{ritzy bee blog}

all a twitter

Ritzy Bee is now on Twitter here...hope to see you there!

n is for {nest}

With or without birds, nests are so darn cute in wedding details from invitations...to cradling chocolate eggs!

 

{Photo credits: 1 + 5 Amorology Weddings, 2 + 4 + 6 Darling Dexter, 3 + 9 Martha Stewart, 7 SuperStock.com, 8 Tara Guerard}

fairy tale details

Happy Wednesday! How lovely & unique are these fairy tale inspired wedding details?

{Photo credits: Elizabeth Messina}

upcoming wedding events

All you New York City brides...we hope to see you tomorrow, April 30 at the Brides.com & Bloomingdale's event at 6 pm on 59th & 3rd!

For all of you DC area brides...be sure to register for this fabulous event taking place on Sunday, May 3rd in Old Town...hope to see you there!

behind the {b-list} scene

This past weekend {ritzy bee} was honored to have the pleasure of meeting up with some of our favorite fellow wedding bloggers for an amazing gathering in NYC for the B-List Conference! Vané Broussard from Brooklyn Bride and Anne Chertoff of From "I Will" to "I Do" were the masterminds behind this great gathering and had a fabulous weekend planned for all of us...here's a little sneak peek into our weekend!

The B-List wedding bloggers...to find out who attended and to learn more about the B-List visit our B-List blog





The event was held at the very cool Galapagos Art Space in DUMBO/Brooklyn



Following a morning of wedding blogger only meetings & discussions...we had a fabulous meet & greet with some amazing NYC based wedding vendors like Sterling Affair catering {yum!}, Hello Super 8, Jenny Ebert photography, Ink & Wit, Mel Barlow Photography, Moontree Letterpress, Two Trick Pony and dozens more!


 
Allison Berlin from Style Made Simple and the gals from Goose Grease



Natalie & Evan from Simple Silhouettes {in Simple Silhouettes of course!}



Vané from Brooklyn Bride and Porter from Nearlyweds



Beautiful florals from Seaport Flowers in Brooklyn

Our out-of-this-world goody bags designed by Erica of Thoughtful Day...wait till you see what was inside!



Custom cookies from the very sweet Gumdrop Cookie Shop

{Photo credits above: Jenny Ebert Photography}







A wine tasting sponsored by Brides.com and put on by Swirl Events rounded off the day for us bloggers. Anne Chertoff, Maria Cooke & Liene Stevens catching up...



Back at the hotel...had to snap a shot on the iPhone of what was inside those fabulous gift bags...AMAZING full size products from Fresh {like the brown sugar body polish, soy face cleanser, supernova mascara & more}, a gorgeous Jennifer Behr hair accessory, a fantastic little clutch from NELLE Handbags, earings from Viv & Ingrid, edible goodies from Abigail Kirsch, Jones Soda, Gumdrop Cookie Shop, Nunu Chocolates & Papabubble, the Destination Wedding Planner from Chronicle Books, a wedding day emergency kit from Hallak Cleaners, yummy soap from Saipua, and papergoods GALORE from Blue Ribbon Design, Delphine Press, INK + WIT, Iomoi, Linda & Harriett, Minted, Mohawk Paper, Nantuka Joy, Paper+Cup, Paperwink, PosePrints, Sarah Drake Design, Smock, Stuck Labels, Thoughtful Day, Two Bees Press & Wedding Paper Divas + more!



Our personal favorite was this custom B-List Jessica Rust Designs mug...SO cute!

A very special thanks to all of the generous event & goody bag sponsors!!!

registration inspiration 101

When couples go to select items off of their registry they often are too overwhelmed or unsure of what items they need as they start down the marriage path. When it comes to china...things can be even more overwhelming & intimidating... should you select fine china or everyday china? Do you go for a more modern look or something more traditional?

Like wedding planning, we think discovering your "style" is helpful as a first step before you select any of your items...picture your entertaining style and what items you will get the most use out of daily!

Will you be hosting lavish dinner parties with a more formal flavor?

or are you more of the backyard dinner party type?

Either way, be sure you consider what you will get most use out of and that suits YOUR life style...not your grandmothers! {We mentioned the new tool over at Brides.com that Bloomingdale's it's a BRILLIANT new way to select your china patterns...so be sure to check it out}

{Photo credits: Brides.com + Bloomingdale's}

hitched wedding dress shopping tips {part 2}

3.  Choose your shopping companions wisely. In the early stages of the shopping process, think about what kind of shopping experience is best for you. Consider shopping with someone in your life who will be able to help you tease out your own reactions to the gowns, or consider shopping alone. Try to create a shopping experience where you will be most comfortable making a decision. Do you normally like making decisions on your own, or taking a poll of other people’s opinions? Evaluating what makes you comfortable will help you decide whether to shop in a more intimate setting, or with an entourage of lovely ladies. 

{Judd Waddell tiered organza gown available at Hitched. Photo credit: juddwaddell.com}

{Modern Trousseau Gizelle gown available at Hitched. Photo credit: moderntrousseau.com}

4.  Don’t be afraid: to like something that’s not in your comfort zone. Don’t be afraid to make a decision when you feel like you’ve found “the one.”  Don’t be afraid if you don’t have that crying, “a-ha!” moment that you’ve heard about (for many brides, it’s more of a logistical, narrowing-down process).  Don’t be afraid to ask questions, because changes can almost always be made to custom ordered gowns. Don’t be afraid to stand up for the gown that makes YOU feel spectacular, even if it’s not your mom’s absolute favorite. Don’t forget—everyone’s going to think you look beautiful in whatever you choose.

