The Bridal Loft is pleased to announce two new additions to their fabulous team!

Welcome Alesia Zorn, Calligrapher and Paul Rich Studios!

Visit them and all of The Lofties at the The Bridal Loft Open House

March 16, 2010

4-8pm

2808 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd. Ste 3

Dianna’s Formal Affair & Boutique is giving 24 local couples, who want to get married but can’t afford to, a chance to have their “big day” come true for only $100.  The Scappoose-based bridal shop has teamed up with KOHI Radio to hold an astounding “24 Weddings in 24 Hours” on Valentines Day – Sunday, February 14, 2010.  The weddings will take place at the Best Western in St. Helens, OR.  Proceeds from the event benefit Making Memories Breast Cancer Foundation^™, a Portland-based non profit organization dedicated to granting wishes to stage VI breast cancer patients. 

Each couple will recieve:

• An officiant
• A room for an hour capable of holding 25 guests
• A brides bouquet and grooms boutonniere
• An 8 x 10 photo
• A cake and a champagne toast
• First dance
• There will be many raffles and giveaways

For more information contact Diannas Formal Affair 503.543.0291

Congratulations to Ean Perkins from Studio 190! He won “Best in Show” from the Professional Photographers of Oregon for his Award-winning Wedding Portrait, “Safe in your arms”. For more on Studio 190 go to www.s190image.com.

Congrats are in order to David. A. Barss – one of our amazing photographers who won many awards at the International Society of Professional Wedding Photographers – including 8th overall of the Top 20 Finishers!!

He also won in the following categories: 1st place – Creative Use of Wide Angle, 10th place – Details (not food or drink), and 1st place in Pure Art.

Check out more by clicking here.

After MONTHS of planning… many countless hours of adding, revising, looking at pictures, writing the newest trends and tips – we’ve come up with the “new and improved” BravoWedding.com!!

Check us out for amazing ideas to plan your wedding and/or reception in the Pacific Northwest!  There are client virtual tours (videos),  calendar of upcoming wedding events, “Bravo Bride” specials and so much more!

Let us know what you think!

MistyBay Photography and Gypsyana Make-up & Hair are both offering Bravo Brides a couple “spring special”  good now through April 30th, 2009. Wedding clients will receive $100 off Any wedding photo package booked by the end of April. Also Gypsyana is offering 15% off, on site wedding day make-up & hair for entire bridal party, when booked with a photography package from Misty Bay. Please take a minute to view the portfolio at www.gypsyana.com and contact Tammy Brant at gyspy1makeup@cs.com or call 503.810.8035 to take advantage of these special offers.

Favors:

• Double Duty – Use photo frames as place cards or potted plants as centerpieces, and let your guests take them home at the end of the night. See the freshest ideas from the “Art of the Table” Tablescapes from the 6th Annual Wedding Affair by Clicking Here! Thanks to Dave Bigler for putting it together for us!
  

• Something Useful – Give your guests something they can enjoy for years to come. A small bag of seeds to plant will remind them of your big day every time they smell the flowers or a really cool idea is a handcrafted flower from Paper Posy! They make handcrafted flowers that can complement your wedding palette with gorgeous papers and ribbons.

• Something Edible -As if a five-course meal wasn’t enough, send your guests home at the end of the night with an extra treat of your favorite candies or special hometown delicacies.

Stationery Ideas:

• Ethnicity – If your heritage is important for you to represent on your big day, do some research and find a stationer who offers multi-cultural invitations and announcements.

• Creative Touch - For more intimate, casual gatherings, request the honor of yo ur guests’ presence in an innovative and entertaining way. Here’s an idea – have your invite printed on a balloon so guests have to blow them up to receive the message.

• Programs - Do something a little different with your wedding programs by including personal photos or by printing them on something that serves a dual purpose – like a fan.

• Storybook - Get the most bang for your program buck by including stories of how the two of you met, who introduced you, and your relationship to everyone in the bridal party. Think of all the time you’ll save by not havin g to explain all of this to your husband’s childhood neighbor during the reception!

