E Session ~ Kristen and Michael

Combine a cool breezy day with a super-cute couple, the boat docks of Tacoma, Washington and Sean Flannigan's talents and you get a ton of amazing images. Truly, we love Sean's work, his striking compositions and unique perspectives created a series of laid back images of Kristen and Michael by the bay. Though our favorite set of images are the one's of the couple dancing in front of the ivy covered brick wall. To see more of Kristen and Michael's engagement session, visit the Sean Flannigan Photography blog!

Weddings Unveiled Summer Soiree at StudioWed

Join us for a fun summer soiree at StudioWed in Atlanta, GA on Wednesday, July 13th from 6-9pm to celebrate the release of the new Summer 2011 issue of Weddings Unveiled! Enjoy tapas, cocktails, and entertainment while mingling with Atlanta's top wedding professionals and flipping through the gorgeous new Summer 2011 issue. The event is free and open to brides, industry wedding professionals, family and friends. All registered brides attending the event will be entered for a chance to win fabulous giveaways and the first 25 brides will receive swag bags. In addition, there will be special giveaways for registered vendors who attend. Visit the event website to register today! We can't wait to see you there!

Got Your Back Movement

In recent years, there has been a global push to make uniforms mandatory in public schools. Studies have found that introducing matching clothes amongst peers creates an environment in which students are more likely to excel in the classroom. But as this trend continues to gain traction, many children, especially those living in impoverished countries, are facing a new challenge. Even with most public education remaining free, the cost of required uniforms is often too great an expense for struggling families, a burden shared even by developed countries like the United States. With 80% of humanity living on less than $10 a day, and the ever growing movement to mandate uniforms, education many times becomes a distant dream. Got Your Back has focused their efforts on eliminating this burden by distributing school uniforms around the world. Through supplying uniforms free of cost, they hope to offer a pathway for children to gain an education and a chance at pursuing a better, safer, and healthier life.

The Got Your Back Movement exists to restore purpose, give hope, & show love through the global distribution of school uniforms to children in need. Their mission is to create sustainable change in communities worldwide through the impact that education creates in all aspects of life.

Their shirt for shirt campaign allows you to convert your purchase of a Got Your Back shirt into a life-changing gift for children in need. Every shirt you buy provides a school uniform to a child in need, SHIRT FOR SHIRT. Your purchase helps create sustainable change in struggling communities around the world by opening the doors for children to receive an education. Visit their website to purchase a shirt or give a donation to help support the cause. Every dollar you give will go directly towards accomplishing Got Your Back's mission.

Simpledress Sale

Looking for a dress to wear to a friends wedding or do you need a fun little frock for your own rehearsal or bridal shower? You can find a collection of super sweet dresses perfect for any event with the Simpledress ready to wear collection. The adorable Spring 2011 collection features cool crisp cotton in various stripes and polka dots, offering a lady-like charm in fashionable silhouettes. The entire Simpledress collection is on sale now, including Spring 2010, Fall 2010 and Spring 2011. Shop online or at their New York showroom for incredible savings of up to 40% off. See all the dresses currently on sale now on the Simpledress website!

Summer 2011 Issue Cover Sneak Peek

We can't wait for you to see the entire Summer 2011 issue, but for now, we're so excited to share the new cover, featuring a spectacular gown by Naeem Khan. We'll post more next week, including our beautiful 18-page fashion editorial and all of the issue's real wedding features. Look for the Summer 2011 issue on newsstands and in the hands of stylish brides everywhere July through September!

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Styling and photography: Brooke Thomas. Photographed on location at the Swan House at the Atlanta History Center. www.atlantahistorycenter.com/events. 404.814.4090. Hair and makeup: Kara Ramos for Factor Atlanta. Fashion assistants: Terri Ireland and Lydia Thomas. Taupe flower embroidered one-sleeve gown by Naeem Khan, $9,990. By special order at Bergdorf Goodman in New York, NY. For more information, visit www.naeemkhan.com. 18 karat white gold globe earrings containing chocolate diamonds and white diamonds weighing 3.10 carats, available at Diamonds Direct. Inquire for pricing. http://www.diamonds-direct.com/.

Real {Destination} Wedding ~ Lisa and Ben

Lisa and Ben's colorful Spring wedding caught our eye instantly when photographer Jonathan Canlas sent it to us. The cheery palette, homespun details and stunning venue made for a spectacular wedding with gorgeous images from the talented film photographer. Lisa and Ben wed in Utah at Mt. Timpanogos LDS Temple, followed by a reception in the mountains at Sundance Resort. The natural beauty of the setting was echoed in the incredible reception hall where the couple celebrated their nuptials with family and friends. Accented with rustic touches, the decor featured mason jar vessels, tree trunk pedestals and brilliant colorful blooms. Heritage Flowers used a palette of lemon, orange and coral with accents in white and green for the centerpieces that decorated the tables and The Frosted Daisy created a gorgeous focal point with the couple's three tier confection iced with a deep coral-red and cotton candy pink pattern. A photo backdrop adorned with a border of full paper pom-poms and a stenciled sign reading, "Photos" added for some fun entertainment and unique imagery. To see more of Lisa and Ben's mountain celebration, visit the Jonathan Canlas Photography blog!

Credits:
Photography: Jonathan Canlas Photography. Wedding Coordinator: Elements Event Design. Gown: Vera Wang. Hair Accessories and Veil: Shauna Lewis. Bride's Shoes: Miu Miu. Earrings: Anthropologie. Ring: Barbara Parkers Jewelry. Hair: Sarah Thompson. Makeup: Kate Lasson. Ceremony Venue: Mt. Timpanogos LDS Temple. Reception Venue and Caterer: Sundance Resort. Florist: Heritage Flowers. Cake: The Frosted Daisy.

