The Bridal BFF is Getting Married!

Yes. It's my turn!

Six months after our pivotal 'ring shopping' trip, my guy chose May 26, 2012 to put a ring on it.  Chris proposed on the Esplanade yesterday afternoon.  I'll probably tell our engagement story a million times between now and our wedding day, but here's an abridged version:  What started out as an innocent picnic that we had been planning all week ended up with the beginning of my 'happily ever after' moment.  It was the perfect proposal for a girl like me because it was romantic and simple.  Chris is an amazing man.  I am so happy that we found each other and I can't wait to become wifey! ;-)

Bare with me as I officially transition from being a woman who plans weddings for other people to a woman planning her own wedding.  I'm excited that I'll be able to share in the highs and lows that many of my bridal besties are experiencing.  For instance, I haven't even been engaged 48 hours and people already want to know the where, when and how on my wedding.  Eeek!  We are setting a date tonight, FYI.  That's as far as we're going to get until I have a chance to step back, breathe, and strap on my seat beat as I prepare to truly enter the wonderful world of wedding planning. ;-)

My ring! ;-)

One of my fave pics of me and my fiance' in DC at Ben's Chili Bowl, U Street!

Giveaway: Tickets to The Foreign Exchange Show in Boston!

Greetings lovers.  I come bearing giveaways tonight.

Those who follow The Bridal BFF on Twitter know that I'm a HUGE fan of the R&B/electric/hip hop duo The Foreign Exchange.  They are performing in Boston for the FIRST TIME EVER on Tuesday, June 5th at The Middle East Restaurant & Club.  And because I love all of my Twitter followers so much, I want to give one lucky pair a chance to win tickets to the show.  I went to see them last year in Baltimore.  The show was dope.  You will NOT be disappointed.  Not to mention it would be an awesome date night for you and your sweetie. ;-)

If you are in the Boston area and want to win tickets, all you have to do is follow @TheBridalBFF on Twitter and send me a tweet with your favorite FE song.  That's it!  One winner will be randomly selected on Monday, May 28th at midnight! 

Good luck. ;-)

Shout out to @BostonPops on the giveaway hookup. 

Pre-Wedding Yoga, Anyone?

We love wedding vendors who have multiple tricks in their bag.  Boston-based photographer and yoga instructor Maureen Cotton is one of those unique people.  Not only can she take a fabulous photo of you, but she can also help you de-stress before your wedding with a relaxing yoga session.  Many of us flock to yoga studios to wind down after tough days so why not incorporate yoga into your wedding day.  Maureen's yoga sessions would be a perfect way to start the first day of the rest of your life with that special someone.  You can also consider building a session into your rehearsal night and include your bridal party and close friends and family.

Local couple Ashley and PJ are seen here enjoying a morning of outside yoga with Mauren.

Newlyweds Ashley and PJ (seen above) share with us some of the benefits to pre-wedding yoga:

“Starting our wedding day with a grounding yoga practice had a reverberating impact throughout the day and into the evening. With so much to think about that morning, having a structured time to focus on our hearts, breath, and bodies really set us up to be there for each other.” ~PJ

“Having a quiet time to connect with each other and some very close friends was a breath of fresh air amongst the planning, texting, calling and hurricane that a wedding can be! I remember that special time as clearly as giving my vows!” ~Ashley   

Ashley and PJ finding their center with some pre-wedding yoga!

Maureen also shares her views on yoga and the wedding day:

"Sharing a personalized class with close friends and families deepens these bonds, and as one groom said, “set us up to be there for each other.” Couples invite hundreds of people to their wedding because they want their joy to be seen and celebrated by their whole community. Even 30 minutes of shared deep breathing and relaxing movement focuses everyone on what the day is truly about; mutual support and appreciation are natural side effects."

"For most weddings, weeks or months of planning culminate in one day. When that day arrives, couples need to let the planning go—otherwise what was all that effort for? Planning mode puts us in the future; yoga bring us back to the present moment.  There’s a lot of excitement the day of (or day before) a wedding, which is often a mixture of joy and nervousness. Taking on the yogic mindset, living moment by moment, the nervousness dissolves and there’s more room for joy! In the most simple terms, through pre-wedding yoga a couple can arrive fully present to their big day, and and to each other."

Pre-wedding yoga rocks.  We encourage every bridal bestie to get onboard with this idea.  More information about Mauren Cotton and her services can be found here.  Happy planning!

Inspired by: A Garden Brunch Reception

Springtime is a perfect season to be inspired. So why not have a garden brunch reception at your springtime wedding? Brunches are a popular weekend ritual for people everywhere and your guests will love the idea. It's also smart on your pockets, too! People eat less earlier in the day so your brunch reception menu can be light but filling. Your guests will also drink less so that means no need to host an open bar. Opt for a signature drink like the brunch favorite mimosa instead.



