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15 Jan |
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5:00 pm Posted by Nicola |
What does a winter bride wear on her feet? For the thousands of wedding dress styles and hundreds of veil and headpiece choices, there are surprisingly few wedding shoe options out there. And the options are even fewer for the bride and bridesmaids who will need to cross snow and ice from limo to venue, or even do some outdoor photography. Here are some of our favorite choices for winter brides (and bridesmaids) in boots.
Sparrkk by Steve Madden
The most obvious option for a wedding gown is white boots. However, because bridal gowns are made in so many different shades of white, there is a real risk of white boots not being a complementary shade for the gown. A more fashion-forward choice is the non-white boot – either in a bold shade for the stylish and modern bride, or a neutral beige or taupe for the more traditional bride. Selecting non-white boots would also be appreciated by bridesmaids, as a bold red or taupe bootie is certainly easier to re-wear after the event.
Kaisy by Ivanka Trump
In addition to ‘breaking in’ her wedding boots before the big day, it’s a good idea for the winter bride to add a traction sticker to its sole. Sole Stopperz by Footpetals are a good choice to ensure that a bride doesn’t fall and have her blooper posted on YouTube!
- Finally, for the bride whose outdoor terrain involves deep snow or slush, changing into an attractive rainboot may be the best solution while outdoors. Again, cute rainboots can always be worn after the event, making them a good financial as well as practical choice.
Phoebe CL rainboots by Vans
- Attending a winter wedding can certainly add weather and logistics challenges for guests as well as the bridal party. Be sure to send your guests stunning wedding thank you cards to show your gratitude that they came to share your day. Shop the unique collection available at LookLoveSend.com, order quantities over 50 ship for free!
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14 Jan |
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7:43 pm Posted by Nicola |
Have you ever received a baby shower invitation announcing that it will be a gender reveal party? It’s not as uncommon as you’d think. If you think you’d like to learn the gender of your newborn along with your closest family and friends, read on for some ideas shared by parents who did.
- Ask your sonogram technician to write the sex of your baby inside a sealed envelope and take this to a bakery. Ask the cake shop to create a cake with white frosting and neutral decorations – but with either pink or blue coloring added to the cake batter as appropriate. All eyes will be on the cake when it’s time for the expectant parents to cut!
- Take the sealed gender envelope to your local party store with a large empty box. Ask someone at the store to fill the box with either pink or blue helium balloons and then to fully seal the box. At your shower, open the box and all see what floats up!
- This next option takes a little work and is for the parents who have found out but wish to make a reveal during the shower. Knowing the gender of the baby, buy black balloons (so you can’t see inside) and fill them with either pink or blue confetti (pouring with a funnel). Fill balloons with helium and give each guest a balloon upon arrival. At the right time, hand each guest a pin and countdown for everyone to pop a balloon at the same time. It’ll make a mess but be a lot of fun when guests are ‘showered’ with gender-colored confetti!
If you’re expecting, see the fresh collection of baby birth announcements available at LookLoveSend.com. And if you’re planning a shower for someone else, checkout our stylish selection of baby shower invitations – they can be selected for baby boy or baby girl…or neutral – perfect for that gender reveal shower!
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10 Jan |
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5:52 pm Posted by Kristy |
Although the warmer months are traditionally 
more popular for weddings, more and more people are choosing to get married in the winter. A blanket of fresh white snow is the perfect backdrop for wedding pictures, and the chilly weather gives you an excuse to cuddle up with your spouse. If you want to make sure that all of your loved ones are able to attend your wedding, the holiday season is the perfect time to have it since most people will be on vacation.
One of the most exciting parts about getting married (besides the ceremony, of course!) is planning the wedding. This is your chance to make your dreams come true. From the wedding invitations to the flowers, everything about your wedding should express you and your spouse’s tastes. Planning a color palate for a winter wedding is especially easy, because everything goes with white! So don’t be afraid to use your favorite colors, even if they’re not traditional Christmas colors.
Bold colors are very popular right now. Pantone recently chose Tangerine Tango as their 2012 Color of the Year. When using a bold color for your winter wedding planning, you want to choose a neutral background, such as white or black. For a winter wedding, white linens with accents in your choice of color is an obvious choice. By using white as a background, you’re incorporating a winter wonderland theme into your wedding without overwhelming guests with too many bright colors. Remember, you want all eyes to be on you during your wedding ceremony and reception, so don’t draw too much attention to your decorations.
If bright, bold colors aren’t your thing, or if you just can’t decide on one color, try using cooler colors. Sparkling blue, purple, and silver all blend very well with a white background and will give you a little more wiggle room to experiment with different colors.
