Fashion We Applaud You

The fashion world celebrates fashion magazines each year with the "Best of the Best." Here is a pictorial of most of the winners. Recognize any of them?

Get Inspired!: When Life Hands You Lemons...

Sunshine it's so nice to see you. Anyone who has lived through Seattle's winter this year knows what we're talking about. Summer is just around the corner, and we couldn't be more anxious. Yes, the snow is lovely, in its own way, but there is something magical about the sights, sounds and smells of summer, which is why we've created our own ode to summer with this lemonade inspired inspiration board. If you love summer as much as we do, this lemon-kissed theme may be just the ticket for your summer wedding.

Theme: When Life Gives You Lemons
Colors: Lemon Yellow, Green Apple, and Citrus Orange


Top Row: Lemonade poster from All Posters, Earring image by Meg Perotti; Lemon wedding favors by Sincerely Yours, Dena
Second Row: Image by Cheri Pearl; Bowl of lemons from Country Living; Caravella Limoncello from Barton Brands
Third Row: Lemonade stand from Merry Making Events; Butterfly invitations by Inky Livie; VW bug image from Town & Country
Bottom Row: Mimosa Yellow Bouquet by Kei's Flowers; Yellow wedding shoes from She Knows; Groom wears yellow tie from Evoke Photography

Preparing For Your Day

There are lots of reasons to get shaped up if you are a bride-to-be. First of course is the wedding, so now is a good time to give into to pampering yourself, everywhere... like your face, skin, hair, nails, toes. Even if the wedding is a few weeks away, summer is on it's way and that would be reason enough. What could be more rewarding than a spa treatment? We would like to introduce you to a few options right in the Puget Sound area. We thought we should start with the Association of Bridal Consultants. If you are starting to feel the stress of the coming events, you have many options here, so weigh them in. Remembering your special day is a day you want to enjoy and remember forever, so be sure and consider a professional consultant. The Hotel 1000 in Seattle offers you the Spaahh, to re-energize yourself or if you are on the Eastside and would love to be treated to complete comfort and soothe yourself, indulge at The Spa at the Woodmark Hotel. The Pan Pacific Hotel in downtown Seattle offers the Vida Spa. What's more fun than a day full of friends, fun and fantastic comfort, with your bridesmaids, and/or Mothers, flower-girls. Who doesn't love this type of personal attention? Now for your final touches, let Nail Time in Seattle treat your bridal party to a mani-pedi. Finally, the day of...... , check out Fredericks, for professionally applied makeup and Nona Smith for truly elegant bridal hair styling, for the pièce de résistance!

Reminder! Vote For Local Top Designer

Victoria's Bridal Couture is pleased to announce that their Bridal Consultant and Designer Heather Richard is a semi- finalist in The Brides Magazine Operation Dream Dress Contest 2009. If Heather places in the top Five she will be flown to New York and compete in a runway show for the chance to win $10,000 and her dress on the cover of Brides Magazine!

Heather would like to thank the two amazing photographers Bryan Alldredge of www.diamondskyphotography.com and James Warren of www.jwarrenphoto.com who contributed their time and photos to the project. Additional appreciation goes to her fantastic model Giselle Gonzales, who made the dress look absolutely stunning. The owner's of Victoria's Bridal Couture, Victoria and Lee encouraged her to participate and very generously donated materials for the project!

Voting finalizes on May 26th, so please stop by the Bride's website to vote for your favorite. Good Luck Heather!

Put On A Pedestal

A popular new trend in cake display for weddings is to place your cake or cupcakes on a decorative pedestal. Pedestals are fantastic for cakes that are not extremely tall, 3 or less tiers, and for cupcakes because they can help add significance to your deliciously designed dessert. By placing your cake on a pedestal, it gives the allusion that your cake is much larger, even if you have a small wedding. Also, you can save money by ordering a more basic design for your cake, but not loose flair by having a very decorative pedestal to place it on.

We recommend setting a table aside for your cake at your reception and using a pedestal in the center of the table. Then add ambiance with different height candles around the pedestal, accompanied by petals of roses or individual orchids scattered throughout the table. When shopping for a pedestal, look for one that you can reuse again and again in your own home for entertaining.


