Archive for the ‘Always a Bridesmaid’ Category

Greetings my gorgeous Real Weddings Brides! Buds are blooming, skies are blue, grass is green and I’m in the mood for something pretty. Look no further than these delightful offerings from Enchanted Bridal & Tuxedo Shoppe. From the romantic to the regal, there’s something for everyone to savor this season. Enjoy!

“Symphony”

The designer Maggie Sottero has created a dress for their spring 2012 collection combining a traditional full skirt with a lace overlay for the bodice. The additional fitted bodice and sweetheart neckline underneath the off the shoulder lace overlay is elegant and classy.

“Presca”

From Maggie Sottero’s 2012 collection, the timeless lace from head to toe on this dress will be forever memorable. The slim A-line fit and sweetheart neckline are great features that add to this dress. With the additional crystal belt placed along the natural waist, this dress is without a doubt gorgeous.

“2075”

Casablanca has created a statement dress in their spring collection labeled as 2075. The unique design on this gown is an absolute head turner. The fitted bodice, sweetheart neckline, and full tulle skirt adds a couture feel. As well as the crystal flower design along the bodice, this dress is unforgettable.

“Acapulco”

This organza slim fit dress from Maggie Sottero’s Spring 2012 collection has a light feel and flows with your every move. With the halter top followed by crystal beading leading down the bodice, this dress speaks for itself.

Find all these delightful gowns at Enchanted Bridal & Tuxedo Shoppe, 5321 Sunrise Boulevard in Fair Oaks. 916-965-5683, enchantedbridalshoppe.com. And, be sure to like them on Facebook!

Blog post by Always a Bridesmaid Columnist Darren Elms.

Photos courtesy of Maggie Sottero and Casablanca.

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Spring is in the air and we feel like warming up this week. Check out this Arizona getaway that’s certain to revitalize your body and mind and put a spring back in your step.

Recommended Resort:  Enchantment Resort. A 70-acre resort dotted with desert native gardens and adobe structures, Enchanted is the desert star of spa-centric Sedona. Mii amo is the signature destination spa located on the property and guests who book three to seven-day packages stay right next to the spa in one of 16 modern rooms. All treatments and Mii amo Cafe meals are included. Resort guests may enjoy all the facilities and classes at Mii amo, but treatments and meals are a la carte.

Check In:  525 Boynton Canyon Road in Sedona, AZ. 928-282-2900, enchantmentresort.com.

Check Out:  You can easily spend a satisfying week in Sedona and never stray far from Enchantment. For the sports enthusiast, there’s hiking, tennis, swimming, mountain biking, croquet. Meantime, the spa offers yoga and dance classes, cooking demonstrations, off-site excursions and some really inventive treatments. And watercolor painting classes? Yes, please.

If you are adventurous, get into the car for the short ride to the Coconino National Forest. Our guide offered a choice of eight treks, and our group settled on the moderate, two-hour “Teacup” hike with a friendly, yet informative narrative along the way.

Don’t Miss:  The Mii amo spa. Spa highlights include the Journey Spa Treatment, a two-hour personalized session that begins with sharing your goals and aspirations in a consultation, setting the path for your therapist to create and perform a multifaceted session that addresses your individual needs; massage; acupuncture; tarot readings and much more.

The Mii amo pool can make of an ideal spot, unless you want to change out of your robe and try the wares as the more upscale Yavapai at the main resort. Decisions, decisions. Don’t think too hard.

Blog post by Always a Bridesmaid Contributor Darren Elms.

Photos courtesy of Enchantment Resort.

Check out the Real Weddings Contest Page! Great bridal loot for real Sacramento-area brides!

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Three months and counting…

Yep, in just 90 days, a year-plus of planning comes together in one crazy evening shared with friends and family. How’s that possible? Didn’t we just get engaged? Didn’t we just pick a venue? Oh my lord, I need to hurry up and lose those 15 extra pounds so I can get fitted for my custom suit.

Ok, exhale. But inhale when getting fitted. Please.

Over the next 90 days, I’m going to post periodically with updates on the wedding countdown…from final invites, to RSVP regrets, to wallet tightening tantrums, to caterer conundrums, to paper cut ridden cuticles, to bachelor parties, rehearsal dinners and the rest of the merry madness.

