WeddingWire and e.l.f. Cosmetics have a FREE GIFT for you!

The philosophy of EyesLipsFace.com (e.l.f.) is that beauty comes from within and their goal is to enable every woman to look and feel her personal best without breaking the bank. Every woman should have the opportunity to participate in prestige quality products, without sacrificing her budget. Oprah agrees! e.l.f. was recently named a ‘cosmetics line that lets you go crazy without going broke’ in Oprah magazine.

The ladies of WeddingWire were lucky enough to sample some items from e.l.f. and we are all so impressed with the quality and the price!

Ok, ladies (gentlemen are also welcome!), this is your opportunity to win! Leave a comment on this blog post and tell us your favorite wedding makeup tip. Ten random winners will be selected this Friday, November 6th to win a free mini makeup kit from WeddingWire and e.l.f. Cosmetics! Good luck!

Designer Monique Lhuillier is very well known for her gorgeous bridal collection and now she is introducing a new line for your bridesmaids! The dresses are all very clean and modern, but with the simple feminine touches Monique Lhuillier is known for.

The line consists of eight different styles, using silk chiffon or silk dupioni in ten colors and will be exclusively sold online at shop.moniquelhuillier.com as well as in the Monique Lhuillier Minneapolis Salon.

Don’t worry brides, even though these dresses are beautiful, your bridesmaids will still not compare to the beauty of a bride on her wedding day!

Like these dresses? Use them to help create your overall wedding vision and color scheme using WeddingWire’s Inspiration Board Tool!

Our “savvy” WeddingAce, Tara, blogged Wednesday about these adorable reusable bags from RuMe – so cute! I am so happy there is a stylish (and environmentally friendly) alternative to the regular grocery and shopping bags. It’s so easy to help the environment…wouldn’t you want to carry around one of these bags?

I also love the bags from Envirosax, take a look!

And look who else loves them…

Photo Credit: Envirosax Blog

Justin Timberlake…I’m sold!

Any of the bags above would be awesome gifts for your bridal party. You can even use these as welcome bags for out-of-town guests! Read more from Tara, one of our Wedding Planner Aces, at WeddingAces.com!

Calling all Philadelphia-area engaged couples! Mark your calendars for Soiree in the City on September 20, 2009 from 2:00-6:00pm at Power Plant Productions. WeddingWire is proud to sponsor such a fun event for brides-to-be (and their fiances of course!). This will be a great opportunity for couples to meet potential vendors and check out the latest wedding trends!

Join us for an afternoon of cocktails, fabulous food, style, fashion, and fun! Get your tickets now by visiting http://soireeinthecity.eventbrite.com. A portion of each ticket sold will be donated to the Women’s Resource Center of Philadelphia.

The following wedding professionals will be participating in this great event:

The exclusive Beauty Lounge will feature:

We hope to see you there!

Bring back the garter tradition with style! It is no longer seen merely as a bride’s something blue, but it can be her something pink, something yellow or something green with white polka dots!

Photo Credit: Sevan Photography

Leading this trend is Julianne Smith who designs fun and stylish wedding garters for today’s brides. Last week, members of our WeddingWire Team, Ashley and Meg, had the pleasure of attending the launch of Julianne’s new garter collection at DC hotspot, Hello Cupcake! They had a blast meeting Julianne and connecting with wedding professionals and brides in the DC area.

Photo Credit: Sevan Photography

Find more information about Julianne Smith’s wedding garters on her WeddingWire Storefront!

With the downturned economy, I’ve been hearing more and more talk of brides opting to have a Court House Wedding. This doesn’t just mean waking up one morning and deciding to get married, often a lot of planning goes into these weddings. One thing I often read about is brides difficulty finding an dress for their Court Ceremony. The most important thing for Court House brides to remember is DON’T settle on your dress! You deserve to find “the one” just as much as any other bride.

One of my close friends had a court house ceremony last year, and after weeks of shopping for a dress she settled on a simple Nicole Miller dress that seemed practical as she could wear it again. This is her biggest regret. Looking back at the pictures she hates the dress and wishes she would have gone with something a little more special for her day.

Many wedding gown designers are showing fabulous short looks, however these often still come with a steep price tag. Finding moderately priced white dresses can be a challenge, which is why I have made it easier with 9 of my favorites below! All of the below dresses have a price tag of $250 or less!

Courthouse Wedding Dresses

1. Nine West 2. French Connection 3. Banana Republic 4. Max and Cleo 5. Lily 6. Tahari 7. Maggy London 8. JCREW 9. Max and Cleo

If you have a little more room in your budget the below dresses are great, unique finds!

1. Interlude 2. JCREW 3. Kirabilla 4. Betsey Johnson 5. Milly 6. Black Halo

Regardless of what dress you chose, white or otherwise, be sure that you aren’t settling on your dress. It is your special day and you should feel and look your best! You may even consider buying a long gown and having it cute short for the occasion. EBAY can also be a great tool for finding cheap, short wedding gowns!

Purple and Brown Rustic Wedding by thestylemaison featuring Lipsy cocktail dresses

Purple was the hot color in fashion for fall, and I expect it to be equally as popular for weddings. Deep shades of purple are typically viewed as luxurious, regal and fancy. When mixed with brown and rustic touches in this inspiration board, purple takes on a completely different personality. Because purple can easily become overwhelming, be sure to incorporate neutral shades in as well. Instead of going with a purple bouquet, I decided to add a neutral cream bouquet.

The mix of glamorous and rustic elements adds interest. Instead of hanging lanterns from a tree, up the look by hanging a glamorous chandelier in the trees. Instead of a flower, have the groomsmen wear a peacock feather. Set up a <a href=”http://blog.weddingwire.com/index.php/weddings/this-ones-for-the-boys-cigar-bars/”>cigar bar</a> for them men at the wedding. These are all touches that add interest and incorporate the colors without being overpowering.

One of the ways to prevent your wedding look from getting to “themed” is to follow a rule of Coco Chanel. It was meant for fashion, saying before you leave the house always remove one accessory. However it holds true for weddings as well. When creating your look, step back and look at everything. Remove one or two details to create the perfect, subdued look.

-Lauryn