Free Event for Brides

Last night I received an email from Danielle of On Location Professional Makeup Artistry and wanted to pass along the details about her free event she is holding this weekend. Please share this info with other bride-to-be's and your friends. Danielle and other professional artists that work for her will be there providing free trials for Brides and other guests. Sounds like a fun event.

Event: Skincare and Makeup Application
Date: Saturday, August 9th 12-7 pm
Location: Robert Jordan Salon
208 High St. Wakefield, Rhode Island 02879

Service will be free of charge. If you would like to attend, please call Danielle at 310-430-0117 or send an email to onlocationnyc{at}gmail{dot}com

Wedding Details

The week continues with more from the NJ Wedding Salon - here's a few of my favorite detailed photos I took while at the show...
Glass votive holders hanging from tree branches were the centerpiece for the escort card table upon entrance created by A Touch of Elegance. Below is another view of the amazing display. Pink beaded napkin ring holder with edge of beaded plate from Select Event Rentals. Close-up of Vera Wang wedding gown modeled at exclusive fashion show. Customized napkin ring from Boxwood Linen.

The $100,000 Bride

Here's the photo of the $100,000 bride from the NJ Wedding Salon - everything she is wearing (dress, veil, headpiece, necklace, earrings, etc) add up to $100,000 retail (dress from Kleinfeld's). Wow! It was amazing to see it in person.

Coming tomorrow will be the photo details from the show . . .

Vera Wang Fall 2008 Collection

Below are photos of some of the gowns shown during the Exclusive Vera Wang Fall 2008 Bridal Fashion Show during yesterdays NJ Wedding Salon held at the stunning Palace at Somerset Park. There was a total of 22 dresses modeled, I've selected 15 to show you (only because 1 of 2 things happened with my photos of the other seven dresses)
A. the photo is blurry
B. I was only able to capture the back of the dress
Please pardon the occasional head cropping and eyes closed. While I love taking photographs - I'm definitely not a professional :)

Which dress is your favorite? Please leave your comment(s) and/or thought(s) and I'll reveal the top winners next week. (My personal favorites are #1 with the velvet ribbon sash, #4 cotton tulle and #6 triple tiered silk organdy)
Photos 1, 2, 3

Photos 4, 5, 6

Photos 7, 8, 9

Photos 10, 11, 12

Photos 13, 14, 15
Sorry for the saturated photos above - something must have went wrong with my flash.

I will be posting photos of the backs of some of the dresses in another post either this afternoon or tomorrow - some of them were absolutely beautiful. Don't forget to vote for your favorite dress(es) shown above.

Check back all next week as I will be highlighting more from The Wedding Salon show - there will be inspiration, photos, ideas and new trends.

NJ Wedding Salon Recap

My apologies for not being able to post yesterday about the spectacular show The Wedding Salon hosted. My husband and I didn't make it back home until after midnight (got stuck in 2 major traffic jams which added another hour to our drive home). This morning I will be going thru the photos I took at the show and I'll be posting photos from the Exclusive Vera Wang bridal show which featured gowns from her Fall 2008 Collection. Come back and vote for your favorite.

I'll be in New Jersey tomorrow . . .

If all goes according to plan, I will be attending the NJ Wedding Salon tomorrow which is taking place at The Palace at Somerset Park. I'm going to try and post some pictures from the event while I am there, but since I'm used to editing my photos in Photoshop and I haven't quite figured out how to resize in flickr yet (crazy, I know)...I might have to wait until I return home in the evening. But, be sure to check out Thursdays post which will include photos from the show and details on the participating vendors.

Would love to hear from you if you plan to attend.

Win Free Tickets to the Wedding Salon

Enter to Win Complimentary Tickets
to The Wedding Salon
Wednesday June 25, 2008 from 3pm to 8pm
The Palace at Somerset Park, NJ
See an Exclusive Vera Wang Bridal Fashion Show

There will also be Beauty Consultations, Cake Tastings, Amazing Table Decor, Book Signings, and Great Gift Bags

I have 5 tickets to give away (each ticket admits you and a guest). Please email me directly at brenda(at)bestweddingsites(dot)com by Monday, June 23rd at noon EST with the following information: name, address, phone, email, wedding date and location. 5 lucky winners will receive a complimentary pass for them and a guest to the amazing bridal event on Wednesday.

