Vera Wang Inspiration {PreOwned Wedding Dresses Blog}

Thanks to PreOwned Wedding Dresses for featuring our inspiration board designed around Vera Wang's Dierdre gown.  We had fun creating it!

The Cupcake Empire {The Ooh La La Cupcakery}

As the options for tasty cupcakes keep getting more abundant, the creativity has to find a way to keep up as well.  One of my best girlfriends recently told me her sister recently got involved with a new cupcakery in Baltimore, The OOH...LA LA CUPCAKERY.  So, clearly I had to get the skinny.  (Is it me, or is that an oximoron?)

So, I spoke with Lauren earlier this week and here's the scoop on the new comer:

The company offers mini, regular and grande cupcakes.  They feature beautifully handcrafted display tiers for weddings, birthdays, showers and more.

They are currently baked fresh daily out of a commercial kitchen and they will mail out or deliver our order anywhere.  In March they are excited to open a boutique bakery in Baltimore's inner harbor that will feature "make your own cupcakes" for kids.

But you want the goods, so here they are!

Cupcake amour flavors:

 mocha, citron, lemon, chocolate, vanilla, maple and their signature red velvet cake with pink cream cheese icing

They also offer couture flavors for the adult palette:

 mojito, strawberry daiquiri, rum & signature pina colada cupcakes

Lauren's favorite happens to be the signature Red Velvet, which I cannot wait to try.  Is it too early to be thinking they would be a GREAT Valentine's Day gift??

And so where did OOH LA LA come from?  Two sassy, savvy ladies of course!

Keara Hayes was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland. She obtained an Associates of Arts and a   Bachelors degree in Accounting, aMasters degree in Education and worked in the corporate world most of her career. Just recently, she became an elementary school teacher in the Baltimore City School system. During her very busy life as a career woman, mother, and wife, she always made time for her love of baking. Keara never had formal training in baking but always remembered watching her grandmother bake homemade cakes on the weekends. When she was old enough to bake on her own, she began creating her very own delicious cakes. Her creativity was a plus to making not just a good cake but also a pretty cake. She began specializing in cupcakes particularly for children’s parties and events. 

Kelleye Cohen was born and raised in Jersey City, New Jersey where she studied classical music and fine arts. She successfully recorded an album in the 90’s and experienced traveling the world to share her gift of music with people all over. Kelleye’s mom was a baker by trade and Kelleye had the first hand experiences and privileges of learning from a skilled baker. Kelleye later married and had children and became an advocate and spokeswoman for the American Red Cross. 

Keara and Kelleye met in 2006 and have been baking together ever since. Their partnership has been a match “made in heaven”. 

Personally, I love to clear boxes.  Sometimes it's all in the details!  For more information on THE OOH LA LA CUPCAKERY, visit their web site or e mail Lauren at lkean808@gmail.com.  

Look out Baltimore, there's a new cupcake in town!

Billy Bride Jewelry

I came across this jewelry designer thanks to one of my daily inspiration reads, Head of Heels, and immediately thought these pieces would be fabulous gifts for a Maid / Matron of Honor.  I am sure if you ask nicely they might even have a stone to coordinate with the wedding colors as well... 

All the way from Australia, Billy Bride Jewelry certainly makes a statement and one that your best girlfriend could keep forever!

xoxo,

Amy Lorraine

Real Wedding {Anna & Tim}

Another great wedding from this year!  Anna and Tim were such awesome clients to work with and we just enjoy every wedding we do at Carnegie Institution for Science.  Michelle Frankfurter was fantastic to work with {such an awesome lady!!} and supplied me with all these great images from their wedding.  And I absolutely adored Anna's gown - very Jackie O!

Gown - Priscilla of Boston

Florist - Dragonfly Event

Photobooth - Majestic Photobooths

Ceremony Music - Charm City Strings

Reception Music - DJ D-Mac

xoxo,

Amy Lorraine

Chapter Two {Death on the Aisle}

Thanks to everyone who checked out the first chapter last week.  I hope you enjoyed it.  Without further ado, here's Chapter Two:

Chapter Two

One Week Prior

            “What do you mean the Pandit isn’t ready?” I asked Kate over the booming drums and cheering wedding guests.

