Once Upon a Time...To...Happily Ever After (Continued!)

There are still so many secrets and surprises in store for the billions of people who will be watching the Royal Wedding 4.29.11! With less than 48 hours to go, I like so many of you, can NOT wait! I am bursting with excitement for this DREAM wedding! It is the event of the century! Oh, I don't want to wait any longer! But since we all have to, here are my wedding dress predictions!

I may be really off, but on the long shot that I am right, I want it to be published for all to see!

HERE ARE MY WEDDING DRESS SPECULATIONS:

Almost everyone in the world is on the edge on their seats waiting to see what Catherine will be wearing on the big day! I have been having dreams about what Kate's wedding dress will look like! Crazy I know! I guess it is an occupational hazard that I happily accept! Not only is the designer important, but so is the dress' fabric, color, style, veil, etc. It is the #ONE piece in the #1 event that will influence wedding trends for the next 20+ years! Kate is already a style icon, making wonderful fashion choices, and this dress will be the most elite of them all! If you combine the photos below you will have my thoughts on what Kate will be wearing on FRIDAY 4.29.11!!

I think Catherine will be in a slim fitting lace gown similar to any of the Elie Saab dresses above! She has such an amazing slim and tall frame that this style gown will look incredible on her! The lace gives the gown such an elegance and femininity I think Kate will be drawn to. Mila Kunis dress from the 2011 Oscar's has an stunning shape, but may be too revealing for the Cathedral setting. A soft cap sleeve and more conservative neckline like the dress below will be more Kate's style!

I don't think that Kate (Catherine) will be wearing a skirt to this volume, but I do think that the regal fabric and lace cap sleeves are very likely to be seen on Catherine on Wedding day!

I'd love to hear what you think the Princess in waiting will wear on her big day! Speak now or forever hold your peace!

Once Upon A Time...to Happily Ever After

If you're anything like me you've been interested if not obsessed with the upcoming Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton! I have been enthralled with it since the engagement announcement in November! I absolutely love this couple!

Yes, like many girls of my generation I wished and dreamed of becoming Prince Williams Princess one day, but since I found the love of my life around the same time William found Kate, I no longer longed for the role or responsibility of Princess! Kate is beautiful, elegant, British, and far more suitable than I! I'm thrilled it is her that gets this coveted honor! Look how amazing and in love they look together! I just LOVE them!

I don't know if I have EVER seen a couple more in love and radiant in their engagement photos!

There are so many speculations about the details of the upcoming wedding! I'm definitely going to make mine, but so far here are the details we already know!

The Invitation

The Ring!

The Ceremony Location: Westminster Abbey

The Receptions to take place at Buckingham Palace

William will be wearing a Morning Suit similar to these!

The World will have to wait to see the wedding unfold and all the secrets revealed! Stay tuned to my blog all week long as I reveal my predictions!

The Speculated Look of Princes William & his Princess Catherine Middleton!

Exclusive No More!

The redesigned rehearsal Anna Sachse CTW Features Historically, rehearsal dinners have been an intimate restaurant affair for immediate family, wedding party members and their significant others, and the parents of any child attendants. However, in recent years, there has been a shift toward opening up these traditional celebrations to more guests, as well as branching out from the standard sit-down meal. Here, two wedding planning experts weigh in on the why and how of a more inclusive and creative pre-big day party. The Perks Weddings generally bring together many people from many different backgrounds, notes Brooke Sheldon, owner of Lilybrooke Events in Kennebunkport, Maine. “Having everyone get together at the rehearsal dinner serves as an ice-breaker – by the time the reception rolls around, everyone is already old friends.” It’s also a great way to ensure you – the bride! – actually get to spend quality time with all your nearest and dearest. “The wedding day goes by so fast, and the couple may feel pulled in many different directions,” says Wendi Hroncich, founder of Seattle-based Ethereal Events. Hosting a more inclusive rehearsal dinner decreases the big day pressure on the bride and groom, and allows for more relaxed hanging out. The Guest List If you have the inclination and the budget, go ahead and include everyone in your rehearsal festivities. But if you must draw the line somewhere, just make sure your invite list is consistent. For example, due to the time and expense involved in traveling, destination-wedding rehearsal dinners have typically involved all the guests, says Sheldon. Playing off that trend, many stateside wedding couples are now opting to include all out-of-town guests in the day-before bash. Others might prefer to host all their extended family members. The Party If the guest list is small or money is little or no object, the rehearsal dinner is a lovely way to add a playful or unconventional element to your gala. Hroncich has had couples treat guests to the famed interactive dinner show Teatro ZinZanni, or spring for dinner cruises that show off the city skyline. Sheldon coordinated a fireworks-filled July Fourth lobster bake on a river. The couple had a private, tented section of lawn for several hundred guests, but selected a space next to a public pops concert for free entertainment. Other creative options include a catered affair at a cool space like an aquarium or racetrack, or picking a unique theme like Old Hollywood or a luau. That said, by no means is it necessary to spend a fortune to have a fabulous fête. Your real focus should be having a rehearsal dinner that feels like it represents who you are as a couple, and fits in with the rest of your wedding weekend events, says Hroncich. A backyard BBQs, a picnic in the park, a pizza party on the patio or a taco truck and s’mores on the beach are all great bets. “If you have a fun location, then be casual with the meal,” says Sheldon. “The enjoyment is really about the atmosphere you create.”

