Laura Cassidy – Wear What When

Okay – today is a VERY exciting day!! Laura Cassidy the fashion editor of Seattle Metropolitan Magazine is AMAZING. (we love her!)

All year long we talk about buying new shoes for the party – it is exciting, we love shopping, we love getting dolled up. But how do we tie our outfit together?? How do we accessorize, what do we wear and best of all – where do we get it?!?

So we sent Laura a few photos of what we had picked out so far and she being the fashion guru really helped us out with a lot of great ideas!! THANK YOU LAURA!!

HERE is a link to see what her suggestions were – I know you will love them!!

Check out the rest of her website too – http://www.seattlemet.com/blogs/wear-what-when/

fashion

Don’t forget to follow Laura on Twitter! @cassidylaura

And if you aren’t following us – you should do that too!! @beagiver

See you tomorrow when we feature Jesse & Travis of True Colors Events so the boys will know what to wear too!

Daily Candy Fall Wedding Guide!!

THANK YOU!!!

Seattle’s Daily Candy Fall Wedding Guide featured THREE of our fabulous Givers today!!!

We couldn’t be more happy!!! CONGRATS to Liz Navarro, T. Anthony Sholdt & Barbie Hull!!!

The Tao of I Do

Fall 2009 Wedding Guide

A wise man once said: All you need is love. With a ballooning guest list, an overly involved MIL, and a laissez-faire groom, you respectfully disagree.

Take a deep breath. Love, love, love. It’s easy with these simple principles.

Find a Guru
With eleven years of bridal industry know-how, Gown Diva Consulting’s Liz Navarro counsels you on the right dress shape for your body; where to find designers in your price range and style; and helps with ordering, alterations, accessories, and more.

Be Here Now
Make playfulness the day’s theme by hosting your ceremony or reception among treetops at TreeHouse Point. A renovated church-turned-nonprofit arts center, The Fremont Abbey uses all proceeds from events to fund community arts outreach.

Face the Day
Get down to basics with a brow design and signature facial that’ll make you glow from Katrina Rising at Cake. Then keep shine at bay while preserving makeup with luxurious Tatcha Aburatorigami blotting papers.

Exhibit Outer Piece
Incorporating satin ribbons, shell, horn, and leather on gold-plated backings, Monsieur Cocarde’s (monsieur.cocarde@gmail.com) custom brooches, boutonnieres, shoe accessories, and pendants make special keepsakes for your wedding party.

Live in the Moment
Don’t miss a second of your big day with a DVD by Aaron Horton Productions and Barbie Hull Photography’s scenic and specialized snapshots.

Commune with Nature
Patti Bosket’s woodsy and wonderful floral creations cater to the bride’s personal style. The designer also offers ecofriendly seasonal foliage and flowers. And Dahlia Press’s 100 percent cotton, tree-free paper and 100-year-old press lovingly craft elegant invitations.

The Art of Giving
Register at countless stores and sites and get suggestions from experts and price comparisons at Seattle-based Wishpot.com. Then surprise guests with a wedding cake that resembles a work of art from Chocolaz Artisan Cakes.

Appreciate the Little Things
Custom engagement rings and wedding bands from T. Anthony Sholdt use the finest metals and precious stones to commemorate the spirit of your ceremony and unique affection.

Prepare to kiss single life goodbye.

That was Zen; this is Tao.

The 29 reasons to BEAGIVER countdown

Reason #20 - Jeff LaPlante is going to be there!! (He is our award winning paparazzi photographer – I would go just to see him!!)

Visit his website and blog – www.jefflaplante.com you’ll see why we’re so excited!!

Jason Parker – CD Release Party!

We LOVE supporting our Givers!! If you are free – we’d love to see you there!! Great music no doubt!!

Event: Jason Parker Quartet CD Release Party @ Lucid Jazz Lounge
“Help us celebrate the relase of “No More, No Less”"
What: Concert
Start Time: Saturday, October 24 at 9:30pm
End Time: Sunday, October 25 at 1:00am
Where: Lucid Jazz Lounge

Vendor Profile: Gown Diva’s Liz Navarro

The amazing Liz Navarro of Gown Diva Consulting was a key part of last year’s Get Hitched, Give Hope. Not only did she contribute a fabulous gown consulting package to our auction, but she styled all the models displaying wedding gowns throughout the night. They were completely stunning, and we’re so glad to have her with us again this year.

Tell us about yourself !
My name is Liz Navarro, a bridal fashion expert with Gown Diva Consulting. My company includes bridal business consulting and bridal fashion styling. Currently, I’m working with an upcoming bridal designer in NYC! It’s truly an exciting and rewarding job working behind the scenes as well as one on one with brides, sharing my knowledge and insider tips!

