Hi all!
I hope you're having a lovely weekend. Ours is packed and going by too fast, so I apologize for the long pauses between posts lately. I've actually had one of those weeks where my posts aren't happening like I thought they would and two of the posts that I put up had to be taken down by request.
Since I'm a little busy and I have to streamline for a little while, there's no theme or giveaway for this week. Instead, I'll be charging through some of those weddings and engagements that have been submitted by readers. So, here are a couple of notes I thought I'd drop in case you had an event you want me to showcase:
Engagement Spotlight: Stanley + ShirLi
Location: Tokyo Disney Sea
Photography: Louis Photography
I've been doing a little bit of digging around in Disney rules and apparently there isn't a rule against outside photography sessions at Tokyo Disney, like there is at Walt Disney World. The jury is still out on Disneyland, since I called a few people and nobody seemed to know for sure, so I'm holding off on those sessions until I get a for-sure answer. In the meantime, though, aren't we lucky that Tokyo Disney Sea is such a beautiful backdrop for this happy couple?...
Photography: Louis Photography
I've been doing a little bit of digging around in Disney rules and apparently there isn't a rule against outside photography sessions at Tokyo Disney, like there is at Walt Disney World. The jury is still out on Disneyland, since I called a few people and nobody seemed to know for sure, so I'm holding off on those sessions until I get a for-sure answer. In the meantime, though, aren't we lucky that Tokyo Disney Sea is such a beautiful backdrop for this happy couple?...
Interview: Sara Morgan from Wedzilla
It's been a strange and busy week, so instead of doing the traditional weekly update, I thought I'd introduce you to someone else working in the world of weddings...
An Interview with Sara Morgan from Wedzilla.com
1. What is Weddzilla.com and what is your role within Weddzilla?
Weddzilla.com is the first website in the wedding industry to fully integrate the wedding planning process into popular social networks. Weddzilla.com leverages the power of community to simplifying the wedding planning process for our Nearlyweds. It’s all about connecting them with their perfect vendors and making their wedding planning easy, social, and fun.
For vendors, creating a profile on Weddzilla.com means instantly increasing their visibility. Our focus is on bringing offline word-of-mouth to an online platform and the tools we give vendors access to will help connect them with Nearlyweds in a more efficient way.
2. How is Weddzilla.com changing the game for online wedding planning?
Social media is changing the way brides and vendors interact and Weddzilla.com is at the forefront
3. What is the one feature you would highlight for Wedding Professionals to use?
Our Weddfieds are the game changer for vendors. They allow wedding professionals to be proactive in connecting to the Nearlyweds that need their services anytime they want, without paying for leads. You can set your search parameters by zip code, budget, and wedding date. We notify vendors every time a Nearlywed creates a post that matches their search criteria and they’ll be able to start connecting with the brides they want to work with directly through Weddzilla.com.
4. What is the one feature you would highlight for Nearlyweds to use?
Our Nearlyweds are loving how easy the Weddmark (a visual bookmarking tool) makes collecting and organizing inspiration from all over the web. You can watch a demo here.
And of course they love the fact that each new item they Weddmark between now and September 30, 2010 gives them one entry in the “Weddmark Challenge” and a chance to win a $1,000 gift registry from Macy’s!
5. Do you host any Webinars or educational series to help Nearlyweds or Vendors?
Yes! We want to be a resource for brides and vendors alike. Our current educational series focuses on social media. I can't tell you how many times I have talked with wedding professionals and heard them say "I know that I need to be engaging brides via social media, but I feel overwhelmed and don't know where to start."
That’s why we created our social media presentation called “Social or Die.” Making social media a part of your daily business routine is a lot simpler than you may think and our “Social or Die” presentation is takes a straight-shooting approach to help wedding professionals “get real” about how to grow their business through social media.
6. Tell us about your experience (or an anecdote) about working with an up-and-coming internet company. What has the journey been like?
I love this question!
Using the word “journey” to describe my career with Weddzilla.com is so appropriate. It’s been such an adventure! I started working with Weddzilla.com because I believed so much in the concept of the company and I’ve loved working here because of the company culture. We really are like one big (albeit dysfunctional) family!
Every Friday we have a weekly roundup call to make sure we keep in touch with everyone on our team no matter where they are. My favorite part of the call is when one of our team members has to sit on the “Hot Seat” and everyone gets to fire one question at them. The question can be on any topic and needless to say, the calls always end up very interesting! The lucky “Hot Seat”-er also has to accept a work-related challenge with a funny wager attached if they don’t meet their goal by the following Friday. People have had to shave only half their beard for the day, go to work in a Mu Mu, and even reenact the “Dennis Quaid is Here!” skit from the Ellen Degeneres for You Tube. Just another day in the life at Weddzilla.
