Short and Sweet: Short Dresses That Pack a Punch

With summer in high gear, I've been getting lots of letters from you about showcasing some fun, flirty dresses fit for you're amazing affairs.  It seems you're getting married in Vegas, in gardens, museums, art galleries and posh, upscale dining establishments.  In order to give you some variety, I went to three of my favorite stores to round up, what I think, are really great options to get you started!
And away, we go!

 Nordstrom:

1.  First up, we have this little number from Sue Wong.  I am a huge fan of this beige, embellished illusion bodice dress.  At $398, it's kind of a steal.

2.  This is the Telago dress from one of my favorites, Ted Baker.  I love the high neck (usually, not so much) and the delicate detail really does bring it home for me.  This one will run you a little more, $825.  I think it'd be worth it, though, to tell you the truth.

3.  Finally, I found this sweet little diddy from Rachel Zoe.  Now, if you know me, you know I'm not a huge fan of Rachel Zoe's line.  It's just not me, but I think this short, metallic brocade dress is super charming.  It's got a bit of a retro vine to which I am drawn.




BHLDN                

1.  I love the Comme Il Faut dress from Hitherto.  I am literally choking on all the fab.  One of you wrote in about a retro-inspired reception at a supper club.  Let me say it again.  I LOVE that idea.  I think it's going to be fabulous.  And, please, consider this dress.  At $800, it's a pretty great deal.

2.  This is the Arabesque dress from Yoana Baraschi.  I love everything about this dress, y'all.  I think the detail is phenomenal.  I haven't seen a lot of short wedding dresses quite like this.  I really appreciate the evening gown feel it brings.  Three quarter sleeves.  Yes.  This beauty comes in at $300, proving great style doesn't have to put you in the poorhouse.

3.  Say hello to Persephone, by Tracy Reese.  I am a huge Tracy Reese fan.  This dress is deliciously elegant without so much as a hint of pompous excess.  Those bell sleeves are adorable!  A word, dolls.  Shift dresses can be a bit tricky.  If you have a BHLDN near you, try this baby on.  You don't want to have a $400 disaster on your hands.

J. Crew

1.  I love this dress.  I am so glad that the peplum is back.  I really am.  I love how cute and 50's it is. The Cha-Cha dress has an adorable cut out in the back.  Can't you just see this at a chic gallery wedding.  I'm seeing simple, classic lines with pops of bright colors. 

2.  A great, little embroidered feather dress.  Love it.  Love the length, love the feathers, love it all.  You should check out the sweet embroidered bib.  It's pretty great. 

I hope these little cuties have given you all something to think about.  Have something to say?  Leave it in the comments!

You Asked For It: Bachelorette Blowout

Helurr!  I'm so happy to be back!  June has been totally cray-cray around here (so many posts to come) and I'm afraid I've neglected you.  On to today's topic!

I just had the pleasure of organizing (along with a couple of my fave ladies) and attending one of the best bachelorette parties ever!  I mean we had a blast together.  It was so great in fact, I think I am still riding pretty high, three days later.  So, in an attempt to carry this great feeling with me a little longer, I thought I might answer some of your bach party-related inquiries.  Enjoy!

 Cute, glittery clutches helped set the stage for our glitzy party!

Are x-rated inflatables still a thing for bachlorette parties?!  How do I tell my girls I don't want a dirty, peenie-infested, trashy party without hurting their feelings?
Well, doll, I hate to tell you but adult inflatables still seem to be all the rage in most of your garden variety parties.  I know.  I don't get it, either.  I was right where you're at, sister.  Luckily, my maids knew I wasn't that kind of girl so I had it pretty easy.  Honesty is always the best policy.  Just be firm, candid and tactful with your 'maids and they'll understand.  They love you and just want to send you down to matrimonytown in style.  So, tell them what that means to you. 

How much input should the bride have about her party?  We want to surprise her, but we don't want to choose the wrong thing...so, what can we do?
I think the best way to include the bride without giving away the farm is to have her make a list of some of her favorite places.  I mean, have her pick her top fives or something.  Restaurants, bars, clubs, destinations, landmarks...you get it.  Now you have a bunch of bride-approved spots, but you still get to surprise her with a fun, unique party she'll remember for a lifetime.

 Hello Kitty rings and frosty bevvies helped kick this bach party into high gear!

We're going to din din, them out on the town.  We still want to incorporate some games.  When is the best time?  What games should we play?
I think the best time for games is during dinner.  You've all got some drinks, maybe a starter or two and best of all, everyone is excited for the festivities to start.  I also suggest limiting the games to one, maybe two.  As for what to play?  My all time, favorite game to play is: Bachelorette Party Mad-libs.   It's cute, sassy and good for a lot of laughs.

