Archive for January, 2010
Friday, January 29th, 2010
For years, the formula for Houston brides to look (and feel) picture-perfect on their wedding day has included a great dress, killer shoes, sparkly jewels, a mani-pedi, a great makeup artist and hairstylist, and the removal of unwanted hairs. We’ll gladly take the first six things on that list, but honestly, we’d prefer to skip the last one. Really, what Houston bride really wants to endure the sting of waxing, tweezing, or shaving—much less the scent of some depilatory?
None we know.
That’s why we’re such big fans of Cleopatra’s Secret, a spa that removes unwanted hair using a technique called body sugaring. To develop this sweet alternative to waxing, owner Ati Shafik borrowed from ancient hair-removal techniques used in her native Egypt. Her all-natural, patent-pending formula consists of sugar, lemon, and water. So you can mark harmful chemicals and preservatives off your list of pre-wedding worries. Ditto for red bumps, which disappear within an hour of sugaring.
And because the formula is warm rather than hot, clients here let out sighs of “Ahhh…” rather than the inevitable “OUCH!” produced by waxing. Yes, Houston brides, that’s what happens when you’ve got no chance of getting burned. Just ask the hundreds of Cleopatra’s regulars—and the Houston brides and grooms who have come here to get picture-perfect.
Consider yourself warned, though: A visit to Cleopatra’s Secret will leave your skin feeling awfully soft and smelling sweet. Even better: you don’t have to wait until those last frantic days before your big day to reap the benefits of sugaring. That’s because Cleopatra’s Secret removes hair from the roots for 5 to 7 weeks.
So where do you have hair that you’d rather not show up in your wedding pictures? You name it, and Cleopatra’s Secret has you covered—brows, nose, ears, sideburns, lips, chin, neckline, underarms, arms, hands, shoulders, legs, knees, and feet. And if you’re thinking beyond the wedding photos, rest assured: The spa can remove hair from parts of your body that your wedding photographer won’t capture.
Tags: body sugaring
Posted in Beauty | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, January 27th, 2010
Don’t know why, but we’re in a musical mood today. Maybe it’s because we were just grooving to this
sweetly hilarious song (scroll down to Bulletin Board) from KRBE’s Special K and Phoenix created specially for Roula Christie and hubby Tasos Kostas in honor of their recent wedding (how cool is THAT)?
Well, whatever the reason, we’re all excited to talk tunes—specifically, slightly offbeat, but truly sensational alternatives to the standard Ceremony Strings, Cocktail Combo, Party DJ triumvirate.
OK, so everyone loves a good string section at a wedding ceremony. But instead of lulling guests with the sonorous sounds of acoustic music, why not go electric? We’re not talking Hendrix here, but instead the marvelously deep, rich sound of an electric harp. Or how about an electric violin, assisted by a loop station, which lets the performer play multiple parts in real time—along the lines of this violinist, playing Pachelbel’s Canon in D , an enduring ceremony favorite. Imagine how beautiful this would sound in your ceremony site…
As for the cocktail interlude before the big bash, we love the idea of music with a theme. You might not want to have bluegrass fiddlers or a tabla-sitar combination or soundtrack music from your favorite science fiction flicks for the ENTIRE night, but the cocktail reception is a great place to personalize your wedding with music that means something special to you and your new spouse. Coordinate hors d’oeuvre and/or specialty cocktails with your themed music for a true guest treat!
At dinner, it’s all about dancing. But that doesn’t mean you have to stick strictly to pop classics, beloved oldies and wedding standards, Houston bride. Have your DJ mix it up a little with music that might be unfamiliar or unexpected—but is irresistible to dancers. We’re fans of Egyptian belly-dancing music, Bhangra remixes, Turkish Darbuka drumming, Cuban hip-hop, South African choir music, Southern gospel—we could go on and on, but our feet are tired!
Just promise us one thing: No Chicken Dance. Really.
