StyleMePretty Cover Feature - Our Fall Holman Ranch Wedding

Our fall wedding at Holman Ranch from last October was a cover feature in this week's StyleMePretty! What a compliment to say the least! As one of my most favorite wedding blogs online today, it's wonderful to be recognized for our work since these ladies see the best of the best in weddings all over the country. Thanks Abby and Erin!

See the entire write-up here and view the beautiful image gallery.

Bridal Style - Stepping Away from Tradition (just a touch)

Who said breaking the rules can't be fun?

Every bride knows that her dress is THE main focal point of the wedding and IT is what sets her decor theme into action. Why not step out of the traditional box and be bold by using colors, textures and patterns? It's your day, isn't it?

Every season I fall in love with so many bridal gowns fabulous designers showcase on the runway, both traditional and non-traditional, that it's impossible for me to favor one way or the other. Weddings encompass fashion in every sense of the word so when it comes to bridal style, there are no "rights" and no "wrongs". Celebrities such as Gwen Stefani and Sarah Jessica Parker embraced this philosophy and went against the traditional grain by wearing gowns by designers that were unconventional and colorful. It's your day and don't be afraid to break a little tradition when it comes to style. All you got to do is "own it"!

Here are a few of my favorite rule breaking bridal gowns out this season:

Pleated Fantasy Gown by BHLDN

Zinnia Gown by BHLDN

Trumpeted Pavot Gown by BHLDN

Pastel by Monique Lhuillier

Felicity by Vera Wang

Style #RK289 by Romona Kaveza

Style #RK229 by Romona Kaveza

Look #18 by Oscar de la Renta

Worth Splurging For - Bridal Shoes by Giuseppe Zanotti

I'm always on the search for bridal shoes for my clients, and well, for myself! I come from the school of thought where shoes are always a great investment and definitely worth splurging for.

Here are a set of shoes made by Giuseppe Zanotti that I absolutely adore and one out of this collection would be perfect with almost any wedding gown style or season. Enjoy! (These are all available on endless.com)

New Website Is Now LIVE!

Soiree by Simone Lennon is excited to announce the launch of our new website. Please feel free to check out our featured wedding section with lots of fun photos of this past year's weddings.

SBS Website 2.0 will be launching in April with additional wedding photo galleries, our upcoming cover feature in Style Me Pretty and a few other bells and whistles.

Check out the new site here.

Don't Forget the Shoes! Collection from Badgely Mischka

Most brides are leaning towards the trend of a photo-journalistic photography to capture their wedding day. I personally love how photo-journalism tells the romantic story of the couple through specific shots throughout the wedding day. It's definitely the way to go if the couple decides to not employ the services of a videographer.

If you have been looking at photo-journalistic wedding albums, then you'll know that "the shoes" are one of the big highlights of the bride's attire in their album. With that said, DON'T SKIMP ON THE SHOES.

Here are some great AFFORDABLE designer shoes from bridal powerhouse, Badgely Mischka. The collection is available at shoes.com.

Uneasy About Taking His Name? No Sweat.

The wedding is near and you've got all your ducks in a row. All that's left to do is to finalize your headcount, look over your timelines and go to your last dress fitting. As you're giving your vendor contracts another look, you notice the marriage license application, and out of nowhere, you start feeling uneasy about changing your last name. You're feeling some guilt because love your fiancé and want to take his name, but there is a bit of anxiety about making the big switch.

If this isn't you and you've been waiting patiently to take his name, good for you! One less thing for you to think about during the last month of planning.

If this IS you, and you're feeling a sudden sense of overwhelming attachment to your maiden name, it's totally natural that you feel this way. After all, you've been YOU all your life so don't feel bad.

On average, women are getting married later in life due to putting more focus on their education and pursuing higher power careers. Many women now hold careers as teachers, doctors and lawyers, or are business owners with large brands, where their maiden name is a big part of their professional identity. Some women really like their last name and may decide that they want to keep it regardless of their profession. Whatever the reason for the anxiety, it's a personal choice and it's something you should speak with your future spouse about.

