Happy Holidays!

I want to wish all of you dear readers a safe and happy holiday!

I will be signing off until the new year but I leave you with this yummy holiday cocktail recipe that is sure to keep you nice and warm!

Ingredients:
1.5 oz. SKYY Infusions Cherry
0.5 oz. white creme de cacao
4 oz. Hot Cocoa
1 oz. Half 'n Half
Whipped Cream
Maraschino Cherry

Blogs that are sure to INSPIRE!

I sometimes hate to admit it, but Milwaukee brides are a tad behind the times of wedding blogging and not to sound dramatic, but you are really missing out on some great inspiration. So, my gift to you this holiday season is a list of my favorite daily wedding reads, which is sure to bring you up to speed.

Pearls Events Blog: This blog is written by Aletha Vandermaas, a Michigan wedding planner, who really knows her stuff. What I love most about this blog is every week it includes a series called, Weekend Eye Candy, which showcases beautiful Michigan weddings and is proof that Midwest weddings can be fabulous!

Style Me Pretty: This blog is really the “it” blog for inspiration. It is updated multiple times a day and showcases many different wedding styles. I highly suggest visiting this website in the early stages of your planning to help you define your style.

Style Me Pretty has also introduced Style Circle, which allows you to create your own inspiration boards. I played around with it the other day and it’s pretty fabulous. You can upload your own photos or use ones that are already provided. It’s really simple to use and will help you to create a cohesive design.

Hostess with the Mostess: This blog isn’t entirely wedding related it but it offers some incredible inspiration. Their posts include recipes, real party themes and popular trends. It’s a really fun blog and will sure to get you thinking about design.

DIY Bride: If you are a crafty bride, this is the blog for you. This blog includes (unique and fun) do-it-yourself project ideas, product reviews, and recommendations for the best crafty products out there. Also, if you are in need of any last minute Christmas ideas, This DIY Bride book is awesome!

What other fabulous wedding blogs are you reading?

City Bride Style: Modern Calligraphy

Your wedding invitation (and envelope) is the first look your guests get into the fabulous wedding you are planning, so it needs to make a statement. One of the best ways to do so is to hire a calligrapher. Not only do your envelopes look gorgeous but they do so without writer’s cramp and hours spent next to a computer and printer.

I introduce you to Swoonoverit, a modern calligraphy studio.

Aren’t they beautiful?

I discovered Swoonoverit while planning our wedding and will forever be hooked. These styles are beautiful and like nothing I have ever seen before. They are perfect for the bride planning a modern wedding and are the gorgeous touch every envelope needs. Truthfully, I think they were designed just for City Brides!

Amanda is so talented and an absolute delight to work with. Her love for the wedding industry and her clients is evident in her work. The process is very simple and her level of customer service is stellar.

And, since I love bonus points, Swoonoverit also designs customized maps, signs, and tshirts. They are your one stop shop for all things hand written.

Ideas for a Winter Wonderland Reception

Milwaukee has recently been dumped with some snow, which inspired me to come up with some fun ideas for a winter themed wedding.

Warning: These ideas are for the couple who are true snow enthusiasts. Making any of these ideas a success will be a challenge and are dependant on many factors such as snowfall, venue and budget. Also, be sure your invitation is clear that guests should dress appropriately!

Sleigh Rides: Perfect for an intimate winter wedding. During cocktails or after dinner invite your guests to enjoy a quick sleigh ride. For bonus points, have hot chocolate waiting for them when they return to the party.

Ice Skating: This could be a really fun way to entertain your guests. Think about it, how often do you get to ice skate with all of your family and friends?

(Hm… you could even hold your ceremony on the ice!)

Snowman building: Go to a thrift store and gather winter accessories (mittens, hats, scarves, and sweaters) to be used to decorate snowmen. Encourage your guests to create the best snowman they can with the props you have supplied and give the winner a prize. Of course, you and your new husband are the judges.

Sledding: Yes, I know this is a bit extreme, but it’s perfect for a casual picnic style winter wedding. Provide your guests with all different types of sleds from your childhoods (or the local Wal-Mart) and let them loose. If the space permits, start a fire and cozy up with your guests.

Anyone else have some fun alternative winter reception ideas?

Let it snow!

