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

This Saturday, our Bright Artistry couple is tying the knot and for the first time we've decided to bring all of you behind the scenes (via Instagram , that is) as we execute this extraordinary wedding in suburban New Jersey. Follow THE BRIDAL PARTY on Instagram for a first-hand look at our teams in action, as we celebrate Lisa & Dave's nuptials on September 21st.  Saturday's going to be a perfect day for a wedding!  ♥   - - - - - - - - - - by Rashana Anderson Founder & Managing Director, THE BRIDAL PARTY LLC

If you're reading this, you're one of After "YES," Before "I DO" and Everything In Between 's (official blog of THE BRIDAL PARTY ) beloved readers. First, thank you for your support.  Second, we'd like to make sure you're always "in the know" with what's going on in the world of weddings (from our prospective, of course). So, if you haven't already, consider adopting a few of the following tools: Be sure to "like" THE BRIDAL PARTY on Facebook ! We have 1,659 fans and counting . Our Facebook page is the perfect place for wedding/event tips, interesting conversation, photos, ideas and exciting news. Follow THE BRIDAL PARTY on twitter too! You'd be joining 955 other readers and supporters , plus you'll be just in time for our second twitter series, " Bride Ideas 3 ," which begins next month. Don't miss it. (details to follow) Also keep track of what we're pinning ove...

We were thrilled to have been invited to cover the red carpet at one of Bridal Fashion Week's most anticipated events, The Knot's 2nd Annual Industry Gala , held at The New York Public Library on October 17th.  Capping off this season's Bridal Market, the who's who of all things weddings ... socialites, designers, event planners and other industry players ... gathered to party the night away and celebrate at what many consider to be the Oscars of the wedding world.  After being shown our place on the red carpet, we were just so excited to be a part of it all! Along with Carley Roney, co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Knot, many other top personalities opened the event by walking the red carpet and providing interviews to the press and bloggers (including yours truly ) such as celebrity event designer Diann Valentine, TLC’s “Say Yes to the Dress” star Randy Fenoli, and bridal designers Amsale, Pnina Tornai, and Yumi Katsura.  (Monique Lhuill...

If you're reading this, you're one of After "YES," Before "I DO" and Everything In Between 's (official blog of THE BRIDAL PARTY ) beloved readers. First, thank you for your support.  Second, we'd like to make sure you're always "in the know" with what's going on in the world of weddings (from our prospective, of course). So, if you haven't already, consider adopting a few of the following tools: Be sure to "like" THE BRIDAL PARTY on Facebook ! We have 1,318 fans and counting . Our Facebook page is the perfect place for wedding/event tips, interesting conversation, photos, ideas and exciting news. Follow THE BRIDAL PARTY on twitter too! You'd be joining 854 other readers and supporters , plus you'll be just in time for our second twitter series, " Bride Ideas 2 ," which begins next month. Don't miss it. (details to follow) If you have accounts with Google, twitter, YAHOO!, AIM, Netl...

Since our very first blog post on August 20, 2007, After "YES," Before "I DO" and Everything In Between has welcomed hundreds of readers, followers, subscribers, supporters and friends.  So, every now and then, we take out some time to reflect on how far we've come in hopes are stretching our scope and bringing bigger/better material as we move forward. Here's a look back at our top 10 posts ever. Honeymoon Suit-able To Have & To Hold Do Them A Favor Vanilla vs. Chunky Monkey Inspiration Board: Vintage Romance Ask Rashana: Do You Ever Turn Down Business Cozy Cup Trust, Devotion, Friendship Cheers Founder, Managing Director ... and MOMMY! Thanks for your views.  Thanks for your clicks.  We love that you're here! - - - - - - - - - - by Rashana Anderson Founder & Managing Director, THE BRIDAL PARTY

If you're reading this, you're one of After "YES," Before "I DO" and Everything In Between's (official blog of THE BRIDAL PARTY ) beloved readers. And, in the hustle and bustle of our busy lives, we want to make sure you are always "in the know" with what's going on in the world of weddings (from our prospective). So, if you haven't already, consider adopting a few of the following tools: Join THE BRIDAL PARTY'S fan page on Facebook ! We have 176 fans, and counting. Our Facebook fan page is the perfect place for wedding/event tips, information, photos, ideas and exciting news. Follow THE BRIDAL PARTY on twitter ! You'd be joining 618 other readers and supporters, plus you'll be just in time for our first twitter series, " Bride Ideas ," begins on Monday, March 8th. Don't miss it. (details to follow) If you have accounts with Google, twitter, YAHOO!, AIM, Netlog or OpenID, use Google Friend Connect...

