Chicago Brides, “Mix it Up” every Friday in February with the team at Bespoke Cuisine! Learn delicious menus, meet new people, and enjoy a four-course gourmet meal. Singles, couples, and small groups welcome!! Check out their ad in our Chicago Wedding Workbook! For the best caterer in Chicago, choose Bespoke Cuisine for your reception caterer!!!
Keep on top of your wedding plans with a copy of our workbook!
We at Bridal Workbooks love to save you money and bring you the latest trends for 2010!! To accomplish this goal, we chat with wedding professionals and bring you awesome deals!!
This week we’ve chatted with a Seattle wedding professional that has a fantastic idea for preserving your bouquet, as well as saving you money. There’s one catch: You have to take advantage of this deal before the end of March! See what’s going on:
Savvy brides are choosing bouquet preservation as a unique method to remember their dream wedding! Evergreen Dreams/Suspended In Time~Auburn, is offering brides a $50 credit if you come in for your face-to-face visit before the end of March!!
Suspended in Time encourages all brides to come in BEFORE your wedding so that they are able to fit you with an encasement that captures your personal style. Suspended in Time has 5 different types of encasements, over 20 frame styles, many different colors and finishes ~ basically everything needed to make your keepsake unique!
Don’t forget to check out the other exciting special that Evergreen Dreams/Suspended In Time~Auburn is running for the preservation of your wedding gown! By using museum quality techniques, all gowns are cleaned individually, stains, if any, are removed, and the dress is packaged in acid-free materials before being triple-boxed and returned directly to the bride. Suspended in Time would is currently offering a $25 coupon toward your future gown preservation!
Take advantage of these amazing offers before the end of March! To book your appointment and for coupons or more information, check out Suspended in Time’s website or call 253-886-6224.
Deciding on a photographer and videographer for your wedding is quite the challenge! Let Bridal Workbooks walk you through this decision to help you create cherished memories for years beyond your wedding day!
Photography
Many photographers consider their profession to be the ultimate art. A real professional in this industry is proud of his or her work product and will be able to capture the essence of your wedding day and the love emanating from you as a couple. As one experienced professional stated, “The image, the visual revelation, is only a small portion of the canvas. It is the ‘fabric’ to which the pigment of memory, emotion, awareness and reason are applied. In some respects it is the most abstract and yet meaningful of all artistic forms. For to be totally realized, the image must be accompanied by the memories and feelings concurrent with the image itself. It is in essence, an entirely unique and original art form to each individual who encounters it.” Aaronstadt Studio.
A couple’s wedding pictures are often considered the most important part of their memories. They become a part of the family for generations. Not only does the married couple but children and grandchildren cherish these memories. What sort of style do you want to keep renewing your memories and that of your family and friends? This is a major decision and should be thought out carefully.
Videography
Videography makes a marvelous keep-sake and lasting memory of your wedding day. Because videography documents your special day, it is extremely important to know exactly what you’re getting in a professional wedding videographer.
For all of these reasons, we’ve chatted with the experts for you! The list below is a brief compilation of items to consider before hiring a photographer and videographer. Remember, most importantly, that you don’t want to focus merely on price. Quality and artistic style is much more important to your lasting memories.
Price isn’t everything! Make sure you’re looking at a professional’s education, experience, portfolio, and artistic style.
These are a few items that you definitely should keep in mind. For more extensive interview questions and ideas, do a bit of research and check out our Wedding Workbooks in your cities! Always keep in mind that these are your memories, you’re paying for them, so make sure they become exactly what you want!!
DC Photographers & Videographers, Phoenix Photographers & Videographers, Portland Photographers & Videographers, Seattle Photographers & Videographers, Boston Photographers & Videographers, LA Photographers & Videographers
ATTENTION Brides and Grooms!! We at the Bridal Network first took on the crazy job (you know how crazy if you’ve begun planning!) of finding you phenomenal wedding professionals that you can trust and teamed up with them to make our city-specific workbooks even more amazing! Now, we’ve taken it one step further and have asked these fabulous professionals to tell us why you should check them out. Guess what?? They responded with some incredible Valentine’s Day (or month) specials for you!!! Here are a few specials, but remember to check back often, because we’ll be posting these fantastic specials all month long! Watch out Dream Wedding, here we come!!
Southern California/Los Angeles
FlorUnique specializes in creative unique floral décor with exceptional attention on detail to make your wedding day most memorable for you and your guests. They also offer affordable prices and the following specials to help in these challenging economical times:
FlorUnique invites you to visit their website and make an appointment with Winnie for a complimentary consultation to discuss your floral decor for your wedding. FlorUnique boasts unparalleled devotion to your wedding, with exceptional attention to detail and service to ensure you peace of mind! Winnie always enjoys talking with brides to help realize your vision for a gorgeous wedding! Contact Winnie by calling 310-480-6464 or by e-mailing (winnie@florunique.com).
