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Welcome back Real Weddings Magazine brides to another installment of The Recessionista Bride Blog Series by our guest blogger extraordinaire Kate Miller of Kate Miller Events. 

This week, in the final installment, she addresses additional details to Recessionista Bride Stevie’s wedding! Take it away Kate! 

“Recessionista Bride Stevie was an uber-crafty bride. She crafted many extra-special touches for her chic vintage modern wedding at The Citizen Hotel. 

One particularly unique idea she came up with was her Bridesmaid necklace design. You can spot them in the photo above. Each had a large pearl drop on a gold chain and was accented by a charm unique to each girl’s personality: a star for the actress, a wing for her most spiritual friend and she even made one for me – a genie lamp, as she said that I, “made all her wishes come true!” So sweet! 

She also purchased the crocheted gloves shown above for each girl – but much to her dismay, they were bright white and clashed quite a bit with the ivory nuanced of our design. Instead of starting from scratch, a simple tea bag dying process softened their color perfectly. Yet another budget craft project done right! 

Lastly, the signature lemonade needed an accent – so I sent over colored patterned paper and monograms that were cut and punched into cute little drink umbrellas. Each was adhered to shortened skewers and added to the glasses to continue the decor for a cohesive look. These were very cheap and easy to make – but made a huge impact for guests!” 

Are you using your crafting skills to add extra details to your wedding day design? 

Want more Recessionista Bride? Check out all the previous entries in the blog series to help you make the most of your wedding budget! 

Introducing…the Recessionista Bride Series 

Recessionista Bride: Alter an Unexpected Dress 

Recessionista Bride: Adding Bling to Your Invitation Suite 

Recessionista Bride: A Non-Traditional Guestbook 

Recessionista Bride: One Room Wonders 

Recessionista Bride: The Dessert Buffet & Bar 

Recessionista Bride: Unique Centerpieces 

Recessionista Bride: Hosting A Bouquet Making Party 

Recessionista Bride: Reusing Decor 

Recessionista Bride: a Dessert and Hors d’oeuvres Reception 

Recessionista Bride: Rose Petal Substitutes 

Recessionista Bride: Additional Details 

About Kate Miller Events (in their own words): 

Kate Miller Events offers full-scale event and wedding planning of extraordinary detail for the bride and groom looking for that extra-special touch. We will keep you organized, on or under budget, and stress-free while designing the wedding of your dreams. We are committed to making sure your day goes off without a hitch — except for the hitching part of course! 

Kate Miller Events offers new technology to keep all avenues of communication open and organized. Our excellent online client planning tools include customized checklists, payment calendars with email notifications, appointment tracking, online idea boards, and contract filing with easy access for all members of your wedding party. Our top-notch organization enables us to be your liaison to all of your vendors – we worry about the details so that you don’t have to. 

All of our packages are unique and completely customized to fit your budget so that you only pay for the services that you need. We offer a wide range of planning services from Day of Coordination to Full Coordination/Design and everything in-between. 

Be sure to check out Kate Miller Event’s Web site and Kate’s blog or call her at 888-808-KATE. 

Photos above from Stevie & Blake’s wedding, one of our featured real weddings in the current issue of Real Weddings Magazine, by Sarah Maren Photography. Kate Miller from Kate Miller Events worked with Stevie & Blake to achieve their perfect day. To read more about Stevie & Blake’s wedding and to view more photos from their wedding, pick up a copy of the current issue or click here. 

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Hey you gorgeous Real Weddings Brides…we’ve got a few complimentary tickets to this Sunday’s Glitz and Glamour event. If you want one of them, email me at info@realweddingsmag.com with your information and I’ll put one aside for you. But hurry, the first ones to get back to me, get the tickets first!

Here’s the 411 on the event:

When: Sunday, May 23, 2010

Time: 12 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Where: Scriber Bend Vineyards, 9051 River Road in Sacramento, 916-744-1803

Cost: $15 per person at the door, or discounted if you register online in advance

More info: Visit Glitz & Glamour Online

Don’t forget to check out our Bridal Show Tips blog post before you go — that way, you’re fully prepared!

