Branches Catering presents: Italian Dinner at Laurita Winery

Friday, October 14th, 2011 7:00 pm featuring Laurita Wines

$24.95 plus tax and 18% gratuity
Under 21 - $21.95 plus tax and 18% gratuity

Wine will be available at a 10% discounted price

Bistro Red: The Bistro is a “fruit forward” medium bodied wine filled with aromas reminiscent of black cherries, raspberry or currents. Its broad range of bouquet, flavors and finish will sometimes confuse the taster. Its unique profi le complements many dishes as well as enjoyed simply on its own.

Norton: Rich, dark red, almost Zinfandel-like, with mixed berry flavors. It has a velvety texture with a penetrating aroma reminiscent of wines from Southern France. This is thought to be the original American grape. Organically grown, it contains twice the typical amount of health-enhancing reservatrol.

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Retro designs have been making a comeback and there is no shortage of retro-style dresses and accessories in the wedding industry. Whether you’re throwing a beach wedding or having a beautiful garden ceremony, you’re look will be classic and lovely. We found some great images from OneWed.com to help you make your decision for the wedding style you’d like to achieve.

Source: onewed.com

Have you checked out the Ruffled shop? If not, you’re missing out!

Romantic Birdcage Veil from the Ruffled Shop

For the vintage-inspired bride, this online boutique is a dream come true! You’ll find retro tea-length wedding dresses with bateau necklines and on-trend sleeves, and feminine, frilly petticoats. But the wedding hair accessories and veils are what really took my breath away!

From delicate bridal headbands to mini pouf veils, there’s even a dainty wedding hat. Each piece lovely, romantic and perfect for your wedding day.

Are you swooning? Which dress or accessory do you love?

Wedding hair accessory from the Ruffled Shop

Wedding hair accessories from the Ruffled shop

Wedding hat from the Ruffled shop

Wedding hair accessories from the Ruffled shop

Elegant wedding dress from the Ruffled shop

Wedding dresses from the Ruffled shop

For more about the Ruffled Shop and other wedding ideas click here.

To learn more about Branches Catering for your perfect wedding day Contact Us.

The use of music can make your wedding day more romantic and memorable. Choosing the best music can add to the whole atmosphere and leave your guests with an experience they will remember, and talk about, for many years to come.

Here are 5 tips on how to choose the perfect music during your wedding.

By Bethany Gardner

Plan with your partner what music you both want used at your wedding ceremony and reception. Remember to think of the appropriateness of each song for where you want to use it and its purpose to adding to the wedding experience. Create a list of your favorite songs that would complement the ceremony and reception individually. Once you have listed down your favorite songs, select the songs which are best during the prologue, the ceremony, and reception. Remember, the more significant each song is to the bride and groom as a couple will lead to the entire experience being more personalized and unique.

Decide how the songs are going to be presented, should they be sung live or will playing a recording of the song be acceptable. If all the songs are pre-recorded, have a look for compilation CDs that contain a number of these songs or similarly go onto Itunes and download the specific songs. Make sure you make note of the length of time each song is to ensure that there is sufficient time for the different activities accompanying that song to be completed. If you decide that you want the music performed live then you need to look into booking singers and musicians, ensure that you plan far enough in advance to allow time for the musicians to learn the desired pieces. If you do not know where to find musicians, research into wedding music organisers or planners, they have a vast knowledge and experience to be drawn upon.

During the processional hymn (entrance), romantic and instrumental songs can be played, instruments that can be used include violins and other various strings, saxophones, piano, oboe and flute. If the bridal party is large sometimes it is advised to use two songs, one for the brides maids and then one especially for the bride. The use of vocal music, either choral or solo is also very common and acceptable for the processional hymn.

During the wedding ceremony, if held in a church, traditional church hymns are usual played. More contemporary songs can be used in a church ceremony but it is important to remember to check with the marriage celebrant as some churches have strict policies onto exactly what music is appropriate and what music isn’t. For a civil celebration the bride and groom have a lot more freedom to select the music that is meaningful and significant to them.

