Party like a Rockstar...

When Tony & I were planning our wedding we definitely wanted all aspects to represent who we are. From the date, theme, decorations, food, location and even the bridal party.
Speaking of bridal party... I don't think any other wedding can top our selection, hands down (lol). We wanted to include people in our party that were in our lives before the wedding and would be there are the marriage. We also wanted people that were like us... fun, fun and more fun! People that were able to take their shoes off and party if need be... people that would be able to jump in the pool all dressed up if we required it... people that would travel to another country to support us if they had to.
Choosing your bridal party is a very important step in the planning of your big day...actually, it plays a very major role in setting the tone of the wedding as well.
In our case, we knew we had a crew that would roll with all the punches and still come out smiling... Why? because they loved us & they knew we would do the same for them!!!

Not only were they one of the best part of our wedding but they were all FREAKIN FLY AS HECK NOT TO MENTION DARN GOOD LOOKING!!! From the ring bearer who made his debut rocking his converse all suited out, to the men who were so fresh & so clean in their beige suits, brown shoes & marigold (yellow) & clementine (orange) neck ties & pocket squares (respectively). While the ladies were beautifully clad in their Full-length strapless dress in nu-georgette with shirred empire bodice and column skirt, mixed with gold/bronze stilettos & completed with their individual hairstyles that depicted their true personalities... then we had our beautiful flower girls & junior-bride, so pristine in their all white angle length dresses and their princess-like mini tiaras.
The only thing left was for the red carpet to be rolled out for our beautiful men & ladies in waiting.

Chin up and shoulders broad, the men walked in with more swagger than Jay-Z in a sold out concert at Madison Square Gardens & the ladies made their entrance, hips swinging from left to right while tastefully gliding along the path laid for them... Princess Diana had nothing on this bunch.
After the vows were completed, Tony & I made the recessional exit down the aisle to the melodic tune of "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz followed by the SWAGGERS & DIVAS who happily obliged with moves that Usher & Beyonce would definitely flash their smile of approval upon. The party was on and popping and we had not even gotten to the reception as yet...



Pointers:
1. Choose your bridal party based on the integrity & character of an individual, not because they go to the club with you every now and again.
2. Every detail of your wedding should be yours & your fiance's... the wedding planner is there to implement those ideas and not to plan his or her own wedding vicariously through yours.
3. Take time to email and follow up with your bridal party... be as specific and direct as possible without coming off as a BRIDEZILLA! Last minute details will not cut it and as familiar as you are with them, the phrase PLEASE & THANK YOU still goes a long way and makes a huge difference.
4. Ladies, allow your bridesmaids to have a say in what they will be wearing to your wedding. I know its your wedding but remember they are the ones that will also have to wear what you decide. Voting on selections is fun... try it, you will enjoy it.
5. Don't be so stuffy at your wedding... remember it's a party with family and friends so let your hair down... and the rest will follow.

Until next time,
Smile, you're on camera.

And then you came... (Dedicated to my honey)

I would lay awake at nights and dream of you... many years ago.
I knew that you would come... I just didn’t know how or when... but I kept praying for you.
I prayed through the decoys and the many mistakes. I knew you were out there and I was determined to get to you... come what may.
I was silently disappearing... but I kept praying because I knew you that you would come.
I prayed for you... I prayed for your heart, I prayed for you mind, I prayed for your emotions... I prayed for you.
And then you came...
My heart was so tangled in hurt & pain... so badly that I almost stopped breathing... but you patiently untied the chords... and I began to breathe again... I could feel your existence filling up my very lungs.
I knew you were real.
You made me smile again... effortlessly. I saw your heart and it was beautiful... so beautiful that I wanted to stay a while... I prayed that a while would turn into forever and you happily obliged.
I guess you saw my heart too... you saw that my heart wanted to be with you, to be cradled in your love, to be wrapped up in your warmth, to be secured in your arms... and you received me... no inhibitions.
I want to convert my forever and your forever into OUR forever.
And so we stand today (11.20.2010) declaring our love before our families & friends...
I love you, it was always you... Thank you for coming... I’m so glad you came.

Forever Yours "Neesh" (the name u gave me the 1st day we met) :-)

3 the most...

