First of all, let me point out that no matter how much time and energy you have spent planning for your wedding…something always goes wrong! It could be something as simple as the corsages being delivered without pins or something as major as the DJ not showing up. The important part for you is to keep everything in perspective. Trust the people who you have put in charge. Throughout the years, I’ve noticed that the unhappiest and most stressed brides are those who try to control everything.

Let me share some tips for surviving your wedding day:

1-Working out an itinerary in advance is one way to help your day run smoothly. My advice here is simply: Be practical. Don’t try to control every single minute of the day but allow enough time so that you don’t feel rushed. Keep your activities to a minimum. For example, your wedding day is not a good time for Bridesmaids luncheons or spa appointments. Take care of all of these things in advance so that you can spend your wedding day relaxing and hanging out with your friends and family.

2-I know you haven’t seen your friends all together and New Orleans is the most fun city ever, but do NOT stay out all night drinking hand grenades and singing karaoke. You need to be rested on your wedding day. You won’t think it was worth it when you wake up with a pounding head and bloodshot eyes (which by the way makeup can’t disguise).

3-If you aren’t able to hire a wedding planner or day of coordinator, then be sure to hire vendors that you trust so that you don’t feel the need to constantly check up on them. Give them specific instructions in advance and then allow them to do the things they’ve been hired to do. Don’t try to be your own wedding planner because this will only stress you out. Trust me, I’ve set up a hundred times and it never comes together till the end. It’s not a process that you want to witness when its your wedding.

4-Expect the unexpected! Prepare an “emergency kit” with such items as needle/thread, lots of safety pins, double sided tape, Tylenol, a Tide to-go pen, scissors and band aids. (Look for a future blog article from us about this)

5-TURN OFF your cell phone on your wedding day or at least pass it off for someone else to be in charge off. You won’t believe the calls that you will get from people. (Example: Do you have any hairspray I can borrow? I forgot mine…)

6-Be sure to eat and drink lots of water throughout the day! Chances are no matter how much time you spent choosing the menu for the reception you won’t be eating as much as you anticipate. However, you will probably drink lots of champagne and at least one of your signature cocktails (especially at a NOLA wedding) so be sure you eat in advance.

7-Refer to our article below on having a “reveal” moment with your husband-to-be. You will cherish this moment alone before all of the craziness begins and you will find that seeing him is a great way to calm your nerves.

8-Plan for a back up pair of shoes for the reception, especially if you plan to have a 2^nd line parade. You don’t want your party to be ruined because you lose all feeling in your toes. One of my first weddings the bride wore the most beautiful red heels. However, half-way through dinner I was in the kitchen putting ice in a Ziploc bag to try to bring the swelling down so that she could have her first dance. She was pretty miserable for the rest of the night.

The most important thing is to remember what this day is truly about. Enjoy your friends and family! Enjoy the city! Enjoy the food (especially the cake!) Don’t stress over the details at this point. Control the things that you can and don’t freak out over the things that you can’t! At the end of the day you are marrying the man that you love!

Photos Courtesy of Studio Tran Photography Continue reading »

We recently sat down for an interview about everything beauty-related on the wedding day.  We thought this was great information for all brides to know, so we are sharing it with you on our blog today.  Also, this comes just in time:  The Bride’s Lounge is hosting a skincare and beauty workshop next week! Want to have flawless skin on your wedding day? Come join us at The Bride’s Lounge July 21st at 6 p.m. for skin care preparation and tips for long wearing make-up. Learn how to maximize your photos!

We will be joined by Cosmetina Heidi Bellerjeau, former National Director of Education for Prescriptives. The Bride’s Lounge owner, Emily Sullivan, who has over 10 years cosmetics experience will also be giving advice and demonstrations.

1) From a photographer’s perspective, time management is key to a successful wedding …  Any tips you can offer brides regarding the scheduling of professional wedding day hair and makeup? The earlier, the better! Often, everyone getting their hair and makeup done wants to wait as long as possible to get gussied up, and this can really wreak havoc on a “day of” itinerary.  If your hair and makeup team has worked weddings before (or if they specialize in weddings – even better!) chances are even the most elaborate updos and curls will still look fresh at ceremony time.  As planners, we like to budget about half an hour before the ceremony where nothing happens – which gives time for touch ups if needed and all important relaxation and time to de-stress before walking down the aisle.  That way, if beauty happens to run over, you will still get to the altar on time with a built in cushion of flex time.