What do you love about your work?
I love the art of a bridal gown and truly fell in love with bridal fashions during an internship in London. I especially love helping brides look absolutely gorgeous on their wedding day, by simply sharing my knowledge acquired over the years!

What drew you to Get Hitched, Give Hope?
I’ve always wanted to somehow be involved with giving back, especially since I’ve been personally affected by the devastating effects of cancer.

What is your favorite product that you offer?
Free first style consultation. I love to talk bridal!! It’s truly fun to meet with brides and get them started on their hunt for the perfect gown. If they hire me great! If not, at least they have the tools needed to start shopping.

How are you participating in the event?
I wanted to do something special this year and decided to ask designer Anne Barge if she would like to participate in donating a bridal gown for an auction item with my fashion styling services. Anne is not only a great designer, but she is a fabulous lady!

Anything else you’d like to share?
It’s a honor to be involved with the classiest bridal event in Seattle!

Vendor Profile: Flora Nova

I first met Christiane of Flora Nova a few years back at a wedding industry get-together, but it was only recently that I got a chance to see her beautiful work up close. She is so talented, and I’m thrilled that she’s a part of Get Hitched, Give Hope!

Tell us about yourself
Christiane Zweifler, Flora Nova Design, main website is here, blog is here.

What do you love about your work?
Oh, so many aspects: meeting brides and their families, helping them realize their vision for their big day, designing events from scratch, the experience of seeing it all come together on the day of the wedding, coming up with cool new décor ideas,…

What drew you to Get Hitched, Give Hope?
The fact that a bridal benefit event is organized by a bunch of really talented colleague friends! How can you not be drawn to it. J

What is your favorite product that you offer?
A full event design service package. People often forget that when they hire Flora Nova, they don’t just get beautiful floral décor, but rather can benefit of a full event design service. We love coordinating the entire décor (linens, props, chairs, drapes, lighting, flowers, etc) – only that way can we ensure that all aspects of the overall vision will work harmoniously.

How are you participating in the event?
We will have a display table the evening of the event and have also donated a $1,000 floral package for the auction. I am looking forward to a fun evening!

Mad Housewife – Don’t be silly darling, it’s just wine!

We couldn’t have a more pertinent and entertaining wine sponsor this year for Get Hitched Give Hope’s annual fall event than the lovely Mad Housewife Cellars!! They’ve been making wine for 5 years, and their product? Not your stuffy ol’ cab, but “California Chick Wine” (their words! I love a sense of humor!).

What prompted you to open this lovely business of yours?
I wanted to offer an affordable tasty wine to busy, multitasking ladies who handle the chaos of their lives with confidence and a sense of humor.

What is your favorite product or service that you offer and why?
I love that we offer a momentary escape from reality for women on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

What do you like to say makes you unique from others in your industry? Why do clients choose your services/products?
We are the anti-wine snob. Our label makes our wine approachable. We live by the motto–The dishes can wait, dinner be damned–We try to bring a sense of humor and levity to life. Oh, and I love the hot chick on the label.

What is your favorite thing about weddings? Why do you love doing what you do?
The drinking of course! Celebrating, letting your hair down, and most importantly leaving with a smile.

You can find them all over the internet, because yep, “your fav retro housewife has stepped into the 21st century!”
site: www.madhousewifecellars.com
facebook: www.facebook.com/madhousewife
twitter: www.madhousewifecellars.com

MH - Spring Cleaning-000163 MH Laundry_1

{posted by laurel}

Annemarie Juhlian

Annemarie Juhlian, Seattle Wedding Officiant

annemarie

I am so delighted to support Get Hitched Get Hope! I received a phone call from Michelle Engvall last year about participating in the “debut event” and my immediate response was, “gosh, yes!” This is an amazing opportunity for the Northwest wedding community to come together and “give back” in a way that is meaningful, poignant and measurable.

In my work, I create personalized, heart-centered and fun wedding ceremonies. I work with couples of all faiths and traditions and this work takes me all over the Puget Sound area and Washington State. I’m not into the “blah, blah, blah” boring wedding ceremony but rather love to work with a couple to create something personalized, real and memorable – and this can be either casual or formal – large event or intimate moment. This is not necessarily an easy task and it’s one that I relish and love.

