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Gown Preservation…..with love from Joy

The most exciting day in every girl’s life is the day that they get to stroll down the aisle with the man they love most. However, after all of the festivities have come to an end there is one important detail that most brides fail to remember: preserving their gorgeous gown. It might seem simple enough to toss your dress on a hanger, throw it on the closet, and move along with your day. However ladies, this may be the worst decision you could make. So, the ladies of Flair decided to save you the research, and gathered some simple rules for storing your dress properly.

Clearly it would be detrimental for your gown to be cleaned in the washing machine, so your first step should be to take a trip to a trusted dry cleaner. A professional should look over your dress with you when you drop it off, in order to point out any specific stains or damages. If the clerk feels as though they can not properly clean your gown, then they should tell you. In this instance you should call a local conservator. After the dry clean is complete, if your gown is hung then immediately take it off of the hanger. Also if it is wrapped in the notorious blue dry cleaner tissue paper, take it out right away as this can cause discoloration.

Once your gown is all shiny and new again, there are a few simple rules to follow. The first thing you should do is order a preserving box and tissue paper which must both be un-buffered and acid free. This is because the chemicals that go into regular boxes and tissue do not react well with the chemicals in fabric, and therefore will eventually become extremely damaging. You can purchase preserving materials easily at Foster-Stephens.com. Another storage no-no is the cedar trunk, although this may seem like a logical place to keep your gown, its not. Cedar gives off gases as time progresses that will essentially eat away at your lovely fabric.

When your packing materials come in, you should store it as soon as possible. Ideally you will fold your gown in three ways. In between each fold you should place a piece of the non-acidic tissue paper, in order to avoid permanent fold creases or fabric fractures. You should then place the folded dress in the box with tissue underneath and on top. An important detail to remember is not to include plastic in the packing process, as it easily collects humidity and will leave stains and/or rust marks from any metal detail. Make sure to seal the box extremely well on the outside, using tape if necessary. An ideal place to store the box is in a cool and dry place, in which you clean often. Attics and basements are not a great idea, as they are often extreme in temperatures and tend to be very damp/dry.

You should repeat all of these steps about every two years, as the conservation materials always need to be refreshed. Although this process may seem tedious, trust us, its not that bad! It is totally worth it to take the steps, and be able to cherish it forever. Just think, your daughter may wish to wear your fabulous gown someday!

 

Preserve on!

Joy

aka “#1 intern at Flair”

 

Brides of Distinction!

The year is 1991, the place, my childhood bedroom. There’s excitement in the air as Teddy Ruxpin takes his place at the front of the audience of troll dolls. Ken joins the bear up front, looking as stoic as ever. Barbie comes around the corner in her fabulous, white wedding dress, complete with enormous puffy sleeves and lace turtleneck; the epitome of understated elegance. Then and there, with my goldfish bearing witness and the honorable Ruxpin presiding, Ken and Barbie pledge their love to one another. There’s not a dry eye in the house.

This, my friends, is how most of us spent our childhood days (atleast I hope it wasn’t just me, right??). We dreamt about our wedding day and made fake plans, with zero regard to budget mind you. That being said, it’s OK if you find you still need some inspiration when it comes time to actually plan your big day. Even I’ll admit that some of my 1991 ideas did not come to fruition for my 2011 wedding. Apparently Joey McInitre was just too busy to be my Justice of the Peace. C’mon, priorities Joe.

So, when the time comes that you get proposed to and you can finally plan your real wedding, I highly recommend attending the Brides of Distinction fashion show and Brunch at the Omni Parker House for some inspiration. While you sit and enjoy a delicious brunch catered by the Omni, wedding experts will dish on what’s hot in weddings this year (for example, the editor of “The Knot” will be there, and you know she knows a thing or two). Plus, you’ll get to taste some gorgeous cakes, discover what flowers are perfect for your season and see some of the wide, wide array of linen and table setting options (who knew there were so many different kinds of ivory linens??). Oh and we will be there too, showing off some gorgeous bridal gowns and bridesmaids’ dresses! Peak your interest? Contact the Omni ASAP for tickets, because they are running out quickly! We would love to see you there! Barbies and troll dolls welcome as well!