Any thoughts on going to strippers?
Yes.  Don't.  I don't care for strippers, personally.  I think bach parties should be about sending your friend into married life with some class and grace.  Not chasing after peenies and asking strange men to buy you drinks.  But, to each their own, I suppose. 

I want to go out of town on a girl's weekend.  I keep imagining us flitting around the city in cute dresses.  Is that to much to ask of my bridesmaids, financially speaking?
Ask them.  Tell them what you're thinking and ask them how they feel.  If you are located near a major city, could you drive there or take the train?  This could eliminate airfare and take some of the burden off your guests.  If not, perhaps you could think of other ways to lighten the money load...pay part of the hotel bill?  Take them out to dinner?  Pick up part of the tab?  Bottom line: Don't tell them you want to go out of town and then expect them to foot the entire bill.  It's not nice. 

You guys asked some great questions!  Y'all are so smart.  I hope this quick little roundup will help you navigate the dark and glittery waters of bachelorette party planning.  Have fun, cupcakes!

Did I miss something?  wanna put your two cents in?  Feel free to leave it in the comments!

Luxe Life: Fractured Fairytale

Hey, gang!
On May 19th, we honored a very dear friend of mine with a bridal shower.  Allison actually suggested the 'ironic princess' theme to me and Fractured Fairytale was born.  We pinned our stylish little hearts out and filled our pinboard with the best, non-vom inducing princess inspiration the Internet had to offer.  If you ask me, it turned out pretty great!

What do you think?

Gah!  So cute!  I love those golden deer.  When Allison showed them to me I knew they'd be perfect.  Also, if you'll notice, you can see the little vase in the background is a tree trunk.

To add a little extra pizazz, we framed one of the invites we had and set it up at the end of the food station.  That big, diamond is a paperweight I have.  At home, it sits on my desk, glittering happily at all who walk by.  And besides, you can't have a princess party without a giant diamond, can you?

Speaking of which, instead of doing traditional favors, we thought it would be cute to hand out enchanted cocktail rings.  It was a huge success!  We made adorable favor tags, handed a few out as prizes for Charise-themed games, and made sure everyone got one before the party ended.  Ooh, also, you can see the prize ribbon we made for Charise to wear.  We have been bored with generic party accessories for awhile now, espesh where tiaras and sashes are concerned.  So, we took matters into our own hands and have been crafting cute things like this!  Goldiluxe honorees should feel special and  celebrated!

 

We cut up strips of fancy paper, rounded up our prettiest pens and encouraged the guests to write a short note of encouragement, a sweet wish or a piece of valuable advice.  Then we added all the wishes to a little pouch for the lovebirds to read before the wedding.  Just a little extra love for the big day!

Here's a close up on some of our signage.  You can also see another one of our little tableau.  Those vases are killing me! So dang cute!

Our darling bride wanted a fun, low key bridal shower with plenty of pizzazz.  I think we accomplished that!  We showered her with handmade, vintage or gently-used gifts (a story for another post, I think), dined on yummy, home-cooked food and sipped on cocktails from the mimosa bar. 

For more Fractured Fairytale cuteness, visit our Facebook photo album!  

Luxe Life: Citrus Celebration

Finally!  I have pictures, y'all!  Citrus Celebration was a complete success and the happy couple and their families were thrilled with our work!  We had so much fun Goldifying Siena and David's special day and we were so honored to be a part of it.  Here are my favorite images from the set up.  Enjoy!

I am so proud of this, I want to cry!  I think that after a lot of work, communication and editing, we were able to come up with something really special.  I don't mind telling you that Allison was a centerpiece makin' machine!  I was unavailable in the morning and she really did an amazing job!  Fun Fact:  We created the rigging for the lanterns from scratch.  We wanted something that would be an 'easy up, easy down' situation.

A supah-cute shot of the gift table.  The little card box I made turned out so well, I was sad to give it up.  But, look how sweet it is on the table!  

This is seriously one of my favorite shots of the day.  I love the way the favor table turned out.  From the sweet little sign to the totally gorge arrangement, it's so, perfectly dainty, I can't stand it.  How cute are those freaking matchbooks, y'all?! 

Ah, the 'guest book' table.  Have I ever told you how much I love clever guest book alternatives?  Well, I do.  And I'm still living for those paper flowers.  Trust me, they are even more delicious up close!

