Finding the Perfect Venue

Over the weekend I attended a beautiful wedding at the Golden Gardens Bathhouse in Seattle. Golden Gardens Park is a beautiful setting, right on the water, with sandy beaches and limitless sunshine on a day as lovely as Saturday was. The couple had a unique theme of vintage carnival games, with "pin the veil on the bride" and other fun games for both kids and adults. The venue was perfect for the theme, with aged brick walls and an open beamed ceiling. In any other space, the decorations and theme wouldn't have worked. It was the great melding of everything together that made it so fun and successful.

Finding the venue that's right for your wedding is the same thing as a sculptor finding the right piece of marble for a statue. The very first impression your guests receive of your wedding is the invitation, followed by the venue. The invitation gives them an impression of what to expect, and the venue is the first thing they see of the wedding itself.

So what do you need to look for when venue shopping? First, before you even get in the car, sit down and think about what you're looking for in a venue. Do you want it to be able to have both indoor and outdoor activities? Do you want it in a park? Do you want lots of privacy? Do you want it to have a room you can stay in your first night? What about the view? Most importantly - what's your budget? Remember that you'll have to pay taxes on your rental, so give your budget the wiggle room for that.

Write down everything that's important, but are also transferrable. Writing down "a venue with a kitchen attached directly to the main room" is going to limit what's out there.

When you do get out to look at places, keep your budget and your vision in mind. What will need to be brought in? What does the venue supply with the rental fee (like tables, chairs, and a sound system)? Will it comfortably seat all your guests? Is it relatively easy to get to? Do they have a caterer on site you have to use or can you bring in anyone? If they have exclusive caterers, do you have a minimum you have to spend?

Ask every question you can think of. And bring your planner with you - they'll be able to think of questions you wouldn't have even thought was important (like spill-over parking for guests).

Bring with you a kit to both remember the aspects of the venue and capture ideas that spark you while you're there. A camera, a sketch pad, a calculator, and a pocket measuring tape will come in more handy than you'd think.

After you've found the right place, you'll need to put down your deposit and sign the contract. Read the contract thoroughly. Don't just assume they'll supply staff to help with clean-up, if your tour-guide mentions it, make sure it's written in the contract. If it's not covered in writing, assume it's not going to happen. Make sure you get a copy of the contract right then and there to keep for your records - this is something your planner will need on hand at the wedding should something go wrong.

Give yourself some options, and keep your mind open. You can often find a venue that fits the bill in a place you didn't expect to look. Utilize your planner's knowledge of the area, and check out what bloggers in your city are saying about places they've visited. It doesn't have to be "Bridal Wars" to get the perfect venue - so be patient, be educated, and have fun.

Happy planning!
Rebekah Ross
Platinum Weddings and Events

Birdcage Veils - Drama, Drama, Drama

One of my favorite fashion icons is back and I am so giddy about it I think I'm making my friends crazy. I love birdcage veils. They are mysterious, glamorous, and absolutely dramatic! There's so many great styles and samples out right now that I have to share.

With a birdcage veil there's different ways you can use them to add that dramatic effect to your wedding gown, or an evening gown too! (Can you say bachelorette party?)

You can look sweet and innocent with your veil (attached to a headband), or you can say ultra chic (attached to a simple comb). Or you can scream glamor with a vintage jeweled hair clip. Use feathers for fun flair, or just a simple strip of veil across the eyes for incredible mystery. Shake it up a little and make your birdcage veil your something blue! There's so much out there honey.

Some great veils I found include some sweet samples from Birdcage Veils. For the big and dramatic, try out Castle Bride (yum). You can also get some great veils from Hat Veils and My Wedding Veil.

And if you're feeling super DIY - a birdcage veil is incredibly easy, and inexpensive, to make.

But what dress do you wear a birdcage veil with? My first tip - just throw it on and see if it works with your dress. Overall, though, they look better with slinkier dresses (mermaid, sheath, etc). If you've got a nice vintage dress you're at a home run - dresses from the 20's to 50's look great in these cute little veils. I've also seen great pairing with corset dresses and lace gowns.

Yesterday I watched a fun movie - Fantastic Four 2 - and Jessica Alba had a great pairing of a birdcage veil with a floor length veil attached to her bun. It looked beautiful with her sheath dress with a little belt.

So try it out! Call your bridal boutique before you go and see if they have a sample veil you can try on with some dresses. Or just grab a half yard from the fabric store and pin it on as you're out the door.

Bottom line - birdcage veils can offer you all kinds of attitude for your bridal look. It can add any flavor of mystery, glamor, innocence that you want it to. One thing you're going to be guaranteed - an incredible dramatic entrance.

Amazing Accent for your Bridal Bouquet

Last month I was watching an episode of the 'Martha Stewart' show and was shown a new flower decoration technique that caught my heart and immediately convinced me to have my own bridal bouquet decorated this way.

In order to add accent to a bouquet of gorgeous Ecuadorian roses, Kevin Sharkey, Martha's editorial director of decorating, added 3 different methods of glittered roses.

