Wednesday, March 30, 2011

March & April Wedding Planning Checklist

Now that the engagement is on it's time to start the planning process. The family is happy, your future is bright and filled willed endless possibilities. To make the dream come true requires time, effort, and major doses of the "three Cs" of wedding planning: consideration, communication and compromise, and more compromise. You are approaching major decisions; however, don't forget to relish in this time. It's your opportunity to explore your wedding fantasies---and those your loved ones may share. Happy Wedding Planning!


  •  Inform out-of-town guests of wedding date and/or send save-the-date email.
  • Locate a bridal salon and begin trying on wedding gowns and veils. Make sure you bring stockings, heels, a strapless bra, and a hair clip to each appointment.
  • Get in shape for your wedding gown by starting an exercise routine.
  • Get ideas for honeymoon locations and research pricing. (This could a project for the groom)
  • Start looking at floral designs and interview florists for style and cost.
  • Search for menu ideas and start meeting with caterers.
  • Research wedding photography and interview wedding photographers/videographers.
  • Get ideas for music and interview bands/DJ's.
  • Finalize flower and decor ideas, and select a florist. Include specifics of each floral arrangement in your contract.
  • Sign a caterer.
  • Order your wedding gown.
  •  Shop for and select the perfect bridesmaid dress.
  • Book your honeymoon.
  • Find out if your ceremony location requires liability insurance.
  • Finalize contracts with your wedding protographer and videographer.
  • Book your DJ/band.
  • Browse and purchase wedding dress accessories, including shoes, lingerie, purse, and gloves.
  • Choose officiant and discuss ceremony ideas.
  • Start thinking about all of your gift registry options.
  •  Select three hotels in varying price ranges and reserve rooms for out-of-town guests.

Beverly Harris Weddings & Events
 (310) 487-9698

Getting Married In Paris, France? Here's What You Need To Know.

What the curt civil servant at the embassy told you is true. In order to be legally wed in France, one of the couple needs to have lived in France, in the district around the city hall in which they plan to marry, for a minimum of 40 consecutive days before the wedding. Some sources say 30 days, but you have to add on an additional 10 days for the city hall to publish the Banns - a public announcement that is put up in City Hall for 10 days preceding your marriage that lists your names and your impending marriage date so that any estranged husbands or wives have one last chance to find you before you're married off.

If you are able to meet the 40-day requirement, the first thing you want to do is to get the most recent list of required documents from the city hall (mairie) in which you plan to marry. Most of these documents have specific time frames in which they must be dated before being submitted, so it's important to get the list as soon as you can. Here is a general list of the documents that you will need to be legally wed in France. It's important, though (and I can't stress this enough) that you get the official, most up-to-date list from the mairie in the district (arrondisement) that you are planning to marry.

1. A valid passport or a French residence permit ("carte de sejour")

2. A birth certificate ("extrait d'acte de naissance"): Most city halls require that you present an original copy of a complete birth certificate (with full details of your parents) issued within 3 months of your wedding date along with a sworn translation. You have to get the translation from a sworn translator ("traducteur asserment"). Sworn translators are listed at every "mairie".

3. A certificate of celibacy ("attestation tenant lieu de declaration en vue de mariage ou de non-remariage") less than 3 months old.
4. An Affidavit of law ("certificat de coutume") Many mairies request an Affidavit of Law ("Certificat de Coutume") in addition to the Affidavit of Marital Status from foreigners. The Affidavit of Law certifies that the American citizen is free to get married in France and that the marriage will be recognized in the United States. Only an attorney licensed to practice in both France and the United States may execute this document.

5. A medical certificate ("certificat medical prenuptial"): You both must get a pre-nuptial medical certificate, which says that you were examined by a doctor "en vue de mariage." (Don't get nervous, girls- it's just a standard check-up plus a couple of blood tests: blood type, syphilis, rubella and toxoplasmosis...) The marriage banns cannot be published until medical certificates have been submitted to the mairie. The certificates must be dated no earlier than two months before the publication of banns. Any qualified doctor can perform the medical examination (the U.S. Embassy publishes a list of English-speaking doctors).