7. Tell us about your gurus. How did you pick them? What will they be bringing to the Weddzilla community?
We love our gurus. And honestly, we don’t use them enough...but that is about to change! When we started creating the concept of Weddzilla we wanted to align ourselves with the best experts in the industry, but wanted more than faces. We wanted expertise with weddings, but also wanted them to believe in the power of social media.
The Weddzilla Gurus are our team of celebrity wedding professionals that will be sharing their expertise and extensive experience with the Weddzilla Community. The Gurus are not only trendsetters in their respective fields, but are trusted names in the wedding industry.
Plus, they all have HUGE personalities and that comes through in their blog posts and interaction with our Weddzilla community. They are all seriously passionate about what they do...it’s inspiring! And it’s why they have all gotten where they are today.
8. Why have you made social media such an integral part of Weddzilla.com?
Social media isn’t a trend, it isn’t going anywhere. It’s changing the way people interact and the way companies do business. The wedding industry is built around a very social community of brides and vendors. We wanted to create a site that took offline word-of-mouth and social networking and put it into an online format to create that same sense of community through our site. It’s all about engagement, continuous conversation, and instant feedback. Social media is connecting us to everything, allowing us to get instant information, reviews, feedback, and is always evolving. We believe that deep integration into the social networks, into the individual Nearlyweds communities is the next must use “tool” that all brides are going to want to use. It’s all about planning your big day with the people you care about, hang out with online, and interact with...and Weddzilla aims to continue to stay on the forefront of technology and social media.
9. I notice you have a Weddzilla You Tube channel...any good videos we should be looking out for?
We actually just started putting up some videos to our channel. We want to make it a hub for cool wedding videos from our brides, or anything else wedding related. We’d love to have our users suggest videos to us to add to our site or as a favorite. In addition to wedding related videos you can find tutorials on how to use Weddzilla better, highlights from our launch party, and will be adding more content soon.
10. What’s on the horizon for Weddzilla? Tell us what we should be looking out for from you guys.
Up first is the Guru Awards - that is going to be really cool. We are all about social media and blogs play a huge role in the wedding community and we can’t wait to award 25 great blogs our Blog Guru 2010 title!
On the horizon are an iPhone app for Nearlyweds...if you thought the Weddmark was cool..wait till you see the iPhone app...It’s going to be addicitive!
We have a whole bunch of new site features coming soon. The Ideabook, a new twist on the store, and we will be introducing “Wedding helpers” soon which allow our nearlweds to really get social and get their communities or, “wedding helpers” involved in the planning process.
Sometime later this year or early next year I’m finally going to let my team take vacations too! :)
An Interview with Sara Morgan from Wedzilla.com
1. What is Weddzilla.com and what is your role within Weddzilla?Weddzilla.com is the first website in the wedding industry to fully integrate the wedding planning process into popular social networks. Weddzilla.com leverages the power of community to simplifying the wedding planning process for our Nearlyweds. It’s all about connecting them with their perfect vendors and making their wedding planning easy, social, and fun.
For vendors, creating a profile on Weddzilla.com means instantly increasing their visibility. Our focus is on bringing offline word-of-mouth to an online platform and the tools we give vendors access to will help connect them with Nearlyweds in a more efficient way.
2. How is Weddzilla.com changing the game for online wedding planning?
Social media is changing the way brides and vendors interact and Weddzilla.com is at the forefront
3. What is the one feature you would highlight for Wedding Professionals to use?
Our Weddfieds are the game changer for vendors. They allow wedding professionals to be proactive in connecting to the Nearlyweds that need their services anytime they want, without paying for leads. You can set your search parameters by zip code, budget, and wedding date. We notify vendors every time a Nearlywed creates a post that matches their search criteria and they’ll be able to start connecting with the brides they want to work with directly through Weddzilla.com.
4. What is the one feature you would highlight for Nearlyweds to use?
Our Nearlyweds are loving how easy the Weddmark (a visual bookmarking tool) makes collecting and organizing inspiration from all over the web. You can watch a demo here.
And of course they love the fact that each new item they Weddmark between now and September 30, 2010 gives them one entry in the “Weddmark Challenge” and a chance to win a $1,000 gift registry from Macy’s!
5. Do you host any Webinars or educational series to help Nearlyweds or Vendors?
Yes! We want to be a resource for brides and vendors alike. Our current educational series focuses on social media. I can't tell you how many times I have talked with wedding professionals and heard them say "I know that I need to be engaging brides via social media, but I feel overwhelmed and don't know where to start."