Sunday, March 04, 2012
11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
$39.00 per person

Reservations Required. Please call the Omni at 617-305-1857

XOXO

Lindsay

Bachelorette/Shower Party Planning Tips!

found on http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/girls?before=1311567126

Bridesmaids, this blog is for especially for you! Brides, we’re going to try and say this nicely: please go away. We love you but we’ve got some surprises to plan for you so TTFN!

OK, now that we’ve gotten rid of our lovely brides, we can get to planning their showers and bachelorette parties! Have you started the process yet? It can be difficult to do, especially when the bridesmaids are all over the country. We’ve all been on one of those never ending email chains where nothing really gets accomplished.

So annoying! Have no fear, LastBash is here! It’s a new social networking type site where you can all get together and bounce around party ideas. Once you choose your location, LastBash also can provide recommendations on local hotels, restaurants and more. Plus, once you get the guest list finalized everyone can head to LastBash to RSVP and get more info on the event. This is seriously one of those ideas we wish we had thought of, it’s genius! Check them out and kiss your party planning woes good bye! Also, be sure to clue your bride in about the site after the fact (we don’t want her peeking at any potential surprises!), so she can use it to plan an epic bash for you one day!

 

Happy planning and plotting!

XOXO

Linds & Stace

 

Get inspired by “Pinterest”

There are many reasons why I am jealous of 2012 brides. As many of you fellow 2011 brides can probably attest, the year after you get married is super fun and all buuuuuuut also filled with some wedding withdrawals. Planning the wedding takes up so much of your time and energy and then afterwards you’re left trying to figure out what to do with all of that extra time. Well, one of the things that I’ve been doing to fill my time is going on Pinterest….constantly. As my husband eloquently put it “you’re on that website a lot.” Yes honey, I am. I am designing our future home, dressing our future kids and planning interesting meals to cook for you, so I’ve kinda got my hands full here.

Sorry, I got a little off topic there. Circling back around, Pinterest is another reason why I am jealous of 2012 brides. It is literally the best way to organize all of your fab wedding ideas. See a flower bouquet online that you like? Pin it! Then, bring any device with internet access to your meeting with your florist and BOOM they can see it quickly and easily. It is crazy that only one short year ago I was bringing torn out magazine photos to my meetings. Ugh, that’s so 2011.

So, check out Flair on Pinterest to steal some of our amazing ideas and get yourself started. Like me, I’m sure you’ll be neglecting your fiancé/husband in no time (sorry hubby, but really I’m doing it for our future)!

 

 

Happy Pinning!

XOXO

Lindsay

Bridal gown pricing explained!!

As most of you brides have probably discovered, you encounter alot of mysteries during the wedding planning process. For instance, why isn’t tip always included in the reception costs (no one wants to think about tipping a bunch of waiters on their actual wedding day!)? Are you obligated to invite your officiant to the reception? Who gets the invite to the rehearsal dinner? WHY are bridal gowns so expensive (well, most of them anyways)?? I think you can guess which one of those mysteries we’re going to attempt to solve today…

A great little magazine called “New England Bride” wrote an enlightening article on what exactly goes into bridal gown pricing. One of the most interesting things I took away from reading the article is that it’s what you don’t see that can increase the price of a gown. Well-made gowns have high quality lining and high quality built in structure (i.e. corseting) that contribute to your overall look, fit and comfort. Yes, that costs a little more but you’ll love the look/feel that much more. It can be easy to fall in love with a less expensive dress when you only stand in it for 5 minutes at a time; think about how you’ll feel in it all night long. You will be happy you paid a little more for comfy lining (no itchy fabrics here!) and boning to keep you looking and feeling good as you dance the night away! We’re not talking $5000 either. If you expand your budget to $2000 you’ll be surprised at how much more you’ll be able to get.

The other contributing factor to pricing is a little more obvious. It’s what elicits those oohs and aahs; bling! Not only do the actual crystals, pearls, etc. cost money but you have to remember, someone is taking hours and hours to stich each one on. The article stated that on average a seamstress will work 23 eight hour days working on a single gown. Amazing! Plus, you can be sure that a higher end designer is working with only high quality seamstresses. Sometimes the cheaper gowns are done by less experienced seamstresses, and it shows in the end result.

