Wedding Ideas for Arizona Brides and all brides for their weddings across the USA. Unique finds on the web for brides planning their weddings and from The Wedding Chronicle resources to put some style and class into your wedding day. We Make Weddings Better!

Showing posts with label ideas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ideas. Show all posts

Beautiful Weddings Desiree Mata and Sam Dyer

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Desiree Mata and Sam Dyer

December 13, 2008

Phoenix, Arizona

Click on image for larger view





Behind the Scenes

Photographer
Vision Photographs

Ceremony Site
First Christian Church

Reception Site
Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort

Reception Site Coordinator
Cathie Fox

Florist
Peoria Florist

Bride’s Gown
David’s Bridal

Bridesmaids’ Gown
Wedding Accessory Superstore

Beautiful Weddings Nicole Hochstein and Damon Sanabria

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Nicole Hochstein and Damon Sanabria  
November 7, 2008  
Cancun, Mexico

Behind the Scenes
Photographer- One Fine Day Photography, Ann McCarthy
Travel Agent - Escapes Unlimited, Terri Flood
Ceremony & Reception Site - Moon Palace Resort & Spa
Bride’s Gown - Maggie Sottero
Bridesmaids’ Gowns - Jasmine, B2 Line
Hair Stylist - Savvy Salon
Professional Makeup - Michelle Sanabria
Ceremony Music - Mariachis, Moon Palace Resort
Invitations - Hanson Ellis, Message in a Bottle
Videographer - Warne Brothers Productions

Beautiful Weddings Rachelle Harris and Jordan Corbisier

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Our newest edition of The Wedding Chronicle, the November December 2009 features The Most Beautiful Weddings of 2009. We had so many submissions, it was very hard to choose who goes into the Chronicle. Many finalists were left out and I feel bad. So I am going to continue the winners here for as long as I can. Let's start with:


Rachelle Harris and Jordan Corbisier

March 14, 2009
Mesa, Arizona


(click to enlarge)



Behind the Scenes

Photographer

Ceremony and Reception Site
Private Residence

Officiant
Roselyn Taylor

Caterer

Wedding Cake

Florist

Tuxedos

Ceremony Music
ASU Music Department String Trio

Linens and Rentals

Invitations
Michael’s

Wedding Favors

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Wedding Favors are a touchy subject to me. I really don't enjoy most tshatshkes (little trinkets) placed so lovingly by my plate. I feel obligated to take it home even though it isn't my taste and I hate little things like that cluttering up my home. Today I found something different and you can give me one of these any day. I found them on www.leweddingfavor.com.
Here are a few of their items:

Brushed Silver Placecard Frame

Silver rectangular place card, 2" x 3", packaged in a black box with PVC lid.

On Sale for $1.25

Abstract "Squares" Glass Plate

This beautiful square deco platter 7.5" x 7.5", comes in a corrugated white box.

On Sale for $3.00

Heart Shaped Cup and Saucer

This very cute porcelain heart-shaped espresso cup and saucer comes as a set of two. It is packaged in a stylish rectangular brown box.

Size: 90 ml (3 oz)

On Sale for $4.00

Chartreuse Leaf Plates

This lovely set of two small chartreuse leaf plates comes delivered in a black box with PVC lid.

Size: 11"L x 6"W

On Sale for $3.25

This lovely set of two large chartreuse leaf plates comes delivered in a black box with PVC lid.

Size: 14"L x 7"W

On Sale for $5.00


Brown Murano Glass Handle Bottle Opener

$12.99 Sale Price $4.00

Salt Ball and Pepper Ring Shakers

This unique favor, comes delivered in a yellow gift box.

4" X 2.5" in size

On Sale for $2.50

Of course, if these are not to your liking, you can always make a donation to your favorite charity in honor of your guests.

Bespoken, Betrothed, Engaged!

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The Wedding Chronicle's May-June issue is now available throughout the valley. This issue is dedicated to the ENGAGEMENT portion of your grand adventure.

Congratulations! You have become a bride (not bride-to be). You are engaged. What to do next? Here is a little cheat sheet to help you start your wonderful journey towards your nuptials.

First, spread the news! Make sure you tell your parents first and close friends so there is no chance for them to hear it elsewhere.

Get a manicure. If everyone is going to be looking at your hand, make sure it looks great.
Gather the parents together if they don’t already know each other. Let them have a chance to size up each family. Listen for expectations for your wedding. Not necessary to voice opinions at this early stage of the game. Make sure you are prepared and pick your battles wisely. Not everything is worth it.

