NYC Wedding Vendors! Get Your Schmooze On...

NYC Wedding Connection is only two weeks away! If you are a wedding vendor in New York City, please join us for a casual lunch and chance to network with wedding professionals who share your passion for "everything weddings."

Thursday, October 14, 2010, 12:00pm at The Long Room, 120 W. 44th St. (between 6th Ave and Broadway)

Please RSVP to yours truly (jen{at}anywayweddings.com) if you would like to attend. There is *no cost* to attend ~ but please pay for your own lunch if you'd like to order off The Long Room's yummy menu.

NYC Wedding Connection is the brainchild of Mary Hines of Chandelier Productions. Mary is a fabulous wedding and event planner, designer, and consultant (yes, she does it all!) who recently relocated to New York City from Southwest Florida. Mary has been coordinating weddings for 12 years. In addition, she started Wedding Connection in Southwest Florida to give local vendors a chance to meet each other in a casual, fun way - no forced networking here, people! Some of her Wedding Connection events drew over 50 attendees!  

NYC Wedding Connection is sure to grow into something great - and we hope you will be a part of our inaugural event. A fantastic, diverse group of vendors has already RSVPed. Don't miss your chance to join us!

NYC Wedding Connection:

Connecting people into personal and working relationships to strengthen the wedding industry in New York City.

Organized by:

Jennifer Butler, AnyWay Weddings (646) 217-9814 ~ jen{at}anywayweddings.com

Mary Hines, Chandelier Productions (239) 293-3996 ~ mary{at}chandelierproductions.net

 

Top 5 Paper Anniversary Gift Ideas

As y'all know, the hubby and I chose to have a spa weekend instead of going the traditional route for our first - or "paper" - wedding anniversary. But then I received an amazing first anniversary paper gift from my friend Alex in the mail - a gift that knocked my socks off and had me reaching for the Kleenex box. While the hubby and I have not chosen the traditional route for our wedding anniversaries, I think it can be a fun and creative way to go. In fact, I had a paper gift all planned before we decided to head to the spa instead!

For those nearlyweds and newlyweds who want to brave the traditional route, here are my top five favorite paper anniversary gift ideas:

1. Paper Anniversary Toilet Paper!

From the cheeky (so to speak) folks at JustPaperRoses.com

OK obv I am kidding and if my husband had bought this for me he would have spent our anniversary crafting a bed out of it. But I just had to post this because I think it is hilarious.

2. Have a calligrapher write out your fave section of your wedding ceremony and frame it.

Just be sure to keep Kleenex on a table nearby.

So this is what I had planned to do for my hubby. We received the gorgeous calligraphy above as a gift from the friend who married us and I cannot wait to frame it. Lovely!

3. Frame your wedding invitation next to your favorite wedding photo. Or frame one of your wedding ceremony readings next to a ceremony photo. Can't go wrong either way!

4. Make a wedding scrapbook. Though, let's face it, women are generally more appreciative of scrapbooks than men. And I feel that I can say this because I married a man who will watch "Glee" and "Dancing with the Stars" with me, and yet is SO not into scrapbooks and photo albums.

5. Slap your monogram on a variety of paper goods. Sky's the limit here. Stationery, notepads, sticky notes, cocktail napkins... just not toilet paper.

Leave a comment with your favorite anniversary gift ideas - I'd love to hear 'em!

Cheers,

Anniversaries: Traditional vs. Well, Not

Apparently I am on an anniversary kick here at the AWW blog. I promise to get back to weddings... but my last two posts have spawned questions and ideas that I just can't help exploring!

The most central question regarding wedding anniversary celebrations is this: go traditional or, well, not?

Traditionally, each wedding anniversary is celebrated by exchanging gifts made of the following materials:

Oh wait. That's my anniversary gift list.

Ahem. The traditional gifts are as follows:

(These gifts vary by country but the above are generally accepted as the norm in the US. Plus, Wikipedia is never wrong. Obv.)

Let's hear it, married ladies! Do you partake in giving traditional gifts? Or do you do your own thing?