• Donations – With a high emphasis on karma these days, give something back and make a donation to your favorite cause in lieu of knickknacks. Your guests will appreciate the altruistic gesture (check last week’s blog for more ideas on this)
  

  

photo courtesy of Holland Studios

More “Entertain the Kids” Ideas:

• Arrange A Talent Act – Bring in an entertainer appropriate for the age group, such as a magician, clown, balloon artist , henna or face painter, such as Magic George, A Touch of Magic, Alexander – “Master of Marvels” or Magic Zone. Click here for info!

• Children’s Lounge – Set up a kids’ area with beanbags, toys and popular children’s movie in a separate room. Hire Creative Childcare Services to oversee the function (and keep the parents happy dancing at your reception longer).

• Playful Surprise – when the little ones sit down to eat, have a babysitter pass out aprons embroidered with their names with colored pencils and decorative flash cards tucked into the pockets. Not only will this encourage activity (use wide rolls of paper to cover tables or small notepads)and interaction, the aprons will double as smocks protecting their fancy clothes!

From the words of our exhibitors, like Cherie Ronning from Uncommon Invites (she worked with Linda from Barclay Events on those fabulous Tablescapes on Mezzanine) – “Thank you all for another fabulous Bravo Wedding Affair – it has to have been the biggest turn out ever! Great Brides, great set-ups, lots of new Vendors!” AND our brides, like Julia Thomas “This was by far the best show I have been to! You guys did a really good job putting it all together ” – the 6th Annual Bravo Wedding Affair at the Embassy Suites rocked!

There are tons of beautiful pictures coming in daily – so I’ll start with Emee from EJP Events – click here to see her pics from the Colonel Lindbergh Ballroom where their theme “Bling’s the Thing” looked absolutely beautiful.

Eric from Holland Studios sent us these beautiful pics from the Queen Marie Ballroom’s “Dusk Before Sunset” themed room – coordinated by Molli from Soiree Special Event Planning.

Also – check out Paparazzi Tonight’s photo booth pics by clicking here – very fun!  They took the pic above of our child models, Dominic, Ty, Jackson & Camryn.

Experience the most beautiful bridal event of the year!

The 6th Annual Bravo Wedding Affair, is THIS SUNDAY, February 22nd, 11am – 4pm

at the Embassy Suites Hotel in downtown Portland.

We’ve transformed two floors into a variety of themed vignettes, such as “Bling’s The Thing”, “Renaissance Romance”, “Champagne de Noir”, “Dusk Before Sunset”, “Enchanted”, “Spring Garden” and “An Oregon Vineyard Wedding”. There’s live music, roaming models wearing the latest bridal fashions by Charlotte’s Weddings, A Beautiful Bride and A Formal Affair Tuxedos, photo booths, espresso, delicious cakes and desserts, hors d’ouerves, specialty beverages, giveaways, pampering by salons and spas, a fashion show presented by The Bridal Loft and August Veils, “Art of the Table” Tablescapes on the Mezzanine – featuring themed, decorated tables that are “inspired globally, designed locally”.

Gather the latest trends and tips in our expert seminars with topics ranging from All Wright Music’s “the Ins and Outs of a Perfect Reception” to Crave Catering’s “20 Great Cost Effective Tips for Weddings on Any Budget”.

Thinking of a destination wedding – perhaps central Oregon? Check out two rooms dedicated to this beautiful part of Oregon!

Need some reading materials? Every bride that attends receives a complimentary copy of the 2009 Bravo! Resource Guide – our 550 page resume-style, side-by-side comparison book – in our 20th year!

Whew! Bring your fiance and experience a bridal event like none other! There are two sessions, 11a-130p and 130p-4p. Click here for tickets.

Need another reason? Click here to see Nicolle Camaretta with KPTV-Better TV explain it further!

Sponsored by 105.1 the buzz, Barclay Events, the Embassy Suites Hotel, Hybrid Moon Video Productions and Uncommon Invites.

Just read a great tip from David A. Barss in the Association of Bridal Consultants newsletter  – he recommends to all brides & grooms “to choose the photographer that best suits your needs.”  He advocates you meeting with at least three photographers and hire the BEST service (photographer) you can afford.  Don’t choose by service and included albums, etc.  You can always add the products, but if you choose a photographer based solely on what their package includes and the photos don’t make you happy – then it doesn’t matter how many albums you get.