Tickled Pink Brides - Orlando, Florida's Premier Wedding Planner

Real Simple Weddings Contest

    The Wishpot Weddings Blog is hosting a contest where those who submit comments are entered to win the new Real Simple Weddings 2009.  The contest ends in a week, so submit those comments now!

Wedding Paper Divas Invitations and Save the Dates

    All my research for great wedding products has repeatedly brought me back to WeddingPaperDivas.com.  This week I was pleased to open a package that contained 5 adorable and well made wedding invitations and save-the-dates from the company.  The styles range from formal to funky and the color choices are perfect for today's bridal trends.  Each collection offers save the dates, invitations, and cards for responses, reception, directions, place settings, and thank you's.  What more could you need?  Most of their invitations range between $1.50-$2.50 in price, which is completely reasonable considering the customizations available and the quality of printing. 

    For brides looking to up the ante, Wedding Paper Divas offers letterpress printing by William Arthur.  Pricing for letterpress ranges from about $3-18.  Letterpress styles are sophisticated and modern, and the turnaround time is really quick. 

After your wedding is said and done, go back for baby shower invitations, birth announcements, party invitations and personal stationary.  Right now, save 5% with coupon code AFL2009.  If you haven't already, check out the Wedding Paper Divas website and blog.  Prepare to be inspired!

Saints & Sinners of the Central Florida Bridal Industry

    Last night we attended the Central Florida Bride publication's "Saints and Sinners" party at the new Heaven Events Center in Orlando.  Half the room was outfitted in white lights, white leather lounge furniture and decor, while the other half was drenched in devilish red.  Most attendees wore either red or white, except for Tracy Marini of Eventfully Yours, and Tommy Murphy of Greenery Productions, who went all out and showed up as a pregnant nun and a cardinal!

    I ran into my fabulous friends from Solutions Bridal, Alicia, Amy, Molly, and Monique.  Such a nice surprise!

    Our E-Events team had a hard time sticking with the theme.  Lisa wore it well, but Jessy and I cheated and showed up in the standard little black dress.

    Wrapping up the night, we crammed ourselves into U Booth's photo booth to get this hilarious set of pictures.  Here are Abby Liga, Amy Morelli, Lisa, Jessy and I acting silly.

Have a great weekend, everyone!  See you next week!

And the award goes to... me & you!

    Lovely Jaime from It's A Jaime Thing has given me a sweet award for gratitude and attitude, and it's time to pay it forward. 

The Rules:  1.  Put the logo on your blog or post.  2.  Nominate at least 10 blogs which show GREAT ATTITUDE and/or GRATITUDE!  3.  Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.  4.  Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.  5.  Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received the award.

In My Shoes

Polka Dot Bride

The Bride's Cafe

Blush

Garrett Nudd Photography blog

coco+kelley

My Marrakesh

Oh Joy!

Glamour This!

Blue Orchid Blog

The bloggers I've listed above have great attitudes and inspire me all the time as I follow their journeys and businesses.  I encourage you to check out their sites, if you haven't already, and prepare to be inspired!

Thanks again, Jaime for nominating me for the award!  Have a great Thursday, all!

Beautiful wedding gowns on a budget

The economy is at a standstill, but your wedding date still stands.  What's a girl to wear?  These days it's easy to find chic bridal attire at low prices if you are willing to break away from the ball gown.  So many stores and internet sites offer wedding gowns that can be ordered and tailored to fit you exactly.  What's even more exciting-- since these are not custom bridal gowns, they can be returned if they aren't just right.  Here are my latest faves (each at well under $1,000) that will keep you within budget!

 

BCBG Max Azria ivory silk chiffon sheath, $369 at Bluefly.com

Nicole Miller beaded lace gown, $599 at Bluefly.com

J. Crew silk tricotine goddess long dress, $325 at JCrew.com

J. Crew feathered chiffon gown, $795 at JCrew.com

Ports 1961 Cap Sleeve Dress, $795 at Shopbop.com

Aidan Mattox beaded keyhole gown, $388 at Nordstrom.com

OC by Oleg Cassini beaded waist halter gown, $178 at Nordstrom.com

ABS empire waist chiffon and satin gown, $435 at Saks.com

UF Gator Weddings!

  

    In honor of my alma mater's National Championship win last night against Oklahoma, I'm dedicating today's post to orange and blue Gator weddings.  There are ways to be subtle and incorporate your favorite team into your celebration, using a groom's cake, favors, and/or a specialty cocktail.  I've also seen a bride and groom run through a team banner as they made their introduction into the reception, which was totally funny and cute.  Try orange frosted cupcakes in royal blue to-go boxes as favors, or maybe an orange and blue rhinestone monogram cake topper. If you want to go all out, use some (or all!) of the below ideas.

