Tuesday, December 15, 2009

And another fabulous blog to read!



Hey peeps- how are you? I'm pretty busy right now getting ready for the Matteson, Il Bridal Expo on Sunday (your coming by right? Details are below.) I'm excited because my table will be swathed in ivory gold and white- a tablescape fit for a queen! I'll be sure to post pics soon.

On another note, I have to tell you about a new blog I found, that is FABU-LOUS!! Yes- that's how you spell that word when its extra special! Today, I came across The African Bride blog http://niaonline.org/bride - and was blown away by the fashion and of course the ideas that you can incorporate in your wedding without them being so cliche. Besides the traditional jumping the broom ritual, hubby & I also included the Yoruba Tasting ceremony but
I soo wish I had known about this site because I would have certainly tweaked a few things to incorporate more of my ancestry in the celebration.

This blog has everything from recipes, fashion, decor, and of course photos of real weddings! You really should take a peek at this site- you'll be pleased you did!!




Monday, December 7, 2009

KaiLee Couture jewelry & lingerie party Dec 20th !



You are invited to attend Kai Lee Couture's 3rd Annual Shopping Extraganza!

We'll have cocktails and dessert, gifts bags for all guests (while supplies last), and gift wrapping- all complimentary!

Fun games with exquisite prizes provided by Sybaris Suites,
Flirty Girl Fitness, Hollywood Blvd Cinema, and M Lounge.

Come purchase your last minute Christmas Gifts!!!
Shop for yourself or others. Come to shop or play games it's up to you,
we just want to have fun.

Jewerly packages $25 Lingerie sets $35, lingerie separates start at $18.

Visit our website: www.Kaileecouture.net

You MUST R.S.V.P for the Location. Please include your name, telephone number and and Guest names (limit 2) . Space Is Limited. MUST RSVP to secure your spot.

RSVP only to: info@KaiLeeCouture.net or 1.888.493.0094

Friday, December 4, 2009

Chitown Smitty Boyz get married! The story behind the pics



As soon as I saw the pics from the Smiity Boyz wedding- I knew this had to be a Chitown related wedding! It had something to do with the style of the whole ceremony-or should I say the *swag* of the brothers getting married, and not to mention I recognized my locitician from back in the day in one of the pics:-) So anyway, come to find out Jamil is from Chicago- 41st & Indiana a la the Washington Park area. Anyway, there has been many negative comments surrounding the weddings fabolousity, but I never knew there was much more to this story- read below!

: Excerpt taking from prideindex.com
When it was time to plan their event, they shared their wedding ideas on Facebook and let their friends weigh in on which options they should choose. Once the wedding was over, it was only natural they would post the photos on Facebook for friends and family to view. To their horror and surprise, someone had downloaded their Facebook photo album without permission. An email chain containing more than a dozen of the couple’s wedding pictures with the subject “The WTD:) of the week!!!” started circulating across the country. The photos from the Sept. 13 ceremony had made their way to blogs like dlisted.com, and several dozen African-American sites like bossop.com, who had posted the photos without permission. They eventually found their way into the email accounts of staffers at Morehouse College and the social commentary and mockery began.

The photos began circulating between Sandra Bradley, an administrative assistant in the Morehouse College President’s office, and another coworker. The following is an excerpt from that email: “I can’t believe this wedding. It’s 2 men. They don’t smile in a lot in any of the pictures and they look like a few brothers I’ve seen in the streets looking STRAIGHT. Black women can’t get a break, either our men want another man, a white woman (or other nationality that’s light with straight hair); they are locked up in jail or have a “use to be” fatal disease. I’m beginning to believe Eve was a black woman and we Black women are paying for all the world’s sins through her actions (eating the apple).”

From there, the email chain made its way to Fulton County government employees, and then to the newspaper The Southern Voice, which made an inquiry to Morehouse College’s President Dr. Robert Michael Franklin. Dr. Franklin runs the all-male historically black college, said they “were investigating and would take appropriate and prompt action.” He said in a statement: “It is my sincere hope that the gay and lesbian community, and most specifically Michael Cole Smith and Jamil Smith Cole—whose wedding photographs became the subject of an unkind and intolerant email sent and forwarded by a Morehouse College employee—will accept my official apology on behalf of the College community.” Miss Bradley has since been fired.

Rather than becoming victims of the mockery and ridicule the couple took a stand and have recently spoken at Minnesota’s state capital in St. Paul in support of Marriage Equality on behalf of OUTFRONT Minnesota. OUTFRONT Minnesota’s mission is “to make our state a place where GLBT Minnesotans have the freedom, power, and confidence to make the best choices for their own lives.”