These are two of my favorite shots of the sweets table.  Just so beautiful...and delicious, too.

A week or so after the event, we sat down and had a post mortem meeting.  It was a great way to talk through all aspects of the event.  It was so important for us to keep the communication going and I was so proud of us and the way we handled it!  We learned so much from this event and we are so excited for the next one!

To see more (and, believe me, there's so much more) go to our Facebook page.  You'll love it.

Vendors: 

Linens/catering: Irene's Catering

Sweets: Jaceleen Latin-Kasper (She's pretty amazeballs, yo.  She did all the sweets and her own set-up.  Color me impressed.)

Paper Flowers: Posh Studios

Matchbooks: Decadent Designs

Guestbook Tree: Modern Keepsakes

Venue: Kate Funk (a HUGE thanks to Kate, it was so awesome having my own photog there so I could direct the shoot!  She's a huge part of Goldiluxe and I'm so lucky to have her as a friend....and she's an ah. mah.  zing. photographer, too!)

Goldi on the Go: Jungle Baby

Just before Easter, we were asked to pack up another cute creation and send it off to a Goldilou in need.  This time, we had the pleasure of putting the Goldiluxe spin on a totally adorbs  safari themed baby shower.  We didn't have much time, but luckily we are suckers for a great theme.  So we got to pinning and soon we turned out (what I hope was) a super cute party kit fit for the king of the jungle.

We were really pleased with the result and couldn't let it go out the door without snapping a few quick pics.  I thought I'd share the best ones with you...

I am just in love with how this turned out.  I don't mind telling you I was concerned that given the serious time constraints we were working under, we may not be able to pull it together.  Look how cute it is!!  I love this color scheme more and more each time I look at this picture.  How cute are those toppers?!

Here you can see a little more of what we did.  I love those bottle labels.  I think if we'd had the time, I'd have also liked to do a centerpiece and a cute coaster set.  Not to toot the Goldiluxe horn, but I am so psyched about how these kits are turning out.  I am dying to do a full post and let you in on the idea, but for now you'll just have to live with teasers of what's to come!

The banner turned out to be super cute.  I worked with a different shape and assembly style this time.  We really love to do the handmade fabric banners, but they really need to be more durable and shippable, so I think it is a bit of an evolution. This one is definitely a step in the correct direction!

See!  Pretty cute, huh!  We're pretty proud of it!

The jungle theme is certainly one of my favorites!  What party themes get your creative juices flowing?

You Asked For It: Blogging Blues

Hey G.
I'm having a hard time.  These blogs are making me feel horrible.  I see picture after picture of these pretty people with smiling faces and perfect clothes.  They've got these amazing pictures with, like, vintage cookware and friggin' DIY.  It all makes me feel so inadequate, like I don't deserve all this because I'm not picture perfect enough.  I guess, what I'm trying to say is that I feel like my wedding won't be weddingy enough...am I making any sense?

Oh, honey.  You're making perfect sense.  If I was there with you right now, I'd attack you with hugs.  I'd also bring some champy, because momma was born a drinker (jk, y'all...mostly).  You know, it's funny, I was just reading this post and this one on one of my favorite blogs yesterday.  It deals with everything your heartbreaking message did.  So, go.  Read it.  And read the comments!  All of them.  Then come back and I'll tell you what I think.  Go, ahead.  I'll wait.

Ok, so.  I'm going to tell you something that some people don't want you to know (and by 'some people' I am absolutely referring to stuffier members of the $160 billion wedding industry machine) : Your wedding will be perfect.  Whether you decide to spend $100 or $100,000. You and the love of your life are perfect.  Just as you are.  Right now.  Your love for each other is enough.  It's beautiful, it's real and it's messy.  That's because real life is messy.  It isn't picture perfect.  It shouldn't be.  Picture-perfect isn't real.  You don't need the perfect figure, the perfect dress, or shoes or hair or cake table...you get me? 

So, give all those blogs and magazines that are making you feel shitty the finger and shut out all the chow-chow. Focus your energy on the amazing life you are going to share with the person you love so very much.

What do you say, dolls?  Can we leave our girl some love in the comments?

You Asked For It: Logistical Roundup

Hey, gang!
I am starting out the week by answering more of your clever questions.  As you'll remember, we got sidetracked with some events and client meetings and marriage (oop, just seeing if your awake!) and a million other little things this week.  But I wouldn't want you to think I forgot you!  Quite the contrary!

And away we go!

