Wed Lines by Uniquely Yours

Wedding Find Friday – Wedding Photo Apps

Karry — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 12:00:27 +0000

Ok, brides, listen up! Those little disposable cameras that brides have used for the past 20 years for guests to capture candid moments throughout the wedding are things of the past. This is a trend that is FINALLY dying. (Yes, we still have brides asking us about them.)

As a planner, I have seen many problems with these cameras. First, they often don’t work at all. I don’t know where the “wedding” themed ones are manufactured or if the film has an expiration date. Second, many brides and grooms completely forget them and they end up stashed in a bag at the back of the closet. Finally, if they do make it to a film developer, many of the images are out of focus, blurry, or too dark. Don’t forget, many of your guests will likely bring their own digital cameras, in which case your disposables don’t get used. So the purchase of the cameras, and the accompanying cost of developing the film equates to a huge waste of money. You could use that money to add hours to your photography package or upgrade to a finer quality album. Additionally, the cameras detract from your beautiful tablescape designs.

We love photos, and we love seeing guests enjoying themselves at weddings. It is certainly understandable that you would like to capture images of all of the things going around you on the wedding day that you might have missed. Given current technologies, there must be a better way to do this that doesn’t involve a disposable camera placed on every guest table. Enter the wedding photo app!

Currently, there are several wedding photo apps on the market, and all operate on basically the same premise. First, subscribe to a plan that best fits your particular needs. Then inform your guests via your save the dates, wedding website, invitations, or wedding programs that an app is available for them to download to their smartphones or desktops which they can use to upload images to an album you have reserved for the occasion. A code is offered so that your guests can upload the images to the appropriate album via their smartphones or digital cameras. Guests love using these apps, and the process couldn’t be easier. The photos can be uploaded in real time. All of the images will be located in one album where you and your guests can view and download favorite images. Some of the apps also offer the ability to link images to your Facebook pages as well. Imagine being able to enjoy the photos immediately as your guests upload them.

Some of our favorite apps include the following:

My Wedding – Wedding Party App

Check out the different options available to see which app best suits your needs and that of your guests. The app technology really makes this a fun way for you and your guests to enjoy the wedding day. Have fun, and happy planning!

Bridal Ball Style – Modern Preppy

Karry — Mon, 14 May 2012 23:14:56 +0000

Hello there! We are back, and excited to share more of our custom design work from the 2011 edition of the Bridal Ball. A preppy color combination of navy and green served as the inspiration for this design which also creatively incorporated modern touches such as a lucite table and ghost chairs provided by AFR.

Lee Forrest of Lee Forrest Designs and I worked closely together to create a monochromatic floral display using a variety of vessels. Brides, when you hire a floral designer, look for versatility in the designer’s work. Our team at Uniquely Yours has worked with Lee Forrest on numerous wedding designs, each different and unique to our clients’ visions.

Creative stationery designer, Denise Wilson, of Dogwood Blossom Stationery created the gorgeous paper suite. Guests will love opening this box to reveal the smart and sassy invitation inside.

The second invitation set featured a perfectly preppy plaid.

Don’t you just love the very preppy monogrammed grosgrain ribbon? And that plaid escort card – super cute!

My team loves working with Brett Walters at Kirby Rentals. Brett loves design, and we had such a great time selecting the glassware, flatware, linen, and china pieces for this design. Setting the bread plate on the diagonal is a different and easy detail that immediately draws the eyes to the table.

I love being able to offer guests their own posies at their plate. This time we used a beautiful green cymbidium orchid. Can’t you just picture ladies placing these beautiful flowers in their hair as they dance the night away at your reception?

The final touch was a preppy pleasing cake, designed by Johnnie Messler of Something Sweet Cake Studio (recent winner of Food Network’s Cupcake Wars). I suggested the pintuck pattern to mimic the boxed invitation, and am so pleased with the finished product.

We love hearing from our readers. What do you think of this Modern Preppy design?

Photo Credit: All photos courtesy of Pilster Photography

Wedding Find Friday – Create Your Own Wedding Textiles

Karry — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 13:00:44 +0000

Ever thought of creating your own textiles? What if I told you that you could do just that – create custom textiles for your wedding and your home? Well, now you can, and it could not be easier.

Spoonflower provides a user friendly interface that allows you to upload your own design – pretty much anything you can think of putting on fabric.

