Tips for the Summer Bride

Photo By: J.Cogliandro Photography

For all those Brides who chose to wed during the summer, you may be wondering the best ways to look fabulous and beat the heat. Here are some helpful tips I share with all my Summer Brides.

1. Spray Deodorant - you may find this to be a "matter of fact" item. However, I recommend each brides to spray it all over their body. It does not clump or flake off. The benefit is that it does help reduce sweating underneath the dress. It would be recommended to find one that is non-scented.

2. Water, and plenty of it - on the wedding day, your extra nervous and very pre-occupied. Drinking and eating may not come to mind. However, it would be best to stay well hydrated to prevent fainting or dehydration. It also helps to keep your skin beautiful with a healthy wedding day glow. A lack of water will also cause swelling and may cause your shoes to become quite uncomfortable.

3. Boscia Blotting Linens - these wonderful little sheets are life savors for maintaining a picture perfect complexion. Makeup should look like and non-cakey. Just by patting the extra oil places is best for maintaining this look. The best thing is, they are small enough to fit inside most dainty bridal handbags. For convenience, you can order them online at Sephora.

4. Two tuxedo shirts - this one technically isn't for the bride. However, it surely can ensure a happy Groom. If you plan on spending any time outside capturing fantastic pictures, the heat is surely going to cause the Groom some discomfort also. In case your Groom is highly responsive to the heat, having a clean, dry shirt to change into before making the grand entrance will be a welcome suggestion.

5. Parasols - while, you may think these are normally reserved for a time forgotten or southern soirees. Cute parasols can be a unique decorative item for any chic wedding party. Having a little shade available will be a much needed relief while under direct sunlight if pictures are being taken outside. Plus, they are just so feminine in a diva way. With companies such as Bella Umbrella providing parasols with style, who could resist?!

Featured Vendor: Green Orchid Events

Congratulations to Green Orchid Events for recently being invited to join Little Black Book hosted by Style Me Pretty. This is a prestigious honor as they select 3 vendors per category in an area. Green Orchid Events is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. Juliet established the firm in 2007 and has been experiencing great success ever since. Clients feel Juliet's team is a highly valuable addition to any their wedding team.

A Romantic Affair on Galveston Island

On a beautiful late afternoon, a couple in love wed by the sea with sounds of the waves playing in the background. Call me a hopeless romantic, but there is nothing more breath-taking than an outdoor ceremony.


Katie and James is truly a dynamic couple. The ceremony was held on the grounds of the historic Hotel Galvez. They were joined by 140 of their closest friends and family. The aisle was colorfully lined with apple green lanterns and ivory flower petals. The bride shared a touching moment with her father as he walked her down the aisle.

The celebration followed with cocktails and dinner at The Roof Garden nestled in the heart of the Strand District. Guests were greeted with caricatures and a stunning room draped in apple green linens, black & white damask overlays provided by A Narcissus Affair and cymbidium orchid center pieces by Nasa Flowers. Guests enjoyed a candy buffet filled with an assortment of candies in shades of white, green and chocolate. The guests dined to a scrumptious sit down dinner provided by Chef Tim Catering.

Many Bonds with A Snap In Time captured the evenings most memorable moments. It was truly a pleasure to assist Katie and James with creating an evening they will remember always. This will be one of the most memorable weddings for me. Especially, since we share the same love for apple green. My signature color!

Top 5 Honeymoon destinations

1. Hawaii: Hawaii is one of the most popular honeymoon destinations. Its wonderful warm weather and laid back atmosphere is the perfect place for love birds to visit. By day, you can bath in the sun, snorkel, visit volcanoes, hike through rainforests, shop or just lounge around the pool. By night, you can try fabulous restaurants, enjoy a luau or simply sit under the stars. There are plenty of things to do and experience with your true love.

2. South Pacific: If you're looking for a more secluded tropical experience, you may want to hit the beaches in Tahiti or Bora-Bora. Tahiti's palm filled landscapes, coconut plantations, vanilla farms and relatively few tourists make this island a romantic place for two. Put a fragrant white tiare, Tahiti's national bloom, behind your left ear (that means you're taken) and you'll fit in perfectly among the deep green valleys, waterfalls and fields of flowers. Bora-Bora's sugary sands and clear, aquamarine waters are just as magical. Explore lagoons and even stay in your very own hut built on stilts right on the water.

