Hi Hive! We’re excited to welcome David Tutera—celebrity wedding expert with a who’s who celeb client list, author of seven books and the host of the TV series, My Fair Wedding—for a guest interview today! David is sharing his tips on getting your smile ready for your wedding day, specifically via Invisalign and beyond. Bees have been buzzing about Invisalign (first discussed by Mrs. Bee, who was an Invisalign bride herself, and on the boards throughout the years, so we figured it was high time to cull some expert advice about putting forward the best smile you can on one of the most highly photographed days of your life.
Q: Welcome David! One of the things I love most about weddings is that it gives couples an excuse to take stock in where they are in their lives, and find ways to make improvements both spiritually, and often times, cosmetically (after all…all of a sudden you’re being photographed constantly between all the parties and celebration!). Fitness, taking better care of your skin, and of course, working on your cheeser are all natural things that almost all of us have looked into. You’re a big advocate for brides putting their best foot forward…or should we say, best smile forward. 
Can you elaborate?
A: Your smile is one of the first things people notice about you. Not only can a perfect smile make you feel more secure, but also, studies prove that smiling gives you more confidence. On your wedding day, a bride should feel her best—that’s why most brides want to enhance or improve their teeth. If you’ve been thinking about making the most of your smile, now is the time to do it.
Q: 5 tips to a better smile on your wedding day: GO.
A:
Tip #1 – Start with straight teeth! Say sayonara to the days of metal wires and brackets and the years it took to accomplish a straight smile. Invisalign is my favorite way to straighten teeth because it can be done without most people even knowing you’re in treatment, so you can keep on beaming right through the process! And it works, I can attest to that first hand.
It was so easy for me when I wore Invisalign. At first, I was worried about the process of putting the aligners in and taking them out while I was going through treatment, but it turned out much simpler than I ever expected. It’s actually very low maintenance. Being on television, I was able to wear my Invisalign the entire time I filmed and in my experience, people could hardly tell I had them on and it didn’t affect my speech. Unlike braces, Invisalign uses custom-made removable aligners that straighten your teeth without metal or wires; it works on more difficult teeth straightening issues and there’s even an express option for simple fixes that works in as little as 3 months. It’s a way to straighten your teeth without any disruption to your daily routine, so you can feel confident throughout your entire wedding planning process. Find out if Invisalign is right for you here.
Tip #2 – The color of your teeth should match the whites of your eyes to balance out your face. Any darker and they need a boost, any whiter and they’ll look more dominant. Commit to a whitening regimen: toothpaste, mouthwash and strips are all important.
Tip #3 – Just like the skin on your face and body, your lips need some TLC, too. Exfoliate them with a lip scrub or you can take a packet of granulated sugar and mix it with oil to create your own.
Tip #4 – Keep your pucker kiss worthy and supple and those fine lines at bay by keeping it hydrated. Use lip oils – they can be used on bare lips or underneath color. Almond and jojoba oils come in mint, orange and rose oils. Press them onto lips for penetration.
Tip #5 – By adding a pop of color, it will always make your teeth look whiter. Opt for a blue-based shade to do the trick and pick a creamy formula to enhance the shape and fullness of your pout. It works for all skin tones.
Q: You’ve seen tons of brides smile on their wedding days. Who had the most memorable smile, and why?
A: My Aunt Maria. She had a great smile, great teeth and great confidence. Sometimes it’s not just the teeth that make the smile and exude confidence—it’s also how the mouth is positioned. I can always spot a stressed smile and can tell when someone doesn’t know what to do with their mouth. If you have confidence in your teeth, it will give you the confidence to loosen up the muscles in your jaw that will lead to a beautiful smile.
Q: Any other suggestions on how you can prep your smile for all those wedding day photos?