And for you fabulous brides: it's never to early to start pondering how you and your hubby-to-be will celebrate your anniversary-to-be. Does tradition appeal to you?

I like the idea of following tradition. Materials like wood and tin force one to be creative, while the occasion itself merits thoughtfulness. There is definitely potential for very cool and unique gift-giving to happen here.

The flip-side to following tradition, however, is the pressure that comes along with having to be creative and thoughtful and cool and unique. At the same time. Ten years from now, I hope to have a house full of little Butlers. Am I really going to have the time and mental capacity to think up a tin tchotchke for our tenth? A tin tchotchke that the hubby would actually like and appreciate? I'd like to think so... but I just don't know that a tin tenth is going to hold a lot of appeal.

This year, as I've mentioned, the hubby and I decided to go on a little spa adventure for our first anniversary. We chose to spend the money we would have spent on gifts on an experience. A fun and romantic and adventurous weekend together. As much as I did love my paper gift, I think we're going to stick with this untraditional approach. At least until our 60th anniversary, when I will FINALLY get my diamond.

Here is the important thing: wedding anniversaries are an opportunity to create tradition together. Whether you follow the traditional gift list creatively and thoughtfully every year, or do an annual couples bungee jump, you are creating your tradition in celebration of your marriage.

No matter what you decide, be sure to enjoy the ride.

Cheers,

Best First Wedding Anni Gift Ever. Seriously.

As I discussed in my Friday blog post, the hubby and I recently celebrated our first wedding anniversary. Now, as momentous an occasion as this was for us, I really didn't expect anyone but our parents to remember and celebrate the date. I never remember any of my friends' wedding anniversaries - except a very dear friend of mine who got married on the 4th of July (a date that is, you know, fairly memorable).

So it was a HUGE surprise that brought a smile to my face and tears to my eyes when I received a Royal Mail packet from London today, and inside was this:

(I won't go into detail about why I am lifting my right leg at the entrance of Judge Business School at the University of Cambridge, where I received my MBA - and where you'll see me on the homepage if you click the link, by the way - that's a story for another blog.)

The humble piece of posterboard pictured above is actually one of the table cards from our wedding! The hubby and I decided to name tables for places that are special to us, and include a photo of one or both of us in each place. My very thoughtful friend Alex swiped the table card from the wedding so that she could send it to us to mark our first - or "paper" - anniversary.

In the card accompanying the gift, Alex explains that she has started a "little tradition" of sending "a surprise item from the wedding on the first anniversary" to her newlywed girlfriends. Needless to say, as both a bride adviser and a gift recipient, I think this is a FABULOUS idea!

Opening a package to find an item from one's wedding is akin to eating the top tier of the wedding cake - you are instantly brought back to the best day of your life. And that is a wonderful, wonderful feeling.

A table card in situ (Photo by Snap!)

What's more, our photographers took detail shots of a mere handful of table cards (lesson learned: if you're going to obsess about not having it for the next year of your life, put it on your shot list!), and I somehow got just three of them back. I have no idea what happened to the others, and a year later it still makes me a wee bit sad to have no record of them. But now I can add one more to the scrapbook, courtesy of a very thoughtful and inspiring friend.

A friend who I'm sure wouldn't mind if we all mooched off of her fantastic idea. Right, Alex?

Cheers,

 

Reflections on One Year of Marriage

Last Friday, I turned off my iPhone and disabled the wireless on my iPad for two whole days as the hubby and I retreated - with the top tier of our wedding cake defrosting en route! - to a fabulous spa in the Poconos to celebrate our first wedding anniversary.

Don't you wish you were here... (we wish we still were too!)

We considered the weekend to be the honeymoon we never had, as our trip to Australia last December - or "National Lampoon's Honeymoon" as we like to call it - was plagued by swarming flies, ticket-happy highway patrolmen, and remarkably dense fog. Not all at once, but still.

Our spa escape, however, was dreamy. Restful, relaxing, rejuvenating. We kayaked, swam, attempted Tai Chi and Chi Gong. I detoxed in the eucalyptus-scented sauna. We read books and the Sunday New York Times. We ate healthy, organic food and drank fabulous wine.