All that being said, we’d never dream of telling anyone how much they should spend on their wedding gown. Everyone’s situation/budget is different and we totally understand that. We’re here to help, not to jack up prices! Prices are set at what they are for a reason and we thought it was super helpful to have that explained a little better. Also, we just want everyone to be as informed as possible when beginning their gown search. Think about the lining, is it comfortable? Think about the interior structure, is it going to make you feel confident and secure over a long period of time? Don’t forget though, there are exceptions to every rule. There are amazing, high quality designers/gowns out there that won’t break the bank (we have alot of them here!). So, come in and see us, we think you’ll be happy with what your money can get you at Flair!!

Happy Shopping!

XOXO
Linds

Jill & Nate’s Nautical New England Wedding!

This wedding is close to my heart, mainly because I am lucky enough to say I know the bride and groom!  They are quite the two love birds….you know the type, making googly eyes at each other across the room, always rooting for each other whether it be at a marathon or a triathlon, they are each others biggest fans and seeing the sparks and love between the two of them is quite a joy for all those who know them.  I haven’t met two people who were more meant for each other!  And I really think it shows in their wedding pictures.  What a beautiful and romantic wedding for two people who truly deserve it! 😉
Enjoy the fabulous wedding of Mr & Mrs Nate & Jill Brown!
What was your inspiration for your wedding?
Our venue was truly our inspiration for our wedding. I had been to a baby naming for a newborn I babysat in highschool at the Atlantica.  I knew as I entered the function room that that is where I wanted to get married someday. The room has panoramic views of the harbor so we decided to go with a nautical theme, playing off the venue. We wanted our wedding to capture our love for the ocean and give guests that classic summertime party!

How did you tie that inspiration in to what you choose for your bridesmaid dresses/bridal gown?
My husband, Nate, chose the color for our wedding!  He thought it was obvious that it would be “blue” since the reception was on the water.  I loved that he wanted to add his advice into these often bride-only decisions, so we went with blue (which gave me a lot to work with since there are so many shades of blue) and we added in some splash of teal and hot pink for fun.

What did you choose?
Dessy Collection
What color?
Sailor blue
What were you looking for in your bridesmaid dresses?
Since our wedding was going to be in July I wanted a dress for the girls that was comfortable for that time of year. I wanted the dresses to be affordable since we all have a closet full of old bridesmaid dresses we’ve never worn again! I wanted all the girls to pick their own style dress, keeping it within the same color, in hopes they will wear it again.  They all ended up chosing various styles all in chiffon which I think worked well for the 80 degree day we had and they all looked great!  Flair offered a lot of choices as far as colors, style of dress and prices.
How was Stacey/Lindsay/Brooke most helpful?
Stacey was amazing!  She was more than helpful, offering her honesty, experiences and expertise.  She is enthusiastic, energetic and is genuinely excited for her clients upcoming weddings, which is exactly what a bride is in need of!
What did you choose for your bridal gown?
I went to the Boston’s “Running of the brides” in February.  I went after the hustle and bustle of enery driven brides was over at 6pm. I met my sister and mother there, tried on about 10 gowns and found my dress.  The warnings before going would be there are no changing rooms, so I just wore a bathing suit while trying on the gowns.  There were still hundreds of dresses left that late at night and we were able to skip the craziness that morning!
Tips for brides when selecting their BM dresses?  Bridal Gowns?
I would recommend not bringing your entire bridal party to try on bridesmaid dresses if youre chosing one for all of them. Don’t get me wrong, I know you love everyone in your bridal party, which is why you chose them, but that doesn’t mean you’re going to love everyone’s opinions. That being said I realized everyone has different taste, let them chose their own! Stick with a color or style and let them have some say in where they spend their money!
How was your experience at Flair?
Flair is the cutest little bridal boutique. Its small size makes it intimate for you and your bridesmaids, family, and friends. With having the whole store to yourself during your appointment the store really allows you to play around and have fun…and isn’t that what this is all about?!
Where did you get married??
We got married at St. Theresas Chapel in Humarock, MA, my summer church growing up.  Our reception was at Atlantica Restaurant in Cohasset.
What was your favorite moment at the wedding?
We took pictures before the wedding and we met at Scituate Lighthouse.  Our photographer set Nate up on one side of the lighthouse and I had to walk around til I found him.  Seeing each other on our wedding day for the first time was a feeling I will never forget.  I’ve know him for almost a decade, but for some reason I had butterflies in my stomach looking for him around the lighthouse.  AT the wedding my favorite moment was sitting at our sweetheart table together. Listening to the speeches and LAUGHING.  Looking around and seeing everyone celebrating for you is an overwhelming feeling that I’ll never forget sharing with my new husband.  We couldn’t stop smiling.
Where did you go on your honeymoon?
We went to Tahiti and Bora Bora. IT WAS A DREAM
List of vendors?
Swiss Cottage Designs (invitations and stationary)
James Patrick Photography (would definitely recommend!)
Festive Events DJ Dave Long (phenomenal) He setup a steel drum player for us during cocktail hour.
Veronica’s Sweetcakes in Marshfield for our wedding cake.
Karen Conlon, MAC makeup Boston
Cheers to happily ever after!
XOXO
Stacey & Lindsay

