So you have picked out your dress, your venue, your décor and your flowers. There is still so much to do for you big wedding day, but one of the top priorities of course is your hair style. Autumn brides, pay attention! According to becomegorgeous.com, styling pros created an infinite selection of Fall 2010 bridal hair styles for any hair length that are perfect for any weather condition that mother nature decides to throw at you on your special day.
A perfect updo from wickedrice via Flickr
If you’re looking for a classy up-do we recommends wedding buns or twists. Pairing chic buns with hair accessories or braids boost dimension and by playing around with volume and your hair part can help bring out your finest features.
Classy Updo via becomegorgeous.com
Another type of updo to consider is the sculpted uptown updo. If you’re not into the traditional look and are a little more creative these updos are perfect for you. They are described by becomegorgeous.com as high and perked up hair styles that include stylish hair accessories such as fresh flowers, barrettes, tiaras and hair combs. “These all would further increase the ‘va-va-voom’ effect of your look.”
Scultped Uptown Updo via becomegorgeous.com
The half-updos are perfect for a bride who wants a feminine and charming hairdo that’s different from your everyday style. This hair style could include pinning loose locks in a Bohemian style, or intensify your look by going all out with curls. Adding details could turn these natural styles into formal updos perfect for your big day.
Half-Updo via becomegorgeous.com
No matter what you are looking for, whether it is a classy updo, a sculpted updo or a half-updo, make sure you schedule at least one trial run before your big day. You can even combine these styles to make the perfect look to match your gown and atmosphere.
Opening Argument: We (as in Iris Fields) pay for ourselves…
Step 1. You bring us on to plan your wedding
Step 2. You pay us out of pocket
Step 3. We negotiate lower rates across the board
Step 4. You get things cheaper
Step 5. You get paid back
Wedding planners save you money… Definitely fact!
Hiring Iris Fields saves money! Let us, help you, help yourself! (Photo Courtesy of: My Wedding Favor Blog)
Seasoned event planners (achem achem 12 years 
) have already put in the time and effort to build relationships. Our opening phone calls are (to a direct number) “Hey Joe, how are the kids? Little Danny have fun at camp this summer?” And we follow with the event we are planning this week and begin negotiations immediately because we think it could be a great fit for you. Your opening phone calls are (to a receptionist) “Hi, may I please speak to the person who handles events.” And you follow with who you are and the one event you are planning (which they automatically categorize as a 5 percent chance of actually happening there).
You see where I am going with this? Iris Fields is a return client (even if it is a venue that we have never worked with before – we make friends very quickly ). They know if they do right by us we will bring them tons of business because we are in the business of making multiple clients happy ) Yes, you may send them a friend or two but you have another job, we don’t. Not to mention, we make the entire event planning process easier on the venue because we know the questions they are going to ask, their restrictions, etc and pass this along to you before getting them involved.
In Closing: We (at Iris Fields) pay for ourselves. Hey, we may even pay for ourselves and get an extra hour of open bar thrown in too!
One of the most significant parts of a Jewish wedding is when the groom stomps on a ceremonial glass, breaking it in a tradition that means different things to different people–hopes for a fruitful life or a marriage that lasts forever, a superstition to drive away evil spirits, a remembrance of the destruction of Jewish temples in Jerusalem, or whatever else the couple would like the gesture to signify. But what are you supposed to do with all of the shattered pieces once the wedding is over?
Breaking the glass. Photo credit: justinoberman
Instead of letting them sit in a bag near your wedding album, how about incorporating them into your everyday life by making them a part of another Jewish tradition—the mezuzah, a piece of parchment on which a verse of the torah is written and enclosed in a decorative case hung at the entrance of a home.
Faye Miller's custom-made mezuzahs
Glass artist Faye Miller does beautiful work designing and hand-crafting such mezuzahs out of gorgeous, colorful, hand-blown glasses she makes and you break. Don’t worry—if you’ve already had your wedding, or if you’ve already purchased your ceremonial glasses, she can incorporate those pieces into the interior of your unique mezuzah instead. Choose either frost, gold, or silver for color of the “Shin,” and 16-24 weeks after your glass shards are sent in, you will have an exquisite Wedding Glass Mezuzah to hang in your home, welcoming you and guests inside, and giving you a reason to stop and remember your wedding day every time you look at it.