            “He said to wait and he’ll come when he’s ready.” Kate shrugged. “It looked like he was in the middle of a ritual of some sort.”

“Wait?” I nearly shrieked.  “Is he kidding?”

“He’s a Hindu priest, Annabelle.  I don’t think he does ‘kidding.’”

I knew that Kate was right.  I groaned and tried to think fast.

I stood at the entrance door to the Mellon Auditorium with the bride’s family and friends on the inside and the groom and all of his family coming down Constitution Avenue to meet them at the front. When they met at the door, the Pandit and the bride’s mother would greet the groom and lead him inside to the ceremony. To complicate matters, the groom was riding on an elephant surrounded by a troop of half a dozen drummers leading the crowd in exuberant dancing and singing.

“Can we slow down the groom?” I asked.

“If you want to jump in front of an elephant, be my guest,” Kate said. “But I’m not getting anywhere near it. These shoes are Louboutins and they don’t take very well to elephant dung.”

I glanced at Kate’s spike heels and fought the urge to roll my eyes. It was a miracle that Kate could still walk considering the inappropriate footwear she wore to work.

I stepped outside and craned my neck around the corner to check to progress of the Baraat. The Baraat, or procession of the groom to a Hindu ceremony, was one of my favorite parts of an Indian wedding.  I loved the energy of the drums and the joy of the family as they danced and cheered. This was the way to enter a wedding, I thought. After a Baraat, all my other ceremony processionals seemed downright sleepy.

“Almost here,” I said to myself as the colorful crowd advanced. The guests wore traditional Indian saris and sherwanis in the most vivid colors imaginable. The women’s saris were a riot of crimson, turquoise, fuchsia, tangerine and purple adorned with beads and jewels and each was more stunning than the last.  No sedate black dresses here. Kate and I loved to play “pick the sari” at Indian weddings to see which one of us could find the most beautiful one during the evening.

I walked back inside and smiled at the mother of the bride, who stood just inside the doors.  She adjusted the top of her magenta and gold sari and looked around her.  Her dark hair was swept back from her face and held up with jeweled hair pins. With flawless skin and pale eyes, she was as strikingly beautiful as her daughter and didn’t look remotely old enough be a Mother of the Bride, or MOB.

“Where is the priest, Annabelle?”

“On his way,” I assured her with more confidence than I felt. 

I crossed the lobby of the building and peeked inside the grand hall where the ceremony would take place. The mandap was set up on the built-in stage at the far end of the room and, even though the stage was at least thirty feet wide, the mandap dominated the space.  The bride had wanted a ceremony structure that made a statement and her mandap certainly did that.

The entire mandap seemed to glow, and I felt like I was looking into a small sun. Gold was the only color the bride had wanted to use so the pillars were gold, the sheer fabric draped behind them was an iridescent gold, the ornate chairs for the bride and groom appeared to be carved out of gold and the fabric canopy that started at the top of the pillars and went at least fifteen feet into the air over the mandap was made of what looked like liquid gold.  Our mandap designer, Sachi, had lit the entire structure in gold light from above and below so that it really did glow.  I knew the bride would be thrilled.

The only thing that wasn’t entirely gold on the stage was the tiny Hindu priest, dressed in modest robes and crouching over what would soon be the ceremonial fire in front of the bride and groom’s chairs.  I didn’t want to bother him again in case he was in the middle of a pre-ceremony ritual and because, despite his Hobbit-like stature, I was a bit intimidated by him. He must have heard the heavy door open, though, because he turned toward me and held up a finger.

“They will wait.”  He smiled at me and went back to his work.

I nodded and backed out, closing the huge wooden door behind me. I was sure they would wait since they had no choice. I could hear the drums and cheering getting louder.  The bride’s family was trying to see out the glass doors but, luckily, the elephant hadn’t reached the front of the building yet so was still obscured by the pillars in front of the building.  As I put on my most comforting face to reassure the mother of the bride that the Pandit was on his way and mentally convincing myself that white lies were harmless, my phone rang. I pushed the talk button before the first verse of “Pachelbel’s Canon” escaped.

“Wedding Belles, this is Anna . . .”

“This is a catastrophe of Biblical proportions.  I just don’t know if I can work under this level of duress.”

