Wedding Nails

On your wedding day, your hands and nails are just as important as your hair and makeup. I mean, you want pretty nails when your wedding photographer takes a picture of your hand with your new wedding band, right?!

Here are some tips for beautiful wedding nails:

Plan ahead, think about what types of nails you want and what design.

Don’t be scared to try something new, but make sure you do a trail first, just like you would for your hair or make up. Manicures and pedicures are often part of our normal routine anyway, so have the manicurist practice ahead of time.

Go with someone you trust. If you have a manicurist you routinely go to, plan on using them for your wedding nails. If you want to try someone new, make sure you check out reviews and go in for a couple trials.

Generally speaking, the less time your nails have to get ruined before the big event, the better. So plan a mani/pedi day close to the wedding date but don’t leave it till the last minute in case you get crammed for time.

Remember to keep your nails looking nice for all those wedding related events where people will inevitably ask you to see your rock. If you don’t want to spend a lot of money on manicures, a simple home polish change will do the trick!

Start trying to convince your soon-to-be hubby about getting a mani/pedi himself! Especially in South East Asian weddings, the feet play a vital role and are often heavily photographed. The men who resist pedicures the most are the often the ones who also need it the most!

Although the french manicure is always a classic favorite amongst brides, here are some other great examples. Some are quite fancy. (Bonus: No dish washing for a while!)

~Monica

Photo Credit: 1) It's a bride's life 2) Nail Art Mania 3) Of Weddings and Tiaras 4) Designs of Nail Art 5) Varnishing Rainbows 6) Nails Art Gallery 7) Top Nails Art 8) Nails Art

Coast Plaza Hotel - Jayne and Darren



Jayne and Darren saw my event design work first hand when they attended Darren's brother, Steve and Huong's wedding in 2010. One year later, they too got engaged and Jayne contacted me. Jayne knew what she wanted: Purple, pretty, unique, and amazing. The first two wants were easier to accomplish. The last two took at little bit more probing. I had to understand what Jayne felt was unique and amazing. As it turns out, Jayne and I are quite alike in our thought processes. Darren would often have to pull us both back into reality. (Call me Jayne whenever you want to go to lala land with me.)

The planning process was a little bumpy but these two were amazing to work with! (Years from now, we will all be able to laugh about what happened. We stuck together and made everything work out!) I absolutely adore Jayne and Darren! I wish them both all the best in their future as husband and wife. They make a wonderful team! Hugs!

~Monica

I also have to do a shout out to my team members. Thank you Donna, Jessie, Yan, Lisa, Jenny, and Rita! They had a huge role in the set up of this wedding because I had broken my foot and was in a cast. I wasn't able to get up on a ladder to decorate or really put any weight on my foot. I was also really frazzled when I dropped my Iphone in water! I couldn't have pulled this off in record time without all of  your help! Thank you!

Of course a blog post always needs lots of pretty pictures. Here they are!

This was the photo backdrop set up near the entrance. I love this custom backdrop we designed. It is so cute!

Bridal Fashion: Wedding Veils

The bridal veil is the cherry on top of an ice cream sundae. It definitely completes the bridal look. If you feel that a veil is too traditional for the look you are trying to achieve, there are many shorter and sleeker options as well. Here are some different veils, ranging from traditional to trendy (not in order) to help inspire you! Enjoy!

~Monica

 

Photo Credits: 1) Aire Barcelona via Green House 2) Johanna Johnson, 3) Pronovias via Fashionbride 4) Twigs & Honey via Etsy 5) Twigs & Honey via Etsy 6) Twigs & Honey via Etsy

Dressed Up Wedding Chairs

I have to admit, I have a fascination with chairs. I know it is just something that I sit on but I really like good design, good color, and of course a good amount of "prettiness." It shouldn't be any surprise that I always suggest to my clients that we must put some attention to the banquet chairs.

Decorating the chairs immediately transforms a room to something special. Here are some suggestions on how you can decorate your wedding chairs in a style other than a white banquet chair and colored chair sash. ~Monica

Sashes are always a popular and inexpensive way to add some color to your wedding. Rather than tying the sash around the chair with a bow, maybe you would want to try to tie the sash differently or embellish it with a sparkly brooch.

Chair covers has slowly become a wedding decor staple. Branching out from the white chair cover, there are also options in colored chair covers and textured chair covers. Check out this beauty!

 

Although you might not embellish the banquet chairs with flowers (primarily due to cost), you might want to consider them for your ceremony chairs. Having flowers only on the chairs on the end creates a wonderful aisle for the bride to walk down.