Ever Wondered...Why Hire a Wedding Planner?

Mother of the Bride Testimonial

Meaningful Ways To Honor Lost Loved Ones

I was recently interviewed for an article by Anna Sachse on special ways to honor loved ones who are attending your wedding in spirit! Here it is! Enjoy!

9 meaningful ways to honor loved ones

Anna Sachse CTW Features

1. Wendi Hroncich, founder of Seattle-based Ethereal Events, recommends wearing a treasured memento from your loved one, such as your mother’s pearls or your grandmother’s brooch.

2. Consider wrapping your bouquet with lace from your mother’s wedding dress, your grandmother’s rosary or a locket containing your loved one’s photo, suggests Brooke Sheldon, owner of Lilybrooke Events in Kennebunkport, Maine.

3. Because smell is linked with memory, tuck your loved one’s favorite scented bloom into your bouquet, advises Emily Ayer, art director for Southern Weddings Magazine.

4. Remember an important loved one by leaving a single stem of his or her favorite flower on the chair where he or she would have sat during the ceremony, says Ayer.

5. Commemorate all lost loved ones with a special note in the wedding program or a brief announcement by the officiant, says Hroncich.

6. Ayer suggests including your loved one’s favorite hymn or reading in the ceremony.

7. “Ask your caterer to include a special family recipe in the reception dinner,” says Sheldon. Add a brief note to the menu that explains the background For example: “Pumpkin Spice Soup, made from a family recipe, in loving memory of Grandma Gladys.”

8. Honor a loved one with the music, says Hroncich. For example, if your father has passed away, you might play his favorite song during the cake cutting or anniversary dance.

9. Sheldon suggests setting aside a special table with framed photos of all the important couples in your lives. Make it a multi-generational tableau (best friends, siblings, parents, grandparents, etc.) that includes both those who have passed and those who will be present as you celebrate your future.

Do you have a special way you're honoring loved ones at your wedding? I'd love to hear from you!

- Wendi

More places to view article are available here, here, & here!

Photo by Tasha Owen Photography

Going down the grocery aisle?

Check out yesterday's King 5 News story where I'm featured!


by NATASHA RYAN / KING 5 News
KING5.com
Posted on March 5, 2011 at 12:41 AM

Discount chain Costco is now offering brides a chance at designer dresses.

The store is setting up bridal boutiques right in the middle of its stores. The wedding bliss is temporary but the company is hoping to move the operation on-line by June. The same month Costco will bring the road show to the Northwest.

Six styles from designer Kirstie Kelly are available at one time ranging from $700-1,400. You buy the dress and walk right out of the store with it. Designed for brides on a budget, Costco says it's had amazing feedback.

Wedding planner Wendi Hroncich tells us "the trend is to downsize." A bride-to-be we spoke with says she learned quickly just how expensive weddings are. Chelsea Wilnott says, "I think as soon as you say wedding, price tags start going up."

Hroncich says she understands the concept in theory. "It's your wedding dress, the most important dress you'll ever wear. If you go to a discount store or a Costco for it, it's bad lighting, people with their shopping carts going by you, it's just not the same experience."

Costco customers joked at first but Mary Haltiner told us she thinks the whole thing might just work. "I doubt they'd put it next to the hamburgers but they sell coffins on-line so why not wedding dresses?"

Happy Valentine's Day!

Celebrate LOVE today and everyday!

Picuture from Red Envelope

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