That’s why we created our social media presentation called “Social or Die.” Making social media a part of your daily business routine is a lot simpler than you may think and our “Social or Die” presentation is takes a straight-shooting approach to help wedding professionals “get real” about how to grow their business through social media.
6. Tell us about your experience (or an anecdote) about working with an up-and-coming internet company. What has the journey been like?
I love this question!
Using the word “journey” to describe my career with Weddzilla.com is so appropriate. It’s been such an adventure! I started working with Weddzilla.com because I believed so much in the concept of the company and I’ve loved working here because of the company culture. We really are like one big (albeit dysfunctional) family!
Every Friday we have a weekly roundup call to make sure we keep in touch with everyone on our team no matter where they are. My favorite part of the call is when one of our team members has to sit on the “Hot Seat” and everyone gets to fire one question at them. The question can be on any topic and needless to say, the calls always end up very interesting! The lucky “Hot Seat”-er also has to accept a work-related challenge with a funny wager attached if they don’t meet their goal by the following Friday. People have had to shave only half their beard for the day, go to work in a Mu Mu, and even reenact the “Dennis Quaid is Here!” skit from the Ellen Degeneres for You Tube. Just another day in the life at Weddzilla.
7. Tell us about your gurus. How did you pick them? What will they be bringing to the Weddzilla community?
We love our gurus. And honestly, we don’t use them enough...but that is about to change! When we started creating the concept of Weddzilla we wanted to align ourselves with the best experts in the industry, but wanted more than faces. We wanted expertise with weddings, but also wanted them to believe in the power of social media.
The Weddzilla Gurus are our team of celebrity wedding professionals that will be sharing their expertise and extensive experience with the Weddzilla Community. The Gurus are not only trendsetters in their respective fields, but are trusted names in the wedding industry.
Plus, they all have HUGE personalities and that comes through in their blog posts and interaction with our Weddzilla community. They are all seriously passionate about what they do...it’s inspiring! And it’s why they have all gotten where they are today.
8. Why have you made social media such an integral part of Weddzilla.com?
Social media isn’t a trend, it isn’t going anywhere. It’s changing the way people interact and the way companies do business. The wedding industry is built around a very social community of brides and vendors. We wanted to create a site that took offline word-of-mouth and social networking and put it into an online format to create that same sense of community through our site. It’s all about engagement, continuous conversation, and instant feedback. Social media is connecting us to everything, allowing us to get instant information, reviews, feedback, and is always evolving. We believe that deep integration into the social networks, into the individual Nearlyweds communities is the next must use “tool” that all brides are going to want to use. It’s all about planning your big day with the people you care about, hang out with online, and interact with...and Weddzilla aims to continue to stay on the forefront of technology and social media.
9. I notice you have a Weddzilla You Tube channel...any good videos we should be looking out for?
We actually just started putting up some videos to our channel. We want to make it a hub for cool wedding videos from our brides, or anything else wedding related. We’d love to have our users suggest videos to us to add to our site or as a favorite. In addition to wedding related videos you can find tutorials on how to use Weddzilla better, highlights from our launch party, and will be adding more content soon.
10. What’s on the horizon for Weddzilla? Tell us what we should be looking out for from you guys.
Up first is the Guru Awards - that is going to be really cool. We are all about social media and blogs play a huge role in the wedding community and we can’t wait to award 25 great blogs our Blog Guru 2010 title!
On the horizon are an iPhone app for Nearlyweds...if you thought the Weddmark was cool..wait till you see the iPhone app...It’s going to be addicitive!
We have a whole bunch of new site features coming soon. The Ideabook, a new twist on the store, and we will be introducing “Wedding helpers” soon which allow our nearlweds to really get social and get their communities or, “wedding helpers” involved in the planning process.
Sometime later this year or early next year I’m finally going to let my team take vacations too! :)
Hope + Mike's Meal Tasting at the Disneyland Hotel
I thought I'd share part of Hope's planning journal with you all, so you can see what happens at a meal tasting before your wedding. Kyle and I didn't realize that we had to request a meal tasting (we thought it was part of the planning session) and so we didn't get to do this. Luckily, reading Hope's recount is like actually being there...