Never got a shot like this at my wedding so I fudged it one year later!

But if I'm honest, celebrating our first year of marriage was bittersweet for me. Because I will never get to be a bride again. I'll never get to wear another wedding dress, choose another wedding color palette (not that I would ever stray from orange!), design invitations and favors. Being a bride was the most fun I have ever had in my life. And all the thought and effort my hubby and I put into our day paid off. Our wedding was beautiful, personal, full of love, and lots of fun. It was our day, and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

And now, it's over. Way over. Over a year over! As tough as that was for me to accept, reminiscing about our wedding day over a bottle of Australian Riesling last weekend made me realize that things are just as they should be: I am ridiculously happily married to the man of my dreams. And I am embarking upon a thrilling new career - a career where I can help other brides achieve a wedding day on which they'll look back as fondly as I do on mine.

I think a part of me will always long to go back to my wedding day - even if just for a moment. A magical moment back in my dress and strappy sandals, fingers wrapped around my bouquet. Feeling the warmth of the Rhode Island September sunshine on my cheeks and shoulders, surrounded by all the people I love most, staring into the beaming face of my soul mate, who became my husband.

A wedding is as once-in-a-lifetime as life gets (or so we hope). I'll never be a bride again, but I hope I will never lose the sense of magic I felt on my wedding day.

Oh, and the cake? Miracle of miracles, once it defrosted it tasted - we swear - just as good as it did at our wedding!

We can't believe we ate the whole thing... one year later.
Photo on the right by Snap!

Hallelujah, glory be to red velvet!

Cheers to Year Two,

NYFW Fashionspiration #3: Orange!

You know there was no way I was going to let New York Fashion Week pass by without recognizing (read: making my own personal wish list of) all the gorgeous cameo appearances made by my favorite hue!

Feast your eyes upon these glorious glad rags...

The sleek Asian-influenced fit! The sexy cleave cutout! The glitz! This dress is a bedazzled dreamsicle:

Carolina Herrera Spring 2011 (This and all images via NYMag.com)

I could lose the hat but would do many a desperate act to get my hands on this gown and its jaw-dropping broach detail:

Carolina Herrera Spring 2011

I love the lines in this dress. It's not too in-your-face drapey, just simple and sexy:

Halston Spring 2011

Ok I am not huge on the ginormous necklace but I am LOVING this little strapless Lela Rose number. It would make a cute bridesmaid dress, no?

Lela Rose Spring 2011

Even Oscar is into orange for spring! I feel like this dress validates my obsession with orange. Is that wrong?

Oscar de la Renta Spring 2011

And finally, two cutie patooties from Brit Jasper Conran:

Jasper Conran Spring 2011

I will take one of each please, plus the Jasper Conran bag and hat. Thank you.

Cheers,

NYFW Fashionspiration #2: Best Bridal Reception Dresses

For brides with the budget and drive to party long into the night, a reception dress makes a lot of sense. If you are one of these fabulous brides, you need look no further than New York Fashion Week for some reception dress Fashionspiration!

Behold, my favorites...

For the sophisticated bride:

Carmen Marc Valvo Spring 2011 (this and all images via NYMag.com)

Hello Pretty! Can you just picture this dress with some glittery heels? A to the Dore.

For the, frankly, hot bride:

Christian Siriano Spring 2011

Now this is a party dress! But the sheer, ruched draping keeps it from being over-the-top glitzy. I love everything about this dress and I think we should all own it.

For the classic bride:

Monique Lhuillier Spring 2011

Granted, this dress does not exactly scream "PARTY!" But I find it sweet, simple, lovely, and easy to wear. The perfect antidote to a big ol' wedding gown.

For the truly fashion-forward bride:

Marchesa Spring 2011

This Marchesa concoction may be high maintenance, but it is also high, high, HIGH fashion. The train? I heart. And I'm hoping it bustles for party time. This dress, of course, would also make a jaw-dropping wedding dress. Very vintage-y and impossibly chic.

