Monday, July 12, 2010

Wedding News!

This past weekend was big for celebrity weddings. Carmelo Anthony of the Denver Nuggets (and formerly of Syracuse University - Go Orange!) married La La Vasquez at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York in front of 300 guests including LeBron James, Kim Kardashian, Brittny Gastineau, Ciara, Justin Timberlake and Serena Williams. La La wore a Vera Wang gown.

*photo from nydailynews.com

Emily Blunt and John Krasinski tied the knot at the Villa D'este in Como, Italy in a custom cream chiffon sweetheart draped Marchesa gown with embroidered detail. No pictures have been released at the time.

Carrie Underwood and Mike Fisher said their vows under a tent in front of 250 guests at the Reynolds Plantation resort in Greensboro, Georgia. Carrie wore a Chantilly lace dress by Monique Lhuillier, who also designed the bridesmaids' dresses. No photos have been released yet.

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

August Bride Calligraphy

A friend of a friend is getting married at the end of August. Many weeks ago, she asked if I would do the calligraphy for her invitations. Having not used the skill I learned for my own wedding in over a year, I jumped at the chance to dig out my ink. The poor thing had a hold-up with her invitations and they were coming in later and later. Just two months before her wedding, I got her box of envelopes and buckled down to get to work. Over one weekend, I finished nearly 175 envelopes for her to pick up while she is visiting the area. Having sent my invitations out twelve weeks before my wedding, I really want her to get these in the mail ASAP! Good luck, Melissa! Enjoy!

After I finish an envelope, I set it out to dry. This is what part of my living room looked like during the process.


Here are a few examples of envelopes:


Sunday, June 6, 2010

Khloe Kardashian Odom -- Celebrity Bling

Can we please take a moment to enjoy Khloe's rings?


*photo from khloekardashian.celebuzz.com

She was sharing her gold nails in support of her hubby (Lamar Odom) playing in the NBA finals with the LA Lakers. But, I'm too distracted by the diamond to focus on the nail polish!!

Friday, May 7, 2010

Celebrity Weddings

Unlimited budgets, amazing vendors, amazing guest lists, outrageous events -- of course, I am talking about celebrity weddings. Even though we've all see these photos in UsWeekly, InTouch, People and on E!, I love looking back at this fabulous weddings. Here are a few photos of notable weddings!


Catherine Zeta Jones & Michael Douglas


Ellen Degeneres & Portia De Rossi


Fergie & Josh Duhamel


Gwen Stefani & Gavin Rossdale


Ivanka Trump & Jared Kushner


Katherine McPhee & Nick Cokas


Rebecca Romijn & Jerry O'Connell


Katie Holmes & Tom Cruise

Friday, April 23, 2010

Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend

Well, my husband is mine. But my engagement ring may be a close second.

Following my post from a few days ago, remember that you don't have to be a celebrity to wear gorgeous gems when you get engaged...

Thanks to Facebook, brides-to-be are sharing every step of their wedding with their friends -- from engagement through honeymoon.

Here are some photos of my friends' rings that surely make these ladies feel like stars.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Celebrity Bling

Because we all drool over the rocks that the stars are wearing... I love looking at celebrity engagement rings. This will be one of my new favorite post topics!


Ashlee Simpson Wentz


Beyonce Knowles


Eva Longoria Parker


Gisele Bundchen


Hilary Duff


Katherine Heigl


Katherine McPhee


Mariah Carey

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Dress of the Day

Today's dress comes from Claire Pettibone's bridal collection. The style, called Larissa, is a strapless ivory French cotton voile empire gown with tulle overlay with a large peach silk rose and ribbon.


I love how flowy the dress is. I'm also totally into oversized accents, so I also adore the large flower on the back of the gown. It calls for a sleek up-do for the bride's hair, so everyone can see the floral detail. The peach shade of the flower is just right amount of delicate color.

*Images from www.ClairePettibone.com

Friday, April 16, 2010

My White Wedding

My favorite wedding, of course, is my own. :)
I created an inspiration board for a white wedding with photos from my perfect day.



Here is what is in the photos:
My dress - Aurora by Amsale (from the Blue Label collection)
Calla Lily arrangements
My bouquet of white roses, mini calla lilies and stephanotis
Our cake! Accented with the same flowers from my bouquet
The best wedding shoes ever! Grant by Jimmy Choo
My veil by Bride's Head Revisited
My seating cards -- calligraphy by ME!
Hydrangea centerpieces with crystal strands wrapped around the vase
Ceremony programs
Our first dance! :)
My bridesmaids - dresses by Amsale
My custom-made letterpress invitations!

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Essie Wedding Collection

Essie - one of my most beloved nail color brands - just launched their Wedding Collection. Six creamy colors offer the right amount of color for your nails on your most special day!

Colors include: BBF Best Boyfriend (a classic creamy mauve), Main Squeeze (a shimmering lilac cream), Petal Pink (a sweet and subtle creamy pink), Pillow Talk (a sheer and sultry nude), Show Me The Ring (an iridescent pearl) and Walk Down The Aisle (a fresh and creamy white). Each color is $8.

You can also purchase a Mini 4 piece collection which includes Petal Pink, Walk Down The Aisle, Show Me The Ring and Main Squeeze. $17 for the set.

Purchase these colors at the online Essie Boutique.


*Image from Essie.com

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Dress of the Day

Today's Dress of the Day is from the Monique Lhuillier Spring 2010 Collection.

