After "YES," Before "I DO" and Everything In Between

It seems the Royal Wedding went off without a hitch.  It was exciting, romantic and awesomely memorable.  Throughout the weekend there's sure to be continued coverage of the day's events from different points of view and varied outlooks.  But for us, the stand-outs were the brothers , the ritualistic pomp and circumstance and the dress ! The Brothers While touched by many of the special moments surrounding Prince William and Catherine Middleton's wedding, my personal tear-jerker was the departure of Prince William and his brother, Prince Harry, from Clarence House riding together to Westminster Abbey.  The love between the two princes is obvious, as is the spirit of their mother, Princess Diana, who continues to shine through them.  Also, their uniforms were impeccable ... not at all pretentious, just exuded genuine pride.  William was dashingly handsome in red - wearing the tunic of an Irish Guards officer, as he holds the honorary rank of Colonel of the Irish Guards

Check out a new and unique way to "discover the fine art of your celebration."  Paper, Gowns & Glory !  This wonderful studio specializes in custom cake toppers and paper sculptures of brides, grooms and those snazzy gowns."  All tiny sculptures are made with acid free paper and archival glue ... miniature keepsakes to enjoy your dress long after the day is done."  What could be cuter than a mini-you ? And just when you thought it couldn't get any better, floral designs and tablescapes are available too by way of Japanese, Italian, recycled and local handmade papers. - - - - - - - - - by Rashana Anderson Founder & Managing Director, THE BRIDAL PARTY

As the world awaits what is arguably the "wedding of the year," Prince William's bride-to-be has already successfully influenced several interesting trends. Not only are hairstylists being inundated with "I want the Kate Middleton," but a new love for hats (particularly fascinators) has also been awakened. And when it comes to brides, women everywhere are lucky to be able to incorporate both the long-layered Kate cut AND stunning fascinators to their once in a lifetime ensemble, if they so chose. Feast your eyes on a few of our favorites below. Quite frankly, these pieces will ensure your walk down the aisle is nothing short of AH-MAZ-ING! PRESTON & OLIVIA  FASCINATORS NYC J AY B MILLINERY LA PLUME ETHERE LO BOHEME - - - - - - - - - - by Rashana Anderson Founder & Managing Director, THE BRIDAL PARTY

Guess who has partnered with Rexcraft to offer wedding invitations, save the dates, personalized favors, wedding party gifts and more online?  None other than Bed, Bath & Beyond .  Click below for a closer look! - - - - - - - - - - by Rashana Anderson Founder & Managing Director, THE BRIDAL PARTY

Dear Rashana, I just got engaged and I am super excited!  I want to do this right, so I know hiring a wedding planner is important from the start.  I want a 'David Tutera wedding' and I'm confident you can help us achieve this.  Our budget is $11k.  That's doable, right? - Engaged & Excited *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * Dear Engaged & Excited and the thousands of other newly engaged out there, First, thank you for your confidence in THE BRIDAL PARTY to pull off a 'David Tutera wedding.'  What a compliment!  And yes, it is definitely doable to have a beautifully memorable wedding within a budget of $11k.  HOWEVER, your "My Fair Wedding" dreams may need to be ... let's say ... tweaked. Just as brides and grooms have different tastes when it comes to venues, flowers and entertainment, there are also many levels of spending that fluctuate from couple to couple.  One of the most common of questions I'm asked by prospective clients is

We, along with wedding "fashionistas" worldwide, were so excited to learn Vera Wang had teamed up with David's Bridal to produce a modestly priced line of exquisite wedding gowns and accessories. The WHITE collection debuted in 150 stores in February and has received rave reviews, for its beauty as well as its affordability. Yes, ladies, now you can have Vera for $1500 or less. So if you haven't included David's Bridal on your gown shopping itinerary, you may certainly want to reconsider. And here's why ... - - - - - - - - - - by Rashana Anderson Founder & Managing Director, THE BRIDAL PARTY

If you've ever been a bridesmaid OR you've ever selected bridesmaids for your own wedding, you will likely be able to relate to much of the foolery depicted in this upcoming release. Yes, it's a movie about BRIDESMAIDS and it looks to be quite a doozy! Hits theaters next month. - - - - - - - - - - by Rashana Anderson Founder & Managing Director, THE BRIDAL PARTY

Once upon a time, I NEVER used the camera on my BlackBerry and couldn't fully understand why others did.  But that's all in the past now ... a dream of days gone by. Nowadays, I find myself snapping away at anything personally intriguing for a multitude of reasons.  So, I thought, why not share? After all, part of this blog is about "the journey" to creating fabulously flawless events. Here's my random relay of spontaneous pics from February/March 2011.  Let us know if you're able to make any sense of it.  Ha! "'Diamonds And Pea-rls' ... perfect Sunday afternoon music.  Prince is simply timeless." "Waaaay too excited to have just purchased my first batch of baby food. Babies change everything!"  "Beautiful day in the BK ... heading to meet with our 'Brooklyn Bride!'"  "... thinking my closet may need this trench. Hmmmmm." "Always love seeing this collection by philosophy during my vi

Vera Wang's final Barbie "bride" doll goes on sale tomorrow, the  Vera Wang™ Bride: The Traditionalist Barbie® .  A true collector's item, 2,500 dolls were made worldwide but only 1,000 are available to purchase.  Vera always does such a magnificent job each and every time Barbie decides to marry - her Romanticist Barbie® was our favorite until we laid eyes on this year's Traditionalist Barbie®.  It's gorgeous!  Based on the impeccable "Dovima" gown (pictured at bottom), this "doll captures the luxury, impeccable detailing, and superior workmanship that define Vera Wang." The gorgeous beauty goes for a hefty $159.95, but if you have a mature and gracious little girl in mind for this little treasure, she's likely to cherish and preserve it for years to come. I know my flower girls LOVED the Barbie brides I gifted them for participating in my own wedding. Plus, BarbieCollector.com has announced its first-ever personalization program

Chances are, you've already met us and we've wow'd you with ideas, design suggestions, advice or even came to the rescue on those last-minute wedding day errands.  But just in case you haven't met all of our acquaintance, we'd like to introduce our fabulous core team!  After all, what's a wedding without THE BRIDAL PARTY ? Rashana Anderson Founder & Managing Director Professional Bridal Consultant™ As a wedding singer-turned-wedding planner , Rashana Anderson brought 11 years of experience in marketing, project management, film and television to the event planning industry when she founded THE BRIDAL PARTY LLC in 2007.  She is a seasoned Professional Bridal Consultant™, graduate of Rutgers University, an active member of the Association of Bridal Consultants as well as a Distinguished Graduate of their prestigious professional development program and the proud mother of boy/girl twins. Two people Rashana would love to have as guests at a dinner