The one thing my fiance (at the time) was adamant about was having no one else in my room but my mom & my sister while I was getting dressed.
NOTE TO ALL BRIDES-TO-BE... PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE FOR YOUR OWN PEACE OF MIND FOLLOW THIS RULE!
My now husband is a photographer and trust me, he's seen it all... from freaked out brides, to cussing brides, to crying brides... all because a bunch of people were in the room while they were getting dressed... talk about serious pandemonium!
It started out with just me, my mom & my sister Ava... the two people that keeps me calm in any given situation... and it was working up until my room door became a swinging door!
Thankfully, after my hair dresser (Debbie Crooks) was done with my hair I was able to get away from it all by going to my makeup artist' (Rory Lee) room to get my makeup done.
Prior to going back to room I inquired about the status of my room... ALL the bridesmaids had arrived & were apparently there, including my maid, matron, flower girls, mother & godmother... OH HELL NAW, I'M NOT GOING UP THERE!!!
I had to ask someone to please tell all the bridesmaids to please wait in the lobby of the hotel (thankfully they weren't diva's & they totally understood & obliged) WHEW!!!
I had regained some sort of normalcy! :-)

LESSON:
1. Take the advise of someone who knows & follow it.
2. Never get dressed with more than 3 people in the room (you are included in the 3).
3. Make sure the 2 people that you select are people with a calm/soothing spirit.
4. Give yourself time between hair & makeup.
5. Allow yourself sitting time after you are dressed... that way you can catch your breath.

Until next time,
Smile, you're on camera.

The day before...

There was so much left for me to do before my wedding... how could this be? I had it all planned out... Thursday evening was the wedding rehearsal @ 4pm. My fiance & I decided that we were not gonna have a rehearsal dinner. Say what??? Yes, you heard me, no rehearsal dinner... the plan was for everyone to show up to the location @ 4pm, we rehearse for an hour and then everyone beat it (straight up Michael Jackson Style, lol). Listen, we were already paying for so many other things, that feeding people 2 days before the wedding was not a priority on our list... luckily for us our family & friends did not care (& frankly speaking, neither did we).
Anyway, like I said the plan was for the rehearsal to take place on Thursday evening and then I would be able to party with my girls at my bachelorette party later on that night, and Friday would be a free day for me to lolly-gag & do whatever the heck I wanted to.
Of course this did not happen as planned... Friday I was driving to pick up my gown & my after party dress from the seamstress, take one of my brothers who had flown in the Thursday to get his haircut, drop off his pants to be altered at the seamstress, take my family to go pick up the rental car and the list goes on... did I mention the fact that my car had decided to stop working the week before so I was totally dependent on others.
Talk about time flying... by the time all my errands were completed and I got to the hotel it was already after midnight... oops, I forget to pick up my hair stuff at the house... I'm on the road again (feel free to sing this part, lol).
Ok, over that hump and got back to the hotel, unwind, washed my hair and blow dried it... about to wrap hair & go to bed when suddenly i looked at my nails... "OH CRAP, THE HEAT FROM THE BLOW DRYER TOTALLY MELTED THE POLISH OFF MY NAILS!!!" WTH am I gonna do? Did I mention it was now 2:30 am and my wedding is 6 & 1/2 hours away?
I called my manicurist who thankfully was still awake doing her own nails... she told me that she would be there at around 5:30 am & redo my nails while my hair was being done (since she did not plan on getting any sleep either, LOL).
Relieved and disoriented from the lack of sleep I decided to at least shut my eyes for about 2 hours... this notion was quickly annihilated by the ringing of my cell phone (it was now 4:15am)... my hair stylist was downstairs in the lobby of the hotel. Did I mention that she had just left her shop after washing & drying her own hair?
And before I could close my eyes again it was time to start curling my hair.
WHERE IS THE REDBULL???

LESSON:
1. Make sure you get everything done 2 days before your wedding... that way the only thing you should be concerned about is being well rested.
2. Designate people to run the major errands for you, like airport pickups, dress pickups, etc.
3. Make a check list.
4. Take lots of vitamin C.
5. Turn off your phone @ 6pm the day before the wedding and provide friends & family with wedding planner/coordinator, maid/matron of honor's numbers.


Until next time,
Smile, you're on camera!