Spotlight on Marcella & Jason’s New York City “Urban” Wedding!

I have been anxiously awaiting writing about this fabulous wedding for months.  This wedding holds a special place in my heart because Marcella really trusted us to help her make her bridesmaids stand out from other bridal parties.  As soon as we spoke to her on the phone we knew this was going to be a wedding we would always remember.  Marcella was a fabulous bride to work with mainly because you could feel the love in the room every time she came in with her bridesmaids and family. Marcella was very excited to help her bridesmaids pick out a dress that fit their personality and made them feel beautiful.  We worked very hard to have the color pallet look city-ish and fun!

What was your inspiration for your wedding?

I grew up in downtown Manhattan and my family still lives there.  I have lived in Boston for 7 years, but I still think of New York City as my original home.  My husband spent a couple crucial years in New York, and he also cares about it.  When we thought about the most significant party we might ever throw, we knew we wanted it to be there.  We chose the Bowery Hotel, which is just a couple blocks from my childhood home, because it feels like Greenwich Village (even though it’s pretty new!) and because I knew I could walk there from my apartment on my wedding day.  Also, just about the best thing in the world is an outdoor terrace on a hot New York City night.

How did you tie that inspiration in to what you choose for your bridesmaid dresses/bridal gown?

I chose shades of gray to harmonize with the city.  I wanted the girls to look as fabulous and individual as they are, so I chose three different shades of gray and each girl chose her own Lynn Lugo style.  The maids of honor and the junior bridesmaid wore lilac so that they would be distinguished, and also because who doesn’t love lilac with gray!  Stacey worked with us on eight different dresses, which was pretty awesome!

What did you choose?
I basically chose colors & fabrics, and the girls did the rest.  The best part was that I think each girl felt glamorous in what she was wearing (or so I hope!).  I wanted to emphasize each person rather than the fact that they were all in my bridal party.  So, we worked on a harmony principle rather than a matching principle and when I looked around on my wedding day, I remember thinking, “Wow, all these beautiful fairies!”
What color?
Charcoal, Blizzard, Smoke, and Thistle – Whoa!  I actually remember!

What were you looking for in your bridesmaid dresses?
At first, honestly, I was looking for a waist.  One of the terrible things about so many bridesmaid dresses is that they are waistless and almost designed to make girls look homely, so that the bride stands out.  I specifically wanted my bridesmaids to look as good as they could possibly look.  The first condition for looking good for most women is a defined waist.  The Lynn Lugo dresses were very flattering and in beautiful colors and fabrics, so they were a good fit all around.
How was Stacey/Lindsay/Brooke most helpful?
Flair is wonderful place to be a bride.  Stacey, Lindsay, and Brooke make the place feel warm and exciting.  They are sensitive, flexible, available, and fun!  I went at least four times with different sets of girls, and every time felt like an occasion.  The first time, when I went with my sister and sister-in-law, Stacey actually put on a Lynn Lugo trunk show, so that we could actually get a stronger feel for the dresses.

