Oh Etsy! Latest find from one of my Favorite Sites!

Check out this picturesque Faux Fur Cape for your Winter Wonderland Wedding!

This elegant faux fur cape was designed for that special day or evening wedding.
The design of this cape is elbow length. The muff is created out of matching faux fur, inside and out.


Faux fur colors Available:
White (pictured), Ivory, & Black
Since every garment is created just for you, it comes in the following woman’s sizes:
X-Small(2/4), Small(6/8), Medium(10/12), Large(14/16)













It is made of 100% acrylic faux fur and lined with white crepe back satin. At no additional cost the wrap can be lined with fleece for additional warmth. The front of the wrap is held closed by beautiful white satin ribbons or a silver colored rhinestone clasp. The choice is yours.



The muff is approximately 10” in length with a 14” circumference. It has a velvet cording handle to hang on your wrist. The muff’s interior is lined with batting for additional warmth. Both the cape and muff should be hand washed gently in cold water, and line dried. The cape and muff are custom made with great care and time. It takes 5 business days to create and ship.

$74.99 on Etsy

Happy Shopping!

Shoe Shot Sunday: Myesha + Craig

Myesha and Craig were married at Cafe Pinot in front of the historic Los Angeles Public Library on Saturday, September 29th, 2012.  Their wedding was modern and chic yet playful.  Myesha's shoes were absolutely stunning - no other word could describe their beauty!  These Loubis just melt our hearts and might have to be the most perfect wedding shoe ever!

Photos courtesy of Adrienne Gunde Photography

Adrienne Gunde did a stellar job of documenting these lovely shoes, along with all of the wedding day details.  We can't wait to share many more images from Myesha and Craig's wedding with you, stay tuned!  

My Fave Mondays: Family Attack Shoppe

If you are yet to be so fortunate, to be graced with the unique and utterly chic designs from Nana at Family Attic, you must go see the amazing signs she creates!

From their precious "Welcome to Our Wedding" Signs to their adorable "Wedding, Cocktails and Reception" arrow signs, anything you select we can guarantee you will be beyond pleased with.


We just used these adorable chocolate pair of signs for our most recent event. These can be customized on white, chocolate brown or chocolate backgrounds.


Family Attic Shoppe has created Cottage Vintage Style signs since 1995. Their Wedding signs & Home decor signs are a great compliment to Antiques, French Chic & Cottage Decor. Each design is Handcrafted to look like an Heirloom Treasure from the past. Each sign is also signed on the back with love from Nana.

Look for their signs soon to debut on the pages of In Style Magazine & Weddings Unveiled this winter!



Here is a selection of some of our favorites!


This sign is so perfect to utilize for a photobooth. How cute is that?


This is just perfect for a candy buffet or sweets station at your reception.


We adore posting something like this in a location that's visible for guests as they arrive.


If you've chosen to upgrade your reception to include a cigar roller, this is the sign for you!


So Sweet!



You can purchase Nana's signs off of the Family Attic Website or via Etsy.

Happy Posting!

Color Trends Part Two - Our Predictions for 2014

We hope you enjoyed our tribute to 2013's Pantone color of the year.  We have truly been inspired by emerald and look forward to seeing it used throughout the remainder of the year.  With 2014 right around the corner, we'd like to turn our attention to next year's newly predicted color trends.  No one can know what the future will bring, but we've taken a stab at what we expect to see in the color world for the coming year.

As far as weddings go, pastels are here to stay; however, we expect to see more brights and metallics continue to be added to the mix in 2014.  Over the past few years, many of our couples have decided to incorporate bold colors (both solids and patterns) into their wedding decor and we expect to see that increase over the next few years.  Jewel tones have been very popular over the past few years and we expect this trend to continue.  In 2014, we believe couples will continue to think outside the box and use vivid hues mixed in with the more traditional pastel wedding colors.

Pantone hasn't named the 2014 color of the year, but they have given us a few ideas. According to their Fashion Report from the recent NY Fall Fashion Week, ten colors have been identified as most prevalent in designers' current collections.  They are a mix of neutrals, pastels and exotic brights.

If you go to their website, you can vote for your favorite!

Neutrals are timeless and will always be appropriate at weddings; however, we are constantly finding ways to reinvent the neutral palette by adding bold or even subtle contrasts to it.  This year we did so with mint and various hues of blue, with blush and mixed metallics, and with cream with pops of fushia and fun prints.  We expect this to continue in 2014.  A few of the Sterling Engagements Team Members decided to make a few predictions of what they expect to see in 2014.  Here they are!