Here’s the truth. This is all going FAR smoother than I could have every imagined. I know, bite my tongue. There are three whole months left for things to go terribly wrong. But, I’m an optimist.

And I think the good energy my partner Preston and I share with each other really helped this process go fairly well. There was that meltdown in Sur La Table over stemware…but once we put down the registry gun and hugged it out, we could resume scanning tableware in bliss. It’s the small things, people.

This week let’s talk registry. I’ll admit, I’ve been looking forward to this part for 20 years. Picking stuff out and having people buy it for me? Uh, sign me up. Here’s the rub. Having lived on my own for nearly 20 years now, I’ve accumulated a lot of “stuff” over that time…for the kitchen, dining room, bathroom, you name it. I realized, wow, I really don’t need anything.

Then I talked it out with Preston. We can’t just expect people to give us cash and not do any type of registry. Right? We already planned to donate funds to our favorite charities in our guests’ names as part of our favors, so that idea was out.

Then I thought, wait, most of that “stuff” in our house is mine…not Preston’s. Very little had been gifted to us together. Suddenly, not unlike the Grinch on the top of Mount Crumpit with a sleigh full of swag, I realized the registry was more that just new items for the house. It was our chance to build a collection…together.

So we decided to register for some nice dishes and flatware. We shopped together, made decisions together, battled it out a little together, made up together and finally chose those pieces we would use to entertain our guests…yes, together. Cathartic and bonding, it was a great exercise in teamwork. If we can pick teaspoons we both like, we can conquer the world…right?

Here’s where we registered for our tableware…a great place called Heath Ceramics. Handmade in northern California, this native loved the Golden State connection. Plus, they are non-traditional and great looking. If you have a taste for the original, check them out here, heathceramics.com.

See you next time!

Blog post by Always a Bridesmaid Contributor Darren Elms.

Photo courtesy of Heath Ceramics.

Check out the Real Weddings Contest Page! Great bridal loot for real Sacramento-area brides!

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Here’s a local gal we love to follow! Catrina Maria, the owner and founder of Catrina Maria Event Planning and Design, graduated from Sac State in 2001 with a Bachelor’s degree in liberal studies and spent five years overseeing gorgeous and fabulous weddings at one of the area’s beautiful country clubs from 2000 to 2005. Then she decided to go solo.

“I keep function and ease in mind,” says the entrepreneur of her event planning business.

And does Catrina have a great eye! We adore her sense of style, from posts on fabulous florals to divine dresses. Plus she’s big on spotting new wedding trends that are sure to take our region by storm. Check out her regular blog here and get inspired!

Find out more about Catrina Arcularius and Catrina Maria Event Planning and Design by visiting her Web site, blog, Facebook page and Twitter page!

Blog Post by Always a Bridesmaid Columnist Darren Elms.

Photo courtesy of Catrina Maria Event Planning and Design.

Check out the Real Weddings Contest Page! Great bridal loot for real Sacramento-area brides!

Subscribe to the Real Weddings Magazine Blog!

A couple weeks ago it was Twilight brides in London holding the world record spotlight. This time, it’s a Romanian design house shattering records with the longest bridal train ever. A two-mile train to be exact.

The Bucharest fashion label hired 10 seamstresses to toil away for 100 days on the project. The imported material alone, including French lace and Italian taffeta, cost around $7,300. That’s not including labor and the dramatic floating runway show. Yes… a hot-air balloon. How else are you going to display a train as long as the width of Manhattan?

A model wearing the dress and train was hoisted into the air outside Bucharest’s Palace of the Parliament, for all the world to see-in particular-The Netherlands. The Dutch country previously held the longest train record at under a mile.

If a real bride were to walk down the aisle in that dress, she’d need a venue the size of four football fields and an entire NFL team of bridesmaids to hold the train. Even if Elizabeth Taylor stitched together all her eight bridal trains and threw in Princess Di’s and lovely Kate’s for fun, she wouldn’t even have come close. Way to go Romania. Now who’s going to top that?

Blog post by Always a Bridesmaid Columnist Darren Elms.

Photos courtesy of Reuters.

Do you have the new Real Weddings Magazine iPhone and iPad App?

Check out the Real Weddings Contest Page! Great bridal loot for real Sacramento-area brides!

Subscribe to the Real Weddings Magazine Blog!