2) What’s hot right now in wedding-day makeup? (airbrushing,etc) Airbrush makeup is all the rage!  This long lasting liquid foundation is applied with an airbrush gun and lasts all day.  A lot of our brides have never had it done before, and we like it because it is very lightweight and natural-looking.  Our brides that don’t normally wear a lot of make-up love it because it feels great and doesn’t budge.  Plus, it makes your skin look amazing and flawless in photographs…and your pictures will stay with you the rest of your life!

3) I’ve noticed that lots of brides seem to have a pretty solid idea of what they are looking for when it comes to their wedding day make-up.  Do you offer your clients any advice on how their makeup should look on the big day?  What factors play into deciding what colors to use or whether to go heavy or light? We like for brides to come in with a good idea of the look they are going for, and pictures always help.  Our team is very skilled and can achieve whatever look the bride is after.  We are happy to offer advice about what looks best for photographs and what will help them look their most gorgeous without looking like a stranger to the husband-to-be.  We would hate for a bride to walk down the aisle with heavy makeup and smoky eyes, causing a groom to not recognize her because she normally wears only mascara or nothing at all!  Look like yourself on your wedding day, and aim to look like your most beautiful self.  Put your best face forward!

4) Are there any hard and fast makeup no-no’s? Don’t overpluck or overwax eyebrows! It is not natural looking at all and makes the face look too harsh. A thicker brow is fashion forward and healthier.

5) Any tips to keep a flawless face throughout the wedding day? Get it done and then forget about it.  Don’t fuss and adjust throughout the day, just know you look your best and concentrate on the special moments that you will want to remember forever!

6) What do you suggest a client wear to get their makeup done? Nothing at all – Clean faces and dry hair so we can work our magic!

7) Any opinions on fake tans and fake lashes? Love fake lashes hate fake tans.  You should stick as close to your natural color as you are because it doesn’t look real if you are naturally porcelain skin is dark colored on your wedding day.  Plus, there is too much of a risk with streaking and discoloration that you don’t want to memorialize in photos.  False lashes are great because we use a very natural product that doesn’t look fake and over the top, but simply compliments the bride’s natural beauty.  As always, less is more.

8 ) How soon should a bride book a professional makeup artist? As soon as possible – as soon as they know when their wedding date is and when they need to be ready to walk down the aisle.

9) Do you recommend a bride schedule a trial run before the big day?  (think Bridal sessions & engagement sessions here – great time to get the most bang for your buck!) We strongly recommend a bride participate in a trial run before her wedding day.  It is a great way to try out your wedding day look before the big day and make sure that the coloring and overall look and feel of the hair and makeup is comfortable to wear all day.  Often brides use their trial on a day they have schedule their bridal portraits or the day of their shower so they get the most of their trial.

10) What are your thoughts on waterproof mascara? Water proof will damage your lashes, water resistant won’t because it is more of a gel base.  Go water resistant!

11) Brides are always asking us how long they should schedule hair and makeup for… Any rules of thumb?  How long would it take to do a bride and 3 bridesmaids, for example? We like to know when they have to be in their dress by, and schedule for a half hour before that.  2.5 hours – about thirty minutes per person, because we work on hair and makeup at the same time. 

12) I know you have some strong opinions on how involved/vocal you prefer your clients to be in creating their ‘look’ – can you share those thoughts with our readers? We want the bride to be completely happy so whatever she wants, we are able to do it.  We prefer the bride to come in with pictures and have an idea of what they want.  On the other hand, if a bride comes in and needs guidance, our team is very good at suggesting different things that will work well.

13) Talk us through your typical wedding day timeline.  Are you there leading up to the ceremony?  How about pre-reception touch up? We get started in the morning or around noon, determined by what time the ceremony starts.  We then work on you and your girls for the next few hours (about thirty minutes per person).  Once everyone is done we try to touch up whoever needs it and then we are off to the next assignment.  Usually an hour or two before the ceremony our job is done and the photographer is stepping in to take pre-ceremony formals and group shots with family and the bridal party.