Just so you know...

So, as many of you know, our website has launched this week. I am so very excited for what the future holds for City Bride and the Milwaukee wedding industry, but that’s not what this post is about.

I can’t sleep at night thinking about the Google search terms for “City Bride” and I need to set something straight. Our website is not www.city-of-brides.com, which is the first website that appears in the search. This is a mail order Russian bride service, not my beautiful website. I do not provide men with women that they can purchase for a wife. I design, plan, and execute fabulous weddings.

Thanks for listening, I feel so much better.

Tips for Toasting

Quite frankly, I have seen so many terrible toasts at weddings. You know, the ones filled with embarrassing college stories, rambling on and on and on about complete nonsense, and the ones that completely forget to even congratulate the bride and groom.

Today, I am setting the record straight and providing tips for giving a meaningful and appropriate toast.

1. Unless you are an incredible public speaker I don’t suggest you wing it. You shouldn’t write down your entire toast and read it from a piece of paper but you should take down a few notes to ensure you stay on track and don’t fumble.

2. Make it short and sweet, ideally less than 5 minutes. At most weddings there are many toasts to be given and guests sometimes have a difficult time remaining engaged if one participant carries on for too long.

3. A toast is not a speech. Your time on the microphone is not meant to share embarrassing childhood, high school or college stories. It is also forbidden to mention any previous relationships, no matter how relevant you feel it is to your toast. It isn’t.

4. Focus on the couple. The toast is not about you, it’s about the bride and groom. Face them when you are toasting and remember to congratulate them before you end your toast.

5. For bonus points, if you are the best man, tell the bride she looks beautiful. I just love that!


Happy toasting!

City Bride Style: Not the Average Favor

Favors should be viewed as an accessory to your wedding and not a necessity. If you are going to present your guests with a favor you need to “make it count” and if you can’t, then you should skip it all together.

Below are a few favors I found around the web that would be fabulous for a wedding and are sure to to be remembered by your guests.

This favor from Anthropologie is perfect for an outdoor or seaside themed wedding. It takes writing your guests a personalized note to a whole new level.

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These bowls were first introduced by Paloma’s Nest as ring bearer bowls but really can be used to store jewelry or any little trinkets. These favors are perfect for most wedding styles and would look beautiful incorporated with the table design.

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I love these reusable Chewing the Cud gift wraps, which are perfect for a green wedding. I could see them beautifully folded on the table or the wrapping for a box of truffles or other edible favor.

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Who doesn’t love letterpress stationery? I mean really. At each place setting (or in a basket somewhere) you could put together an assortment of different stationery and tie them with a beautiful ribbon and a thank you note.

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Any one have other fun favor ideas?

You're engaged, now what?

'Tis the season for proposals and on top of the gifts to buy, parties to attend, and cookies to bake you need to start planning a wedding.

I know you feel the incredible urge to immediately pick a date, buy a dress, create a guest list, choose your colors, and pick out wedding bands, but please for your sanity, take it one step at a time.

Whether you are planning a wedding in a year or 6 months the following tips will help you jump start your plans, without the added stress.

1. Share the news with your friends and family. Enjoy sharing your engagement story with them and soak in all the emotion and well wishes. This time goes by so quickly.

2. Determine your budget. This task is so important. It will allow for your planning to be less stressful and will help narrow down options for many aspects of your day. Also, get comfortable talking about your budget. Many vendors will ask your budget and telling them will really make the process of working together easier. Trust me, vendors don’t want to sell an idea to a bride that she can’t afford, but we don’t know unless you tell us.

3. Create a guest list. This task and determining your budget go hand in hand. Without a solid budget there is no way for you to determine the size of wedding you can have. If it helps, create guidelines for who makes the cut and remember to be consistent. It will make completing the guest list much easier. (check out the guidelines I used here.)

4. Choose the date. When choosing a date remember that popular months (read: June, July, August, September, and October) book quickly with talented vendors and also may be more expensive. This shouldn't deter you by any means, it just means you need to prioritize and hire vendors that are important to you first.

Happy Planning!

My wedding recap

I have been married now for almost 2 months, so I think it is time for a recap.

Since this could get rather lengthy I will just share with you a few highlights of the day.