6. Proof of domicile ("justificatifs de domicile") (see above)

7. A "certificat du notaire": If you are planning on having a pre-nuptial agreement, you must go through a lawyer (a notaire) who will provide a "certificat du notaire" which must be submitted to the mairie as well. It must have been drawn up no more than 2 months prior to the marriage. If there are no pre-nuptial contracts, then you will be married under the communaut rduite aux acquets. This means that what each of you owned personally before the marriage, or whatever comes to you afterwards through inheritance, remains your own, individual property. Only that which is acquired during the marriage is owned equally by both parties. (If you've ever seen or read Diane Johnson's Le Divorce, this scenario may look very familiar to you...)

If either of you were previously married, you must provide a certified copy of the death certificate of the deceased spouse or a certified copy of the final divorce decree.


8. In addition to all of the above, you will also have to choose and provide information on your witnesses ("temoins")- 2 to 4 people who will act as sort of your Best Men and/or Maid of Honor, and sign the registry after the marriage ceremony. You will need to provide their names, addresses, their professions and photocopies of their passports with your dossier.

All of this needs to be presented to the Mairie in time for them to check and approve your documents before posting the Banns- they typically ask for your completed marriage file 10 days before their publication, but I usually suggest that my clients submit their dossier sooner than that- the curt civil servants will almost always insist that there is a document missing, sending you into yet another frenzy of frantic phone calls and emails.

When all has been accepted and approved, you will receive word from the Mairie of your wedding date and time (you can request a specific date and time ahead of time, but they will assure you that nothing is confirmed until the dossier has been approved). Keep in mind that you must be legally married in a civil ceremony before you will be allowed to have a Catholic Church ceremony in France. After your civil ceremony, you will receive a "Livret de Famille" (Family Book) a sort of wedding certificate that also has pages for all of your future children. This little blue book is the Holy Grail. If you live in France, this book will make your administrative life here a lot easier pretty much until the day you die (in which your death will be noted in said little blue book). If you don't plan on staying in France, think of it as the ultimate wedding present.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/529631

Beverly Harris Weddings & Events
(310) 487-9698

Monday, March 28, 2011

Tiffany Decor by Paras Mehta





Inspiration for Paras Mehta, lead designer of Design2Decor

Beverly Harris Weddings & Events
(310) 487-9698

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Beverly's 5 Best Weddings in Paris, France

BEVERLY'S 5 BEST WEDDINGS IN PARIS, FRANCE

You dream of getting married in Paris below the Eiffel Tower, in a castle surrounded by the famous Bordeaux vineyards, or even in a country manor in Dordagne....

Angeli and Tim

Angeli and Tim are from Canada and although they were planning a large traditional wedding for February 2011, they decided to have an intimate affair in Paris so that family that lived in Europe could celebrate with them.

There were many unique elements to this wedding: the bride’s quest for lavender Ferragamo pumps, her amazing photo shoot with One & Only Paris Photography, the gorgeous greenery arrangements and silk orchid bouquet, the placecards with Eiffel Towers made out of antique stamps (the bride’s DIY touch), the keys attached to each couple’s box of Ladurée macarons… and of course the magical setting of the Place Vendôme, all lit up for the holidays.





Angela and Scott

Angela and Scott went on a photo shoot around Paris the day before their wedding. Angela wore a strapless mermaid-style dress covered with beading and embroidered lace because she wanted to save her silk taffeta Amsale gown, from Saks Fifth Avenue, for her wedding day. Her white faux-fur stole was from David’s Bridal. Scott wore a classic Armani tux, also from Saks Fifth Avenue in Columbus, Ohio. You must look the part if you're going to get married in Paris, France!




Genesis and Kevin

Genesis and Kevin were asked why they wanted to have a "Petite Wedding".