At the wedding reception, the use of music can really add to the atmosphere. It is advisable that the couple select appropriate songs for cocktails as guests arrive, background music for during the meal, a song for their first dance as husband and wife and a playlist of fun and well known music for the guests to dance to at the conclusion of the formalities. Other songs to think about is whether upon the bridal party entrance specific theme songs are wanted for the various couples, theme music for each speech and exited music for the farewells at the end of the evening. All of this music can be performed by either a DJ or a live band or a combination of both. The positives and negatives of both of these forms of entertainment should be carefully considered as this will affect the overall atmosphere of the wedding reception.

By: Bethany Gardner

When thinking of a wedding everyone thinks of the dress, the venue, and most of all flowers! Whether it’s your wedding ceremony or reception, in a church or on the beach flowers remain a number one priority of decorating and enhancing any wedding.

Source: dianamaweddings.com

Jennifer Schmidt of Embellish Floral Studio Shares Her Favorite Floral Trends

A few weeks ago, I had the distinct honor and pleasure to visit Jennifer Schmidt of Embellish Floral Studio for some coffee and cake in her home (in Keene, NH).

Jennifer’s talent and creative flair is quite remarkable!! With a background in art, she is a self taught floral designer and has worked under the apprenticeship of Tamara Rogers based in the Boston (MA) area.

Between laughing and mouthfuls of amazing coffee cake (the one from Panera Bread is seriously TDF!), Jennifer shared with me her top 4 favorite wedding trends in everything floral.

1. Think loose, flowing and organic. Our shaken economy has forced almost everyone to get back to basics. We all seem to be looking for ways to scale-back, opening our wallets only when we absolutely need to – for high-quality essentials. I think that this trend has spilled over into the wedding industry and can be seen notably in flowers. Look for looser, more haphazard arrangements as they would appear in nature. Why go to the trouble of taming roses into a tight ball, when they grow gorgeously on their own? With more and more weddings being planned in backyards or at private residences, looser arrangements charming, whimsical and very beautiful.

2. Bolder colors make a bigger impact. Jennifer mentioned to me that she was seeing a lot of requests for unusual, bright color combinations. I can’t help but love this trend! How can you not be wowed by turquoise or teal teamed with orange and red? Talk about making a statement!

3. Masses or groupings of centerpieces on long banquet-style tables. This look is adorable and so unpretentious. I absolutely love the look for any tented wedding. Think little bundles of lush arrangements on a long rectangle vs. a single massive one arrangement and tea lights in the middle of a circle. The look of long, rectangular tables is less fussy than their rounder counterparts. Plus, a family style meal invites more conversation and laughter when you’re passing food to one another!

4. Vintage and heirloom touches. What makes Embellish Floral so unique is Jennifer’s attention to detail. She told me that she actually scours flea markets almost every weekend for unique vases, urns and estate jewelry. She also encourages her clients to incorporate their own heirloom jewels in bridal bouquets. How cool is that? You can definitely do this too and come up with your own eclectic look from off-beat flea market finds.

Jennifer Schmidt is an absolute delight and highly talented. Embellish Floral Studio offers personal detail and flair to any home spun wedding.

For full article click here.

Source: partyspot.com

A theme isn’t necessary for a Bar Mitzvah, but it can make things more fun — and simplify your party planning. Why? When you’ve got a theme in mind, picking out party details is that much easier — details that fit with your theme and palette are in, obvious mismatches are out.

Brainstorm with your son to come up with a theme that plays up one of his passions, whether it’s basketball or video games. We asked a professional party planner for five inspirational ideas for Bar Mitzvah themes, and then came up with an example for each.

Favorite Place:
A vacation spot — or a dream destination — can provide great fodder for a Bar Mitzvah theme. We chose Hawaii.

Key decor: Evoke the islands with Hawaiian-print linens, tiki torches (if you’re outdoors, of course), and tropical flowers in the centerpieces — think birds of paradise, hibiscus, and lilies.

Entertainment: Have a troupe of hula dancers come and give a performance after dinner. You could even ask whether they can give a lesson to the kids (don’t forget the grass skirts!).

Catering: Do a fruit smoothie bar for the kids with plenty of tropical choices like mangoes, papayas, and pineapple in addition to the classics (strawberries, bananas, and OJ), and a tropical signature cocktail (mai tais, anyone?) for the grown-ups.

Favors: Tiki-style cups or Hawaiian-print boxer shorts make fun takeaways for a Hawaiian-themed Bar Mitzvah.

