I’m so excited to share with you a new[er] blog stuffed full of ideas, inspiration, resources, and photos - Engaged & Inspired! The creator of Aspiring Couture, Allison, brings you fresh, modern, chic ideas from the wonderful world of weddings. Recently engaged herself, Allison started the blog to provide fellow brides with “a complete bridal resource offering top inspiration, gorgeous detail ideas, fabulous suggested vendors, and a wedding shop full of hand-picked original designs”.
My favorite part of Engaged & Inspired has to be all the great eye candy – tons of fabulous photo inspiration that I simply can’t get enough of. I forced myself to pick just one to share with you here…. don’t you just ADORE all these great tags!?
Providing all the pretty pictures ties in perfectly with the services Allison also offers via her blog – custom, made to order inspiration boards (with a bunch of extras). All you have to do is send her a few photos of things that represent your style, venue (if you’ve already tied it down), color choices, etc., and she’ll send you the following:
- A full cohesive plan with plenty of details, to pull your wedding style together.
- “How-to’s” and “Where-to’s” for purchasing and creating items from the idea board so you can execute wedding plans efficiently
- A suggested list of vendors to work with that fit your style and budget. (Researched by us in advance to ensure quality of service!)
- Suggested design plan for setting up the venue, or how to add in those details that you can’t live without.
Such a great idea, especially for the bride that needs a little help getting the creative juices flowing. So, go see all of this fabulousness for yourself, or email Allison directly – allison@engagedandinspired.com.
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Hurrah! I got my Real Simple Weddings 2010 issue in the mail last week and I’m so excited to share some of the fabulous tidbits that you can find in this issue (below the image of the cover featuring an *amazing* bouquet).
Of course, as with all Real Simple publications, you’ll find great advice on how to simplify your life (and in this case, wedding planning). Some great articles you’ll find in the 2010 issue – a timeline and year long planning calendar, great questions and answers on budgets, locations, guests, attire, flowers, vows, reportage, food, and the overall ambiance of your big day, choosing your cake and picking out wedding day decorations. You’ll even find a pullout guide of checklists and guides and a website index of all the websites listed in the magazine.
My favorite part, however, are the Real Weddings featured throughout the issue. With themes like “Married and Bright”, “East Meets South”, “Together by Design”, and “A Handmade Tale”, they simply must be great, right?! I wish I could feature one or two here, but the images belong to the brides and grooms (understandably). You’ll just have to pick up a copy for yourself to see them!
Other great features definitely worth checking out? The “Choose Your Color Palette” with three different palettes for each of the green, blue, purple, pink/red/ orange, and yellow base colors, and “Flowers at a Glance” that gives you a nice breakdown of popular flowers, their “in” seasons, colors you can find them in, and a few other good-to-know facts. And I can’t leave without mentioning the Silhouette Glossary – cute sketches and great descriptions handy for anyone shopping for a wedding dress!
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One perk of writing a blog? Free stuff! I got to pick out a few cute little items from INKtastic and I just had to show them off!
As a newly engaged person myself, I said “why not” to one of those Future Mrs.s shirts. I think it came out quite well!
AND! Probably the more cute of the two little goodies I got to pick out (and this is for a family member, not us)…
Too cute, isn’t it? INKtastic has tons of cute customizable options – something for brides and grooms, bridesmaids, groomsmen, flower girls and ring bearers, parents, whomever! Shirts, tanks, totes, even customizable unmentionables.
Everything was super easy to pick out and customize, and my order arrived in just a few days. The quality is great, too – something I always worry about when ordering online! The site is actually a family owned business and I love the words they sell by – “If we wouldn’t buy it, we won’t sell it.”
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You know I’m a fan of SUGAR! I’m also a fan of entrepreneurs and startups. You’ll find the perfect combination of the two with Chocomize!
Nick from Chocomize contacted me a while ago and offered me some samples of the AMAZING chocolate bars they make. I had fun picking out the types of chocolate I wanted and all the good things to mix in. They carry selection of nuts and seeds, fruits, herbs and spices, candy, and other decorations. Check out a few below.
Here are a few pictures of the goodies I received! I picked out a white chocolate bar with oreo cookie bits mixed in. Brandon (the beau) opted for milk chocolate with peanut butter chips, chocolate and peanut butter candies, and gold flakes. Yes, gold flakes (how totally awesome is that?!).
The guys over at Chocomize are more than happy to work with brides and grooms to come up with something special for weddings! Couples can customize to their hearts’ content and even design the packaging to have pictures, messages, or, well, just about anything they want. Side note: orders of over 50 bars get a nice little discount.
If you’re interested in designing your own goodies, click over to Chocomize, or find them on Twitter and Facebook. Also check out their blog – tons of fun things like the History of Chocolate and the Story of Saint Valentine.
If you place an order, type ‘Valentine’ into the coupon section of the checkout to receive free shipping!
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I’m excited to share this new venture from a group of MBA students/entrepreneurs at Columbia University. Olapic gives couples and guests a place to upload and share photos after the wedding. After all, while the pro’s pictures are great, guests often capture moments that your photog misses. Olapic makes seeing and sharing those guest pictures a breeze. Check out the website and watch the super cute video the explains the service.
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Hello all! This is our first ever “advertiser appreciation post”. As you can see to our right, we have some wonderful people to get some exposure to their own sites through ours. Today, we’re featuring the fabulous Shirley Tan. We’ll be honest – we think it’s pretty awesome that she advertises on our site. But, there is much more to this wedding gift guru!
