We had the pleasure of working with so many amazing vendors during our I Do Redo promotion in Los Angeles. We were so lucky to include Nathan Prince of Prince Weddings to our team as our videographer! Check out this trailer to Jayanne and Perry’s wedding video from Prince Weddings:

KTLA & Wedding Wire “I Do Redo” Promotion | Jayanne & Perry from Nathan Prince on Vimeo.

Here is Part II of Perfumer Neil Morris’ guest post: Finding your individual fragrance

Coco Chanel called fragrance “the ultimate fashion accessory.” Choosing the right fragrance is a quest to find a scent that brings you joy and reflects the inner you. Everyone is unique: we have our own look, our own style and own life experiences that influence what scents we embrace. Choosing your own scent can be difficult, especially if you are unsure of what stimulates your senses. Even in a department store, it’s difficult to determine which fragrance smells good with the whiff of so many brands blending in the air. Most consumers also don’t provide enough time to allow the heart and base notes to develop beyond a first impression.

When purchasing a fragrance off the shelf here are some tips:

1. Do not smell the bottle sprayer. Spray the fragrance on smelling strip and if you like it, spray it on your skin. How many times have you smelled a fragrance on someone else and loved it, but when you tried it, the fragrance smelled completely different. That’s because our body chemistry affects the way the fragrance reacts on our skin.

2. Wear the fragrance for a while to see how it changes on your skin. Fragrances have three phases: the top notes are the introduction that usually lasts for a minute or more. Then comes the middle or heart notes. This is the main theme of the perfume and lasts a half hour or more. Finally there are the base notes or dry down, which supports the composition and can last anywhere from and hour to several hours.

Some people appreciate having a fragrance that is exclusively their own. As a custom perfumer, I create custom fragrances for individual clients that connect people to their positive memories. Many of my clients are brides that desire something special for their wedding day or during their engagement period. Some of the questions I ask during an interview are: “What is your favorite season? What is your happiest childhood memory?” With brides I will add, “What scents do you associate with your fiancé? Where and how did your fiancé propose?” These questions provide me a “scent direction” for building a fragrance from my library of 700 essential and fragrance oils. A perfume for a wedding can do more too. It can be given to bridesmaids or given as favors. More information can be found at (www.neilmorrisfragrances.com).

Another way to wear perfume is to honor someone. On your wedding day, in addition to wearing something old, something new, something borrowed, and blue, how about a fragrance that reminds you of someone important in your life? To do that, simply visit a store that sells the fragrance and ask for a sample of a perfume that your loved one wore. Spritz a little fragrance on a handkerchief and keep it with you, that way you can bring them to your event.

If you have further questions about fragrances, contact me at Neil@neilmorrisfragrances.com. I’ll try my best to answer.

A special thank you to Mr. Morris for this great advice!

Photo Credit: Martha Stewart Weddings

Talley Sue Hohlfeld, Etiquette Expert, has a great post on The Bride’s Guide today about flower girls. I have always loved the idea of having children involved with the wedding. They seem to add an air of innocence to the day. However, for many brides, the flower girls can also be a source of anxiety! Will she make it down the aisle? Will she drop the petals?

Well, a new book, One Little Flower Girl by Jennifer Dussling, could be the perfect gift (and instruction manual) for your flower girl! 

The book even comes with practice flower petals!

Are you doing anything special for your flower girl?

Pamela and “Bubba” Mathis had their own fairytale wedding…sort of…

The Gwinnett Daily Post is reporting on a couple’s own idea of a unique wedding: Scattered, smothered, covered and hitched; Couple marries at Waffle House highlighting a couple’s wedding at the Waffle House. A busy schedule and some hick-ups along the way did not keep this couple from getting married on their dream day. On July 4th, the couples anniversary, the bride Pamela Christian woke up and decided she wanted to get married that day no matter what. After trying unsuccessfully to get off work in previous years on Independence Day, the bride got off work in the afternoon. They wasted no time and finally, after 9 years, get Pamela got married to George “Bubba” Mathis in the parking lot of the Waffle House.

The unique wedding was a hit and I think this is a great testament to the couples culture and what they are proud of, “I think it’s pretty redneck myself,” he said, laughing. “But I’m a redneck anyway, so,” says the groom.

If you know of a unique wedding location, leave a comment here with for everyone to enjoy.

TLC is looking for couples getting married that think they can dance and would want to dance on camera.  This is your opportunity to surprise your guests with a production of a first dance at your wedding.  They are looking for couples getting married in May, June, or July in the Southern California area. Send an email to firstdancecasting@gmail.com for more information or to set up an interview.

via Bridal Bar Blog

This could be you….

As I drove into work today, I saw that gas has risen to $3.36 a gallon!  It got me thinking about how the costs of anything that needs to be transported (i.e. flowers, food, people) are increasing.  And since the wedding industry is filled with small businesses that don’t have the huge budgets of a national company, many may have to pass on some of the cost to their customers: you the bride.  I’m not saying all wedding vendors will, but some may have to.  So for today, I thought I’d pass on some budget saving ideas to help cut your costs:

• Consider having your ceremony and reception at the same location
• Do you own hair and makeup
• Use online RSVP with your wedding website (hint hint: we offer that free) rather than send RSVP cards
• Use fewer flowers and more candles or even buy silk flowers
• Make your own centerpieces (there’s lots of great DIY projects out there)
• Combine favors and place cards
• Only have your cake/cupcakes for dessert (I see so much dessert get wasted anyway)
• Only serve beer and wine and limit bar time if need be
• And think about getting married during the day or on a sunday

There’s lots of ways to cut costs, but the idea here is be smart with your money right now and be conscious if your guests have to drive or fly a ways to get to your wedding.  You can still have a great wedding and spend less.

Pack the lipstick your makeup artist will use for quick touch ups before and during the rececption.