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Food is the number-one priority at my wedding: I believe that meals should be an experience, not just a mindless string of bites. Your wedding menu helps set the tone for the reception. The main focus for my husband Michael and I is to create a fun atmosphere, so we decided to build our party around Mexican cuisine. It encompasses all the flavors that Californians love—fresh, spicy, and full of flavor. You're sure to find disagreements about who does it best, but most San Diegans can agree that we capture that south-of-the-border essence pretty darn well.

Although I may not be Mexican myself, I've enjoyed eating Mexican food ever since I was a little girl. I have fond memories of Mom making quesadilla dinners for my brother and I, Dad taking us to a local taco shop every other Wednesday night, and even crossing the border into Tijuana to get authentic street tacos. Here's how I'm incorporating all of my Mexican favorites into the wedding menu.

1. Start the party with a kick. While Michael and I are busy taking photos, I thought it might be fun to serve plates of chips and guacamole to guests. We'll get the party started with margaritas (both blended and on the rocks), and micheladas for the folks who want to start slow. A michelada is beer mixed with either lime or tomato juice and a ton of spices.

Photo Credit: espimraim via Flickr

This season, the top knot hairstyle was a fave on the bridal runways. Needless to say, when I tried it at home, it did not feel polished and "white carpet ready." But last week, I received this fun DIY updo kit by stylist Theodore Leaf. With his kit, I created a gorgeous updo. While filming NBC's hit show Fashion Star with Suave Professionals, Theodore Leaf created a lovely top knot. "We did a knot, and everyone wanted to try it" said Leaf.

After researching and developing, the "Bored With Your Hair Top Knot Kit" was created! In three easy steps, you can have a classic yet sleek look to last all day. And the best part — no straighteners, irons, or styling skills needed.

"I created the 'Bored With Your Hair Top Knot Kit' so that girls could have everything they need to create perfect top knot every time," said Leaf. The kit is available in three colors: Blonde, Brunette and Black, for $20 at boredwithyourhair.com.

Here, the video, complement to this easy kit. Check it out for yourself....

—Naima DiFranco

Weddings offer an amazing opportunity to make a difference. In addition to saving energy, conserving resources, and decreasing pollution, imagine what a boost green brides and grooms can give to sustainable businesses. Other than a house, a wedding is generally the most expensive thing a young couple will ever “buy”. Brides feel a lot of pressure to make everyone happy and are willing to spend whatever it takes — the average cost is around $27,000 these days — to make their wedding “perfect.” Many couples even go into debt to pay for their weddings. Part of having a green wedding is conserving resources — including money.

These days, you don’t need to sacrifice style or beauty to have an eco-friendly wedding. As celebrities like Natalie Portman have shown us, the only difference between a green bride and a bride who doesn’t know about eco-chic alternatives is that creating her fabulous wedding has less impact on human health and the environment.

In an effort to save money and use those creative juices, my mom and I planned to DIY all the flowers for the wedding — bouquets, boutonnieres and centerpieces. Simple enough, we thought, to determine which flowers we liked and arrange them in a beautiful away. We were wrong.

My mom purchased about 40 stems of various flowers, mostly roses and spider mums. She discovered a variety of spray roses she purchased were covered in thorns and were pretty much unable to be worked with for a bouquet at all. Then, she realized that making that pretty, round shape a bouquet has was nearly impossible. As the stress and worry mounted, we got in contact with Becky from Lily Lane florist. 

With our budget in mind, she’s working to take the bridal and bridesmaid bouquets and all the boutonnieres off our plate (although we still plan to arrange the centerpieces ourselves with the help of a crafty family friend). Here's why we’ve decided to leave the bouquets and the bouts to the professional. 

Photo Credit: Infiniti Foto

1. Shades can vary. When you order a “purple” rose, what you actually get could vary from a light lavender to a deep eggplant. When ordering flowers, it’s tough to know what color you’ll actually get. Buying in person can alleviate that worry, but then it’s one other errand close to your wedding day.

