Why didn’t I think of that?!: Veil Weights

No seriously.  Veil weights are the best thing since sliced bread and I wish I had thought of it.

I can't tell you how many times I have had a ceremony and the bride’s veil is flying around in the wind getting in the way of the photographer’s shot or just simply annoying the bride and groom!

Fortunately, Jill Watson, a super neato wedding coordinator here in Southern California created Save the Veil.  I met Jill last year when she came to our property for a fam tour and she brought some of her veil weights with her to show us.

The weights are magnetic and can be secured to the bottom of the veil without damaging any material or creating holes.  She designed a few different types of looks to fit different brides’ styles.

You can buy them directly from her website.  They are a tad pricey, but are absolutely worth your sanity on the wedding day if your ceremony is outside!

Sharing is Caring: Sugar Flowers

Just wanted to share another cake.  One of my brides made her own cake and created the most incredible sugar flowers.  The picture doesn’t completely do them justice.  In person, the flowers looked so real!

Reception Right On: The Late Night Snack

Many of my couples like to do a snack near the end of the evening to keep their friends dancing into the wee hours…or it might just be to soak up the alcohol before heading home…

Here are a few late night snacks that have gone over REALLY well:

-Soft pretzels.  I had that did the big soft pretzels with 3 different types of mustard and some hot cheese.  It was a hit!

-Sliders:  They’re small but filling and are easy to take with you to the dance floor.

-Pizza: I had a couple from Chicago who wanted deep dish pizza for their late night snack.

-Street Tacos: Again, easy to grab and super tasty.  Try La Taquiza .  They cater!

-Donuts: Who doesn’t like donuts?

And my ABSOLUTE personal favorite: The In & Out Truck.  Go here to check it out!

Yep.

You can have them cater a little later in the evening right out of the truck.  Guests LOVE it.

Reception Rant #4: Man Down!!!

A few months ago...

This groom fell off the cake.  TWICE.

He has since been superglued together.  Twice.  And lived happily ever after stuck very firmly up to his shins in wedding cake.

The funny thing:  Almost exactly a year prior, I broke the groom from the very SAME cake topper set.  Darn you Michael’s.

Cake Balls. Yes, you read that correctly.

I didn’t know cake had balls?  Ok, ok…inappropriate.

But seriously.  Looking for an alternative to the cake pop craze but still LOVE the concept and taste of cake pops?

I was sitting with a bride detailing her event and I asked her what bakery she had picked for her cake.  She replied, “Cake Ball Love”.  I said, “Excuse me?”.  She repeated the company name and laughed.  She then proceeded to tell me how it was basically cake pops without the stick, stuck onto the form of a cake.  I was a little skeptical to be honest…

Then I check out the Cake Ball Love website.  LOVED IT.

Check out my bride and groom’s cake ball cake:

Check out the Bride and Groom at the top!  HA!

There were 3 different types of cake: Chocolate, Lemon, and Red Velvet.  I am a huge fan of red velvet so at the end of the night there were a few left over...AWESOME.

Check out the Cake Ball Love website: www.cakeballlove.com

Sharing is Caring: Amazing Cake!

Just wanted to share this incredible cake that Debbie from Cakes to Celebrate did for a photo shoot.  She added this beautiful ribbon and broach to complete her awesome design.  She is amazing.

Reception Right On: Ditch the Vest & Jacket!

This past weekend one of my couples had some of the best looking groomsmen outfits I had ever seen.  The outfits were pretty simple and incredibly fashionable!

Even though their outfits mildly reminded me of something Fonzworth Bentley from the Outkast videos would wear, I completely loved the look they went for.

Why I loved their outfits:

-It’s ridiculously hot in Temecula in August and they didn’t have to wear jackets or vests.  I’m sure the guys appreciated that!

-The look was more casual.  The guys seemed more at easy not being confined to a suit.

-The shirts were patterned.   Since the groomsmen didn’t have a jacket or vest, the checkers created a bit of a hipster look.

-They were wearing purple.  I love purple.

Ask Amber Joy: My rehearsal dinner numbers are getting out of control, who do I HAVE to invite?

This is completely up to you. If you are battling with your family or yourself on who to invite, just remember that the rehearsal dinner can be as small or large as you like. There are no obligations. In fact, you don’t even HAVE to do a rehearsal dinner if you don’t want to.


Some couples choose to invite their family, wedding party, and out of town guests which indeed can get out of control! Others couples keep it REALLY simple and just share an intimate dinner with each other. It can be pretty nice for the B&G (bride & groom) to spend a moment with each other.

Regardless of what you decide to do, if you find your numbers are getting larger than you expected, keep the price down with a minimalistic approach. You don’t have to go to a restaurant or spend a ton of money. You can easily use the clubhouse where you live or a friend’s backyard. Consider making your own meal with something low cost like salads and pasta!

Free iPhone Apps: WC Budget

This app is from the same makers as Wedding To-Do.  It starts you out with entering your wedding date and bride/groom info, then inquires about your total budget.  I put in $15,000 just to see the process.

The app then creates a budget for each part of your wedding.

Under each item there are sub items and the budget for each of those items.  It also help you keep track of payments, when they are due, how much you spent on that item, and where you are with your budget.

I recommend this app to EVERY bride.  (Unless of course you are crazy loaded and don’t have to have a budget.)  At this point, I will become very jealous.

Ask Amber Joy: Is it ok to invite guests to the ceremony but not the reception?

NO.


No, no and again NO! Now of course this is my personal opinion, however, imagine if the roles were reversed. How would you feel if you were invited to a friend’s ceremony, but not cool enough to get invited to the reception?

Of course you want to have everyone special in your life be a part of your special day, but maybe funds are low and you can’t afford for everyone to come to the reception? Or possibly the venue won’t hold as many people as you would like. If this is the case, you REALLY need to cut down your guest list. The guests you select to only come to the ceremony may feel like they “didn’t make the cut” or they aren’t as special as your other guests. They might even feel that you only invited them to the ceremony to get gifts and that is NOT cool.

It’s quite alright to send an announcement after your wedding to those you could not invite. If you don’t have the money, you don’t have the money.  Don't dig yourself into a situation you have trouble getting out of.

On the other hand, it is perfectly acceptable to invite guests only to the reception. Many times, couples will want to have an intimate ceremony with their family. That’s completely fine!