Fresh Wedding Color Schemes

    With each new season comes new color palette trends, declared by top wedding experts who we trust to tell us what's in, and what's out.  It's always exciting to see these color schemes in action to get a visual of the endless possibilities.  Here are Spring 2009's top wedding color palettes and what you can do with them.

Aqua & Chartreuse.  This palette screams summer and reminds me of an outdoor, daytime wedding.  The green can lean toward lime or a few shades darker-- either looks perfect paired with aqua blue.  The punchy color scheme can be carried through all over the place: Invitations, flowers, bridesmaid dresses, table linens, cakes and favors. 

Blush & Mauve.  Very romantic and feminine, though not in a little girl sort of way.  This timeless combination can be used in a shabby chic theme, or paired with gold or silver to up the elegance. 

Garnet & Tangerine.  Most readers in a recent poll on The Knot say they wouldn't use orange in their wedding, so if this one's your style, you can rest assured you probably won't see it at every other wedding you attend.  This scheme makes a bold statement and can be a really exotic look for those willing to try it. 

Lavender, Cream, & Chocolate.  Over the last few years, brides have paired chocolate brown with every color under the sun, but only now are we seeing more purple shades come into play.  Lavender is made more adult and dramatic when paired with neutrals like cream and chocolate, and there are so many great places to incorporate this palette.

Fuchsia & Navy.  This just makes me think of preppy, New England, J. Crew style.  This palette is great for incorporating a pattern or motif, such as stripes, scrolls, argyle, or polka dots on your wedding accessories.

Five DIY Wedding Projects You Can Handle

    There's no doubt about it- weddings are expensive.  Every bride I have been working with in recent times has incorporated at least one do-it-herself project into her wedding planning, saving money on supplies and labor.  That extra couple of hours of work can surely pay off when you have a final product that you put your own time and energy into.  Be as creative as you wish-- it's your wedding!  Here are some of the easiest DIY wedding projects I've seen that will make your day even more personalized.

1.  Personalized favors:  Create a short poem or fun game that tells your own engagement story.  In a glassine or cellophane bag, pair your original creation with your favorite cookie or candy.  Need something even easier?  Skip the story, and go right for the cookies.  Outsource the work to Mom or Grandma, who might bake them for you!

2.  Welcome bags for out of town guests:  With gift bags and tissue paper that correspond with your wedding color scheme, package a token of gratitude for guests who have traveled to be a part of your day.  Snacks for the hotel room, a split of wine or champagne, Tylenol just in case, and a couple bottles of water will be greatly appreciated.  Proud to show off your city?  Draw out a map of the town, placing your favorite restaurants, date spots, maybe the place you got engaged-- this gives guests a feel for the places you spend your time, and gives them weekend ideas for wedding festivity downtime.

3.  Escort cards:  To keep it super simple and affordable, print guest names and table numbers on small sheets of colored card stock.  Embellish with a wax seal or rubber stamp that features your monogram.  Take it up a notch with a surprise for your groom: Affix escort cards to the backs of his favorite team's trading cards, like The Fairmount Bride did in the photo below.

4.  Polaroid guest book station:  I've mentioned it on the blog before, but I'm reiterating because it's always such a hit!  Hang a funky fabric as a backdrop, set out a Polaroid camera and plenty of extra film, and let guests snap each other's photos to place in the guest book album.  Adesso sells Polaroid albums, or make your own using any type of scrapbook and double-sided tape.  I can tell you from personal experience that these albums are so much fun to look back on later, and to read notes from guests written next to each picture.

5.  Boutonnieres:  A single bloom will do, or add a touch of greenery.  Leave about two inches of flower stem and use two straight pins to keep the flower in place.  Going tropical?  I love these starfish boutonnieres, idea courtesy of a Style Me Pretty reader: 

Welcome to 2009

Holy Moly, where did December go?  My whirlwind of a month included my birthday, a visit to Charleston, hard work on the house, moving into the house, grandfather's heart surgery, a ski trip to Utah, Christmas, AND a surprise New Year's Eve wedding (Congrats, Randi and Stephen!).  Can you say phew...!?!  What else could we have possibly packed into our crazy December?  Let me just show you.

 

That's right, I've got a bun in the oven.  And it likes to lounge around with its legs crossed.  For those of you to whom this comes as a surprise, SURPRISE!!  At 12 weeks, I'm feeling good and my energy is increasing again, thank goodness!  I sure don't have time to take it easy.

Really... how much more could one fit into a month?  Hence, Tickled Pink Brides has been MIA for the holidays but I hope to be back with a vengeance shortly.  Thanks for continually checking the blog and Happy New Year!