14) Do you offer on-site makeup?  Advantages of working on-site vs. the bridal party traveling off-site to a salon. We specialize in on-site makeup!  The advantage is that we can come wherever you are, if it is a French Quarter hotel or a home in the Garden District.  Everyone that needs to get ready can get it done in one place and be relaxed and calm throughout the day without having to deal with the hassles of parking meters and traveling around town.

15) Are you typically an army of one or do you travel with an entourage? It depends on how big the wedding party is! If it is a lot of girls with long thick hair asking for tight curls, we bring along additional team members to help.  Most of the time we have one makeup artist and one hair person per wedding to get the job done.

16) You are an aesthetician as well – how soon before the big day should a bride start thinking about skin care?  How close to the wedding do you schedule facials? It is never too soon to think about skin care!  Using a daily moisturizer and SPF each day along with consuming plenty of water is a good basic regimen to keep that healthy glow. No sooner than two weeks out do we recommend scheduling a facial.  The one-month mark is a good rule of thumb, that way it allows an adverse reactions to the facial to calm down before the big day.

17) What markets do you currently cover? We specialize in New Orleans weddings and the surrounding area, including local brides as well as destination brides.

18) Skipping forward to the honeymoon now…  any must-have products you think every bride should have in her overnight bag? Deodorant!  Also a good moisturizer with sunscreen, concealer, mascara, and a natural holding hairspray are must-haves.

(Photo Courtesy of Eau Claire Photographics.)

When I sit down to meet with clients for their initial consultation, one of the questions that I always ask is “Why did you choose New Orleans for your wedding?” There are several answers that are usually given, but one common denominator is that you want your guests to have FUN! You’ve chosen a city that is best known for its parties and you generally want your wedding celebration to be a reflection of that. Another question that generally follows is “Do you prefer a seated dinner or a cocktail style reception?” Most of our Destination NOLA clients come to us planning to have a seated dinner but quickly become open to the idea of a cocktail style reception once they know the facts.

Our local cuisine is one of the reasons that people are drawn to our city and definitely one of the most important elements of a NOLA wedding reception. One of the reasons that couples initially feel uncomfortable choosing a cocktail style reception is because of past experiences in their hometowns. Choosing a buffet style reception in New Orleans in no way compromises the quality of food served at your party and cocktail style receptions are equally as tasty as seated dinners. Having a buffet style dinner is a perfect option for destination weddings because it really gives your out of town guests a chance to sample the varieties of local cuisine instead of just having just one entrée.

My recommendation is to begin the reception by passing a variety of hors d’oeuvres and potentially a signature cocktail. Once the formal introduction of the couple has taken place, the buffets will open. The best bet is to offer “stations” at your reception in different areas of the room. This offers choices and alleviates the lines that you are probably afraid of. For example, for a reception of 150 people, I might offer 4 different selections including some of the following:

-An action station of Pasta or Shrimp and Grits
-A carving station featuring Cajun Fried Turkey with a side of grilled asparagus
-A soup station of Gumbo and Crawfish/Corn Bisque
-A station of favorites such as Crabcakes, Jambalaya and mini-muffaletas

One of the primary reasons that I love cocktail style receptions is because they really promote mingling and movement. Guests aren’t remaining at their seats between courses which helps give the event more of a “party” atmosphere. Dancing usually begins earlier and guests feel much more free to socialize with people in different areas of the room. Depending on your guest list, you may opt to have less formal seating and more options such as groupings of lounge furniture.

I do, however, love the look of seated dinners and many times find myself having seats for everyone during buffet dinners. This is a great way to compromise if you aren‘t completely comfortable with the full cocktail style reception with seating for approximately 50%. Keep in mind that having seating for all of your guests will require more tables, flowers and linens so let your budget determine whether or not this is an option. If budget is a factor for you, remember that with a buffet style reception you are also taking away your need for a cocktail hour and/or a longer reception. Your guests will get plenty of time to dance, eat, drink, and socialize without adding on the additional costs of traditional seated dinners. Plus, it will be an event that your guests will remember because it won’t be like typical seated dinners that they would have the opportunity to attend anywhere else in the country. You want an authentic, southern, New Orleans wedding, opt for the cocktail and buffet style reception. You won’t regret it!

(Photos above by Matthew Foster Photography; below, Meg Baisden Photography).

