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3 Tips to Trim Your Floral Budget

Posted by lvictoriaflame on 05 Nov 2014 / 0 Comment

Fresh flowers instantly elevate any event. Flowers are dramatic, spark conversation and become a focal point of your chosen color scheme. Truth be told, flowers are always one of my favorite things!

That being said, flowers usually come with one jaw dropping price tag. No matter your budget, here are a few tips to trim your floral bill while achieving that fresh flower aesthetic.

1. Mix high and low centerpieces

One of the ways to still bring the drama while cutting your price tag is to mix high and low centerpieces. Low centerpieces are about half the price of high ones and your guest’s eyes naturally gravitate toward the high flowers. Mixing centerpieces also achieves a beautiful textured look that is less monochromatic. Your guests will leave remembering the gorgeously tall arrangements!

2. Ask for extra loose petals

Florists charge extra installation costs for placing petals along the aisle and on your cake table. Instead, ask your florist to deliver extra petals to your ceremony location and delegate one of your bridesmaids (or your wedding planner!) to place the petals for you. This will save you hundreds of dollars and takes very little time during your wedding day.

3. DIY

Yes there is such a thing as arranging your own flowers! Have some fun and take a floral design course before the big day (or watch some YouTube videos!). Visit your local flower market a couple of days before your wedding and pick out everything you need. Arrange your flowers the day before and store in a cool place. This works well if you are having a local wedding or you have a creative family member who wants to hep out!

xoxo,

Victoria

The Wedding Collection – Xixi Dance

Posted by lvictoriaflame on 29 Oct 2014 / 0 Comment

{The Wedding Collection is a monthly interview series showcasing our favorite wedding vendors who are making weddings beautiful! This month Xixi, of Xixi Dance, is sharing her tips on how to make your first dance memorable.}

We’ve all got different definitions of what makes a wedding beautiful. What’s yours?

To me a wedding is simply a ceremony that celebrates the love between two amazing human beings. So, it doesn’t matter if it is a wedding at the backyard of your parents’ house or at the Ritz Carlton. It is about what makes you as a couple happy. I am the happiest when I can feel and see the deepest level of joy and connection between the two people. This is what makes a wedding beautiful — joy, love, and gratitude — for each other, for the friends and families, for life, and for God.

Of all of the things that you’ve accomplished, what are you most proud of?

This is a funny thing to say, but every time I hear a song, if it is a song to which I have taught a dance, then I immediately see the image of that particular couple in my mind and their First Dance. I have a very strong visual memory, and so I remember their faces, their hair, their way of dancing, and how they interacted with each other. I think of it as an “accomplishment” in the sense that I have created a connection with each one of my couples.

As for a specific accomplishment, I had a couple that wanted to look like they were on Dancing with The Stars and totally surprise their guests, and yep, we made that happen. They took one year of lessons with me and danced beautifully to a mix of rumba, cha cha, and tango. They are still wonderful friends now. To me though, it wasn’t about the dancing. Again, it was about the connection that they built with each other and the connection that I built with them.

What unique services do you offer brides and grooms on their wedding day?

I take each couple’s vision for their First Dance and preferences into consideration and then craft a dance that is unique to them. Some people just want to feel comfortable and confident, and they don’t necessarily want a big choreography from Dirty Dancing. Others really want to learn how to dance and have fun with each other. It’s a personal choice. Regardless, they will walk onto that dance floor confidently and know what they are doing.

Where does your passion for creating unique wedding dances come from?

At the time when I started teaching wedding couples I was engaged myself. The relationship didn’t work out, but my love for teaching wedding dance continued. That relationship helped me a lot in my work, and I am deeply grateful for the experience of being in a relationship, and all the life lessons that I learned about myself. It helped me understand other couples on a more intimate level. What I am creating is not just a dance. What I am really creating is a deeper level of intimacy and connection between the couple. That is what makes my heart sing.

What are your suggestions to brides and grooms searching for a wedding dance instructor?

I think there is a difference between being a good dancer and being a good teacher. It is important that you assess whether they are good at explaining and teaching the dance moves in a way that you can easily understand. Also, you have to like them. It’s mostly a personality fit. Unless you plan on doing a tryout at the Dancing with The Stars show, don’t worry about whether your teacher is super technical. It’s important that they listen to what you want and create a dance that matches how you want to feel on your wedding day.