Top Left: McKee/Fire King cake plates (vintage), periodically found on eBay or Ruby Lane
Top Middle: 10" Blue Footed Mirror Platter: 10" diameter, 9.25" high.
Top Right: 2 Tier Cupcake Holder
Middle left: 8" Mosaic Border - 3 level - Mirror Display Tray Item Code 113307 www.jafgifts.com
Middle: From Artful Home, glass "Paris" cake plate 11" diameter 9" in height
Middle Right: 22" Round cake plateau - Silver Plated round cake with design
Bottom Left: A chocolate layer delight with red satin ribbons on a traditional wooden 11" raised cake stand. Cake is from Daisy Hill.
Bottom Center Left: Square gold cake plateau, offering a unique bronze/gold look to the wedding.
Bottom Center Right: Another antique offering from Fireking - Jadite. This particular piece is a 10" round. Martha Stewart also created a contemporary version of these extremely popular glass pieces.
Bottom Right: For a smaller more intimate occasion such as a bridal show, here is a glass pedestal and cover possibly found just about anywhere you can find serving pieces.

Get Inspired! A Taste Of Tuscany

Ahhhh, the sights, tastes and sounds of a villa in Tuscany. It's enough to make anyone slip into a sweet dream and never wake up. Even the mention of a Tuscan style wedding makes us feel all warm and blissful inside. So whether you are planning a sweet Italian inspired wedding in your backyard or in the picturesque setting of a local vineyard, planning a Tuscan wedding will be as fun to plan as it for your guests to experience. Of course, that might be because of all the wine tasting that must proceed the event. Either way, here is an inspiration board sure to put you in the planning mood.

Theme: A Taste of Tuscany
Colors: Sage, Burgundy and Tangerine


Top Row: Wedding image from Weddings in Italy
Second Row: Fruit Favors from Mimi and Karl; Bottles from Passion Paper; Grape and floral display from LI Weddings
Third Row: Table setting from Tuscan Dream; Tuscan Romance Wedding Invitations from Fubabee's Etsy Shop
Third Row, Top Right: Chocolate Fruit cake from Masterpiece Weddings
Third Row, Bottom Right: Willows Lodge, Woodinville, WA

Brides From History

Do you ever wonder how different your wedding would be depending on the decade? We love seeing how trends, styles and even customs change over the years, so its no wonder why we also love reminiscing with old photographs of famous couples from years past. Sometimes we are amazed at the timelessness of many wedding trends, and the sheer awfulness of others. Still, gathering inspiration from weddings gone by is a great way to find that "Something old" you can add to your own wedding.

Here are some famous couples' weddings that truly inspire.


Top left and middle: Grace Kelly wedding to Prince Rainier
Top right: Audrey Hepburn's marriage to Dr Andrea Dotti
Middle left: Audrey Hepburn's marriage to Mel Ferrer.
Middle: Princess Diana wedding to Prince Charles.
Far right middle: King Edward VIII became the first British king to abdicate the throne for his American divorcee bride Wallace Warfield Simpson.
Middle lower left: Marilyn Monroe marriage to playwright Arthur Miller.
Bottom left: is the wedding of John Kennedy to Jaqueline Bouvier.
Bottom middle: Above is Princess Margaret to Anthony Snowden, and immediately below this photo is Queen (Princess then) Elizabeth marriage to Prince Philip.
Bottom right: Hollywood royalty is the first marriage of Elizabeth Taylor to Nicky Hilton of the famous hotel chain. He was killed shortly after their marriage. The bottom right photo is Elizabeth Taylor marriage to Richard Burton.

All of these weddings took place between 1952 and 1965 with the exception of Princess Diana.

Will You Be My Valentine In May?

Do you ever feel when you are planning your wedding you sometimes lose sight of the reason you are getting married in the first place? After all, you met the person of your dreams, you fell in love, you got engaged and now you are planning the most stressful event of your lives. The wedding planning can sometimes throw a wrench in the romance department. So here is our recommendation to keep the romance alive even during the stress of planning your wedding. Take the time to send your love a romantic love letter. Pick out a creative greeting card with a unique message and write your own words on the inside. It doesn't have to be long and poetic, just a simple "I love you and I'm thinking of you" will suffice. You'll send the message to your partner that you care enough about him or her to make time during the BIG STUFF for the little stuff too.

Get Inspired!: Two If By Sea

Close your eyes and picture yourself sitting on the beach with your sweetheart. Breath in and smell the scent of the ocean. Open your ears and listen for the sound of the crashing waves against the shore. Can you feel your feet in the sand? If this little daydream feels like heaven to you, maybe a beach themed wedding is just the cure you need for your wedding planning woes. Whether planning a destination wedding in Maui or a seaside wedding at home, a beach themed wedding is always a welcomed theme among many brides. And it is a myth that a beach wedding has to be informal. You can make a beach wedding a casual, laid back event or a lavish, black tie extravaganza. The possibilities are endless. Use our inspiration board to start planning your wedding by the sea.

