Fab-ulous

I love reading blogs. Whether they're about weddings, home, entertaining, shopping or food, there are a few blogs that I must read every day.

Some of my favorites are the blogs on the Sugar Network, ncluding fashion (FabSugar), food (YumSugar), health (FitSugar) and a few other topics covering celebs, gadgets and advice.

Starting this week, each blog on the network is posting daily items on wedding planning. This week is all about getting engaged and the beginning steps of planning your wedding. The posts will continue through the spring, giving brides advice on everything from shopping for a dress, vendor recommendations and great advice for getting shape for the big day.

Here's the link to their Get Ready to Shop for your Wedding Day post focusing on the dress.

How Sweet It Is

You know how much I love the wedding cake, and when I came across the site for the Cakegirls, I just had to share their beautiful designs with you.

Located in Chicago, baking duo and sisters Brenda and Mary, can create anything from the classic tiered bridal cake to a themed groom's cake. Send your bridesmaids to Cakegirls and have them order one of their signature purse cakes for your shower.

Wedding Tip - Having a cake tasting is just as important as having a tasting with your caterer. Bring your fiance and your parents with you - who would turn down free cake - and have everyone put in their two cents. Make sure you try different combinations of cake flavors and fillings. Tell your baker what your menu will be and have him or her help you find the right dessert to compliment it.

Seattle's Best

If you're planning a wedding in the Seattle area, or just looking for great advice and inspiration, look no further than Junebug Weddings.

Four fabulous photographers have come together to create an online destination for Pacific Northwest brides. Filled with fabulous vendor pics, advice for your groom and a great place in general to get the answers to your most pressing wedding planning questions - they even have a special fashion section to keep brides up to date on the latest trends.

Check out their blog, What Junebug Loves for up to date wedding trends, ideas and local vendor information.

It's Easy Being Green

I received the May issue of Body + Soul magazine today and they had a very interesting article on "green" hotels. Many brides, and the media, have picked up on eco-friendly weddings - recycled paper invites, organic food. Why not carry the eco-theme to the honeymoon?

With style, comfort and the environment in mind, hotels have been cropping up all over with interesting takes on how they can help save Mother Earth.

Hotel Green by Vanessa Noel, featured here, is located in Nantucket and uses energy-efficient light bulbs, all-natural organic flax bed linens, organic hemp towels, organic milk-based paint and chemical free cleaning supplies.

At the Orchard Garden Hotel in San Francisco the room key controls everything from lighting to air conditioning. Remove the card when you leave the room and the power automatically shuts off.

A few big chains are also getting on the green bandwagon - Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Kimpton Hotels, Ritz-Carlton and ALOFT by Starwood Resorts are all pitching in to help Mother Earth.

Even if you don't have a completely green wedding wedidng think about adding at least one eco element. Every little bit helps.

If You Can Make It Here

If you live or are planning on getting married in the New York Metro area, then I highly recommend picking up a copy of New York magazine's Wedding Issue.

In addition to great ideas, the resource directory in the back is filled with the best vendors in the area, and in every category - bridal salons, florists, photographers, stationers, calligraphers - you name it, they've got it.

Next Wednesday, March 28th, from 5 to 9pm, the magazine is hosting a bridal event, the New York magazine Wedding Showcase, at the Metropolitan Pavilion on 18th Street, between 6th and 7th Avenues. Tickets are $35 per person, or $50 for two, and can be purchased in advance, by clicking here. Or you can pay $45 at the door. All ticket holders will receive a goody bag filled with fun items.

The vendors at the event include some of New York's best: Ron Ben-Israel (Ron made my cake), Kathi Littwin (a favorite photographer of mine), Michelle Rago (an amazing florist and she has a beautiful new book out) and Mark Ingram (the most fabulous person in the industry).

I plan on stopping by to see what's hot for New York City weddings this year, and I suggest you take a look too.

Hope to see you there.

Sweet Tooth

I love writing about wedding cakes. It’s my favorite detail of the day. You can create anything you want, a tiered white tower, stacked squares in any color, cupcakes or order a cake in an interesting shape.

Before you hire a baker, make sure you look through their portfolio. It's very important to hire someone you feel can create what you're envisioning.

For example, a baker who only works with buttercream will create a cake that will look different from a similar design made with fondant. Ask to see samples of not just their work, but pictures of cakes similar to what you are looking for in style, color, shape and overall design. So if you want red roses on your cake, make sure you see an example of a cake decorated with roses.

If you're not sure what you want, bring inspiration with you - pictures of the location, flowers, your dress (hide that one from your fiance), and other pictures that are inspiring you as you finalize the details for the wedding. Your baker should be able to help you design a beautiful and delicious cake that will compliment the other details.

