wedding blog
Vera Wang Trunk Show
Vera Wang will be showcasing their brand new Spring 2014 Bridal Collection at their Melrose store May 2nd through 4th. Brides receive a 10% discount and a free gift with purchase!
The event is by appointment only. To book an appointment call (323)602-0174 or email mwarman@verawang.com .
From the Vera Wang Classics Collection…
Dorothy
Farrah
Diedre
Fern
Be sure to let Miranda know you read about the show on our blog!
- Jill
Most Romantic Places to Propose
Courtesy of Brides Magazine, here are five of the most over-the-top, romantic places to pop the question. Get your passports ready!
- Chelsea
Gatsby Inspired Weddings
With the Baz Luhrmann remake of The Great Gatsby coming out in May, there seems to be a real surge of Gatsby style weddings. Bridal gowns with a body skimming, heavily beaded look have seen a recent renewal, especially for brides less inclined toward strapless.
The era of the Roaring 20’s was care free; a time of real prosperity after World War I. I think the recent trend started with BHLDN, the bridal site from Anthropologie. They launched their bridal website a couple of years ago featuring “fascinators,” the darling little flapper-like head pieces and stunning jazz-era influenced gowns and it’s gained legs ever since. These are two of their stunning gowns in their current collection:
Aiguille & Lita
Here are a few other Gatsby inspired wedding elements found across the web:
If these elements suit your personal esthetic, you may want to pay a visit to our Pinterest page for even more inspirational photos: pinterest.com/langhuntwed
- Jill
The Perfect Proposal
Here’s a random fact for you guys out there: March 20th has been deemed “National Proposal Day!” Unfortunately, we are now past that date, but you now know you have just less than 12 months to plan for the perfect proposal. Gentlemen, start your ring shopping!
MSN compiled some stats and facts about getting engaged. Do you agree with these numbers?
28: Twenty-eight percent of women say “no” if they don’t like the ring.
26.9: Median age at a woman’s first marriage. For men, it’s 28.9.
16: The average engagement lasts sixteen months. Which seems like a long time until you start planning the wedding. *Have you looked at the fantastic wedding packages the Langham offers on Friday and Sunday?*
$5,431: Average engagement ring cost.
60: Percentage of couples who cohabitate before marriage. Studies have also find that living together before marriage is no longer the “divorce predictor” that it used to be.
76: Percentage of guys who believe that, per tradition, a man should get down on one knee when proposing.
83: Percentage of men would not wear an engagement ring—even if it were called a “man-gagement” ring.
17: Percentage of women think it’s tacky to post a photo of one’s engagement ring on Facebook. We can only imagine what they think of using it as a profile pic.
6: Percentage of men who propose over the phone.
- Chelsea
Reverly Event Designers
This week Nickie and I had the pleasure of attending a lively reception hosted by Edgar and Matias of Revelry Event Designers in their Los Angeles warehouse. If you’re not familiar with Revelry – head over to their website and prepared to be wowed! An interior designer background makes for spectacular event details.
Looking for a unique bar? They have it!
How about stylish seating? They have that too!
They have a futuristic multi-mirrored DJ Booth…
One of a kind chandeliers…
- Jill
Andrea’s Picks
Andrea Wasserman, Nordstrom’s National Bridal Director, is offering up her Top 8 favorite dresses and bridal accessories every month. All you have to do is sign up for the mailing through Nordstrom’s and you’ll be alerted monthly! I absolutely love her current Top 8 for Spring.
Click here to head over to ‘Andrea’s Picks’ to see for yourself!
- Nickie
Save the Dates
This is my second post about save the dates, but I can’t help it – I LOVE them! I love the creativity, the personalization, the whimsy, the flair, the uniqueness. Oh, I can go on and on and on…but I’ll just let the pictures speak for themselves.
But first, a little etiquette.
Save the Date Rules and Etiquette:
1) Send them out 6 months before the ceremony.
2) If you want to save money, only send them to out-of-town guests and people you know will need to plan far in advance.
3) They are a must for destination weddings, or if your wedding happens to fall on a 3-day holiday weekend.
4) Be upfront about who’s invited. Does the guest receive a +1? Are you banning children from your wedding? It’s important to note this in the content of the card.
5) Remember to add “Invitation to Follow.”
6) Don’t forget to include your wedding website URL.
And now, some of my favorite save the dates:
Confetti Explosion: A fun idea that you could customize with your own paper pattern. Get the instructions here.
Source: onehitchedlane.com
Match Books: Get the printable here.
The Infographic
Source: nataliagrosner.com
The Library Card: So sweet it hurts. Get blank library cards from Etsy, $3 for 25.
The Printed Balloon: Include a printed balloon with your save the date card.
Source: loveobsessinspire.typepad.com
Scratch-Off Paint Cards: Get the directions here. You could also use the scratch-off to expose the wedding location, if you’re doing a destination wedding.
Source: bridalmusings.com
What is your favorite save the date?
- Chelsea
Real Wedding: Juli & Paul
What a pleasure it was to work so closely with Juli and Paul last year for their wedding. Their reception started in The Courtyard with a cocktail hour, followed by a delicious dinner in The Georgian Ballroom. Juli & Paul were wonderful to work with and such a beautiful and loving couple.