We arrived at the Grand Californian and our planner escorted us toward the Lily Room. Nicholas, the lead banquet manager (I’m not certain what his official title was) was already waiting for us outside of the room. He quickly introduced himself and shook hands with all of us and led us into the Lily Room, where our names were already on the door:
We arrived at the Grand Californian and our planner escorted us toward the Lily Room. Nicholas, the lead banquet manager (I’m not certain what his official title was) was already waiting for us outside of the room. He quickly introduced himself and shook hands with all of us and led us into the Lily Room, where our names were already on the door:
Recipe: Artichoke Dip from Tony's Town Square Restaurant
Artichoke dip = everyone loves it and it makes everything feel festive. You can get artichoke dip at many places around Walt Disney World and I'm pretty sure that they're all using the same recipe, but just in case they are a bit different, I thought I'd share the best of the best:
Ten Food and Beverage Disney Wedding Facts
When I was planning our wedding (about a million years ago), I was really confused about the food and beverage options. For some reason, I got it into my head that I needed to pick one of the set menus that Disney had sent us, so we chose one and left it alone. It wasn't until we had been married for a while that I found out we had a whole lot of options, like action stations and different plated meals. I was happy with the food we picked, but I wish I had had a better understanding of everything a few years ago, because we might have wanted something different.
Recipe: Hollywood Brown Derby's Grapefruit Cake
Ok, so food week might have been a bad idea because just reading all of your comments is introducing me to a million things I've never tried before! I'm going to have a do a complete culinary tour the next time I'm in WDW...
The first recipe for the week was actually inspired by a comment from Jess, who can't go to Disney's Hollywood Studios without grabbing a slice of the Hollywood Brown Derby's Grapefruit Cake from Starring Rolls Bakery. I've never been to the Brown Derby (much to Kyle's dismay) so I haven't sampled the grapefruit cake...or any grapefruit cake anywhere for that matter. Curious, I dug around and found this recipe:
The first recipe for the week was actually inspired by a comment from Jess, who can't go to Disney's Hollywood Studios without grabbing a slice of the Hollywood Brown Derby's Grapefruit Cake from Starring Rolls Bakery. I've never been to the Brown Derby (much to Kyle's dismay) so I haven't sampled the grapefruit cake...or any grapefruit cake anywhere for that matter. Curious, I dug around and found this recipe:
Following the Rules
I went to bed a half hour ago, but I couldn't sleep because I kept turning an email I received this evening over and over again in my mind. I get negative emails and comments every once in a while, but usually they're limited to the same old "Disney is stupid, these weddings suck" sort of thing. Tonight, though, I went out for a bit and came home to an email from someone who has been a subscriber for a long time, but had decided not to subscribe any more because of something I posted.
We Have a Winner!
And in other news, we have a winner for this week's giveaway!!
The winner of this week's giveaway will receive her very own bottle of Model in a Bottle, one of the most popular cosmetic-must-haves among Disney brides. And the lucky winner is...
The winner of this week's giveaway will receive her very own bottle of Model in a Bottle, one of the most popular cosmetic-must-haves among Disney brides. And the lucky winner is...
Engagement Spotlight: Kate + Jay
Location: Grand Floridian, Animal Kingdom Lodge, Polynesian, and Boardwalk Resorts
Photography: David and Vicki Arndt Photography
Photography: David and Vicki Arndt Photography
Fairytale Hair and Makeup
To wrap up beauty week, I thought I'd share a little bit more from Fairytale Hair and Makeup, who provided the magic behind Brettainy's half up half down wedding day style.
There's tons of info on the Fairytale Hair and Makeup website, including a special gallery just for Disney weddings. I love that and I really wish more vendors would create separate galleries...especially if Disney weddings are a big part of their bread and butter. It's fun to see a wide range of work, but for a lot of brides who are planning their weddings online, it's the Disney stuff that they want to see...
The site also has a gallery for princess-inspired hair, which is such a cute idea.
Last, but not least, Tara herself from Fairytale Hair and Makeup comes highly recommended by her past brides, which is the best way to earn new business. Across the board, it's the vendors that people gush about after their wedding that end up being common names among Disney brides and Tara is well on her way to being on that list. I can't wait to see more from her!
There's tons of info on the Fairytale Hair and Makeup website, including a special gallery just for Disney weddings. I love that and I really wish more vendors would create separate galleries...especially if Disney weddings are a big part of their bread and butter. It's fun to see a wide range of work, but for a lot of brides who are planning their weddings online, it's the Disney stuff that they want to see...
The site also has a gallery for princess-inspired hair, which is such a cute idea.
Weekly Update - 7/23/10
In this week's video...
I'm sorry, but the thought of getting on camera for "beauty week" was just a little too intimidating, so you'll just have to miss my happy little voice. Instead, I bring you a video featuring before and afters from Hair Comes the Bride, a salon based in Southern California.
The video is interesting, because some of the women look amazing after their makeover and some of them (in my opinion) looked better when they walked into the salon. I really think there are just some people who should run with their natural beauty. Anyway, that's just my opinion. Let me know what you think:
(As a side note - LOVE that this salon is using social media in this way to reach potential customers. Very, very creative. I definitely think more beauty businesses should start doing videos.)
