Ready for fun & Folly!

I am so stoked about my all girls Weekend Relaxation Retreat vacation that is coming up this week!!!   I am going to Charleston, SC (Folly Beach)  for 4 days with my girlfriends in a beach front penthouse....what fun!!!  

This weekend has been much awaited for because we all work really hard in our respective careers.    During our weekend of pampering and relaxing, I hope that we can catch a few of the runway shows at Charleston, SC Fashion week!!  I am excited about the 1st Annual Couture Bride Runway show that is taking place this weekend.  

Take a sneak peak at Fashion week in Charleston, South Carolina!!!  I will be sure to blog about the great sights & features during my weekend of relaxation & pampering!!!  

Location: Marion Square Web Site:  http://www.charlestonfashionweek.com The second annual Charleston magazine's Charleston Fashion Week is a five-night celebration of the city's flourishing retail and design community, featuring runway shows from more than 30 local retailers with close to 100 designers presented. On Friday, March 28, the winners of Charleston Magazine's first Emerging Local Designers Competition will debut their innovative Spring 2008 collections. Then on Saturday, March 29, an array of haute couture wedding gowns from four of Charleston's premier bridal boutiques will be seen during the first annual Bridal Couture runway show. Each night, attend a glitzy after-party at a downtown hot spot and mingle with models, designers, and the Who's Who of Charleston. At the end of the week, help toast the success of Charleston Fashion Week like a celebrity at the Red Carpet Finale Gala under the tent in Marion Square. Charleston Fashion Week will be held March 25-29 under the tents in Marion Square in downtown Charleston, SC. A portion of the proceeds made from the event will benefit the Charleston chapter of Dress for Success, a nonprofit organization that provides professional attire, career-development tools, and a network of support for disadvantaged women.  Log onto www.charlestonfashionweek.com for more information. Have a great weekend......Relax, Relate, Release.......

 

That's So Cute

As some of you are reading my previous blogs, you will learn that I really love unique personalized items. They speak volumes especially when it comes in the form of stationary items or bags (I love a great monogrammed tote bag as well...!!!!) :-)

Well a few years ago, I met a super talented lady here in Nashville by the name of Pam Council, she is the owner & designer of "That's So Cute" which is a line of hand drawn invitations & notecards. Pam just oozes with talent & she really is the best person to get advice & share ideas, visions or whatever. She is like the older sister I never had. I had the joy of having Pam design a wedding shower card & baby shower invites for a friend & they were "So Cute"

She will do calligraphy for an additional fee.

I sat down with Pam & asked her few questions:

Where do you get your inspiration in designing your cards?

Latrice I get inspiration from the simple things in life like watching my youngest daughter run around the house alone or with one of her playmates. I also notice other children when I'm working or out shopping.

Does your line just center around children?

I like the sweet things that reminds us how precious a new baby is. I also like how special it is for a new mom or any mom expecting her first or fourth child.

Do you design other cards? I like drawing cards that celebrate any special ocassion, epecially a baby shower, birthday or wedding card hand designed for that special couple or newly engaged bride.

Take a look at a few of her designs:

Bridal Bouquets & Wedding Cakes

"The Big Head Series"- These cards would make great birthday invites or if you were really sassy great "Playdate invites for your childs friends. On the 1st row in the middle is the card that she designed for me for a friends baby shower, actually for Rhonda Patton of Rhonda Patton Weddings http://www.rhondapattonweddings.com/

Additional card sample ideas for baby shower invites.

If you are a bride that's looking for a custom shower invite, Pam Council of That's So Cute is the designer for you. You can contact her online at www.myspace.com/thats_so_cute1

Francesca's Collection = Bridal Jewelry & Gifts

Francesca's Collections is a hip & trendy boutique that recently moved into the Nashville area in 2007. The company is known for their trendy jewelry, clothes & those Oh so Fab handbags!! Did you know that they also have Bridal party accessories & really cute gifty items for bridal shower gifts, etc?

See for yourself.......

Pictured are few examples of their Bridal Jewelry selection.

I personally love the pearls, because you can so reuse those for other events. Always a bonus!!!!

Cute gifts items for the newly engaged bride and also bridal shower gifts, can also be purchased here as well!

My personal favorite is the "Bling Rings" on the table, what a huge statement they would make for a Bridal Shower & possibly your welcome table at your reception!!!

Gifts items are really what makes Franseca's Collections so unique. The adorable books & flash cards are fun gifts for the Bride to be.

These pictures were taken at the new Murfreesboro location, at the Avenue, which is off of I-24 going toward Chattanooga.

If you are looking for bridal jewelry for your party (which can double as their gift) or if you are simply looking for a super cute gift item, this is definitely your place! So stop by & see Amber and the wonderful friendly staff at the Murfreesboro location.

The other location in Nashville is located at the Hills Center in Green Hills directly across from Whole Foods.