What did you choose for your bridal gown?
My bridal gown was Carolina Herrera from a couple years ago.  It was the very first dress I tried on the very first time I even looked for a dress.  It was a very good value.  I got it at an amazing sample sale and then I worked with a wonderful seamstress to make it fit me.  Working on the dress was actually a very fun, much less expensive way to fuss over the dress than shopping for it, which took me about an hour.
Tips for brides when selecting their BM dresses?  Bridal Gowns?
Obviously, the overall feeling of your wedding and the degree of formality come first.  Then, I would say toss all other considerations out, and think about what dresses are going to look good on your ladies.  I think the trend towards color theming of weddings is not that exciting.  A great party is not about a color theme.  It’s about energy.  And, you will have a more energetic party if your gals feel good.  Likewise, I am not sure why every girl needs to wear the same dress.  This is a sure-fire way to make any irregularity stand out.  As for the bridal gown, I feel similarly that you should pick a dress that evokes the formality and setting of the occasion, but that also, in the end, you should pick something that just makes you feel like a million bucks.

How was your experience at Flair?
I had a wonderful experience at Flair.  I had had some pretty deathly experiences at places in New York when I finally decided to do the bridesmaid dresses in Boston.  I was so excited to come to Flair and be greeted by warm, experienced, and attentive professionals whose number one concern was my bridesmaids dresses.
Where did you get married??
The Bowery Hotel, New York City

What three adjectives would best describe your wedding?

Urban, inclusive, FUN!

What was your favorite moment at the wedding?

Toughie.  So many.  Definitely high up was the moment all the girls got into their dresses and I just thought, “How beautiful are my friends!!!”

What advice can you give any other Boston/New England Bride?

Tired but true: try to have fun.  In some ways, the party is everyone’s and the planning is yours.  Ideally, you do this thing only once or twice in your life.  Not many things are like that.  Enjoy!

Where did you go on your honeymoon?

Greece and Italy.  And, we made a honeymoon registry, which every non-billionaire should do.

{List of vendors}

Dave Robbins Photography

Cheek to Chic (make-up)

Arte Salon (hair)

L’Elite (bridal gown)

Albertine Press (invitations)

Neel Murgai Quartet through John Ragusa Music (ceremony music)

Urban Guerrilla Orchestra (band)

Verde Custom Flowers (flowers)

Baked (cupcakes)

Just About Married (day of coordination)

So happy we got to be a part of such a special day for Marcella and Jason.  Such a colorful and romantic wedding, may your marriage be as wonderful and colorful as your wedding day!

XOXO

Stacey 😉



New York Bridal Market at a Glance

Saturday October 15th – Day 1

9:30 AM – Lindsay and Stacey board the Amtrak to NYC! A few episodes of Glee on our computers and we’re there!

1:30 PM – Struggle to catch a cab at Penn Station and Lindsay’s watch goes missing…not a good start…

2:00 – We check into the fabulous Omni Berkshire Hotel in Midtown, thanks to our friends at the Omni in Boston. Seriously, if there is an Omni wherever you are traveling, STAY THERE! They are all so classy and gorgeous, we were in heaven!

3:00 – Explore Midtown a little…we search for a Starbucks that the concierge told us was a block away, but never find it (more on that later) and end up getting sandwiches nearby.

4:00 – Make ourselves pretty and presentable (takes longer than you’d think).

4:30 – Wind ruins our hair as we wait for a cab outside of the hotel…Stacey and Lindsay are NOT happy.

5:00 – Check into Pier 94 (where bridal market is held) and have our first meeting with Anna Elyse, yay! We don’t want to give too much away but let’s just say we are SO excited about her new bridal line. We absolutely fell in love with one gown with a textured skirt…stay tuned! She is expanding and growing her bridesmaids’ line as well and added two new fabrics, chiffon and charmuese. Go Annie!

6:30 – Lindsay and Stacey struggle to figure out where to go to dinner. They end up at the hotel restaurant (Fireside) like major losers.  The salad in the parmesan bowl was fab though!

7:30 – Conference call with Flair’s owner Christine to discuss what we’ve seen so far. We are so excited already!

8:30 – Asleep…not kidding. The beds at the Omni were too amazing to resist for too long and poor Stacey is under the weather. Such a trooper!