To The Bride & Groom - Textile Design by Daily Candy

There are no fees to upload your design, no setup fees, and no minimum order required. Print your custom design on any number of natural fiber fabrics including both cotton and silk.

Wedding Damask - Textile Design by Ink & Tea Company

Stylish brides take note. This is a great tool for creating custom wedding table linens and runners, custom pillows for your wedding day furnishings, and custom napkins. The possibilities are endless. Check out Spoonflower at http://www.spoonflower.com.

Bridal Ball Style – Pretty in Pink

Karry — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 02:16:36 +0000

Last year, Uniquely Yours had the honor of participating in The Bridal Ball as one of three featured Central Florida planning and design firms. Our team worked with a select group of Orlando’s finest wedding professionals to showcase three unique tablescapes, giving couples a preview of what they can expect when working with our team of professional planners.

Pink, gold, and champagne served as the color palette for our first inspiration table. This color palette happens to be one of my favorite palettes for spring weddings. It is both classic and opulent, providing the perfect foundation for lush florals in shades of white, pearl, and ivory. Lee Forrest of Lee Forrest Design went above and beyond in capturing my vision and description. The main centerpiece featured densely packed roses, peonies, orchids, and hydrangea.

I worked with Sharon Clark, formerly of I Need A Favor, to design the paper presentation. She found gorgeous baroque style frames suitable for place card assignments. Unfortunately, they were colored black lacquer. The secret to transforming them for this design – gold spray paint. The paper was printed on ivory pearl shimmer stock and featured antique gold lettering.

The linens were provided by Kirby Rentals. I have a bit of a problem when it comes to gorgeous textiles and Brett Walters with Kirby was a huge help to me when it came to narrowing down my selections. Kirby also provided the gorgeous china, flatware, and stemware. Brides, if your budget allows, I recommend upgrading the basic china and flatware offered by your venue or catering firm for something that will set your table design over the top. Don’t you just love the additional sparkle coming off the gold flatware? Gold chiavari chairs provided by Ann Taylor of A Chair Affair and Godiva chocolates were beautiful finishing touches.

I can’t wait to share our other Bridal Ball designs with you soon!

A special thank you goes out to Chad Pilster of Pilster Photography for providing the Bridal Ball images.

Bridal Fashion Inspiration At The 2012 Golden Globes

Karry — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 13:00:33 +0000

Admittedly, I did not watch the 2012 Golden Globes a few weeks ago. It had been an incredibly busy weekend, and I knew that I would be able to catch up via the news-feeds the following morning. I was, however, disappointed that I would not see the stars strutting live on the runway and showcasing the best (and worst) in fashion. But thankfully, there was no shortage of photos and commentary regarding the stars’ Golden Globe fashion choices. I was pleased and excited to see so many gowns on the runway by renown bridal designers or having a bridal influence. Skin flattering tones in blush, champagne, and various nude hues were the colors of choice for many of the stars, which I am sure will inspire brides seeking to break away from the tradition of white and ivory gowns. Here are a few of my favorites:

Charlize Theron in Dior Couture

Charlize looked incredible in this stunning and unique soft pink design. I love contrast of the neckline and the train, along with the bow feature.

Elle Macpherson in Zac Posen

Body hugging and fishtailed, this design is amazing! I loved the contrast of the pleated bodice with the layered tulle train. Florida brides, this design would be well suited for a glamorous indoor wedding or elegant outdoor affair.

Katharine Mcphee in Donna Karan

Katharine McPhee looked “smash”ing in this champagne hued corset style dress by Donna Karan.

Kate Beckinsale in Roberto Cavalli

Kate Beckinsale looked incredible in this delicately detailed design by Roberto Cavalli. The earrings and diamond cuff serve as the perfect accents.

Sarah Hyland in Dolce & Gabanna

My favorite gown of the evening was worn by Modern Family’s Sarah Hyland. She looked radiant in this delicate, figure-flattering gown. The belt gives this modern strapless design a vintage appeal with a bit of an edge.

Which design is your favorite? Would you wear any of these natural hues instead of a traditional white or ivory gown?

Wedding Find Friday – Southern Dignity Bow Ties

Karry — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 01:32:20 +0000

We love a Southern wedding, and we love Southern gentlemen who know how to sport a proper bow tie. Southern Dignity offers a bright collection of bow ties, perfect for your beau. The university logo ties would make great gifts for your groomsmen. Being the Gator girl that I am, I adore the orange Gator logo tie.