Hostess with the Mostess™ , one of my absolute favorite virtual destinations, is holding a SURPRISE GIVEAWAY for brides-to-be (and to any friends & family members looking to help them out with a generous, budget-boosting gift)!  MagnetStreet Weddings is offering up a fantastic wedding invitation giveaway at Hostess with the Mostess™ this week: 100 Pocket-Style Wedding Invitations & Coordinating RSVP Cards…an amazing $425 value!! HOW TO ENTER: • Post a comment to the HWTM blog telling them which Pocket-Style Wedding Invitation design(s) from MagnetStreet Weddings you especially love! • Giveaway ends Sunday, February 21st at midnight PST . Winner is chosen randomly and will be announced on the HWTM blog as soon as they’ve accepted the prize. Good luck, everyone!! - - - - - - - - - - by Rashana Anderson Founder & Managing Director, THE BRIDAL PARTY

I just read an awesome post over at Sparkliatti that I could not help but share with my readers. Sparkliatti is a blog headed up by San Francisco based celebrity event planner Sasha Souza, and she recently shared some inside info that many of us planners are all too familiar with: new/up-and-coming planners using sneaky tactics to uncover and copy established planners' business models/plans/prices. These newbies actually "shop" you and it can really get out of hand. Here's Sasha's article (which deserves a big "AMEN" at the end): Over the past few weeks, I've been shopped by other planners no less than twice - and those are the planners that I actually caught doing it. I have my suspicions on three other info requests as well which we are handling with kid gloves. Let me give you a bit of advice regarding pricing both yourself and figuring out who is charging what... It Does Not Matter What I Charge : Why? Because YOU are not ME. Your...

So, what'dya think of our blog's NEW look?  Well ... we couldn't be happier! On August 20, 2007, After "YES," Before "I DO" & Everything In Between , the official blog of The Bridal Party , was born and it's been quite a magnificient ride thus far.  And though the first suggestions made to us about blogging 2+ years ago weren't received with open arms, now, we simply can not imagine not sharing such a rewarding and truly fulfilling dialogue with all of you.  With that said, we're excited to be launching our snazzy new blog look today. Our humble beginnings looked something like this ... But we're proud to have a new and improved custom look that we LOVE! In addition to custom design we've added an intuitive menu bar, in hopes of making the navigation of After "YES," Before "I DO" & Everything In Between a bit easier for our readers.  But rest assured, while we've switched things around a bit...

Since After "YES," Before "I DO" and Everything In Between (the official blog of The Bridal Party LLC ) was selected as a finalist in WeddingChannel.com's blog contest, they've asked to include us on their site as a “Guest Blog” for one week!  Being that WeddingChannel.com has a devoted bridal following, they want to introduce their audience to their favorite bridal blogs and we couldn't be more excited...and moreover thankful.   Stay tuned for dates & times.  We'd love for you to tell your other bride-friends to look out for us on WeddingChannel.com. - - - - - - - - - - Rashana Anderson Founder & Managing Director, THE BRIDAL PARTY

Today is the last day to vote! So RUN, don't walk, over to WeddingChannel.com to place your vote for THE BRIDAL PARTY as “Best Overall Blog" here .  And remember, you can vote as many times as you like! Be sure to tell all of your friends because the blog with the most votes will win a trip to St. Kitts! Thanks!! - - - - - - - - - - by Rashana Anderson Founder & Managing Director, THE BRIDAL PARTY

We are ecstatic to announce After "Yes," Before "I Do" and Everything in Between has been selected as a Bridal Blog Awards finalist in WeddingChannel.com's Best Wedding Planning Blog category! THANK YOU to each and every person who took time out to vote for us. We appreciate it more than you know. So, beginning today, you will be able to place your vote for THE BRIDAL PARTY as “Best Overall Blog" here : Voting ends on July 21, so be sure to tell all of your friends because the blog with the most votes will win a trip to St. Kitts! Thanks so much in advance ... - - - - - - - - - - by Rashana Anderson Founder & Managing Director, THE BRIDAL PARTY

Calling All After "YES," Before "I DO" and Everything In Between Blog Readers! TODAY IS THE DEADLINE TO NOMINATE OUR BLOG OVER AT WeddingChannel.com Here's how it works: Just go to the Bridal Blog Nominations board . Create a new post and call it After "YES," Before "I DO" and Everything In Between . Then, be sure and follow this format with the below information: After "YES," Before "I DO" and Everything In Between The url:  http://thebridalpartyllc.blogspot.com/ Short description of our blog (i.e. Wedding Planning Blog ) A link to your favorite post that reflects our style and category (i.e Inspiration Board: Plum Perfect - http://thebridalpartyllc.blogspot.com/search?q=plum+perfect Why you want After "YES," Before "I DO" and Everything In Between to win? And on July 14, WeddingChannel.com will unveil the most noteworthy finalists. Visitors can then vote for their favorites until July ...