We are tickled to present the gorgeous nuptials of Beth + Josh from this spring.   Check out the lovely details in the most recent issue of Weddings Unveiled Magazine.  Studio Vieux Carre put together an amazing “Quick Turn Around” feature to share with you.

This week we are fortunate to have the ever lovely Heidi Bellerjeau contribute to our blog.  She is a consultant with Rodan + Fields, the same genius dermatologists that brought us ProActiv. We are big fans of this line of products here at Get Polished, and we are happy to announce that The Bride’s Lounge is the exclusive retailer in New Orleans carrying the Rodan + Fields clinical dermatologist skincare.

Get Polished for your big day!

Would you ever water your grass without first raking the leaves?  Of course not, yet this is what we do when we don’t keep our skin polished and exfoliated and we slather on the moisturizer!  As your engagement progresses to your wedding day, you will have plenty of opportunities to celebrate!  Why not celebrate gorgeous skin?  It is, after all, the first thing people see, not your exquisite gown or even your fabulous shoes.  Exfoliation is the key to gorgeous skin and the answer to whatever skin concerns you may have, whether it is adult acne, lines and wrinkles, redness and sensitivity, sun spots and discoloration.  Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!

With Rodan + Fields’ dermatologists clinical skincare, polished, gorgeous skin is only weeks away!

Your key products:

• Your personal Rodan + Fields regimen.  Visit The Bride’s Lounge website and engage the solution tool, which is your personal virtual appointment with doctors Rodan and Fields. You will be asked a series of questions about your skin and wil ultimately be given your personal regimen to fantastic skin.
• Rodan + Fields micro dermabrasion paste. You will use this product every other day in the morning in place of your cleanser.  Use on dry skin (if sensitivity is an issue, wet your skin prior to use).
• For the big day, you’ll want to stock up on umblemish blotting papers.  Never let them see you sweat!
• Finally, for your honeymoon, the Rodan + Fields essentials UVA/UVB SPF 30…like your momma said, use protection!

Congratulations, you are on your way to the beautiful, blushing bride you always envisioned – except this time, it is no fairy tale.

~Heidi Bellerjeau, Cosmetina

Check out the before and after photo below.  The proof is in the pudding!

New Orleans is a city like no other in this country.  It’s European flavor and laissez faire approach to life are among the greatest draws for tourists curious about the city and loyal patrons that keep coming back year after year.  Over time New Orleans has had its share of tribulations and disasters.  Fires decimated the French colonial architecture of the Vieux Carre in the late 18th century. Hurricanes Betsy, Camille, and Katrina caused massive damage and flooding to the streets, neighborhoods, and lives of hundreds of thousands of people. Our precious marshland is disappearing before our very eyes, and each year the state of Louisiana loses football fields-worth of real estate, ecosystems, and valuable resources that we will never regain.  And now this:  millions of barrels of crude oil bleeding into the Gulf waters, threatening the very existence of this fragile landscape once again, destroying the fishing and shrimping industries, robbing the hard working people of this great state of their jobs in an already merciless economy.

If the rest of the country learned anything in the aftermath of Katrina it is this: New Orleans and New Orleanians are resilient and perseverant.  Despite the recent events and the active hurricane season predicted for this summer*, this city is not going anywhere.  The rich history and culture of New Orleans that makes it such an attraction for destination weddings is flourishing and will continue to endure no matter what. The spirit of New Orleans is alive and well in the people that make this city such a great place to visit.

The best way you can help is to continue to visit and patronize our wonderful local vendors and economy that depends heavily on the support of tourism. New Orleans needs you now more than ever to keep loving this city and spreading the word.  Invite your family and friends to share in the ambiance of this city. Encourage those that have never visited New Orleans to book a trip on their next free weekend. Surprise somebody you love with an impromptu road trip to the crescent city.  Spend a day or a night or a few hours imbibing and listening and breathing and feeling all the life that this place has to give. Be a New Orleanian.

As always, we welcome your comments and want to hear what New Orleans means to you.

*A reminder to all summer and fall brides: we strongly recommend investing in wedding insurance – it is well worth it this time of year!

(Photo courtesy of Meg Baisden Photography).

We are thrilled to announce the opening of our new sister company, The Bride’s Lounge, opening one week from today, June 1, 2010!  Mark your calendars!