“Okay, take a breath and tell me what’s going on.”

“As if it wasn’t bad enough that I’m going to have to work under a tent with a ten foot drop into the water on three sides, I mean I just don’t have waterproof couture,” he took a breath, “now the filming crew wants to use the galley kitchen to store their production equipment.  Annabelle, you know I need that galley kitchen for plating.”

“Filming crew? What filming crew? Are you sure you’re on the right boat?”

A deep sigh from Richard. “Ship, Annabelle. When it’s this big, it’s called a ship.  And of course I’m on the right one. How could I miss it?  It takes up half the harbor.”

“Okay, okay,” I said. “But what film crew?”

“The one from the “Diamond Weddings” TV show.  You know, the profiles of the weddings of the rich and richer.”

I knew the show.  Opulence meets excess on speed.  “Well what are they doing there?”

“How should I know?  I thought you arranged for it. And what is all that screaming in the background, anyway?”

I rubbed my temples.  I hadn’t arranged for it. “Dolhi drummers. The groom’s arriving on an elephant.” I rocked onto the back of my heels. “Has the bride seen the crew yet?”

“I don’t think so.  At least I haven’t seen her around today.  An elephant?  Is that why I couldn’t get across Constitution Avenue earlier?”

“Good, “I ignored Richard’s question. “That gives me some time to figure this out.”

“You don’t think the bride knows her wedding is going to be filmed by “Diamond Weddings?”

I thought about the sweet yoga-teacher bride who only agreed to wear jewels in her hair if they were healing crystals.  “No way.  This isn’t her style.”

“I have news for you, doll.  This whole yacht isn’t her style. And did I mention they keep making me take off my shoes and leave them in a basket on the dock?  You do not leave Dolce & Gabana shoes in a basket. Especially on a dock.”

I raised an eyebrow.  I doubted the dock workers were haggling over his metallic silver shoes but Richard had a point about the bride's style. “She wants to make her father happy and he loves this boat.  He always envisioned her wedding on it.”

“Do you think he called ‘Diamond Weddings?’”

“No.” I caught myself biting my lower lip.  “This has the stepmother’s name written all over it.”

Richard sucked in his breath. “Good luck with that.”

Between the impending elephant and the domineering stepmother, I was going to need it.

Washingtonian Moment

I just opened up to the Washingtonian home page to search for my next luxury resort to visit this summer... and low and behold, there was a post added just yesterday on their wedding blog of my previous clients!  Michael Jasser, VP of Marc Parc Valet, and his wife Lindsay were some of the best clients a planner could dream of and their 2008 wedding was completely unique.  Both the ceremony and reception were held at the Mansion on O Street, a venue with a mind of it's own for sure! 

Photography by Love Life Images
Check out the wedding story HERE on the Washingtonian home page!

xoxo,

Amy Lorraine

Trunk Show at Love Couture {Ysa Makino}

 

Tell me that is not one amazing dress!  Stunning!  If you're searching for a breathtaking gown for your wedding day, be sure to check out the Ysa Makino trunk show at Love Couture Bridal this weekend. 

 

How much do we love Love?  Let me count the ways: spacious dress rooms, friendly and helpful staff, beautiful gowns, chic decor, easy parking.  We could go on and on.  Even though the salon is brand new, we've already had brides find their dream wedding dresses at Love.  Our brides love Love as much as we do!

So make an appointment to find your perfect wedding dress this weekend and you'll save 10% off your Ysa Makino purchase.  Here's the skinny:

 

What: Ysa Makino Trunk Show

When: December 10, 11, 12

Where: Love Couture Bridal

Save 10% off your order on these dates

 

Have fun and tell them we sent you!

Bridal Shower for Wine Lovers {Cookies & Corks}

Today I'm thrilled to share with you a yummy find: Cookies & Corks!  These delectable cookies from Cookie Zen are created to be paired and eaten with wine.  How much fun is that? Now I can combine two of my favorite things properly. Who knew that I'd been doing it wrong for all these years?