Boston/New England
INFOCUS Video & Photo is an amazing company that offers fabulous wedding planning tools to couples planning a wedding. The best part is that most of their tools are FREE!!! Plus, they are running some amazing promotions!! Seriously you don’t want to miss this!
The other fabulous company that INFOCUS is partnered with is Lobster Wedding. These two companies are offering a great little promotion! The first 10 new couples to sign up will receive a free custom designed template for your free wedding website!! So what exactly does a lobster wedding mean? Lobster Wedding is the wedding industry term for a high-end wedding; one where the dinner menu may include lobster. INFOCUS Video & Photo and Lobster Wedding are branding the term because their feedback says the term is fun and easy to remember. Basically, Lobster Wedding = Classy, and INFOCUS Video & Photo wants all of their brides to have their own unique, classy lobster wedding! Lobster Wedding is what’s beyond your wedding budget. INFOCUS Video & Photo and Lobster Wedding want to celebrate your wedding with a website that will live beyond your wedding day! Contact Elena today for additional details and an appointment!
Phoenix
Brides and Grooms!! This is one of our favorite deals!! For the entire month of February, officiant Pastor Mark Faul is running a Valentine’s Day special of 15% off any confirmed booking ONLY upon mention of our Phoenix Wedding Workbook!! How great is that, especially when you’re looking for ways to save money but still receive top notch services?? Contact Pastor Mark Faul by phone (480-276-2162) or email ASAP to book your ceremony, and don’t forget to mention the Phoenix Wedding Workbook to receive your 15% discount!!
Seattle
Chris Watkins Photography has a fantastic and fun Valentine’s Day gift idea for that someone special! What do you think about a winter portrait in the snow? Or a lifestyle portrait session at your favorite ski or snow board location? Call by February 14th to SAVE 50% on your portrait session fee (50% on weekday sessions only, session must be done by March 20th).
You can also check out two NEW EXHIBITIONS displaying Chris Watkins Photography!! The exhibitions will feature a mix of portraits and landscapes, all of which are available for purchase. Check out the displays at these great coffee shops:
Cutter’s Point, Covington 2 – now through Feb 28th and Greener Bean Coffee, Gig Harbor – Feb 2-28th
Portland
Charlotte’s Weddings & More Bridal Salon and 2BE Bride have teamed together to present the fabulous Trunk Show – 2BE Bride on Friday and Saturday, February 5th & 6th. Brides will have the opportunity to meet Terri Hilferty, designer for 2BE Bride! Let Terri help you design the wedding gown of your dreams!
Want to know the best part of this? When you buy a 2BE gown, you will receive $50 off your purchase. If you purchase a 2BE gown and pay in full, you will receive $100 off your gown. Make sure to call (503-297-9622) today to reserve a private room and set up an appointment!
Washington D.C.
Party Plus. Besides their state-of-the-art new showroom, brimming with displays and ideas for your event, Party Plus is giving you an absolutely fantastic reason to check out their specials, all of which run through the month of February!
For the “Month of Love 2010” Party Plus wants you to celebrate 15% off your entire rental order when you book your 2010 wedding!! Plus, check out the “Deal-of-the-Day” in the February 14, 2010, edition of the Capital Newspaper. Clip the coupon and bring it to Party Plus from February 15-20, 2010, and receive a free pair of toasting flutes!!! As if those specials weren’t enough, Pier 5 Hotel and Party Plus have teamed up together for one more fabulous offer for February: FREE WEDDING GIVEAWAY!! How do you qualify?? Register online for this magical offer at www.harbormagic.com/love, then enjoy a beautiful evening of friends, food, and wine on The Inner Harbor!
Remember to add the Bridal Workbook blog to your Favorites and keep checking out our favorite “Month of Love” specials!!
We know what our job is: to find you the latest and greatest (and, on a practical note, the most cost effective) trends that will create the wedding you’re dreaming of!! So for this week, we are going to dwell a bit on details. Tell me, what is hiding in the layers of the wedding cake, dinner menus, flower arrangements, and ceremony/reception décor? Personalization.
It seems that brides and grooms are paying more attention to “honoring” their guests by personalizing the wedding atmosphere and remembering all the little details. Personalizing the details makes guests feel comfortable and welcome and, best of all, makes your wedding stand out as exceptional. Check out a few of the trends that we at Bridal Workbook LOVE:
Alright, you’re engaged!! What is the first thing you want to do?? Tell the world!!