A: I’m actually teaming up with Invisalign to give one lucky bride-to-be free Invisalign treatment and other great prizes! You can visit Invisalign’s Smile Down the Aisle Pinterest Board for some smile-worthy “Pinspiration” and then repin for a chance to win a new smile from Invisalign just in time for your big day. For more information and to enter, visit: http://shout.lt/jq74
More about David Tutera — Celebrity wedding planner, bridal fashion, accessories and jewelry designer, author of seven books, speaker and host of WE TV’s show, My Fair Wedding. Honored by Modern Bride Magazine as one of the Top 25 Trendsetters of The Year, David was also awarded “Best Celebrity Wedding Planner” by Life & Style Magazine. David’s impressive client list includes Star Jones’ wedding, NY Giants’ Antonio Pierce’s wedding and events for Jennifer Lopez, Matthew McConaughey, the Official Post Grammy Parties in New York City, Elton John, Barbara Walters, the Rolling Stones, Vice President Al Gore at the White House, Kenneth Cole, Tommy Hilfiger, Susan Lucci, the John F. Kennedy Center — as well as countless film premieres and celebrity parties for royalty, politicians and socialites. In addition, David is also a professional speaker hired to lecture on the topics of weddings, lifestyle, design and more.
Invisalign is a Weddingbee sponsor. David Tutera is an Invisalign spokesperson; all opinions and experiences expressed are his own.
Happy Friday Hive! We’re welcoming a new guest contributor to Weddingbee: Lovelyish! From the latest celebrity outfits to how-to’s for homemade shampoo, we’re big fans of the gobs of beauty, fashion, and trend advice the Lovelyish girls provide.
We’ve asked contributing editor Christine Menke to show us her favorite 5 wedding dresses from Etsy, and here’s what she came up with…
Before I had an official plan for my wedding dress, I was banking on getting a custom-made dress from Etsy. There are some seriously talented designers on Etsy, and their dresses are actually really affordable compared to a lot of gowns on the market at traditional wedding dress stores. However, I ended up getting my dress made by a friend, so I didn’t do it that way, but had things been different, I totally would have ordered a dress from an Etsy designer.
Today’s guest blogger is Kellee, the founder of the wedding inspiration search engine Lover.ly. Immersed in wedding colors all day, every day, she’s here to share the top five most searched (and bundled!) wedding colors of January 2013 with Weddingbee.
The primary way brides are searching Lover.ly is by COLOR! We’re able to determine what’s going to be hot in weddings this year based on what you’re searching for. One thing we’ve seen this month is brides moving away from choosing a couple primary wedding colors and focusing on just one hue—with ombre weddings being such a huge hit last year, the trend is carrying over to 2013 in a slightly different way.
The latest trend in wedding decor is to choose just one color and use several different shades to create an interesting sea of color, while still maintaining a clean, crisp look to your overall theme. For example, your bridesmaids: send them down the aisle in varying shades of pink or green, creating a layered effect when they’re posing for portraits, and letting their individuality shine through at the same time.
So what were the top 5 colors this month? Feast your eyes on these eye-catching, fun wedding colors and inspiration!
#5: GREEN
Photo by: The Schultzes on Every Last Detail via Lover.ly
We love rainbow weddings! Hive member conRtist planned one uber-colorful wedding and we’re thrilled to have her guest posting on how to pull off a rainbow wedding of your own!
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I can’t say I’m an expert, but I did manage to pull off a colourful wedding that everyone loved! This is a quick amateur guide to help anyone else planning a rainbow wedding.
1. Convince your fiancé.
Don’t laugh; most guys are a bit worried about having a rainbow wedding. It may hurt their manly-ness! It took me a while to convince my fiancé but eventually he came around…but he refused to help me choose colours on the grounds that he is colourblind. A clever excuse…haha.
Oooh, we’ve got a fun playlist for you today! DJ Jon Black of Scratch Weddings compiles his “must play” songs that are guaranteed to get the party started!
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From DJ Jon Black:
The work always starts before the wedding; I try to get an idea the bride and groom’s musical tastes while also getting a sense of what their family and friends will enjoy.