Image Source

Visit Southern Dignity’s website at www.southerndignity.com to see their collection of bow ties, suspenders, and accessories.

Featured on Central Florida Bride Style – Karry Castillo

Karry — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 13:00:49 +0000

Just prior to the busy holiday season Uniquely Yours principal planner, Karry Castillo, was a featured industry expert on the new blog, Central Florida Bride Style where she shared her thoughts regarding the wedding planning process…

Uniquely Yours Wedding & Event Specialist is a full service firm offering premier planning services for the modern bride. Serving the entire state of Florida and beyond, they specialize in bringing your stylish and unique wedding vision to life.With an exceptional and highly sought planning team of Sara, Brittany and Karry, your event will be an exquisite and memorable affair. As a full service firm they offer their clientele a diverse complement of services custom tailored to fit their style, personality and budget priorities.The planning process is highly collaborative as they partner with you to take your wedding vision from inspirational concept to seamless presentation and execution, offering creative advice and expert assistance throughout the entire experience while keeping your vision at the forefront.

From planning large celebrity affairs to intimate seaside ceremonies, Uniquely Yours has the knowledge, credentials, experience and creativity to ensure an enjoyable and stress free planning experience. They welcome the opportunity to work with you as you plan your signature “Uniquely Yours” wedding!

What made you want to become a wedding specialist and how did you get started in the business?

“I used to be a teacher… I planned special events and offered community support where needed so being able to visualize events as the big picture has always been a valued trait of mine. After I adopted my second child, I stopped working to spend more time with my family and one day I decided to go back to what I love… event planning. I received my proper credentials from the ACPWC (Association of Certified Professionals Wedding Consultants) and because I knew that I needed to learn from first-hand experience, I approached every vendor I could find to see if they needed help or if I could just shadow them for a day… anything just so I could learn! I came to realize very quickly that I love to see the evolution of an event, from start to finish… what an accomplished feeling that is!”

Do you have a style icon? If so, who and why?

“I would have to say Tara Guerard, owner of Tara Guerard Soiree in Charleston. She is the epitome of southern grace and hospitality. She would definitely be my style choice for weddings!”

Describe yourself in 3 words

“Confident, creative and observant. I have a “watch before you leap” kind of outlook with life, I like to evaluate things before I do them”

Describe your business in 3 words

“Oh, I think I have more than 3… I hope that’s ok! I would say client-focused, unique in our approach, professional and organized.”

What would you say sets yourself apart from other wedding designers?

“I would definitely say one of the most important factors about us is the individualistic, hands-on venture that a bride will experience with the Uniquely Yours team. We have style sheets for each couple ensuring we don’t miss a beat. We won’t take more than 2 weddings per weekend so we are able to focus on the client, we don’t want to be a wedding machine just pumping out weddings!”

What would be Karry’s perfect day off?

“I have two adopted daughters, ages 11 and 6… I would love to spend my day off on the beach with a book in my hands and my daughters alongside me”

What piece of advice would you like to give to a newly engaged couple?

“Get both families involved from the beginning, this is a very important time for you and taking the time to enjoy this experience allows you to enjoy the process and celebrate your engagement”

You can see more from the interview here. And check back in often at www.cfbstyle.com to see the latest in wedding trends and fashion, meet top industry experts, and explore beautiful venues.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Karry — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:34:18 +0000

The Uniquely Yours planning team wishes all of you a wonderful Valentine’s Day filled with love, kisses, and chocolate!

Remembering Dr. King – His Actions, His Words, & His Legacy

Karry — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 16:24:59 +0000

Today we remember a great American, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Forty-four years after his assassination, his words continue to have a lasting and relevant impact on our lives. May we continue to strive to achieve the principles and tenants of the dream he so vividly described.

” I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. That is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.”

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Wedding Find Friday – Custom Silhouette Print

Karry — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 02:11:45 +0000

Happy Friday! We absolutely fell in love with this whimsical alternative to a traditional guest book. Handmade by Simply Silhouettes Weddings, this custom silhouette print features the fingerprints of your wedding guests. The silhouette is based upon your own photos which are sent directly to the artist for use in creating your unique design. Different color options are available to suit your preferred color scheme.

Image Source: Simply Silhouettes Weddings on Etsy

You can find this design along with several other custom wedding creations and sweet silhouette products at Simply Silhouettes Weddings and Simply Silhouettes.