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Spring Fever!

With our 1 Year Anniversary coming up, my husband and I are planning a cruise to Bermuda! This reminded me of our honeymoon to Paris & London, which got me thinking about honeymoons in general. So...this blog is dedicated to amazing resort wear, and honeymoon must haves!

To start...every girl needs the perfect beach bag. That's why I immediately bought this Lily Pulitzer/Le Sport Sac collaboration before it sold out!

Sticking with Lily...why not have a new little white dress to show off those tan legs?

I don't think anyone ever went wrong with a pair of classic bermuda shorts.

I love Sperrys, but these metallic ones are so awesome!

The new Coach Kristin line has some really cute sherbet colored clutches and cross body bags that are perfect!

These linen/silk blend slouchy pants are fabulous and can transition easily from sightseeing to cocktails!

We want wedges!

This blouse is sweet and feminine.

This bathing suit is so glam!

A few statement pieces of jewelry and you're good to go!




Now get shopping ladies!

Bridal Party Gifts

Hopefully you have chosen wonderful, supportive, fun friends & family members to help you celebrate your big day. If this is the case, you'll most likely want to thank them in some way. I remember when I was trying to figure out what to give my bridal party as gifts. It was so hard because I love to give gifts! So...how do you know what's too much and what's not enough? Find some resources! Bridal magazines, websites, blogs, etc always have cute ideas!
Gifts they can use for the wedding day are always great. Cuff links, jewelry, a shawl or pashmina, money towards their tux rental, flip flops for the girls to change into. It's also fun to put together little baskets or bags for people with things they love. Know a movie buff? How about movie tickets or a Netflix gift certificate, popcorn and candy? One great thing I added as a gift for my bridesmaids was a spa day that I put together with the help of a mobile spa that came to my home: Pamper Perfect.

Here are some of the latest ideas I found:

Really cool ties are hot right now! Even bow ties are making a come back. Splurge on a colorful tie that matches your color scheme!

Affordable, comfortable flip flops for those tired feet!

Swiss Army Card. Boys love these! They have all of the tools of a pocket knife, but flat so it fits in the card slot of a wallet!


Alex Woo "Little Letters". She has a bunch of different collections to choose from!

Personalized Charging Stations

Custom made stamps with the person's name

Personalized Shopping Totes

I hope I gave you some neat ideas. For even more information, I found this article on The Knot that is VERY helpful:

Bridesmaid Gifts: Shopping Tips & Etiquette

Photo: Missy McLam

Got bridesmaid gifts on the brain? Good. Here's everything you need to consider before the shop-a-thon begins.

A thoughtful gift should be both a wedding remembrance and a token of appreciation for your bridesmaids’ time and efforts. With our tips, you’ll be sure to select bridesmaids gifts with the proper care and attention such dear girls deserve.

When To Get Them

Shopping for bridesmaid gifts is one of those tasks that doesn’t have a specific timeline. Of course, it’s better to buy them sooner rather than later -- in general, aim for no later than one to two months prior to the wedding. (The last thing you want to do the week before your wedding is shop for presents -- save procrastinating for Christmas Eve).

In the months leading up to your celebration, keep an eye out for fabulous finds. You might encounter a great off-season sale, stumble across a hot item while compiling your registry, or find something cute when you’re tooling around, say, TheKnot.com. Pick it up and get it out of the way.

What To Spend

There are two things to consider when deciding what you should be shelling out for each maid: What amount will your budget allow? And what are they shelling out for you?

Sometimes the best gifts are those you can’t put in a box. If expenses for your bridal party are running a bit high, consider offering to pay for their wedding-day hair and makeup, for a suite upgrade at the hotel, or for their bridesmai dress.

The first question is obviously the most important -- to that we say spend what you can, remembering that it's really how thoughtful the gift is that counts.

But do ask yourself what you’ve been asking financially of your bridesmaids. If they will be required to shell out an enormous amount of money for things like a plane ticket, hotel room, $500 dress, and $100 pair of shoes (not to mention the bridal shower, your wedding and shower gifts, and more), then a $10 pair of chopsticks might seem a little ungracious. You’re certainly not expected to cover what they’ve spent, but you should be spending enough to say "I appreciate the time, effort, and money you’ve put into this wedding." Something between $75 and $150 should suffice.