Then the fun begins! After the formal dances have been completed, I like to invite all family and friends to come together on the dance floor. In the beginning of the reception, I play a lot of popular music to get everyone involved in dancing. I like to mix it up with classic dance tunes and current hits.
I start by playing some classic party songs to get older family members on the dance floor first. For some reason, they aren’t afraid of not being cool! The younger fold usually filter in by song three. The best part of starting the reception off this way is watching different generations come together! Here are some classic “must play” songs that’ll get everyone dancing:
It’s easy to overlook selecting a song for your cake cutting, but it’s also such a missed opportunity! DJ Nadia Vidal of Scratch Weddings walks us through a list of her fave cake-cutting songs. There’s something for everyone!
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From DJ Nadia Vidal:
The cake cutting is a traditional wedding element that can either be simple and sweet or playful and funny, and the music played should reflect the mood that a couple wants to create. Whether a couple opts to slice hand-in-hand, playfully smear a dab of icing on the nose, or take a full meringue pie to the face (yes, it has happened!), the song played during the cake cutting tells as much about the couple’s personality as does the wedding cake flavor.
Here are some interesting song options to inspire your simple, sweet, or funny wedding cake cutting. Be sure to tell your DJ which portion of the song you’d like to play during your big moment. Happy cutting!
Trouble finding the right song to play for your garter toss? DJ RT of Scratch Weddings is here to help! Seriously, this is a comprehensive list with tons of fun and playful options. Enjoy!
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From DJ RT:
The garter toss is most definitely the naughtiest, funniest, and usually most embarrassing moment of a wedding. This old-time tradition simply cannot go down without laughs, cheers, ohhs, ahhs, and bright red faces. The recipe is classic and simple: make the newly appointed husband reach up the dress of his beautiful wife in front of their parents, extended family, friends, and maybe even a bunch of people they are meeting for the first time. Then have the groom throw it at all the single guys in the room! A moment like this encompasses a lot of emotions and reactions within a very short time, so you better make sure the music is right. Here, I collected a bunch of classic songs used for the garter toss. Enjoy!
Songs from Movies:
Hi Hive! Kellee here from Lover.ly, the ultimate inspiration engine for weddings! I’m not gonna lie: one of my favorite parts of my job is that I get to bundle up gorgeous wedding inspiration every spare moment I get. And I’m excited that Weddingbee’s asked me to share one of my fave details of the day: the SHOES!
We see pictures of ‘em pour in all day long, and this year’s bridal shoe trends are becoming clear. So what are they?
We’re pretty sure there’s nothing trickier than picking out the perfect song for the mother/son dance. Luckily, Scratch Weddings has us covered once again with some awesome song ideas from DJ Tracktion!
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From DJ Tracktion:
The mother/son dance is one of the sweetest moments at any wedding. It’s filled with love, joy, pride, and a hint of the bittersweet as a mother witnesses her son become a husband. There are so many lovely songs to express this special moment, and picking one that is unique to your bond will make this memory indelible. Here are a few suggestions that span the genres, a few under-the-radar choices, and one or two songs with a fun twist. Have fun selecting the right song, and make your mom proud!
For Soulful Moms
“A Song for Mama” – Boys II Men
“God Bless The Child” – the original Billie Holiday version, or Tony Bennett’s version
Scratch Weddings is back this week with a great list of song suggestions for the father-daughter dance, in our opinion one of the trickier wedding songs to pin down.
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From DJ Chris Mix:
The father-daughter dance is one of the oldest wedding traditions, and is a moment many girls dream about just as much as the wedding itself. Unless you and your father have a specific song that you both love and exemplifies your relationship, it can be a hard one to pick. The selection out there is pretty slim, but try looking at covers of some of the more commonly used. Lots of modern artists are starting to cover the classics, and it can often sound like a completely different song. Do some research and you might just stumble upon a treasure!