And finally, for the bride who just wants an excuse to wear another exquisite long dress besides her wedding gown:

Monique Lhuillier Spring 2011

This dress? Is perfection. And if there is anything a bride deserves on her wedding day, it's perfection, right?

Cheers,

NYFW Fashionspiration #1: Best Could-Be Wedding Gowns

New York Fashion Week is always too fabulous for words, and last week's Spring 2011 collections certainly did not disappoint. There is simply too much fabulosity to contain in one blog post, so herein I present favorite Spring '11 gowns in which it would be A to the Mazing to walk (float?) down the aisle.

Just to clarify: these gowns are from the Spring 2011 collections, not bridal collections! I always love when a bride finds the perfect white dress to use as her wedding gown. Straying from bridal collections keeps your look unique and (not so much with the gowns below but usually) saves considerate dough.

Ahem. Drum roll please...

Marchesa Spring 2011 (This and all images via NYMag.com)

I mean. Are you kidding me with this gorgeousness? Somehow the Marchesa gals' designs get better and better with each season that passes. I love the vintage luxe feel of this dress. And one shoulder is always classic and sexy!

Also reliably classic? Oscar de la Renta. I love this champagne confection:

Oscar de la Renta Spring 2011

Ooh! Ooh! But I A to the Dore this one too! Perfect for a girly bride who loves pink:

Oscar de la Renta Spring 2011

I'm not sure what fabrics make up this dress, but I love the look of the texture and the modern neckline to boot:

Prabal Gurung Spring 2011

Speaking of lovely necklines:

Tadashi Shoji Spring 2011

And I always love me a good boat neck:

Carmen Marc Valvo Spring 2011

This dress even comes with its own train! A friend of mine got married in a gorgeous Oscar de la Renta boat neck gown and since then I have been a big fan of this look for brides. The high neck is conservative, yet classic and very flattering to a variety of body types.

And finally, because I have a hunch (named Vera Wang) that wedding dresses of color will be making more and more of a splash, a beautiful gray number also from Carmen Marc Valvo:

Carmen Marc Valvo Spring 2011

Plus, the bow belt doubles as "something blue"! Now, this may not seem bridal to you... but remember Vera Wang's lavender dress from Fall 2010? Purples, greens, and grays are regularly popping up on bridal runways. Gray is our personal favorite alternate wedding gown hue. Just FYI.

Which of the above dresses is your favorite?

More to come tomorrow!

Cheers,

Bridal Tip: Remember, it's all about the...

Cheers,

Friday Fashionspiration #3: Be to the Yond

I mean. No words:

Christian Siriano Spring 2011 via NYMag.com

More Fashion Week inspiration to come next week!

Cheers and happy weekend,

Bridal Tip: Sniff Out your Signature Scent

With all of the amazing wedding inspiration and resources out there these days, cookie cutter weddings are (I hope) a thing of the past. There are endless ways to personalize your big day - from ceremony readings to your menu to wedding favors to... your perfume? Heck yeah!

I always encourage my brides to embrace and enjoy pre-wedding primping (and to not stress about it!). As part of this ritual I recommend a shopping trip to procure your signature bridal scent. You don't want a generic wedding, so why settle for a generic scent? Designers like Jo Malone make it easy and really, really fun to create your very own scent to compliment your bridal style.

The key to creating your signature scent is to layer. Use a body cream in one scent, and a cologne in a different but complimentary scent. Yum!

For example, Jo Malone's delish new English Pear and Freesia - which I purchased last weekend at Duty Free (where all brides should buy as many of their primping supplies as possible, as duty free prices will save you some mayjah bank!) - is the perfect cologne layer for a fall wedding.

+

= Bridal Fabulousness!

But how do you know what to layer underneath? This decision is largely up to you, and your Jo Malone salesperson will help you find the combination that you love most. The Jo Malone website also has a whole section on fragrance combining, complete with a printable PDF guide!

I smell bridal goodness...