Or you can check them out on line at www.francescascollections.com

The Big Give

In the spirit of giving, I thought I would do a blog today centered on giving. I am a huge fan of Oprah's Big Give Show that comes on Sunday nights on ABC, so much of a fan that I am considering doing to big give finale party at my house and ask my guest to bring a item & I will donate all gifts to a charitable organization.

I attended a housewarming a few weeks ago of a newlywed couple & they registered for items at Target, Pottery Barn & Bed Bath & Beyond. The housewarming was well attended and they received alot of gifts for their new home. In the spirit of giving before they opened their gifts, they announced that all their gifts would be donated to a domestic violence shelter in Nashville, Davidson County! Of course I teared up, I am a big cry baby! However what a thoughtful thing to do for a housewarming, especially if you & your mate already have many of the things you need.

As your special day is approaching and you are having fun with completing your gift registries, think about your favorite charitable organization in your particular community & ask your guest to donate in your name. It's the gift that keeps on giving!

If you would like to research more organizations check out:  I Do Foundation

This foundation has partnerships with national companies and they allow you to create registries specifically to give back to the community.

Other local charities that you could consider & that are a favorite of mine are:

The MET Singers Honor Choir is the signature program of Choral Arts Link (CAL). As an organization, CAL works to preserve and nurture singing and choral performance for children and youth through programs engaging music’s legacy of scholarship, leadership and teamwork. Music training bridges the gap to any divide and provides a variety of opportunities for students, teachers, parents and the greater community.

The United Way of Metro Nashville

The United Way has so many rewarding programs, I participate with the R.H. Boyd Leadership Society, but there are so many other groups to get involved in such as the Read to Succeed campaign. You & your fiance could volunteer your time & invite your guest to do the same.

The Bethleham Center of Nashville

Joyce Searcy is the President/CEO, and they always welcome volunteers!

In closing, think about "Paying it Forward" or "Giving Big" as your first charitable thing that you and your Fiance will do to create a spirit of giving in your relationship! On www.oprah.com/biggive They have Big Give "Good Deed Coupons" that you can recreate or use as a model and place on your wedding website, for your guest to return back to you on ways that they can "Give Big or Pay it Forward" in your name.

Give Big....

Swooning over Swoozie's Part 3 of 3....Table Decor

Just a quick recap on Swoozie's of Green Hills. Its your up to the minute spot for stationary products & fun bridal party gifts & party tableware. However, did you know that they also carry the cutest selection of table decor.

Currently they have 3 that really struck my fancy & I would like to share them with you.

This black & white table setting could be the theme for a very chic bridal shower. Incorporating a Tiffany blue, pink or Red to the color scheme would definitely make the color pop!!! Also you could request that your guest wear colors that coordinate with your color scheme. This would create really super cute pictures.

For a Nautical or Beach theme:

This is so adorable, and with a little creativity you could incorporate sand to your table center pieces for an added effect.

Bachelor Cook out: All American Theme

This table decor would make for a great afternoon Bachelor cook out with the fella's. You could carry this theme out, and incorpate all things baseball. What a fun cookout this would be & I would even suggest renting a cute little old fashion popcorn popper for your guest.

Swooning over Swoozie's Part 2 of 3 Bridal Party Gifts

Selecting the right Bridal Party gifts can be a huge task if you don't have anything in mind. Luckily the Swoozie's in the Hills Center in Nashville has just the perfect gifts for both your bridesmaids & groomsmen.

Selecting just the perfect gift for the men in your groomsman party can be sort of intimidating. Swoozie's has the most perfect set of gifts for that hard to shop for man & they also can do monogramming & engravable items. I am all about personalization!!!

The crocodile leather black flask are a perfect "manly gift"!!! They have groomsman engraved on the silver hardware, it looks great. Also the picture would be a nice added touch that could be given and either place a picture from the bachelor party or your actual ceremony as a thank you gift. Swoozie's also carries a wide array of coozie's which you can never have too many of those. The pictured wedding frame "The Guys" retails at $19.95, this frame is also available in "The Girls", & also "Mother & Father of the Bride"

Swoozie's makes it so easy to shop for your bridesmaids & also for your flower girl. There are so many unique and fun gifts to choose from in the store & also on line at http://www.swoozies.com/

We will start with your Bridesmaids: in the picture below the black & white motif is amazing! With this collection comes notecards with can be personalized for an additional $5; cute wine bags, coasters etc.

Notecards are a favorite of mine. In the day & age of emailing a hand written note is always top on list. Its also an etiquette thing as well. So you can never go wrong in getting personalized stationary for yourself or your party. Other ideas that you can pick up at Swoozie's are personalized soaps, carry all bags, burlap initial wine bags & also initial wine stoppers.

Wine stoppers start at $14.95

Initial soaps start at $11.00 & Carry all bags start at $19.95 & up

Market Tote - Turquoise with Brown Trim Price: $19.95

Perfect little gift for your flower girl!

