UnBridals!

Photo source: Al Torres Photography

I had a blast last night talking for hours with the great Photography team of Al Torres Photography Inc, Houston, Texas and his wife Carmen. I questioned him about getting together and doing a Trash the Dress photo shoot. This is a new trend that is sweeping the wedding industry (or so I thought) where after the wedding the brides literally " TRASHES" their dress during a fun and liberating photo shoot. After speaking with Al who laughed and called me silly, he candidly informed me that no one wants to really trash their dress! He actually told me that he has not found one bride that was willing "to get her dress dirty." Because of this quick decline in popularity he came up with a genius of an idea.

"UnBridal ..the Ultimate alternative to Trashing the Dress"

What is this you ask?? I am soooo glad you asked....

Unbridals: This is a photo shoot where the bride undresses for her unsuspecting groom in her prettiest and sexiest lingerie along with the wedding dress draped strategically across her naked body. Of course these pictures are for his eyes only. (unless you are daring) What a great wedding gift. What a great idea. I think that Al is on to something! For more information about UnBridals

visit the website and let me know what you think... http://unbridals.com/ I would love to know if you are planning on scheduling a photo shoot. We would love to see some pictures..If you can share..

What a great Wedding, Valentines, Birthday or Anniversary gift. Remember ..Al is still looking for that brave bride that wants to TRASH THAT DRESS!! Let me here from you!! Would you do it???

Series.. I'm Engaged .. Now what.. Part 3

Step #3 Pick a Site and Date

Only once you have an estimated budget and guest count can you begin searching for a place to hold your event . Remember - many reception sites book over a year in advance, so you really can't decide on a wedding date until you have officially booked your venue with a signed contract. (its not yours until you have a signed contract!) Find as many reception sites that meet your budget, capacity and overall style quotient as you can. This is where your planner comes in! We can save you many steps here. I good planner can narrow down your choices and steer you both in the right direction according to your budget. Then schedule appointments to tour each wedding venue and meet with the manager. After that-it's decision making time.

As you may have heard it said, once you find your reception site, everything else falls into place, This is a true statement, you are on easy street from here!

Once you have accomplished these steps, you will find the rest of your planning task list a piece of, ahem, wedding cake.

In all of your planing for your special day ... remember to have fun and make it a DeVine Choice!

Article credit : http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Cori_Russell

Series: I'm engaged ... Now What?" Part 2

Step # 2 Decide on Date, Your planning team and Formality of wedding

OK, now you have shared the great news with everyone, you are ready to move forward with the next step. This next step encompasses quite a few things:

A. Decide on wedding season and formality (this will help you narrow down your wedding date, the type of wedding and the location) You have many choices, do you both like cold weather or warm weather ? Day or night ?

B. From here you can set your date ( be prepared to be a little flexible with this date due to availability of your location choices)

D. Set a realistic budget (find out if your families are going to contribute to this event. if you have no idea what weddings cost then do your homework! Research on the Internet however the best way to find out is to ask a close friend that was recently married or ask a planner what weddings are costing today or you can use this link to calculate you wedding budget.
http://weddings.about.com/library/nbudgetworksheet.htm (source weddings.about)

C. Decide on your planning team... How much will your families be involved? Do you have time to plan a wedding? How involved do you want to be? Do you want to hire a planner? (of course you do.. what am I saying?? )

Stay tuned for more on " I'm engaged... Now what?" Series

Series : I'm engaged .. Now What? " Part 1

Step # 1

Tell Your Parents:

You should tell your parents before anyone else if at all possible. Ideally this should be done in person with both of you present. (this way they can see for themselves how happy and excited you both are )Traditionally the brides parents are the first to approach with the exciting news , then the grooms parents. Today's couples can actually have a dinner, invite both sets of parents and share the news at one time. This way wedding planning can begin immediately!

You can then share the news with your closest friends and family members that would be likely candidates for maid/matron and best man honors.

Stay tuned for more on " I'm engaged... Now what?" Series

"I'm engaged... Now What?" Series ....Stay tuned!

Hello readers! I have received quite a few calls over the last few weeks from excited brides with the exact same question.." I'm engaged ... Now what?"... OK maybe they sounded like this.." I just got engaged (giggle giggle) and I do not have a clue what to do next?" or I just got engaged and we would like to set up an appointment , or my favorite " I just got engaged (giggle giggle) and we were told that we must meet with DeVine Choices before we do anything else" , well OK.. I can dream too right!!

With Christmas, New Years and Valentines day being the three most busiest months for engagements I have decided to present a series on " I am engaged... Now what?" I hope this series over the next few weeks will help point newly engaged couples in the right direction. Enjoy!

Happy New Year's

From

DeVine Choices Wedding & Event Planning Staff