I invite you to take a peak at my website and blog at: www.wedbyannemarie.com

And for Get Hitched, Give Hope, I am donating a “pre-wedding planning package” to one lucky couple! In my former life, I spent many years in event planning so I’ve got event DNA running thru my blood. This package will give a couple an opportunity to storyboard their wedding day and time line, save a little money in certain areas and together, we can explore creative ideas not only for the ceremony but reception, too!

Annemarie Juhlian, Wedding Celebrant & Officiant
www.wedbyannemarie.com
425 922 1325
Visit Annemarie’s blog: www.wedbyannemarie.com/blog

annemarie walking with jason laughing in ceremony

(the images above were taken by www.barbiehull.com at Annalisa & Jason’s May 2009 wedding – I have to say it is an absolute pleasure working with Annemarie, she is incredibly organized and really makes you feel at ease! Her ceremonies are always personal, creative & very entertaining!)

{post by barbie}

GHGH Bargains

With the current tough economic times, it can feel pretty painful to spend money on your wedding. You want to hire your favorite vendors, but the prices feel out of reach. So what if we told you that at last year’s Get Hitched, Give Hope, one bride scored her wedding photography at 60% off retail price, paying just $1,120 for a wedding photography package that normally costs $2,800? And another bride got DJ services at 40% off…instead of paying $1,2000 for her DJ, she paid $720. And another one saved 40% on her invitations? And all of these deals were from some of Seattle’s best wedding vendors.

Yep, brides and grooms got some truly outstanding bargains. Auctions are like that sometimes. At Get Hitched, Give Hope, you can walk away with things you need for your wedding anyway, and you get to feel great about every dollar you spend knowing it’s going to such a good cause. So spend some time reading about all the vendors whose goods will be available at the event, mark your calendars for October 29th, and buy your tickets here to get in on the great deals! (To find out more about our charity, the Making Memories Breast Cancer Foundation, click here.)

Brandy Thibault ~ Abaloria Jewelry

In December of last year a few of us girls were talking about our New Year’s resolutions – like many people do, mine was (is) a silly one – to wear earrings every day of the year. (so far still going strong minus a few forgetful days.) When I checked the mail later that week and found THE most beautifully packaged box in the mail – I thought for sure, “this couldn’t be for me…. could it?” and then I found the note and Brandy from Abaloria became more than just a gorgeous jewelry designer – she became my FAVORITE jewelry designer!! The earrings she sent are GORGEOUS – perfect for any event (although, I like to save them for special days when I can tell people they were made for me!)

So I would love to introduce you to a beautiful girl, a great friend and a FABULOUS jewelry designer – Brandy

read on to find out more about her & Abaloria:

Tell us about yourself!
My name is Brandy Thibault and I am the owner/designer of Abaloria Jewelry, I started my company 6 years ago and specialize in custom bridal. I can adorn everyone from the bride, bridesmaids, flower girls and yes, the mothers! The process usually takes 2 week (at the most) and is very fun. I meet with you at my cozy studio and take a look at the dresses and wedding colors and give you helpful suggestions on what I can do for you. The jewelry is hand made by me and designed to fit your individual style. Please feel free to browse my work on my website: www.abaloria.com

What do you love most about your work?
I love everything about my work! I love meeting and getting to know each person, designing and creating pieces that are individual and one of a kind. The whole process from the first meeting to the last really!

What drew you to Get Hitched, Give Hope?
I was really intrigued by the whole concept of a swanky party where brides can learn more about quality products in a fun environment while drinking and eating amazing food, winning prizes and spending quality time with their friends. The largest part of my interest was the proceeds going towards Breast Cancer. My mother in-law is battling Breast Cancer for the second time. She won the battle 12 years ago and recently found out it was back. She underwent a full Mastectomy and is in remission so far. (Keep your fingers crossed!!) To be able to be a part of raising money to help the families make memories that will last a lifetime is a wonderful thing. I feel honored that I was invited to be a part of this.

What makes your business different than everyone elses?
I think the custom part of my business is what makes me stand out from other jewelry makers. I meet with each client and take in the effect their budget, likes and dislikes and come up with the perfect jewelry for them. I wont let them leave unless they are 100% happy. I dont mind re-working a piece, or just plain starting over, thankfully I have not had to do that yet! One of my favorite things to do is take an old family heirloom and recreate a new set out of it for the bride. Many times there are enough stones, crystals or pearls to create a piece for another family member too. Makes for a fun memory of the family member who handed it down to them and something they can pass on to their children.

How are you participating in this year’s event?
I am donating a custom Jewelry Set as well as earrings for the swag bag. Did you hear that?? Gorgeous earrings in the SWAG bag!!

Here are some gorgeous images of her work in action:

peridot_gold_drop pearl+crystal