Extras: Use postcards from Hawaii as place cards — and “address” each one to each guest at their table (if you’re really ambitious, have the Bar Mitzvah boy include a note to each of his friends or to special relatives).
Hobbies and Passions:
Could he spend all day playing the saxophone? Are you always on your way to or from his soccer practices? Spotlighting your son’s number one pastime is a great way to make the Bar Mitzvah all about him. We chose basketball as our example.

Key decor: It’s all about b-ball, so be sure the spotlight is on the sport. Life-size cutouts of favorite NBA players make for fun decor (and great photos). Basketball trading cards can be scattered on tables or used as escort cards (cover up the names on the cards and fill in guests’ names instead).

Entertainment: Rent an arcade-style hoops game, whether it’s basketball-themed pinball or arcade machines, or an Alley Hoops or Super Shot basketball game for high-scoring fun.

Catering: Go with kid’s fare that fits with a fun, casual theme — mini burgers are a yummy (and trendy) way to go. Another kid favorite: A french fry bar where you can choose your own toppings.

Favors: Personalized mini basketballs are a great take-home for this Bar Mitzvah. Customized basketball jerseys also make a great favor.
Favorite Colors:
The perfect theme for the kid who’s not that into having a theme is to go with his favorite color to tie everything together. These ideas will work with any color, but we went with blue.

Key decor: Blue balloons are fun, and blue linens are a natural. To make things a little more dynamic, vary the shades — like indigo, cerulean, and sky blue — instead of doing all one hue.

Centerpieces: Boys aren’t always so into flowers. How to do a cool blue centerpiece? Think of non-floral elements that could fit your theme. Small table lamps with fun blue shades add a little light to the space. Another option: faux gifts wrapped with different blue papers and ribbons.

Catering: Do an all-blue candy bar so kids (and adults) can pick out treats to enjoy at the party (and afterward — don’t forget take-out containers so guests can take some home). Blue M&M’S, rock candy, Skittles, jelly beans — the choices are endless. Another option: Rent a cotton candy machine.

Extras: Going for a cool blue? Get extra cool with an ice sculpture or two with your son’s initials as an adornment for the entry or buffet area.
Favorite Time in History:
Looking to the past can be a terrific source of inspiration for your Bar Mitzvah. Choosing a specific decade (like the ’50s) or going even further back (think ancient Egypt or the Renaissance) can put a unique spin on your son’s Bar Mitzvah. For our example, we chose the ’60s.

Key decor: Decide first if you want to go ’60s mod or ’60s hippie — for a more mod look, juxtapose bright colors (poppy centerpieces, maybe?) with black and white. For a hippie vibe, think daisies, lava lamps, and beaded curtains for your decor.

Entertainment: Celebrity impersonators can interact with guests and give you some seriously funny photos. For the ’60s, The Beatles or Ed Sullivan could be fun. Though he’s technically from the ’90s, hiring an Austin Powers impersonator will definitely impress the kids.

Favors: Get guests in on the act with sunglasses and love beads. Another option: tie-dyed T-shirts customized with the Bar Mitzvah child’s name and birth date.

Extras: Number tables with images of the Bar Mitzvah boy in costume as various ’60s icons, or with their picture created in the style of different artists from the era (for example, Andy Warhol or Roy Lichtenstein).
Favorite Movies:
The movies are a major source of inspiration for Bar Mitzvah themes — no surprise, since Tinseltown is everywhere these days. A Hollywood theme can be as broad as, well, “Hollywood,” or you can opt to focus on one of your son’s fave flicks.

Key decor: You can go in any direction with this theme as far as colors go — it’s the fun extras that will make it fit. Movie posters, faux film reels, and a red carpet entry will give it a Hollywood feel.

Entertainment: Screen actual movies by the dance floor — and you don’t have to have the sound on, it’s more for the ambiance. Something with lots of color and excitement (and that everyone knows so well that they can enjoy a minute or two sans sound) works best — think classics like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or The Wizard of Oz.

Catering: Serve concession-style snacks for the kids’ dessert. Rent a popcorn popper for fresh popcorn all night long, or have your caterer dream up their version of classic sweets like Ring Dings or Ho Hos.

