Wedding Wire article on the Cupcake Trend

Check out today's blog post at the Wedding Wire blog about the cupcake tower trend at weddings. Love cupcakes! Click here.

Carmina Christina - Amazing Make-up artist

I had the opportunity to meet the super talented make-up artist Carmina Cristina at the Hamilton Club Wedding Show in Lancaster. I am just amazed by her artistry and the make-up she did for the girls in the runway show was just gorgeous. She recently participated in New York Fashion Week as a make-up artist...how fun!

Carmina says choosing the look of your wedding day make-up is as important as choosing your gown. So many women spend months looking for the perfect dress and just a few moments deciding on the makeup for their special day. Carmina says, remember - you are the center of attention at your wedding -- a day will be captured in photos forever.

She says, it is important to find the right make-up artist who understands the image you want to achieve, and works with you to create a total look. A professional makeup artist will usually consult with you in advance of your wedding day and even do a trial makeup application and consultation to help you develop that perfect look...which she does.

In her native country, Romania, Carmina graduated from the Kruger-Brent Makeup and Beauty Academy, one of the best European Makeup Schools. More recently Carmina completed advanced training at Toronto's recognized leading makeup school - Complections International Academy.

Carmina has a wonderful website with a portfolio of her work. Click here to visit her site.

Summer wedding design from Hostess with the Mostess blog

Check out some great spring and summer wedding designs from the Hostess with the Mostess blog. Great dessert table designs and candy bar from one of my faves Sweet and Saucy Shop in California.

Get Married Online Magazine

I came across this really nice magazine. You can view it online or it is available in print. Tale a look at Get Married...very nice.

Thomas Beaman Photography

I love looking at great photography and I am so fortunate to be sharing a studio space with one of the best photographers in the area. Thomas Beaman is new to Central PA, but has been a successful award winning (Bride's Choice 2010) photographer in Northern California before moving here last summer. In addition to his talent as a wedding photography, his portrait photography is fantastic too (as you can see)..super creative and captures the moment perfectly. If you want to see really amazing work, you have to check out his blog to see the landscape photography he has done. On his blog he also offers great wedding tips in addition to sharing his talent as a photographer.

I asked him for a few wedding photo tips, and here's what he had to say about taking pics on your big day.

Tip #1 - The most important piece of advice I can give is to hire a photographer that you really love (or really really really like). Why spend all of this time and energy (and money) planning the perfect day just to go out and hire the cheapest photographer you can find.

Price should never come first when choosing something this important. These photos and albums are going to be passed down generation after generation so make sure you choose a photographer that fits your style..a photographer that will capture your day the way you want it to be remembered.

I would never want a client to hire me because I was $100 cheaper than the photographer down the street who they really wanted. Hire your photographer based on the photography and how well their personality mixes with you.

Tip #2 - Talk to your photographer before setting your wedding day timeline (hopefully your photographer will have some great advice to offer). He/she will be able to make sure you have thought about all of those little things that come up.

For example...I recently received a wedding day timeline from a bride where I was scheduled to photograph the bride, bride with family, and bride with bridesmaids at 3:30pm. The next thing on the list said that I was to be at a different location to photograph the groom and groomsmen at 4pm. That left me 30 minutes to photograph the girls, get back to my car, drive to the new location, park, and be ready to photograph the guys. And this was assuming that the girls would really be ready at 3:30. I simply sat down with the couple and had them schedule hair and make up earlier. This allowed me the time I needed...the couple got some amazing images and the bride was a lot more relaxed.

Tip #3 - Stay together at the reception. I have been to so many weddings where the bride and groom do the first dance and then go their separate ways. Walk around and greet family and friends together. The more you stay together, the more amazing photos you will have on your wedding day.

Spotlight on DJ Mixed-Up Productions

 

 

I've had the pleasure of meeting Mike (center in photo) with Mixed-Up Productions at several bridal shows and he was the DJ at a wedding I did cupcakes for last fall. From the first time I met him, I really like his personality...very nice, professional, down-to-earth and I could tell he was really passionate about his business.

I asked Mike to tell me a little about Mixed-Up Productions and here's what he had to say:

What's different about us? Every DJ company is different but our goal is all the same. MAKE PEOPLE DANCE and have a great time. For us, we know musically what works and what doesn't. We also know our limit on the mic and that's where some DJ companies hurt themselves.  We are not the "star" of your wedding nor are we the center of attention. It's our couples. We also like to stay away from some of the "cheesy" side of things when it comes to weddings. We won't make our bride's dress like a chicken or dress up in costumes. For some it works but I think times are changing and we are staying ahead of the pack and leading the new style.  

Someone asked me how I would sum up our company in one line. I thought about that and came up with something like this.... "Mixed-Up Productions likes to mix traditional with modern to give you a party everyone will remember!"

We offer a client log in on our site for our couples to access all their needs with us online, which makes things so much easier. We are all crazy busy and using this online system, our couples can access their timeline forms, wedding planning forms, make online requests, make online payments and they can make as many updates as they want!  This is a great tool!

Here are a few great tips from Mike about hiring a DJ:

Set-up Fees - Be carefull if a DJ will charge you for a set up/tear down fee. If this is the case, they will take their time. Some companies will also charge for use of stairs. Stay away from these companies, they are just trying to get more money out of you.

Low Price Means Great Deal - Wrong! Be very careful when coming across a company's price and it seems to good to be true. Everyone thinks they can be a DJ and play music.

Picture Proof - Ask the DJ for a picture of his set-up and pictures from some of their parties. Seeing the DJ set-up will give you a better idea of how professional his/her set-up will be at your wedding. If they can't provide pictures of some of their weddings, ask for some of the photographers they've worked with and search their site!

You can't go wrong with asking other vendors who they've worked with or ask around! Word of mouth is the best way to get to know a company.

If you go to his website, there are more great tips and details about his services. Thanks Mike :-)

(Photos by Leslie Gilbert Photography)

DIY Soda Pop Bottle Escort Cards

 

This DIY escort card idea by Mika78 was posted on the 100 Layer Cake Blog. You can find the instructions on how to do this great project at the 100 Layer Cake Blog. How perfect for a summer outdoor wedding. A cool drink before sitting down for a delicious dinner or lunch....so refreshing!