3. United States & Canada: While you wouldn't think of the US or Canada as being the most exotic destinations for a honeymoon, there are so many places to visit, it's difficult not to mention at least a few. For the epicureans, taste thousands of gourmet wines and some of the world's finest food in Napa Valley, California. After a winter wedding, ski world famous slopes in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. Swim with dolphins in Florida after your summer nuptials. In New York alone you can view the amazing Niagara Falls, shop fabulous couture stores and check out glitzy Broadway shows. Canada, with its amazing scenery in Montreal and vivacious nightlife in Vancouver, are wonderful ways to share time together. And don't forget Disney for those couples looking for fun, magical moments.

4. Caribbean: With over 20 islands to choose from, taking a honeymoon to the Caribbean will surely be a treat! While on St. Vincent and the Grenadines, enjoy bathing in waterfalls, watching six different types of dolphins and napping in hammocks. Get lost in Bermuda and experience the wonderful coral reefs and shipwrecks which gave this place the nickname, "Isle of Devils" and breathe in the aroma of freesia, bougainvillea and passion flowers. For fun-loving couples, try Jamaica, mon! Being the third largest island, Jamaica has extravagant nightlife, six mountain ranges and miles of beach. If you like to stay close to the US while still experiencing the tropical atmosphere, then Puerto Rico is perfect for you. Filled with stunning high-rises and nature reserves, this island is a cinch to navigate and the US dollar is the national currency.

5. Mexico: Carved out of the jungle, Cancun sits at the tip of Mexico's Yucatan peninsula with large resorts and exciting nightlife as well as ancient Mayan ruins and palm fringed beaches. Enjoy your days on the beach and hiking through the jungle and your nights enjoying fabulous food and dancing the hours away! Unlike Cancun, Cozumel is relatively quiet-only 3% has been developed. There are more than 30 charted reefs, this island is perfect for the couple who wants to experience nature in a quieter setting. Perhaps exciting Acapulco is more your style. 130 foot cliffs tower above the ocean and you can view professional divers taking the plunge into its foamy depths. Or you can strap on a parasail for a birds eye view of the bay.

To Have or Not To Have a Consultant?

During the initial consultation meeting with clients, you are asked quite often similar questions. Most often, many brides want a consultant, but view it as a luxury. While in reality, consultants are more frequently a necessity to the success of the wedding. A well "season" consultant, Patty Hansen, CWP explains it best:

As couples begin thinking about their wedding, they are often confused as to how much to spend, where to obtain specialized services, and how to choose vendors. These worries often mount as quickly as the cost of the wedding. After the euphoria wears off and the reality settles in, it's shocking to discover of how much preparation is involved. Couples are faced with decisions about everything from invitation wording to planning their honeymoon. Couples often find they want experienced professional help.

Not long ago, a wedding planer was thought of as a luxury, only used by the wealthy. Now a planner is essential to the well planned affair. It is no longer "trendy" to engage a planner. Being experienced in negotiating contracts with caterers, florists, photographers, and other suppliers, the planner saves valuable time and money. The planner can take advantage of discounts not available to private parties and avoid costly mistakes, while turning your dreams into reality.
The average wedding can take more than two hundred fifty hours just to plan. With today's hectic lifestyles, you may not have time to compare all the options, making sure you get the best deal, and make sure all the details are in place. Wedding planners are not here to make decisions for you, but to guide and assist you in making informed decisions. Their training, knowledge, and experience will turn your dreams and expectations into reality. They want you to host a beautiful and distinctive event which you can enjoy. A wedding planner will save you time and enable you to get the most for your money! A wedding planner can serve in many other capacities. They can act as the family counselor for apprehensive brides and the mothers—a wedding planner can become as close as your best friend.