Cheers,

Worth the Splurge: Fave Toasting Flutes for the Fab Bride and Groom

I happen to be turning 30 in just over a month. Not that I'm panicking about it or anything. No really, no panic here, people...

What I am doing is planning on toasting the big 3-0 with my mom, who turns the big(ger) 6-0 on the very same day! Having the same birthday as my mom has always been a hoot, but this year is beyond mayjah and we will be celebrating accordingly (along with the hubby, who will certainly have his hands full with the two of us!).

To that end, I bought a pair of adorable Emma Bridgewater toasting flutes while in London last week:

Yes! They say "Fizz!" How cute, right?

I heart champagne flutes. I collect them in pairs instead of owning a full set in one style, because there are so many fun flutes from which to choose! I also think toasting flutes are a very worthwhile wedding splurge. Invest in a pair that strike your fancy, use them at your wedding, and you will love them forever (I promise).

Herewith, some of my very favorites:

Simon Pearce Stratton Flute

You can never go wrong with Simon Pearce. The hubby and I received these as a gift before our wedding and used them happily. My Vermont bride and her groom had them too! At $85 a pop, they are a worthwhile splurge. Simon Pearce glass is gorgeous, heavy, and handcrafted. Plus, they hold a LOT of bubbly. Bonus!

I am also basically obsessed with Juliska. Their glassware reminds me of Ancient Rome - and who wouldn't want to feel like a Roman princess on her wedding day? See this piece of fabulosity:

Juliska Victoria Tall Flute

Positively regal at $96 each.

Another Juliska gem that is more modern and less pricey (a relative steal at $74!):

Say hello to Graham!

I covet this flute. CO. VET. I think this is the perfect toasting flute for a wedding. Why, you ask? Is the detail on the flute not reminiscent of an engagement ring? Why yes, it is! Gorgeous, no? Yes!

And now I need a glass of wine.

Cheers!

Bridal AND Biz Tip: Keep Calm and Carry On

As I mentioned yesterday, now that I have officially outed myself to my friends and colleagues as a wedding planner specializing in advising time-crunched brides, it is time to follow some British wisdom:

I am a huge fan of the Brits and their kitsch. I own many a piece of "Keep Calm and Carry On" paraphernalia - a framed poster, tin mug, keychain, tote bag, tea towel, and stationery set. (Did I really just admit that?)

But it's not purely the kitsch factor that draws me to this stuff. "Keep Calm and Carry On" is an important message - for brides and budding business owners alike!

Brides, listen up. Weddings are as fabulous as they are complicated. Logistics can confound NASA scientists in their complexity. Gathering families together can be an outright nightmare. Keeping calm in the midst of the madness is vital - both for your sanity, and for the sake of your wedding. Your day will be infinitely more enjoyable if you can stay focused, avoid drama, and tick off your to do's.

For my fellow wedding planners and budding business owners, I think we should all have this poster framed on the walls of our offices. It is so easy to become overwhelmed by building a business that is 100% reliant on YOU. The task list is infinite. There is always more you could be doing. But instead of drowning in self-doubt under a pile of unwritten emails and untweeted tweets, we just need to get on with it. Right?

But enough business talk. More fun stuff:

One of my many pieces of paraphernalia. I heart John Lewis.

This little nugget of wisdom happens to have some interesting history: In 1939, Britain was on the brink of war. The government commissioned the red "Keep Calm and Carry On" poster as reassuring propaganda - but the poster was never officially issued! Instead, a crumpled copy was found years later in a bookshop in Northumberland. Today, the "Keep Calm and Carry On" message is as relevant as ever. In the UK, "Keep Calm" paraphernalia is ubiquitous and has spawned some pretty adorably kitschy and sometimes hilarious alternatives:

I have one of these too. Image via The Gifted Penguin.

I mean, irresistable right? Via Peter Pauper.

Hilare. I love the inverted crown. Via Amazon.

My personal favorite. Via allofmyheart.co.uk.

Someone, please hire me to plan a British Kitsch wedding. I am already brainstorming the WCP, bridesmaid gifts, welcome bags, and wedding favors...

Cheers,