I screamed, literally.

Some of you may know, some of you may not, but I love, L-O-V-E LOVE Kat Williams of Rock N Roll Bride and whether she knows it or not (she totally does cause I have send her creepy "I adore you" emails) she is part of the reason why Hip Marry exists, the other reasons you can find here.  Well yesterday when I got home from work Issue Three of her magazine was waiting for me.  My sneaky husband had failed to mention this and when I saw that shiny hot pink envelope sitting on the record player I screamed.  Out loud. SCREAMED.  No words came out, just a scream, like a 13 year old girl.
Now I am just trying to pace myself.  As temped as I am to read it from cover to cover RIGHT NOW, I also want to make it last.  I've already thumbed through the whole thing and stared at all the beautiful images and daydreamed about our next issue and it takes me to my happy place.  I think that I have decided to read one article a night, hopefully with an adult beverage in hand, and truly enjoy it, be inspired by it, make notes about it and dream to the moon and back about the future of Hip Marry.

I highly advise you to go and get a copy of your own before they are all gone.

Princess for a day

Again, this is an article from the first issue, just in case you weren't one of the lucky ones that got an actual copy.

All of the stress and all of the planning that you deal with for the months leading up to your big day should result in one thing, a smooth, relaxing and perfect wedding day.  After you pick your dress, the bridesmaids’ dresses, everyone’s shoes and help your mother decide what she will wear, your own complete look on that day can slip to the back of your mind.  The bride’s hair and make-up can be something, aside from pinning pictures on Pinterest, that slips into the background while all the other details get solidified and paid for, but it can be a big part of feel of the wedding day.  Imagine having professionals with you, on site, making sure that you and the whole bridal party get treated like royalty and set the tone for the first day of the rest of your life.  Imagine having the entire salon reserved for you and your girls, complete with pastries, orange juice and glasses ready for champagne.  Either one of these situations can help you relax and enjoy the day that is meant to celebrate you and your groom.  Having a licensed hairdresser and a professional make-up artist on hand to create your total look can give you that extra boost of confidence as you walk down the aisle with all eyes on you.  It can also give you hair and make-up that lasts until the end of the night, after all the hugs, food and dancing you are still as radiant as the moment you walked down the aisle.  I know that it’s tempting to save some money and have your cousin or your aunt or even your mom curl your hair and get to spend those precious moments together on your big day together but wouldn’t be even better if you still got to spend all the time while both being pampered and given a professional touch with tips and tricks that will help maintain your look throughout the day or night?

At Bluebird Style Studio we have a team of talented stylists and access to some of the best make-up artists in the Wabash Valley in order to help you look your best and get the most out of your wedding day.  There are a lot of businesses out there that hear the word “wedding” and automatically increase the price and I am here to assure you that we have never and will never do that.  We take pleasure in helping you make your day perfect and we don’t believe that upping our prices for the bride or because it’s your wedding day helps accomplish that.  We want to translate our years of experience in our field into making your day the best that it can be.  We can come to you or you can come to us, the most important thing is that you and your bridal party is comfortable, at ease and looking the best that they can for the entire wedding.  Call the salon and get your wedding date reserved for you and your bridal party today!

In case you missed it

This article is from the very first issue of Hip Marry magazine and just in case you missed it, here it is, in all it's glory!

Tips for the first time bride

I got married last year, for the second time, and I did a lot of things differently.  This time around me and my groom paid for everything ourselves, partially because it was only fair, we had both done this before and partially because we wanted total control.  Not everyone has that luxury, and believe me, we only did because our total guest count was 35!  I’ve compiled a few tips for the first time bride, or the second, to help make your day the best ever!

1.  Don’t forget your groom.

I know, I know, they all say that they don’t care or that it’s all up to you, but really they care, I promise.  He might not have a preference on the flowers or what type of gown you wear, but he cares about something.  Give him complete control over one thing, whether it be the food, the Web site, I’ll get to that later, or the Honeymoon but give him something.  This is his day, too and it will help him enjoy it more.

2.  You get what you pay for.

I’m not just saying this on behalf of all of my friends that are in the wedding business, I’m saying it for you!  Let me clarify, I not saying that the most expensive is always the best, I’m just saying that if you go with a bargain, there might be a reason.  Practice makes perfect and that applies to all things wedding, if you’re getting someone that is new to the business, they might charge you less but they might not know what to do when disaster strikes.  Do your research and know what is the most important to you.

3.  Don’t get a facial, spray tan or a brand new hair color right before the big day.

I know that you want to pamper yourself, and you should, but you need to know how your skin is going to react to a new product or procedure before risking your wedding day skin on it.  Same thing with a spray tan, try it out a minimum of a month before, that way you have time to make adjustments and you know that you won’t look unnatural or smudged for your pictures.  If you decide that you want to try a new hair color, please wait until after, but if you insist, at least go see a professional.  They can be sure that your red doesn’t look pink or that your rich brunette isn’t too ashy.

4.  Don’t forget to eat.

I know that every article like this that you read says this, so it has to be important, right?  At the least, ask if the salon that you and your wedding party will be patronizing offers refreshments, if not make sure that someone, your mother, maid of honor or just someone wanting to help, gets you something.  Not only is it important to eat before but I would put money on the fact that you’ll be hungry after the reception.  Have someone pack up a couple of plates and sent them to your hotel room so that you and your husband can finally have a quiet moment together and be nourished and ready for your honeymoon.