So, we are really excited about the planner we've chosen.  Her designs are amazing!  Unfortunately, though, we are worried about the price tag.  My dude is wondering if we could pay her a little less, or take her ideas to the next planner on our list.  What do you think?
Stop.  Right.  There. You may absolutely NOT take her ideas to someone else.  It isn't an honest thing to do. In my opinion, you've three options:

          1.  Walk away from this designer and try to find someone in your price range that you are equally excited about.  If you choose this option, work with the new designer to come up with something you love.  Something unique...you know, not stolen.

         2.  Work with this designer to figure out a payment schedule that will work for both parties.  If you are drawn to her work and her designs are so amazing, she's probably used to working out payment schedules.  Explain your situation. 

         3.  Stick with this designer, but work with her to distill the design into something a little more budget friendly.  That way, by focusing on the design elements that are the most important to you, you'll settle on something a little more affordable.

Above all, be honest.  Be honest with her and be honest with yourselves.

Do we really need a vegetarian option?  It just seems so overdone.
Well, have you any vegetarian friends?  Family members?  Members of the bridal party?  If the answer to that is 'yes' and you'd like them to be able to eat at your reception, then yes.  Yes, you need a vegetarian option.  It's not overdone, it's proper behavior to accommodate as many guests as you can.

What do we do with the gifts?  
Work with your venue to find a location for the gift table that is as secure as possible. Assign a member of the family or bridal party to keep an eye on them throughout the night.  If your venue is in or near your hotel, can you have them taken up to your room when the dancing starts?  If you are off to a gift opening the next morning, arrange to have them taken to that location.  If not, I'm sure you can find a few helpful souls willing to help you get them home.

Posed shots or candids?  We can't decide.  How do we choose a photographer if we can't decide on what style photos we want?
Choose the photog who's adept at both.  Seriously.  Let me tell you a little story:  Personally, I detest posed shots.  Like, hate hate them.  So does The Hubs.  However, it was really important to his parents to get some.  So we compromised.  It was a Genuis Idea. Posed shots for them and a whole evening full of mindbogglingly gorgeous candids for us (my parents included).

Help!  Everything is so expensive, we had no idea.  How can we manage our budget and get everything we want?
In my opinion,  the first, easiest thing you can do is make a Splurge/Save list.  Just split a piece of paper into to columns.  One marked 'save' and one marked 'splurge'.  Now, think of all the elements you want your wedding to have and put them in one of the two columns.  Want a killer bar? Splurge.  Not really into floral centerpieces? Save.  Once you and your SO can agree on the list-stick.  To.  It.    The other thing you can do that can be really helpful is talk to some other couples you know that have gotten married or seek consultation from a planner.  They can give you some actual, real world cost references.  But remember, your wedding doesn't 'have' to be anything but a fun celebration of your lurve.  Take a deep breath.  You're going to be fine!

Do I need to have my SO's sisters in the wedding party?
Need to, no. Consider your relationship with them and decide the best course of action.  If you choose not to include them in the bridal party, just think of other ways they can be involved.  Dress shopping, planning the shower...there are lots of ways to involve them.  Remember, be tactful and gentle if you decide not to include them.  You don't want to damage your relationship with them down the road.  Besides, we're all adults.  There's no need to intentionally hurt someone's feelings with careless speech.

How can I get the vendors to better understand our vision?
I usually ask that prospective clients bring some of their inspiration with them.  Pictures, fabric swatches, paint samples, favorite books...anything that inspires them.  Are you on Pinterest?  If you are, why not create a wedding pinboard and shoot the link to your vendor.  You can go through it together and discuss what it means to you.  The visual aids can help you more accurately articulate your vision.  I will say this: Do not expect any of your vendors to copy another designer's work.  The ethical ones won't do it and the unethical ones...well, do you really want your special day to be a copy of someone else's?

How do I hold it all together on the big day without a planner?
Be prepared.  Make a spreadsheet of all the moving parts of the wedding (when's the cake coming, when should dinner be on the table, how long is the ceremony).  I'm serious.  You need everything in one, easily accessible place.  Make three copies.  One for you, one for your SO and one for a trusted person (friend, bridesmaid, mom...you get it).  Decide which questions you will answer on the day.  Direct all other questions to someone else with the list. You might also ascertain whether a friend might be willing to step in for the day.  Just make sure to brief them.  The best advice I can give you is to just relax.  Enjoy your day-you're getting married, damnit!  You should be focusing on that!

Want to agree, disagree or share your own advice?  Leave it in the comments.  As always, I am happy to answer (just about) any question you can throw at me.  Feel free to e-mail me at goldiluxeevents@gmail.com.

Photo credit:  smilingsilversmith.blogspot.com