Bridal Buzz

I’ve been married twice!—to the same groom. (We had a small City Hall wedding then later renewed our vows and celebrated with all our family and friends.) Plus, I’m the senior associate editor at Bridal Guide, so I eat (love those cake samples), breathe and write weddings. I'm here to give you the best bridal stuff we couldn’t fit into the magazine.

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July 22, 2008

Trend Report: Wedding Bands

Okay, okay, I know I just blogged about rings, but I told you…I’m obsessed! I recently spoke with Osnat Gad, the owner of OGI Ltd. and author of Wedding Rings, and she gave me the latest on wedding band trends—so of course I couldn’t resist sharing them with you.

Osnat noted how important it is to brides to find bands that match their engagement rings. But many brides are choosing to wear their engagement rings on their right hands if they can’t find a closely matched band. Matching with the groom isn’t a huge concern though—most brides opt for diamond wedding bands, while grooms want plain solid bands.

Lately brides are looking for delicate designs and details, choosing diamonds, colored stones, or plain engraved bands. Here are some of OGI’s latest trendsetters:

Osnat said that the round brilliant-cut diamond is the most popular choice for wedding bands, while the princess cut holds the number two spot. (Simple but elegant, and oh so sparkly!)

Read More >>

Posted by Lisa at 2:40 p.m. | Comments (0)

July 18, 2008

In Good Taste

By now, you all can probably tell that I have a little bit of a sweet tooth (ok, a “little bit” might be an understatement). That’s why I couldn’t wait to talk to Renato Poliafito, one of the founders of Baked, an up-and-coming bakery in Brooklyn that is all about how the cake tastes. Yes, a beautiful wedding cake is great, but to me, if it isn’t delicious then what’s the point?

Renato told me that he and co-founder Matt Lewis like to stick to the basics: classically styled buttercream cakes. This doesn’t mean their cakes are boring, though: They offer 22 different flavors, including some funky ones, like “Oopsy Daisy” (chocolate cake with peanut butter mousse and buttercream), “Caramel Apple” (“packed with apples” and frosted with sweet caramel buttercream), and “Aunt Sassy’s Pistachio Surprise” (pistachio-flavored white cake with vanilla honey buttercream and toasted pistachios).

So how do you arrive at the perfect flavor? I asked Renato this, and he said that when he holds tastings with engaged couples, he likes to let them sample a selection of his “greatest hits,” as he calls it, which he brings out in the form of cupcakes.

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Posted by Isabel at 10:47 a.m. | Comments (1)

July 14, 2008

Feel Like a Princess!

I have an obsession. I love to imagine the cut and karat count of my ideal engagement and wedding rings…often. There’s nothing wrong with that, right? Okay, so I’m not in a relationship right now and I’ve sworn off boys once or twice or eight times in the past few months. But that doesn’t mean I’ve sworn off eventually getting proposed to. I have to say I usually go for a timeless look—the princess cut is my fave diamond cut and that’s what I envision as being the center stone for my future ring. (That’s the sparkly square one that looks like this.)

And apparently I’m not alone in favoring this cut—on the season finale of The Bachelorette, Jesse selected this platinum and diamond Tacori engagement ring for Deanna, and I think I found a new favorite:

The ring’s standout princess-cut diamond center stone is accented with more princess diamonds set in platinum. As if that’s not enough bling, turn the ring on its side, and you’ll find even more diamond accents, which allow light to enter and the princess-cuts to glisten (as they should!). The result is a ring design that’s classic without being too plain. (PS: The band comes in both platinum and 18K gold—always a dilemma, but right now I’m in a platinum mood.)

I hope you and my future fiancé approve.

Posted by Lisa at 10:40 a.m. | Comments (0)

July 10, 2008

Trend Report: Stationery

Following trends is a big part of covering weddings for Bridal Guide. And recently Sabrina and Eunice from Hello!Lucky, a letterpress stationery design company, were in town for the National Stationery Show. They stopped by the BG office to share some of their latest designs with me—can I just say that these are two of my new favorite people? They are so enthusiastic about what they do, and they’re so ultra talented that their invitations really are works of art!

And because the Lucky ladies really are on the forefront of what’s hot in wedding stationery, I pumped them for information about the latest trends. Here’s what they said their clients are demanding (illustrated by photos of Hello!Lucky invites, of course):

Art deco designs are infusing weddings with a bit of vintage-style Old Hollywood glamour.

Intricate Moroccan- and Mexican-style patterns and vibrant colors are spicing up invitations.

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Posted by Elena at 5:45 p.m. | Comments (0)

July 10, 2008

The Behind-the-Scenes Scoop

No, I'm not snoozing on the job! My latest post appears on weddingbee.com and it's all about my experience at this year's National Stationery Show. Check it out here!

Posted by Elena at 5:00 p.m. | Comments (0)

July 3, 2008

Budget-Friendly Blooms

New York weddings are expensive enough as it is, so I’m sure Big Apple brides will be thrilled to hear about the new offer that Steven Buckwald, owner of Surroundings Flowers, is making to help you stick to your wedding budget—without giving up on the gorgeous flowers you’ve been imagining for your wedding. And it’s totally easy: Just bring him an estimate from a high-end florist in the area (Steven is NYC-based) and he’ll create a floral arrangement for you for 25% off the original quote.