For the Week/Other Blog Business
I'm sorry, but the thought of getting on camera for "beauty week" was just a little too intimidating, so you'll just have to miss my happy little voice. Instead, I bring you a video featuring before and afters from Hair Comes the Bride, a salon based in Southern California.
The video is interesting, because some of the women look amazing after their makeover and some of them (in my opinion) looked better when they walked into the salon. I really think there are just some people who should run with their natural beauty. Anyway, that's just my opinion. Let me know what you think:
(As a side note - LOVE that this salon is using social media in this way to reach potential customers. Very, very creative. I definitely think more beauty businesses should start doing videos.)
For the Week/Other Blog Business
- The giveaway for this week is for your very own bottle of Model in a Bottle, so if you haven't entered, you better get on it! I announce the winner tomorrow...
- Congratulations to Disney Bride Vanessa, who just had a sweet little boy!
- I'm sorry that I've been slow to return emails/Facebook messages. I let them build up last weekend and I'm having a hard time recovering. I also just haven't had time to crank out as many spotlights as I thought I was going to, so if you're waiting to see yours I promise it hasn't fallen off of my list!
- Thank you so much to the person who sent me that sweet mini-care package. I love find the unexpected in the new P.O. box, especially when it's local stuff from a different city! Much appreciated!!!
- A few new Featured Vendors have joined the list and more will be added this week. If you're looking for vendors, keep checking back or drop me a line if you want a recommendation for a specific type of vendor.
- Next week will find a lot of you in the kitchen...
- Have a great weekend and thanks for reading!
Wedding Spotlight: The Up Inspired Wedding
Location: Saddlerock Ranch,
Photography: Joy, Wildflowers Photography
And speaking of beauty, here's the beautiful "Up" inspired wedding to follow up the "Up" inspired engagement...
(Warning, this wedding is so adorable, your head might actually explode when you see it.)
P.S. Thanks to the The Wedding Chicks for the original scoop!
Photography: Joy, Wildflowers Photography
And speaking of beauty, here's the beautiful "Up" inspired wedding to follow up the "Up" inspired engagement...
(Warning, this wedding is so adorable, your head might actually explode when you see it.)
P.S. Thanks to the The Wedding Chicks for the original scoop!
Wedding Hair: Retro Vintage and Rockabilly Styles
I thought I was done with this series, but when Kendra requested a few vintage looks, I realized that I had totally skipped one of my favorite wedding styles of them all!
Wedding Hair: Half Up Half Down
A bunch of you were excited about Brettainy's wedding style, so I thought I'd collect a few more half up half down wedding hair styles for your consideration:
Style Inspiration: Brettainy's Wedding Hair
Hair: Tara Fontana, Fairy Tale Hair and Makeup
It's likely that you all remember Brettainy and Kyle's amazing Disneyland wedding, but I thought I'd share a closer look at Brett's wedding hair style, designed by Tara Fontana of Fairy Tale Hair and Makeup
I absolutely love it and it's exactly what I wanted for my wedding when I said, "I want it curly, half up and half down." In fact, you can look at the difference between Brett's hair and my hair and totally understand why my hair and makeup person ended up being pretty much the worst wedding decision I made...
Flat and frizzy on top with a bazillion tiny curls springing out all
over the place? Hmmm, not a fan...
It's likely that you all remember Brettainy and Kyle's amazing Disneyland wedding, but I thought I'd share a closer look at Brett's wedding hair style, designed by Tara Fontana of Fairy Tale Hair and Makeup
I absolutely love it and it's exactly what I wanted for my wedding when I said, "I want it curly, half up and half down." In fact, you can look at the difference between Brett's hair and my hair and totally understand why my hair and makeup person ended up being pretty much the worst wedding decision I made...
Flat and frizzy on top with a bazillion tiny curls springing out all
over the place? Hmmm, not a fan...
And that, my friends, is why it's really important to get a hair and makeup person that you can trust completely!
The Best Online Hair and Makeup Tools For Your Wedding
With all of this new technology, there's lots of help out there for brides who are searching for their wedding look. Here are two of my top pics:
Real Simple Virtual Makeover
- Try on hairstyles, hair colors, and cosmetics.
- Uses real cosmetic products so you can recreate the makeover in real life.
- Very quick and easy to use.
My Virtual Model
- Easy to customize a virtual model to look like you.
- Tons of outfits to try on, including wedding looks.
- Motivating to see yourself in the same outfit, but at two different weights, particularly if you're planning on losing weight for the wedding.