How would you describe your latest collection? What was your inspiration behind these designs?
A new sense of contemporary luxury embodies my 2013 collection. I have been inspired by lighter textures and fabrics, along with an array of luscious embellishments. Lace, beading and dimensional details merge to create a modern feel perfect for confident and stylish brides.

Why did you opt to collaborate with Mon Cheri?
I felt that the Mon Cheri label was a quiet achiever with integrity. That is very important to me, and can be hard to find in this business. They are a well-established company and Steve Lang—the CEO of Mon Cheri—and I got along from the start with regards to our vision and philosophies. 

Guest blogger: Rosanna Casper, co-founder of Idojour.com, a new wedding website where brides, grooms, family and friends can purchase a stylish and affordable mix of beautifully curated pieces. Designed to make wedding planning all the more inspiring and enjoyable, Idojour offers accessories and apparel for your wedding weekend, complemented by both inspirational and practical content. Rosanna oversees content, among many other things, and makes sure that everything comes together beautifully on the site.

Here, Rosanna shows her favorite escort cards inspired by nature.

One of our favorite small details to notice at a wedding are the escort cards. There are a million and one ways to get creative with your name cards, so today, we wanted to inspire you with a little natural elegance. Here's a simple and visual guide on how you can use natural objects to guide your guests to your table — simplicity at its best. Need we say more?

Leaves

Photo Credit: Ali Harper/via OnceWed

Shells

Are your bridesmaids complaining about purchasing a dress they can never wear again? Consider the "little black dress" (LBD), a staple for every girl's closet. Not only will your 'maids look fab on your wedding day, they are sure to wear the dress again. You will have your girls thanking you for your thoughtful, fashionable taste.

This season, bridal designers showed a range of variations on the LBD, sure to please even the pickiest bridesmaid. Here, a few of our favorites.

To see more bridesmaid styles, check out alfredangelo.com, billlevkoff.com, morilee.com, moniquelhuillier.com, and jlmcouture.com.

—Naima DiFranco

Here, photographers give us the scoop on which clothes make the cut for camera.

1. Wear an outfit that feels like you. "We usually tell our clients that the most important part of what they wear is that they feel like themselves. Whether that means that they're wearing jeans and a t-shirt, a swimsuit or a full suit, we're happy if they feel happy," said Tony Hoffer. The outfit that you choose will help set the mood and influence how your photographer shoots you, in the context of your location.

Whimsical:

Candy, custom cookies, and wine stoppers are popular choices for wedding favors, but it’s always fun to break away from tradition. Spice it up with alcohol-infused wedding favors for your 21 and over guests so that they can continue the party after the reception ends. These mini bottles and liquor-filled chocolates will give your friends and family a treat with a kick.

Bride and Groom Wedding Cake Vodka

Mini bottles of Pearl Wedding Cake Vodka couldn’t be more perfect. The sweet liquor serves as a reminder of your wonderful wedding. Dress up the bottles with mini veils and bowties from shopluxco.com or a craft store, making a bride and groom pair for guests to take home.

Chocolate or Vanilla Cake Vodka with Personalized Labels

Dessert tables are a fan fave at weddings. Guests not only get to satisfy their sweet tooth longings but they can also take delight in the visually beautiful displays and the wide variety of treats.

Here’s a nifty idea from Kelven Book, event planner at NYC-based catering company, Canard, Inc.: Instead of a separate table for your sweets, why not let your drinks bar do double-duty as your dessert table? While everyone is seated during the dinner, the bar can be re-configured to include all of the yummy desserts. When guests go back to the bar for more cocktails, they’ll be treated to a stunning display of mouth-watering sweets. Your bartenders can also offer cordials to pair with each dessert selection for an extra dose of wow.

Take a look at these amazing dessert displays from Canard, Inc.

This table features parfaits of Armagnac cheesecake mousse, lemon and blueberry compote and clove shortbread crumbs garnished with a candied lemon wheel. Other treats include dark chocolate pot de crème with whipped cream, blueberry and raspberry and lemon tartlets and miniature s’mores.

These pretty glass plates feature double fudge brownies, mini vanilla bean cupcakes with buttercream icing and mini German Chocolate cupcakes.