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DIY Wedding Jewelry at Sheyna.com

DIY is all the rage amongst fashionistas. We've found the perfect site for brides to be in on the latest trend. Bobbie Thomas, fashion correspondent for The Today Show, names Sheyna.com as one of her favorite DIY sites! On Sheyna.com even the least creative bride can create unique jewelry designs with this easy to use website or browse and buy others' designs. Our favorite custom creation right now is the Pearl Bead Cluster Set designed by weddingdesigns. Another is Ocean Love, at left.
The site is a veritable digital sketchpad that you can use to create beautiful earrings, necklaces, and bracelets. More than 115 million combinations are possible, with prices ranging from $4 all the way to $5000. And don't forget to check out their latest contest: Sheyna has JUST launched a bridal contest to giveaway $2500 worth of custom jewels. Submit your love story of you and your fiance to [email protected] to win! There can't only be a first place winner, that just wouldn't be fair, second third and honorable mention receive prizes too!

Get to sheyna.com and start designing!

—Samantha Corbin

3 Cocktail Ideas for Your Royal Wedding Party

Royal Wedding news is reaching a fever pitch. And what better way to celebrate Kate and Will’s nuptials than with your own mini-celebration? Get together with friends, wear hats (a must at British weddings) and join in the revelry. Everyone loves a party!

To help get you started, Charlotte Voisey — an award-winning mixologist and brand ambassador (including Hendrick’s Gin, Lillet, Glenfiddich and Balvenie) from London — has created a few special cocktails in honor of the big day. They’re perfect for your “royal” party or for your own wedding celebration.

1. The Royal Rose
A toast to Kate, this cocktail was inspired by the national flower of England, the rose, and one of the ingredients, Hendrick’s Gin, is made with rose petal essence.

Ingredients:

  • 2 teaspoons rose jam
  • 1 oz. Hendrick’s gin
  • ½ oz. freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 oz. champagne

Directions:

  • Combine ingredients in a mixing glass (except for the champagne).
  • Shake well.
  • Strain into a flute.
  • Top with champagne.
  • Garnish with a small rose petal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 





2. Royal Balmoral Punch

Ingredients:

8 Hidden Fees Your Musician Might Charge You

Let's say you've always dreamed of having live musicians at your wedding—a DJ or, God forbid, an iPod, just won't do. Live music is more romantic, right? The Budget Guru asked Anne Roos, the author of The Bride's Guide to Musicians, for her advice on the unromantic matter of fees. (Anne has been playing the Celtic harp at weddings for thirty or so years, and she lives in South Tahoe, CA.)

Anne says, "Most musicians may charge a first-hour rate and then a reduced rate for subsequent hours (for instance, $299 for the first hour and $200 for each hour thereafter)." Or, they may simply charge you a package fee for the number of hours that you need them. There could be other charges added to this performance fee, which may include:

 

 

 

 

 

DIY Wedding Music—and Save $$$$

There’s nothing like live musicians for getting a party to kick up its heels. But since the Budget Guru looks at cost-savers, she’s going to recommend that you take a serious look at your ever-so-humble iPod. The Guru recently came across a survey done by MyWeddingMusic.com, saying that 41 percent of today’s couples plan to use their own iPods in order to save money on their reception dance music. The O’Neill Brothers, who run that website, give their blessing with a few tips:

Designate a driver. Pick a tech-savvy friend or relative who’ll be happy to be the master of ceremonies.

Double up. Load all your songs onto two iPods or MP3 players, so that you have a back-up just in case. You don’t want to find yourselves suddenly enjoying the sounds of…silence.

Bring the juice. Be sure they’re charged—and take the chargers along to the venue.

Shake it up. Go for a variety of tunes. A polka for the grandparents? Sure, why not? Motown, be-bop, the samba, the hully-gully, the waltz—whatever you think will suit your particular crowd. The point is to get people out on the floor and keep them there. (It won’t hurt to pass out some tiny Popsicles after everyone’s broken a sweat.)

Do a test run. Don’t skip this step. Before the big day, take the player to your venue and test it out with their sound systems. It’s called “be your own pro”!

 

Wedding Wars Episode 6 Recap



Last night, camp was noticeably quieter on Episode 6 of Wedding Wars as only seven couples remained. But the gift challenge was proverbially louder than ever with of $20,000 worth of sparkling diamonds from Hearts on Fire at stake. The winners? Kevin and Angel, who claimed a total of over $43,200 in prizes while in Hawaii. Despite their new souped-up bling, it was the two of them who were ultimately voted off the island. We checked in with the engaged duo to find out their favorite moments, what they learned, and if Angel and Kevin have rocked their bling yet.