{Suzanne Ermann gown, select styles available at Hitched. Photo credit: suzanne-ermann.com}

5. Focus on the big picture. Shopping for a custom ordered gown often requires a fair bit of imagination, since the sample sizes rarely fit perfectly. Do your best to look past the clips and elastic, and remember that when YOUR dress comes in, it will be tailored to fit you, and won’t have been tried on by other brides-to-be (which can often lead to wrinkled or faded fabric).  Also, think about what the finished product will look like in your photos, at the location you’ve chosen, with the flowers that you’re considering, and standing next to your groom. Of course, his heart will melt regardless of what you’re wearing, but sometimes when you’re down to 2 or 3 dresses, picturing him standing next to you will help make the decision clear.

{Hitched gowns. Photo credit: Logan Martin Photography}

Hitched is located at 1523 Wisconsin Ave. NW in historic Georgetown. To make an appointment with us, please call 202-333-6162, or send an email to info@hitchedsalon.com. To see our complete list of designers and upcoming events, please visit us online at hitchedsalon.com.

Thank you SO much to Leigh Ann & the Hitched staff for this very helpful advice today...happy dress shopping ladies!

hitched wedding dress shopping tips {part 1}

Does the thought of wedding dress shopping have you feeling overwhelmed? We are thrilled for a {very} special guest post today with some fantastic wedding dress shopping advice from our good friend Leigh Ann at Hitched in Georgetown. We love Hitched since they carry so many fabulous dress lines and designs...they are the best in the business for helping brides to get hitched {and stitched}!

Hello, fabulous {ritzy bee} readers! As a huge fan of Maria’s blog and creative event planning skills and advice, I was thrilled when she asked me to guest blog. At Hitched, we see all types of brides, so it was hard to pinpoint my “Top 5” gown shopping tips—but here goes!

1.  Start early. It’s a good idea to order your gown 6-9 months before the wedding in order to avoid those dreaded rush fees, so starting the process about a year out from the big day (or sooner) is wise. As soon as you’ve secured the location and have an idea of the overall vibe of your wedding, the dress is the next step! However, if you’re working with a shorter time frame, don’t fret—at Hitched, for example, we carry many designers who are able to turn things around quickly if need be. A quick turnaround doesn’t mean you can’t have the dress of your dreams!

Keep in mind that deciding on your gown will also help set the tone for the other visual elements (flowers, bridesmaid dresses, etc.). Of course, take your time shopping, and continue to do so until you feel confident that you’ve found “the dress,” but once you have—pull the trigger! You don’t want to risk the gown of your dreams being discontinued, which can happen without warning.

{Amsale gown, available at Hitched. Photo credit: Amsale.com}

2. Know yourself, but trust the experts. It’s helpful to start the shopping process with some sort of idea of what you’re looking for. If you want, you can bring in a couple of magazine cutouts, or simply describe to the bridal consultant some visual elements that you’d like to find in a gown. Staying true to your personal style will help steer her in the right direction, but be open to trying some things that she suggests for you as well. Remember that the dresses you’ve seen on models may or may not be a great match for you.  The consultant should be able to steer you towards things that will be flattering on your shape, giving you more options of potential dresses to love.

{Ulla-Maija Anouk gown available at Hitched. Photo credit: Ulla-Maija.com}

{Oscar de la Renta Flower gown available at Hitched. Photo credit: Oscardelarenta.com}

Stay tuned later today for the remainder of Leigh Ann's great wedding dress shopping tips...

details we are loving

Hope you had a fantastic weekend! Here are some of our favorite finds from around the wedding world...

This gorgeous bouquet from A Britton Photography

LOVE this idea for decorating a mirror at a reception from our friend Anne's wedding via Martha Stewart Weddings

This engagement session picture from Kate Headley Photography

set the table

Calling all you brides-to-be who might be in the middle of planning for your registry...did you know that Brides.com has partnered with Bloomingdale's on a BRILLIANT new way to select your china patterns?

Set Your Table is a really cool & fun interactive tool you can find over at Brides.com that lets you mix & {un} match your china patterns, drinkware and flatwear...with endless beautiful options available from registry items at Bloomingdale's. You must hurry and check it out...it's a ton of fun!

 

Brides.com and Bloomingdale's will also be hosting registry events around the country in stores where you can hear from experts, test the drive the tool, enjoy sweets, a fabulous goody bag and of course register for beautiful items at Bloomingdale's!

Here are the details on some of their upcoming events...and we are excited to be participating in the NYC event this Thursday, April 30th...we hope to see all of you New York brides there!

Thursday, April 30th, 6–8pm

Where: Bloomingdale’s 59th Street at Lexington Avenue
Panel: Michelle Preli, Brides.com Editor-in-Chief, Anne-Marie Scali of Perfect Bound & Maria Cooke of Ritzy Bee
RSVP: 212-705-3340

May 7th - San Francisco {details will be available soon}

May 14th - Chicago {details will be available soon}

Stay tuned this week for lots more wedding registry advice & details...