“I was truly pissed at first for the simple fact that, I wanted this, our wedding, to be something special for us. Someone tried to take that from us and twist it and turn it into something negative, a gay bashing. But in the end even the taunts have made us stronger as a couple,” says Jamil. “Nothing can break us, as long as we stay strong as one. What the devil meant for evil is going to be used for good, more and more African American gays and lesbians are starting to think about love and commitment and the possibility of marriage. Our future is bright as long as we stay true to our love, the vows we shared that day and the respect and admiration that we share for each other nothing is impossible,” Michael said.


Here's the wedding vids:





Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Save the date! December 20th

Your'e invited to Our Next Event !! 50 vendors from all across Illinois will be available including: caterers, reception locations, invitations, wedding planners, KaiLee Couture (lingerie) & of course yours truly! Be sure to get your FREE tickets at http://www.bridalsampler.com/

The Bridal Sampler Wedding Expo
Sunday, December 20th
12:00 PM TO 5:00 PM
2010 Trunk Show
The Holiday Inn Conference Center
500 Holiday Parkway
Matteson, IL


Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Gotta love our first lady's style!

Did you all see the first pics of Michelle Obama at the First State dinner with India's First family? Between the dress and the table setting...all I can say is STUNNING!!!!!.



Wednesday, November 18, 2009

10 ways to Show your man some love!

A friend of mine, John Williams, radio host of The Creative Soul station http://www.blogtalkradio.com/creativesoul recently aired a segment about the top 10 ways to seduce a man.

It got me thinking about relationships and how often people really "show" how much they love each other. How do we get beyond the words and onto the action? So here's my top 10 ways you can show your man some love today, for free! Don't fret ladies, my list for the fellas is coming soon :-)

Pray for him right now. You should be praying for him every single day. Of course we could stop here, but i believe that faith without works is dead. God was good and granted you a mate for life and expects you to love him the way, he loves you: unconditionally! And that's where the work begins. Humans are full of flaws and we frequently disappoint each other and ourselves. So when you get married, its so vital that you pray for him, asking God to continue to lead his steps in the ways of righteousness - and then you can follow him. So here's how w'ell start. Look up the word "Verb" and remember that LOVE is a verb. Its something you should do everyday!

Dress up in a nice outfit just to greet him at the door when he comes home. We all know men are visual creatures, but as a relationship matures- sometimes we can get lazy. Nobody wants to see you in a t-shirt & sweatpants ALL the time when your at home. So take the time to get all glammed up, I mean diva ready -on your way to the club looking flawless and try greeting him at the door with your best assest - A HUGE SMILE!!! I guarantee he'll love it.

Keep in mind, that the only thing you can control is YOU. Don't intervene in the way he does things. Let him have his own style. How often have you asked him to do xyz, and he does it and then you go right back behind him and re-do , just because it wasn't "right" aka the way YOU would do it . I'm not sure why women do this - but somehow when we get married we go into this "momma" thing- where we start monitoring our husbands actions. Take the word NEED out of your vocabulary when speaking to your husband. Ex. You need to take our garbage, you need to do this or that. That's not cool - and it will certainly push him away from you. Remember your not his mom, your his partner.

Work hard at making your home a place of rest for him. This may seem a no- brainer, but many women thinks this only has to do with keeping the house clean. Certainly that's a BIG part of it, a clean house does wonder for your mental state of being because your not looking at tons of clutter and mess. But part of making a home a place of rest goes beyond just the physical. Make your husband glad that he came home to you today. Have you ever seen movies where the husband, hits the bar up before he comes home ("he needs a minute")- that's NOT a good thing. That means hes starting to associate his house with drama. Being a place a rest means your house is PEACEFUL, DRAMA-FREE and its full of LOVE. Its his own Kingdom where he finds rest. His favorite place in the world should be at home.

Do something romantic/sweet for him for a change. Often times, the pressure is on the guy to create all this fantasy, rose petals, candles and chocolates to whoo the ladies- but have you ever taking the time to do something romantic for him? Men like romance too- in fact some are more romantic than women. But the best thing is that many men don't always need the extra fantasy that some women require. So for instance - try making him breakfast before he goes into work on Monday or have a picnic on your family room floor on Friday! . Take him on a weekend getaway. Try purchasing a electric foot bath that he can enjoy. Or give him a nice back or hand rub- complete with massage oil, and a nice home cooked meal & his favorite dessert. A little effort, can go a long way

