Event Glamour at the Oscars

Black and white is everywhere right now (including Elton John's AIDS fundraiser). Incredibly chic for any event, you can play with it for any wedding. Add a splash of color to brighten it up or Art Deco and crystal accents to play up its elegance.

Inverted parasols are a great ceiling treatment (and a great way to move away from Chinese lanterns). Cluster them together over a dance floor or spread out (like above) for a more whimsical feel. They are also very inexpensive!

A bonsai tree as the centerpiece! Though perhaps this is a bit extravagant for your wedding, think of ways that you can be eco-chic. Including live plants and potted flowers are a way that you can save on waste from your wedding.

Square lanterns in the center of the table are covered with moss and florals. Use an acolyte lantern (electric candle), a paper shade with a battery-powered bulb, or a luminary with a few candles. This is a way to create a centerpiece that includes flowers, but doesn't feature them. This works especially well with long, rectangular tables where you can highlight the candles with a table runner.

Are You Planning on Having Fun at Your Wedding?

Reposted from the Threshold Visions e-zine.

I've seen it many times, the bride and groom are so nervous and concerned about everyone else on their wedding day that they spend the day worrying.

I've seen it, too, where the bride is so caught up in the last minute details it takes her until the 2nd course before she settles down.

You've spent lots of time doing your research, meeting vendors and choosing the best people work with. Each of your vendors should be experts in their field. Let them do their jobs. You've got to trust and let go.

Do all your preparation, make your lists, have meetings with your vendors and be sure they understand your vision. Then when the big day comes sit back and enjoy what you've created. Let it wash over you like a beautiful wave. Let it flow. Some things may not go exactly as planned, but no one will know except you. So just stay in the moment and take it all in.

One of the biggest keys to making great wedding photos and portraits is to just relax. Allow yourself to be comfortable and enjoy. This is the way to ensure you look your natural best. Make sense?

And the more your guests see you enjoying yourself, the more they enjoy themselves, too. The last thing your friends and family want to see is you stressed out on your wedding day.

To learn more about Threshold Visions visit their website.

It is so important to enjoy the day that you have been planning for 6 months, 9 months, 2 years, or more! You put your heart and soul into this day, and the advice I hear over and over again from trusted vendors: breathe. Make sure you remind yourself throughout the day to take notice of what's going on (even if you have to get your Maid of Honor to hit you over the head and make you pay attention :-). Live in the moment. You only get to live this day once so make sure you surround yourself with people who are passionate about doing a good job, and MAKE SURE YOU HAVE FUN! I guarantee if you are having fun, your guests will be having fun, and no one will notice that a different white wine was served or that Uncle Art hit the bar one too many times.

Beautiful Calligraphy for any Wedding Need

Since she was a little girl, Jenn Hain has been practicing her hand writing. Now as an accomplished designer you can have the benefit of her handwriting too! Check out her blog Love Jenna and email her for more information and pricing. See some of the beautiful ways she's incorporated her love of hand writing into weddings below:

Originally posted on Daily Candy.

Photo Mirror

I found this great new product on Outblush (www.outblush.com). It is a regular wall mirror and that be hung vertically or horizontally and holds 4x4 or 4x6 pictures. Find our more here.

Wine Country Wedding Details from Ceremony Magazine

These images are from the San Diego 2009 Weddings & Events Ceremony Magazine (www.ceremonymagazine.com). They are stunning examples of rustic elegance and wine country weddings.

I absolutely love the bunches of grapes arranged around the base of the centerpiece! (Florals by Kathy Wright & Co.)

I thought this bridal portrait was fantastic. The elegance of the Palazzo gown in this wine cellar setting is amazing. (Photography by Garrett Photography.)

Juicy bouquet of orange toned dahlias - can work great for fall or spring! (Floral design by Botanica.)

Tiny bunches of green berries attached to natural wood folding chairs is an inexpensive and still elegant way to bring color to your ceremony aisle. This is something that you could even create on your own - find a local flower market and ask a bridesmaid to decorate the chairs! (Floral design by Botanica.)

L'Auberge Del Mar has a gorgeous view that worked perfectly with the chocolate brown, orange, peach and green hues. I love square tables - if your venue has them - they make simple set ups look more elegant and give you more space to play with.

Square containers can be wrapped in weathered paper or gold leafed for extra rustic elegance. Peach roses, green hydrangea, peach and orange dahlias and green and red hypericum berries continue this fall look. The chcolate brown votive candles are another way to tie your color scheme into the table and dress up basic glass holders.

Mint green fondant is accented with chocolate brown ribbon. Each layer is floating on a bed of green hydrangea, accented with peach roses at the top. (Cake by Fantasy Frosting.)

A variety of textures are incorporated into these green a white bouquets - green hydrangea, green cymbidium orchids, green hypericum berries, white hydrangea and more. (Floral design by Petals by Shell.)

This simple square cake design incorporates chocolate brown ribbon and green cymbidium orchids. The show stopper is the green linen on the table! Spend the money on linens for your cake table - it will be the focal point of many pictures. (Cake by The French Gourmet.)

Chocolate brown is accented with green and white on this table. Simple centerpieces of glass cynlinders filled with stems of cymbidium orchids keeps the color scheme going. (Linens and catering by Guiseppe Restaurants and Fine Catering - I highly recommend them!)

Wedding Dinner Tables on a Budget

I thought this article in Ceremony magazine was interesting. It shows designer tables and exactly what they cost (all of these tables were created by Kathy Wright & Co. & photographed by Paul Barnett). Too often you see a picture in a magazine and don't understand the associated price. This leads brides to think they can't afford a beautiful table, or even worse, that they can have a million dollar table for a not quite luxurious budget. Sorry for the poor quality (scanning) but I think the designs and price tags are really great. Remember - working with professionals is the best way to save money in this economy. Let them share their tips and tricks and use the vendors they have relationships with!

Find out more at ceremonymagazine.com

Stunning Valentine Flowers

If you live in the NYC area, show your guy this website and drop a hint! Ovando's special Valentine's Day collection is now available. Check out these fantastic heart-inspired florals.

www.ovandony.com