And, we’ll be there handing out complimentary copies of Real Weddings Magazine! See you there!

Blog Post by Editor/Publisher Wendy Sipple.

Graphic courtesy of Glitz & Glamour Wedding Show.

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Welcome back to another installment of Real Weddings Magazine’s Partner Profiles!

This week, we thought it would be appropriate to highlight one of our vendors from our Real Weddings Magazine cover model fashion photo shoot that we just mentioned in yesterday’s blog. And, it’s the exceptionally talented (and just downright super-cool!) floral designer, Shannon Cosgrove-Rivas from Flourish. Take it away Miss Shannon!

Flourish

Tell us a little about your company?  We are a special event floral design company based out of Sacramento.

When did you establish your business?  I started Flourish in 1999, but I have been designing in flowers for 21 years.

What sets you apart from your competition?  Flourish is known for detailed and artistic floral designs. We pride ourselves on incorporating the personality of the client in to their event so it reflects them in a unique way.

Where do you find inspiration?  I find inspiration everywhere. I love to shop so I am always looking at the latest fashions, scents and colors. I find a lot of inspiration from nature. The way a tree’s branches are balanced, the color shading of a blossom and the seasons all inspire me.

When you opened shop, what was your promise to your customers?  Fresh, eye catching and “wow” worthy designs is what we make happen for our fabulous clients. I want every single one of my clients to feel like their event was unique and artistically executed. But most importantly, I made a vow to only use the highest quality flowers in our designs.

Do you have any hidden talents?  I can wiggle my ears. Does that count?

What trend do you see coming in 2010?  In wedding floral–the up and coming flowers are Amaryllis, garden roses and seasonal textural elements. The flowers still holding their popularity are peonies, dahlias and tulips. Flowers falling out of favor are callas and stephanotis. The color purple is super hot too!

Do you regularly blog? What’s your blog site?  Why yes I do! I try to blog at least three times a week. www.flourishdesigns.com/blog-new/

Dress from The Bridal Box.

Dress from Diamond Bridal Gallery.

What’s your favorite local restaurant?  Mulvaney’s is so yummy! I love the local and fresh foods and flavors they use when creating their menus. My less high brow favorite is In-n-Out Burger. I am originally from SoCal. Down there In-n-Out is a staple.

What’s your favorite local charity?  My children’s school and Wish Upon a Wedding.

What is your favorite fun thing to do locally?  I love to go on day-trips. I think we are incredibly lucky living here in Sacramento. We are an hour and a half from Lake Tahoe’s fresh mountain air, an hour from the world class Napa Valley and their amazing wine and an two hours from some of the most beautiful beach and coast line on earth. Well, if my husband is driving we can be on the beach in an hour and 15 minutes.

Do you have secret vice or indulgence? What is it?  I wish I had never discovered it. Lindt’s dark chocolate with a touch of sea salt. It is the best! I love the combo of sweet with a little salt (just like my personality).

What are you most grateful for in life?  My family. I am blessed with an amazing family filled with smart, funny and loving people.

If you were to plan your own wedding, or re-do your wedding, what elements would be most important to you?  Photography! I had a friend photograph our wedding (I know- gasp!). He had the best of intentions and tried really hard for us. Unfortunately he didn’t have the knowledge a professional wedding photographer possesses. How to get those great shots quickly, how to keep the day’s schedule on track and a million other little things that make the wedding day go smooth and give you the memories you will cherish.

What advice would you can give to brides and grooms getting married today?  Make the wedding about the marriage. The marriage of two lives, two families and two futures. And try not to take it all too seriously.

Anything else you’d like to share with Real Weddings Magazine’s brides?  I just launched a wedding blog focused on the Northern and Central California wedding scene. I am excited to share all the insider info I have accumulated over the last 21 years. The blog features lots of down to earth inspiration and gorgeous inspiration images. Check us out at Fancy Pants Weddings.

