It's All About Green!

Because it's St. Patricks Day, when I woke up this morning, I knew it was the perfect day to share with you my favorite color for summer weddings...Green!

Its so fresh and fun!

I love Kelly Green, but you don't have to use the same shade of green for everything. You can try mixing it up, like the picture above.

You can have many different accent colors with green...


Pink...

Brown...

and White

Green invitations...

Cakes...

Centerpieces...

Shoes!

What about Lighting?

I am absolutely loving these lanterns for your reception. They add great ambiance to any location.

There are many different lantern shapes, sizes and colors available to fit every wedding. I love them, and think they are a great addition to any wedding.

New Puppy!

So I know this doesn't have to do with weddings, but it is an "event" for me. My boyfriend is coming over to Seattle today, for the whole week, with our new puppy we bought last weekend! I am so excited to see them both!

Mike and Griffey

He's half yellow lab and half German Shepherd

Eight weeks old!

Inspiration of the Day

This photo is wonderful, and her dress is fantastic! So chic. I love everything about it.

(pic via coco+kelley)

Common Photo Questions for Your Wedding

1.) Should I hire two photographers or is one enough? I believe you should always have at least two photographers for your wedding. One photographer cannot be in all places at once, and cannot get every angle or capture every moment. Having two photographers makes sure not only you are covered, but also your wedding party and guests.

2.) When should the photo shoot be held? Its always best to do it before the ceremony. Your makeup is fresh, you haven't cried yet (hopefully), you're excited about the wedding, you aren't tired or feeling overwhelmed yet and you will have more time to party at the reception. But if you don't want your groom to see you in your dress beforehand, you can do part of the photos beforehand and part after the ceremony. Take the pictures of you getting ready, your bridal party, the bride with the groomsmen, the groom with his groomsmen and so on. Then do the rest after the ceremony with everyone together.

3.) What if the photographer misses a moment? Should I re-stage it later on in the evening? If you give the photographer a list of key moments you absolutely want them to capture, you will decrease the chances of them missing the moment because they will already know they need to get it. But, even the best photographer can miss a moment. If the moment is very important to you, you can ask all parties involved to re-create the scene. It shouldn't take too long.

4.) What can I do to look my best in the photos? I would suggest giving the photographer a few good pictures of yourself and a few bad pictures of yourself beforehand. This will let the photographer know and get the feel for what your good and bad angles are. Also, when posing, place your weight on your back leg, and slightly extend and stretch the other leg out in front. Make sure you have powder and lip gloss ready. You don't want to be shiny in the pictures. Consider some black and white photos, because they help hide skin imperfections and tend to make everyone look flawless.

5.) How can I tactfully ask what the photographer will wear? Its fine to ask them to dress appropriately for a wedding. You don't want them sticking out like a sore thumb, and neither do they! But do remember that they need to be comfortable in order to take pictures. Don't ask them to wear a tuxedo or ball gown. Usually, photographers will wear all black so they can blend into the background and not stand out.

Got Dreams?

What do your dreams have to say about your relationships, desires and passions in life? Why do we have them and what do they mean?

We had a dream analyst come into my office for a meeting late last week and I thought I should let you all know it would be perfect for a bachelorette party!

She is a certified dream analyst and can decipher any dream you ask about. Having a "Dream Party" with your girlfriends would be so much fun. She can tailor the party to your specific needs and interests.

It would be fun to focus on romantic dreams, and what they have to say not only about our

relationships, but about your desires and passions in life. Understanding your dreams can lead you to a richer and more fulfilling life, especially when it comes to relationships and things you are passionate about.

Did you know many people will have a dream after a first date that will tell them whether or not

the person is a good match for them? She can ask you questions about the dream and what happened on the date, to let you know what it might mean and if they are right for you.

Let me know what you think about this, if you want more information and if you are interested in having a "Dream Party".