This week Scratch Weddings DJ Vida Ventura is giving us the cream of the crop of reception entrance songs. I’m really feeling the Hall & Oates!
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From DJ Vida Ventura:
The big entrance of the couple needs to have energy, some sort of build up, and appropriate lyrics. In other words, a song that packs a big punch! You should try and pick a song that’s familiar to the majority of the audience, as only a portion of it is typically played. Upbeat songs are usually your best bet, as they better fit the excitement of the moment. Here are some of my favorite entrance songs.
This week Scratch Weddings DJ Stef Nava is sharing a cocktail hour playlist. Tres bien!
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From DJ Stef Nava:
The key to creating the perfect soundtrack to set the atmosphere for cocktail hour is choosing feel-good songs with a relaxed and mellow vibe; songs that set the mood and allow for mingling and conversations among guests. This is the time to play songs that you love and that are special to the two of you, but aren’t danceable material.
My personal favorite music to play at this time are from the legendary crooners, such as Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole. You can never go wrong with classic songs like “The Way You Look Tonight” and “Unforgettable.” Motown artists, doo-wop groups, and soul singers from the ’50s and ’60s are also a crowd favorite (Aretha Franklin, the Temptations, The Four Seasons, Sam Cooke, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, etc.).
If you’re a rock lover, there are plenty of great jams to get the night started from bands like Coldplay, U2, Radiohead, Florence and the Machine, Arcade Fire, etc.
If jazz is your thing, classics from Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Ronnie Foster, Ella Fitzgerald, Sara Vaughn, and Billie Holiday are also great choices.
If you’re a fan of soul/funk, Chaka Khan, The Brand New Heavies, Earth, Wind & Fire, Al Green, Roy Ayers, and Curtis Mayfield are great artists to throw into the mix.
Here’s a sample “cocktail hour” playlist from all different genres:
► “Here Comes The Sun” – The Beatles
► “Just My Imagination” – The Temptations
► “I Second That Emotion” – Smokey Robinson & the Miracles
► “Luck Be A Lady” – Frank Sinatra
► “Yellow” – Coldplay
► “It’s Love” – Jill Scott
► “Kiss Is on My List” – Hall & Oates
► “Peg” – Steely Dan
► “Outstanding” – The Gap Band
► “That’s Where It’s At” – Sam Cooke
► “L-O-V-E” – Nat King Cole
► “Ain’t That a Kick in the Head” – Dean Martin
► “Is This Love” – Bob Marley
► “By Your Side” – Sade
► “Alright” – Jamiroquai
► “I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever)” – Stevie Wonder
► “Sweetest Thing” – U2
► “Your Song” – Elton John
► “Wonderful Tonight” – Eric Clapton
► “Lowdown” – Boz Scaggs
► “Rock With You” – Michael Jackson
► “Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You” – Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons
► “The Very Thought Of You” – Billie Holiday
► “Lost Without You” – Robin Thicke
► “That’s How Strong My Love Is” – Otis Redding
► “What a Fool Believes” – The Doobie Brothers
► “I Know You, I Live You” – Chaka Khan
► “You’re All I Need to Get By” – Marvin Gaye
► “Better Together” – Jack Johnson
► “Cruisin’” – D’ Angelo
► “You Are the Best Thing” – Ray Lamontagne
► “That’s the Way of the World” – Earth, Wind & Fire
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Scratch Weddings is the leading provider of highly skilled, experienced, and affordable marquee-level DJ talent for weddings. Their DJs love to perform at weddings and have collaborated with major recording artists such as Lady Gaga, The Black Eyed Peas, and Michael Jackson. You can also find them spinning at high-profile corporate events, music festivals, and the nation’s most respected clubs and lounges. Scratch Weddings offers each couple their choice of DJ, based on their personal style, taste, and musical interests. Additionally, couples have online access to DJ bios, photos, videos, and music mixes at their website.
Scratch Weddings is available 24-7 for all your wedding music questions! Follow and tweet them at @scratchweddings and be sure to like Scratch on Facebook for more great music ideas and mixes.