5.  Assign a “wing man”

Everything on your wedding day is about you and your new husband but it’s still important to give people specific responsibilities.  Something as simple as you wanting a Diet Coke can get lost in the shuffle if you don’t know who you’re talking to.  Find your most assertive bridesmaid, family member or friend and help them help you.  They can meet the florist and the baker with deliveries and payments, they can make everyone leave the room when you need a moment alone and they can get you that Diet Coke!

6.  Watch out for service charges.

When it comes to your wedding vendors be sure to ask about tips and service charges.  Some caterers include them in their prices and some tack it on after the fact.  Same thing with your hair and makeup, in most cases, while it is courteous to tip, it is not required, but be sure to ask, just in case.

7.  Look like yourself, only better.

I get a lot of questions about makeup on your wedding and since I don’t actually do makeup the best that I can tell you is to be yourself, only better.  More doesn’t mean better and above all else, you want to be comfortable.  I know women that don’t even own makeup and I know some that won’t even take out the trash without a full face of concealer, foundation, powder and everything else.  What I advise is that you take your everyday routine and turn it up one notch or two if you’re doing a very formal wedding.  If you normally don’t wear anything stick with a little concealer, some loose powder and neutral eyeshadow and some mascara.  If you’re more used to wearing makeup, just kick it up a notch to really complete your look.  When in doubt, hire a professional, they always know what is best!

8.  Don’t sweat the small stuff

The average engagement is 15 months according to theweddingreport.com and that means that you have 15 months to make up and change your mind.  You have all that time to argue with your mother about your dress and your best friend about how you want her to wear her hair but the bottom line is that at the end of all that planning, arguing and decision making you become a wife.  It might only be a piece of paper but it means a lot  and can change the dynamic of your relationship over night.  Always keep in mind that it’s not just a party and no matter what happens that day, you’ll be married at the end of it.  If you keep your eye on the prize and trust your decisions and the vendors that you hired, your wedding day is a day to relax and enjoy what you have created and your new husband.

9.  Create a wedding Web site.

There are plenty of options out there, some free and some paid, but all you can customize to fit your style and your wedding.  It’s a great way to keep in touch with your out of town guests, a simple way for all your guests to RSVP with their meal choices and even a place for them to request a song at the reception.  I know that there might be some friends and relatives that are not so computer savvy, and be sure not to leave them out, but with most of us being so “connected” these days it’s a great way to make your wedding simple.  Link a map to the ceremony location and share some engagement picture without the added costs of printing and mailing.  Check out theknot.com, ewedding.com and mywedding.com for a few options.

10.  Changing your name

Since I just did this last year in Indiana I can tell you from experience that you must change your name with the Social Security office first, by providing your marriage certificate, and then wait at least 24 hours to go to the license branch to get a new driver’s license.  I would say that it is safe to assume this is true for Illinois as well, but to be sure, ask someone in the know.  As far as everything else, banks accounts, credit cards, insurance and the like, sometimes you must submit a copy of your marriage certificate and sometimes they take your word for it.  One very important thing to remember is that if you’re flying to your honeymoon destination, be sure to book your ticket in your maiden name.  It’s so easy to get caught up in the excitement of your new name but it needs to match your ID or you can’t fly!

Don't tell anyone, it's a secret!

Anyone that knows me knows and I always, I mean ALWAYS, have too much on my plate.  The magazine is a huge chunk of that, and as relieved as I was to get this issue done, I'm already starting to plan for the next one.  I already know a few things, like that Patterns Optional will be, once again, making a custom gown and that our feature wedding will be shot at the Fife Opera House in Palestine, Illinois, but I'm craving something different.  I think that I want to put on a real wedding, not just one for pretend.  (It's a secret because I think my husband might make me sleep on the couch if he gets wind of this.)  Now I still need to work out some details but I think that this can really happen.

So I need your help!  I need to find the perfect couple that will be willing to have an outside of the box wedding at a fraction of the actual cost.  Someone that can trust the wedding pros that we work with and be able to sit back and watch their wedding take shape.  The couple also needs to be comfortable with their wedding, the photos and the videos that are taken over the course of the planning and from the wedding itself be used in the print magazine, on the blog and in other forms of media.

Tell me what you think.  Are you the perfect couple?  Do you know someone that is?  Keep checking back and we'll keep you in the loop.

The Beginning...

Let's go back to the beginning, to what started this whole thing.  I've heard too many stories, from too many brides about not getting what they want, about making compromises and sacrifices, not getting what they really want on their wedding day.  To quote the first issue "I overheard a conversation between two well respected, long established wedding pros about dealing with difficult brides, I know they exist, but the stories they were telling just didn’t seem like difficult brides to me, just brides that were looking to make their wedding day what they wanted, not what tradition or convention said it should be.  As I stood there, continuing to listen, one of them said something that appalled me and has stuck with me ever since: 'Just because you saw it in a magazine, Honey, doesn’t mean that you can actually have it.'”  

Why? Why couldn't this bride that they were talking about have a cake on every table as the centerpiece? Why couldn't my client's sister's backyard wedding have hay bales for seating? Why couldn't that one bride have live goldfish as part of her reception decoration? I think that we could have all of this and more if we hire the right people. I think that your wedding day should be everything you want it to be no matter how unconventional. Listen to the experts, listen to their reasons why they think their way is better but remember that it is your wedding. If you want everyone to sit on hay bales understand that you might need to have something over them so no one gets scratched or bitten. You want live goldfish understand that some might die and you need someone in charge of replacing dead goldfish before everyone else arrives.

This is why we're here. To help you get what you want. It could be all by yourself or it could be with the help of wedding professionals. either way, you're the bride (or groom), it's your day. Make it what you want!