Tip: Your Reception Soundtrack List

I have heard of some brides compiling a list of 300+ songs for their DJ to play during the wedding. This is absolutely unnecessary. If you have a 4 hour reception, with every song being about 4 minutes long, the max number of songs that can be played is 60. And that doesn't take into account the songs over 4 minutes or the times when no music is being played, like during the introductions, toasts, etc. There is no reason for the bride to stress about songs. Here is a list of soundtracks the bride should have and give to her DJ and/or band to play during the reception:

1.) Wedding party Intros:
Song:
Artist:
2.) First Dance:
Song:
Artist:
3.) Father-Daughter Dance:
Song:
Artist:
4.) Mother-Son Dance:
Song:
Artist:
5.) Dining Music:
Song:
Artist:
6.) Cake Cutting:
Song:
Artist:

6 Songs I Love:
1. Song & Artist:
2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Don’t Play These 6 Songs:
1. Song & Artist:

2.

3.

4.

5.
6.

Professional Wedding Photo Books

Aren't these published, hard cover books, so much better than traditional wedding albums??? I LOVE them!

My company, Andy Mirkovich Productions, does books just like these for weddings. Usually for a lot cheaper than the photographers because we have our own, in-house media department.

It's in the Details

I love the idea of an all-white cake, and these cakes just prove that they don't have to be boring!

(I found almost all of these cakes on google images)

Emergency Kit

Every bride should have an emergency kit near her at all times during the wedding day. While I don’t want to scare you, it’s very possible that the back of your earring will fall off or you will spill something on your gown.

Have someone you trust and that will be with you all day, gather the items for you and keep them with her during the day, just in case. You want to cover all bases, but you don’t want your friend carrying around a huge bag all day. I broke things down into "must-haves" and "optional".
Must Have on Hand:
Pain medication (Tylenol, Aspirin, etc.)
Band-Aids
Eye Drops
Mirror
Make-up for touch-ups
Hair Comb/Brush
Hair Pins
Perfume and deodorant
Nail polish, file and glue
Scissors/Tweezers
Hair Spray
Extra earring backs
Hand Sanitizer/Wipes
Tissues
Safety Pins
Stain Remover
Spray/Wipes
Breath Mints
Cell Phone
Wallet with extra cash
Camera

For Your Dressing Room:
Curling iron and/or straightening iron
Wrinkle-out spray
Tampons/Sanitary Napkins
Dental Floss
Easy to carry snacks (like granola bars)
Straws
Water
Hollywood Fashion Tape (to keep strapless dress in place)
Extra contact lenses and solution
Mini sewing kit with buttons to match your dress
Comfortable shoes (to change into during dancing)
White Gaffer’s tape (to patch tears in your dress)

Wedding Attire- Finding the Perfect Gown

Before you begin you search, think about the following three things:

Consider your personal style, because you want to look like you, and choose a gown that will actually look good on you. If you are a minimalist, don't go overboard with an extravagant dress and lots of makeup. If you are a lot bigger on top, you might not want to go with a strapless dress.

Consider where you are getting married. If its on the beach, in a church, at city hall, or in a barn, each location has a different atmosphere and you will need to change your dress accordingly.

Last, remember your budget and how much you are willing to spend on a dress you wear this one day. Don't waste your time trying on dresses that are way out of your price range.

Gowns by Body Type:

For the Petite Bride: You want to keep it simple with the details, or else it may seem like your drowning. If you are petite and short, keep the waist high in order to appear longer.

For the Pear Shaped Bride: Pick a dress that flows out and away from your hips. Details above the waist will attract eyes upward to where you want them.

For the Apple Shaped Bride: Choose a dress that has an empire waist. This will accentuate the smallest part of you, and then flow outward and away from you middle, disguising it.

For the Plus-size Bride: You should look for silhouettes that are flowing. Dresses that flow over the hips and do not gather too much around the waist will be the most flattering on you.

For the Full Busted Bride: You want to show your decolletage without showing too much and busting out. You need you gown to have good support.

For the Small Chested Bride: Interesting details like beading and ruching help create the illusion of curves.
For the Straight Line Bride: Mermaid style dresses and gowns with lots of ruffles will make you appear more curvy than you actually are. Also, dresses with a very defined waist can give you a more hourglass shape.
(All images can be found on Real Simple Weddings)

Woman Swallows Her Engagement Ring!

This is true, it actually happened!

Read the full story at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29462344/

Tip of the Day

When Planning Your Own Wedding: Choose the elements that are most important to you, and then plan your budget accordingly. Is your dress the most important? Photographer? Reception food? Alcohol (haha)? Whatever it may be, make sure you know what it is at the beginning, know what it will cost you, and then plan the rest of the wedding budget around that.