If you're working through this issue and not sure what to do, here are some good options to think about:

Take both
Many women, especially professional women, are deciding to drop their middle name and replace it with their maiden while officially taking his as their last. That way people can still identify them as they did professionally but with an addition.

For example, if the bride's name is Jane Margaret Smith (known professionally as Jane Smith), and her husband-to-be is Mark Johnson, her married name would become Jane Smith Johnson. It has the same ring as her professional name but also identifies her newly married name as well.

This really is the most seamless transition for professional women who legally want to change their name to reflect their husband.

You can Hyphenate
Married women have been doing this for years. You keep your last name and just add his after yours using a hyphen which becomes one long last name. In fact, some men adopt the newly hyphenated name, and when children come along, so do they. The hyphenated name is a completely new identity for the family that was created equally from both sides of the union.

For example, using Jane Margaret Smith and Mark Johnson, her new name would become  
Jane Margaret Smith-Johnson.  Same case for Mark if he decided to legally change his name.

Keep Your Name Professionally But Take His Legally
If you've seen Sex and The City II then you'll probably be familiar with the scene where Standford gives Carrie her Maid-of-Honor corsage with a "Mrs. Carrie Preston" tag on the box. She looks at him puzzled as to why he's labeled it using her married name instead of her professional name she's identified with, "Ms. Carrie Bradshaw". He responds to her that married names are identified in special circumstances, even if it's not the name she identifies herself with.

You can legally take your husband's name but still identify yourself by your maiden name. Many celebrities do this to preserve their public image, especially if they are a household name. The only time you would be known by your husband's name is if you are signing legal documents or anything that has to do with being announced as a legally married couple.

Whatever you decide, make sure it's right for you. Just make sure you talk to your future spouse about it as both of you are entering into this legal union.

For information on how to legally change your name, go here.
For information on applying for your marriage application, go here.

Happy Planning!

Going Green - Responsibility Has Never Been So Stylish

"We won't have a society if we destroy the environment" was once famously said by Anthropologist Margaret Mead.

With the rise and awareness of global warming and post-consumer waste, and the effects they have on our planet, it's our responsibility to make better decisions on how we treat our environment. For most couples, planning a wedding is a fabulous way to start. 

Unfortunately, every year, millions of weddings are planned utilizing billions of items that are used once and sent to landfills, not to mention the carbon footprint a wedding can leave from out-of-town guests' travel, non-local floral and catering food orders, and other wedding related products. It's clearly evident that weddings truly impact the environment and our planet as a whole.

Couples don't have to change their entire wedding theme to "green, eco-chic" but they can make better decisions in the planning process that will definitely make a big impact in the long run. Couples just need to be aware and know they have more green alternative to many of the items that are used on their big day.

By following some basic tips below, a wedding couple can minimize their event's environmental impact tremendously, while still having the amazing day of their dreams.

Use Recycled or Tree-Free Paper Materials
Finding fabulous invitation suites made from recyclable paper and other materials is simple these days, in fact, pretty much most stationary boutiques offer lots of options using 100% recycled, partially recycled or completely tree-free papers. One of my favorite uber trendy stationers, HelloLucky, has made 'going green' a policy by keeping to a strict standard of only printing on 100% cotton, hemp or recycled paper. Another one of my favorite stationers, Minted, also has a huge selection of eco-friendly sets as well.

Don't forget, eco-friendly paper products can be used for not only for invitations, 'save-the-dates' and thank you cards, but for escort cards, name placement cards, table numbers, signs, custom labels and tags, and favor boxes too. Do your research or ask your wedding planner to help locate these great materials.

Check out Hello!Lucky's gorgeous letterpress collection here.
Check out Minted's eco-friendly collections here.

