Showing posts with label maid of honor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label maid of honor. Show all posts

4.25.2011

Adventures of a Maid of Honor

Last month we were able to steal Laura away for a bachelorette weekend in Santa Barbara. And although we had envisioned lounging by the beautiful Barcara Resort pool, this wet So Cal season had other plans for us! But alas, we didn't let the weather get us down, and we still enjoyed a fabulous weekend toasting the end of Laura's singledom!

We started out with lunch at a lovely winery in Carpinteria then ventured up the coast to relax at the amazing Bellezza Vita Spa in Summerland.




After decadent massages, we stopped off at the Summerland Winery before heading to our hotel where we got ready to shower Laura with a few "unmentionables"!




We won't go any further with those! After enjoying some glasses of champagne, we braved the rain and headed to the hotel bar for some appetizers and drinks, then headed out to dinner at the Hungry Cat.




We failed to capture to much after that, but did managed to almost lose Hannah in the rainstorm! Turns out she was just trying to salvage her defective umbrella...



We shared some girl talk that night and finished off the weekend with a fabulous brunch at the Bacara!


Congratulations to the bride-to-be and the lucky groom who snagged her!

Love,
Alyssa
{moh}

4.18.2011

Adventures of a Maid of Honor

Laura's wedding plans are coming along nicely, and with Laura and Beth Helmstetter handling all of the details, it's going to be so gorgeous! I've helped out with a few logistical tasks such as the seating, music selection, contacting the guests for their meal selections and the "must-have" photography list. These easy jobs are just up my alley (as an event planner) and I am happy to help out - with the artistic talents of Laura and Beth...there is little else to do!

My mom and sister recently came down to San Diego for a girl's weekend visit. We were so happy to have sunny so-cal weather, and I was very excited for my canine "nephew" Kepler to be visiting!


We enjoyed brunch at a Del Mar cottage then went shopping with one specific goal...to find earrings for Laura to wear at her wedding! We scoured tons of boutique shops and multiple department stores as well. We had nearly given up after about three hours of shopping, but I made us go into one last store, and we are so glad we did since we found the perfect earrings!

After our shopping excursion, we enjoyed a cocktail hour and early dinner before taking Laura's puppy to the local dog beach! The fun thing about San Diego is that people take their dogs everywhere, so Kepler was able to shop and hang out with us all day.



After our productive day, we even went home and worked on assembling Laura's wedding programs! All-in-all it was a really fun girls weekend...and happened to be while my husband and Laura's fiance were off in Vegas for the bachelor party! I bought a couple dresses for Hawaii, as did Laura, and we are all getting really excited for the upcoming wedding and time in Hawaii.

Yours truly,
Alyssa

2.28.2011

Adventures of a Maid of Honor

We recently celebrated Laura's upcoming wedding with a beautiful bridal shower designed by fellow bridesmaid Beth Helmstetter. It was simply gorgeous and we can't wait to share pics with you! For now, here is a photo of me with the lovely bride-to-be with the other fabulous ladies in our family - our mom and grandmother!


Following the shower, Laura and I headed to her office to work on assembling and stamping (yes, she went the vintage stamp route) her wedding invitations - they turned out fabulously and I can't wait to receive mine in the mail!

We also met up last week at The White Dress in Corona Del Mar to pick up Laura's wedding dress. The shop doesn't do alterations in-house, so we were getting the dress to take it off to be altered. It nearly fits Laura perfectly already, just needs to be taken in in a few places. She looks so beautiful and I can't wait to see the "complete look" on her wedding day!

Next up is the bachelorette party. A small group of us will be heading up to Santa Barbara, but all of the details are a surprise to Laura so I can't share anything else until later.

There's not much else to report. With Laura planning the wedding with the talented Beth Helmstetter, it gives me a pretty easy maid-of-honor gig! So far it's just been helping with the dress, accessories, suits and other details. It's also really helpful that I was recently married so I've sent Laura a lot of my documents to edit and use for herself such as my song list for the DJ and must-have photo shot list. Logistics are my strong point and I'm happy to share!

1.28.2011

Style Me Pretty| Real Wedding: Malibu, CA {my sister's!}

As most of you know, my younger sister Alyssa got married last year, and I of course was so excited to handle all of her printed materials! We used our Manhattan script to take care of everything from programs, escort cards, menus, cocktail hour signs, restroom signs - everything - and we have tons of luscious photos to share from Steve Steinhardt!

The overall look was based on Western charm combined with casual elegance. The happy couple chose the gorgeous outdoor setting at Saddlerock Ranch in Malibu, CA and as you can see, Saddlerock provided a truly picturesque backdrop!

Beth Helmstetter was the planner and from day one she guided us through all our choices from tables, to linens, to the beautiful china my parents purchased for the delicious meal. She helped us pull together all the adorable items we sourced and made sure everything we chose was cohesive.


As guests headed to the venue, they were greeted with wood signs we made guiding the way.


Before the ceremony, guests were invited to sip iced tea and lemonade while signing the custom guest book or grabbing a pashmina for later in the evening.




{we used Ryan and Alyssa's artwork to have this custom leather
guestbook created by Dewdrop Designs!}



For the programs, we created a bifold card with a design that matched the invitation set. We also tied each program with twine to tie that in as well. All the paper products were done with guidance given by Beth regarding the style and colors. I wanted them to coordinate with the invitations, of course!