If you live up North where there’s a possibility of snow, then a white background is a natural choice. But what if you live in an area that rarely, if ever, gets any snowfall? After all, it doesn’t make sense to have a winter wonderland themed wedding if you know there’s not going to be any snow. Brown is a surprisingly easy color to incorporate into weddings. Think outside the box; tree branches can be used as centerpieces, or you could make your bouquet out of dried flowers.
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5 Jan |
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6:25 pm Posted by Kristy |
Congratulations on your engagement! 
Now the fun begins! Planning your winter wedding should start at least 6-months in advance to ensure all details are well researched- especially if you are planning a destination wedding. Your first task is to decide on a date and mail out your “Save the Date” cards. Save the dates are essential parts of wedding planning, especially for those who will be married in a location outside of their home town. By giving your guests plenty of notice, they’ll be more likely to join you on your special day.
Next, you’ll want to consider the venue location. If you already reside in an area that gets plenty of snow fall, scout out locations near you. For everyone else, consider these top 5 hot spots.
Aspen, Colorado
Known as the wealthy’s playground, Aspen offers world class shopping, intimate restaurants with 5 star menus, and luxurious accommodations. Conveniently located downtown, the Sky Hotel offers breathtaking views of the mountains, making this the perfect venue to host your ceremony and reception.
Park City, Utah
An intimate downtown features high end boutiques and fancy cuisine. Consider the Park City Mountain Resort for your venue. They offer three ceremony locations to choose from and their Lodge can easily accommodate your large party reception.
Lake Tahoe, California
Consider something completely unique by holding your wedding and reception aboard the Tahoe Bleu Wave and exchange your vows in the middle of Lake Tahoe itself. This is the perfect choice for small weddings, yet still offers a unique, winter theme. If your guest list is a bit larger, consider the Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course. The exquisite interior of the clubhouse and beachside patios offer the perfect backdrops for your ceremony and reception.
Big Sky, Montana
If you’re looking for a true, Western feel for your wedding, consider the Rainbow Ranch. Its mountain valley, river front location offers an intimate Old West feel that is sure to make your day memorable, yet relaxing.
Telluride, Colorado
Nestled inside the Rocky Mountains, Telluride offers breathtaking views in every direction and from any location within the small town. You can’t go wrong with any venue here!
No matter which location you end up choosing, relax and remember this is your day. Take your time and enjoy the process, knowing that you are about to enter the best journey of your lifetime.
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4 Jan |
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8:59 pm Posted by Nicola |
Are all your holiday gifts neatly put away and thank you notes written? Or are you like me, tripping over stray Nerf bullets and Barbie shoes, trying to find a home for all those little stocking stuffers, and no thank yous sent to-date?
No need to stress. After braving the post-holiday mall rush of returns and gift card exchange last week, I noticed that almost every large retailer was selling discounted plastic totes in every size imaginable. Pick up a tote or two for each of your children to fill with their holiday goodies during this honeymoon period of wanting to play with everything new. In a month or so, revisit the tote idea and ask your kids to organize and find a permanent home for their new gifts – maybe even selecting a few older toys for donation at the same time.
Keep the thank you card process simple and low key too. See our recent advice on writing short and sweet thanks, and allow younger writers to simply contribute a portion of the note or add artwork.
And perhaps the easiest (and most fun) aspect of the post-holiday putaway and thank you process is selecting a fresh thank you card design that’s fun to send and receive. Shop the original collection of thank you card designs at LookLoveSend.com by selecting ‘Stationery’ and browsing any of the categories (yes, even wedding thank you cards – they don’t all feature flowers, rings and lovebirds – I promise!)
Do you have an awesome photo of your kids taken over the holidays? Add that photo to ‘Funky Photo Thanks’ shown below. This card is available in flat or as a folded card option depending on how ambitious your thank you note authors are!
'Funky Photo Thanks' by designer Kathleen Molnar
Another fun design is ‘Contemporary Floral’ shown below. Available in several vibrant color options, this card is a timeless choice for hip tweens and trendy moms alike. Again, this card is available in a flat or folded option.
'Contemporary Floral' by designer Allison Slippey
Find a thank you card design that you love and order a number to get you through the year. Pricing for these high quality custom cards is less than you’d think and all order quantities over 50 ship for free.
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3 Jan |
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2:55 pm Posted by Nicola |
Special occasion hat by Condici women’s collection
Who knew an article of clothing had so many rules? Thinking back to THE wedding of 2011 (the royal wedding) I’m guessing that one of the top 3 memories of that day remains the hats – especially with American audiences for whom hat-wearing is not a wedding must. The team at LookLoveSend has already professed its love of the fascinator headpiece, but we’re also intrigued by the traditional wedding hat worn by the Mother of the Bride, the Mother of the Groom, and female guests at British weddings.