Stay tuned next week here at Weddingbee for more awesome music ideas for your wedding! And Scratch is taking requests! Let us know here in the comments what you want suggestions for (’80s music? most romantic first-dance songs? music that will keep guests on their feet?) and they’ll make it happen in the upcoming weeks, just for you!
Once again, DJ Jon Blak of Scratch Weddings is here to share some wedding music picks with us—and this time, he’s talking about the processional!
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From DJ Jon Blak of Scratch Weddings:
Vows have been made, rings exchanged, and you’ve had your first kiss as a married couple…you’ve officially started a new chapter in your lives! It’s a life-changing moment, marked by huge smiles, a few happy tears, and of course…some music! The big question is—what’s the first song you’ll hear together as newly joined lifelong partners? Because it’s time to walk back down the aisle!
Here are some songs I would suggest for you and your dearly beloveds to celebrate your “just married” status.
Traditional:
“Sonata for Trumpet and Strings” – Peter Hurford
“Trumpet Voluntary” – Wynton Marsalis
“Eine Kleine Nachtmusik” – Academy of St. Martin in the Fields
“Ode to Joy” – Beethoven, Symphony #9
Modern:
Hello hive! Today we’re kicking off a new weekly series from our friends at Scratch Weddings. (Remember those awesome Valentine’s Day mixes they created with input from you guys?) Their marquee DJs are going to be sharing music ideas for different parts of the wedding, such as the processional, recessional, father/daughter dance, dance party, etc. We’ll let DJ Jon Blak take it away!
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From DJ Jon Blak of Scratch Weddings:
It’s here! One of the most important days of your life—your wedding. We all have songs that take us back to special moments (summer ’09 theme song, your first kiss, senior prom, etc.), and your wedding soundtrack will do the same. The wedding ceremony is arguably the pinnacle of any wedding; it’s the point where the couple joins in holy matrimony, and the music you choose should be fitting for such an occasion. That’s where I come in.
Some couples prefer the traditional tunes and others choose songs to make their moment very personal. With many wonderful tunes to choose from, here is my list of processional songs for the traditional and not-so traditional couple.
Classical:
“Pachelbel’s Canon” – Johann Pachelbel
“Air on a G String” – Johann Sebastian Bach
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Op 61” – Boston Pops Orchestra
“Lohrngrin: Prelude to Act III” – Stephen Cleobury
“Romeo and Juliet: Love Theme” – Arthur Fiedler and Boston Pops Orchestra
Funky:
“Best of My Love” – The Emotions
“Love’s Theme” – Love Unlimited Orchestra
“Just My Imagination” – The Temptations
“Isn’t She Lovely” – Stevie Wonder
“Every Little Step” – Bobby Brown
Soulful:
We’ve got one more guest post for you all today. Bayside Bride is talking about the difficulties of wedding-dress shopping for petite brides, including tips on what types of gowns work best on your smaller frame!
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One of the most discouraging parts of planning my own wedding was finding a dress that fit. At five-foot-one, my small frame and I were completely overwhelmed by just about every dress I tried on, and I found myself swimming in layers of ruffles, tulle, and silk. I quickly learned that the elegant ball gown I had always dreamed of wearing wasn’t going to look right on my petite body.
When it comes to wedding dresses, smaller brides should stick with simple cuts and minimal details. Straight sheath dresses are very much in style this season, and they’re fantastic for elongating, rather than shortening, the body. Classic cuts like A-lines also work well on smaller frames because they accentuate the natural waist. Empire-waist and mermaid cuts tend to make smaller bodies feel disproportionate; petite women should also avoid large ball gowns, excessive ruffles, long trains, and heavy beading. Even though petite brides may not have quite as many options as our taller counterparts, this year’s spring and summer lines are filled with choices for the smaller bride.
This A-line Watters dress has subtle yet beautiful details that enhance a small frame.*
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