Planning a Jewish wedding? We have plenty of information on our blog–including a post on the Customs of a Jewish Wedding! And it just so happens that Jewish weddings are my specialty, so please visit my profile and contact me with any questions you might have!
Photo credit: justinoberman (via Flickr)
- Ariana G. Stecker of Iris Fields
www.irisfields.com
Follow Ariana on Twitter: @ArianaGStecker
Like her Facebook Page: Diary of an Event a Planner
As I always say, communication is key when it comes to planning a successful wedding—where to stay, what to do, how to get there. Although most information can be easily conveyed, it can be somewhat difficult to determine the best way to communicate sensitive details such as where you are registered and whether or not you wish to restrict attendance to adults-only at certain events.
Even though it is quite common nowadays for couples to create gift registries, it is still considered to be a faux pas to include such information with your save the date or wedding invitation. So what’s a bride to do? Well, traditionally, guests would call the mother-of-the-bride, the maid-of-honor or another family member to determine the stores at which the couple was registered. If, however, the guests had an appropriate place to go to look up these details on their own, such as a wedding website, it would be far more convenient for all involved.
Creating wedding websites is becoming the industry norm. Photo Credit: Carl Dwyer
Today, most couples already direct their guests to their wedding website for hotel accommodations, travel information and personal stories, so if you have a website, you can also use it to communicate information that is more difficult or sticky to convey through other means. For example, if you include your wedding website address on your save the date card and direct your guests to go there for future wedding-related updates, you can simply incorporate a “Gift Registry” link on the site, allowing you to discreetly make your registry information accessible to your guests. Please keep in mind that it should never be suggested that your guests be required to purchase something from your registry. You may find that the gifts that mean the most to you are those that were chosen thoughtfully off-registry.
Many couples also run into issues regarding the attendance of children at specific events, such as the rehearsal dinner or the wedding reception. If you need to advise your guests of your desire to have an adult-only reception, for example, consider creating an FAQ page on your website. You will be able to address several commonly asked questions while tactfully communicating delicate details. Your guests will appreciate knowing your wishes ahead of time and you can feel comfortable knowing that you have provided them with the information they need to make the necessary arrangements.
This entry was brought to you with information from Wedding Window, where you can create a window to your wedding with a wedding website.
Image courtesy of: Carl Dwyer.
- Melissa Raskin of Iris Fields
www.irisfields.com
Follow Melissa on Twitter: @MelissaRaskin
Whether you plan to have an intimate wedding ceremony or a grand soirée, your friends and family members will likely have a desire to get involved or contribute to the planning process in some shape or form. While you may not want them to offer too much advice, there are fortunately some fun and easy ways to keep them included. And who knows, you may even find that you receive some helpful information along the way.
First, if you have a wedding website, consider including a music request form. Not only will your guests be able to provide you with their song wish list, but you will also be able to get a sense of what will keep the party hoppin’.
Consider also offering an address book form on your website, so your guests can add or update their mailing address information. Allowing your guests to do this on their own will not only free you up to stay focused on the other aspects of your planning, but it will also provide you with a means of obtaining the information you will need when it comes time to send out your wedding invitations.
Many couples have opted to include poll and quiz questions on their websites. Some questions may even relate back to the planning decisions they need to make. While some couples use the responses to actually help them make their decisions, such as where to go for their honeymoon, others take the advice with a grain of salt. Either way, your guests will have fun and will feel as though they are contributing to your experience.
Many brides also benefit from blogging about their wedding planning experience. Planning a wedding, as we all know, can be quite stressful. For many, a wedding blog provides an opportunity to share thoughts and feelings with friends and family members. You may find that you receive both helpful advice and much needed support via the blog entry comments. However, if you are not one to share your thoughts, your blog is great for updating your guests about any changes to your wedding plans.
If you want to allow your guests to receive regular updates regarding your wedding plans, consider including an optional mailing list on your wedding website. That way, you can alert your guests to changes with one simple email.
Planning a wedding is exciting and fun, but no one ever said that you have to do it alone, so don’t hesitate to provide your friends and family members with a way to help you with your choices and decisions. They will likely enjoy feeling involved and in the end, you may benefit from getting some helpful advice.
This entry was brought to you by Wedding Window where you can create a window to your wedding with a wedding website.
- Melissa Raskin of Iris Fields
www.irisfields.com
Ariana Gordon Stecker