Male guests may wear a top hat for a formal wedding, but tradition requires them to remove their hat and handcarry it when entering a church. Female guests, on the other hand, keep their hat on while in the church and the accepted rule is not to take it off until the Mother of the Bride removes hers.
It is unlikely that the British custom of hats at weddings will spread to the U.S., but if you’re ever invited to a wedding in the U.K., consider yourselves primed about the rules of the wedding hat. If you are getting married and love the formality of British weddings, consider the formal and monogrammed wedding invitation styles available at LookLoveSend.com. All invitations are printed on superior quality paper stock with a premium matte or glossy finish.
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2 Jan |
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9:25 pm Posted by Kristy |
Flavors of Winter
Design by Pink Cake Box featured on Brides.com
A winter wedding cake can be just about any flavor a summer wedding cake can be. But you also have the option of flavors not typically associated with other seasons. In fact, maybe the cake is where you can pay homage to winter by deliberately staying away from the traditional. Some interesting ideas could include:
Peppermint
Caramel spice
White cake with cranberry coulis or buttercream
Dark chocolate cake with raspberry coulis or buttercream
Red velvet cake covered in cream cheese frosting
Alternatively, you can go completely non-traditional and serve cheesecake at the reception!
Winter Colors and Designs
For the color of the cake, nothing says winter like a palette of icy blues, snowy whites, ivory, silver and golds, evergreens and deep reds. However, you can use really any colors (including bright pinks and oranges) and give them a festive look by using wintery designs, such as snowflakes. For a more traditional winter look, choose an ivory-colored frosting trimmed in deep red or burgundy. You can also have your cake covered in an icy blue fondant with white or silver trim.
Color doesn’t stop with the frosting and trim. Just look at these original winter wedding cake ideas on Brides.com. Consider the decorations to adorn the top and around the base and layers of your winter wedding cake. Flowers are another interesting way to tie together a winter look into your wedding cake. Many brides choose to use the some of the same flowers from their bouquet on top of and around the cake. Obvious winter flower choices include white or red roses, calla lilies,and poinsettias, but other floral accents such as fresh greens, holly, pinecones and ivy would be beautiful.
In the end the most important thing to remember is to make sure the wedding cake is something that you think is beautiful and will taste delicious. To keep your winter wedding planning preparation easy, visit LookLoveSend.com to find a beautiful selection of high quality winter wedding invitations. You will find a wide variety of winter color schemes and complete wedding invitation stationery suites.
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1 Jan |
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5:17 pm Posted by Nicola |
How many baby birth announcements did you receive in 2011? Any for a Sophia, Emma, Aiden or Jackson (top names on the 2011 babycenter list)? Or did your friends or family members decide on something more unique this past year? Just as the fashion ‘don’ts’ and movie bloopers can often be entertainments highlights, here are some of 2011’s worst in baby names courtesy of the bump.
Facebook. An Egyptian man named his daughter Facebook to celebrate the site’s significant role inEgypt’s protests and overthrow of its militant president. True, the name has historical importance and meaning, but it’s a very big and strange name to live with…
Like. It doesn’t stop there… An Israeli couple named their daughter Like, after the Facebook button. These parents found the name to be short, sweet and unique. When does this trend end…?
Moroccan. Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon combined their names for one of their recently-born twins. Yes, the name is quirky and unique, but Moroccan Cannon just doesn’t have that catchy ring that most celebrities crave.
Press. Another media-driven name. The story goes that former Bachelor contestant Shayne Lamas and gossip blogger Nik Richie called their unborn daughter “Press Baby” because she was talked about so much in the media before she was born. Months later the nickname stuck and the baby was named Press. This could be a tale of warning for parents with cute nicknames for their baby bumps.
Cullen. This is further evidence of enduring Twilight-mania. Isabella and Jacob have already climbed high in the top baby name list, but the vampire family last name (Cullen) brings this naming trend to a new level that may not be so appreciated in years to come.
Trendy. In yet another nod to social media, UK-based soccer star Gabriel Zakuani and his wife named their son Trendy and admitted that Twitter and “trending topics” influenced their name choice. Enough said.
So what’s going to be on this year’s It-Seemed-Good-At-The-Time baby name list? Tweet? Hashtag? Let’s hope for more Olivias and Liams in 2012. Happy New Year from the team at LookLoveSend!
