The Cake
After doing many tastings and researching, I narrowed my results to Ruben's Cake located in Glendale, CA. Ruben's Cake is popular amongst us Armenians, but he caters to all events. Ruben is an absolute pleasure to work with. He listens to exactly what you like and does a live sketch of what your cake will look like. Also, depending on how many tiers you will have, you can choose a variety of flavors per tier. I HIGHLY recommend his Ruben's specialty flavor, it is amazing!
Matching the cake design to your wedding theme is crucial. It is the final accessory that completes the whole vision. It is also one of the only pieces that remain untouched and perfect until the end of the night. When the night is close to an end and you are ready to cut the cake, everyone watching the cake cutting is reminded of the beautiful night. Since my theme was an all white wedding with a hint of blush, I had my cake made in all white with pearl fondant. The details of the cake were all fondant flowers to give it a whimsical theme, as well as floral details that replicated the details on my wedding dress.
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Finding 'The One ... A guide to finding the perfect wedding dress.
(Warning: Do NOT try this at your bridal store!)Finding a wedding dress can be a very stressful yet exciting process for a bride-to-be. It is highly recommended to find your dress a good 6-7 months ahead of time. It takes about one month for you to finalize the dress, 4 - 5 months for the dress to deliver, and another few weeks to finalize the alterations. Unless you are absolutely desperate, NEVER buy a dress off the floor (display.) They are worn many times, most of the dirt will never come off, and over stretched. The main areas of damage are around the back zipper, which is a permanent damage. Also, DO NOT be fooled into thinking the store display will be altered 4 sizes down. The most it can be altered without loosing its shape is two sizes maximum, one size to be safe. Ordering your dress is the best bet, even though alterations will still be needed no matter what. Make sure your sales consultant or an experienced tailor takes your measurements, since bridal sizes run off a unique structure. I also recommend ordering the dress based off of your largest measurement, since your not guaranteed to loose weight. I.E; if your waist measurement falls into a size 6, although the rest equals a size 4, order size 6. This will guarantee your dress to fit, then you can alter the rest of the areas.
There are three types of brides that walk into a wedding store. One is so overwhelmed with all her choices and can't decide which dress to NOT try on. The second bride has a very specific dress in mind and is not open to suggestions. The third bride has a compiled folder of small details she likes of different dresses, hoping to find a combination of all these dresses. Being any of these brides will lead you to a stressful dress search. Having a good idea of what you like is ideal, but DO NOT be picky or anal.
During your first dress shopping experience, you should try on different styles and dresses to see what fits you better. You may be in love with a mermaid gown, but a ball gown might look better on you. You may think you hate crystals, but once you put it on you fall in love. Lace may be too old fashioned for you, until you add a crystal sash. Your first appointment should be all about being open minded and accepting new ideas and/or changes. Once you have finalized the style and shape you like, next step is finding the perfect dress. I do not recommend going to more than three wedding boutiques and trying on more than 5 dresses per store. TRUST ME! This will be more than enough trials before finalizing your dress.
When a dress you try on becomes 'The One', most girls are overjoyed with excitement and tears. If like me, your tears don't rush at every emotional thing, crying over a wedding dress isn't in the cards. Whether you cry or have a huge smile on your face, you will know when you try on 'The One.' Allow yourself to enjoy this once in a lifetime process!
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Bridesmaid Horror
This week on The Wedding Diaries, I battled the challenge of finding the right bridesmaid dress! Ladies, finding the right bridesmaid dress is more difficult than the hunt for your own dress. Every girl has a different body, skin tone, height, taste, and schedule! Trying to arrange a day, time, and dress with a group of women is confusing, usually unsuccessful, and definitely stressful. My experiences with various bridal parties taught me that the best way to shop for BM dresses is to do it alone. I started my journey in Downtown LA's South Santee St., which was once a hidden gem for finding unique and price reduced evening gowns. Unfortunately store owners have now confused this street with Rodeo Drive by overpricing their merchandise. Most dresses were priced from $200-$500 and many were only catalog orders. I do not recommend spending more than $150 on a dress from downtown. Im also not a big fan of buying from specialty stores that carry bridesmaid dresses. They are again overpriced, the sizes are always wrong and complicated, and they take way too long to deliver. Department stores like Macy's, Nordstrom, Bloomingdale's, Neiman Marcus, and even Saks Fifth Avenue have started carrying bridesmaid dresses.
Buying from department stores gives you many perks such as: Free shipping and return (whether you order online or not), discounts and sale promotions, pictures of what the dress looks like on, as well as a visual of what the dress looks like in different colors. You can pick out your favorite dresses online then visit the store with your bridesmaids.
Another fun and unique process could be hosting a party at a house with all your bridesmaids trying on different dresses. To keep costs down and the process funner I would order one of every dress you liked or saw potential in. Order the size of your largest bridesmaids along with some accessories and you'll have everything shipped to you within a week! Ordering the largest size along with the trick of clamping will allow everyone to fit into the dress!
