Little Borrowed Dress - LOVE

From Shekinah:

We want to share a FANTASTIC service that will keep your bridesmaids loving you even more than they already do! Little Borrowed Dress basically goes under the premise of “if groomsmen can rent their tuxes, why can’t the bridesmaids save a little money too?” After all, bridesmaids typically spend about $1,000 between the dress, alterations, jewelry, makeup, shower gifts, and party planning. Thank GOODNESS someone finally decided to give the bridesmaids a break!

I have to admit, I was a little skeptical before I checked their site out- but after reading it, I actually wish I did this for my bridesmaids. All dresses are universally flattering and-get this- need no alterations whatsoever. All dresses feature A-line skirts or empire waists (to take care of the hip sizes of most women). In addition, to accommodate for bust differences, all dresses have elastic in strategically placed points on the dress to provide additional room as needed. Finally, styles with straps are either adjustable straps, or in the case of a one shoulder piece, the straps can be tied to make the top as tight as needed.

You can try the dresses on in their New York City store, or, you can easily order online. What makes this company even more awesome is that will send you TWO sizes of your dress at no extra cost- just so you can choose the one that fits better. In addition, they send you an envelope with postage to make returning the dresses a breeze.

All dresses are high quality dresses made of silk, come in a variety of colors, are dry-cleaned in between each use, and are locally manufactured in New York City’s Garment District. Most importantly, your bridesmaids will consider you the coolest person ever for not making them buy yet another $200 dollar dress that will collect dust in the back of their closets.

So, get yourself over to www.littleborroweddress.com today!

Ps- you’re welcome J

Meet our summer interns!

Kellianne is a public relations major and psychology minor at Hofstra University. Ever since she "hooked up" her aunt and uncle (who are now married with 3 children), she knew she loved weddings. Kellianne will bring her creative and artistic ideas, and her PR and marketing skills, to Cloud Nove this summer. If she isn’t dancing and singing at a country concert, she’s watching the New York Yankees, snowboarding in Vermont or hanging out with her family and friends.

Nicole is a communications major at the University of Connecticut. She has helped plan events for non-profit organizations, her sorority, and her school.  Nicole fell in love with Cloud Nove Events because of our unique team, and our dedication to our clients. During her internship she will bring her energy, resourcefulness and great interpersonal skills to working with our couples and vendors over the summer. Nicole enjoys spending time laughing with her friends, whether its going out or just hanging out and relaxing. She also loves playing with her dog, Shaynna – an adorable maltipoo who is usually sporting pink sweaters and bows. 

Tuesday ShoesDay Inspiration

From Shekinah:

One of my absolute favorite parts of wedding fashion is without a doubt, the wedding shoe. They are the perfect way to make a statement, let your personality shine through, and complete your look so you feel like a bride from head to toe (literally). So with that in mind, here are some of my swoon-worthy favorites for this season:

Romantic and Light

Top Row (from left): Harriet Wilde’s Sakura, Christy Ng's Ivory Rossa, BHLDN's Oyster Bed D'Orsays

Bottom Row (from left): Badgley Mischka's Randall, Christie Ng's Chandelier, Giuseppe Zanotti Chiffon Sandal

Best of the Bling

Top Row (from left): Tabitha Simmon's Chandelier Sandal; Sergio Rossi's Mermaid; Giuseppe Zanotti T-Strap Sandal

Bottom Row (from left): Jimmy Choo's Diva; Jimmy Choo's Lotus; Rene Caovilla T-Strap Beaded Sandal

Something Blue

Top Row (from left): Sergio Rossi's Murmansk, Christian Louboutin's Lady Peep Strass, Jimmy Choo's Kista

Bottom Row (from left): BHLDN's Elopement Pumps, Manolo Blahnik's Swan, Badgley Miscka's Goodie

  

To light or not to light...

As wedding planners, we work with our clients on every detail of their event. This includes designing décor that will set the tone of the event, and help create the ambiance and feel our couples are looking for. One of the easiest and most affordable ways I’ve found to have significant impact is through event lighting. 

The right lighting can provide a stunningly elegant effect – but what’s important to remember is that the lighting should enhance and work with your space, not against it.   Uplighting is a series of lights that are set up around a room that light up the walls. LED lighting can be all one color or can be programmed to change colors. 

