taste! Thank you to all who entered the contest and please check back every Sunday for other opportunities to enter great sweepstakes.

Valentine Boudoir Sessions

I think that boudoir sessions are smoking hot. So hot, we included one in our photo shoot that we did with some local Connecticut vendors (keep an eye out for that hot post!). If you aren't familiar with a boudoir session, check out one of our sexiest posts that helps explain what it is all about. You'll also find some great tips on how to relax from our photographer friend, Leah Stafford from Intimate Boudoir.  

But if you are looking for that special, Valentine's Day gift for your hunny, why not consider an intimate boudoir session? Just imagine the look on his face when he opens his gift to find page after page of sultry, sophisticated, sassy pictures of you! Well, if you are in the Connecticut area, you are in luck. Our good friends Mike and Marcie from Michael Maler Photography have a Valentine's Day boudoir session special going on, right now!

Image: Michael Maler Photography

Book before February 1st and receive a one hour private session with Mike and Marcie, professional makeup, and 25 retouched images (we all need a little help, right?). For that perfect gift, you can choose their premium package which includes a personalized photo book. So he can come back to it time and time again. Prices start at $300. They are bound to book up fast, especially with Valentine's Day around the corner, so be sure to contact them soon and be sure to tell them that Weddingistas sent you. You call them at 203-906-5587 or email at mmaler@gmail.com. 

Now what to wear...or not!

Sunday Sweepstakes: Romantic Bermuda Retreat

If you haven’t been to Bermuda, you should probably look into going.  But, if you enter this sweepstakes you could stay there for free! Indulge your every desire at Cambridge Beaches Resort & Spa, an award-winning resort located on a private peninsula in Bermuda. 

  

Images: Cambridge Beaches Resort & Spa

The winner will spend 4 days/3 relaxing nights in a luxury cottage, which also includes full breakfast daily at Cambridge Beaches Resort and Spa.

Please note: This package does not included airfare, ground transportation, or any additional meals. When you click on the link, they want you to sign up to receive free pamphlets, but you can just skip over them and opt out by clicking “I do not want to order booklets, but enter me in the sweepstakes!” Read the official rules for more information.

Approximate retail value: $2,500

Ends: February 8, 2010

Random Drawing: February 15, 2010