The Bride’s Lounge is an innovative, exclusive membership of select wedding vendors in the greater New Orleans area.  We invite all brides no matter where they are in the planning process to join us at the Bride’s Lounge Monday through Friday from 10 to 5, and Saturdays from 10 to 3.  We have a state-of-the-art resource center where brides can view sample menus and wedding packages available at select venues, browse through images of the work of local florists, designers, photographers and more. The Bride’s Lounge will also be hosting tastings and seminars on budget planning, finding the perfect signature cocktail, trunk shows and fashion shows for attire for the entire bridal party, and so much more.  Our staff consultant will be available to meet with each bride on an individual basis and refer brides to vendors that meet their budgetary and visionary needs.

We are very excited to bring this service to New Orleans and provide you with all the resources you need to plan your special day.  The Bride’s Lounge is located at 1920 Magazine Street, New Orleans.  We look forward to seeing you all at the Bride’s Lounge, whether you are a local bride or visiting New Orleans from out of town.

This March we had the pleasure of coordinating the wedding of Marion & David in New Orleans.  Marion and David met in high school in Dallas, and dated during their senior year until she moved to New Orleans to attend Tulane and David left the lonestar state for the Big Apple to attend NYU.  The couple reunited in Texas after Hurricane Katrina, and began a full fledged long distance romance when she moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico. She decided to pick up and move to New Jersey to be closer to Dave, and he proposed six months later.

Marion’s maids were dressed in periwinkle blue chiffon and carried bouquets of hot pink florals down the aisle.  The entire color pallette looked spectacular with the murals in St. Mary’s Church at the Old Ursuline Convent in the French Quarter. Marion wore a design hand selected for her by designer Matthew Christopher in NYC. “He actually pulled the dress off of a mannequin,” she said.  ”He is awesome!”

Marion had planned a second line after the ceremony to the reception at the Windsor Court Hotel, but mother nature had other plans. “Valerie at Get Polished amazingly arranged for a bus to come and transport the bridal party to the reception so we wouldn’t get wet. We paraded in the bus and around the lobby of the hotel with the Storyville Stompers!” Marion kept her spirits up despite the rainy weather. “It’s a wedding, and these things happen. They make for great post-wedding stories, though!”

One unique feature of Marion’s wedding was the groom’s cake and father of the bride’s cake. Dave, being from Dallas, is a die-hard Cowboys fan, and requested a Dallas Cowboys Star for his groom’s cake.  The bride’s family is from New Orleans, and the city was still celebrating the Saints’ epic Superbowl victory.  Marion explained, “It pained my dad that there would be a Cowboys cake at the wedding.  So, when the fabulous gals at Royal Cakery suggested a Saints cake, my dad jumped.  That’s why we had two football cakes at the reception.”  The wedding cake was four tiers iced in buttercream, and decorated with fleur de lis.  Royal Cakery filled each layer of this delectable confection with lemon cake with lemon, white chocolate cake with raspberry filling, and white chocolate cake with strawberry filling.

Marion’s major draw to hosting the reception at the Windsor Court Hotel was the stunning chandelier above the dance floor. She kept the rest of the decor simple and classic.  Votives scattered on all the tables highlighted the floral centerpiece arrangements, and Marion included photos of her and David through the years in elegant frames on each table. There was one photo in particular that Marion and David re-created during their family formals – the prom picture from their junior year. See the full gallery of photos below.

The reception band Groovy 7 presented another major highlight of the reception. “Our band rocked!  They kept everyone on the dance floor all night.  The groom, two family members, and some other guests were even invited to play with them during the reception!  The groom rocked out on the guitar.  They also learned two songs for our first dances at the very last minute, and played them beautifully.  My dad hired them to stay an extra hour because everyone was having such a great time.  Groovy 7 was simply amazing!”

I asked Marion if she had any advice for brides currently in the planning stages.  She offered, “Hire a planner to plan the entire thing!  Also – be sure to eat on your wedding day!  I was so nervous that I didn’t eat enough, and I was starving while I was saying my vows. I also highly recommend doing a first look with your groom before the wedding.  You can get all of the pictures out of the way before the ceremony, and get to spend more time partying with your guests!  It also calmed my nerves a lot to see my future husband before the ceremony.”