I’ve worked with some couples who selected Mansion style venues, and wonder if uplighting would create too much of a club atmosphere. Though it’s true that absolutely you could create that kind of mood, a soft blush single color uplighting can warm up a space and create a dramatic backdrop.  Lighting can also give an evening special feel to an afternoon event, or be used to incorporate the event’s theme and colors into a neutral space. 

Photo by Indigo foto

For all of my uplighting needs, my go to vendor is LMS Entertainment. Their equipment is top notch, and they really understand how to work best with a space to have the lighting enhance the event.  Here’s a wonderful example of a beautiful event space before and after uplighting:

Above photos by LMS Entertainment

Another lighting element that many couples are using now is a monogram/gobo. Mostly used as a monogram for the dance floor and photos, a gobo projection can also be used as a decorative element and placed on the wall or ceiling. You can see how we used snowflakes in the photo below, to bring a bit of the couple’s winter wonderland theme into their venue. 

 

Photo by Indigo foto

Lighting can be bold and dramatic, or soft and subtle. Either way it is a design element that I feel should be considered when envisioning any special event.  

Le printemps

From Shekinah:

“Springtime in Paris”- it’s famous for a reason. Gorgeous  weather, a lush abundance of flowers, romantic softness, all steeped in the rich history of one of Europe’s most renowned cities. 

 

Flowers are the focus of your décor- peonies, ranunculus, french tulips, and cabbage roses as the main flowers with lilacs, hyacinth, and sweet pea as fillers.  Unify the florals by keeping it monochromatic or add a creamy neutral, and skip plain vases. Instead put them in vintage tea tins, antique perfume bottles  (how about using  Chanel No 5 bottles as bud vases?), or allow the flowers to peak through a birdcage. For fashion, the Bhldn dress is perfect for the bride, cream  or muted floral patterns for bridemaids, and cream suits for the groomsmen. Keep the food light and airy with seasonal entrees, a buttercream cake adorned with flowers, and pastel macarons for favors. C’est Magnifique!

Tale as old as time

For the past two months, Shekinah has been directing a production of "Beauty and the Beast" with 80 middle-school students. Since she's had Belle on the mind, this week she's prepared a "Beauty and the Beast” themed inspiration board for you.

From Skekinah: Use elements of the story, but don’t limit yourself to a literal interpretation when thinking of your decor (aka you don’t need cutouts of the characters). For a venue, I LOVE the idea of using the historic New York Public Library. Centerpieces can pay homage to Cogsworth, Lumiere, and Mrs. Potts with antique conglomerations of clocks , old books- or replicas of them , gold candelabras, mismatched teacups, and red roses in bell jars. Don’t forget a nod to Madame Grande de la Bouche by displaying escort cards and old photos on a gilded vanity. 

Bridal attendants could be in navy blue and light yellow/gold (like Belle and the Beast during their famous dance scene). Your food presentation should be outstanding with cloche-covered dishes and white glove service. Finally, make sure your dessert is just as spectacular with crepe-suzette or pudding en flambé. Bon appetite everyone!

Why we LOVE VeilTV

From Shekinah: I have to admit that I’ve been pretty lucky when it comes to planning my own wedding. Since I work in the wedding industry, I’ve had the chance to work with a lot of vendors. As a result, it was pretty easy to figure out who would accommodate our style, personalities, priorities, and budget the best (ps- Regina was a huge resource for this as well). That being said, I know my job gives me that rare advantage- but what about all of YOU who need to select the perfect vendors?

This is where a fantastic new resource, VeilTV NY/Long Island, comes into play. Based in Vancouver it has now expanded to the NY/Long Island area. This website is devoted to couples who REALLY want to know their vendors. After all vendors may have great reviews online, but what if the other couples based their review on factors that aren’t so important to you? What if a vendor seems great on paper but your personalities don’t really mesh? Plus, consider the amount of time you’ll need to meet 4-5 vendors for EACH aspect of your wedding.

Lucky for us, VeilTV does a lot of that work for you. Every vendor on VeilTV has a filmed an interview that not only allows a potential client to see their work, but their personality as well. In addition to these fabulous interviews, they have a number of blogs, advice articles, and some amazing give-aways too. So take a look and “meet them before you meet with them”!

Here's a little glimpse into what it's like to work with Regina: