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Things We Love |
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 In the words of the Brooklyn-based premier perfumer Christopher Brosius, “We live because we breathe, and with each breath we smell. This is inevitable. The sense of smell is our first and most immediate link to the world around us....
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 Eau de Parfum by Vera Wang
An exotic fruity, floral bouquet teased with vanilla and an unexpected
twist of pink guava. The gold crown cap contains a hidden treasure: a
keepsake gold band studded with tiny amethyst-colored crystals. $42 -
$68 verawang.com
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 Michael Aram, Coral Reef Black Serving Set - The Coral Reef Collection
takes its inspiration from the mystical and serene symbolism associated
with aquatic imagery, Michaelaram.com , Retail $70
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 Juicy Couture Set
Pamper her the Juicy Couture way with this limited edition fragrance set. The travel size spray is perfect for Juicy girls on the go. It’s adorned with an exclusive Juicy Lipstick charm and paired with a hydrating body moisturizer. Give the gift of Juicy—it’s fashionably romantic and fun. $95, sephora.com
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Janice S. Casacca explores the Central Coast’s effortless beauty and the flavor of old California where the sprawling countyside meets the deep blue Pacific Ocean.
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With the trend of destination weddings on the rise, brides-to-be are constantly in search of that perfect wedding weekend locale. Palm Springs gives the destination wedding vibe.
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YWD Blog |
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SAVE THE DATE: POP THE BRIDAL EVENT |
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By John Woods, Enhanced Lighting & Sound
If you’ve been in the dark about how lighting can enhance your special occasion, I invite you to share into my world.
 When enhanced lighting is used to brighten a special occasion, it also brightens the experience of the event for everyone at the wedding—just as your love lights up your life. In the same way that a photographer accentuates the bride’s beauty with lighting, you can beautify your wedding and reception with light.
Lighting is the innovative decorating device that’s converting garages into intimate jazz bar scenes and warehouse spaces into sophisticated settings. It acts as “makeup” for your venue, highlighting its strengths and downplaying any flaws, and is the single most important element for mood, atmosphere, and room transformation. Lights make the difference between a nice event and a spectacular one, but many people have yet to learn what the options are and how affordable lighting can be. The use of custom lighting at weddings and parties is on the rise, due in part to its ability to change the look and décor of any kind of room, from a drab recreation hall to the finest, most architecturally pleasing venues. Backyards become Chinese tea rooms, a town meeting room goes from a blah rectangle to a tropical paradise . . . the creative options are endless.
 Once reserved for upscale events like the Emmys, the Black and White Ball and celebrity weddings, lighting is now much more accessible for today’s bride and should therefore be an important consideration in the planning of her most important day. So what should a couple consider? Think about the flow of your event and what you want highlighted beyond your vows, the ring exchange and the kiss. Do you want a head table, and will special lighting designate it better than just placing a big rectangular table at the head of the room? Do you want your cake to be a showpiece? Spotlighting it will draw the guests’ eyes. Does your venue include something striking that you’d like noticed—or concealed? What mood do you want to set as guests enter, while they dance, as speeches are given? All these considerations can be addressed with lights. You can really design your entire event with lights, including as many features as your heart and budget will allow.
Lighting is mood-altering. “Starry, Starry Night” need not only be a Van Gogh painting; it can be the star-filled sky projected onto the ceiling of your reception ballroom. If you are having an outdoor reception, light can create the illusion of dancing in the moonlight with elegant lanterns, string lights and beautiful chandeliers. By using the architecture already present in the landscape, magical lighting can be strung above the dance floor or from the branches of trees to illuminate the gardens, and the structural design of the estate can be illuminated to beautify your outdoor setting.
Indoors, a foundation wash across the head table or a beautiful pattern projection on the dance floor lights the reception room as guests enter. Lighting can also transform tent interiors from a stark white canvas to warm and stunning visual impressions.
A simple spotlight on your cake will bring it to life, highlighting it from across a crowded room. You can also create ambience and elegance when your guests sit down to dinner, so that the bride is not the only one who’s aglow. Spotlighting your floral centerpieces will bring out their colors and cast a lovely glow around each table, as their beauty warms the hearts of your guests. Coloring the dance floor with lights will welcome everyone to dance the night away, and you can also personalize your event with custom projections such as your monogram shining onto the dance floor.
Use lighting to make your event exciting, sophisticated, and full of all the sparkle you can imagine. If you want the top of the line, consider intelligent or LED lighting. That’s right, lights with a brain! LED lighting has color-changing capabilities to let you transition from dinner to dancing with quiet drama. Light up your band to showcase them, and match the lights to their music. Watch your guests fill the floor as lights dance and color them, triggered by their movement and the beat of the band. And when you add the spark of a spotlight to the first dance, you’ll create a stunning, shimmering effect for your guests to behold that no one present will ever forget.
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Tips |
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# 6 RECIPES FOR FAVORS
Gather together the favorite recipes that you remember as a child. They could be special family recipes, holiday menus, etc. Have them bound in small books, affix a wedding label on the front with your monogram and date that you were married. And there you have it, a unique favor that your guests will use again and again. Also, it is a wonderful way to acknowledge grandmothers and mothers.
Melissa Lee, Events of Santa Barbara
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#21 LA FLEUR TABLE
Cover your entire table top with a single bold color of petals. Not
just a scattering, but the entire top of the table with a thick layer
of petals! You can purchase them at a farmers market or order them
through your florist. Place your chargers, place settings, glassware
and centerpieces in a contrasting color and lots of candles directly
onto the petals for a stunning, romantic look!
Jill La Fleur, The Wedding Planner
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# 1 - LOUNGING ANYWHERE
Wonder what to do to a resort ballroom to make it more interesting and intimate? You can create individual lounge areas by renting tents of sheer flowing fabric and adding sofas and coffee tables with lots of candlelight in them. You’ve suddenly created that romantic lounge atmosphere in a standard ballroom and given it more intimacy. Your guests can move to different “rooms” during the cocktails hour or or they can dance the night away. Jill La Fleur, The Wedding Planner
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Green is definitely the new black and weddings are no exception. Gone
are the days of rubber chicken, and ever-present are the strides of
major hotel chains and catering companies offering eco-friendly fare...
If you’ve been in the dark about how lighting can enhance your special occasion, I invite you to share into my world...
Despite limitation of resources during World War II and its aftermath,
the women of the 1940s were determined to be glamorous, and they
succeeded in creating an era of high fashion...
The village of Stow is home to Vermont’s highest peak and legendary ski area, and Topnotch Resort & Spa, etched into 120 wooded mountain acres. Topnotch is designed in a sophisticated European Country Manor style,...