Vendor List:

Ceremony: St. Marys at Old Ursuline Convent; Reception: The Windsor Court Hotel

Planner: Valerie Gernhauser with Get Polished Events

Photographer: Sandra O’Claire with Eau Claire Photographics

Floral Designer: Nola Flora

Baker: Royal Cakery

Stationery: Papel Vivo

Band: Groovy 7

Second Line Band: Storyville Stompers

Videographer: Your Day Productions

Officiant: Father Gregory Schweers

Favors and Second Line umbrellas: Old Town Praline

Bridesmaids dresses: Bella Bridesmaid, NYC

Wedding Dress: Gabriel’s Bridal, NYC

Transportation: American Luxury Limos

Hair and Makeup: Get Polished Beauty

Congratulations, Marion and David! Best wishes for a lifetime of happiness.

One wedding trend that is particularly eye-catching is colorful bridal footwear.  Instead of opting for a pair of white or ivory kicks to wear with your dress (that you will only wear once – and when else are you planning to wear those white shoes again?), consider choosing colorful footwear, like Magen did (we are drooling over her “something blue”, yummy Christian Louboutin peeptoe d’Orsay pumps) or even designing your own pair to suit your style and personality.

We recently discovered Shoes of Prey in our internet browsing, and it has become our newest obsession!  This Australian-based company allows you to design your own pair of shoes ranging from $180 for ballet flats, $230-$280 for heels, and $330 for ankle boots. The options are amazing and endless, and we absolutely love the idea of designing your own pair for your special day. Considering it is a bit of an investment (as great shoes always are), get the most bang for your buck by designing a pair that you will wear again even when your wedding gown is preserved and stored away for posterity. Let us know what you think by leaving us a comment.  How are you planning to doll up your digits on your wedding day?

You’ve had the ceremony and reception site booked months ago, and now you are preparing for your destination wedding in New Orleans to get here any day now.  If your future in-laws have graciously offered to host a rehearsal dinner, they might be looking for guidance from you about a great restaurant featuring Cajun food on the menu, or they might be taking the reins completely and planning it themselves.  

In today’s lean economy, several brides have come to me about what to do regarding the rehearsal dinner. Whoever has offered to host such a meal on the eve of your nuptials is likely looking to keep costs reasonable, but at the same time etiquette suggests that all out of town guests should be invited to the rehearsal dinner.  Well, if you are having a destination wedding and 99% of your guests are out of town, then you’d have one mighty guest list (and hefty price tag) that has the potential to wreak havoc on the hosts’ wallets.  So what is the considerate bride to do in this situation?

While it is certainly a nice gesture to invite all out of town guests to attend your rehearsal dinner, it is by no means required under the rules of etiquette.  In fact, there are other alternatives offering a compromise in such a situation. I recently suggested to a bride on her trip into town facing this same dilemma that she have an intimate rehearsal dinner for her immediate family, the groom’s immediate family, and the wedding party (plus dates – don’t leave your wedding party flying solo!) at a local restaurant or venue with seating for her small group in a private room available for a Friday night rental. No need to invite every out of town guest, and this gives you and your closest friends and family time to break bread with you in the casual calm before the proverbial storm.

As dinner ends in the evening (around 9 or so, depending on how many and the length of the toast given), there is still time for some post-dinner cocktails. I suggested to my bride that she let all of her out of town guests know that she would like everyone to meet at a bar downtown at 9:30 for a welcome party. That way, after dinner, the bride & groom along with their family and friends from the rehearsal dinner can meet and greet the other out of town guests, everyone feels included, and it is a great ice-breaker to get people geared up for your fabulous wedding weekend.  For the welcome party you can try to arrange for a private bar room or balcony on Bourbon, for example, or simply let everyone know where to meet and what time (without having to shell out additional costs – it is ok to let guests buy their own drinks!).  Pat O’Brien’s, home of the famous “hurricane” is a great location for an impromptu welcome party, and there are countless other bars throughout the French Quarter and Warehouse District where you can meet and greet your out of town guests before the big day.

Above all, keep in mind that your guests made this trip to New Orleans for your fabulous event, but also let them explore the city and eat where they want the Friday night that they make it into town.  Many out of town guests have not been to the Big Easy before or haven’t been in years, and they may want to explore the city at their own pace.  Consider putting together a simple welcome packet with restaurant suggestions and sights to see while they are in town.

(Photo above courtesy of the Bacco Restaurant).