I Like Free Stuff - Part II
July 25th, 2008 @ 6:40 pm by Miss Hot Cocoa
Okay, I know I promised only 2 tools, but I’m going to give a third — because the only thing more awesome than free stuff is bonus free stuff! The Pantone Fashion Color Report for Fall 2008 is now available for download off the Pantone website. For those of you who haven’t perused this fab little brochure before, it features the key shades that top designers are using for their upcoming collections and thus gives you a sense of what the hot color trends will be in the upcoming months. So if you love the look of a Tiffany blue and brown wedding, but worry whether you can make that popular color scheme fresh, you can look to the Pantone guide for an innovative twist on that palette (or for a new set of colors altogether).
Read more…
Man(zanita) Love!
July 25th, 2008 @ 3:52 pm by Miss Margarita
I’ve shown the hive my bridal party floral ideas, so next up is the ceremony and centerpieces. These are some of the pictures I brought along with me when I went to visit/interview florists. Just a bit of advice - it helps immensely to bring inspiration pictures when you visit a florist. They will get a good idea of the look/theme/vibe you are going for, and if your vision is all over the place like mine was, at least they can tell you that and help you narrow things down. 
Ceremony:
I want to keep the ceremony mostly white/ivory with touches of orange and bring in the rich plum color for the reception.
My vision is to line the aisle with large copper or dark wood bowls with dahlias in them.
From dreamy R. Jack Balthazar
I Like Free Stuff
July 25th, 2008 @ 9:30 am by Miss Hot Cocoa
For me, it was when I discovered that Kleinfeld’s charges you $50 if you miss an appointment. You know the feeling…that sense of outrage (or exasperation) that comes from the realization that the wedding industrial complex is out to squeeze every last cent out of you that it can. Arrrrgh. So in my first real Weddingbee post, I thought I’d introduce a few web-based applications that I’ve found really helpful and [insert happy dance]
1. Free fonts
If you’re like me and can wax poetic about the refined elegance of Garamond or the graceful beauty of Zapfino, you are going to heart dafont.com. Hundreds of easy-to-install and creative fonts- free for personal use. I’ve been completely obsessed with Jane Austen lately- perfect for penning snarky love/hate mail to your own Mr. Darcy. And I can’t get over the quirky, simple lines of Rough Typewriter, which would be a chic font for retro wedding or for a ransom note.
Lollipop, Lollipop, Oh Lolly Lollipop!
July 24th, 2008 @ 6:46 pm by Miss Margarita
That title has nothing to do with anything, but that song is stuck in my head. Now I bet I’ve successfully gotten in stuck in your head too (muhahaha <— that’s my satisfied evil laugh). 
Although this post has nothing to do with candy, it does involve sweet flowers. I was pretty floored when I first started looking at flowers. I had no idea you could do such innovative and beautiful things. I ogled at Preston Bailey and Daniel Ost, but then quickly came back to reality.
Daniel Ost is a genius
A Jasmine Wedding Story: A Reception to Remember, Part One
July 24th, 2008 @ 6:05 pm by Mrs. Jasmine
Previously in this series:
A Jasmine Wedding Story: Cocktail Hour
A Jasmine Wedding Story: We Do
A Jasmine Wedding Story: Beauty and the Bride
A Jasmine Wedding Story: The Mehndi
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Mr. J and I lined up outside the ballroom doors for our grand entrance. My heart beating wildly, I was still feeling a little overwhelmed from our rushed cocktail hour. I took slow, deep breaths as Mr. J’s parents, my parents, and then our brothers were announced to the joyful applause of our guests.
Finally, it was our turn. As our DJ spun a pumped-up remix of U2’s Beautiful Day, Mr. J and I burst through the ballroom doors to thunderous applause and ecstatic yells from family and friends.
Girls Only! Part I - The Festivities
July 24th, 2008 @ 4:30 pm by Mrs. Daffodil
My bachelorette party was classic, fun, and perfect!! Our wedding party was spread out across the US, so both Mr. D and I didn’t have our bachelor/bachelorette parties until two days before our wedding! Yes, definitely a crazy hectic wedding week, but oh so worth it, to get to party with ALL your bestest friends together!
The day started with my sisters and one of my bridesmaids desperately trying to pry me away from my last minute wedding planning task list! “Drop it!” I heard a million times. “We are forcing you to relax!” After finally letting go (both figuratively and literally 
), I was whisked off to the opening ceremony: brunch at Border Grill in Santa Monica.
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Bee! I’m Expecting You!
July 24th, 2008 @ 4:07 pm by Miss Hot Cocoa
Helloooooooo! I’m Miss Hot Cocoa, and I’m new around here.
I’m so excited to be joining the hive! I have derived so much inspiration from this creative and talented community (I’m not worthy, I’m not worthy). I really hope that I can be a helpful resource for other brides, as Bees past and present have been for me. In particular, I am an obsessive compulsive web researcher and bargain hunter, and I hope I’ll be able to save you some time and money. I’m also psyched to be Miss Hot Cocoa. I’ve been trying to insert the adjective “hot” into my name for a long time, but for some reason it hasn’t stuck. Now everyone is going to have to reckon with my hotness!
I kid, I kid. Actually I chose Hot Cocoa because Mr. Hot Cocoa found it the least objectionable. And it’s usually quite frosty here in Boston, so a warm, comforting, marshmallowy drink (especially one that ranges from cheap Swiss Miss to luxe Godiva) seems perfect.
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The Lowdown on Feeding Your Vendors
July 23rd, 2008 @ 3:27 pm by Mrs. Daffodil
I think it’s safe to say that it is proper etiquette to feed your vendors, particularly those who are providing 6+ hours of service for you. But beyond that, there seems to be some gray area: What to feed them? When to feed them? And where should they sit?
I’ll start with our story…
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A Jasmine Wedding Story: Cocktail Hour
July 22nd, 2008 @ 10:33 am by Mrs. Jasmine
Previously in this series:
A Jasmine Wedding Story: We Do
A Jasmine Wedding Story: Beauty and the Bride
A Jasmine Wedding Story: The Mehndi
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For what felt like the first time in years, I exhaled deeply. The ceremony was a blur of nerves and anxiety; I couldn’t help feeling relieved that it was over. I was finally Mrs. Jasmine and as I looked gleefully into Mr. J’s eyes, I knew that the best was yet to come.
A Fan of Flowers?
July 21st, 2008 @ 3:43 pm by Miss Margarita
I stumbled across Olivia Oberlin from my daily perusal of various wedding blogs and I fell in love. I think her fans are absolutely gorgeous and I am sure incredibly expensive (no prices on the website). Her fans got me thinking that it could be unique and beautiful for my bridesmaids to carry a fan adorned with fresh flowers instead of a bouquet. I’m thinking a few random flowers sewn onto the fan itself and a long strand of orchids trailing down from the base.
