Destination weddings are proving to become more and more popular as brides realize how simple they truly are. A getaway wedding can be absolutely astonishing and surprisingly simple to put together, as long you choose the right place and the right wedding planner! The benefits of having your wedding off in never-never-land are endless!
When people picture a destination wedding, the image usually involves four things: The bride, the groom, the judge and the beach. Many brides make the mistake of believing they automatically exclude their family and friends by choosing to have a destination wedding, but guess what? You can have both! Don’t get me wrong, if you want to avoid dancing with drunk Uncle Bud at your reception, then you could get around it by having a wedding in Rome. But if having your family there is important to you it’s not as difficult to achieve as some may think. Send out your save-the-dates at least 8-12 months before your wedding day, and your family and friends can plan to travel to your wedding just as they might plan for a family vacation. While traditional weddings bring family and friends together for a few hours, destination weddings bring them together for an entire vacation!

Everyone was invited to this beautiful wedding off the coast of Mexico! 
Worried about the cost of a getaway wedding? Destination weddings actually tend to be cheaper than traditional weddings. With traditional weddings, couples tend to have a longer guest lists, including people they may not be very close to such as co-workers or distant family friends. With destination weddings, the guest list is targeted to close friends and family, so you with less people to serve at your wedding. Another cost decreasing factor: You’re combining the costs of your wedding, honeymoon and vacation all in one trip!

A stunning wedding in Fiji!
What’s one of the best aspects of having a getaway wedding? The simplicity. By hiring the right wedding coordinator, your stress levels will be at an all-time low and you can enjoy the wedding of a lifetime! A wedding coordinator is a vital ingredient to your sanity when planning a destination wedding. They take care of all arrangements and the miniscule details involved in planning your wedding, so all you need to do is walk down the aisle and work on your tan. A Bash Events is a comprehensive company that has a world of experience and credibility in planning and coordinating weddings. Destination weddings have actually become quite the specialty of A Bash Events’ planning services. A Bash Events has been responsible for over $7.2 million dollars in wedding details since its opening in 2003.

The perfect getaway wedding at sunset.
So stop daydreaming about having the perfect getaway wedding and hire an event coordinator from A Bash Events. An event coordinator’s job is to make your stress, their priority, and that’s exactly what A Bash Events does. Let them worry with the details, so you can worry about more important things like booking your spa appointments!

Till next time,

Heidi

Well, you’ve finally snagged the man of your dreams, and the perfect diamond has found its way to your left finger.  So, what’s next?  Well, spreading the word about your up-coming wedding of course and making sure all of your friends and loved ones are saving the date!  When sending out your save the dates, try stepping out of the ordinary and away from your average refrigerator magnet.  Your save the date should go beyond the clichéd key chain or slip of paper and grasp the attention of the receiver (and it’s always nice to include a unique little keepsake).  So after much research, I’ve finally found the most unique, yet classic save the date idea that will have your friends and family counting down the days until your big I do’s: Save the date handkerchiefs!

These handkerchief save the dates are the perfect reminders for a chic wedding!

These save the dates have vintage and chic look, simply defining perfection!

I am absolutely in L.O.V.E. with this idea, along with all of the girls at Swap The Dress!  Don’t fret, these handkerchiefs are not the type that will tempt your guests to wipe their noses or dry their eyes, but quite the opposite.  Your guests will want to cherish these modish keepsakes for days to come in remembrance of your big day.  Save the date handkerchiefs are perfect for a vintage-chic wedding, but can also be given a more classic or romantic touch if that’s what you desire.  One great aspect of the save the date handkerchiefs is that each is unique and has its own look, which allows you to add a more personal touch to each save the date.  You can do them yourself, or hire a professional. 

To do it yourself, gather up a bunch of vintage handkerchiefs, by searching websites like eBay or Amazon and check with your local fabric stores.  You can print your save the date information on each handkerchief and create an original design by using a special screen printer.  Once you have the handkerchiefs colored and printed, tie them onto customized cardstock with your choice of ribbon.  Keep in mind that if you don’t have these materials lying around, it is usually cheaper and less stressful to hire a professional.

White always creates a classic vibe and a more elegant look, especially with these handkerchief save the dates.

This custom designed save the date handkerchief set the precedent for those to come!

I hope you love these fabulous save the date handkerchiefs as much as we do at Swap The Dress!  They are by far the most irreplaceable save the dates and are ideal for any wedding.  While you cannot always ensure every person you invite will be in attendance for your wedding day, you can rest assured that your loved ones will truly cherish these reminders lastingly.

Till next time,

Heidi

Here it is ladies! The moment you’ve all been waiting for; the revealing of the most chic wedding colors for spring and summer of 2010! But before I let you in on this “little” secret, let me preface by saying the possibilities that come with incorporating these glamorous hues into the color palette for your big day are never ending. Try not to limit yourself to merely decking out your bridesmaids in these shades of fabulous although, if you do choose to do so they are certain to look astonishing. Okay, okay! No more stalling. The revolutionizing wedding colors for spring and summer are…pale pink and natural green and shades of gold and white!
Both of these color schemes are perfectly appropriate for both spring and summer weddings, but personally for a spring wedding I would choose the pale pinks and natural greens. Peonies, light pink roses and orchids each make for stunning flower choices and all three will be in bloom for a spring wedding. Dress your bridesmaids in pale pink silk dresses and have them carry a pale pink and green bouquet of cymbidium orchids for a touch of romantic, vintage flare. As for the centerpieces, use peonies potted in a square, vintage-looking pot and add a few branches for a unique look.