Extras: Name the tables for each of your child’s favorite films, and label them with a mini version of that movie poster.

Source: partyspot.com

Source: streamarticles.com

If you’re planning a wedding, you probably already have some ideas for the music you’d like to play at the reception. Choosing and playing just the right music can make the reception into a great party that people will remember for years.

Thus, it’s important that you choose the right DJ for your reception. Take this decision seriously, because the right one can turn your reception into a party for the ages that everyone will remember long after they’re gone. Here are a few things to consider when choosing one for your reception.

Experience. Wedding reception deejays have quite a different job from club DJs, both in terms of the music they play and the role they take as the announcer. Wedding disc jockeys must know how to play music that suits a wide variety of demographics and wedding settings. Try to find on who focuses specifically on wedding receptions; the more years of experience he has, the better.

Reputation. Check with the DJ’s prior clients to see if they can provide positive references for him. If he’s done good work in the community in the past, you should be able to find prior clients who will attest to his good service and professionalism.

Allowing Your Own Playlist. A great hire will always understand that you want to play specific songs at your reception, and at specific times as well. He’ll take special care to make sure these songs go off without a hitch at the right times and will allow you to make general selections for the playlist as well.

Keeping it Fun. Try to find a deejay who is known for bringing a high-energy performance to a reception along with his team. It’s the their job to set the mood for a reception and get people loosened up and having fun, so you definitely want to choose someone who will keep the atmosphere fun and lively.

Reliability. A good DJ will arrive at the reception area before your guests do and will stay for the entire time that you agreed upon when you hired him. Really outstanding DJs might also bring extra equipment and entertainment if something goes wrong with the main the equipment.

It’s easy to see why it’s important to hire a DJ who does a great job no matter what. Take some time to research the DJs available to you before you make a choice and you’re sure to have a great reception.

Source: streamarticles.com

Source: www.starting-out-london.com

Getting ready for a wedding is exciting, but the strain can really start to wear on the beleaguered couple long before the big day. A wedding can be a complex event to pull off, and there are many separate aspects to consider. Stressful situations can be a common occurrence in the run up to the big day, even if they are celebrations meant for fun. Why not take a bit of that heavy seriousness off the occasion with a funny wedding or pre-wedding gift for the bride, groom and their attendants?

Funny wedding gifts are highly underrated. The gift of laughter, especially the gift of laughter under stress, can be one of the most precious gifts you can give. When everyone else is going out of their minds trying to choose useful, memorable and serious wedding gifts, the gift that makes everyone laugh can be the most precious gift of all.

Some of the funniest wedding gifts fall under the category of apparel. T-shirts and hats with funny pictures and sayings are among the easiest and most popular humorous wedding shower and pre-wedding gifts. You can find t-shirts for the bride and groom with goofy pictures or cartoons that spoof marriage or that assign titles to the bride and groom like Queen of Hearts and King of Hearts. One popular t-shirt for either the bride or the groom features a cartoon of an elderly couple and the definition: “Finding that special someone to annoy for the rest of your life”.

An additional advantage of t-shirts and caps is that they allow for easy personalization with the names of the bride and groom and the date of their wedding. Wedding party character gifts take personalization to a whole new level by allowing you to choose figures for each member of the wedding party. You can pick hair color and skin tone for the bride, groom and wedding party members, and even choose dress colors for the bridesmaids. The wedding party can end up on mugs, plaques, and plates or even on playing cards to help the bride and groom while away the hours between planes on their honeymoon.

Of course, you can always choose a gift to help the happy couple remember their new stations in life. Matching t-shirts or pillowcases that proclaim Mr. on one and Mrs. On the other guarantee that everyone will know that they’re happy honeymooners. Of course, not all t-shirts are quite so polite – you can spark a laugh at a wedding shower with a t-shirt for the bride labeled “Ball and Chain” if your bride has a sense of humor or one for the groom marked with his Bachelor Expiration Date.

T-shirts are such an ideal canvas that you do not have to confine yourself to just those t-shirts that have sayings pre-printed on them. Pick out a funny line from the lives of the bride and groom, or do a little research to find your own funny wedding line and have it printed on a plain black or white t-shirt or a black or white baseball shirt.