In the beginning of the wedding-planning process, we agreed that above all, we wanted our wedding day to honor our love. We wanted to make sure we kept the day about our commitment to each other and about the love that we have for one another. We wanted the day to be joyous and stress-free! We wanted to combine both of us into the day and to have each moment of our day build upon the moment before; a blank canvas becoming our own little masterpiece.

We began by planning a traditional wedding, but it didn’t take long for us to realize that we had lost sight of our above-mentioned goals. It was then that we refocused and decided that it would be best for us to have a private ceremony.




Photos: Amy and Stuart Photography



Bobby and Mod

When we first started planning our Paris wedding, we were overwhelmed with options. Having never visited Paris, we initially selected the Champ de Mars area surrounding the Eiffel Tower, but a week before the wedding, our photographer, Stephen Zezza, a New Yorker living in Paris, suggested we look at Square St. Jean XXIII in the garden of the Notre Dame Cathedral. He said it was the most beautiful place in all of Paris, and we quickly agreed. The square sits on the backside of the famous cathedral. Being a popular tourist site, Stephen suggested we have the ceremony in the morning when we had the place to ourselves. It was perfect.

As an Ernest Hemingway buff, I knew instantly I wanted to celebrate at his favorite café, La Closerie des Lilas in the St. Germain section of Paris. Closerie’s oysters used to draw in the likes of Gertrude Stein, Picasso and James Joyce; all these years later, the oysters are still delicious and the atmosphere is so very French.

Photographed: Stephen Zezza






Amanda and Nick

Amanda and Nick 2010 If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times. Okay…maybe not a million, but lots! I LOVE great color combos! I love a brave bride and someone who is willing to mix and match unexpected colors! Amanda and Nick’s purple and lime green wedding is a great example of a punchy color combo that is really bold, yet no less elegant and gorgeous!

This fab wedding was shot by Hannah Suh Photography and, of course, takes place at Beaulieu Garden in Napa,,which is pretty much the most lovely venue imaginable. Be sure to take note of Amanda’s thoughts on the wedding, along with the great vendors listed below!

Nick and I got engaged when we lived in Paris, France and soon after, moved back to the States. I particularly loved every detail of Paris and Nick loved the French countryside – from fantastic food and wine, to the bustling streets with such glamour and lights, to the historical and enchanting Chateaux. “Cheesy”… but so true. Had we been able to transport all of our family and friends back to France I would have, but it just wasn’t going to happen. We were both dead set on having a destination wedding, and after debating the various locations across the globe that we could otherwise host it, we landed on the next best thing… California wine country. It was my sister who actually happened across some of your photos online and noticed the beautiful site with a lovely French manicured style that was Beaulieu Garden. My sister having recently gotten married herself, and my best friend were then off to the races planning every little detail – they used to laugh, calling our wedding “their 2nd wedding” – I was even overruled down to the flowers and font for the menus! But it’s a good thing they won because everything turned out just perfect. We actually booked everything having never been to Napa! It just felt right, and we couldn’t be happier with how everything turned out.







Photographed by: Hannah Sun Photography

Beverly Harris Weddings & Events
(310) 487-9698

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Bold Color Palette Table Decor






Tulips, calypso mokara orchids, monster foliage, and steel grass accents were used for the floral images. Other elements include metallic and mirrored surfaces to mimic the contemporary them.


Inspiration from Paras Mehta, lead designer of Design2Decor


Beverly Harris Weddings & Events
(310) 487-9698

Jensen Films presents Ena + Rajat l Sacramento Convention Center Wedding

Aw, the beauty of an Indian Wedding.


Ena + Rajat | Sacramento Convention Center from Jensen Films on Vimeo.

