Weddings
Valentine's Day may be just a memory now, but love is still in the air as I reflect back on the press preview I attended of the A Soolip Wedding 2013 - A Modern Bridal Event which will be open to the public on Sunday, March 3 in Los Angeles. In fact this sneak peek gathering of print and digital media staged in the St. Pucchi Flagship Bridal Salon on Sunset Boulevard was so beautiful, it made me want to be a young blushing bride and to get married all over again.
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| Current season wedding dress confections at St. Pucchi in Los Angeles |
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| At St. Pucchi Bridal Salon the details are exquisite |
From tips on choosing engagement rings and wedding bands to hiring an event planner and photographer to identifying trends in dressing both the bride and the groom to deciding on invitations to inspiring ideas on destination ceremonies, flowers, food and drinks to serve the wedding party and guests -- this insider's event covered it all.
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| Pink Rhubarb Smoothies Elegantly Presented at the Juice Bar |
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| The event was complemented by pastel pink & white rose bouquets |
Following a sophisticated brunch by Good Gracious! Events that included silver tray champagne service, rhubarb smoothies, Nutella stuffed french toast and other delectable drinks and food those of us attending were enlightened by a panel discussion about the latest trends for California brides and grooms.
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| Designer bridal salon St. Pucchi located at Sunset Plaza in West Hollywood |
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| Champagne presented with an unexpected garnish |
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| Bite-size Nutella Stuffed French Toast on a bejeweled serving tray |
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| The press gather before the panel discussion begins |
Leading the chat on West Coast wedding trends were top experts representing different facets of the business
- Wanda Wen, A Soolip Wedding - Soolip Paperie and Press
- Pauline Parry, Good Gracious! Events - Food & Drink
- David Pressman, David Pressman Events - Event Planning
- Rani Totman, Owner & Designer of St. Pucchi - Wedding Dresses
- Nelson Holdo, Black Starr & Frost - Engagement & Wedding Jewelry
The well-appointed presentation started out with a big Wow! when Nelson Holdo nonchalantly pulled a million dollar yellow diamond ring out of his pocket for us all the see. Except for the Hope Diamond in the Smithsonian and the Crown Jewels in London, I don't think I've ever been that close to a gem of such great beauty and value.
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| Me with wide eyes after seeing the million dollar diamond up close |
Not everyone can afford a diamond of that magnitude but us girls can all dream about one, can't we? Seriously, in case you're wondering: my own engagement ring is gorgeous and still my favorite piece of jewelry after more than 25 years. So for those getting married this year my advice to you is to be sure to select a ring that you truly love so that it will accompany you happily through many years of wedded bliss.
As far as trends go, the panelists all agreed that most notably today's modern bride is getting married at an older age and is more sophisticated than previous generations in her choices. She knows what she wants and she's planning her own wedding -- often joined by the groom for the decision process that once was strictly the domain of the bride's parents. And now more than ever couples are often likely to have a financial stake in the festivities, paying for all or at least part of the expenses involved.
Weddings are tending to be smaller with fewer than 100 guests. But at the same time costs continue to rise because couples are more focused on the details that will make their celebrations more personalized with the average wedding costing $28,700 and the luxury wedding budget hovering around $95,000 and beyond. Thankfully, for the most part, free-spirited couples today want to own their weddings but they still have a desire to respect and honor their families' traditions.
Truly so much information was imparted at this event, way more than will fit into a single blogpost.
So, watch for these future MommyBlogExpert posts soon
- 3 Main Things to Consider When Shopping for a Wedding Dress
- Trends in Wedding Dresses & Accessories
- Styling the Groom
- What's Acceptable for Moms Getting Married
- Tips on Hiring & Working With an Event Planner
Just to show you how much has changed in the last 25 years, here I am with my own bridal party. The inspiration for my wedding dress which I made designed and made myself comes from Lady Diana who married Prince Charles shortly before I took my own vows. All the bridesmaids made their own dresses too.
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| My mid 1980s Wedding Party - I made my own dress, so did all bridesmaids |
How I would love to get married again to my darling hubbie with all the modern elegant options that are available to today's couples tying the knot!
FTC Disclosure: I attended the A Soolip Wedding 2013 press preview event and received a gift bag. However, I did not receive any payment or other compensation associated with this post. Opinions in this post are my own. See complete FTC Disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's main page and at the bottom of every individual post on this blog, including this one.
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