This vintage style bouquet of cymbidium orchids is simply chic!

This was a fabulous pale pink wedding with touches of natural green!

Now let’s go for the gold!  At Swap The Dress, gold and white are quickly becoming everyone’s favorite color palette for weddings.  Gold is a great color for weddings all year round. So if you’re planning a fall or winter wedding, gold is still the most fabulous choice for 2010. Gold represents luxury, and when paired with shades of white looks positively whimsical. Whether you choose to plan an all white wedding with gold accents or vice versa, your big day is destined to be dazzling! Doll up your bridesmaids and dress them in vintage white dresses that will brighten your oh so vibrant white wedding gown. Send your bridesmaids down the aisle with white phlox flowers wrapped in champagne-colored ribbon, as you carry an elegant bouquet of white hydrangeas and roses.  To add a touch of gold glamour, have your florist spray paint a few peacock feathers in gold hues and include them in your flower arrangements and bouquets.

Gold and white weddings are elegant in all shades!

Beautiful white hydrandea bouquet with a touch of champagne glamour!

I hope you love the colors for spring and summer as much as we do at Swap The Dress!

Till next time,

Heidi

Everything about your wedding is personalized.  You choose everything from your venue, to the colors of your décor, to your flower combinations. So why not take it a step further and personalize your menu to match the rest of your style?  The big trend for reception menus in 2010 is to play with your food!  Not to worry, your parents won’t be putting you in a corner for partaking in this fabulous trend.  This fad is a bit more sophisticated than blowing bubbles in chocolate milk.  The “it” brides of the year are raising the stakes on their reception menus and taking full advantage of their modern-day caterers by tying color schemes into their food.  Choosing the colors of your flowers is one thing, but now we’re choosing the colors of our foods to flow with our wedding décor!  Don’t go asking your caterer to serve magenta-colored pasta, but try a few creative color schemes.  If you like the colors red and green have tuna tartare served in wasabi sesame seed wontons.  You could also stock your food pallet with all foods from the same color family to flow with the main colors of your wedding décor. 

Personally, my favorite trend this year for wedding eats and treats is emotional eating!  Tons of couples are choosing to serve foods that have an emotional tie to their background.  For instance, if the groom grew up in Louisiana you could serve spicy shrimp and grits in a martini glass for some extra glam.  It can be really fun to serve foods that take a playful spin on the bride and groom’s relationship.  Say, for instance, the bride met her groom while she was working in a doughnut shop.  The couple could serve doughnut holes and hot espresso to add a bit of humor to the menu.  So when you’re hiring a caterer and putting together your menu for your wedding reception, throw some creative ideas around. Don’t be afraid to make a bold statement and personalize your food.  I can promise you your guests will love it and the food will be nothing short of fabulous!

Color coorindated candy buffets are a BIG trend for weddings this Spring and have been known to cause drooling amongst guests!

This couple chose to match the fruits on the dessert table to the color of her bridesmaids dresses.  It was totally glamorous!

Till next time!

Heidi

When the girls here at Swap the Dress were introduced to Bedazzle My Bon Bons at the New Orleans Special Events Conference, it became all the rave here at the office. Everyone that attended the New Orleans Conference couldn’t stop talking about it! I was not able to attend the Special Events Conference, so when I first heard the phrase Bedazzle My Bon Bons, the words wedding and event did not come to mind. When I hear the word Bedazzle, the first thing that I think of  is the jean bedazzler. If you’re not quite sure exactly what this is, it’s an outrageous machine that is used to attach jewels and rhinestones to your clothing, these were all the rave in the 90’s. Yes I had one back in grade school, and I LOVED it! You could bedazzle jeans and t-shirts, you could even glitz up your old bridesmaids dresses!  I went as far as bedazzling my dads ties, and unfortunately that was the end of my bedazzling days. So with that in mind, I decided to browse the website not knowing what to expect. Surprisingly, I was very impressed with this editable glitter. 

If you are looking to bling up your next event this sparkle will do the trick! Use them for your next event: bachelorette parties, baby showers, birthdays, and of course weddings. These sparkly treats can jazz up any gift bag, even gifts bags for your bridesmaids! This fun treat can add glitz and glamour to absolutely any holiday or event. This treat can really jazz up a cake and will add that wow factor that everybody is looking for!  If you want to add a little bit of flare, this flamboyant treat will definitely do the trick. I know that not everybody wants glitz and bling at their weddings, so if not for your Big Day think about razzle dazzling your guests at another party.  

These sparkly treats come in all colors! 

Jazz up cocktail hour!

Spice up any buffet!

 So go ahead and razzle dazzle them by Bedazzling those bon bons! 

Until next time, 

XOXO Kaitlin