Calling All After "YES," Before "I DO" and Everything In Between Blog Readers! WeddingChannel.com has announced the launch of its first annual Bridal Blog Awards program. Now through July 8th, WeddingChannel.com invites all wedding bloggers and their loyal fans to nominate their blogs for this exciting new program. So, go on over and nominate us today ! Here's how it works: Just go to the Bridal Blog Nominations board . Create a new post and call it After "YES," Before "I DO" and Everything In Between . Then, be sure and follow this format with the below information: After "YES," Before "I DO" and Everything In Between The url:  http://thebridalpartyllc.blogspot.com/ Short description of our blog (i.e. Wedding Planning Blog ) A link to your favorite post that reflects our style and category (i.e Inspiration Board: Plum Perfect - http://thebridalpartyllc.blogspot.com/search?q=plum+perfect Why you want After...

I was very excited to have met Colin Cowie at The Wedding Salon's NYC bridal show in March. I was all the more excited to have received an email from Colin shortly thereafter thanking me for my support.  But none of that compares to how appreciative and humbled I am that Colin has decided to list After YES, Before I DO & Everything In Between as a noteworthy blog over at Colin's Blog: Life At 120 Miles Per Hour ! This is truly an honor, for Colin Cowie's dedication over the years to designing beautiful events AND providing exceptional service as an arbiter of style is second-to-none. As I expressed in my reply back to Mr. Cowie's email, his accomplishments have been an inspiration in that I will always be "passionate about my work and remain a 'student'...[focused to] continuously challenge myself to learn and evolve, [which] I believe is crucial in providing top-notch service" to the clients of THE BRIDAL PARTY . Thanks so much again...

Your After "Yes," Before "I Do" & Everything In Between archive reminder has arrived! Take a look back at what we were discussing one year ago. * Are You A Subscriber? (instructions for how to sign up for email notifications from After "Yes," Before "I Do" & Everything In Between ) * What's On Your Registry [2nd Edition] (five great registry picks) * Planning A Wedding... A Mental Challenge? (wedding commercial sure to yield a few laughs) * Eva et Tony's Parisian Invite (a closer look at Eva Longoria and Tony Parker's wedding invitation) * Inspiration Board: Crystal Ball Rashana Anderson Founder & Managing Director, The Bridal Party

Sobitart Photography penned a new blog post today about the photo shoot they did for RashanaAnderson.com 's redesign last Fall. Chad, the owner and lead photographer, is phenomenally talented. He is also a very good friend of mine. The photo shoot was SO MUCH FUN!  When the time came for our web designers, Onyx Code , to start laying in photography it was really difficult choosing shots. Read a little about it here .

After launching The Bridal Party's fan pages on Facebook in October 2008, our blog After "Yes," Before "I Do" & Everything In Between has just been added to NetworkedBlogs!  We wouldn't want you to miss anything, now would we?  (wink) So if you have a Facebook profile, be sure to become a follower of After "Yes," Before "I Do" & Everything In Between today.

The day I discovered The Smart Planner™ blog I was elated. It is brilliantly written by Arizona wedding planner Liene Stevens, owner of Blue Orchid Designs , and is a wonderful resource for wedding/event planners. I'm happy to say The Smart Planner™ blog has stretched my outlook on the business of wedding planning, therefore, I am so honored to now have been featured in the "Meet The Planners" series. " The Smart Planner™ is committed to raising the bar and to providing business resources to wedding and event planners who share our core philosophies of professional excellence, generosity, integrity and good old-fashioned common sense." Thanks Liene ... for featuring me as well as for providing such a phenomenal tool, challenging and coaching us wedding/event planners to never allow ourselves to stop growing, studying and serving. Read the interview now.

Thanks to Katasha of K Sherrie+Company Planning Atelier , I just typealyzed my blog.  Here's the result: ESTP - The Doers The active and play-ful type. They are especially attuned to people and things around them and often full of energy, talking, joking and engaging in physical out-door activities. The Doers are happiest with action-filled work which craves their full attention and focus. They might be very impulsive and more keen on starting something new than following it through. They might have a problem with sitting still or remaining inactive for any period of time. I was expecting somewhat of a different result ... perhaps ESFP-The Performers , but I guess it says a lot about the tone of my blog. If you're a blogger, why not typealyze your blog and leave us a comment with your results!