Inspirational wedding blog, What Junebug Loves, top wedding and bridal fashion blog : planning tips, wedding pros

White Wedding Flowers from Flora Nova Design

christy — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 20:30:00 GMT

Beautiful white wedding flowers will never go out of style, and we love the way that floral designer and Junebug member Christiane Zweifler of Flora Nova Floral and Event Design finds so many different looks and approaches to make classic white wedding flowers feel new all over again. From ultra-modern calla lily bridal bouquets to multi-layered rustic table-top arrangements, she's constantly reinterpretting the way these pale and pretty blooms can be used. Brilliant!

Top image by One Thousand Words Photography

Bottom images by Tom Barwick for Seattle Bride magazine, John and Joseph Photography, Sarah Rhoads Photography, J. Garner Photography, MIND|Castle Studios, and Daniel Usenko Photography, via the Flora Nova website and blog.

Welcome to The Most Ridiculous Wedding Event Ever!

christy — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 15:14:00 GMT

And it begins! Welcome to our day of live blogging from The Most Ridiculous Wedding Event Ever, hosted by the amazing Mindy Weiss! The guests have all arrived, Mindy made "Ellen style" dance routine introductions to her fabulous crew (with the help of DJ Danno spinning the tunes) and the first speaker, Jennifer Rebello from the Four Seasons Los Angeles at Beverly Hills, is starting her chat with Mindy.

Here's a little peek at the breakfast hour...

and the amazing swag bags that were waiting at each guest's seat. I LOVE the hand painted pop-up paper place mats!

Ask Mindy Weiss- Wedding Ideas for Cocktail Receptions and Getting Your Groom Involved

christy — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 13:40:00 GMT

Today we're thrilled to bring you our second installment of expert wedding advice from celebrity wedding planner Mindy Weiss. Congratulations to Lara and Julie whose questions were chosen, and who'll receive a fun goody bag full of Mindy's products! And don't forget, for more super helpful wedding advice, check out Mindy's book, The Wedding Book- The Big Book For Your Big Day.

Hello again Junebug readers, I hope you're enjoying the summer weather and rejoicing in your wedding plans! This month I’ve chosen to answer two questions, one from Lara about having a cocktail reception, and one from Rose about helping her fiancé find some peace with the size of their wedding.

Q: “What's the most appropriate way to word a cocktail and hors d’oeuvres reception? And is it appropriate to have a ceremony at 7 pm with this type of reception to follow? We're trying to save money by not having dinner.” -Lara

A: It is absolutely appropriate to have a cocktail reception following your 7pm ceremony. Heavy hors d’oeuvres and cocktails can go a long way and save you quite a bit of money for two reasons; you don’t have to provide a full meal, and the reception won’t last as long (2 to 3 hours is ideal). I love to see a mixture of tray passed hors d’oeuvres and food stations. Consider having a chef in white toque at each of your food stations to add some elegance to the presentation.

While cocktail receptions are great budget cutters they are also a wonderful option for couples who have a large guest list and not enough space at their venue to seat everyone, and for those who have eloped or gotten married earlier in an intimate ceremony and are now celebrating with a larger group of friends and family for their reception.

(Image by GH Kim Photography)

Q: “I have been dreaming of my wedding day since I was eight years old…the only big event that I ever wanted was my wedding day…My fiancé… is a very private person and is afraid that the wedding will become more about everyone else and not about us. How can I make him feel comfortable with the wedding, and assure him that it will be a day about the two of us? He has recently said he would go through with the whole big event for me, but I want to make him feel at ease with the entire event. What suggestions do you have for making the day feel personal and intimate? As well what can I do to make my fiancé not feel overwhelmed with this whole event? Help............... Thank you!” -Julie

A: Julie, this is a sweet question and one that many couples face to some degree. By acknowledging your different desires and looking for a solution you’re starting your marriage off on the right track. Some fun ways to get your guy excited about the day and create enough space for you both to enjoy it are:

Before your wedding:

Have him identify just a couple of things that he might be looking forward to and give him those tasks first. Maybe he loves music, so ask him to create your play-list, or maybe he loves antique cars and he would enjoy finding the perfect one for your get-away. Be sure to acknowledge his special contributions to your day along the way and don’t expect him to be on board for a lot of multi-tasking.

If your guy is somewhat shy, enlist his best man in helping him write his toasts (and give advice for his vows if he’s writing his own) way ahead of time. Having these tasks finished early can alleviate a lot of anxiety. Another stress reducer is taking some dance lessons. Most people are a little hesitant about dancing in front of a crowd, and dance lessons can be a fun and romantic way to enjoy time together and build confidence.