Predictions From our Team...

Alexandra Rembac, Principal & Creative Director: "I'm thinking Cayenne.  It's bold, exciting, completely interchangeable with a broad variety of other color hues and I can already see myself pairing it with certain weddings we are designing for 2014!"

Ana Vargas, Office & Production Manager: "I'm absolutely in love with Dazzling Blue.  Although I agree that Pastels are here to stay in the wedding world, I also see couples adding splashes of bright colors to make their color schemes pop.  This Dazzling Blue can complement all pastels, both in wedding decor and in our closets and I can already see it used along with softer choices."

Star Hansen, Director of Wedding Planning & Sr. Associate Planner: I believe Violet Tulip is going to be the color we see most of in 2014.  It is such a stunning shade of purple... bolder than lavender, but not over the top.  I see our couples pairing it with various shades of purple and combining it with traditional wedding neutrals.

What color do you think we will see the most of in 2014?

Stunning Jewels and Such to make you Shine!

Large passionflower hairpin by Jo Thorne


This hair pin is lightly antiqued sterling silver then set with cubic zirconia. The overall diameter is 80mm.

Jo Thorne collections bring a smart new aesthetic to bridal hair accessories, updating them for the 21st century by fusing unrivalled craftsmanship with peerless design expertise. Working in precious metals with the skills of a master jeweller, Jo has broken new ground by reinterpreting the forms and style of early 20th century design to create a scintillating red carpet statement for the contemporary bride. Each piece is an individual commission, allowing many aspects to be tailored to your specific requirements: size and finish, colour and stones.

The tiaras and hairpins in her collection are designed to work with your hairstyle as a stylish alternative to real flowers. Lightly antiqued sterling silver and cubic zirconia are combined perfectly here in a fresh and original fusion of art nouveau and contemporary design.

We absolutely adore this unique and stunning designs. This our favorite but visit the site for many more!


Vintage Lace by Kay Jewellery


This necklace is simply amazing... it is made from a collection of genuine vintage finds... from enamel flowers to diamante brooches....

Huge vintage white enamel metal flowers form the focals for the necklace, two vintage brooches... one is a golden paste stone flower and the other a sparkling pillow shaped diamante brooch, two vintage marcasite flowers, a huge faceted puffed heart, a grey crystal round dangle pendant, plenty of vintage creamy white beads and gorgeous handmade white Venetian wedding cake beads....

This is perfect for couture high-fashion gown or a simple design you wanna glam up. Regardless it's eye catching and we love that the focal point of it is off to the side!

Happy Bling!

My Fave Mondays: Fantasy Frostings

Something to appreciate about Leslie Maynor and Fantasy Frostings is her passion and desire to make a dessert and not just the wedding cake. So often we find clients interested in doing dessert bars, candy bars, a dessert within their coursed meal, cupcakes etc... While these are all delicious, the one thing these items happen to do is take away from that fabulous wedding cake! What we love most about Leslie and her team at Fantasy Frostings is they make beautiful cakes that taste just as decadent as they look! This is why they are our favorite pick this week.


Fantasy Frostings is a family owned and operated business on the West Coast, opened by Joyce Maynor 30 years ago. While they do bake up whatever you wish to order, they definitely specialize in Wedding Cakes. They understand that an unforgettable cake is essential to any wonderful event. It embodies all the elements of style, beauty, and taste that a party represents.




















Their attention to detail, outstanding customer service, and unmistakable taste have earned Fantasy Frostings recognition from some of the nations most prestigious food, wedding, and lifestyle magazines including:
● In Style
● InStyle Weddings
● Bride’s Magazine
● Los Angeles Times Magazine
● Elegant Bride
● Los Angeles Magazine
● People
● Modern Bride
● Angeles Magazine
● Grace Ormonde Wedding Style 2003


Numerous wedding books have also highlighted Fantasy Frostings’ cakes including:
● Weddings a Celebration - Beverly Clark
● Town & Country - Elegant Weddings
● Here Comes the Guide - Wedding and Reception Sites


The Fantasy Frostings Menu includes the following...
We love the Chocolate Fudge Surprise and Marble Chip!

White Satin
A moist, luscious, old fashioned white cake sprinkled gently with Grand Marnier and filled with layers of white chocolate mousse and shaved dark chocolate alternating with Raspberries on a bed of whipped crème.

Chocolate Fudge Surprise
Dense, Dark Chocolate layers glorified with hand beaten fudge, dark chocolate mousse and a rich layer of ganache with crushed English toffee. Our tribute to all world class chocolate lovers.