Each box of Cookies & Corks cookies is designed for a type of wine: red, white or sparkling.  The red wine cookies are espresso chocolate peanut butter, white cheddar rosemary and shortbread. White wine is paired with apricot sage, peanut butter chocolate and ginger molasses cookies.  And sparkling wine matches with iced lemon, parmesan thyme and sea salt chocolate oatmeal. There can be overlap, though, and they have a guide that lets you know matches for specific varietals. The iced lemon cookies, for example, pair well with Prosecco and Merlot while the ginger molasses cookies go well with Pinot Grigio and Shiraz.

Aside from just being a really cool idea and a must gift for any foodie on your list, this strikes me as a great option for a really unique bridal shower or party. I love the idea of a wine and cookie tasting bridal shower where the gifts are either related to baking or wine.  Or each guest could bring two bottles of wine: one to use for tasting and one to stock the couple's wine cellar.  I know we're always trying to come up with something new for showers and wedding-related parties and this is so fun!  It also is ideal for coed or couples showers because men love cookies and wine as much as women.  You could also have some fun blindfolded taste testing games if you must throw a game into the mix.

These fabulous boxes of cookies would also make an excellent welcome gift for out of town guests.  Pair a box of cookies with a bottle of wine or champagne (or a split if a bottle is too cumbersome) and you have a gift that guests will truly enjoy (and one that is pretty unique).  The boxes are attractively designed and make a nice presentation.  We are always looking for new ideas for welcome bags and, believe me, this is on my list.

Be sure to check out Cookies & Corks. I'm thinking of hosting a cookie and wine tasting party over the holidays just to test out all the pairings.  The things I have to do for my job.  Sigh. We hope you enjoy this fun find as much as we have!

Holly Jolly Holiday Style!

Photo credits: 1- Catherine Malandrino dress 2- Martha Stewart Weddings 3 -

Foley + Corrina dress via In Style 4 - LAMB pump via  n Style 5- TopShop 6- Domino Magazine via Brides.com 7 - Kate Spade  cuff 8 - Kate Spade necklace 9 - L'Oreal lipstick via In Style 10 - Essie red nail polish 11- Guerlain Spiritueuse Double Vanille Perfume

The holidays are all about sparkle and celebrating so here are some of our favorite items and inspiration for the season.  Whether you're having a winter wedding and looking for that perfect rehearsal dinner dress or just need to look extra fabulous at your first New Year's party as an engaged woman, we hope you have fun with our finds.

Cheers!

Wedding Planner of Honor?

That's right folks, in October I took a weekend off from planning and played Maid of Honor.  (Ok, I AM married, but calling myself a matron makes me feel SO old!)  One of my best friends Michele finally found the perfect man in Ryan and married him in the same spot as her parents were married in years before at the Rittenhouse Hotel in Philadelphia.  So, I got to take a little weekend vacation.

You heard me, VACATION!  Time OFF.  I was ABSOLUTELY not a wedding planner that weekend.  People ask all the time if I am able to enjoy myself at weddings.  The right answer, anyone in my profession learns to take advantage of the times they can enjoy themselves at a wedding.  That clearly includes a few drinks.

But not, of course, before the speech!  I wrote and memorized it laying in bed MONTHS ago.  Then, frequently as I lay awake in bed as the wedding drew near, I would repeat it to myself, making small changes and hoping I wouldn't forget anything.  I had been daring enough to speak without notes when my girlfriend Jessie got married 4 years ago, but I'm not generally so ballsy these days.  Plus, at least then I wrote it on paper first and THEN proceeded to memorize it.  Yikes!  In the end, I think it went pretty well.  I was even able to reference Michele's father's speech from earlier in the night off the cuff.  Way to go Stuart for that bonus.  It fit perfectly.

I mentioned earlier people ask me all the time if I am able to enjoy myself at weddings.  Truthfully, I do a pretty good job of doing so.  Inevitably, there are people who ask me what I think.  Michele's wedding was no exception.  The truth is, her wedding was stunning.  Others, well, lets just say I've had to bite my tongue.  My husband will tell you, you don't want to be sitting next to me if it's taking a while for dinner to be served.  I start looking around all agitated :) 

But it was truly an honor to be a guest at their families' special affair.  Even more so then at my own wedding, I was able to relax, sit and get my hair and make up done, and most of all, I truly enjoyed being told what to do as opposed to the other way around. 

Congratulations Michele and Ryan, I love you both!

                                         Photos courtesy of Baiada Photography

Sara