The cake featured above was designed by The Sugar Syndicate in Chicago. These bakers can create anything from a classic bride's cake to a funky themed groom's cake and adorable cupcakes.

What's For Dinner?

Tip #3: Your rehearsal dinner invite should be fun and not as formal as your wedding invitation.

For example, if you're having a BBQ, then pick something with a grill image. For dinner on the beach select design with a starfish, seahorse or wave pattern.

Traditionally, the groom's parents pay/host the rehearsal dinner, but anyone can. Whoever is hosting the party should be listed on the invite, either at the top or in the RSVP section. (Just write RSVP: Susan Smith and a phone number.)

The invitations featured here are from Bumble Ink. I think their designs are quirky and a lot fun. They also have a selection of bridal shower invites you should tell your bridesmaids to checkout.

Inc.

Many brides wonder how they can incorporate their wedding theme into their details. All of the items in your stationery wardrobe should include elements of your theme and palette.

Tip #2: After you've selected your invitation, ask your stationer if there are additional items available in that design. Some invitation books include options for your program, place and seating cards as well as favor tags and thank you cards.

The place cards pictured above are from Lucky Paperie, and a great example of having your invite design on other wedding day details.

This fabulous stationery store in Pasadena, California carries some of my favorite lines, including Snow & Graham, Hello Lucky! and Egg Press. In addition to wedding invitations, Lucky Paperie carries announcments, custom stationery and wedding favors.

Word For Word

When choosing your invitation take into consideration the formality of your wedding as well as your color palette and theme. There are a number of ways you can express to your guests the feeling you want for your big day.

Tip #1: The wording you choose is very important. The text will convey whether the wedding is formal or casual. For example a wedding invite that reads: "The honor of your presence" invokes a formal feel, especially when accompanied with "black tie or black tie optional" at the bottom.

A casual or less formal wedding invite may read: "request the pleasure of your company" or "share in the celebration".

You may even decide to write something about festive attire, such as "Beach Chic" if your wedding will be on or near a beach.

The invitation pictured here is by Robin Beth Designs. Robin's specialty is crafting beautiful invites out of decorative papers from Japan, India and Italy. Each design is handcrafted, letterpress and made from 100% cotton paper.

Pretty Posies

Your parents are considered part of the bridal party, especially if they are part of the processional. You can have both of your parents give you away, or an usher or groomsmen can escort mom to her seat.

Your bridesmaids will be carrying bouquets, even the flower girl will carry a basket of petals. Give the moms blooms to carry too.

The traditional style for mom is the corsage - just like the kind you wore to your prom. A corsage comes in two styles: pinned and wristlet. The pinned kind will make a permanent hole in your mom's beautiful gown, and the wristlet can be itchy and get in the way when eating and dancing.

Tip #3: I recommend having a small bouquet, or posy, made for both moms. The flowers should be made up of the same color and blooms that are in your bouquet and the bridesmaids, and should match dad's or her escort's boutonniere.

The posies featured here were designed by Botanicals based in Chicago.

H2O

You want your bouquet to look as if each bloom was just picked from a garden.

Tip #2: Ask your florist to have a container with water available for your bouquet, so it is not lying in a box, but standing upright and getting water from the moment it arrives. You can place your bouquet in this vessel if you are not planning on holding it during all of your photographs, as well as after the ceremony.

If you are planning on preserving your bouquet, the blooms will stay fresher and look better if they are not lying flat on one side.

The bouquet pictured here was designed by Southern Bouquets in Atlanta.

Foot Long, I Mean, High

Over the past week I've been introduced to some fabulous florists. So I thought I'd write three posts with flower planning tips, and introduce you to some of the talented people I've met.

Tip #1: When deciding on what type of centerpiece you want, think about how high the arrangement should be.

Your guests should be able to talk to each other from across the table without something obstructing their view of the person sitting across from them.

To get an idea of how high an arrangement should be, place your elbow on a table and make a fist. The centerpiece should not be higher than the height of your fist - about 1 foot.

The arrangement pictured here is by Mary Lois at Loop Event Arts and Interiors in San Francisco. As you can see the tables are long, decorated with lush centerpieces placed every 2-3 feet down the table. The greenery and lanterns placed above are a great way to cover beams or unattractive ceilings.

Pocket Book

Smythson of Bond Street makes the most fabulous leather notebooks, and each book has a subject. There's one for shopping, restaurants and of course, weddings.

The Wedding Planner book has several tabs so you can keep track of invitations, the dress, service, reception, guests and gifts, flowers and more, going away and honeymoon.

At $75 it is quite an expensive gift you can give yourself, or someone can get you, but for a little bit more you can have it personalized with your name and or wedding date. Either way it makes a great wedding keepsake, and ensures that you'll always have your wedding ideas at your fingertips.