Real Wedding ~ Becca and Matt

We couldn't help to share Becca and Matt's lovely wedding video sent to us from Diva Productions. The beautiful couple married in the picturesque coastal town of Seaside, FL. The location was were the two lovebirds first met when they were in high school and a place that has played an important role throughout their courtship. Incorporating parts of their "Save the Date" film shot almost entirely by Super 8mm along with portions of their rehearsal dinner at Eden Gardens, the film showcases the couple's entire wedding story beautifully. Check out the video below and make sure to visit the Diva Productions blog to see more from Becca and Matt, including their sweet Super 8 "Save the Date" film. Enjoy!

Credits:
Photography: Tec Petaja Wedding Photography. Cinematography: Diva Productions. Rehearsal Dinner Venue: Eden Gardens. Wedding Coordinator: Heather Archdeacon-Williams for Seaside and Christina Gillon for Fête Weddings & Events. Hair: Deah Hollan from Ya Ya's Salon. Makeup: Renee Armour and Robin Klag for Two Fishes Artistry. Ceremony Venue: Seaside. Pastor: Dean DaMarra. Reception Venue: Alys Beach. Florist: Nouveau Flowers. Caterer: Dine by Design. Band: Mo Sol. Photobooth: Facetime Photo Booth. Cake: Confections on the Coast.

Real Wedding ~ Jeanie and Jimmy

We love the design of Jeanie and Jimmy's Wilmington wedding sent to us by photographer Scott Piner. The ceremony featured a fresh palette designed in cream and ivory with lovely organic elements that Stellar Events helped to create. Bringing the indoors in, trees lined the aisleway and created a natural canopy as Jeanie made her way down the aisle with her father wearing a sleek fit and flare satin gown from Priscilla of Boston. The two exchanged vows in front of a wall of crisp white fabric that softened the look of the brick walls of the Coast Line Convention Center. A start contrast to the soft and airy ceremony palette the reception was full of vibrant color designed in colorful shades of pink with gray as the base. The trees from the ceremony line the walls, while a variety of blooms in hues of pink created by A Beautiful Event adorned the centers of the tables. The talented team at Flower & Flour provided the dessert, which came in the form of a multi-tiered confection that featured alternating tiers of white and gray fondant with pretty anemone blooms and a monogram of their initials. To see more of Jeanie and Jimmy's North Carolina wedding, visit the Scott Piner blog!

Credits:
Photography: Scott Piner. Event Planning & Design: Stellar Events. Gown: Priscilla of Boston. Bridesmaid Dresses: Simple Silhouettes. Venue: Coast Line Convention Center. Rentals: Party Supplier & Rentals. Florist: A Beautiful Event. Caterer: AQ Catering Group. Cake: Flower & Flour. Lighting: High Performance Lighting. Entertainment: DJ Professionals. Transportation: Wilmington Trolley Company. Cinematography: Brick Street Cinema.

CONFETTISYSTEM

Made of tissue paper, metallic foil and mylar these 12 ft long handmade tassel garlands from CONFETTISYSTEM are extremely light weight and an easy way to add a fun festive look to any event. We love them as decorations for an engagement party, bridal shower or bachelorette party or even a fun little addition to your smilebooth backdrop. With a collection of tassel garlands in some fabulous color combinations in their shop, CONFETTISYSTEM has ready made pieces ready to ship or you contact them to create a custom color combination unique to your event. We've included a few of our favorite designs from CONFETTISYSTEM design duo Nicholas Anderson and Julie Ho below, but visit their shop to see all of the CONFETTISYSTEM collection.

Trends from The Wedding Salon Miami

All-white wedding receptions with a splash of color and dripping crystals are the hottest trend for the season ahead according to The Wedding Salon. Their recent Miami event displayed this trend at its best, with magical all-white displays from Miami’s hottest designers. With splashes of color, crystal and feather accents, brides’ fantasy weddings came to life. Miami’s top celebrity event planners and designers including Trias Flowers, Torrellas Special Events, The Gansevoort Miami Beach and Costa d’Este Beach Resorts showed that brides will always look to embrace the classic beauty of an all-white wedding. Trias Flowers looked to chandeliers as inspiration for their white & ivory reception table with staggering heights dripping in floating crystal and covered in all-white floral. The design team from The Gansevoort Miami Beach added a structural element to the all-white wedding by utilizing a mix of square and cylinder vases forming a sky-high centerpiece with white lilies as the focal point surrounded by a sea of candles. Costa d’Este Beach Resorts added a single fuchsia color accent to their all-white display with fuchsia orchids mixed into the sea of all white roses, while Torrellas Special Events added red as their accent to an all-white table.

Another key trend seen at The Wedding Salon was the use of crystals from Ana Paz’ Swarovski-covered cake to Panache Style’s canopy, dripping with crystals. Ana Paz looked to the trend of Swarovski-belted wedding gowns for her sky-high 6 foot cake with row after row of Swarovski belted crystals glimmering under the reception lighting. Panache Style incorporated the white trend with the crystal trend in their fantasy canopy with sky-high feathers above a sea of crystals raining over the bride and groom. Other trends not to be missed include John Dunn’s form-fitting fishtailed gowns covered in sequins that wowed brides at The Wedding Salon’s fashion show and the churros for guests created by Miami’s favorite, Donut Divas. These trends reveal that a classic all-white look combined with a bride’s own personal touch from feathers and crystals, to candy bars and cannoli bars will be in style for years to come! See a sampling of all the stunning displays at The Wedding Salon's Miami event below with images photographed by May Bagnell Photography.

Costa D'Este Beach Resort

Trias Flowers

Panache Style

Registry at Bloomingdales

Ana Paz

John Dunn runway show under Panache A Classic Party Rentals Company

Torrellas Special Events