Engagement Spotlight: Jiesi + Tim
Location: Disneyland
Photography: Caroline Tran Photographer
Makeup: Theresa Huang
I like it when brides get a little glam on their wedding day, but for engagement sessions my preference still leans heavily towards looking beautiful, but casual. Unless you're someone who wears heavier makeup all the time, I think sticking with clean looks leads to better photos. Example A: the natural less-is-more look of this bride, designed by southern California hair and makeup artist, Theresa Huang...
Photography: Caroline Tran Photographer
Makeup: Theresa Huang
I like it when brides get a little glam on their wedding day, but for engagement sessions my preference still leans heavily towards looking beautiful, but casual. Unless you're someone who wears heavier makeup all the time, I think sticking with clean looks leads to better photos. Example A: the natural less-is-more look of this bride, designed by southern California hair and makeup artist, Theresa Huang...
Wedding Spotlight: Vanessa + Rafael
Location: Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge, Swan and Dolphin Resort
Photography: Mikkel Paige, Randy Chapman
And now for the first of our beautiful brides...
Wedding invitations by Uniquely Inviting
Photography: Mikkel Paige, Randy Chapman
And now for the first of our beautiful brides...
Wedding invitations by Uniquely Inviting
Welcome to Beauty Week!!
This week is beauty week, so it's all hair and makeup from here! I've been a little preoccupied with my hair lately, as those of you who are my Facebook friends know, so I've been checking out beauty magazines to see if I can find the perfect style. I thought I'd go ahead and extend my temporary into a full week of posts, so this week will be full of hairstyle ideas, makeup tips, and real Disney weddings featuring some beautiful brides.
It's a (sometimes unfortunate) fact that beauty is a big deal on your wedding day. Even if you're not the type of person who worries themselves with makeup and curlers on a day to day basis, you need to put some thought into your beauty routine on your wedding day, or you'll end up with thousands of pictures of you looking ho-hum. In the same breath, if you overdo it, you might end up with thousands of pictures that look nothing like you and for the rest of your life you'll show your wedding photos to people who will immediately say, "Whoah...you were really done up, weren't you?"
In my opinion, the best place to find beauty inspiration is from your fellow Disney brides. Following the styles and looks that magazine models have achieved can be misleading (do you want the model's eyeliner or her perfect cheekbones) and it may leave you ready for a clothing ad, but too done up for your big day (which is exactly what happened to me). Disney brides also have the best scoop on what products to use and what products to give a miss. (I featured a list of popular products among Disney brides in this post.) One of those popular products is this week's...
Giveaway
Many brides have been using Model in a Bottle on their wedding day. I'm not quite sure where the trend started, but it's safe to say that it will be here for a while because brides are obsessed with how nicely their makeup stays put after using this product. It works for going to the parks as well, since it's not too heavy, so you can use it on your wedding day, around your wedding day, and on your honeymoon to keep up that "I'm just naturally beautiful" bride look.
The winner of this week's giveaway will receive their very own bottle of the original Model in a Bottle formula. To enter the giveaway, just leave a comment here with your favorite beauty product. I'll annouce the winner on Saturday. Good Luck!
It's a (sometimes unfortunate) fact that beauty is a big deal on your wedding day. Even if you're not the type of person who worries themselves with makeup and curlers on a day to day basis, you need to put some thought into your beauty routine on your wedding day, or you'll end up with thousands of pictures of you looking ho-hum. In the same breath, if you overdo it, you might end up with thousands of pictures that look nothing like you and for the rest of your life you'll show your wedding photos to people who will immediately say, "Whoah...you were really done up, weren't you?"
In my opinion, the best place to find beauty inspiration is from your fellow Disney brides. Following the styles and looks that magazine models have achieved can be misleading (do you want the model's eyeliner or her perfect cheekbones) and it may leave you ready for a clothing ad, but too done up for your big day (which is exactly what happened to me). Disney brides also have the best scoop on what products to use and what products to give a miss. (I featured a list of popular products among Disney brides in this post.) One of those popular products is this week's...
Giveaway
Many brides have been using Model in a Bottle on their wedding day. I'm not quite sure where the trend started, but it's safe to say that it will be here for a while because brides are obsessed with how nicely their makeup stays put after using this product. It works for going to the parks as well, since it's not too heavy, so you can use it on your wedding day, around your wedding day, and on your honeymoon to keep up that "I'm just naturally beautiful" bride look.
The winner of this week's giveaway will receive their very own bottle of the original Model in a Bottle formula. To enter the giveaway, just leave a comment here with your favorite beauty product. I'll annouce the winner on Saturday. Good Luck!
We Have a Winner!!
We have a winner for this week's giveaway. They've won their choice of two pin sets from my Etsy store, thatdisneygirl.