If you are looking for an unusual and funny gift for the groom, skip the t-shirt and go straight for the boxers. There are lots of funny boxers, but one of the best groom’s wedding gifts going is a pair of boxers that mimic a tux, complete with the bride’s initials embroidered in a heart on the leg of one boxer.

You can also go for the cuteness factor with a gift like the Precious Moments Magically Ever After figurine that features an adorable bride and groom all decked out for their big day, right down the Mickey Mouse ears – in white, for the bride, of course! Precious Moments are perpetual favorite wedding mementoes, and you can find quite a few of the big-eyed couples enjoying their first dance, cutting the cake or setting off on their new life together.

Some gifts, though, are both funny and touching at the same time. If you are looking for a very special gift for the happy couple, why not commission a work of art specifically created for the bride and groom? A specially drawn caricature of the bride and groom on their wedding day is an heirloom gift that’s a bit out of the ordinary. All you need to provide is a clear photograph of the bride and groom and let the artist do the rest.

Just keep in mind that if you decide to be funny there is a fine line between tastefully funny and stepping over the line. Consider the personality of both the bride and groom, and whether or not they will both appreciate your sense of humor. After all, a good laugh is not worth losing a good friend or unsettling feelings on such an important occasion. Poke gentle fun, be good-humored and watch the smiles when they open your funny wedding gift.

Sharing the big day with friends and families is very important to most married couples. However, on the big day you don’t want to miss out on all of the friends and family members who are in attendance! Be sure to keep the social sharing to a minimum on your wedding day with these helpful tips!

Source: mashable.com

As social media becomes more and more a part of our lives, etiquette failures can occur when there are so few precedents.

A wedding day is the perfect example of this. You want to share your special day with your social circle, especially those who can’t attend, but where do you draw the line?

We’ve talked to experts in the wedding industry and a recent bride to try and establish the ground rules for tastefully using social media at your wedding.

Check out their advice and let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.

1. Pre-Wedding Preparations

Introducing wedding attendees online before the big day can help you avoid any day-of awkwardness. This will give people the chance to break the ice and virtually get to know a little about everyone else.

“Help your wedding guests mix, mingle and stay in the loop with a private social network created just for engaged couples, like OneWed’s Wedding Pre-Party,” suggests Azure Nelson, the marketing manager and editorial director of OneWed.

“Wedding Pre-Party allows wedding guests to see who’s invited to the wedding (and lets the singles scope potential hotties before they meet face-to-face), interact and post comments on a wall, upload photos from pre-wedding parties and post-wedding, and much more.”

If you’d like to skip the specialized sites route, you could also create a pre-party on Facebook using its “Groups” functionality. This can be a clever way to avoid cluttering the news feeds of folks not invited to the wedding, both before and after the event.

2. Stay Offline During the Ceremony

“We’ve all seen these goofballs that bring social media right to the forefront of their ‘I dos,’ and in my opinion, there’s nothing tasteful about this,” says Nelson. “Tastefully using social media at your wedding means incorporating it before and after the actual wedding. The wedding ceremony should be off limits.”

There’s plenty of time during a wedding day to connect with the online world. Doing so during the ceremony is definitely not the right time for the principle players or even the guests. Mindy Howard of @TweetMyWedding has some advice for attendees:

“Be polite. Don’t tweet when you should be participating and listening, specifically during the liturgy or the ceremony.”

3. Appoint a Chief Tweeter

If you want your wedding to be recorded for posterity in 140-character posts, then let people know and even encourage them to get involved by creating a hashtag.

“Tell your bridal party it’s OK to tweet!” says Howard. “Create a hashtag for sharing your event. This will make all tweets from your day easy to find later on and helps to create a feeling of celebration for your guests.

“Print up some tented cards on your menu or program with the hashtag for your event and encourage your guests to send you their well wishes, touching moments and snap shots. These are moments that otherwise would have been missed.”

You can take this even further by appointing a “Chief Tweeter” — or several — to document the day.

“Have an Official Tweeter and Well Wishing Station — have one or more ‘Tweets of Honor.’ Have some technologically obsessed friends? This is a great job for them! These folks can quietly tweet from a corner as not to be obtrusive or can come out of the shadows and provide you with a full on social media guest book station,” says Howard.