And then later, do something sexy- Without getting to X-rated lol, try something new in the bedroom. I'm still shocked when I hear women who was the biggest freaks before they got married and then someone "puts a ring on it" and they turn into Mary Poppins overnight. Do you not understand, you have married each other for LIFE? That means you'll have to work at keeping the relationship fresh & spicy. Your man wants to know he has the best of both worlds: the housewife & the "fill in the blank". lol Find out what he finds to be really sexy on a woman- and do your version of that request. Get some new lingerie yourself or ask him to come with you and have him pick out something for you. Be willing to try a new position, new technique and not be all extra girlie about it- ("OMG!- you want what?) the key is being open. And believe me he'll be more than happy to show you :-)

Think about the relationships that you have--which ones positively influence your marriage and which ones don't? Pray about this, and then make some changes. - One of the worst cancers in marriage, is listening to other folks opinion about what your marriage should/shouldn't be. Your husband & you alone should create the type of marriage that suites you both. Just because, Auntie Jody & Uncle Rex, did xyz, had all there children by 30 years old- doesn't mean you should rush to have kids with your mate just because "it's what you supposed to do". Sure, you can heed advice from friends & family & even model some of your marriage on principles learned from other folks, but ultimately you two will create the legacy of your love. So yes ladies, if you have a couple of "friends/family" who constantly promotes negativity towards you & the man- either keep 'em far, far way from you or drop 'em for good. Once last bit of advice, STOP comparing your marriage to others that you see- your situation is unique to you both and it can't be compared. Just because that couple looks like they have it all together, best to believe they have their own unique set of problems as well.

Let him hear you - This is an area, that I think many women haven't been told of it's importance. The tongue has the power of life and death, and maybe you haven't been using it wisely. Ladies, stop being a vessel of complaints & criticism! If more than half your conversation is centered around a complaint or a criticism about your man or something else, you need to change you vocabulary to include more words of love. Call him at work today just to tell him you love him. Do not complain about your day, just tell him you love him and focus on him. Request his opinion about something you might not usually request his opinion about. Thank him for his opinion and do not criticize it at all. Before talking about anything else tonight, ask him how his day went and LISTEN intently. Be the JOY in your husband's life today. Make him smile & laugh, give him an encouraging word, and give him a hug.

Make sure you schedule quality together time as well as solo time- Spending quality time together and should always be a top priority. Spending time on the couch watching tv should not be the only way you spend time together. Find a hobby or activity that you both enjoy and actually spend time doing that thing. Take salsa lessons together, play a game or walk together and hold hands. Also spend some time alone focusing on yourselves. Don't trip when he wants to spend times with his friends, or he wants to watch sports in the other room- this is things he likes to do for himself. You should have things that you like to do solo as well, go to the spa, catch up with the girls, or just chill out at home- its important to spend time apart so that you can recharge your mind, body & spirit.

Thank him! Yep I said. Tell him Thank you. I'm convinced that GOOD MEN don't hear it often enough! But we see & hear all the negative stuff about how "he don't do this", "all of them are dogs" etc. Take the time to tell your good man- you love him, you appreciate him and you thank him for choosing you as mate. Thank him for doing a simple task today. Thank him for going to work today and providing for you & the family. Think of one of your flaws today (not one of his!) and thank him for always putting up with it. Then, do your best to work on making it better.

Do you have any ideas to add to the list? I 'd love to hear from you?

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Celebs Going Modest?

Is it just me or have you noticed a handful of celebs in 2009 have gone more low key for their wedding - showing less skin for their nupitals, than they have on the red carpet? Not that its a bad thing, I guess I just expected more drama, more flash and yeah I guess more skin. lol. Here's a few examples of what I mean,

Kellie Willams ( who played " Laura Winslow" from Family Matters hit tv show),was pretty conservative and her bridesmaids...well you can see for yourself!




Ivanka Trump- (the daughter of Donald Trump), wore a dress inspired by the gorgeous but completely covered actress & icon, Grace Kelley (also pictured below)


and Milla Jovovich, former supermodel turned actress designed & created her own dress, a far cry from the barely there outfits she was famous for rocking on the runway.



So it seems the modest wedding dress is coming back, but some may argue it really never left. Jewel or scoop necklines & dresses with sleeves still sell fairly well. So maybe that fact, proves that are many ladies who still believe you can be alluring without showing too much skin.

What do you feel classifies a wedding dress as being "modest"? What's your thoughts?

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Wedding Gone Sooo Wrong!