Many services boast a wedding coordinator when all they are really offering is someone on site to announce and direct elements of a wedding reception, help with the floral or menu selection, supervise the food service or assist at the wedding ceremony. What about the planning and obtaining the necessary elements of the entire wedding? Some vendors even claim to provide the bride with a list of photographers, florists, etc. Is this vendor really trained to know the budgetary needs and the bride’s personal taste? In addition to those very absent elements in vendor choice, the vendor has not been scrutinized and qualified by a bridal consultant that really has the bride’s interest in mind.
A wedding planner will act as a consultant to help you plan your special day. This consultant is a professional wedding planner that knows etiquette from the socially correct formats through proper planning and organization of your wedding day. As your planner they have the contacts necessary to match you with the right wedding professionals, which are wedding vendors. Your planner also works with your wedding professionals that you have chosen to make sure all the details are set just the way you want them. The planner will help you organize your dream wedding and keep you within your budget by suggesting ways to make your dollar go the farthest. Since your wedding planner is an independent party, he or she, may often mediate disagreements when you are caught between family disputes and friendly disagreements.

You can afford a wedding planner since it is not an extra expense if you consider the planning part of your wedding budget. Your wedding planner will even be able to save you money by suggesting the appropriate vendors that will provide professional services to accommodate your budget. It is a penny well spent to have a wedding planner overseeing the wedding professionals that you have spent an investment with to insure that your day goes just as you have paid for and planned.

Of course you may opt to plan the entire wedding yourself or have a family member and even a friend to help, which is sometimes part of the fun of the wedding. However, it can also be a huge hassle and a headache especially if you, your family member, or friend does not have the proper professional wedding training that most professional wedding planners have and experienced. In addition to just finding wedding vendors, you'll need to check out sources, make sure all the details are in place, and worry about whether you're getting the best deal, and, ultimately, if everything will turn out right. A professional wedding planner has the training and experience to do the ground work, and make sure it all works the way you want it to, while you relax and enjoy.

For example, your dress gets muddy if it starts to rain and your fiancé is already 30 minutes late and the limo driver has not even shown up yet to bring the officiant to the chapel--what do you do? This is where your wedding planner will see to all of these details without breaking a sweat. She will be able to locate the fiancé and ensure he gets to the chapel on time; they will clean your dress with a wipe from their emergency kit; they will track down the limo driver and have a back up limo driver in waiting just in case.

The wedding planner will get it done so you don't have to worry. When you hire a wedding planner you know that you are buying quality, service, knowledge, professionalism, creativity, guidance, leg work, a stress reliever, an etiquette expert, a personal assistant and a friend. What could be better than that for the most important day of your life? Just knowing that you were smart enough to hire a wedding planner!

Do You Share My Passion for Weddings?

Do you have an eye for detail? Have you always been the type of person who always lends a hand to a friend in need, even without having them asked? Do you have a passion for weddings or are interested in learning more about a career as a wedding consultant?

soireebliss! is seeking a Part-time Event Coordination Assistant to work closely on the wedding day with a Lead Consultant. You will be required to report to the event site on time as predetermined by the Lead Consultant to assist in the set-up of the event decor, assist in the management and direction of the bridal party before, during and after the ceremony . You will be responsible for executing various tasks requested by the bridal party or the Lead Consultant during the ceremony and reception. To be successful in this role, you have to have a sense of urgency while displaying a graceful, calm persona.

As the Part-time Event Coordination Assistant, you will have the opportunity to follow the Lead Consultant during the final stages of preparation and "day of" the wedding. This "hands on" experience will be invaluable to you and can serve as a launching pad for your career as a wedding planner. I strongly believe in promoting from within. soireebliss! strongly emphasizes teamwork to ensure our clients receive the highest level of professional, quality service.

If you are extremely responsible, detail-oriented, and are willing to give up your Friday and Saturday evenings, email your cover letter and resume to Samantha Darr at info@soireebliss.com. Compensation is based on experience and is paid on an hourly rate.

Unique Must-Have Items

If you are like me, you're always on the lookout for items that are unique and different. That little something that will add flair to your wardrobe or home furnishings. Wedding décor items are no different. The more unique an item, the more personal and memorable the impact it will make on the overall look.

So, it’s become a weekly habit to tour a few of my favorite stores to check out their newest displays and décor items. One of my most favorite stomping grounds is the Z Gallerie. I love their choice of colors; bold and chic. Their designs continually hit the cutting edge of trends without being over the top, while avoiding fads.

On my recent visit, I came across a few items that were to die for! If you are a lover of bling, you must check out their selection of crystal embedded place card holders, votives and salt & pepper shakers. They would add a chic elegance to an evening affair.

For those who are looking for bold colors or items with a touch of exotic flair for a tropical destination wedding or a summer event, you must consider the following items.