Fun mini pancake skewers found via Pinterest


You can incorporate tons of DIY'ness as part of your brunch theme planning. For instance, consider using the budget-friendly daffodil in your table centerpieces. Or how about a yummy in-season fruit at each place setting. If you go with an outside venue then your decorations should be minimal. Allow the beauty of the space to do the work of wow'ing your guests. Lastly, keep in mind that brunches are short and sweet so you'll certainly save money by reducing the hours that you have to pay for vendors such as photographers and DJs. Smart, huh?

A wedding brunch invitation via Style Me Pretty

This idea rocks for a brunch reception place setting via Hubpages

Would you consider a garden brunch theme for your wedding reception?
 
 
 
 
 

{Giveaway} A Fab Ring from Minter and Richter Designs

Bridal besties, meet Minter & Richter Designs.  Minter & Richter is a husband and wife team who design and create one-of-a-kind titanium wedding rings in their Boston studio.  Combining titanium with everything from the exotic -- water buffalo horn and Gabon ebony, to the everyday -- Concrete and Maple, and special found objects that customers send them, Minter & Richter continually reinvents what a wedding ring should be!  We love all of the Minter & Richter rings and highly recommend them to couples who are looking to be unique and different.

Enter Our Giveaway!

To help you start off your life together Minter & Richter Designs is giving away a wedding ring to one lucky reader!*

How to Enter

It is super easy to enter this giveaway.  Here's what you need to do:

1. Visit the Minter & Richter website and pick your favorite ring.

2. Leave us a comment telling us which Minter & Richter ring you would put around your honey's finger and what elements of that design really speak to your personality as a couple.

Additional Entries

1. 'Like' Minter & Richter on Facebook.

2. Follow Minter & Richter on Twitter.

3. 'Like' The Bridal BFF on Facebook.

4. Post a link of your favorite Minter & Richter ring on your Twitter account and/or Facebook page.

Bridal besties, you’ll have until midnight EST on Monday, May 7th to leave your comment(s) and submit any addt'l entries.  We’ll announce the winner on Tuesday, May 8th. Good luck!

*Offer valid on rings up to $200.







  
Hugs,

I Believe in Me. And Other Inspirational Thoughts Going into the Weekend...

Another week down.  I'll toast to that! 

I hope the week treated everyone well.  I am fresh from an inspiring lecture at Harvard on Hip Hop Lessons and the Game of Business given by Ben Horowitz.  Read this dude's blog - it's the truth.  Being an entreprenuer is hard work.  Being an entreprenuer of color is hard work times ten!  But at the end of the day, giving up is NOT an option.  Preach.  Preaching.  Preached.

Here's my one contribution to this week's round-up of awesome things aroung the blogosphere.  This clip comes to you via Ben Horowitz's blog.  Had to share it.  Got 12 minutes?  Good.  Watch this.  Get Inspired.  Thank me later. ;-)

Have a fabulous weekend, bridal besties!  

 

Celeb News: Beyonce & Jay-Z Celebrate 4-Year Anniversary!

I'm starting to think the secret to a successful marriage is an occasional fist bump in public.  Hey, it works for POTUS and FLOTUS!  Whatever the secret may be, we love this image of Beyonce and Jay-Z and wish them many, many years of love as they celebrate four years since Jay put a ring on it.  Yay!

Happy 4th Anniversary, Bey & Jay!

A Cute Beachside Elopement

We found this sweet couple on Pinterest.  Photography is by Jade + Matthew Take Pictures.  How cute is this bride?  Everything from her jean jacket paired with a tealength wedding gown to the girly oversized bow in her natual 'do is casual chic.  And, the giant heart kite?!  WE LOVE IT!

Enjoy.

and the grand finale...

After 'I Do': When Your Bank Accounts Get Married

The wedding planning stage is a great pre-cursor to how a couple will manage their money once they are married.  The conversations between you and your fiancee regarding money should happen once he puts a ring on it, if they haven't already started to occur during the dating phase.  Today, we are sharing a helpful tip on how to have a pleasant financial transition into your life as newlyweds.

When I am hired to work with a couple on planning their wedding one of the first questions I ask is if they have a budget.  Budgets are very important.  Whether it's budgeting what your going to eat for lunch everyday or how much you're willing to spend on wedding photography, everyone should have a budget in place.  I recommend that all couples open up a joint bank account when they become engaged.  You can decide how much you will contribute together and elect one of you to 'manage' the account in terms of deposits and keeping track of receipts.  Managing a joint checking account together while planning a wedding is a smart step towards getting your money to say 'I Do'. 

Most marital issues arise due to money, so start off on the right foot!

Did you and your fiance' open a joint checking account before getting married?  We'd love to hear your advice on this topic.


photo credit

Celeb News: Meagan Good Engaged!

Everyone is getting bitten by the Spring love bug.

Californication actress and bombshell beauty Meagan Good is engaged to her guy, 7th Day Adventist preacher and Sony Executive DeVon Franklin, according to TMZ.  Good and her now-fiance started dating shortly after production wrapped on Jumping The Broom which Good starred in and Franklin produced.  We love this couple because Good stayed true to her Christian beliefs of finding a man who loves God.  We all know how hard it is to do that these days! 

Congrats to Meagan Good!  We cannot WAIT to see the wedding pics. ;-)