But why stop with your engagement? How about your wedding planning process and your wedding day?? Keep everyone informed by sharing your pictures, videos, and funny stories! Ask advice, search through comments, and receive special links from family, friends, and wedding professionals. Share your wedding day with your out of sight guests, as well as keeping a beautiful little memoir of your wedding.
Social media networks, such as Twitter, Facebook, and blogs, give you the advantage while planning and organizing your wedding! How can you tap into these resources?
Live Broadcast. Most videographers have the capability to upload a live video stream of your wedding to the internet.
Photographs. Did you know that your photographer, working digitally, is able to upload a few photos to your social media accounts?
Twitter/Facebook/Etc. This is especially exciting if the bride, groom, and wedding party post regular updates through your wedding day!
Remember to ask the wedding professionals you’re working with how to integrate your wedding with your social network!
Want to add a “WOW” factor to your reception?? Rent a photo booth! This has become an increasingly popular and trendy “decoration” at wedding receptions. Your guests will love it!
Photo booths keep your reception guests entertained and create a fabulous personalized collage in your guest book. Comments and pictures add a whole new flavor when you’re looking back on your wedding day.
The photo booths that used nowadays are a blast from the past, supped up version of the old photo booths your parents used to frequent in high school. These booths are high tech, high-quality photo machines that provide your guests with entertainment as well as adding a unique touch to your wedding. You are also able to order additional prints, posters, larger photographs, key chains, and a number of other merchandise from your reception photo booth photos.
In fact, we have only heard raving reviews from the brides and grooms who rented a photo booth for their reception! A photo booth is sure to make your wedding reception a hit with your guests!
Check out these fabulous photo booths in your city: DC, Portland, Phoenix
Also, all you couples looking for an amazing videographer in D.C., check out the specials that Maverick Productions is having this week!
With all the excitement and stress of planning your wedding, you definitely don’t want to forget the little details that make the entire wedding party’s day with you a bit brighter!
Traditionally, gifts are given by the bride and groom to their wedding party. This is very important to remember because of all the work that the wedding party does to help make your wedding beautiful. Need some ideas?
Jewelry, perfume, hand bags, 
customized merchandise including monogrammed ornaments, desk accessories, bags, bathrobes, picture frames, slippers, wine, and compacts are popular gifts for brides maids. Popular gift ideas for your grooms men include customized pocket watches and coffee cups, duffel bags, flasks, sports accessories, money clips, cuff links, and shot glasses. 
Now that we’ve gotten the main party taken care of, have you forgotten your little ring bearer and flower girl? Although they have a limited part in the ceremony and planning, they are a big part of your perfect wedding day. You can find great gifts at low prices for these little participants. Gifts may include piggy banks, cutesy purses, activities books, colorful tutus, trendy t-shirts, backpacks, jewelry boxes, and hair accessories.
REMEMBER!! Personalizing a gift makes it even more special and unique! Most gifts can be customized to be exactly what you wanted to make your gift more personal to each individual in your wedding party.
2010 is all about making your wedding unique! Make your wedding special on every level and give gifts that your wedding party will love and remember! Happy Planning!
Check out these links for more ideas: Portland, Seattle, LA, DC, Phoenix
Briar Patch Bed & Breakfast is an ideal site for your Virginia wedding, perfect for small intimate weddings & parties or large events for up to 200. Your wedding or party at Briar Patch will provide you and your guests the opportunity to spend quality time together.
Their outstanding accommodations, breathtaking country setting, and exceptional service is what sets them apart from other wedding and reception sites in Northern Virginia. Nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains near the Shenandoah Valley and close to Middleburg, Briar Patch Bed & Breakfast, their Virginia inn, offers charm and hospitality to match its historic location.
Once the site of a Civil War battle, Briar Patch is a historic farm (circa 1805) on 47 rolling acres with majestic mountain views. They are located in Loudoun County, the heart of Virginia horse, antiques, and wine country.
Welcome to The Attic. This warm and cozy atmosphere exudes charm and turn of the century elegance.
Situated in charming downtown Sumner, Washington, this location provides easy access to major interstates and highways for Tacoma, Seattle, and Olympia guests.
The Attic, built in 1912, offers 4,000 square feet of timeless enchantment for your celebration. The rustic beauty includes a brick interior, an expansive fireplace, wood floors, crown molding, and antique furnishings. A tranquil pool, with water flowing over rocks, provides soothing background sounds. Brides and their attendants dress in the parlor room, guests relax on overstuffed chairs and all enjoy the open ambiance of the ballroom in this private setting.