As I was finishing getting ready, Molly and Monica said they had a gift for me and from around the corner came one of my brides from this summer. I was so excited to see her that I began to cry and seriously, it was the only time during the day that I shed real tears. I was so happy that we both could share our wedding days with each other. She second shot with Molly all day and it was a great gift!

Stylist grew up on a dairy farm so we spent the afternoon running around the farm taking pictures with tractors, barns, and cows. These photos are some of my favorite from the day.

The ceremony was by far my favorite part of the day. I was so excited to become his wife that I tried to soak in every word and emotion during that hour of the day. The feeling of standing next to him in front of all of our friends and family was like nothing I have ever experienced. It makes me smile just thinking about it.

For our reception entertainment we hired dueling pianos. It was Stylist’s idea and well he’s a genius! The entire show was request based which really got our guests involved and enjoying themselves. My favorite moment during the reception was when “Ring of Fire” was requested. My bridesmaids encircled me as we danced and one of the piano players jumped on top the piano and played the trumpet. That song will forever remind me of that moment.

For photos of our wedding check out Mthree Studio’s Blog. She did a fantastic job capturing our day! (Thanks Molly!!)

Thank you to everyone who helped us plan, execute and enjoy our wedding day!!!

There is nothing wrong with cookie cutter!

Yes, you read the title right, it is okay to be cookie cutter!

Seriously, how many times have you heard someone refer to a wedding as totally cookie cutter? I have heard it a million times and even out of my own mouth.

After I wrote my style post last week I began thinking about the term cookie cutter wedding, it's negative connotation, and the whole concept in general. After much thought I began to realize that cookie cutter is a choice and completely acceptable. Our culture has created a mold for what a wedding can look like, so why not use it?

Now, I am not preaching that you should copy someone's wedding exactly, but don't feel pressure to make your wedding nothing like anyone elses. Some brides get so caught up on not being cookie cutter that they exaust all of their energy coming up with crazy ideas, but not because they want to but because they feel they have to.

Your planning process should be enjoyable and spent creating a day that suits your style and personality and if it ends up cookie cutter, so be it!

I know some of you may think my concept is crazy, so I challenge you to make holiday cookies this season without a cookie cutter and let me know how it goes!

Giving Thanks

I know this is a day early, but you better believe I will be soaking up family time and indulging in turkey tomorow, not writing blog a post. (sorry dear readers!)

Anyway, since there is so much to be thankful for this year I decided it deserves a post all by itself. I warn you this is a little mushy, so if you dare, read on.

I am thankful for:

The opportunity to help people as I follow my heart and dream.

The support and guidance I receive from my family.

The amazing wedding I had just 6 weeks ago.

The inspiration I find in the world and others.

The friends who gave me the confidence and energy to start a business.

My amazing husband who without a doubt will always stand by me, support me, and motivate me.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

How to {properly} hold a wine glass

With the holiday season approaching, I feel this discussion is very necessary. I am constantly witnessing people inappropriately holding a wine glass and to be honest, it is one of my biggest pet peeves.

This lesson is easiest to discuss using pictures. So, follow along.

Please, always hold your wine glass from the stem. Holding the glass by the stem ensures the temperature and aromas of the wine are perfect for enjoyment.

Do not, under any circumstance, hold your glass like any of the following:


Yes, you are holding the glass by the stem but the death grip makes you look ridiculous and purple hands are never attractive.

The glass is not a basketball. There is no need to palm it.

Ths is just simply ridculous. There is no way that this is comfortable.

Please, the next time you attend a celebration, hold the glass properly!


Cheers!

Defining your style

Well, today is the day that I jump right into discussing all things weddings. With planning season upon us it is time for brides to think about style. Style is an important element that sometimes is overlooked in the excitement of beginning to plan a wedding.

I am not sure why, but discussing style seems to be difficult for most brides. They get a glazed over, deer in headlights look on their face as soon as the “s” word is mentioned. But, brides, it really doesn’t need to be like that!

Below are my tips for defining your wedding style:

• Begin with an open mind. Maybe you’ve attended 25 weddings or never one at all, but don’t let that influence you. This is a time in your life when you are allowed to be creative and dream. Take advantage of that!
  