For those brides who would like to purchase tickets to the NJ Wedding Salon event on June 25th, I have a special discount for you. Tickets are 2 for $25 (a savings of $50). You can RSVP with code BESTWEDNJ08P at www.WeddingSalon.com

Invite Your Friends! Bridal Parties Welcome!

Gourmet Burgers for Weddings

Hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. What better way to kick off the unofficial start of the summer wedding season than with burgers. These aren't just any burgers though - they're considered gourmet burgers. I think they’re perfect for your summer wedding parties, bridal showers, engagement parties, rehearsal dinners and maybe even the wedding itself. I love the newest trend in weddings of not serving the traditional (expected) types of dinner. Why not give your guests something unexpected? . . . a comfort food I'm sure they’ll love (and vegetarian burgers can be made as well). There's also the option of mini burgers (often called sliders) served as appetizers. Serve them on sticks and they’re sure to be an attention grabber.

Gourmet Burger image credits with links to recipes (where available):

Gourmet Seafood Burgers:
Tuna Burger with Cabbage Tzatziki from iVillage, recipe here
Sesame Tuna Burgers with Fried Shoestring Zucchini from epicurious.com
Salmon Burgers with Dill Mustard from Rachel Ray

Gourmet Vegetarian Burgers:
Open-Faced Falafel Burgers from Cooking Light
Grilled Mushroom "Burgers" on Polenta "Buns" from Rachel Ray

Gourmet Beef Burgers:
Tyler's Slider Trio from disney mike's flickr photo gallery
not shown Mini Beef and Sage Sliders with Gorgonzola from Rachel Ray

Peter of Callahan Catering is a well-known wedding caterer who creates mini versions of everybody's favorite dishes including mini cheeseburgers on the smallest of poppyseed buns.

For even more inspiring ideas and recipes I found The Gourmet Burger cookbook at Amazon and the article "Mini burgers, mighty taste" from the St. Petersburg Times

Ticket Giveaway for NY Wedding Salon

If you will be in the NYC area on Monday April 21st and would like to attend the NY Wedding Salon taking place from 3 pm - 8 pm at Gotham Hall (1356 Broadway), I have 5 complimentary tickets available. Each ticket admits you and a guest into the show. (reg. price is $75 for 2 tickets)

To receive your free admission, please email me directly your full name, city/state, and email address to:
brenda (at) bestweddingsites (dot) com
The first 5 respondents will receive the complimentary tickets. Good Luck!

Tatiana Byron, Founder of The Wedding Salon, will bring together the most prominent talents in the business for the NY Wedding Salon including:

• Celebrity Event Designers David Tutera and Thomas Noel
• Fabulous Florals By Michael George
• Cake Connoisseur Sylvia Weinstock
• Million Dollar Wedding Band by Daniel K. and Celebrity Wedding Jewelry by H. Stern
• Top registries like Bloomingdale’s, Crate and Barrel, Scully & Scully and Bed Bath & Beyond
• Martini & Champagne "Bubbles & Blue" Bar by HPNOTIQ Liqueur
• Hottest Honeymoon & Destination Wedding Locations by The Leading Hotels of The World, Cayman Islands, Barbados Tourism, Royal Plantation
• Venues, Invitations, Photographers, Videographers and much more

With intimate book signings by David Tutera and Michael George, one-on-one consultations with the industry's best, and a meet-and-greet with Sylvia Weinstock, couples at the Wedding Salon get exclusive insider access to top bridal resources all under one roof. Brides save months of planning time in the creation of their own flawless, fairytale weddings.