Theme: Two If By Sea
Colors: Aqua, White & Peach


Hot Item Alert! For the best selection of beach-ready wedding gowns, check out designs by Tara Keely, featured above.

Can You Top This?

Cake toppers have certainly come a long way. Brides today are using their cake toppers as expressions of personality. They are no longer just an afterthought, and more and more designers and wedding businesses are creatively introducing artistic elements and unique details to top off the wedding cake.

We've collective a few of our favorites and displayed them below for your enjoyment. If you have another unique idea you'd like to share with brides and how you plan to top your cake, please share them with us.


Top Left Corner: Russian Faberge' egg influences in an array of colors from Cake Coquette in San Francisco
Left: A variety of toppers with the added enhancement of beautiful satin ribbon. Add rhinestone initials and the result is magical. You can find a number of choices at the Favor Studio.com.
Eiffel Tower Topper: A touch of French in everything wedding creates the ultimate high end look, available at Kiki's Klozet
Asian Topper: Finally, a touch of culture from the Far East - again beautiful touches from mydreamwedding.ca (Canada).
People Toppers: And to top it off in the most traditional of choices with a bride and groom from the collection at Wedding Collectibles. They also have the geek collection - everyone on the cell phone - just plain fun.

Celebrity "I Dos"

Everyone loves a good celebrity love story. Here is a collection of recent celebrity weddings we all have our eyes on.

Top Left: Salma Hayek married Francois-Henri Pinault in Italy at Venice’s La Fenice on April 25. The bride wore a full skirted ivory gown with an embroidered v-neck bodice by Nicolas Ghesquière for Balenciaga. She carried a bouquet of orchids and stephanotis with crystals.

Top Right: Reality stars Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt were married at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Pasadena on April 25, 2009. Montag wore Monique Lhuillier’s “Symphony” wedding dress and $1.2 million of jewels by Neil Lane. She carried a bouquet of yellow and white roses.

Bottom Left: "Survivor: China" castmates Jaime Dugan and Erik Huffman were married on April 4, 2009 in Charleston, South Carolina. The couple were the winners of an $80,000 wedding courtesy of the Charleston Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. Their wedding day incorporated elements of Charleston along with their time spent together in China. (Photos: © Jarrad Lister Photography). See more of Jaime and Erik's wedding below.

Bottom Center: Olympic gold medalist Natalie Coughlin married Ethan Hall at The Carneros Inn on April 25, 2009. Natalie wore a lace Monique Lhuillier wedding dress and white flowers in her hair. Following the wedding, the couple honeymooned in Hawaii at Kona Village Resort.

Bottom Right: Tennis player Andy Roddick tied the knot with swimsuit model Brooklyn Decker in a candlelit ceremony on April 17, 2009. The wedding took place at Roddick’s contemporary style home on the shores of Lake Austin.

Events in Seattle!

If you live in the Seattle area, here are two great events happening today and this weekend we encourage you to check out.

Today, May 7th! Thaw Fashion Show
Thaw is Seattle's Annual fashion show and fundraiser featuring independent designers. Proceeds benefit the Huntington's Disease Society of America (HDSA) to fund social services and research.

The Details: Cocktails, noshing and thaw shop - 6 p.m.
Live auction and runway show - 8 p.m.

Location: Pacific Industrial Center
2960 4th Ave South.
Venue generously donated by American Life, Inc. and Ariel Development.

Contact: info@nwhdsa.org for more information.

Buy tickets at: https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/62161


Saturday & Sunday, May 9th & 10th
Abigail Glaum-Lathbury Trunk Show 


What: Chicago-based designer debuts Spring line and provides styling tips. 


When: VIP, Fri., 6-9 p.m. Show, Sat., noon-6 p.m.; Sun., noon-5 p.m.


Where: The Finerie, 1215 First Ave. (206-652-4664). R.S.V.P. for VIP

Get Inspired!: Moulin Rouge

Oh la la Lady Marmalade! Sometimes a girl just needs to let her feminine side show. And what is more feminine that a luscious, indulgent Moulin Rouge themed wedding? A Moulin Rouge themed wedding is truly one of the most romantic themes possible for your wedding. With its sexy elegance and rich color schemes a Moulin Rouge theme is perfect for an evening wedding and will truly make the statement you want to make.

So if you love drama, and goodness knows you do, take some guidance from our Moulin Rouge inspiration board and start planning your bash for the ages.

Voulez vous coucher avec moi ce soir!