The engagement party is your opportunity to celebrate the beginning of the journey. Robin and Christine from The Flower Studio have offered an excellent idea for the budget conscious bride to really shine in Flowers Married to Design.

Get your ring sized and insured! Don’t forget this important step. It often is simply a matter of adding a rider to your homeowners or renters insurance.

Unless you are accustomed to hosting $30,000 events, meet with a wedding coordinator. We have several great planners here in the paper we can highly recommend. They will help you get started and head you in the right direction.

If you haven’t figured out, this issue is dedicated to your engagement. We have asked many of the finest photographers in the valley to submit their favorite engagement photos to give you ideas. We could not get all of them into this issue so we will continue to feature more pictures in future publications, blog posts and on our website. Enjoy your engagement. This is a wonderful time to sparkle.

Pick up your copy today! And watch for the return of our online edition!

Tips for Getting your Wedding on TV

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Platinum Weddings Sunday, April 19th Episode
is featuring a wedding featured in The Wedding Chronicle. Summer Degado and Matt Gehrke were married at The Four Seasons, Scottsdale at Troon North June 21, 2008.

Photographers were Katrina Wallace and Andrew Mejia and edited Hollye Schumacher. Amy Vandervort was the coordinator. The gorgeous flowers were provided The Flower Studio and Petal Pusher. Ray the DJ was present. The Spin was one of the live bands for the affair.

Tri-Rentals and Kool Party Rentals provide much of the splendid decor. My friend Doug Johnston, Avant Garde Limousines coordinated all the transportation. I can't wait for the show.



I recently expanded my cable selections in my office due to the superabundance of wedding shows. I can almost watch a wedding program every hour of the day. Unfortunately, my favorite show "Platinum Weddings" on WeTV shows at 11:00pm on Sunday nights here in Phoenix. I am either too tired from the weekend or I manage to stay up for a couple of episodes and am cranky all Monday from lack of sleep. These are the top weddings with budgets over $100,000 and some go into the millions. I love the ideas, love the professionalism of the planners and love the fact that they usually don't portray the bridal party in a negative light.

Some other shows are WeTV's "Bridezillas," "Amazing Wedding Cakes," "My Fair Wedding" and "Rich Bride, Poor Bride" or TLC, home to "Say Yes to the Dress,""Get Married with Collin Cowie on Lifetime, and even "Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?," on E!'s Style Network. Most of these can be seen in full episodes online as well.

Getting on some of these shows could offer you some services you might not normally afford but at what price? First, having your wedding selected is a lot like getting on a game show. You need to be very appealing! Having a good backstory (as it is referred to) meaning how you met. Did you postpone the wedding because your dog died and you were transported to Oz in a tornado? Great backstory!

Next, you have to fill out the questionaire very creatively! Send an scrapbook with all the questions answered with lots of visual embellishments. Send a video tape along with the questionaire. Do something creative and different to get noticed.

You have to succeed in the first two steps before you get to the Screen Test. Be obsessed or be crazy but above all be authentic in a high energy sort of way. Nothing is more boring than a groom that agrees with everything.

But be prepared to give up some of the control. You may not be able to pick the wedding date and when you do get a date the network can come tape, be ready to find a venue on short notice.
Be ready to have the worst of you and your friends and family portrayed. Although it doesn't always happen, it does make for good TV. The network controls all the footage. So don't say it, think it or do it if you don't want it aired. Be ready to be provoke for reactions also.

If all of this hasn't scared you away, you may be one of the lucky ones that is selected. You will get great video of your day. Your vendors may offer a little extra to show them off in the best light. And who knows, you may have something to share with your grandkids some day.

I can't wait for the show. Of course I will be cranky Monday morning.

The New Issue is Out! March -April 2009

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Is it cheap to talk about cost savings?

I attended a great bridal show last Sunday and had the good fortune to speak with many brides and grooms. Two of my favorite bits of advice I often share with couples can be considered budget savers as well just great ways to do things.

First, is the issue of the cake. I had a chance a few years ago to share a cup of coffee with the Grand Dam of Cake, Sylvia Weinstock of New York. She convinced me that there is nothing sadder than seeing dozens of pieces of orphaned wedding cake drying on semi-empty tables throughout the reception site in the late evening. Makes you want to cry doesn’t it? To avoid this, Sylvia encourages her couples to taste the cake immediately so that while your guests are eating, the cake can be removed, cut and served immediately after the last course. It’s called dessert. No need to serve up other sweets. All that time you spent fretting over the Pistachio Viennese Meringue vs. the Chocolate Expresso Butter Crème will really be important because your guests will actually get to taste the cake. Budget Saver = No extra dessert.