Tags: Beautiful Music
Posted in Celebrity Wedding, Entertainment | No Comments »
Friday, January 22nd, 2010
We know about you, Houston bride: You’ve got a flair for style, and you’re making sure every little detail on your wedding day has your name written all over it. Shoes, dress, and jewels? Check, check, check. First dance song? Check. Place cards? Obvi.
But what about your invitations? Have you found some that show off your unique style and really set the tone for the wedding you’re planning?
What’s that, Houston bride? You’re still looking? Well, then we insist: Stop flipping through those big books of invitations and head directly to Tad + Faboo’s Web site. Run by husband and wife duo, Tad and Heather Griffin, this Houston paperie and stationery studio works with brides to design elegant save-the-dates, wedding invitations, menus, cocktail napkins, escort cards, thank you notes, shower invites, programs, and more.
Looking for an invitation with pockets? They can design one for you. Looking for an eco-friendly save-the-date? They can take care of that, too.
Have we mentioned that Tad + Faboo specializes in Letterpress Printing? Oh, yes, Houston bride, this boutique invitation studio knows how to put on the charm.
Letterpress might not be your thing, of course, and the Griffins know this. That’s why they also offer traditional offset printing.
Brides who use Tad + Faboo have two options for selecting invitations: If you’re on a budget, try Tad + Faboo’s stock collection. You can get any of the invitations, and other stationery from their collection, customized to match your wedding color palette. Or, if you’re looking for something truly one-of-a-kind and have a little dough to spare, consider opting for Tad + Faboo’s custom design option. This way, you’ll get exactly the invitation you’ve dreamed of in the colors you want, with the flair you want. And no other Houston bride will have an invitation quite like yours.
What matters most at Tad + Faboo is that your wedding stationery radiates your unique wedding style or theme. Your big day is about you, after all.
That’s why Tad and Heather spend one to three hours getting to know their brides and grooms before they ever begin the design process. And they make two complimentary rounds of revisions before they print your invitations. With that sort of commitment to their brides, we practically want to marry Tab + Faboo!
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
Wednesday, January 20th, 2010
Best known as the suave and style-savvy director of bridal and special events for crystal/china leader Waterford Wedgwood, Jorge Perez has gotten into gowns. That’s right, the wedding-gifts guru—you may remember when we sat down with him to talk registry trends–has debuted his wedding gown line, Jorge Perez de la Habana, which will be available to brides in early January.
Cuban-born Perez draws inspiration from his grandmother, who sketched and created intricate gowns for family members for quinceañeras, weddings and other special events. Marked by a “1950s Havana” feel, and embellished with brilliant Swarovski crystals and other luxurious details, Perez’s gowns have vintage appeal, along with a good dose of va-va-voom. We even spotted one “wow” gown with a bejeweled, transparent midriff! While a see-through wedding dress might not be every girl’s cup of tea (served in Wegwood china, of course), more than a few fashionable Houston brides are sure to be enticed by Perez’s ruffled trains, sparkling bodices and lavish Latin flair.
For now, Jorge Perez de la Habana is available from Kleinfeld Manhattan…but we have no doubt these spectacular gowns will be coming to a boutique near us soon.
Tags: 1950s Havana, Swarovski Crystals
Posted in Fashion | 3 Comments »
Friday, January 15th, 2010
 Photos: Mike Miller These days, taffeta, floral arrangements, and seating charts are probably just about the only things on your mind. But what about all the days and years after the big day—you know, married life? If you haven’t prepared for that, take note, Houston bride: Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church offers a four-week Married Life Prep class to help you and your soon-to-be-hubby navigate your so-called happily ever after.
And get this: the class is free. Think of it as the gift of marriage insurance: According to some statistics, taking a premarital class increases your marriage’s chances of lasting by a whopping 50 percent!
For two hours each Sunday morning, you and about 25 other couples will learn how to manage conflicts, nurture admiration for and closeness to your honey, and enjoy sex for many years to come. If you need some guidance in managing money—and who doesn’t?—you can also sign up for a three-session Married Life Money course.
