Photo of the Day
Photo Credit: True Photography Weddings
You can really feel the energy in this fun bridal party photo!
Photo Credit: True Photography Weddings
You can really feel the energy in this fun bridal party photo!
Bride-to-be Kelly Clarkson deputed her latest music video today for her wedding anthem, "Tie it Up." The fun video intercuts footage from fans' weddings with Clarkson wearing a short wedding dress partying in a barn — a sneak peek at Clarkson's wedding style?
Clarkson hasn't been shy about sharing wedding details with fans; she recently tweeted her sweet literary-themed engagement photo, she announced that close friend and country singer Blake Shelton will be officiating and, after finding her dream dress at Vera Wang, she clued us in that it's "a little rock and roll. A little tattered. Nothing like a princess thing!"
We can't wait to see wedding photos!
—Kristen O'Gorman Klein
Guest Blogger: Jessica Hochstadt, MS, Nutritionist and owner of “I Do” Nutrition
Jessica was a Nutritionist and Health Educator in a Boston-based hospital before deciding to focus her practice on brides with “I Do” Nutrition—a global weight-loss service that caters to brides and their bridal parties, on their schedule. She understands that everyone has a different relationship with food, and enjoys guiding bridal parties to appreciate the importance behind meal planning, understanding nutrition, and building a healthy lifestyle. In a time where our world and kitchen cupboards have become overly saturated with misinformation about nutrition, Jessica brings the simplicity back to a field that has sustained us through life.
Your wedding is going to be one of the most memorable days of your life — and hopefully for all the right reasons (like marrying your best friend and person you love, and celebrating with your closest friends and family) — not because you couldn’t fit into your wedding dress or had an allergic reaction to peanuts before walking down the aisle. (Laugh, but these things have happened!)
Xero Digital Photography/Created by: Rachel Clingen
We love this glamorous look! Pair an all-white floral arrangement with a crystal-embellished vase.
Photo Credit: Diana Lewkowicz Photography
Most everyone loves taking photos at weddings. We all want to capture those special moments: the bride’s walk down the aisle, the first dance, the toasts, cutting the cake and more. I’m a huge photo-taker myself, but at a wedding I recently attended, I couldn’t help but notice how impossible it was to get a decent shot due to the number of other guests armed with cell phones, iPads or digital cameras. Just when I thought I had a great picture lined up, someone would pop in front of me, block the view and start clicking away with her own camera or cell phone. I gave up and later asked the couple if I could just take a few photos of them. They happily obliged.
Now, if I found it impossible to get some decent photos, imagine how frustrating all the guest paparazzi are to professional wedding photographers. Their goal is to present the bride and groom with a beautiful portfolio sans the interference of guests’ heads, arms, cell phones, iPads or cameras blocking the view. Plus, all those flashes can cause a picture to become blown out or create red or green focus dots on the subject. And some couples simply do not want any photos posted on social media sites before they’ve had a chance to receive professional pictures from their photographer.
When my fiancé Gray and I were deciding where to have our wedding, we had three choices: Tallahassee (our current home), Pittsburgh (my hometown) and Satellite Beach (where Gray grew up). Ultimately, we decided that Pittsburgh was just too far for us to be going back and forth and we didn't want to burden my parents with too much responsibility. (Also, flying out of Tallahassee regularly would have been a monstrous expense.) We crossed Tallahassee off the list because I wanted a fall wedding, which meant that we'd be competing with Florida State and Florida A&M football.
So, we picked Satellite Beach and signed a venue contract this past week (!) for a beach wedding at a Crowne Plaza in Melbourne Beach. Our wedding venue is located just 10 minutes away from where Gray's mom lives, but it's more than four hours away from our home in Tallahassee. We're currently dealing with the challenges of planning a long-distance wedding and we're sort of learning as we go. Here are some of the things that have worked for us so far.
Photo courtesy of Crowne Plaza in Melbourne Beach
Volkan Kovancisoy Photography (Follow on Facebook/Tumblr/500px)
Such a creative idea! We love this sweet, romantic photo.
To glow is one thing; to glisten and shine is quite another. Such is the challenge of oily-skin care — especially during the summer months. Here are three products that have become permanent members of my hot-weather beauty arsenal. If you have oily skin, you’ll thank me.
Keeping pores clear is the key to a smoother complexion. The trick is to find a way to exfoliate regularly without irritation — if you have clogged, oil-prone skin, scrubs meant to be used only once or twice a week aren’t going to do much good.
A better idea: daily gentle sloughing. G.M Collin Active Exfoliant refines and exfoliates with rice powder granules, plus fruit-based enzymes derived from papain and bromelain (papaya and pineapple).
$39, available at spas and skin1.com
Finally, a mattifyer that really and truly works (take it from me: I’ve tried them all). Avène Eau Thermale Mattifying Fluid does precisely what it says, sans oily-feeling silicones. The star ingredient here is patent-pending Glutamic acid, which works to inhibit sebum production. The formula itself is a gel-fluid, with just enough hydration for people like me, who feel that regular moisturizers just exacerbate the oil-slick syndrome. Skin is left with a naturally fresh, matte finish.
Photo credit: Wolfgang Puck via Lover.ly
Tip of the Day: Offer a classic dessert in an unexpected, fresh way, such as a lemon meringue pie filling in a sugar cone, topped with torch-browned meringue on top for a pie experience in a crunchy sugar cone. Have an attendant working your lemon meringue cone station, as an interactive show as well as the best way to get fresh meringue pie cones and freshly-fired meringue toppings, rather than soggy cones displayed in a stand.
Plus, 35 Tips to Save Money on Cake and Other Desserts. Visit sharonnaylor.net for more tips and advice.
Photo credit: Susanna Tanner Photography
Tip of the Day: A fabulous trend in veil design is a pattern of trailing florals or vines extending in a long line from the top of your veil to the bottom, giving you a pretty, subtle design effect for your flowing veil, whether it’s fingertip length, floor-length or cathedrale length. Pretty lace or motif designs in this kind of cascade design also elongate your body for a lovely view from the back.
Find the Perfect Veil for Your Wedding Style. Visit sharonnaylor.net for more tips and advice.