Sunday, March 20, 2011

ASK BEVERLY: Can you provide us with some honeymoon travel tips

Honeymoon travel tips
  • Purchase the lowest refundable airfare if your travel plans are tentative.Opt for a paper ticket instead of an e-ticket, even if you have to pay an extra fee. If you do book an e-ticket, keep a printout of the computer confirmation with you. 
  • Do not put film in checked baggage. High-tech scanning machines can erase photos. 
  • Book nonstop flights—no stops or plane changes (direct flights land at airports along the way; connecting flights, lost luggage; charter flights are a bargain but are more likely to be delayed, or cancelled.) 
  • Tightened security means bigger delays, so leave yourselves plenty of time to make your connection or catch that cruise ship. 
  • If renting a car, reserve early for the model of choice; specify automatic or shift; ask about hidden expenses (rate per mile, insurance, tax, gas, one-way rental). 
  • On a cruise, ask about cabin sizes and prices, and whether beds are doubles or bunks. 
  • When making hotel reservations, be sure to mention that you are honeymooners. Hotels often treat newlyweds to free champagne and room upgrades.

Beverly Harris Weddings & Events
(310) 487-9698

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Save-the-Date Etiquette from Caroline Britton of Carciofi Design

Carciofi Design is a luxury wedding invitations and custom stationery studio based in Los Angeles. Their luxury couture wedding invitations are custom designed for each client to reflect their own unique style, inspiration and personality. Carline Britton, owner of Carciofi Design says that Save-the-Dates doesn't have to match the invitation, but if it does it's okay to just show a few of the elements that will be in the invitation while leaving the real impact for the invite itself.

There's more good advice and photos of her work on Caroline's website.  http://carciofidesign.com



Caroline Britton

Owner/Designers
CARCIOFI DESIGN
Tel. 626.794.3682
Tax. 626.701.3395


Beverly Harris Weddings & Events
(310) 487-9698

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Jen+ Kim for Coloriffics Sexy, Classy and Comfortable Bridal Shoes

Jen + Kim for Coloriffics Sexy, Classy and Comfortable Bridal Shoes.

Looking for something that is sexy and comfortable…

These Jen + Kim for Coloriffics shoes feature suede insole cushions and heel grippers to help to keep your feet from sliding forward.

The “Luna” in Ivory and Rose


The “Passion” in White Silk Shantung


Another great tip is to make sure you feel stable. If you’re not used to wearing heels, go with a mid heel height for stability … but never compromise your style.



The “Blissful” in Black Silk Shantung


The “I Do” in White Pleated Satin


Looking for a classic? Sometimes it’s hard to find the perfect one ….



The “Allure” in Ivory fits the bill


Buy them online at http://www.shoebuy.com/jen-kim-shoes.htm and frequent their blog often to hear about upcoming promotions, events and giveaways: http://www.jkcshoes.com/


Beverly Harris Weddings & Events
(310) 487-9698

Monday, March 14, 2011

No.1 World's Most Expensive Perfume

All I want for my next birthday is the No. 1 by Clive Christian. It has been awarded as the World's Most Expensive Perfume by the Guinness World Records. A bottle of the No. 1 Imperial Majesty perfume, which is "made of Baccarat Crystal and inset with a white diamond on the neck, valued at over $200,000." Thirty (30) ml of the pure perfume is ONLY $2350.


 
No. 1's ingredients are "top notes of pineapple, plum, mirabelle, bergamot, lemon, and cardamom. Heart notes of rose, jasmine, ylang ylang, orris, and orchid. Base notes of vanilla, tonka seeds, cedarwood, sandalwood, and musk amber."



So if you want to smell like Angelina Jolie on your wedding day, this is definitely a "MUST HAVE/WEAR" perfume.
 

                                                     Beverly Harris Weddings & Events
(310) 487-9698

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Hear What Expert Julie Jones of Encore Bridal Has To Say

Before you walk into that bridal salon looking for your "dream" wedding dress, you may want to hear Julie Jones, Bridal Expert of Encore Bridal Do's and Don'ts.






Do know your wedding date and location prior to dress shopping

The location and date will determine to large degree the style and fabric of gown you choose. If you know these things prior to your dress hunt, you can then focus on finding the right dress, not just a dress.

Don’t wait to think about and discuss your wedding dress budget to the minute you walk in the bridal salon.