Lemon Squeeze
A sunny lemon pound cake enhanced with a perky lemon sauce and filled with a tart English Lemon Curd alternating with tangy lemonade mousse for a great taste sensation.

Banana Walnut
A rich cake batter laden with fresh bananas and walnuts, lightly spiced and filled with fresh bananas and whipped cream or if you prefer a soft banana cream.

New Orleans Spice
A soft, lightly textured cake generously flavored with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves with a gentle splash of brandy before baking. A soft cream mousse is the favored filling.

14 Karat
Pineapple, walnuts, cinnamon, and carrots make this a heavy favorite. Cream cheese frosting is the popular choice but for a change of pace we suggest our thick apricot filling.

Red Velvet
A light chocolate cake flavor with a deep red color create a unique dessert, filled with a cream cheese frosting or cream mousse is favored as the grooms cake in many southern states.

Marble Chip
Swirls of white and chocolate cake gracefully mingle together. Sliced bananas folded into a rich chocolate mousse, alternating with fudge complete this dessert.


Here's a peak at Kendra Wilkinson's cake which Fantasy Frostings designed for her wedding last month. Photo Courtesy of The Bridal Bar.

Happy Tasting

My Fave Mondays: Robert Edward Woodworking

Robert Edward Woodworking, specializes in designing and building unique wedding cake and cupcake stands. Each of his stands are completely handmade and exquisitely detailed. From a custom vintage design to a retro inspired eye-catcher, REW definitely creates a custom look for each wedding or event their work is a part of. That's why they are our pick for today's spotlight.
Standard designs as well as custom stands are available. Custom designs can include a stand that focuses on the design of the cake. For instance, if the cake contains a floral pattern, the stand could subtly suggest a certain element of the design, such as a flower or vine. Another option would be to include an architectural element or logo of a particular venue you are working with. The design possibilities are virtually unlimited!
Whether one of their exquisite standard designs or a spectacular custom design is preferred, I can assure you this type of stand cannot be found anywhere else! Be sure to visit the Robert Edward Woodworking website or contact Robert directly at (201) 393-0507 for more information.

Happy Standing!

Special Mementos for Your Special Day from Not Just Any Old Day!

So for quite some time, we have been admiring the beautiful and utterly sentimental gifts and jewelry from Not Just Any Old Day. Their adorable items are so sweet and stylish, plus truly capture the essence of any special occasion. Whether you are celebrating a Wedding or Mitzvah, Anniversary or any other special event these mementos are just fabulous!



The calendar keepsake charms are a fun and unique way to celebrate and cherish life’s celebrations. Marked with a genuine Swarovski crystal on the month and day of your choice, the keepsake pieces are the perfect gift to yourself or someone else — it will forever hold special meaning.

The Not Just Any Old Day collection includes a wide variety of jewelry and gift ideas perfect for so many of life’s special celebrations.

To celebrate a special date in your life or the life of a loved one, there is no more charming gift than our timeless jewelry and gift line. “The new Calendar Key incorporates our “signature” calendar charm into a hip, stylish accessory that is not only unique and beautiful but a wonderful conversation piece” says Not Just Any Old Day designer and creator, Michele Esposito.


“Sentimental keepsakes have such incredible appeal because they bring an element of heartfelt thought to a gift” says Michele. A Not Just Any Old Day calendar keepsake can be customized for a wedding or anniversary, Bar/Bat Mitzvah, birthday or any other holiday or even just because.

Their prices range anywhere from $98-$1,595. We even think this is a great gift to give to a bride from all her bridesmaids!


Happy Shopping!

Sweet and Sentimental: True Love even after all these years

We can't help but post these adorably sweet photographs captured by Michael Norwood from Lauren and Kyle's Wedding! The hopeless romantic will not be able to get enough of these precious pics!





Happy Moments!

Star's Favorite Things: Welcome Bags & Packages

Your out of town guests are thrilled to be spending the weekend celebrating your day of matrimony; however, even with a blocked room rate, booking a hotel room for the wedding weekend can be costly.  On top of hotel costs, when you include the wedding and bridal shower gifts as well as the new cocktail dress they may have purchased just for your wedding, your guests may feel like they've forked out quite a chunk of change.  We all know they are happy to do it but wouldn't it be nice to give those out of town guests a little something extra to say "thank you"?  Consider surprising them with a welcome package!  It can be waiting for them in their hotel room or at check-in and is a great way welcome your guests and let them know you appreciate their presence.  It is also a chance to set the mood for the weekend ahead and give guests an idea of what they can expect.  A welcome package is a great way to tie your wedding theme in right from the beginning, as well as give your guests an opportunity to get excited about the upcoming festivities.

