Handmade Bridal Shoes: DiKusa

Why are handmade goods so popular for weddings right now? Part of the reason is that they allow a lot of room for customization and personalization. But they also impart a quality that makes them suitable for heirlooms and "handing down". We were intrigued recently when we heard about companies focusing on handmade bridal shoes. One of them is DiKusa, which features intricate designs using hand-beading, embroidery, Swarovski crystals, and rhinestones.



See more at DiKusa's website by clicking below.

Staying Inspired While Losing Weight

If you've visited our message board, you already know that several of us signed up for the 50 Million Pound Challenge (headed up by Dr. Ian Smith and sponsored by State Farm) at the beginning of this year. Many of us have been on crash diets in the past. But as the adage goes, "Slow and steady wins the race." Many of us are just finding out how true that old saying is. I have lost 17 pounds since January. But, for me, my success truly depends on paying attention to my state of mind.

Here's my issue: I'm not a new dieter. I'm a serial dieter. Heck, I've even been a cereal dieter. (Ugh, don't ask. Just know that I'll never replace dinner with a bowl of kibble ever again.) Somewhere along the way, in the course of every diet no matter how much weight I lost, I got discouraged. Sometimes it was because of a plateau, other times it was because my taste buds just wouldn't take another day of whatever ultra-restricted menu I was following.

But now I'm working WITH my body instead of against it and allowing a little give and take when it's called for. I'm able to stay inspired by reminding myself that staying healthy really is a journey (and a fun one when you have friends to travel with!). So far, that change has given me the steady weight loss I had been looking for. When I think back on it, I realize that it's easy to slip when you lose sight of the goal. Nowadays, I no longer dwell on how far I have to go. I'm able to remain inspired by reminding myself where I'm headed with my health. Visualizing myself as I want to be and doing what I want to do without getting tired seems to do the trick for me.

If you're looking to get healthier, join us!

Wedding Vendors: Professionals vs. Hobbyists

- by Lisa

What are the differences in hiring a professional vendor vs. a hobbyist? There are valid pros and cons to each. I’m not just talking about coordinators/planners, but also about DJ’s, florists, videographers, and photographers – collectively. Even though everyone has a different art and different strengths, the topics which I will discuss do cross “vendor lines”.

1. Professionals dedicate their career to their art. What’s good about this? They have more time to think about their business and their work, which gives them more time to make themselves, and their product, better and more attractive to you (the Bride and Groom). They are focused on the goal. They are able to take calls at all times of the day (without a boss breathing down their back). They are able to schedule meetings at times that are convenient for you (as they are available during the day and evening – minus meetings, events, and other engagements). They also have more time to keep up with the industry trends, and keep you up to date with happenings around your local area.
Many hobbyists are very good at what they do. However, focus may be lacking. When the day job consumes 8-10 hours a day, how much time do you think they have to focus on making their product more appealing to you (the Bride and Groom)? How responsive will they be when you call with questions, concerns, or an emergency? Will they have to wait until the work day ends to attend to your needs? Will they be available during the day, if that’s more convenient to you?
2. Cash. Generally professional vendors are a bit more expensive than hobbyists. Why? Overhead! Generally, they hire people who are knowledgeable bring their talent to your wedding. They also invest more money into their business, thus equipment used is generally of higher quality. The vendors spend more time educating themselves. For instance, the DJ will have a greater selection and knowledge about music, crowd control and crowd patterns. The planners will spend more time making sure all the details are addressed and tended to. The editing of the video will be of better quality. Often times, vendors will rent space so that they can broadcast their work in style. All of these small details make a huge impact on the outcome of your day.
Hobbyists generally have less overhead, and another job, and therefore can afford to charge a bit less.
3. A lot happier Brides. I know from experience that those who dedicate their time and energy to their wedding career have a lot happier Brides. I know both sides of the story. I had a full time job and a wedding business. I have also had my wedding career. When having a full time job, I had happy Brides, but since going full time, I have ecstatic brides. I really do believe that the difference is in the small things that now I am able to do to make my couples and their families happy.

I am not advocating that you spend a ton of money in every aspect of your wedding. However, I do think it’s important that you hire people that will help you create the day you dream it will be. There are different levels of professionals, and you will find a few that will fit your style and budget. After all, you are making a huge investment as you start of your life together. It happens once. There should be no regrets and no looking back and wishing.