Sunday October 16th – Day 2

6:00 AM – Time to wake up and get ready! We are sure to use ample Rave hairspray to avoid yesterday’s windy fiasco. P.S. Stacey confirms that the Omni has the best hotel shower EVER. Bonus!

7:30 – We’re out the door and immediately go looking for Starbucks…which we again did not find. Eventually we stumbled across one several blocks away (with the help of our smart phones – seriously, what did we do before those things?!). A fabulous man in a morning coat compliments Lindsay’s trench and sunglasses (the glasses are forever 21, he thought Tom Ford). Her day is made. Then, a turn for the worse: our lovely cab driver starts to drive away with Stacey still half way out the door. She swung her way in though, crisis averted.

9:00 – Appointment to see a potential new bridal designer, Junko Yoshioka. Such nice guys and gorgeous dresses! We have the best job ever!

10:00 – Time to meet with the Jenny Yoo ladies! We love them! Let us start by saying that Jenny has such a good idea for a bridesmaid’s dress that she is in the process of patenting it. Yes, you heard us, a patent. Can’t wait to show you ladies when the samples come in!

11:00 – Meeting with Coren Moore and her team. They are THE sweetest ever and we love hanging out with them, and of course seeing their new styles! We love their new chiffon pieces, which we’ll have in the store in the coming WEEKS! Eeek, so excited!! Plus, later in the season we’ll have a gorgeous bridesmaid’s dress with a ruffle detail and you know how we love us a ruffle!

12:00 PM – Quick trip to see our accessories designer, A.B. Ellie. Ashley is a true genius when it comes to bridal and bridesmaids’ belts. They really add SO much detail to our dresses. We added a few new pieces for the store and we know our girls are going to L-O-V-E them! Plus, we love seeing Ashley and her sister, they are so down to earth and fabulous!

12:30 – Off to Nicole Miller! Her dresses are so much fun, we love seeing them on the gorgeous models. Plus, she has A-MAZING party dresses that are really well priced!

1:30 – MUCH needed lunch break! Stacey and Lindsay wander the waterfront area for awhile and stumble upon a cute little pub. Slow service but great food, just the pick me up we needed!

3:00 – Lynn Lugo time! We are SOSO excited about Lynn’s new styles! In particular, there are three new tops with ruffle details that we fell in LOVE with. They are super cute and wearable, trust us! Plus, she came out with some great soft colors that we think will be very popular this year. Lynn and her husband Pete are the cutest couple ever, so we just love to chat and catch up with them. Plus, they gave us these amazing cups with her logo on them which we now use every day!

4:00 – Definitely time to grab a coffee in the buyer’s lounge area. We are starting to fade!

4:30 – Quick stop at Dessy. Theirs is always an easy one, we know we’re getting everything! We figured out what colors we wanted and were on our way!

5:00 – Our last meeting of the day is with 57 Grand. We love these ladies, definitely be on the lookout for them. They get the best magazine exposure ever and landed another Martha Stewart editorial just recently! They have a super cool bridal style with a removeable tulle skirt, so cool!

6:00 – Headed back to the Omni!

6:30 – Hour and a half conference call with Christine, we have SO much to discuss!

8:00 – Stacey and Lindsay get brave and venture out for dinner! Watch out NYC here we come! We went to this adorable Italian restaurant with THE fastest service ever. The entrees were there literally 2 minutes after we ordered, crazy! Plus, our waiter had a crush on us and gave us a glass of wine on the house. Not gonna lie, we needed it!

9:00 – Back to the Omni, we laugh and watch The Proposal and fall asleep by 11:00 (such rebels after last night).

Monday October 17th – Day 3

6:30 AM – Wake up time! We were ready super early yesterday so we slept a little later.

7:45 – Out the door, we try yet again to find the “close” Starbucks but again end up at the farther one we went to yesterday. Whatever, we’d travel miles and miles for the bucks.

9:00 – Meeting another new designer, Amy Kuschel. She is THE perfect fit for Flair! Her bridal gowns are definitely going to be a step up for us and we KNOW our girls are going to love them! Plus, former Flair girl Leah works with them at her new bridal boutique so we got to catch up with her there. We miss her! Ladies, you are going to DIE over these dresses, we are counting down the days until we can start showing them to you!!