This awesome woman is an entrepreneur, business owner, wife, mom to three, and wedding goody extraordinaire (and much more). One of her websites and online shops is all about wedding favors and gifts. She’s got them all – bridesmaid gifts, groomsmen gifts, and even an array of personalized wedding favors.
Here is one of my favorite – a bridesmaid tote. I’m tote obsessed, so naturally I’d love this one! Love the monograms, too.
Some wedding websites seem a bit “sketch” and I’ll admit, I’d feel a bit uncomfortable ordering from them. But after having worked with Shirley for quite a while, I can say I’d totally trust her and her staff. Let’s hear it for Shirley and her American Bridal!
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I love featuring artists!! I’m excited about this particular singer and songwriter because he happens to share a name with my grandfather (and just about a gazillion other people in the U.S. – go figure).
His name is David Olson. I love how this Twin Cities citizen feels about his music and connecting with people – “I want people to be inspired to love genuinely and live courageously when they listen to my music!” How fabulous is that?
I asked him about his music and if he had any pieces that are particularly wonderful for weddings. He mentioned three: I’m Forever Changed, Because, and You Made All the Difference. I vote for “Because” as my favorite. 
You can hear samples of his music on his website, or purchase it here.
Now, if you want him to play at your wedding, you’ll just have to contact him yourself. (He’s super nice, so have no worries!) Check out his blog and website for more information.
Thanks for letting us chat with you, David!
On a side note, David is also a Realtor in the MN area – so if you’re looking to buy somewhere around there, check him out.
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When preparing for a wedding, brides tend to spend a lot of time beautifying themselves (months before they are to walk down the aisle – not just on the big day). I recently got to try out the Clarisonic PLUS Skin Care System with Spot Therapy, a fun skincare tool that helps clean and tighten skin on the face and other targeted areas. The hand held brush spins, and beeps when it’s time to move to a different spot on the face (which is helpful for not over-doing a certain spot).
After using the Clarisonic, I could definitely feel a difference in my skin. I’ll admit, I was a bit skeptical, as I always am when it comes to skin care things. But, you know the light, really clean, cool feeling you get after giving your face a good ole’ scrub? THAT’s what it’s like.
This little kit would definitely make a fun addition to any beauty routine. But, I think it would also be a fun thing to gift to your ladies – you can even get them personalized with a name or phrase. How fabulous is that!? Check out the kit below.
Get more info on the Clarisonic here, or check out their Facebook fan page for updates and to check out what other customers think!
Be beautiful!
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Hello lovelies! Today I wanted to fill you in on all the fab wedding stuff happening on WE TV. If you’re anything like me, you could spend an entire day (or two, or three…or more…) watching wedding stuff on the tube, and I must say, WE is definitely “well stocked” with great shows. Here is rundown of what you can see on WE!
Amazing Wedding Cakes (Sundays at 10p|9c)
This show is addicting! Some of the most amazing cakes are displayed on this show, along with all of the work that goes into making them.
Bridezillas (Sundays at 9p|8c)
This show makes me squirm! I honestly hope and pray that the ladies featured here are putting on an act for the cameras…. Either way, they make for some great entrainment. If nothing else, they are prime examples of exactly how NOT to be a bride.
Platinum Weddings (Sundays at 10p|9c)
Drool! These weddings are big (and that’s quite the understatement) and are a fabulous source of inspiration, whether or not your budget is anywhere NEAR that of the couples’ featured. If nothing else, just watch and dream!
My Fair Wedding(New season starting in September)
David is one of my more recent wedding loves! I recently purchased one of his birthday books, “
Big Birthdays“, and it is faaaabulous! He has so many words of wisdom and in his books and his shows, he’s always offering fresh, unique looks! We love you David!
Two other shows WE has
Rich Bride, Poor Bride and
Wedding Central seem informative, but I can’t quite speak for them (never seen them). But if they are anything else like WE’s other wedding shows, they are bound to be great!
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Every Bride wants kissable lips on her wedding day, perhaps more so than any other day. So why not gloss those babies up! I got to test some of Sally Hansen’s new Diamond 12 Hour Lip Treatment and wanted to share my thoughts with you. The “Treatment” works to “replenish and hydrate lips while providing three exciting levels of coverage-diamonds, pearls and opals-to be worn alone or layered for unlimited effects”.
The formula for this sparkly gloss includes Retinol (for smoothing and antioxidant benefits) and a time-released Moisture Complex that supposed to help replenish lips for up to 12 hours. When applied, the treatment does glide on smoothly with a brush applicator, and doesn’t get all sticky and gross after a few minutes (alleluia!). In my experience, however, it didn’t last up to 12 hours. I didn’t try kissing lots of people, or one person a ton of times, but it did stay put for three to four hours, which I still think is great!
So, if you’re looking to dress up your lips, I’d definitely recommend this lip treatment. I think they’d also make a fun little gift to treat your bridesmaids to (hey, who doesn’t like getting all prettied up?). They come in a number of shades with fabulous names, which include Engaging, Princess, Gem, Marquise, Flawless, Solitaire, In Love, Tiara, Fancy, Eternity, Ascher and Bauguette.
Check out the fab shades here and a pic below.
GIVEAWAY DETAILS: Sally’s giving one fabulous reader quite a spread! All twelve shades of the Diamond collection! To enter, just leave a comment! A winner will be chosen at random next Wednesday, June 12th.
If you don’t win, you can still pick up your fave shade in just about any drug store across the nation. Check out Sally Hansen for store locations. Not a bad price, I dare say, at only $6.25!
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