Create an Efficient Wedding Website
Wedding websites are quickly emerging as THE central portal of information regarding a couple's wedding.  These days a good wedding website not only supplies guests with detailed logistical information about their affair, but have platforms with great tools implemented into their functionality which enable couples to manage a lot of the their communication - such as RSVP tracking, guest food preferences, directions, gift registries, hotel accommodations room  block info, attire suggestions, as well as the basics, place, date and time.  

Since everything is done digitally and online, websites are an incredibly green resource and a money saver. Couples now have the options of  doing away with those paper inserts for each one of those actions listed above, that, a) cost extra money, b)  recycled or not, is a complete and total waste of paper, and c) tack on more weight to each invite costing more money in postage. Honestly, I find it obnoxious to receive a "folder" type invitation with ten small pieces of paper all listing different tid-bits of information. Not only is it passé, most guests lose most of that info between the months of receiving it and the week of your wedding. I find it so much more sophisticated and modern to receive a simple yet elegant invite, with an RSVP card and a liner, and clear direction to visit a well made wedding website.

Furthermore, guests love wedding websites because they get a peek of what is to come which gets them excited for the big day. With that said, make sure you put the time and effort into the customization of your site with music, special photos and a theme that matches your event. There even is password protection in event of wedding crashers or the occasion "crazy ex".

There are a ton of them out there, but I like the following two free ones:

Wedsite.com and eWeddings.com. 

Go Vintage
Fashion is cyclical and designs can be timeless, so why not wear vintage?

Vintage wedding gowns by designers Oscar de la Renta or Chanel are still in a league of their own, though, wearing vintage doesn't mean it has to be "designer" vintage. Modernizing your grandmother's wedding gown or donning a beautiful tea length number you found in a trendy vintage shop is just as beautiful. As long as you feel beautiful in it, it doesn't matter how much you bought it for. Your wedding gown plays such a big part of the wedding's theme and tone, so have fun with all the special details that could be found in the beading, the lace or the sash. Also, don't forget to make it your own by adding some color, a florette or changing the straps. All you need is creativity and a good seamstress.

Find great vintage wedding gowns from Oncewed.com.

In my opinion, having vintage jewelry is not an option, it's a privilege. Good vintage or estate jewelry tells a story and carries a certain energy with it that contemporary jewelry, well, just doesn't. Estate jewelry is in every sense of the word "timeless", plus it's a total investment. Pieces that are passed down from generations or purchased from a fine estate jewelry store continue to hold their value and are one-of-a-kind pieces that you will never see another person wearing. One of my bride's has an incredible diamond and sapphire engagement ring from the 1930's which floors me, and everyone else every time I see her.

Check out amazing vintage jewelry and timepieces from the best estate retailer on the West Coast,  Fourtane  Jewelers. 

These days bridesmaids have alternatives to purchasing an expensive dress that they'll probably only wear once. If men can rent their suites and tuxes, why can't a bridesmaid rent her dress? Okay, I know this sounds strange, but I have recently discovered a new website called Rent-the-Runway, where women can rent designer gowns for a week - I'm talking about designers like Monique, Carolina, Missoni, D&G and many, many others. They have them in all formalities, lengths, colors and sizes. In fact, when they ship you the dress, they send you two sizes - your true size and one size larger to ensure your fit is correct. I honestly haven't tried it, but it's a good option to have if you have a small wedding party and want them to look top notch. If nothing else, how much fun would it be to feel like a million bucks for a night in a designer number that most of us couldn't afford to buy in a lifetime?

Check it yourself at rent-the-runway.com.

Select an Eco-Friendly Team of Vendors & Menu
Hiring eco-conscious vendors makes all the difference in offsetting your wedding's carbon footprint on the planet. Before hiring them, ask them where they source their products and make sure they purchase from local and organic farmers. This is especially true for your florist and caterer ensuring they aren't ordering food from across the country or placing orders with flower vendors in Ecuador, which obviously must travel by plane to get to your event emitting lots of Co2.