Here are just a few of my favorite photos from their wedding:
Photos by Bellasposa Photography
- Christie
The Man Registry – Tuxedo Rental Tips
He popped the question, you said yes and he wants to help you plan the wedding, now what? Send him on over to The Man Registry. Written from a man’s perspective, co-founder Chris Easter will answer all the burning questions from the engagement to the wedding and planning your honeymoon.
Have him start with this great article about renting a tuxedo. You may want to point out the TMR tip at the bottom: How to score points with his future father-in-law.
Wedding Tuxedo Rental Tips, courtesy of The Man Registry.com
L: Armani Collezioni, Neiman Marcus. R: Burberry, Bloomingdales
While things can go wrong on the wedding day, it’s important to understand what you can control and what you can’t. One of the things you can control is ensuring that the groom and wedding party’s tuxedos are ordered and ready in time for the big day. Here are some common questions regarding tux rental. Reading them should ensure you’re fully prepared.
When should the groom start looking for a tux or a suit?
Once the bridesmaid’s dresses have been selected, you should start the process of choosing your attire. Up to this point, the colors haven’t yet been chosen, so you’ll need to wait to choose the colors of your vest and tie. As much as you might think the tux colors will drive the whole color scheme for the wedding, that’s most often far from true. This step should usually happen no later than four to six months before the wedding.
Where can I rent a tux or suit?
The best option for locating a tux or suit rental store is to ask your friends and family for recommendation, try an online search, or consult your local phone book. It’s important to be comfortable with the company and their services to make sure they’re adequately equipped to accommodate your requests up to a couple of days before the wedding.
When should the groom and the wedding party get fitted?
If possible, schedule a group fitting for you and the wedding party. No one likes walking into a tux shop to waste 30 minutes of their day. A group fitting allows all of the guys to get to together and of course, to also make fun of the groom. A second fitting can be scheduled, if necessary, but usually those who can’t make the first fitting can stop by any tux shop, have their measurements taken and email them into the local store. Again, this should happen about four to six months before the wedding.
How do I know if everyone in the wedding party has been measured?
A few weeks before the tux shop’s fitting deadline, remind the wedding party that they need to be measured and give them a “fake” deadline that’s a few days before the real deadline to help ensure that any habitually late people will still make the actual deadline. Then, call the tux shop to make sure that they have received everyone’s measurements a few days before the deadline. The shop’s deadline is usually two months before the scheduled pickup; otherwise the shop can’t guarantee that the tuxedos will be available for the wedding date.
When should the groom verify that the tux shop has everything they need?
One month before the wedding, call the Tux shop to verify pickup date, time, and that they have everyone’s deposits.
When should the groom pick up the tux before the wedding?
About two days before the wedding, you and the wedding party will need to pick up your tuxedos (the store will provide you with a pickup date). Remember: It’s very important to try it on to ensure that you’ll have ample time for any necessary alterations or to correct size mix-ups. Check for all of the appropriate pieces and accessories that should be included with your tux, such as a bowtie or regular tie, a cummerbund or vest, cufflinks and shoes. Although it might be funny for your groomsmen, you don’t want to end up looking like the fat guy in a little coat.
TMR Recommendation: Most tuxedo rental shops will give you one free rental for signing your wedding party up. It is common etiquette to give the free rental to your future father-in-law. After all, he has footed the bill for your wedding. Giving him a free tux rental is the least you can do to thank him.
- Jill
The Harry Winston Huntington Connection
“People Will Stare. Make it Worth Their While,” quote from Harry Winston.
Harry Winston’s jewelry empire began with his acquisition of Arabella Huntington’s famous jewelry collection. The wife of railroad magnate Henry Huntington, Arabella amassed one of the world’s most prestigious collections of jewelry, largely from Parisian jewelers such as Cartier.
Arabella Huntington was the second wife of Collis P. Huntington. After his death, she married his nephew Henry E. Huntington, who was also a railway magnate, the founder of the famous Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens in San Marino and one time owner of our very own Huntington Hotel! She brought her own fortune to her second marriage which included a famous jewelry collection.
When Harry Winston purchased the collection after her death, the designs of the collection were quite old fashioned. Harry Winston redesigned the jewelry into more contemporary styles and showcased his unique skill at jewelry crafting. According to the Huntington museum: “He frequently boasted that Arabella’s famous necklace of pearls now adorned the necks of at least two dozen women around the world.”
The Jewellery Editor’s founder, Maria Doulton, reports on Harry Winston’s “Belle” collection of diamond bridal jewels:
Harry Winston’s new Belle collection of diamond bridal jewels links back to the history of this house that is associated with all things American and the heady days of New York’s rise to international power.
Embodying the diamond-driven philosophy of those days and the spirit of Arabella Huntington, the Belle bridal collection whisks us back to heady days of the roaring twenties with bold geometric bezels hand-set with diamond micropave, all surrounding dazzling centre stones, which are D-E-F in colour, and VS2 or higher in clarity. The quality of the stones is as one would expect of Harry Winston: top, top, top.
Huntington trivia question: Where was Arabella Huntington’s East Coast residence?
Answer: Her East Coast home was what is now Tiffany’s, Fifth Avenue.
- Jill
   |
Recent Posts
Archives
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
© Langham Huntington Weddings. All rights reserved. 