                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                         Marco Garcia/Getty Images for VH1

Bridal Market Week

It’s been a crazy, busy week in the bridal world! I’ve just spent the past 8 days running all over NYC with our Fashion Editor, Naima DiFranco, viewing the wedding dress collections of well over 50 designers. We saw incredibly beautiful designs and can’t wait to feature these beauties in Bridal Guide, starting with our September/October issue. In the meantime, check out our photo albums of all the different collections on Facebook. 

Some of my favorites were dresses with sleeves (refreshing after so many seasons of strapless!). We saw cap sleeves, three-quarter-length sleeves and long lace sleeves, as designers anticipate that Kate Middleton’s dress will have some arm coverage. I also loved the ethereal tulles, chiffons and organzas, the pick-up skirts, 3-D flowers and peplums. There were lots of detachable belts that instantly change the look of a dress, some pretty boatneck gowns, one-shoulder designs and gorgeous details on the backs of the dresses. Lace, embroidery and whimsical dots and point d’esprit upped the romance factor. It’s a season of pure fantasy, fun and elegance that makes us want to get married again and again (to the same guy, of course!) just to wear as many gowns as possible.

After covering the bridal fashion market, it was on to the tabletop market to see what’s in store (literally) for your registries. Now, the days in NYC may still be too cold and dreary for my liking, but walking into the Lenox showroom introduced some much-needed springtime flavor. Check out this pretty table featuring their new “Floral Meadow” collection.

lenox floral collection

BG's Fashion Editor Goes Viral

Naima, our fashion editor, is responsible for curating the latest trends in bridal and creating cohesive looks for our readers. So it seemed natural that the fashion guru was called upon to speak at Nina Bridal's first-ever panel to highlight trends, tips and creative ideas. Joining her was Erica Sigel, fashion editor at AisleDash, and David Yassky, a former editor who founded TheAisleNewYork. Watch the video above, in which the three mavens speak with "Nina's Newlywed," and then tell us: What's your favorite item in Nina Bridal's collection?

—Rachel Jacoby

8 Ways to Create Floral Centerpieces for Less

Recently, the Budget Guru's good friend Sharon Naylor spoke with some other wedding experts about the big bad flower budget. Here, she shared her tips with us.

carnation topiary
1. Go Green: "Use lots of greenery," says Michelle Rago, a wedding planner and Google’s wedding spokesperson. “Using unique, dramatic greenery creates an elegant look. I like to use big leaves such as palm and banana leaves to make a big impression on a lower budget.”

2. Use Just One Kind of Flower: Rago also suggests making a big impression on a budget with a grouping of one kind of flower, such as gladiolus.

3. Go Tall: Add dramatic height on a budget with branches like curly willow.

4. Use One Color: Georgianne Vinicombe, owner of Monday Morning Flower and Balloon Company in Princeton, New Jersey and Yardley, Pennsylvania says, “Centerpieces made with all one color of flower really pop on a budget, since the color stands out, especially when mixed with different textures for an elegant look.”

5. Mix Glass and Water: Glass vases filled with water and colorful or clear stones — in which an exotic flower floats — is as impressive as a $200 floral arrangement.

6. Get Glass Vases in Unique Shapes: At the craft store, you’ll find $5 to $8 rounds, ovals, and tall rectangular glass vases in which to hold your florals.

Wedding Wars Episode 5 Recap

wedding wars
Unlike past episodes of Wedding Wars, where challenges were all about brawn and bravery—using giant Q-tips to knock each other over, and who could forget scarfing down dog food—last night was the battle of wits. First, the eight remaining couples had to recreate photos in a wedding album for this week’s gift challenge. Kevin and Angel had the fastest time, so they snapped up 12 Vivitar HD cameras and $3,000 towards their wedding photography. Next, this week’s security challenge required couples to persuade their fellow contestants why they deserve the $100,000 grand prize. After many heartbreaking stories, Mario and Melinda won almost unanimously. In the end, viewer faves Brandon H. and Stephanie were sent home.

Although the couple revealed that they were definitely angry after Kat and Hollywood were eliminated, Brandon told BG: “I don’t have any regrets…we played the game exactly the way we wanted to, going into it.” On the flip side, Stephanie admitted that she wears her emotions on her sleeve and “there were moments when I felt that I shouldn’t have said certain things.” However, both B&S can agree that the show improved their communication skills and brought them closer as an engaged couple.

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