Archive for April, 2008

Give me the biggest bow you’ve got. No, bigger! And affix it directly to the bust where it will have the most oomph.

Thursday, April 3rd, 2008

I’m a huge fan of stepping away from the bridal salons when it comes time to choose dresses for your bridesmaids. For one thing, your gals can take all of the money they would have spent on “something they could wear again but won’t” and spend it on a dress that doesn’t scream bridesmaid. Of course, hitting up Bluefly instead of Eden Bridals is no guarantee that you’ll find something great.

Remember the bubble boob bow number I wrote about a few months back? As it turns out, that frock did not represent an isolated case of boobowocity. While trolling for potential bridesmaids’ dresses I came across more boob bows, which I have arranged here from the most minuscule to the most tuggable.

Nicole Miller chocolate shantung bow detail cocktail dressSignette mustard knit stretch jersey front bow dress
ADAM gold taffeta bow babydoll dressBetsey Johnson blush ombre taffeta bow dress

But why stop there? If you really want to drive home the point — Bows! You love ’em! You’ve got ’em! BOWS BOWS BOWS! — you can gift your gals with one of these Franchi clutches to thank them for dutifully encasing their bosoms in gigantic bows without complaint.

Franchi Handbags - Tania Bow Clutch (Champagne) - Bags and LuggageFranchi Handbags - Clarice Silk Bow Clutch W Rhinestone Ring (Blush) - Bags and LuggageFranchi Handbags - Shari Sequin Bow Clutch (Matte Gold) - Bags and Luggage

Put your best face forward

Wednesday, April 2nd, 2008

Go to an expert like Lenora if you’re unsure

Wedding-day beauty isn’t as complicated as its made out to be, and yet I’ve found lists of tips and tricks that are hundreds of items long! I had it easy — a family friend just happens to be an award-winning stylist. He attended my wedding and was there with a lip gloss wand every time I turned around. Not everyone has it so good, but that doesn’t mean bridal makeup has to be complicated and overwhelming.

Start with a clean canvas
You’ll see a lot of bridal checklists that advise setting up a regular months-long regimen of facials and detox sessions, but there’s no reason to go absolutely nucking futz if you have pretty good skin. If you’re skin ain’t all that, I’d suggest going to a proper dermatologist rather than your local aesthetician. Don’t have anything radical done in the month and a half before your nuptials, as skin needs time to heal after harsh treatments like chemical peels. Drink lots and lots of water, exfoliate gently, moisturize, and wear sunscreen…before and after your wedding. In fact, never stop!

(more…)

Eat your cake and have it, too.*

Tuesday, April 1st, 2008

I’m not sure if I think this is a neat idea or a bizarre idea. I suppose it all depends how much your wedding memories are worth to you. For example, some people think nothing of devoting a huge chunk of their budget to professional photography while others are content to leave disposable cameras on each reception table.

The skinny is that ceramicist and Richmond-native Emily Hunter Taylor will hand-sculpt and hand-paint a five-inch tall porcelain recreation of your wedding cake. She scales down the original measurements of your cake to ensure everything is to scale and the icing is made using liquid clay to ensure a nice finish.

Good enough to eat? Ehh…

So…Neat? Bizarre? What I do know is that it’s an expensive idea. Custom cake replicas start at $500, which means that you could very well be paying as much for an inedible porcelain cake as you did for the great big tasty cake that delighted your guests. Whether or not you think it’s a good deal will likely depend on how emotionally attached you were to your wedding cake.

If it’s simply too rich for your blood, but you are desperate to keep your cake, try sourcing one from Fun Cake Rental. For less money than you’d spend on a ceramic repro, Kimberly Aya will whip you up a pretty faux full-size cake that will keep forever with a little care. The concept is simple — serve your guests similarly colored sheet cake, and they’ll be none the wiser.

Or will they? I’ve never attended a wedding with a fake cake…that I know of. It wouldn’t bother me if I found out the cake on my plate wasn’t the cake on display. It also wouldn’t bother me if bride and groom fed me pie or cookies or brownies. Have you ever been to a reception where it was painfully obvious that the cake was a sham?

*Alternate headline: Fake-a-cake?