Xixi “Shi-Shi” is the founder of Xixi Dance and an expert in teaching engaged couples how to dance together gracefully, boost their confidence level in front of a large crowd, and build intimacy in their relationship through partner dancing. She shows her students how to go from having “two left feet” to overcoming their fear of dancing in front of people.

Website / Yelp

How to Choose Your Signature Cocktails

Posted by lvictoriaflame on 18 Aug 2014 / 0 Comment

Serving signature cocktails at your wedding reception is the perfect way to add a personal touch while trimming your budget.

Having an open bar at your wedding is your responsibility as the host. That being said, hosting a full bar comes with a large price tag. Opting for a smaller bar menu including beer, wine, champagne and a couple of signature cocktails will keep you on budget and make your guests happy all night long.

When choosing your signature cocktails think of ways to make them more personal. Here are a few tips to help you pick your perfect drink:

What drinks did you and your partner fall in love over? Your guests would love to share in the fun and hear the personal story of the first drink you ever shared.
Do you have a shared love for coffee or chocolate? Incorporate it into a martini!
Get creative and label your drinks fun nicknames. Have your guests try the Bonnie or the Clyde!
Use your location for inspiration. Having your wedding in a barn? Spiked lemonade hits the spot.
Want to keep it simple? Try a dark whiskey drink for the groom and a clear vodka drink for the bride.

photo courtesy of Sherri J Photography

Signature cocktails are just that, your signature. Make them personal, make them creative, and of course make them fun!

xoxo,
Victoria

How Long Should my Wedding Ceremony Be?

Posted by lvictoriaflame on 07 Aug 2014 / 0 Comment

The length of the wedding ceremony is a question I get asked by every bride. Whether you are having a short non-denominational ceremony or a full Catholic mass the answer is always the same- your wedding ceremony should be as long as you want it to be.

It’s easy to get caught up in all of the details and planning of the reception that you start to view it as the main event. The reception is literally designed to be icing on the cake after a beautiful love-filled ceremony. Your guests are traveling from distant cities and states (sometimes countries!) to witness your wedding and the first moments of your marriage. Speaking those vows, going through religious traditions, and adding in unique readings are the dear moments that will stay with your guests for a lifetime. Your ceremony is also the primary topic of conversation at the reception!

My number 1 ceremony suggestion is don’t rush it. The ceremony should not be viewed as something to get over with in order to get to the drinks and food. Respect your guests that want to be your witnesses and honor your love for each other by giving your ceremony the appropriate amount of time and appreciation.

xoxo,
Victoria

Blogging Bride: The Pursuit

Posted by lvictoriaflame on 01 Aug 2014 / 0 Comment

“When a girl feels that she’s perfectly groomed and dressed she can forget that part of her. That’s charm” F. Scott Fitzgerald

Theo had told me he wanted my dress to be a total surprise.

Like everyone, we have a budget and Theo said the ring, venue, photographer, and dress are the priorities we can allow some flexible spending room. When he said The Dress, my heart sang a little. These little things that I cannot put into words are one of the reasons why I am looking forward to spending my life with Theo. He understands the importance of a dress and how a girl associates her apparel with the sublime event, just like he understands romantic gestures, the beauty & surprise of flowers, the fondness music brings to a memory.

Luckily, I found the dress a lot sooner than I anticipated.. The experience of dress shopping was so fleeting, I almost wish it dragged out so I can enjoy and bask in it’s glow for a few more days … I got lucky and can check off Yes Dress on the wedding madness list!

I didn’t realize that dress shopping would be so… FUN. I loved every moment of it- even when I thought to myself “I love them all! How will I choose?”. It was the first time in my entire life that I felt that I can justify spending a bit more on a luxury garment – something I only get to wear once, and something that hopefully Theo and everyone will find beautiful during the ceremony. It’s probably similar to what a dancer or performer feel when they do their first performance and everyone anticipates what they will wear and notice their presence and every admirable aesthetic detail.

I am petite – 5 foot nothing in height so my main priority was to feel beautiful, alluring, and NOT feel like I was “playing dressup in a grown up gown”. Being petite, my problem with clothes is feeling like “nothing fits” most of the time. At apparel stores, I often wish I have 5 extra inches on me while trying on clothes. While I am petite, I have a fairly athletic build and since my waist is small- 23. 5 inches a consultant suggested I wear a dress that would focus on that.