 

Fun signs are a wonderful way to make the bride and groom's chairs special. Afterall, they are the main stars of the day! 

Lastly, what about combining a couple of decor embellishments? Cute chair + flowers + signs = wonderful picture of the bride and groom!



Photo Credits: 1),4), 5), 9) Style Me Pretty 2, 3) Grosgrain Fabulous 6) Kristin Newman Designs 7)  Wedding Window 8) Jose Villa Blog

Monica's Vacation: Victoria, Tofino, Nainamo, Vancouver

Have I ever mentioned that Krista and I make a great team? So great that we even take our vacations on separate weeks! Krista is taking the next two weeks off to chill by a pool. I took last week off to go to Victoria, Tofino, Nainamo, and Vancouver. As previously indicated by Krista, I always try to pack in a lot to do every day. Vacation days are no different! Lots to see, eat, and do!

Here are some pictures of my vacation. I didn't bring my SLR camera this time as I was trying to travel light. (Only one piece of carry-on luggage!) I still tried to play with camera angles and take "artsy" pictures with my point and shoot camera. Please feel free to leave me a comment on what you think of my pictures. Photography tips are also welcomed!

~Monica

House boat in Victoria - Fisherman's Wharf. I wondered for a brief moment what it would be like to live on a boat (this one was for sale too!) then quickly remembered that I have horrible motion-sickness.

This boat was on the other side of a bridge. I hiked up my skirt, squated, and took this picture. Lots of effort and un-ladylike posing went into this one. I like how the pillars of the bridge frames the boat.

Ferries at the Victoria harbour did a water ballet. Although it only lasted 10 minutes, I giggled like a little girl the whole time. Very enjoyable experience. I took about 20 pictures during the entire performance.

This was the beach at Tofino. I camped there for two nights and was ten steps away from this beach. It was absolutely awesome especially since it was only the second time that I had sand between my toes.

Just realized that I didn't take a single picture at Nainamo. I think it was just too hot. 34 degrees almost every day! This was a ship at Steveston. It was no mistake that there is a huge red thing in the middle of my picture. At the time, I thought it would be cool. Now looking at it, I am not too sure!

Really no pictures were taken in Vancouver since I mostly just shopped. I did take a picture of my shopping haul, but it is really not worthy of sharing! All in all, it was a wonderful break and vacation. My sock monkey, LC, also had some time to relax and read on the beach. (The man in the picture actually walked right up to us to see what was sitting on the mat. I don't know who was more embarassed, him, me, or LC.)

Wedding Trains - Inbal Dror Haute Couture

Although the front of your wedding gown is important, have you thought about the train of your wedding gown? As you walk down the aisle, your guests are now looking at the back of your gown. When you say your vows, especially if you are having a Catholic wedding, the back of your gown gets a lot of attention.

In this blog post, we share with you wonderful gowns...seen from the back. These gorgeous gowns are all from the Inbal Dror Haute Couture 2012 Collection. Enjoy!

~Monica

Yummy DIY Wedding Favours

A lot of brides struggle making a decision regarding their wedding favours. Who hasn't been on the receiving end of a less-than-stellar wedding favours (which cost the bride and groom money) but ended up going to waste? 

Enter the latest trend in wedding favours: edible and DIY! Personally, I think that edible favours are a great way to end the night since you get to take home something sweet that may or may not be consumed once we get into our pyjamas for the night. Check out some of my fave DIY and edible wedding favours below!

~Monica

Who doesn't love a chocolate chip cookie? Check out Intimate Weddings for a recipe and free printable tags. Can you tell these are in CD sleeves too? So creative!



Homemade jam! Perfect for breakfast the next morning! Once again, check out Intimate Weddings for instructions on how to make and pour the jam, how to make the top covers, and free printable tags.

Cinnamon Rolls in Vintage French Tins! How amazing would it be to receive these!? A combination of refrigerated cinnamon rolls and etsy vintage tins, this post is full of useful tips. Check it out at Pie Wacket.

DIY candy bars wrapped with wallpaper or can be customized with the bride and groom's name. Totally doable, especially if you don't make your own chocolate bars!



Cookies in a Jar Wedding Favor. Perfect for someone like me that loves cookies but never has all (or any ingredients) It includes step-by-step tutorial and free printable labels. (Intimate Weddings)

Fresh Cherry Favors. Perfect for after a huge wedding reception meal! This favor gives you options and advice on how to pack fresh cherries in pretty ways. (Intimate Weddings)