Another fun idea for the hosting party is laying out the accessories so you and your bridesmaids can try on and photograph different styles.
Don't forget some yummy desserts and drinks!
http://www.etsy.com/listing/155446150/baking-themed-bridal-shower-decorated?share_id=12341976&hmac=cf4d45433eb577abf6097517ddc74985c993a192&utm_source=Pinterest&utm_medium=PageTools&utm_campaign=Share
Last but not least: Bridesmaid measurements! Bridesmaid dresses, like wedding dresses, come in unusual set sizes. They are not like standard sizes we are used to buying, so don't feel fooled by your retailer. Most important measurements are the bust, waist, and hips. Depending on the dress, you must choose the size that matches your largest measurement. Do not order a smaller size (especially when there is more than 1'' difference) in attempts to lose weight and fit into it. Altering a dress down 1-2 sizes is not difficult at all.
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P.S. Remember to always keep your extra fabric! You never know what emergency you or your BM can run into. Also, it might be nice to incorporate the fabric onto the BM bouquets.
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Getting engaged is one of the happiest times for most women. As soon as your struck by the bling on your ring, your mind hubs the spokes of a million ideas. Your future glances at you in a blink of an eye and now you are lost and confused on HOW TO PLAN YOUR WEDDING! It's a battle every engaged woman plans to conquer, and only a few are left to survive with sanity.
While working in a bridal boutique, I came across many bridezillas who surely could be crowned. I mentally noted (and laughed) at the extreme and unimaginable worries of many brides. Two years and approximately 576 brides later, I was ready to face wedding planning and try not to itch for anything zilla.
It's been 6 months since I have been planning my wedding, and I have successfully remained zilla and insanity free. Let's not forget that I like to stay on a budget! I am going to provide daily problems and solutions on how to plan your wedding stress free and budget friendly!
Step 1:
As soon as the birds stop chirping in your head it's time to organize a few simple details!
-Talk to your fiance and your families on the type of wedding you should have. Is it going to be intimate or the wedding of the century? Is it going to be destination or local?
-Discuss finances. Most important! There are many problems that derive from finances in general, let alone a wedding. Set the budget from the beginning (always round estimated expenses a little higher). Decide and divide the budget/finances between you and your fiance. Now you will know your exact budgets and responsibilities.
-Decide your venue options. Unless you have a certain venue in mind, it is hard finding the right venue fitting to your ideal wedding. Dedicate a few days on doing constant research for different venues in your area. Many of these venues easily email you their wedding packages without an in-person consultation. As soon as you have narrowed your results it will be easier to choose. Before choosing, I would definitely recommend scheduling a few appointments to see the venue and speak to someone in person.
Personally, my biggest problem was finding a unique venue that was going to accommodate to my Big Fat Armenian Wedding! When I say big, I mean BIG! 400+ guests to be exact. I ended up choosing an Armenian banquet hall, which is the most accommodating for a large party. Location matters, but it is hard finding the absolute perfect one. Make your wedding more special through details and personal touches you add.
Step 2:
As soon as your venue and date is set, now you can book the major vendors and sent out your Save the Dates. If your wedding is being planned in 6-12 month advance, I highly suggest Save the Date cards. You can call or email, but people tend to forget unless its staring them in the face. You also dont want to send out invitations in that much advance. Also, finalize your ceremony details to make sure time, place, and location are a good match. Just like venue searching, compile a list of local vendors for the wedding.
Priority goes to photographer/videographer and florist, since they get booked out the quickest.
-Photographer/videographer: Make sure to make an appointment with your photographer before booking them. Many of them show their best works online, but you might not like what their packages offer. You also might not like their prints, albums, or style. Make an appointment for an in-person consultation with the photographer to understand their work process for the day as well as look through some of their sample albums. Also make sure your photographer helps you finalize the photo locations. Many places require permits!
-Florist: Try to look for a florist you or someone you know has experienced. Looking through a florists portfolio is enough to decide if you like or dislike their work. Finding out how they deliver can be researched by yelp or through someones experience you may know. You can also ask your venue if they have worked with the florist and how their experience was. All you need to do is provide most florists your wedding date and what they should be expecting. Details of design, types of flowers, and etc can all be finalized a month before the big day. Also be interested in the packages your florist can offer. For example, I received a great package for my wedding. My package included flower arrangements for church, reception hall, centerpieces, bouquets, chocolate favors, and etc. I chose Mary's Flowers in Hollywood, CA, she has beautiful and very tasteful designs and I knew she would we be a great fit for what I had in mind. I know many people who have used Mary's Flowers and everyone was more than satisfied.
Step 3:
Now you can move onto booking other vendors such as dj, musicians, catering, cake, and any extra vendors your interested in.
Once your vendors are all booked in advance you wont have to worry about any details till closer to the wedding. Now you have enough time to organize your theme, ideas, and all the details for the wedding. Make folders on your computer,ipad, phone or my favorite, Pinterest. Organize each detail you want to add to each category. So now when your wedding date comes closer you wont panic or forget what you wanted.
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