And you can even incorporate social media into the more traditional parts of the day. In addition to reading cards and messages out loud from family and friends that couldn’t make it, why not read messages from Facebook and Twitter too?

“Have your Tweet of Honor compile some well wishes that have been tweeted out and share them during the toasts. This can be a very fun twist on the traditional toasting time,” suggests Howard.

4. Set Up a Social Media Station

There’s a way to keep a traditional look and feel to a wedding celebration and still make room for social media. A “social media station” is a place where those who want to connect or comment online can do so, without forcing the issue onto the uninterested.

“For the especially geeky — set up a station,” advises Howard. “Have a laptop, a projector and screen. Encourage guests to come by, tweet their well wishes and watch others’ tweets scroll over the screen.”

This can also work for photos, as well as text-based communications. A live stream of photos from the event can be a fun way to engage people and encouraging sharing.

“Ditch the tacky disposable cameras and set up a shared Flickr (Flickr) account so that guests can upload any photos they may take,” says Liene Stevens, former wedding planner and CEO of Splendid Communications.

“This doesn’t replace hiring a professional photographer, of course, but it does allow you and your guests to share in their view of your wedding,” Stevens says.

Jodie Welton, a founding partner of Connected PR who got married this summer, went down this route and had a huge projector showing images of the day for her evening reception, as well as a separate area for filming.

“We thought it was important that the guests are absorbed in the wedding and that social media enhanced the experience, rather than distract from it. So, to keep it ‘away from the party’ we had a designated area for guests to be filmed,” explains Welton.

“The DJ also took pictures and uploaded to Flickr there and then. As a nice touch, he then projected the Flickr stream across the walls so guests saw images of themselves. The DJ gave everyone the Flickr URL so all of the guests could view and add to it later.”

5. Live Stream for Those Who Can’t Make It

Thanks to the wonders of modern tech, nowadays you can share your special moments with people who can’t make it in person. Ustream is one such site that can help you share your ceremony with those well-wishing from afar.

“Live weddings give our users an opportunity to experience Ustream in a completely new way. It’s very exciting to see our broadcasters offer unfiltered access to the best moments of their lives. That’s one of the many reasons we’re here,” says Ustream’s Tony Riggins.

Howard notes it’s a particularly useful option for anyone getting married abroad or far from home.

“The use of Ustream to share (publicly or privately) your day live online for friends and family that cannot make it to your ceremony is especially useful for those having destination weddings. If Great Grandmother cannot make it, she can still virtually attend and share in your joy,” Howard says.

And don’t think this means you’re spilling private moments all over the web; there are ways to make this a private process, Stevens points out:

“If you have loved ones who are unable to attend the wedding, collaborate with your videographer on showing a live feed of the ceremony via Ustream or another online video streaming service. You can make these password protected if you’d like, so that you can share your joy only with people you know and not random Internet strangers.”

Welton streamed some of her special day to far-flung elderly relatives, and even got them involved in the speeches:

“Some of my family in Italy couldn’t make it to our wedding and we wanted them to get a sense of our big day. Being able to stream live video and pictures meant they could get a more authentic sense of the atmosphere. Amazingly, they even broadcast a live message (they are in their 80s!) after the speeches.”

6. Don’t Forget to Enjoy the Moment

“Changing a Facebook status from engaged to married just after the vows is a growing trend, but don’t miss taking in those moments with the people actually there with you. Put down the phone and enjoy the company of those who came to celebrate with you,” says Stevens.

You only get one wedding day — if things go as planned, anyway — so don’t waste any precious moments you could be interacting with real-life people. Rest assured anyone who is following your day online will certainly understand your priorities.

“When you’re one of the major participants, you need to unplug for the day and focus on the people who are actually there with you. Weddings go by in a flash anyway, and you don’t want to sacrifice seeing your crazy Uncle Wally doing The Worm because you’re crafting some clever tweet. Leave that to your guests,” says Sally Kilbridge, BRIDES deputy editor. “In fact, part of the fun of weddings nowadays is seeing how fast they can make that video of Uncle Wally go viral.”

That, of course, is a whole other story…

By: Makeup Tips

Planning a wedding can be so overwhelming that we sometimes forget to plan for during the wedding. The extra touch-ups and preparations that go into making sure your hair and makeup look as amazing at the end of the reception as they do during the ceremony are key. The following are some beauty tips to help make your wedding day even more special.