Gowns can cost as little as $100 to as much as $20-30k.  Before you shop, determine how much you want to spend, and can spend, on your gown.  Remember that the cost of the gown is only a portion of the cost of your complete look.  You’ll also need alterations and accessories (shoes, jewelry, headpiece, veil etc…).   If you’re not paying, make sure that you’ve discussed the budget clearly with the person who is purchasing your gown.  Do this prior to shopping.  Also make sure everyone shopping knows your budget so you don’t get talked into trying on gowns that are more than you want to spend.

Do limit the number of people involved
The more people, the more opinions, the more confusion.  Limit the number of people you bring with you to 3 or less.  Bring the person who is paying (if not you), a good friend who knows your style well, and possibly your wedding consultant. 

Don’t try on just one style of gown
You might be surprised at how different silhouettes, fabrics, and necklines look on you.  Be open to trying on multiple different styles and to the suggestions of your styling consultant.

Do be informed about where you can shop for your gown search
Gone are the days when the local bridal salon was the only dress shopping option.  Nowadays you can find wedding dresses at large retailers and department stores (J. Crew, Nordstrom’s); local and online consignment stores (Encore Bridal.com, White Chicago.com); peer to peer listing sites (Craigslist, OnceWed.com); and online discounters (Netbride.com, House of Brides.com).  These salon-alternatives often have quality dresses at more affordable prices, but there can also be some drawbacks.  Find the option that is best for you.





Photos provided by Encore Bridal

Julie Jones
Founder & President
Encore Bridal LLC
Call: 310.545.1409
Tweet: @encorebridal
Like: facebook.com/EncoreBridalFanPage




Beverly Harris Weddings & Events
(310) 487-9698

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

What you should know about Save-the-dates



The purpose of Save-the-date cards is to respect guests' time and make sure they can attend the wedding. In good etiquette, you may want to send these as soon as possible, months before the wedding to 'reserve' your big day on their calendars. Below are some etiquette mistakes you should avoid:

1. Sending them out as soon as you announce your engagement. You're all excited about the wedding plans, you booked the place, you made a guest list that includes everyone you've ever known. But as time goes on, all of those deposits for the band, the videographer, the photographer, the florist, and more add up. You could find yourself in a money crunch that requires you to cut down your guest list...but you can't if you sent everyone a Save-the-date. This is the biggest save-the-date mistake, because you must invite these people to the wedding now. It's bad form to have them reserve a block on their calendars, not take their annual vacation, not register their kids for camp and so on...and then they don't get invited to the wedding. Major rifts happen in families over this one, so take your time, make sure you know the strength of your budget, and send them out when you're sure you can invite everyone on your list.

2. Going off-color. Your friends might think a wacky save-the-date card is fun, but your relatives will wonder about you. Keep the save-the-dates on the classic or classy side, and personalize them with a photo of the two of you, great colors, a border, and so on. There's a lot you can do to be original without crossing the borders of taste.

3. Not notifying guests that there's a magnet inside the envelope. The magnet save-the-date card is a popular choice now, but if you don't write on the envelope that a magnet is enclosed, the recipient could place the envelope on top of a computer disk and erase it. It's always best to put a 'magnet enclosed' note on the outside of the envelope.

4. Not putting enough information. Always make sure you include the wedding location, such as your hometown or a destination wedding locale, along with the date so that guests can make travel plans. Just having the date is not enough. Guests need to know how many days they'll need to take off of work.

5. Enclosing confetti. Or anything else that will fall to the floor and be a pain in the butt to vacuum up. A better enclosure is a sheet of vellum with a poem or something that can be kept - or tossed - with ease.

Stationary from Paper Olive Paper Couture


 
Beverly Harris Weddings & Events
(310) 487-9698

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Which Wedding Gown Do You Think Kate Middleton Should Wear?

Per babble.com, the below are possible wedding gowns to be worn by Kate Middleton.


Images: Sarah Burton's Autumn/Fall 2011 Collection

Beverly Harris Weddings & Events
(310) 487-9698