*Image from MoniqueLhuillier.com

The style is called Bernadette. It is an ivory re-embroidered lace jewel neckline sheath gown with modified trumpet skirt.

I adore this dress. It looks perfect for a warm spring day. Even though I took the strapless route for my own gown, I love wedding gowns with straps. The straps are delicate and not overpowering.

Monday, April 5, 2010

2010 New York Weddings Event

NYC Brides! The 2010 New York Weddings Event is being held THIS Wednesday, April 7 from 5-8 pm.


"As you sip cocktails and stroll through the elegant Metropolitan Pavilion, you’ll encounter all the people and resources you need to plan your special celebration: the city’s top jewelers, caterers, photographers, bridal fashion designers, venue liaisons, planners, tabletop brands and much more."

Get your tickets NOW!

twobirds bridesmaid

What a simple, but genius concept! One dress, endless ways to wear it. Imagine, you can wear the dress one way for the ceremony and change it for the reception, but then wear it a totally different way to the wedding you are invited to in a few weeks. Chic. The costs are totally reasonable for the dresses in the collection, ranging from $270-395. Brides - your 'maids will wear these again. I want one and I'm not even a bridesmaid right now! :)

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Dress of the Day

Today's Dress of the Day is from Oscar de la Renta's Spring 2010 bridal collection.
This is a gorgeous silk taffeta strapless sweetheart neckline gown with draped bodice and ribbon accent detail.
The drop waist is flattering and I have a fondness for silk taffeta and pick-ups, since my own wedding gown had those features. Love!

*Image from OscardelaRenta.com

Cherry Blossom Wedding

I am in the mood for spring! What says spring more than cherry blossoms? Today's inspiration comes from those beautiful little blooms that make a big statement. Late March, early spring is cherry blossom season in the US, with the celebration of the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C.

Here is today's photo inspiration for a cherry blossom wedding!

Sunday, March 28, 2010

2010 Wedding Season

Spring has sprung in 2010. Thus, wedding season has begun.

Mr. Bliss and I attended our first wedding of the season last night. Much less pressure on the guest side of the event, but I think I will forever dream of being a bride again and I soaked up every detail. The bride's obsessive attention to detail that the priest joked about during the ceremony did not go unnoticed by me. I love it all - from the roses that coordinate the bouquets to the centerpieces and the color of the bridesmaids dresses that carried over to the fabric wrapped around vases on the tables.

One unique, well-received aspect of this wedding was the favor. There was one favor, for one guest - but it was a biggie. As you sat down, there was an organza bag of Jordan almonds. If you don't know the history of Jordan almonds at Italian weddings, here is your lesson. Five almonds given at the wedding signify five wishes for the bride and groom: health, wealth, happiness, fertility, and longevity. However, also in this little organza bag was a raffle ticket. At the end of the wedding, the couple gifted a lucky guest with the winning ticket a 42" HD television. A clever idea and it definitely had the guests talking!

Looking forward to more vows and very special days! Can't wait to share wedding trends for 2010!

Sunday, February 14, 2010

The Wedding.

Happy Valentine's Day!!

It has been FIVE months since the last time I sat down at this computer. I somehow found the time to blog only days before my wedding (I didn't sleep much at that point) and since the wedding, I have taken the time to just be married.

Mr. Bliss and I married on the most beautiful day ever in September. I woke up early and the sun was shining. I headed to the gym - not that I got into it during the wedding planning, but I am OBSESSED with fitness. It was absolutely crucial I made it to the gym on my wedding day. Despite the reaction from my spin instructor and my fellow spinners that morning, I needed it to clear my head. I even took a run with my dog post-workout so I could enjoy the fresh air before the excitement of getting ready set it in. If you can, I highly recommend an evening wedding so you have the morning to decompress. It can be hard to find the joy in arriving at a hair salon before the sun rises (trust me, I've done it).

I head over to the salon with my 'maids, my mom, my flower girl/niece and my aunt for an afternoon of pampering.
Here's a peek at my hair being done:


Once we made it back to my parents' house to get ready - it felt like time was flying. The flowers were delivered (that is my bouquet as my profile photo), my photographer arrived and it was time to put on THE DRESS! I wore a gorgeous gown by Amsale. The style was called Aurora and it was a princess-like as the name. Don't be thrown off by the photo on the website - my gown was white and floor-length - and FABULOUS.
Without further ado... here it is!


After getting dressed, we were off to the church. The limo ride to the church was only about five minutes long, but that was plenty long enough for the nerves to kick in. It was pure excitement. This was the culmination of fifteen months of planning and planning and planning and planning.

Our ceremony was beautiful and heartfelt. Despite trying to get all my tears out at the rehearsal (the stress of the week and the emotions of the moment really took over), I still managed to cry during my vows. I don't think you really understand the power of those words until you say them to someone with whom every promise is true. With a kiss, we were married!

We did our photos at our reception venue, outside by the river as the sun set behind us. Stunning. Absolutely stunning.


Then it was time to celebrate. The reception was a blast. We had a surprise (a good one!!), arranged by my parents, which literally shocked us, and everyone else in attendance. Without giving too many details about it, or us, it brought some color to my simple palette of black and white. Everything was amazing - the food, the drinks, the cake, the music, the impeccable service at the venue. Here's a peek at the cake!


Post-reception, they even arranged a beautiful spread in our suite of all the food we barely got to touch since we were making time for all of our guests. I shouldn't forget to mention the rose petal-sprinkled, candlelit jacuzzi they set up for us when we came up to our room.

It was the perfect day. I couldn't have dreamed it better.