On your wedding day:

Create an easy schedule with breaks between events and keep your photography shot list to a minimum. I suggest you take your photos beforehand so you have plenty of time to cover this important aspect of your day. Ask your photographers to set up a special “first look”, and a fun photo outing that includes plenty of time to accomplish everything. If you feel strongly about waiting to see one another until your ceremony, be sure you schedule no more than 40 minutes for the necessary family and bridal party photos afterwards.

Consider taking time alone together after your ceremony to connect and get something to eat and drink. Your guests can relax and mingle for up to an hour before you make your big entrance. Once you do, you may want to have a couple’s table where you can sit by yourselves during dinner and toasts. Forgo a receiving line and be sure to leave before you’re both exhausted so you have plenty of time to enjoy your wedding night!

(Image by John and Joseph Photography)

Ask Mindy Weiss- Tips for Keeping Your Wedding Budget Under Control

christy — Wed, 20 May 2009 18:11:00 GMT

Our first installment of fabulous wedding advice from celebrity wedding planner Mindy Weiss! There is so much fantastic information here, we're thrilled to get to share it! Big congrats to Jenn K. who's question was chosen, and who won all sorts of treats from Mindy's product lines. Take it away Mindy...

Hi Junebug readers! Thank you all for your wonderful questions! I truly hope my advice will help you create the wedding you’ve been dreaming of. Given the current state of our economy I was not surprised to find that several of your questions focused on your budget. This month I’ve chosen to answer a budget related question from Jenn K. and then touch on budgets in general for those of you who have your own unique concerns about this topic.

Q: “I’m wondering if it would be okay to have a cocktail hour without any Hors d’oeuvres. Omitting our venue’s option for appetizers saves us $4000 and puts us right in our budget. The idea would be to have dinner immediately following the cocktail hour”

A: This is a great question because food and beverage costs can easily add up to 40% of a wedding budget. In my opinion it may be acceptable to omit the appetizers during your cocktail hour provided it doesn’t run more than an hour and there is food available immediately following. However these are my favorite tips for keeping control of your bar costs:

Offer a “soft bar” instead of a full bar, with soft drinks, beer and wine, or create a specialty bar that features sangria or a limited selection of martinis, margaritas, or daiquiris so you can restrict the need for premium liquors. This can cut costs by 50% and free up your budget so you can provide light appetizers.

Consider serving bubbly and champagne cocktails. Look for sparkling wines produced outside of the Champagne region. Prosecco and sparkling Moscato from Italy and Cava are favorite bargain priced options.

To keep your tab from getting out of control on your wedding day, be sure to ask your bar staff to open bottles only as necessary, (some venues like to open wine ahead of time for expediency but this practice can mean that you end up paying for unused bottles at the end of the night), and request that your wait staff remove drinks only when they are “complete” and to refill wine glasses by request rather than topping them off automatically.

For all of you couples out there who are trying to create a wedding budget you can be comfortable with, begin by making some important choices and creating a spreadsheet to keep track of your expenditures. Choose the three things that are most important to both of you and set your budget for those items first. If you have a location you’re in love with, a band you adore, and a dress you simply must walk down the aisle in, then set aside enough resources to ensure that you can have those items, and fill in the rest.

Three good questions to ask yourself before you budget for each expense are:

Do we need this? Obviously you’ll need someone to officiate and some kind of food and beverages for your guests.

Do we want this? Of course you want a new pair of Christian Louboutin shoes, but,will it really make a difference to you if you don’t have them?

Will our guests notice if we don’t have it? Your guest probably won’t bat an eye if you don’t give out favors, and no one will grumble if there’s no caviar or imported champagne. Try to imagine what it would be like to be a guest at your wedding and you’ll be on the right track for making sound decisions.

If your resources don’t match your needs and desires, you’ll need to look for ways to trim your budget. Here are five of the best ways to do that:

Trim your guest list. This is the single biggest way to cut costs.

Choose a gorgeous setting for your ceremony and reception. You’ll save a bundle on decorations.

Have your wedding on Friday or Sunday, (many venues will negotiate a lesser price for these days), or have your wedding early in the day. Brunch and lunch receptions are much less costly than celebrations that include dinner.

Skip the off site location and choose a hotel, club, or restaurant that comes with tables, chairs, flatware, and staff.

Follow the suggestions for trimming your bar tab listed above.

Thank you Jenn K for your thoughtful question! The Junebug girls will be sending you a big goodie bag full of items from my latest line of wedding products, right away. I look forward to choosing a new winner in six weeks and answering some more question from Junebug readers.