Gorgeous Gowns for Brides with Bumps

At AnyWay Weddings, we specialize in working with brides (and grooms!) who are in a time crunch. There are many reasons why a couple might not have all the time in the world to plan their nuptials, but I suspect that chief among them is having a bun in the oven.

It used to be that pregnant brides didn't have much of a choice when picking a wedding gown. Fortunately, as more brides decide to commence baby-makin' before walking down the aisle, wedding dress designers are starting to catch on and create gorgeous options for the glowing bumping bride.

In researching various maternity wedding dress options, I stumbled upon this lovely website: Jessica Iverson Maternity - a woman who not only designs gorgeous dresses but was also smart enough to buy the domain name "maternitybride.com" (I say, with my business hat on)! Jessica (is it me or does she have a striking resemblance to Naomi Watts?) was a pregnant bride herself, and clearly her experience shaped her vision for her gorgeous, affordable and eco-minded collection.

Here are my top three favorites from Jessica's stunning maternity collection:

1. The Astrea - I love the sheer straps here. Check out the beaded detail! It's difficult to see in these sun-drenched photos but the entire gown is beaded. Lovely.

The Astrea (this and all images via Maternity Bride by Jessica Iverson Couture)

The Astrea

2. The Felicia - The unexpected one-shoulder sheer strap makes this classic draped chiffon silhouette quite chic! I love how the trail of pearl-beading creates what Jessica calls a "floating bodice" effect (check out the detail shot). So unique!

The Felicia

The Felicia

3. The Julia - Fit for a princess! Who says that just because you're pregnant you can't feel like a princess on your wedding day? The details on this gown are exceptional. Check out the floral pickups, pleated organza hem, and the lace-up corset back.

The Julia

The Julia

Perhaps the best thing about gorgeous wedding dresses like these is that they are helping break down the stigma that has been attached to pregnant brides. Considering that brides with bumps are comprise a mayjah part of AnyWay Weddings' clientele, we are so excited to be seeing designers like Jessica rise in prominence.

Which gown is your favorite? 

Are you pregnant and planning a wedding? Contact us today!

Cheers,

The Decision to Go Sponsor-less: Are We Nuts?

Those of you are particularly astute blog-stalkers (I know you're out there... right?) will have noticed a little note I left in the right column last Friday. It reads:

As much as we could use the cash, we have decided that this blog will not seek sponsorship support. Any products or vendors that are mentioned on this blog are here because AWW ♥'s 'em. Are you nuts, you ask? Nope, we just like spotlighting things we love with no strings attached. Cheers!

Let us ponder the question contained therein (sans royal "we") for a moment. Am. I. NUTS?!

Back in the bygone days of my bridal blogging, a whole 23 months ago, there were a handful of beautiful wedding blogs out there. I mean, this was the era when Brooklyn Bride was still on Blogger. I feel so old!

Ahem. AnyWay, so there used to be a mere gaggle of wedding bloggers, and now - well, even the New York Times has recognized the wedding blog explosion! Wedding blogs have not only become an influential part of the multi-billion dollar wedding industry, they have become an industry all unto their own.

When I re-entered the wonderful world of wedding weblogs, I couldn't believe how professional everyone looked! The spun-sugary layouts. The jaw-dropping graphic design. The awe-inspiring photos. The oodles of sponsors. Holy moley, the $pon$or$! Ka. Ching.

Surely I am insane for not getting in on this action. After all, AWW is a budding business and, at least until time-crunched brides come knocking down our apartment office doors, I could use all the moolah I can get!

Here's the thing, the difference: I am not building my business around my blog. Kudos to those who are (check 'em out on my blogroll), because y'all are doing a fabulous job and I am inspired every day by the gorgeous presentation and fun content of your posts.

I am building a bridal advisory company, and the purpose of this blog is to compliment that. This blog is a marketing tool - another way to reach the masses, increase my web presence, and connect me with my future clients. Most importantly, this blog is a way for me to show my personality, share personal and professional tips, and post about things I like. I am making so many fun discoveries along my entrepreneurial journey, and I want to be able to share them genuinely, with no strings attached.

So whether I'm posting about Hanky Pankies or Google Kool-Aid, you can trust that I'm just being me. Even if it puts me in the poor house.

Would love to hear your thoughts - am I insane? Or does this actually make sense? Leave a comment!

Cheers,

Business Tip: Gulp the Google Kool-Aid

Starting a business on one of these? Join the club!

There have been some big changes at AWW lately, and it's been awhile since I've written about the business side of things, so here I am.

A week ago, I launched the new AnyWay Weddings website - including designing my own logo! Hotness! - and created an AWW Facebook page. I also updated my LinkedIn profile to reflect my new entrepreneurial venture and created a business page for AWW there too. Three VERY big and critical steps in cementing my budding business and making things official. 

The new AWW logos, designed by yours truly. What do you think?

 

Ah yes, I love being my own web developer, social media manager, graphic designer, marketeer, and CEO. (Actually, I kind of do love it. Because I am learning so much! Is that crazy?)

One lesson learned: putting one's business on Facebook is actually rather intimidating. I totally underestimated how official it would feel. After all, you can launch a website under the radar - but going on Facebook means putting yourself out there for all your friends to see and critique. Eek!

While I'm sure my new career is not a surprise to anyone - after all, my MBA classmates always teased me for browsing bridal bouquets during our three-hour international business lectures - it is rather nerve-wracking to have publicly declared myself a bride adviser. I received universally positive feedback on my business idea, my website, everything. Yet self-doubt still lingers: what if I never get another client? I want to be one of my MBA program's entrepreneurial success stories. More importantly, I want to be successful for myself, because I know I am great at this. But what if I never reach the tipping point?

Hold your horses! Take your own advice: stay present, stay positive. (And stop blog-talking to yourself. It's a little embarrassing.) Right-o.

AnyWay, while creating a Facebook page and LinkedIn business page were straightforward tasks that should be on every entrepreneur's to do list, revamping my website was not. Second lesson learned.

I liked my original AWW site. It had a cute pink floral design and offered all the features I needed. Only problem: I was using a free trial of a web-hosting service that would otherwise cost $19.95 per month. I am determined to do as much as I can for free and so was not going to pay to host my website. Not when there are so many different free services out there. But whom to choose?

Lucky for me, I have a brilliant friend who works at Google in London, who invited me to lunch a couple weeks ago. We had a great conversation about my budding biz, and my friend convinced me to gulp the Google Kool-Aid and take advantage of all the free services they offer to small businesses. He then went above and beyond and sent me an email that was approximately twelve pages long (or at least it felt that way) detailing every step to set up everything - email, website, advertising, you name it - through Google.

I won't bore you with every step (though please do contact me if you have questions!), but I will say this: moving each of the various parts of my business into Google's entrepreneurial zone was intricate and tricky. It was also an emotional rollercoaster. I was so afraid of making one wrong click that would have screwed everything up. And at first I was disappointed in the website templates, which actually turned out to be more flexible than I initially thought. In the end, it all worked out. I learned a ton about the way websites work - lessons that will surely be valuable to me in the future. And I am really happy with the new AWW. I think it looks about as good as any free website could. Check it out and see for yourself!

So I've gulped the Google-Aid and am all hooked up with a website, AWW email address, analytics, and advertising. Now I just have to connect with my target clientele: time-crunched brides.

I know you ladies are out there and I know you need my help. So get ready, AWW is coming soon to an Internet search near you!

Cheers and happy weekend,

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,