Both classes are taught by Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church’s Minister of Families and Relationships, Brett Hurst, and his wife Kellie. With more than 22 years of marriage under their belt (and two teenagers to boot), the Hursts have plenty of funny anecdotes about married life to share. Throughout the class, they also show movie clips and draw on Scripture as well as leading scholars’ research on marriage. Don’t think of this as school though: You and your guy will get plenty of one-on-one time during Married Life Prep sessions; you’ll also get to know other newlyweds and soon-to-be-weds who face similar challenges.
So when should you take Married Life Prep? Some couples take the class after their wedding. “They may get more out of it because they have the stress of planning the perfect wedding behind them,” says Brett. But it’s generally a good idea to take the class before you tie the knot. You don’t even have to be engaged yet. “Once you’re married, you’re often off and running,” says Brett. “But we spend a lot of time encouraging our students to continue to be students of relationships and marriage because we don’t think couples grow closer unless they’re doing so very intentionally.”
So what are you waiting for? Grab your man and call Patty Leonard at 713.490.0931 to sign up for the next Married Life Prep class.
Tags: counseling, manage conflicts, married life prep, nurture admiration
Posted in Married Life | 2 Comments »
Wednesday, January 13th, 2010
Among the many wonderful things the New Year brings, our annual Before You Say… “I Do!” bridal soiree is one of the best. On Sunday, Jan. 24, Before You Say… “I Do!” comes to The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa, and you won’t want to miss it. From 1 to 6 p.m., more than 70 of the city’s most in-demand wedding experts and vendors—florists, decorators, photographers, cake creators and much more—will take over the magnificent Houstonian for a day of wedding fantasies made real.
Bring you mother, sister, maid of honor, fiancé…or the whole crew, and enjoy cocktails, gourmet nibbles, spectacular tablescapes, gorgeous cakes, a stunning bridal fashion show, door prizes and special treats. And while you’re at it, take advantage of the chance to chat one-on-one with some of the best wedding talents in the business.
Tickets for this once-a-year luxury showcase of the best in Houston weddings are only $20—that’s less than the price of a single manicure!—for a full FIVE HOURS of wedding ideas, inspiration and goodies galore. And guess what? They sell out. Every year.
We’ll definitely be there. Make sure you are, too!
Tags: Before you say ... "I do" Bridal Soiree
Posted in Decor, Fashion, Floral, Food, Planning, Reception, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Monday, January 11th, 2010
 Real Wedding: Roula Christie to Tasos Kostas If you’ve perused our fabulous new February issue—and if you haven’t, what are you waiting for, Houston bride?—you’ve likely checked out our story on the Oct. 24 wedding of 104.1 KRBE’s Roula Christie to Tasos Kostas. We are thrilled to feature Houston radio star Roula’s magnificent reception at the Omni Houston Hotel (and may we offer our mea culpa—we referred to Roula as co-host of the Roula & Ryan show, when, in fact, she’s one of the few women in radio to have her own show: You go, girl!). And we’re even more thrilled to have had a chance to speak with Roula recently about how planning and having a wedding—and BOY, what a wedding—has impacted her life as Radio Roula.
First off, let’s just get this out there in the open: Roula loves her job. No, we mean she REALLY loves it. Why? “I think it’s that people always surprise you,” she tells us. “It’s different in TV—you don’t know anything about the personality of the anchor. They’re just there to deliver the news. But for radio, especially for our show, we are the actual people on the air. You get emotionally attached.” With that kind of audience connection, it’s no surprise that when Roula got engaged to Tasos, she talked about it, LOTS, and her listeners weighed in.
But there were limits to Roula’s revelations. “I shared as much as I could…but I didn’t want to give away the farm before the wedding happened.” Plus, she admits, “I was a little worried about people who might try to crash the wedding—not that they’d mean any harm, but that was NOT the day I wanted to be a radio personality.” So how did keeping details under wraps work out for the ever honest and outspoken Roula? “It was SUPER hard to do!”