Second, is the tradition of not seeing the bride before the ceremony. I will come back to how it can save your budget, but did you know in Medieval times, all marriages were arranged by family members and village elders. Just to make sure the groom didn’t run for the border before the whole deal was finished, they put a veil over her head and plopped a bouquet of fragrant flowers in front of her so she wouldn’t smell. Then as soon as the I Do’s were done, the groom could see what he had just signed up for. Is that a tradition you want to respect? Also if you have the pictures of the two of you taken before the wedding, your make-up is perfect. You haven’t cried yet. You get some special time to remember why you are doing all this and the pictures are always better, free of distraction. You then won’t take as long doing family pictures after the ceremony. Budget Saver = Your guests won’t be able to drink or eat as much during the cocktail hour.

As you meet the vendors that will help transform your vision, be very frank. Ask them for ideas to help you save your budget. The quality vendors that advertise in The Wedding Chronicle will delight you. You see, they are not only savvy and sophisticated. They are very smart too.

Our Annual Grooms Edition is Out

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It's on the streets starting today, the Fifth Annual Grooms Edition of the Wedding Chronicle. A toast to grooms everywhere because without you... there would be no wedding. Oh, the power! I have been told that by the end of October, every groom in the Valley hates us. Because every bride has picked up this issue of the Chronicle and read it from cover to cover to make sure that all the articles reflect her side of the argument. She rips out the offending pages and hands it to her groom and saying, “Read this.”
We know this is not the preferred reading list for most gentlemen but let me give you the Cliff Note version of this issue. If you want to make your bride happy she said yes, early on choose the activities in which you wish to be involved and stay out of the rest. I know that’s easier said than done but Patti Zint, our fabulous writer, takes you through four easy steps to turn that Bridezilla back into the woman you love.
We also have some sage advice for you from our zany, zaftig Zadie; ideas to get the music you want at the reception and perhaps a hint or two about all those toasts! So cheers and thank you. We would be nothing without you.
We have some new faces that have joined the staff of the newspaper. Our newest writer is going to help keep us focused on the most important part of the wedding day—the spiritual component. His name is Rabbi Weiner and you may know him by his fabulous tag line, Got Rabbi?
Believe it or not, another sister has joined the Chronicle. Her name is Bobbie Darzes and she is a senior account executive for us. It’s amazing how much better we all get along now that Barbie dolls are not involved. You will see her at upcoming bridal shows, trade events and anywhere horses can be found. You’ll recognize her by her beautiful smile and Lucy red hair.
We have a new office too. I’ll be sending pictures to my blog once I unpack my camera. It’s in a box around here somewhere…

WMBA Offer Extended

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By popular demand, the special 2 for 1 offer for the Wedding Business Merchant Academy (see last post) has been extended till September 12. Don't miss it. It is the best early Christmas Present you can give yourself.

Winner - NACE Confections Competition

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Winner of 3 awards at this years ELEMENTS Competition at the J.W. Marriott - Desert Ridge this year was my friend and advertiser Andrea Carusetta-Blaut of Sedona Cake Couture. On Monday, June 30th, she took 1st Place in the Vintage category, Best of Show (of all entries) and People's Choice Award (voted by the public that attended). This was the 2nd year in a row that she took these top 3 awards! Next year she will be a judge so that others can be so recognized.

Twenty of Arizona's finest cake artists competed. The themes were: traditional. contemporary, retro and vintage. Andrea chose Vintage. I don't have pictures of the other cakes yet but isn't Andrea's amazing. She saw an actual picture of this vase and recreated it in sugar. Those are not real flowers, they are SUGAR! For tasting she brought my favorite of her cakes the chocolate with espresso buttercream. Ummmmmmmmmm. And she is so thin!

My lovely friend Barbara Gardner of Let Them Eat Cake (also an advertiser) had two Kick Ass Cakes! They were also award winning but I don't have pictures of them... yet!