After the ceremony, guests moved to cocktail hour where we included custom printed cocktail napkins, signs for the hors d'oeuvres, and a special bar sign with the bride and groom's choice signature drinks!



My mother and sister scoured etsy to find these worn horseshoes - the perfect touch. These rustic looking wooden signs were carefully placed in various places around the reception area. The cocktail sign sat right on the bar.

These adorable custom bark frames are a speciality of Beth Helmstetter's.  They capture the charm of the wedding perfectly! We love them in all their different sizes, both large, and small.


Before heading up the hill for the reception, guests located their table numbers with escort cards made of wooden tags tied onto Dublin Dr. Pepper bottles shipped in straight from the groom's home state of Texas! We also included a small sign with the story of the original Dr. Pepper bottling source in Dublin.




Everyone found their tables with our coordinating wooden table number signs and at each place setting was a letterpressed menu with the guests' names hand-calligraphed at the top.

For the table numbers, we chose to keep it simple with a larger version of the little escort tags. They are made of real cherry wood.
The menus were enveloped in a delicate lace band, and tied with twine, just like the invitations.


Combined with the florals by Holly Flora, it was everything the couple hoped it would be and just perfect!


With not a detail too small for this very important client, we also created signs for the restrooms and Beth and her team used the western font to stamp the bags for the favors created by a family friend.




It was such a beautiful day and so special in every way!


Visit Style Me Pretty to see more from this lovely affair and to get the full scoop from the bride herself!

Wedding designed by Beth Helmstetter Events. We can't thank her enough for all the hard work she put in on making this day so special.

1.03.2011

Adventures of a Maid of Honor

As you may already know, the lovely Laura of Laura Hooper Calligraphy is getting married! So while she already has two wonderful guest "brides-to-be," we thought it would be only fitting to squeeze in a few Maid of Honor posts from yours truly, Laura's sister, Alyssa! Having just gotten married myself, I feel that I am a prime candidate to be an excellent Maid of Honor (if I do say so myself!).

As you can probably imagine that planning is well under way. Living about 100 miles away, I can't be around for everything, but we have already gone dress shopping (found the one - and yes, it made me cry!), and Laura sends me many emails asking for my opinion on printed materials, jewelry, accessories, DJs, videographers, a Reverend, everything - all to which I promptly respond and/or complete the requested task. It is my opinion that as a Maid of Honor, your most important duty is to make things easier on the bride, whatever that entails.

But first - there needs to be a bridal party! As a bride, it's best to be upfront about what you expect from your bridal party, and as a potential attendant, it's important to know what you are getting into. So whether you are a bride trying to select your attendants, or you are an attendant in an upcoming wedding, I hope these tips to choosing your bridal party will help you make that decision, or as an attendee, know what's in store.

{me with my lovely bridesmaids and MOH Laura to my left}

Excerpt from "Choosing Your Wedding Party" on Martha Stewart Weddings:

Being in a wedding party can involve a fair amount of responsibility and expense, especially for the honor attendants (best man and maid of honor). Bear this in mind when asking; make sure all participants know up front what you are expecting of them. To give everyone ample time to plan, name your attendants soon after you choose a date and venue. Invite people to participate in a way that allows them to decline gracefully if they feel they're not up to the task, and don't insist on an immediate answer.
If anyone is unable to afford the cost of their formal wear, hotel room, or travel, you might tactfully offer to help out if you can. Pick the right number of attendants for the size and style of your wedding. Eight to twelve is common, but you can have more or less. Many couples include children, often nieces and nephews. Others have honor attendants only.

Whatever you decide, don't feel you must choose an equal number of men and women. Loved ones don't come in boxed sets, and neither should your wedding party.

What Does Maid of Honor Do?
The maid of honor is the bride's number-one confidante and helper. She's also the head bridesmaid, in charge of delegating jobs and keeping everyone informed and organized. Her job description is lengthy, but it includes a lot of tasks a good friend will likely enjoy doing. They generally include helping the bride shop for the wedding gown and bridesmaid dresses; spreading the word to guests about where the couple is registered for gifts; and hosting the wedding shower (and perhaps the bachelorette party, too).

On the wedding day, the maid of honor sticks close to the bride, tending to her veil, train, and bustle. She walks in the procession and stands by the bride at the altar. During the ceremony, the maid of honor holds the bride's bouquet and sometimes the groom's ring; afterward she signs the marriage certificate as a witness. At the reception, the maid of honor and best man sometimes join the newlyweds and their parents for the first formal dance sequence. She may also offer a toast if she wants to.

What Do Bridesmaids Do?
The bridesmaids often help the maid of honor plan the shower and the bachelorette party or cohost these events. They attend all prenuptial festivities if possible. The bride, or her maid of honor, might ask bridesmaids to assist her with numerous small tasks, such as securing hotel rooms for out-of-town guests and keeping a log of gifts at the bridal shower. You may want to consult with bridesmaids before you select their dresses -- they could be a great help.

Bridesmaids purchase the dress you have chosen and have it fitted in time for the wedding. If they're wearing dresses of their own choosing, they need to be aware of any style or color specifications you may have. At the ceremony, bridesmaids precede the maid of honor in the procession; they are often paired with the groomsmen. If there is an odd number of bridesmaids, two women can walk together, or a groomsman can escort one on each arm.

Follow these tips, and more importantly, your heart, and you'll  secure a wonderful group of loved ones to stand at the altar as you say "I do!"


With love,
Alyssa

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