I know you've all heard or seen really unfortunate situations that happen during weddings ... maybe the groom puked on the brides dress during the ceremony or maybe the cake rolled onto the floor. Freak accidents happen all the time during weddings, hence the numerous clips you see on America's Funniest Videos. But I guarantee that you've never heard of this hot mess of a wedding. I feel bad that it happened to this bride, but I also believe you have to take responsibility for the things you do as well.

The Story below is reposted from http://www.upi.com

TAMPA, Fla., Nov. 10 (UPI) -- Police said dollar bills thrown on the dance floor during a Florida wedding reception led to a brawl that spread to a nearby hotel.

Investigators said the groom, Markeith Brown, threw the dollar bills onto the dance floor for children to collect, a practice rappers call "makin' it rain," and along with his brother confronted a guest who criticized the practice at the Rusty Pelican Restaurant in Tampa, the St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times reported Tuesday.

The confrontation grew into a fight that spread among guests and spilled into the restaurant's parking lot. Police said one intoxicated man was hit on the head with a brick.

Officers said Malcolm Anthony Hepburn, 30, a convicted felon who was not at the wedding, heard his cousin had been hit by a brick and confronted members of Brown's family at the Residence Inn shortly after the reception fight.

Hepburn allegedly attacked Brown's father, Andrew Thompson, 47, while a female accomplice allegedly put her hands around the neck of Brown's grandmother, Mary Wright, 74, and choked her.

Police arrived and Hepburn was charged with felony battery, carrying a concealed firearm, grand theft of a firearm, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. His alleged female accomplice was identified by police but not immediately arrested.
Brown was not charged by police and left with his new bride on a cruise.



Ok so here's my issues with this story:

1)Forreal groom , you're making it rain on the dance floor for the kids that were dancing? I am aware of the money dance - where people put money on the couples outfits, to financial bless them, but this is a bit much. Even still if that's what he wanted to do - couldn't we just leave the children out of that scenerio?

2) So at what point did someone, say no everybody w'ere at a wedding - let's just chill out. I mean tempers can flare when people have been drinking, but there was obviously no respect for the occasion at hand.

3) Who called the ex-convict to the wedding? He obviously wasn't invited.

4) Do I have to mention this, but have we lost ALL respect for our elders? Granny who is 74 years old might I add, shouldn't have been choked PERIOD!

What's going on people? It's time to grow up.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

And The Point of it All (Is I Love you)‏

Today my husband reminded me of why I fell for him all over AGAIN!! LOL. He sent me this music link with a gorgeous song by Anthony Hamiliton. I can see many couples, using this in 2010 for their first dance. Enjoy!

Friday, October 23, 2009

Photoshoot Chocolate B & B style!

So Im super excited! My next project: a fun photoshoot with a few of my clients! I can't wait to show you the pics. The idea is to show off a few new creations from my bouquet selection. So for right now I have slated three gorgeous girls, all former brides to be who also happened to be my clients. I can't wait. The preperation has just begun! Stay tuned :-)

Monday, October 19, 2009

Quote of the week... be blessed!

"In marriage we marry a mystery, an other, a counterpart. In a sense the person we marry is a stranger about whom we have a magnificent hunch. The person we choose to marry is someone we love, but his depths, her intimate intricacies - we will come to know only in the long unraveling of time. We know enough about our beloved to know that we love him, to imagine that, as time goes on, we will come to enjoy her even more, become even more of ourselves in her presence. To our knowledge we add our willingness to embark on the journey of getting to know him, of coming to see her, even so wonderfully more. Swept up by attraction, attention, fantasy, hope, and a certain happy measure of recognition, we agree to come together for the mysterious future, to see where the journey will take us. This companionship on life’s journey is the hallmark of marriage, its natural province, its sweetest and most primal gift.In promising always, we promise each other time. We promise to exercise our love, to stretch it large enough to embrace the unforeseen realities of the future. We promise to learn to love beyond the level of our instincts and inclinations, to love in foul weather as well as good, In hard times as well as when we are exhilarated by the pleasures of romance.We change because of these promises. We shape ourselves according to them; we live in their midst and live differently because of them. We feel protected because of them. We try some things and resist trying others because, having promised, we feel secure. Marriage, the bond, makes us free to see, to be, to love. Our souls are protected; our hearts have come home."

Daphne Rose Kingma

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

The Pink & Green AKA Wedding!

This past weekend I attended the wedding of a good friend of mine from highschool! Although we didn' t attend the same college, we kept in touch throughout the years so it was good to see her marrying a guy she crushed on from way back in the day!

So as gift to my AKA fanatic friend ( lol- she will kill me when she sees this lol) I created a broom for her pink & green wedding. I also must say she did an excellent job pulling of these colors in the middle of October, in Chicago! So here's a picture of the broom and a candid shot from the wedding, I'll post more pictures shortly- Hope you like it!

