Dressing Your Best Body Part

I recently read a magazine article that said you should dress your best body part when choosing a wedding gown and the rest will truly fall into place.  I really had to think about that for a second.  Granted, I have no idea what dress I will wear on my wedding day, but I do know what I like and what struggles I have when shopping for clothes today. 

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My waist is my biggest struggle and one of my best features.  It’s tiny!!  You may be thinking I’m lucky, and most days I think am.  The issue, you ask?  I have to wear a belt with just about everything!   My waist is tiny and my hips and butt, might I say, not so much.  With that being said, according to the article in Get Married Magazine, I would more than likely dress my waist if I were choosing a dress today. 

Here are some dresses with amazing belts that I would definitely consider:

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You know your body better and what looks good on you.  Although you may take a few people with you when it's time to select a dress, make sure you select something that suits those body parts that you absolutely love to flaunt.  Choose something that you'll love and something that makes you smile.

Win FREE Wedding Photography!

Pictures, THE most tangible thing you have left after your wedding day.  Next to the venue and food, it is also said to be one of the most expensive items you have to purchase for your wedding.  Now, you have the chance to win a FREE photography package from Jessica Velarde Photography!

Are you planning a creative and unique wedding and haven’t skimped on any of the details?

Has your imagination gone wild with the theme of your wedding and you can’t wait to capture it on film?

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 If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions, then this contest is for you!  Here are the details and what you need to do:

The winner of the contest will receive: a wedding photography package worth $2300!!! This includes a full day of coverage by two (AMAZING) photographers!! (So not a moment of your day will be missed!!) You will also receive 200 high resolution digital files on DVD. *Travel and lodging are not included, so please keep in mind there will be a reasonable fee if the winner resides outside Monterey County, CA.*

How it works:

The contest is open for entries (August 1st, 2011) and will remain open until September 1st, 2011. Five finalists will be selected based on the creativity and uniqueness of their wedding plans. Then the contest will head over to the Soundtrack To I Do Facebook page, where anyone and everyone can vote on a winner! Voting will continue until September 15th, and the winner will be announced here on the blog on September 16th.

How to enter:

1. “Like” Soundtrack To I Do on Facebook

2. “Like” Jessica Velarde Photography on Facebook

3. Email Colleen at soundtracktoido@gmail.com with “Photography Contest” in the subject line, and give us the following information:

•          Your name (and your fiance’s name)
•          Your wedding date and location
•          What makes your wedding unique (Include as much detail as possible!)
•          A photo of you and your fiance

 So, take the opportunity on winning some amazing photography so you'll have amazing pictures to treasure long after the wedding day has passed.

A Newspaper Themed Wedding?

Today’s post is a tribute to my teenage daughter who’s so into fashion, and these days so into newspaper! Clipping coupons and saving money every chance she can.

Many women have talked about our wedding day since we were little girls and my daughter is no different, especially since she sees her mother working in the wedding industry day in and day out.  She talks about getting married in the most non-traditional venues, wearing the most non-traditional dresses.

This is what’s on her mind today…

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Her idea of the Bridesmaids Dress and Clutch

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Her ideas for Wedding Programs and Ring Bearer Pillow

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Of course, styles change, trends change, and people change.  As a wedding planner, it's nice to see how things keep changing with time and also how things keep reinventing themselves.  My daughter tells me that I'll be there every step of the way to support her, whether or not I like her parking lot ceremony or newspaper dress.  As far as her non-traditional is concerned, supporting her every step of the way???  That much I do know!

StationAry or StationEry

Normally, I would be writing a Theme Tuesday post today but after reading some of my favorite wedding magazines and stationery blogs over the weekend, I decided to provide a little advice and write a Tuesday Tips post instead.

I have a few pet peeves, but when it comes to writing, grammar, and spelling, this is one of them. Knowing when to use the letter “A” when spelling the word stationAry, which refers to remaining still or not moving.   Or, using the letter "E" when spelling stationEry, which refers to writing paper, or writing materials.

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In the wedding world, we often see the word stationary, referring to the word stationery.  They are not interchangeable.  In our industry, we use it more with wedding invitations and programs instead of writing tablets and pens but as professionals, we are hired to be masters of our craft and simple mistakes are frowned upon.  Our customers read what we put out there, contrary to what we may think!   

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A statement was made recently that our customers only look at our pictures.  In part, that's true.  However, they do read and they are very capable of it too!  As an example, someone recently emailed me to place an order for gift baskets.  In the post script of her email she informed me that she had seen a few misspellings on my website.  I thanked her and immediately went through every page, as she had done, and corrected my errors.   I'm grateful for her attentiveness and forgiveness as I thought I had caught them all before my website was published.  Now I wonder if I missed any opportunities because of those errors.  

Just because our brides tend to spend more time hanging out in our photo galleries, doesn't mean they don't read the other pages too.  Besides, that's why we put them up there!  If you're in the stationery business, know the difference between stationary and stationery, as most of them do because I'm still reading magazines, blogs, and emails where some of you don't.  That's my tip for today....

Men & Their Hats

Some men just can’t go without wearing a hat, just like a woman can’t go without carrying a handbag!  On his wedding day, to him it could be just another day to wear a hat, albeit a nicer one or a fancier one.  In fact, my brother was one of these men and drove my mother crazy looking for the perfect ivory colored top hat!  It becomes their character, their style, and part of who they are.

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Sometimes wearing a hat fits the theme of the wedding and of course the photos turn out so nicely!  In today’s fashion, just like with women, there are so many options to choose from Fedoras to Drivercaps, to Newsboys to Cowboy hats, or even the Top Hat my brother insisted on.  

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The important thing is to stay true to yourself and do what makes you feel comfortable.  It’s your wedding day too!