For your Bachelorette party....Girls night out, Swoozie's can personalize a sash for you to wear so everyone will know it's your special night.

Swoozies...your one stop shop for bridal party gifts with a personal touch!!

Swooning over Swoozie's Part 1 of 3

Nashville has some of the greatest places to shop, by far. Just recently in the Green Hills area the brand new Hills Center opened with all the latest trendy boutique like stores. One of my all time favorite speciality stores in the center is called Swoozie's!!

This hip little happening spot is the best place for anything gift related or paper/stationary related. I am a huge fan of paper products so everytime I go in the store I stay for at least an hour. For this 1st of 3 blogs I will focus on the bridal stationary & gifty ideas for the bride to be!

There so many gifty books & journals for the newly engaged bride to be. This table in the picture carries a "Tiffany blue & Chocolate theme, which is a really happening color for weddings this season. On this table there were the cutest little notepads, books, etc that range in price of $12.95 & up. They also offer a printing service at the store and will personalize your items for a small fee. Which makes everything so special. One of the cutest items by far was the "Wedding day survival kit, which is priced at $34.95

Swoozies also carries the most creative paperware- to include plates, beverage napkins & cups which would be great for that bridal shower, engagement party, etc. Most paper products range from $6.95 & up.

Because I'm The Bride, That's Why! Foam Cup$6.95

Tie the Knot Bride Beverage Napkins Price: $4.95

Stationary is another reason that Swoozie's has such a huge following of loyal customers. The stationary by far is the cutest I've ever seen, and would make your bridal shower invites, save the date cards & also wedding invitations truly stand out. This is the place for those DIY Brides!! The average price for this category starts at $8.95 & up.

So if you are a DIY bride, and have a love for stationary.....Swoozie's is the place to be!

Check them out on line at www.swoozies.com

Part 2.....coming soon.

So many dresses, so little time

In speaking with a bride today about the many dresses that she has purchased & then returned for her upcoming destination wedding, I thought I would share a little jewel of a find that not many people know about. Many brides in the Middle TN area, shop for affordable bridal gowns at David's Bridal http://www.davidsbridal.com/, Bridal Warehouse http://www.usabridal.com/, Jacqueline's Bridal Salon http://www.jbridal.com/ & the bride today had even purchased a dress from J. Crew http://www.jcrew.com

The jewel of information that I shared with her today & what I would like to share with you guys is the Target http://www.target.com/ Yes Target has affordable wedding gowns under the Isaac Mizrahi line. The bridal collection is quite impressive for a discount retailer. Now I may be a little bias because I worked as a Management Executive for almost 6 years for the company, but you must check out these finds.

The average wedding gown starts at $89.99 & the most expensive is $159.99 The dresses are very simple yet extremely elegant & with the right accessories it would be a perfect gown. I am all about accessories!!!!

Isaac Mizrahi for Target® Strapless Sheath Dress - Iggloo (White) This dress is only $89.99 & the pink sash makes it sooo adorable.

Isaac Mizrahi for Target® Trapunto Bell Dress - Opal Cream Retails at $159.99

It even comes in the adorable little Mizrahi keepsake box

The great thing about shopping the Mizrahi Bridal Collection is that it includes more than just Bridal gowns. You can also select your bridesmaids dresses & other accessories from this line & not break the bank.

So if you are a bride on a budget, check out Target.com. You can do your bridal registry while you are shopping on-line for your gown! How super convenient is that!!!

By going this route, you could always include a Trash the Dress photo session in the bridal portraits & actually not feel bad about "Trashing your dress"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4A_i9TUir_g

Happy Shopping....shop smart & afforable & remember accessories can make all the difference in the world!!

I hope you dance.....

Many engaged couples spend alot of time thinking about their first dance as husband & wife, and picking just the perfect song that they will dance too. Some couples decide on their favorite song from while they were dating, however alot pick just a classic love song. Etta James love song "At Last" is a popular favorite and for that special father/daughter dance, Luther Vandross "Dance with my father" is another great wedding favorite.

Couples that really want that "perfect first dance", spend countless hours with a dance instructor to learn ballroom, salsa, or swing dances for the perfect 1st moment. Your first dance should be memorable, but also reflective of your personality as a couple. I wanted to share a few of my favorite funny & creative wedding first dances. If you want to go for a shock effect with your wedding guest, this could be an option. What better effect than to bring in the couples fun personality than with these types of 1st dances.

Hope you enjoy watching these as much as I did!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jolyjwcnvw http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaTAam1VQLk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qd_j98-y-M

So as you are thinking about that special moment, remember to add some creativity into it!

Welcome

Hello & welcome to Opulent Planning by Latrice blog spot. I am so excited to finally start blogging about the wedding planning process! Also I would like to share great finds with you for wedding ideas & also many other useful tips. I look forward to hearing from you!