The Wedding Salon New York will be helping to benefit Brides Against Breast Cancer, a Making Memories affiliate with a campaign to raise funds by giving gowns a yet more meaningful purpose. Additionally, attending brides will receive Complimentary Beauty Treatments as well a top of the line gift bag.

Wedding Salon Tickets

We have a special promotional offer for our engaged readers that are able to attend the NYC Wedding Salon event on Monday, April 21, 2008 at Gotham Hall - 1356 Broadway, NYC from 3 pm - 8 pm. Tickets are 2 for $50 with code BestNY08P at www.WeddingSalon.com. You can contact Sheenah@WeddingSalon.com or 212.631.7777 with any questions. Maybe I'll be able to see you at the event - if you have attended a Wedding Salon event in the past, please leave a comment and let us know your thoughts.
At The Wedding Salon NYC event you will see Spectacular Table Centerpieces, Photographers, Couture Gowns, Jewels, Ceremony Musicians, Invitations. You can also join Sylvia Weinstock, David Tutera, Michael George Flowers, '21' Club, Renny & Reed, Bernard Maisner, Kleinfeld, and more. There will even be Complimentary Beauty Services, Cake Tastings, a Champagne Bar, & Incredible Gift Bags. This is one event you won't want to miss.

Wedding Planning 101

If you live in Louisville KY, Washington DC or St. Louis MO - you are invited to attend an Exclusive Wedding Planning and Registry Event hosted by Martha Stewart Weddings and Macy's. These 3 exclusive events will be taking place in the coming week. Unfortunately, I'm not in one of these cities so I won't be able to attend, but, if you do, please come back and let me know how the event went. Here's all the details that were sent to me earlier this morning:
Join Darcy Miller, SVP and editorial director of Martha Stewart Weddings magazine, and Wendy Kromer, co-author of the new book Martha Stewart’s Wedding Cakes, as they provide tips for planning the perfect wedding at Macy’s stores in Louisville, Kentucky (March 2), Washington DC (March 6) and St. Louis, Missouri (March 9).

Sunday, March 2: 1 – 3pm
Macy’s Oxmoor
7900 Shelbyville Road • Home Store, 3rd Floor • Louisville, KY
RSVP: 502.423.3356

Thursday, March 6: 6:30 – 8:30pm
Macy’s at Tyson’s Corner
8000 Tysons Corner Center • McClean, VA
RSVP: 703.893.4900 ext. 515

Sunday, March 9: 12 – 2pm
Macy’s at St. Louis Galleria
1550 St. Louis Galleria • Home Store, 3rd Floor • St. Louis, MO
RSVP: 314.726.1810 ext. 3205

Details: Darcy will educate brides with Wedding Planning 101 – highlighting style, personalization, examples of memorable weddings featured in the magazine and how to register. Wendy will highlight some of the more than 100 delicious and inspiring ideas for timeless and beautiful confections that are perfect for every style of wedding as featured in the new book – Martha Stewart’s Wedding Cakes. Wendy will sign copies of the book, available to purchase at the retail price of $60 plus tax.

Both Darcy and Wendy will be available to answer brides’ personal questions following the presentation and book signing. Brides will have the opportunity to browse the entire Martha Stewart Collection, which is available exclusively at Macy’s, including the newly debuted Martha Stewart Collection with Wedgwood assortment of fine bone china, crystal stemware and flatware.

Darcy Miller and Macy’s Wedding & Gift Registry will be on hand to answer registry questions like: How many place settings do I register for? What is hard anodized? And what exactly is a duvet, anyway? This, plus tips on Macy’s registry rewards, and more will all be at brides’ fingertips during the event.

Who:
Darcy Miller: Senior Vice President and Weddings Editorial Director for Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc, Darcy
oversees every aspect of the weddings brand across all of the Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. business segments: publishing, broadcasting, merchandising, and internet. She has been actively involved with Martha Stewart Weddings since the first issue in 1995.

Wendy Kromer: Co-Author of “Martha Stewart’s Wedding Cakes,” master baker, decorator and contributing editor of Martha Stewart Weddings magazine.