Start with something to hold the goodies in.  A reusable bag is a great option as guests can reuse them and will think of your wedding every time they pull it out.  If you are a DIY bride, you can purchase inexpensive canvas bags (Oriental Trading has them for less than a two dollars a piece) and stamp or iron your initials, monogram or message on the front.

Photo courtesy of Etsy

Photo courtesy of Style Me Pretty

I happen to think the stamped option, shown above, is just beautiful and is the easiest DIY option.  Simply choose a rubber stamp (Paper Source has gorgeous options), colored ink and have at it!  

Below is an example of an ironed on monogram.  It is beautiful but requires a bit more work.  Martha Stewart provides a step by step iron on tutorial on her website.

Photo courtesy of The Knot

The above DIY customization is fairly simple ; however, if you are not the creative type and still want to go all out on the bag, there are tons adorable custom bag options out there.  These are some of my favorites...

Photos courtesy of Wedding Chicks

Photos courtesy of Zazzle

If you'd prefer to go the simpler route, boxes, baskets or paper bags are also great goodie holders.  They can be personalized with stamps, ribbons, stickers and/or paper tags and can also save you a few dollars.

Photo courtesy of Ring of Yes

Photo courtesy of Etsy

Photo courtesy of Etsy

Once you've chosen your packaging, its time for the fun part... filling it with goodies!  Below are some things you may want to include:

• -A letter from the two of you - This is your chance to welcome guests to your wedding weekend and to thank them for participating in your celebration.  This letter can be short and sweet or detailed with sentiments.
• -Information about your wedding festivities - If your wedding weekend is full of events, a weekend itinerary is a nice extra to include.  If you are hosting a post wedding brunch or offering a shuttle service to and from the wedding site, this would be the ideal place to provide guests with these details.  Even if you've referenced this on your wedding website, it's always helpful to reiterate it for those guests who may have missed it initially.  
• -Information about the area - Since the majority of guests staying at your hotel of choice are not from the area, it is also nice to include a list of restaurants, activities, and fun facts about the area.
• -Snacks and beverages - It is nice to provide some treats for your guests to indulge in when they check into their hotel room or when they need a late night snack after a night of dancing at your wedding!  You can keep things simple by including things like chips, granola bars, candy and bottled waters, or you can go all out with a bottle of Champagne, gourmet nuts or olives, and truffles.
• -Additional items - You may want to include items to make your guest's hotel stay more comfortable.  These items may include a candle for the room, cozy socks or specialty body washes and lotions.  It's also fun to include an item representative of your location.  Things like mugs, shot glasses, stationary, or even specialty treats from the local area are perfect additions.  This could be something like wine for Napa or kona coffee in Hawaii or even a local sport's team token item or souvenir which is always a favorite for the sport's lovers out there.  If your wedding is expected to get wild, you may also want to include recovery items too, such as Advil or Tylenol and a sleep mask :)

Again, these are just ideas to get you started - the possibilities are truly endless!  Remember, this is your opportunity to welcome your guests and set the mood for your wedding weekend.  Your welcome package can be silly and quirky, location specific (e.g. beach wedding), or elegant and luxurious.  Sit down with your love and put some real thought into what you will include and have fun!  If you met at a baseball game, include a bag of peanuts; if he proposed at Ghiradelli Square in San Francisco, include a few mini Ghiradelli chocolate squares; if you are going to Fiji on your Honeymoon, include a bottle or two of Fiji water.  Remember include a note explaining why each item is relevant to your relationship is a nice touch too so they understand why you choose the items you did. 

Below are some of my favorite welcome packages...

Photo courtesy of Martha Stewart Weddings

Photo courtesy of The Bride's Cafe

Photo courtesy of Brides Blogs

Photo courtesy of Real Simple

Photo courtesy of Etsy

Photo courtesy of Style Me Pretty

And something kind of fun to include for the party animals...

Photo courtesy of Intimate Weddings

If a complete welcome package is not in your budget, you can still provide out of town guests with a thoughtful welcome.  Consider something like this...

A tiny flower arrangement and welcome note hanging from their hotel room door.

 
Photo courtesy of Think Garnish

A small package including the morning paper, a pastry and coffee, delivered to their hotel room the morning after your wedding.

Photo courtesy of Think Garnish

Whether your budget is large or small, there are many ways you can give your out of town guests a special welcome.  This gesture will truly make their stay because who doesn't like a little surprise gift?!

Best,  

Star