Knot Note: The maid/matron of honor typically receives a bit more lavish gift than the other maids, since it’s normally her job to coordinate the shower and the bachelorette party. Consider spending a little extra on her for the extra mile that she goes for you. Also, don't forget about flower girls and junior bridesmaids (you can spend a little less on them).

When to Give

Bridesmaid gifts are often handed out at the rehearsal dinner, when your closest friends and family are together in one place. The idea is that you make a toast in front of everyone thanking your maids, and then present each of them with their gifts. However, many brides distribute gifts at a bridesmaid luncheon or tea on the day of the wedding (or during a similarly private moment with the ladies) -- where you and your girls can have some downtime together in the midst of the wedding madness.

Knot Note: Some brides also give their shower hostess(es) a special thank-you gift (in addition to bridesmaid gifts). Some easy ideas: A handwritten note, dinner out on the town, or a bouquet of flowers.

What to Give

Before jumping in and deciding what to get, there are a few points that you should remember when you’re choosing your bridesmaid gifts.

What works for one person might not work for another and thankfully, you’re not stuck in a one-gift-fits-all situation. Don’t feel as though you have to get everyone the same present. Think about giving each bridesmaid a different gift, but all within the same price range. That way, each girl will know that you took the time to pick out something just for her.

Make sure your gift is timeless and multifunctional. While accessories to be worn for the wedding make lovely gifts, chances are that a jewelry set or a purse that matches your maid dresses won’t get much wear once the wedding is over. It’s okay to opt for something wedding-specific -- choose a gift that’s wearable, or package it with something useful, say wedding jewelry with a beautiful jewelry box or a nice jewelry cleaning machine.

Take the Would I Want It? test. Before picking up something that seems totally adorable, useful, or creative, stop to think if it’s something that you would like to receive. A monogrammed silver yo-yo is sort of cute in theory, but it will surely end up stashed in the back of a drawer for the next 40 years.

Thinking...

We're changing the color scheme for Nicky & Ben's wedding to champagne and charcoal with touches of most likely burgundy. They decided to go with Harry's Savoy which has great decorations, so we want to compliment them. This weekend I'll be on the lookout for some great inspiration! New post coming early next week!

Winter Wonderland

I told you I wasn't so good at keeping up with my blog posts!

I recently got back in touch with a friend who is planning her wedding. I'm so excited to help her make her day even more special than she imagined! We're pretty sure about a Winter Wonderland theme for next December.

Here are some ideas we're playing around with:
White & silver with touches of black

Feathers!

I'm thinking comfort foods like a candy buffet, hot chocolate bar, hot soup before dinner, lots of candles!



I love this escort card table. I think it looks like icicles!

These long black dresses with a sweetheart neckline are so glam! Also I love the simple black suits on the guys.


We only just begun working together a few days ago but we've already got some pretty cool ideas. I'm so excited to see Harry's Savoy with her on Sunday afternoon. Hopefully the snow will cooperate!

Purple

When asked the other night what my favorite trend is right now, I said "COLOR!" And used jazz hands to show how excited I was. When asked which color, I replied "Purple."

So here are some pictures of my favorite uses of the color purple:




Everyone knows I love cupcakes and what better way to show off your color palette?



This red & lavendar combo is so stinkin cute!



The deep purple with the kermit mums is fabulous!



Colored lanterns are always fun!



Peacock feathers are one of my favorite decorating tools!



Lighting can transform a room like nothing else.



I love the wrist wraps these girls have for their bouquets.



I'm not a big fan of calla lillies but these minis have such a beautiful color and compliment the whole arrangement.



I lvoe this garden party look!



Of course I love the orange in this program, but I also love the purple toile-esque paper!


Until next time...

xoxo
Colette

Second time's a charm?

Hi everyone!!!

I'm trying to get a Wedding & Special Events blog started. I've been inspired by another planner who has a great blog. I want to post ideas and pictures and all kinds of things that I like! Hopefully I'll stick to this because my last one didn't turn out so well.
I'll do a real post sometime this weekend!