CONGRATS AGAIN TO MR. & MRS. CUMMINGS!!



Tuesday, September 8, 2009

The Worlds Largest Wedding Album!






The world's largest museum of decorative arts and design with a a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects , Victoria & Alberts is jumpng on the bridal bandwagon and creating the largest wedding photo album in conjunction with their 2013exhibition about wedding day fashion from all cultures between 1840 and the present including civil partnerships.

So no matter if you married in 2009 or in 1959, here's another way to celebrate your wedding with the world! Check out their site here http://www.vam.ac.uk/ If you look closely in 21st century section, you may see someone you know ! *wink*

Sunday, August 30, 2009

Real Wedding: The Smith Family

Happy Sunday Everyone!

I want to share the pics from one of my clients wedding. Say hello to the Smith Family.....yes they are a beautiful couple and I love their style! Their wedding was held in beautiful Aruba this past summer. They were truly wonderful to work with and I had so much fun creating the brides seashell covered bouquet and broom....Hope you enjoy the pics & interview !


Bride & Groom Names:
Jasmine McGuire and Piarget Smith

Location & date of wedding:
Oranjestad, Aruba June 20, 2009

Describe your WedStyle :
Glam Destination wedding

My favorite moment:
Riding the boat over to the private island where the ceremony took place. We were so excited and nervous at the same time

Wedding advice to Brides 2 Be:
Don't be afraid to ask for help! Bargain shop and borrow accessories. Start working out early!

Best part of being married: Our family is now complete (we have a 18 month old daughter) and it feels like a new relationship that we can begin to grow in a whole different way than when we were dating.





Thursday, August 27, 2009

**Swoon**

I just came across these underwater pictures of a bride & groom and I absolutely fell in love!!! I can definetely see myself & Mr B. doing this in like 8 more years!! lol. The photographer is Jessica Peterson. Be sure to check out her beautiful blog www.jesslorraine.blogspot.com/




Wednesday, August 19, 2009

A year older!

Im officially dirty thirty as of Monday!

My momma always says "Im like fine wine...getting better with time."


Thursday, August 13, 2009

My latest creation...

Yay! We now offer personalized ribbon with your names & wedding date! Here's a broom for a special bride & groom- Congrats David & Eva!



Monday, August 10, 2009

I love this artsy fartsy idea





So know you know I love color!. Look at this Bride to B: Hannah and her creative ideas for her bachelor/bachelorette party. Check out more pics at http://weddingcabaret.blogspot.com/2009/08/bridals-hannah.html

Thursday, August 6, 2009

All The Colors of the Rainbow

I'll admit that I am a bit color-obessed sometimes. I recently found the coolest fabric ever- rainbow hued chiffon with a cheetah print overlay! Yes, it may sound a bit over the top but trust me, its going to make a HOT TO DEF party dress!

So the fabric, led me to wonder if I could find any rainbow hued weddings for inspiration- and thanks to google, I found a few examples... How fun is this!!!.
I was also shocked to see that rainbow themed weddings are not a new thing, my mother said she attended several during the seventies and eighties.
I personally think its a fun idea, why stick with just two or three colors when you can have all the colors of the rainbow? If you are scared youll look like Rainbow Brite did in the 80s, here's how you can pull it off: try using the rainbow in smaller details of the wedding like the invitations, the actual cake , or painting your toenails different shades.

But if you are extremely bold, try opting for bridesmaids dresses in various colors -the key is to have dresses that are in the same hue, so the colors don't clash) How about wearing even a colored crinoline under your wedding dress. Believe, me it will be the talk of the reception as you dance and shimmey the night away!

Im super excited and inspired to create a bouquet with all the colors of the rainbow! Stay tuned!


















Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Marriage Quote of The Week

"Love is wonderful, but beyond that, we have a purpose."
- Actor, Will Smith

What's your marital purpose? Got ya thinking on this one huh ? lol.

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Recession Proof Wedding Dresses

Hey everybody- Im back in full effect!

As I told you earlier, I just came back from vacationing and my husband and I were particularly budget concious this year, opting to do more free or low cost activities and even choosing to cook dinner every night instead of eating out and spending tons of money.

So it really got my wheels turning about more saving money while planning your dream wedding. So, the hunt began for steals and deals. This cyber search ended with 10 wedding dresses for $500 and less- and you'll never guess what online companies have GORGEOUS DRESSES for the budget concious bride to be! Be sure to check out jcrew.com, newportnews.com and davidsbridal.com for more information!