Be conscious about what you order and do some research, don't just take your vendors' word for it. If you want all local, seasonal and organic products to be used at your event, make sure you ask for products that you know are available in your area. For example, if you are getting married in the fall, trying looking up what flowers grow locally in the area during that season and select accordingly. If you select peonies for a fall wedding, a floral variety only available locally in spring, you are asking for a product to be flown in from South America - definitely not an eco-friendly decision. The same rules apply for menu selection. If you want fish, be conscience about which one you select. For instance, Chilean Sea Bass is delicious and available, however it's one of the top rated fish products to avoid on the Seafood Watch List due to being over-fished. Selecting an endangered fish to serve at your wedding is definitely not eco-friendly or morally correct either.

Find out what seafood is the best to serve in your area by visiting Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch List. 

Beef is also a popular choice on dinner menus. If you decided to add it, make sure to ask your caterer to source grass-fed, organic beef. Why grass-fed? Ruminants, like cows and sheep, have evolved to eat grass, not grain (and certainly not reprocessed animal by-products that many cheap cow farms feed their cattle to keep them fat). Yes, I know that grass-fed, organic beef may be more expensive, but why not serve a smaller, leaner and more delicious piece with a few other local, seasonal vegetable sides? Believe me, your guests won't miss it. Remember, menu planning is about a flavor and balance, not about the large piece of protein.

If you want more information on organic, grass-fed beef, go here.

A good caterer has knowledge about sustainability and locally grown products in their area, like one of my favorite catering companies, Paradise Catering in Carmel Valley, Ca. This husband and wife team actually live on three acres of land and grow most of the heirloom produce themselves which they serve at their clients' receptions. They really try to embody serving the freshest ingredients, literally from "garden to table".

There are many caterers, florists and weddings venues that are dedicated to minimizing the impact their services play on our planet, be sure to hire one or be prepared to thoroughly participate in the ordering and selection process.

Be Creative with Eco-friendly Guest Favors 
How many times have you been to a wedding and the favor is some cheesy heart topped wine cork? Not the most creative or eco-friendly decision by the bride and groom. You and I both know, most are left on the reception tables at the end of the night, thrown in the trash and then eventually into a some massive landfill in our environment.

Guests love to take away sweet treats to eat later on in the evening after the event. Try packaging up cookies, mini-cakes, petit-fours, cookies or candies in small boxes made of recycled paper with a ribbon and a custom label. You would be surprised that these little boxed goodies only run a few dollars each to produce. Plus, they are completely customized since we all know that weddings are all about the small details. It's much better to give your guests something that ends up in their stomach than in a landfill.

I love the premium chocolate combinations created by Michelle Crochet from Droga Confections in San Francisco. See her delectable creations here.  

Mini-cupcakes from a specialty bakery are always guest favorites at the end of an evening. I source these treats from  Pastries & Petals in Carmel, Ca. They can make them in all flavors and sizes, plus they outfit them in custom boxes - a total "one stop shop". Check out P&P here.

Go even greener by giving your guests small beautiful bundles of different kinds of seeds or a sprouting tree to take home and plant. For example, you could give away seeds from the flowers you used in your arrangements or the vegetables that were served on your menu. That way you can feel like you are giving back to the planet in what you used. It's kind of karmic in many ways. Try placing them in pretty custom recycled paper envelopes or organza sashes with custom  "thank you" tags and attach a fresh sprig of rosemary, thyme or lavender.

Looking to source seeds or seedlings, try visiting your local nursery for pricing or you can find them in bulk online at flowersoul.com.

Selecting eco-friendly favors for guests is not rocket science, it just takes some common sense, a little research and some creativity. It's your wedding, make it totally personal and distinctive.

In the end, whether couples decide to implement one or all suggestions above, every little bit counts and does make a difference. No matter how big or small of a green initiative you decide to embark on in regards to your big day, just be conscious, be grateful and be eco-chic!