In the end, Roula and Tasos had the wedding of their dreams, and the couple are loving their newlywed life. Roula credits her hubby big time for accommodating her morning-radio schedule, and the 4 a.m. alarm that goes with it—yikes! “Poor thing,” she says. “I try to say, ‘Go back to sleep,’ but…” Luckily, the happy Houston bride notes, “He’s totally 100 percent fine with it. And that’s why we work as a couple.”
With wedding planning behind her and married bliss ahead, Roula’s got a few things to say (shocking, huh?) to Houston brides-to-be: “Don’t let planning become your job. Don’t make it your life, or you’re going to be disappointed when it’s over.” As for weddings themselves, Roula’s a huge fan of showing off Houston’s best to guests (another shocker, right?). Her own event, for instance, featured Shipley’s Do-Nuts, delivered fresh to visiting guests’ hotel rooms on the morning of the wedding, and welcome bags that paid homage to her favorite Houston attractions. Whatever you choose to highlight at your own wedding, make it personal, Roula says. “Show them those fun little things you and your groom love to do—give them some insight to who you are as a couple.”
Words to wed by, Roula. Thanks, and congratulations to you and Tasos!
Tags: Roula Christie
Posted in Celebrity Wedding, Planning | No Comments »
Friday, January 8th, 2010
You’ve got the perfect dress, the perfect shoes, the perfect diamond, and of course, the perfect guy. But what about the perfect perfume?
If you’ve sniffed fragrance after fragrance at store after store and still haven’t found one that’s special enough for your big day, it’s time to quit wandering around the department stores and boutiques in search of the holy grail. Instead, call on Fúmme.
This Houston-based fragrance development company specializes in creating custom perfumes. That’s right, Houston bride: You can wear a fragrance that’s as unique and special as you are.
To design your one-of-a-kind fragrance, owner and perfumer, Lisa Rogers, will have you complete a personality and fragrance survey and chat with you to see what scent families really make you glow. Then, she’ll create three samples for you to wear for a week. Once you’ve decided on your fave sample, Rogers will adjust your fragrance of choice a couple more times until you’re completely happy. And, because Rogers understands that no bride wants to break out in hives on her wedding day, she’ll do the final tests on your skin, to make sure you don’t have any strange reactions.
The best part? Your custom perfume will come in a gorgeous bottle, with enough for you to wear for years to come. And you know what that means: You can continue to feel—and smell—like the bride long after your big day! Now there’s a feeling we’d like to bottle up and sell!
Not sure you can afford a custom fragrance? Fúmme can still help. Rogers has designed several high-end fragrances that aren’t sold on the mass-market, and she sells them to Houston brides and other discriminating ladies.
Fúmme’s fragrances are also available in body lotions, body creams, bath gels, and bath salts—and get this, they’re remarkably affordable! So if you want to share your special wedding day scent with your bridesmaids—after the big day, of course—consider stocking up on some of these bath products in your special scent. Your bridesmaids are sure to appreciate the gesture. After all, who wouldn’t want to smell and feel as special as the bride?
Tags: and bath salts, bath gels, body creams, body lotions, fragrances
Posted in Beauty | 3 Comments »
Wednesday, January 6th, 2010
New Year’s Wedding Resolutions
Here we go again! Another New Year, another chance for a fresh start. While you’re thinking about this year’s resolutions, Houston bride, here are our suggestions for wedding (planning) vows you’ll definitely want to keep:
I resolve to get organized. If you have been putting off getting all your ducks in a row for your 2010 wedding—whether because you’ve been too busy, or simply become mired in an overabundance of choices—now is the time to buckle down. Create that wedding web site; make a wedding binder that contains your wedding planning checklist, inspiration images, vendor information, contracts, etc.; hire a coordinator, if you haven’t already; ditto booking your wedding site.