• Create an inspiration board of elements you love. Yes, I know this isn’t a new idea, but it really does help. Inspiration boards allow you to visualize your style as a whole, making it easier it determine if elements work or not. If you aren’t feeling crafty, you can always check out one of the many great blogs out there dedicated to style. Of course, my favorite is Style Me Pretty.
  
• When looking for inspiration think outside the box. It doesn’t only have to come from bridal magazines or the latest reality wedding TV show. I like to use fashion and home and furniture magazines.
  
• Talk about your style. You may be thinking that your style will just figure itself out as you begin to choose vendors, flowers, a cake etc. but it won’t. Talking about your style will assist you in making those tough decisions an also ensure that your wedding doesn't look like a total mess. (Unless of course, that is the style you are going for!)

Remember, no one has any expectations of your wedding style. It can be whatever you want it to be!

A little randomness...

For those readers who aren’t familiar with my Recessionista Series (which can be found on the right side of the blog,) I’d like to share a little more about myself. Below you’ll find a list of some of my favorite things in life and other random fun facts. Enjoy!

• My Starbucks order is always, no matter the season, a Caramel Frappuccino. The combination of whip cream and drizzled caramel on top is absolutely amazing.

• My wardrobe consists primarily of J.Crew and Forever 21. Yes, I know, it’s an interesting combination. I love the classic look of all the J.Crew pieces and the price of Forever 21 allows me to change out pieces often.

• My favorite fast food restaurant is Qdoba. I always order the same thing, vegetarian nachos plus guacamole. I eat there so often I have a Qdoba Card which allows you to earn free entrees for frequent dining. It’s pathetic.

• I have joined the rest of the tweens on earth and have become completely obsessed with the Twilight Saga. I read the entire series all in a matter of three weeks. I also secretly have a countdown to the release of New Moon... only 2 days left!

• If you follow me on Twitter you’ll often see me tweet about my Stylist, which is really my husband. I consult him daily on my outfit, hair, etc. Not because I am not capable of looking fabulous on my own but simply because he gives me the extra confidence and approval for the day’s look. And, I promise, he doesn’t mind the nickname!

• One of my favorite parts of a wedding is the cake. I have a serious sweet tooth and LOVE wedding cake. So, brides, if I help plan your wedding please save me a piece of cake and I promise it will keep me more focused.

Thanks for reading my random fun facts!

Why City Bride?

To be honest, naming my business was not an easy task for me. I have struggled my whole life coming up with creative names. To prove my inability, I’ll share with you that my childhood cat’s name is Miss Kitty Fischer. My sister and I came up with this name because well, she’s a female cat and we lived on Fischer Avenue. Really creative name, right?

Anyway, when choosing a business name there were certainly things I did not want to include. Such as, adjectives to describe the weddings I plan or my name. I wanted a name that I felt emotionally connected to.

When I chose City Bride, I immediately knew it was the appropriate name. My entire life was spent in a small town and while it was a great place to grow up, I couldn’t wait to explore. When I moved to the city I started what felt like a whole new life. The city is an adventure for me. I love the lights, the architecture, and the diverse cultures. I love the mystery of experiencing new things and the illumination I feel along the way.

This is exactly what wedding planning should be, a new endeavor that brings out excitement and the beginning to a new life. I want to provide brides with a sense of comfort and guidance as they start a new life, just as the city did for me.

I will always be a City Bride.

Hello, I am back!

Well friends, I’ve returned and hope to never leave again!

Some of you may know me as the Recessionista Bride on Bespoke for the former The White Box of Wedding Design, but I’ve started a new journey. I am now married (more on that later) and as you can see, a new business owner.

When I heard the news of The White Box closing, I was joyful and saddened in the same breath. I was happy that my friend could find ease and comfort in her decision, but I couldn’t help but think about what I was going to do. I wasn’t ready for my career in the wedding industry to end. I love this industry, not for the glamour and frills but simply because it allows me to serve people.

I started to realize I can’t deny my passion and talent for this industry and with a little motivation from Monica and my husband, I realized that I didn’t need to leave the industry. From that moment on, I began creating the foundation for City Bride.

I am so excited to again be a part of this industry and to have the opportunity to help brides in Milwaukee plan a fun, flawless and unforgettable wedding!


Thrilled to be back!