Top Row: Wedding invitation from Urban Couture Paper; Image by Erika Gerdemark Photography; Image by Sandra G; Invitation box from Dragonfly Custom Design
Second Row: Image from Ceci New York; Moulin Rouge poster from Art.com; Black and Red cocktail ostrich feather hat and veil from Satancia; La Perla black label
Third Row: Cake by The Cake Girls; Image from LaBoheme; Gown by Eve of Milady
Bottom Row: Candelabra candle from details via Totally Tabletops; Image by Mark Verner featuring table decor by Rented Elegance at the Northwest Event Show; Giambattista Valli gown featured at Fab Sugar

Local Designer Makes National Semi-Finals! Now It's Your Turn To Help Her Win!

Seattle based bridal salon, Victoria's Bridal Couture is pleased to announce that their Bridal Consultant and Designer Heather Richard is a semi- finalist in The Brides Magazine Operation Dream Dress Contest 2009. If Heather places in the top Five she will be flown to New York and compete in a runway show for the chance to win $10,000 and her dress on the cover of Brides Magazine!

Voting is now open, please take a few moments to vote for your favorite designer!

Click here to vote!

Heather would like to thank the two amazing photographers Bryan Alldredge www.diamondskyphotography.com and James Warren www.jwarrenphoto.com who contributed their time and photos to the project. Her fantastic model Giselle Gonzales, who made the dress look absolutely stunning. The owner's of Victoria's Bridal Couture, Victoria and Lee who encouraged her to participate and very generously donated materials for the project!

To learn more about Victoria's Bridal Couture, visit their featured listing at banquetevent.com.

Love Story: Justin & Ashley Hale

The couple: Corporal Justin Hale & Ashley Roberts, Visual Manager for Forever 21.

Wedding Date: 2/28/2009

How they met: Met while they both worked for Nordstrom

Wedding Theme: Art Deco meets Modern Nightlife

Wedding Colors: Indigo, Midnight, Black & White

Unique Ceremony Features: The bride walked down the aisle to a live rendition of "Time To Say Goodbye." At the end of the aisle the bride and groom presented each set of parents with a bouquet of flowers, which represented saying goodbye to their childhood and starting their new life as man and wife. Since the groom is a United States Marine, the ceremony concluded with a traditional sword detail, welcoming the bride to the Marine family.

Unique Reception Features: Rather than a full buffet or sit down dinner, the couple selected their favorite hors d'houvres accompanied by white and red wine. During the ceremony the groom wore his Marine uniform but changed to a formal tuxedo for the reception.

About the cake: The couple served a 7-layer traditional French cake in decadent chocolate and lemon flavors.

The favors: The couple compiled a cd of their favorite love songs.

The flowers: The bride's bouquet consisted of deep purple calla lilies, hyacinth berries and black feathers. The bridesmaid's bouquets were constructed of white calla lilies with peacock feather accents.

Special feature: The couple rented the presidential suite of the Hotel Deca with 360 degree views of the Seattle skyline. The couple used this room for a private photo shot before the ceremony as well as the honeymoon night accommodations.

The honeymoon: Maui, Hawaii



Real Wedding Facts:
Wedding Location: Seattle, WA;
Ceremony Site: Sacred Heart Chapel at the Villa Academy;
Reception Location: Hotel Deca;
Caterer: Tony's Events & Catering;
Photographer: JKOE Photo;
DJ: Good Times DJ;
Transportation: British Motor Coach;
Honeymoon Suite: Hotel Deca;
Cake: L'Artisan Cakes;
Wedding Gown: Princess Bride Couture Bridal Salon;
Floral & Decor: Rented Elegance;
Invitations: Costco;
Ice Sculpture: Amazing Ice Sculpture;
Bridal Accessories: Cinderella's Closet;
Attendant Attire: Cache;
Linens: Aria Style

Share your love story with Lucky In Love: Email us at tipsntrends@banquetevent.com. We'll set up an interview with you and post your images online.

The Shoe Fits

Don't you just love customization? So do we, which is why we had to share this novel idea from a Miami based shoe company called Morgan Miller. At Morgan Miller the entire shoe buying and selecting process is completely custom. You get to choose exactly the style, color, and fit of your shoe and in just a short time, you'll walk away with exactly the shoe you want.

Buyers start be selecting a base, then move to choosing the strap, accessory strap, accessory and tack. Then voila, you'll have a shoe that truly is the shoe of your dreams.

But what is a girl to do that doesn't live in Miami. No problem, you can begin customizing your own shoe right now online at MorganMillerShoes.com.


Morgan Miller is the name of the 25 year old woman who came up with this great idea. Look for new stores to open in New York, South Florida, Los Angeles and Las Vegas in the near future.