I resolve to get in shape. It’s a common New Year’s resolution—and one that many resolvers tend to forget about after a month or two. But not you, Houston bride. This year, you’re going to find a fitness routine that works for you and stick to it. You’re going to walk instead of driving, take the stairs instead of the elevator, take money out of your budget for a personal trainer, take up yoga, maybe even take on the Marathon Oil Tower. You’re going to get fit, have fun doing it, and look absolutely spectacular in your wedding gown. No excuses.
I resolve to take good care of myself. While you’re working out, slimming down and buffing up, don’t forget that a beautiful bride is a healthy bride—in body, mind and spirit. Along with that weekly exercise regimen, you want to make sure you are getting the right nutrition, and nourishing yourself with periodic massages, facials, spa treatments, acupuncture—whatever it is that works best to reduce your stress level, raise your energy and sustain you through the demanding and exhilarating process of planning your perfect wedding.
I resolve NOT to go over budget. Sure, spring peonies would look divine at your December wedding. And wouldn’t it fabulous to have foie gras and French champagne for your cocktail reception? As for those custom crystal-encrusted tablecloths/hand-lettered invitations/Louboutin pumps—aren’t you worth them? Of course you are. But if you keep spending a few more bucks here and a few (hundred) more bucks there, just to make sure you have the latest, greatest, most luxurious, designer-est EVERYTHING for your wedding, or jumping at every little lovely that’s waved in front of your face, you’re soon going to find yourself (or your parents, as the case may be) stretched thin financially, or, at the very worst, driven into deep debt. So indulge, pamper, honor the magnitude of the day, even live out your fantasies—but do so within your means, so that happily ever after is within your reach.
I resolve to be a good bride-to-be. We’ve all encountered at least one sweet, kind, easygoing, reasonable girl who is transformed, Hulk-like, into a demanding, temperamental, impatient, totally unreasonable beast by the process of planning her wedding. Please, please promise, right here and now, Houston bride, to avoid this fate in 2010. Be thoughtful and generous with your bridesmaids, patient and empathetic with your parents (and your groom’s), reasonable with your vendors, and, most importantly, understanding with your fiancé—after all, he’s your partner not just in the journey toward marriage, but for life. Show him the woman you are, and the wife you will be: kind, strong, fair, wise and always, always full of love.
Happy New Year, Houston bride.
Tags: 2010, Resolutions
Posted in Planning | 2 Comments »
Tuesday, January 5th, 2010
Their client list—Colin Cowie Lifestyle, Versace, Bergdorf Goodman, Serena Bass, etc.—reads like a who’s who of arbiters of style and sophistication. They’ve provided spectacular props and furniture for everything from Hollywood film shoots to high-end social affairs. And now New York’s famed Taylor Creative Props has launched Taylor Creative Weddings—a special collection of furnishings, accessories and décor, along with design consultation services, tailored (if you’ll pardon the pun) just for weddings. Perhaps even YOUR wedding, Houston bride.
Taylor Creative has a distinctly modern aesthetic, marked by architectural edge, mid-century modularity, plenty of glass and chrome, and lots of sleek, bright white. But when paired with beautiful lighting and floral, these edgy pieces soften gorgeously, and evoke an atmosphere of sophisticated femininity and romance that makes us swoon.
Our favorite pieces include the Victoria Pattern Ghost Chair (especially when paired with the patterned Cube Table ), the tufted white Windsor Collection and the illuminated Plexi Bar. And how about those fabulous Glo Balls for an evening al fresco reception?
Unfortunately, Taylor Creative does not warehouse items in Houston—BUT, they will send whatever you want via truck from New York (for the right price, of course). For the rest of us, the Taylor Creative Weddings’ site is a source of inspiration and ideas, and a GREAT resource to share with our phenomenally talented Houston wedding consultants, rental companies, florists or décor providers.
Tags: Modern Glamour, White
Posted in Ceremony, Decor, Reception | 1 Comment »
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