10:00 – Travel to the Intercontinental Hotel where Siri is showing. She got the presidential suite there, go Siri!!

11:00 – Meeting with Siri. She has an absolutely adorable rouched sweetheart style that we know will KILL at Flair.

12:00 PM – Last stop of the trip, Badgley Mischka in Times Square! No new styles but it was still so nice to see their showroom, it’s gorgeous!

12:30 – Quick change into scrubby, train clothes in the Omni bathroom. We ask the concierge yet again where the closer Starbucks is…and still don’t find it. We are convinced it doesn’t exist.

1:00 – Quick lunch in Midtown. We get to eat outside because it is so gorgeous out!

2:00 – Amtrak home! A man and woman behind us refuse to stop talking even though the train is supposed to be quiet. We give a few mean glances, to no avail. On the brighter side, Stacey meets a new man (in the form of an adorable 7 month old baby, who was a major flirt).

Tuesday October 18th – Back to Flair!!! We only wish we had all of those new styles with us, but we should have a lot of them soon after the new year! Stay tuned brides and maids!

 

We had the best time at Bridal Market this year and we are so excited to share all the new gems!

Here’s to a happy, successful, beautifully dressed and healthy 2012!

XOXO

Lindsay & Stacey

 

 

Let them eat……not cake!

As I was making my grocery list this week, I realized how boring that I am. I get the same things every week. My husband and I have quesadillas every Thursday night, for example, and I bring the same lunch to work every day. So I said to myself “Self, it is time to shake things up!” I have some peanut butter left over from my insane non-perishable food shopping spree to prepare for Irene, so I decided to use that and spread it on rice cakes as a new lunch idea. OK, I know I am no Wolfgang Puck but it is a bold move for this boring grocery goer (who tries to eat really healthy during the week)!

All of this grocery business got me thinking about ways to shake up the old wedding cake routine. Granted, it is and probably always will be the most popular wedding dessert, but there have to be other options. With a little google action (and a few ideas from my own dessert loving brain) I found a few fab alternatives!

1)      Wedding barista: OK, so offering coffee at your wedding isn’t new, but imagine having a serious barista there making cappuccinos, lattes, hot chocolate and more. How impressive would that be?! Plus, the way I like coffee it’s basically a dessert in itself…

2)      Caramel and Candy apples: Since it’s October, I couldn’t resist this option. It’s perfect for fall weddings and honestly who doesn’t love those messy things? Plus, the food pyramid tells us that we need several servings of fruit a day so this is actually a really healthy and responsible choice. OK, that might be a stretch…

3)      Cake pops: Don’t want to leave the dance floor to sit down and have a full piece of cake? Have no fear! Cake pops are an adorable alternative consisting of a round bit of cake, covered in chocolate and then stuck on a stick; looks like a lollipop, tastes like cake. They’re portable, clean and delicious! Plus they’re so small you can eat like 12 and not feel guilty.

4)   Ice cream truck: The little ice cream truck jingle makes us all feel like kids again, and who doesn’t need that every once and awhile? So, later in the night have an ice cream truck pull up outside your venue and have your guests choose from classic treats that will take them back in time.

Happy sweets hunting!

XOXO

Lindsay


Check out our full Blog on Ice Cream Truck’s at Weddings!

The “Golden Ticket” to becoming a bridesmaid!

We LOVE our brides…..and we hope that comes through everyday in out Blog posts.  We really love when they share with us all the creative and fun ideas they have for their weddings and one very special bride Marissa shared with us, her creative and fun way she asked her closest friends and family to be a part of her big day!

As we have said many time ETSY is the place to look for cool, creative and fun gifts etc…..and Marissa used ETSY to find the perfect way to ask her girls to be there with her on the most important day of her life!  ENJOY!!!

Seriously….can it get any cuter than this???

Wipe away those tears….I know I had to!  What a fantasic and nice idea!

We’ll say it again….we love our brides they are so fab!

Here’s where you can find these Custom-Made Wonka Bars!

We love Marissa’s “Pure Imagination”!

Stacey 🙂