Some things I learned (that I did not know before) from 2 weeks of the Yes Dress Pursuit:

♥ Bridal Dress Boutiques require appointments. I walked in 3 different places- made appointments for all 3. Wedding Time had a 3 week wait yes, even for weekday appointments. I found the Yes Dress the week before the appointment and canceled.

♥ It’s not like shopping in a store. You don’t walk around and pick 15 dresses you want to try on. Because you are allocated an hour- to an hour and a half, you will probably try on 5-6 dresses max. Your consultant will try to help you find about 5- 7 dresses and narrow it down from there. Try to have an idea of what you want- mermaid, classic, beads, satin vs lace, etc. I knew NOTHING about dresses, cut, fabric so the first 2 places were a bit experimental.

♥ You try on the dress and they will most likely use clippers to pull back the dress for you to make it “feel fitted”. From there, if you pick the dress they take your bust, waist, and hips measurements and order the dress. It might take 4-8 months for the dress to come and then .. alterations! Plan early.

♥ I was quoted $175- 500 for veils in the store!! My jaw dropped. They are fun to try on but I think I’ll find one online for $10-$60. Also, the idea of making one with fancy sheer fabric, sequins, and a hot glue gun is really appealing…

♥ I found that my ideal outfit for shopping was: a simple pull over dress that was easy to put on and take off. I also wore a simple strapless bra and some black spanx so I felt comfortable stripping in front of the consultant and my friends while trying on dresses.

♥ I created an iphoto stream and invited friends including my event planner Victoria Flame, so while I was shopping, they were also “virtually ” with me as well.

love the bead work

I knew a dress was a strong contender when I hear the consultant and my friends tell me, “ you look so happy when you had that dress on”. Since I am a pretty expressive person especially when I am excited, it was easy for my friends to spot and feel my joyfulness when I tried on something that felt right.

I went to 2 bridal places , that had rental options, during the weekday by myself. The ladies that helped me were so patient and very helpful. One place did not allow photos. One place said if I did rentals- I can save cost on the dress.. and maybe that means if I love 2 dresses- I can get both! Tempting.. I resisted that notion.

After shopping with my friend Susan in Glendale, the following week – I narrowed it down to 2 dresses. Both VERY different styles but both glamorous, fitted, lovely. Susan is a great friend to have during dress shopping- she is very honest – “I love the dress but don’t like the bottom at ALL”. She helped me picked out dresses. She took pictures and got excited when I was excited. And since we been friends through so much, this was another memory to add to our already collective life changing memories. Another tip- bring your best friend!

not “Yes Dress”

One bridal shoppe offered a 15% discount for the July 4th weekend. I told myself that I would only feel comfortable after going home and sleeping on it. Susan brought over pho soup and after refueling we looked at the 2 dresses on my big screen TV for close ups. We couldn’t decide, every time I thought I made a decision, I snuck a peek at the other dress and it was love all over again for that other dress.

The next day, I decided to go back to the 2 stores to have another look. My friends Regina and Danielle came with me – it was helpful to have another sets of eyes and they were super excited- it was their first bridal dress shopping experience too!

Lovella Bridal opened their shop for me luckily (they are appointments only but maybe the girl could sense that I was going to pick THE ONE that day). She found the 2nd contender dress (originally found at a different store). They had excellent lighting and after trying on “the Yes Dress” I knew. My friends gasped when I came out and I lit up when I was in it.

The other store offered 15% off and even though Lovella wanted to price match, they could only lower it by $200. I learned that you need to explore prices on wedding items, many things are negotiable or can be found 3 blocks down for a lower price.

I went to Karoza Design (a business own by a Husband and Wife team), tried Yes Dress on again, and ordered the dress! Bonus was I saved $400-$500.

After I purchased the dress and made it mine, the owner of the boutique exclaimed “ Now shoes!”

xoxo,
Mai

Style Selector

tips

3 Tips to Trim Your Floral Budget

The Wedding Collection – Xixi Dance

How to Choose Your Signature Cocktails

How Long Should my Wedding Ceremony Be?

Blogging Bride: The Pursuit