1. Stash baby wipes in the bathroom to freshen up. “I was literally dripping sweat down my back I was dancing so much! I was having fun, but it’s not so elegant when someone goes to give you a hug. I used baby wipes to freshen up. They’re also great for getting out stains in a pinch without leaving a big ring like water can.”

2. Dirty hair is the secret to a long-wearing updo. “I have super fine hair that doesn’t like to stay in an updo. I didn’t wash my hair for four days before the wedding so it was slightly greasy. This gave my hair some grip and it stayed in place all night!”

3. Do a trial run, even if you don’t hire a pro. “Prior to my wedding, I had a friend create a smoky-eye look on me. In my opinion it looked too dark, but after wearing it for a while, I got used to it and it really looked nice! If I hadn’t had a run-through, I would have been freaking out on my wedding day! After seeing my wedding day pictures, I was really glad to have gone with that look.”

4. Don’t stray too far from the real you. “Experiment with different hairstyles, but then choose the one you are most comfortable with, the one that is most you. You don’t want to look back at photos of the special day and wonder “who is that?”

5. Reduce pre-wedding jitters with a personal spa ritual. “Make sure to pick one beauty regimen that is personal to you, like taking a nice and relaxing bath,”

6. Splurge on a makeup pro. “I kept my hair very simple and did a simple chignon myself since it was going to be hidden by the veil anyway. I invested more time and energy into my makeup look. I did a trial run with a professional makeup artist keeping in mind how it would look in wedding pictures. To this day, I’ve never looked better in photos makeup wise, and I still use the tricks the makeup artist taught me.”

7. Make sure your touch-up kit has all the right colors. “I didn’t own the makeup shades my makeup artist used, so she gave me the lipstick, lip gloss and eyeshadow. Not all makeup artists do this, so make sure to ask yours. You don’t want to realize later on during your wedding that you don’t have the right stuff for touch ups.”

8. Don’t O.D. on blush. “My makeup artist didn’t use a lot of blush for my wedding look because she said my cheeks would be flushed all night and then I’d be too red in person and pictures. And she was totally right! My make up looked gorgeous all night!”

9. Go for waterproof mascara. “I made a huge mistake at my own wedding. I wept like a baby and had black track marks in some of my pictures (before my sisters pulled me into the bathroom for some damage control). I love Lancome Hypnose Waterproof Custom Volume Mascara because it makes lashes look super-lush, and comes off easily with eye makeup remover.”

10. Not a fan of waterproof mascara? “I used a lengthening and curling mascara first to help build my lashes, and then added an additional coating of waterproof mascara at the very ends, which also helps hold the curl in lashes.”

11. Don’t rush to remove your veil. “If you decide to wear a veil on your wedding day, wear it for the entire day – from your walk down the aisle until the end of the reception. A veil is that one element that transforms you from a woman in a white dress into a bride. Looking back at my wedding photos, I wish I hadn’t been in such a rush to take off my veil and show off my hair. I much prefer the photos of me wearing the veil; they have a much more romantic quality.”

12. Get your brows groomed by a professional. “I did my own make up and had my hair styled in a simple french twist, but what really made me look polished was a professional eye brow shaping. I had my brows done a few days before the wedding so they wouldn’t look red or bumpy on the big day. It made such a difference in photos to have perfect brows!”

13. Avoid bold nail polish. “Your hands will be on stage for the entire day—signing the certificate, showing off your rings, shaking hands—you’ll want them looking pretty and feminine. I made a huge mistake on my wedding day by painting my nails BURGUNDY and now I cringe every time I look at my wedding pictures. My hands jump out and scream “bad trend!” in every photo. Do yourself a favor and choose a pretty pale pink or nude for your wedding day manicure.”

14. Reduce your sodium intake. “A few weeks before my wedding, I cut out salt from my diet. In just a few days, the eye puffiness was gone and I could see a big difference in the contours of my face.”

15. Layer your makeup for ultimate wearing power. “Alternate lipstick with pressed powder, keep face makeup in place with makeup primers, line fillers, and setting powder — these all help to ensure your makeup lasts for as long as you want it to!

Source: Makeup Tips