Nedjetti: Natural Hairstyles for Brides

Black women are blessed to be able to enjoy a wide range of hairstyles, whether relaxed or natural. We're often contacted by natural brides-to-be who want to thank us for the styles we include on our hair blog, because they've had a hard time finding what they're looking for. The good news is that right now lots of natural stylists, loc-ticians, and braiders are putting out the word that they are creating formal styles for women who are tying the knot. One of them is Nedjetti (seen in the upper-left photo), a stylist in the New Jersey/New York area. Several of her hairstyles are below, and we'll be featuring many more on African American Wedding Hairstyles along with all of the other natural, relaxed, texturized and braided styles we continue to spotlight.





Hair by Nedjetti Salon
Bloomfield, NJ & NYC
973.748.0181

Gift for the Groom: The Obama Watch

Here at African-AmericanBrides.com, we were thrilled to get to try out the new Jorg Gray timepiece. It's the Commemorative Edition of the Jorg Gray 6500 watch President Obama often wears. The President has been photographed while wearing the watch to several events, including the inaugural swearing-in and the signing of his first presidential proclamation. We didn't know what to expect until we received one, but in all honesty we were genuinely impressed with the quality.
The first thing you'll notice is the thick, scratch-resistant crystal covering the watch's handsome face. The band is made of smooth Italian buffalo leather, while the casing is made of polished stainless steel. It's definitely one of those special gifts one might consider for a best man or groomsman. But considering the Obama's enduring marriage, it would be a purrrrfect gift for a groom! What man wouldn't love to receive this watch from his bride and show it off to his friends?




You can see the rest of the line at JorgGray.com.
Commemorative Edition Jorg Gray 6500
$325

Wording Your Invitations: How to Get It Right

- by Lisa
I believe in wording invitations properly, especially when the bride and groom rightfully want to honor the people supporting them. Since we've been talking about invitations this week, I wanted to share a simple guide with you. This guide addresses some of the more common situations that couples face when it comes to invitations by looking at the invitation line-by-line and suggesting options.

The "Host" Line

Bride’s parents hosting:
Mr. and Mrs. Brian Nelson

Brides and Grooms parents hosting:
Mr. and Mrs. Brian Nelson
Mr. and Mrs. Marc Tasby

Bride’s parents hosting, but want to also honor
Groom’s parents:
Mr. and Mrs. Brian Nelson request the honour of your presence at the marriage of their daughter
Ms. Lisa Renee
to
Mr. Bryant Christopher Nelson
Son of Mr. and Mrs. Brian Nelson

Divorced parents:
Mrs. Lisa Nelson
Mr. and Mrs. Brian Nelson


Couple hosting:
Lisa Williams
and
Brian Nelson

Couple hosting with families:
Together with their families
Lisa Williams
and
Brian Nelson



The "Request" Line

Married in a church: request the honour of your presence
Married outside the church: request the pleasure of your company
Informal – parents hosting: Would be delighted by your presence
Formal – couple hosting: Invite you to join them in celebrating their wedding

Date and Time Lines
Traditional:
Sunday the twenty-second of June
two thousand and two
at half after two o’clock in the afternoon

Contemporary:
Sunday, June 22, 2002
at 2:30 PM


Location Line:
Ceremony held at a church or synagogue:
Helen Hills Hills Chapel
Northampton, Massachusetts

Ceremony held at another location:
The Tea Room
The Brandt House
Greenfield, Massachusetts

Reception Line
Reception and ceremony at same location:
and afterward at the reception

Ceremony and reception at different places:
Reception immediately following the ceremony
The Log Cabin

Registry information never goes on, or with, and invitation. I suggest to our clients that save the dates include a wedding website address, which could contain registry info. Otherwise, registry information should be passed by word of mouth.
Each couple is individual and has individual situations. If you need suggestions for alternative wording, or you have a complicated situation, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Lucky Paperie: Candy-Colored Vision

If you could create your dream wedding stationery, what would it look like? Melanie Carter gets to answer that question everyday as the owner of Lucky Paperie. For her boutique she chooses modern, hand-crafted letterpress designs for keepsakes like invitations, placecards, menus, and ceremony programs. Those creations can then be customized with a variety of materials such as satin ribbon, monograms, and sparkles.




Even though the Georgia-based boutique is making a splash in the wedding industry, Lucky Paperie actually offers paper goods for all occasions. See more online.

Wordless Wednesday: Bride Unleashed

Courtesy of Tony Valadez Photography