Since Steven has been working with flowers for more than 30 years, he deals directly with growers from all over the world, so he can offer you lower prices than other florists in the area. Because of this great idea, you can save money and stick to your budget—and still have absolutely beautiful centerpieces and bouquets (check out the bouquet he designed—I want one!). Sounds like a win-win situation to me!

Beautiful bouquets

A beautiful chair arrangement

Posted by Isabel at 3:46 p.m. | Comments (0)

June 30, 2008

An Inviting Proposition

Weddings are so steeped in tradition that (gasp!) electronic invitations have pretty much been seen as a no no. But, with the advent of sites like Pingg.com, more brides are getting on the evite bandwagon. I checked out the Pinng gallery and it’s full of cute invitation designs. One design that really stood out to me had an all white background with an image of a white orchid with spring green text—very simple and elegant. You can have their design team create a custom invitation, or you can upload a picture of you and your fiancé for a sweet photo invite! I like it because it gives you all the control (DIY brides will love it), it’s fun, and it’s also really easy. Another perk: creating an invitation is completely free!

That said, as a guest of a wedding, I still think it’s nice—and so special—to go to your mailbox and pull out a pretty envelope (a.k.a. one that doesn’t resemble a credit car bill) with a wedding invitation inside. But it might work for an informal shower or engagement party. So I'm wondering, what are your thoughts? Are online invites up and coming or are they a little impersonal?

Posted by Maggie at 5:38 p.m. | Comments (0)

June 26, 2008

Call Me!

I know what it’s like to be busy and in contact with tons of people daily. So about a month ago, I had business cards made for myself—and I’m only a student! It’s such a quick and simple convenience.

So when I heard that many brides are having calling cards made especially for their big days, I knew I had to blog about it. Since being knee-deep in wedding planning is probably more stressful than my life, I’m sure any little time-saver is a huge help. Calling cards are the perfect way to provide all the contact info any vendor could need (all your phone numbers, your wedding date, etc.), without picking up a pen (or forgetting something)—and they can be so cute! C & G Weddings, a wedding consultant company, just came out with a line of Busy Bride Calling Cards that come in seven different colorful designs. My favorite is the one with the light blue font and a cake in the upper left corner:

Each card provides your address, cell and email, as well as your groom’s contact information. Instead of cramping your hand jotting down your information for the countless vendors you’re working with, hand them a calling card and feel a little more stress-free.

Posted by Lisa at 2:33 p.m. | Comments (0)

June 25, 2008

Looks Good Enough to Eat

If you’re like me, you love (and I do mean L-O-V-E) sweets. Whether it’s chocolates, cookies, candy or anything else yummy, I will devour it. Which is why I’m digging Harvard Sweet Boutique—these folks take colorful, fun, avant-garde boxes and fill them with delicious homemade goodies such as mini-brownies, mini-cookies or truffles. Then they arrange them as table centerpieces for engagement parties and bridal showers!

I think these are really fun because the boxes are adorable and colorful, and they’re a good alternative for flowers, which can get pricey. Also, HSB will customize the box color or make any kind of cookies you want! (I’d personally choose the cinnamon-sugar snickerdoodle.) The boxes range from $8–$12, which, when you consider includes favors and centerpieces, is pretty…well…sweet.

Posted by Maggie at 12:36 p.m. | Comments (0)

June 25, 2008

Say Hello to...

Hello! My name is Maggie and I'm one of the editorial interns here at Bridal Guide. When I was two years old my grandmother decided that I was destined to be a professional model. (Yes, at two.) When I was five, I did a wedding photo shoot in Central Park where I modeled as the flower girl, and it was such an elaborate shoot I was convinced it was a real wedding for someone I didn’t know. It was so over-the-top, intricate and fabulous that it made me fall in love with weddings at a young age. Although the modeling/acting did not stick (I “retired” after six years), a few things did: My love for Manhattan, fashion and weddings. Since then I’ve been a flower girl in four real-life events, and next June I will make my bridesmaid debut in one of my best friend’s weddings. She’s glad I’m working here—I can give her all the inside tips!

Hey! My name is Lisa Bonarrigo, and I’m also interning at Bridal Guide this summer. I can’t say I’m a wedding expert, as I’ve only been to two weddings. However, I can say that I’ve been planning my wedding in my head since I was about four years old, and had my first crush (marriage seems so simple when you’re little). Although the color of the bridesmaids’ dresses is continuously changing, I think I’ve got everything planned, (minus the groom). At the end of May I was in my grandmother’s basement with my mom and her sister, going through old clothes of theirs. We came across their wedding gowns, still in wearable condition, and the way I looked at my mom’s made her offer it up for my use right away. My great grandmother had meticulously sewn beads and lace onto my mom’s custom-fitted dress, and its classic look will never go out of style. The way I felt about that dress confirmed that I was working in the right place.

Posted by Elena at 12:23 p.m. | Comments (0)