And the winner is...
Congratulations! Be sure to shoot me an email or Facebook message to claim your prize!
And the winner is...
Congratulations! Be sure to shoot me an email or Facebook message to claim your prize!
Engagement Spotlight: Tiffany + Micah
Location: Disneyland
Photography: Harmony Loves
Surprise! I'm having a fabulous time in Las Vegas with my husband, but it's quite hot outside and we're back in the hotel room to cool off for a bit...which means you get a post I didn't think I'd have time to do!
On this day in 1955, a man's theme park dream opened in Anaheim California. It was so successful that he took that dream and went to Orlando, Florida to make it much, much bigger. A few decades later, I took a job in one of those parks to see what all the fuss was about. Now, 55 years later, I'm in Vegas with the man that I married that I met at the park that happened because the other park happened because one guy had a really great idea. How wonderful is that?
To celebrate the anniversary, I thought I'd share this chic little Disneyland engagement session with you...
Photography: Harmony Loves
Surprise! I'm having a fabulous time in Las Vegas with my husband, but it's quite hot outside and we're back in the hotel room to cool off for a bit...which means you get a post I didn't think I'd have time to do!
On this day in 1955, a man's theme park dream opened in Anaheim California. It was so successful that he took that dream and went to Orlando, Florida to make it much, much bigger. A few decades later, I took a job in one of those parks to see what all the fuss was about. Now, 55 years later, I'm in Vegas with the man that I married that I met at the park that happened because the other park happened because one guy had a really great idea. How wonderful is that?
To celebrate the anniversary, I thought I'd share this chic little Disneyland engagement session with you...
Weekly Update - 7/16/10
Guess what?
Today is my husband's 28th birthday!
(Yay!)
So...I'm going to shortchange you once again by not doing a real weekly update...
...AND I'm not even going to be around to post this weekend because we've decided at the last minute to go on a bit of an adventure...
...BUT I will leave you some link love to keep you busy until I return and all giveaways, etc., will pick up again at the end of this weekend.
P.S. I encourage you to have ice cream in honor of my husband's b-day because the world needs more excuses to have ice cream.
LINK LOVE!!
Today is my husband's 28th birthday!
(Yay!)
So...I'm going to shortchange you once again by not doing a real weekly update...
...AND I'm not even going to be around to post this weekend because we've decided at the last minute to go on a bit of an adventure...
...BUT I will leave you some link love to keep you busy until I return and all giveaways, etc., will pick up again at the end of this weekend.
P.S. I encourage you to have ice cream in honor of my husband's b-day because the world needs more excuses to have ice cream.
LINK LOVE!!
- Disney Canvas Totes are on Sale (perfect for bridesmaids!)
Featured Vendor Spotlight: Uniquely Inviting
I love DIY projects. I think they're special and they make you feel even more invested in your big event. That being said, I can tell you that there were moments during my DIY wedding planning days where I was ready to just chuck the craft scissors (especially when I was cutting out those 500 little circles to make all those Mickey heads).
Sometimes, you just have to throw in the craft towel and call in the experts, if only to save your sanity! So, today, I'm bringing you a featured vendor spotlight on a business that's quite unique...not only because they provide beautiful wedding invitations, but also because it was started by our very own Disney Bride Tracy!
I could go on and on about how awesome Uniquely Inviting is, but I think I'll let cute Tracy herself do the talking:
Photos of their work:
And, for fun, one of my favorite photos from Tracy's Disney wedding:
Photo by Randy Chapman
Sometimes, you just have to throw in the craft towel and call in the experts, if only to save your sanity! So, today, I'm bringing you a featured vendor spotlight on a business that's quite unique...not only because they provide beautiful wedding invitations, but also because it was started by our very own Disney Bride Tracy!
I could go on and on about how awesome Uniquely Inviting is, but I think I'll let cute Tracy herself do the talking:
Photos of their work:
And, for fun, one of my favorite photos from Tracy's Disney wedding:
Photo by Randy Chapman
Polaroid Disneyland Engagement Photos
Location: Disneyland
Photography: Adrienne Gunde Photography
Today, in the battle of "professional photographer with super awesome expensive camera" vs. "professional photographer with super awesome Polaroid camer"....it's safe to say that Polaroid wins:
Photography: Adrienne Gunde Photography
Today, in the battle of "professional photographer with super awesome expensive camera" vs. "professional photographer with super awesome Polaroid camer"....it's safe to say that Polaroid wins:
Just think...if you have park tickets and you have a friend with park tickets and your friend has a Polaroid camera...