It was a fun evening and I hope to post pictures of the amazing tables as soon as I can get my hands on them. I also want to give a special shout to Connie Thiebault the coordinator extraordinaire of the J.W.Marriott - Desert Ridge. I don't see how she slept. The evening was flawless! Thanks... Oh how I hate my job! (not)

What Inspires Me... Daniel Ost

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David Ost is the world-renowned, award-winning Belgian flower artist. I enjoy his sensitive fusion of oriental and western sensibilities on so many levels. Terms like environmental and organic don't do justice to his detailed creations.
To quote his website:
"Daniel Ost’s arrangements demonstrate an uncanny sensitivity to the form, color, and texture of both the flowers and the containers that hold them. Seeing the best of his work, you may wonder whether the vase dictated the choice of plant materials, or whether the leaves, stems, and flowers somehow conjured up their receptacle. He can look at a vase and immediately visualize how to fill it; he especially enjoys the challenge of a container with a particularly difficult color and shape. “When I know I need something, I don’t compromise,” he says, recalling the time he once had a driver take him 300 miles (he does not drive) to procure orchids from a German nursery. “The difference between the ordinary and the extraordinary is in the details. I see one color in the glaze that my staff did not see, and I say, “We must add this to the arrangement”.

"Events by Daniel Ost are considered a one in a lifetime experience; it is his wish and desire to create a floral fantasy for his Clients so their Guests will be mesmerized by the craftsmanship, art and beauty of the finished product. When Daniel receives a commission, usually to decorate lavish parties, Ost begins by making sketches of his ideas in watercolor. After the client chooses a design, he prepares a proposal and drawings with the precision of an engineer. The Daniel Ost approach is much different than that of the conventional party planner as they create their designs through the computer and Daniel’s work is created through the fundamentals of fine art. By taking this approach Daniel Ost when creating your event will know and understand how the pieces of the installation fit together, the traditional party planner is left guessing through the process. Through our motto “Excellence is in the Details” we create the world’s finest events that are truly designed and intended for those who have the intellect and love for fine art to enjoy and understand them!"
"Daniel Ost and Company has a Team of Experts who can design, install and manage the social event that you have been dreaming about. We only accept a limited amount of requests annually and our clientèle provide Daniel Ost the artistic and resource freedom to create their once in a lifetime social event."

His books are on my Christmas list. Hint Hint

Shoot I still can't format this well!

Andrea's Winning Cake

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Given 30 minutes to sketch her design after being told the theme of her "Mystery Cake Challenge", Andrea designed this adorable Baby Shower Cake (for J-Lo's twins maybe.) It stands over 3 feet high I think. She and her assistant, Jay were then given 8 hours to create this masterpiece. I will be interviewing Andrea more for the next issue of The Wedding Chronicle. I just wanted y'all to see the cake. I managed to set my alarm for a 2:00 am showing as I am a partial Luddite that doesn't TIVO and couldn't be home at a reasonable hour to watch it. Nice Work Andrea!

9 Hot Winter Cocktails

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OK, so we have had a couple of weeks of cold weather here in Arizona! I have lived in warm weather climes almost my whole life! To me, this is winter! When the weather is like this I like to wrap up, site around a firepit with friends and have a nice warm drink.

I just thought this grouping of unusual delightful cocktails from one of my favorite websites, www.FineLiving.com would be fun for a party, wedding or anytime.
Nothing says "winter" like a hot drink spiced with liquor or liqueur.


Here are recipes for nine cocktails that will bring warmth to cold nights.

Hot Spiked Cider
Apply brandy gives this delicious cider its kick!

Hot Buttered Rum
This spice-heavy treat takes some work to create, but the effort is rewarded with formidable taste.

Cranberry Hot Toddies
Tangerines and whole cloves enhance the flavor of this cold-weather favorite.

Nutty Irishman
No nuts in this drink, just liqueur, Irish cream, coffee and whipped cream.

Hot Passion
The passion is released with Le Grande Passion liqueur, hot coffee and, the bonus, Crème de Grand Marnier.

Café Brulot
Brandy, orange curacao, rum, cinnamon and French roast coffee make this drink a tasty treat.

Vanilla Hot Chocolate Seduction
The adult-only ingredients include white chocolate liqueur, the true taste-bud seducer, and Triple Sec.

Gunner
Irish whiskey, Irish cream and kahlúa boost this hot coffee drink.

Snowplow
A coffee cocktail spiked with rum and topped with whipped cream.

Fun Candy Bars

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Isn't this fun? With Black and White being such a fun and fanciful rage, I share this idea from Steve Kemble for a unique candy bar. There is always an opportunity for artistic expression. A recent wedding I attended had dalmation guppies swimming in bowls on the tables. I love unique uses of theme colors.
Victoria Canada created this beauty with the help of Tabletops, Etc. and photo by David De Dios. This and more beautiful images from this wedding will be featured in our Nov-Dec Issue.

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Scottsdale, Arizona, United States
Publisher of Arizona's only Bridal Newspaper. Your source for all the wedding news and ideas in the Valley of the Sun; not to mention the best vendors too.

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