Find out more about Shannon and Flourish for yourself. Call her at 916-212-5179 or visit her Web site at flourishdesigns.com. And, check out her profile on Real Weddings Magazine!

All photos by True Love Photo, copyright Real Weddings Magazine.

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Bouquet by Ambience Floral Design. Photo by Allison Stahl Photography.

We’re back with the best buds of the season, bringing you some beautiful blooms for the late spring months of May and June. We asked one of our favorite floral designers, Katie Edwards of Roseville’s Ambience Floral Design, to share with us her picks for bridal bouquets in the coming months:

Tulips – The epitome of spring and all its playfulness. They come in a wide variety of colors and are a classically happy flower. They are unique and interesting in that they continue to grow about the length of their head each day.

Giant Allium- Allium is in the onion family and is one of the most fun and unique flowers. It is a large fuzzy purple ball, about 4-6″ in diameter sitting on top of a long bare stem. These flowers are such fun to play with during the short time we have them. Typically June-July is the typical timespan.

Bouquet by Ambience Floral Design. Photo by Gino Creglia Photography.

Peonies - Huge, fluffy and fragrant! Peonies are one of the most loved flowers based on the feedback I received. People (especially brides) beg for them all year long, but it is the lucky bride who marries in May and June who can plan on enjoying peonies at their peak. The colors are white, blush, pink, watermelon, fuchsia and burgundy-red. Oh, so gorgeous.

Bouquet by Ambience Floral Design. Photo by Anne Mask Photography.

Hydrangea – Hydrangea is available all year in light blue and white, but we heading into prime hydrangea season. The colors will range from soft lavender, pink and green to hot pink, rich blue and deep purple. These large romantic blooms are a wedding classic.

Thanks Katie!

About Ambience Floral Design:

Owner, Katie Edwards and her team are uniquely qualified to satisfy the requirements of people who are planning weddings, special events and business gatherings. They understand the current trends and their creative team is committed to making your event unique and extraordinary.

Contact Ambience Floral Design at 916-786-6851, or www.ambiencefloral.com.

Blog Post by Always a Bridesmaid Columnist Darren Elms.

To see more floral bouquets, visit our Real Weddings Magazine Style Files section

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Even as a kid, I distinctly remember the beauty that is Oregon. With its varied landscapes, from snowy mountaintops and lush forests, to crackling rivers and green pastures, the state is a nature lover’s paradise. It’s also a wonderful place to getaway – quick and convenient for us here in NorCal. Here’s one of our favorite Oregon escapes.

Recommended Resort: Sunriver Resort. Nestled in Central Oregon (about 45 minutes from Redmond Airport), this first-class resort on 3,800 acres has something for everyone: golf, spa, dining, glorious Mother Nature and much more. The 205 rooms and suites of the Lodge Village and 33 room at the luxurious River Lodges boast amenities like private balconies, fireplaces and cozy and rustic, yet upscale, ambiance.

Check In:  Sunriver Resort, 17600 Center Drive in Sunriver, Oregon. 800-801-8765, www.sunriver-resort.com.

Check Out:  The great outdoors. In addition to an 18-hole golf course and putting green, the property features four pools and 3 indoor and 32 outdoor tennis courts. With nature at your fingertips, you would be remiss not to take advantage of the biking, hiking, horseback riding, rock climbing, rafting, fly-fishing, canoeing, kayaking…and that’s just the short list.

Don’t Miss:  The Sage Springs Club and Spa. What’s not to love about 35,000 square feet of total relaxation and bliss? Indulge in a massage, facial treatment, indoor lap pool, gym or fitness class. No matter the choice, your body and spirit will love you for it.

Want more honeymoon ideas? Check out our other Mini-Moon and Honeymoon Blog Posts!

Blog Post by Always a Bridesmaid Columnist Darren Elms.

Photos courtesy of Sunriver Resort.

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