DIY engagement photos? Yes, please! I'd absolutely love getting a real live Polaroid in the mail with a wedding invitation. Sure, you might have to take 50-60 Polaroid photos, but I'm having a hard time seeing that as a downside...
DIY engagement photos? Yes, please! I'd absolutely love getting a real live Polaroid in the mail with a wedding invitation. Sure, you might have to take 50-60 Polaroid photos, but I'm having a hard time seeing that as a downside...
DIY Favor: Cupcakes in a Jar
And now for the most delicious DIY ever...
I love homemade cupcake favors, but they aren't very practical for Disney weddings, since many brides are traveling for their wedding and cupcakes are quite un-transportable. That's why I love this idea so much!
I love homemade cupcake favors, but they aren't very practical for Disney weddings, since many brides are traveling for their wedding and cupcakes are quite un-transportable. That's why I love this idea so much!
Recommended Vendors Directory
Looking for some good vendors for your upcoming Disneyland or Walt Disney World wedding? These vendors are recommended by this blog. Check them out:
- Photography
- ......Disneyland Area Photographers
- ......Walt Disney World Area Photographers
- ......Photo Booth Rentals
DIY Project: Make Your Own Glass Slippers
When I was in high school, I had a couple different pairs of glittery heels and I used to wear them to class with CK jeans and stretch velvet tank tops. (Got to love the '90s.) After I turned 18, though, I figured I was pretty much past the days of glittery shoes. When you're an adult, glitter shoes have a little bit of a stripper vibe to them and if you're not careful, they can attract attention in a bad way!
I have to admit, though, that I still have a major soft spot for glittery shoes and I absolutely love them for weddings, provided that they're the classy-type of glitter. (Yes, classy glitter is a thing.) I simply adore unexpectedly beautiful shoes that peek out every now and then from the bottom of your wedding dress. If you're having a Disney wedding, you get the added bonus of fitting in to the whole glass slipper thing without having to shop for those clear shoes that make your toes sweaty.
High class glittery shoes can run you quite a bit of money even if you get them at a discount, like these Christian Louboutin pumps, originally $595.00 and on sale for $237.00:
If you don't have an extra couple hundred dollars to drop on shoes at Bergdorf Goodman, you're in luck. One of my favorite blogs, Adventures in Dressmaking, features a tutorial that shows you how to recreate these shoes or give any pair you'd like a little glittery wakin' up. Love it!
I have to admit, though, that I still have a major soft spot for glittery shoes and I absolutely love them for weddings, provided that they're the classy-type of glitter. (Yes, classy glitter is a thing.) I simply adore unexpectedly beautiful shoes that peek out every now and then from the bottom of your wedding dress. If you're having a Disney wedding, you get the added bonus of fitting in to the whole glass slipper thing without having to shop for those clear shoes that make your toes sweaty.
High class glittery shoes can run you quite a bit of money even if you get them at a discount, like these Christian Louboutin pumps, originally $595.00 and on sale for $237.00:
If you don't have an extra couple hundred dollars to drop on shoes at Bergdorf Goodman, you're in luck. One of my favorite blogs, Adventures in Dressmaking, features a tutorial that shows you how to recreate these shoes or give any pair you'd like a little glittery wakin' up. Love it!
Welcome to Do It Yourself Week
There never seems to be enough of three things on this blog:
To remedy this, we'll be having a do-it-yourself week featuring projects that are easy on the budget, many of which will be brought to us by real Disney brides. Sound perfect to you? Sounds perfect to me!
And, as always, every week needs a...
Giveaway
This week's giveaway comes to you from my own Etsy shop, recently re-opened and chalk full of my new favorite craft: button pin making! I've made about a million of these suckers and I love them love them love them. I'm even going to get into a few ideas for using buttons like these at your wedding.
The winner of this week's giveaway will have the opportunity to choose any two sets of pins from the shop. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post with the do-it-yourself project that you'd be willing to tackle for your own wedding. I'll announce the winner next Saturday. Good luck!!
- Real Wedding Spotlights
- Budget Tips
- Do-It-Yourself Tutorials
To remedy this, we'll be having a do-it-yourself week featuring projects that are easy on the budget, many of which will be brought to us by real Disney brides. Sound perfect to you? Sounds perfect to me!
And, as always, every week needs a...
Giveaway
This week's giveaway comes to you from my own Etsy shop, recently re-opened and chalk full of my new favorite craft: button pin making! I've made about a million of these suckers and I love them love them love them. I'm even going to get into a few ideas for using buttons like these at your wedding.
The winner of this week's giveaway will have the opportunity to choose any two sets of pins from the shop. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post with the do-it-yourself project that you'd be willing to tackle for your own wedding. I'll announce the winner next Saturday. Good luck!!
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