Now, first breath, sounds a little funny, but believe me - they are amazing. Add a couple of these accented flowers to your bouquet (don't feel limited to roses) and it adds some amazing bling without the price tag.

There were 3 methods used to decorate these flowers (watch them in this video).

1. Spray the roses with a diluted glue and shake on glitter (matching color shade).

2. Brush diluted glue to the tips of the roses and shake on glitter (matching or slight contrast).

3. Dot on clear glue and shake on glitter (matching or contrast - you pick!).

The results are fantastic. Martha herself remarked that the third method made the roses look decorated with real jewels. And with bouquet bling being so popular right now, here's a fast and simple way to add such beauty without a massive cost.

Ooh La La Love!

Wow, ladies and gents, this is my last collage for the Behind the Veil competition. It's been a long journey, full of good times and stress (like life's supposed to be). But I have had a wonderful time, learned so much, and I'm getting really excited for the big Battle of the Betrothed weekend coming up fast (Feb. 6-8!!).

So for our last wedding theme, may I present, Paris!

*Insert iconic Parisian accordion music HERE*.

For our fair city wedding, a collage of the flavors and airs of Paris. Incredible fashion, simplistic gourmand food, sweeping architecture, back door cafe style, and...ooh la la...the Eiffel Tower.

So here's a few things to know when planning your own Parisian wedding. First, you'll find lots of cute stuff featuring the Eiffel Tower. Sweet. There's a lot of styles you can choose with a Paris themed wedding. Some cute ideas: turn of the century Paris - this theme touches into the early days of film making, with the yellowy photographs, and the iconic black and white striped shirts can easily be used (even though it's a Beatnik thing). You can go glamor and gallery - using the romantic architecture and couture fashion as your method. Or, you can go what I call "gentle Paris" - think cafes, strolls along the Pont de l'Archevêché, sitting in the park, and window shopping. Very cute things can be incorporated into this idea - like a backyard reception, waiters in those stripy shirts, cute little ceramic "Hotel de Paris" jars in the bathrooms, painted wood signs, and a nice mix of fancy gowns and wood folding chairs.

And so, ladies and gents, I present to you, my own version of "gentle Paris" - Ooh La La Love!

{Rebekah} Paris: Ooh La La Love! - by bekahross on Polyvore.com

I Pledge Allegiance to Your Love

Today's wedding is focused on Washington, DC. As I mentioned the other week, when I was 12 I went with my family to DC, and I fell in love with the town. It's always been my dream to live there (and work at the Smithsonian, drool!), and my sister and I's hope to one day open a restaurant there (we've got it all worked out).

For today's wedding, I wanted to showcase some of the amazing architecture of DC. There's so much to see, but not many places that will let you have a wedding or reception there (darn you, national archives!).

So for the wedding, the National Cathedral. Oh yum. And the reception? The Daughters of the American Revolution's Banquet Hall. Double yum.

Add a little southern hospitality and DC glamor, and you've got such a beautiful wedding. Enjoy!

{Rebekah} Washington DC: I Pledge Allegiance to Your Love - by bekahross on Polyvore.com

Love Around the World

You love to travel. It's what brought you both together, helped you fall in love, and you want to celebrate this passion for each other and the world in your wedding. Easy!


There's two ways to do this - with one heck of a purse, and inexpensively.


For the big price tag wedding, a beautiful mermaid dress and a designer bridesmaid dress start this off right. The invites - custom passports with the photo of both of you! The cake? Uh! A Sylvia Weinstock globe, with little sugar 'pins' for each place you've been. The favors, beautiful umbrellas of five major cities - the ones you'll be using for the reception - each table at the reception is a different place (Paris, London, New York, etc), and they are marked by beautiful ice sculptures with the icon of the city (Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, Statue of Liberty, etc). Top it off with an outdoor reception under a tent with Parisian-striped linens! What a wedding (for only $23,272).


On the sly - what a great dress and gown find - and tons less. Passport invites from Invitations by Dawn, and luggage tags of major cities as the favors. The cake, a little more of a cartoony rendering of the globe, and just as nice a Parisian reception, but saving huge on no tent, and cutesy statuetts of the city icons! Not bad at $4,534.50!

{Rebekah} Love of Travel: Love Around the World - by bekahross on Polyvore.com

Wedding Fiesta!

Today's wedding is based on the love of a certain dish, and then designing a wedding around it. And what's better than fabulous chicken mole with fresh avocado? It's chicken and chocolate!


So let's plan a traditional Mexican wedding around this incredible dinner choice. Using the beautiful colors on the left side of the collage, we've created a wedding using traditional wedding cakes, wedding flags, a crystal wedding laso, pinata, el mariachi, dancers, even a pinata!


As the calla lily was created as a cash crop in Mexico in the 1800's, there's a strong tie between many Latin-American villages and these beautiful flowers.


On a beautiful spring day, have the wedding on the steps of the old mission church. For the reception, find a near-by hacienda (estate) to have a mixed indoor-outdoor party. The pinata will be such a huge hit with the kids, especially the 30-year-old kids!

{Rebekah} Dinner Choice: Wedding Fiesta! by bekahross

Love Jamaica Style

Jamaica has long been a place known for providing it's tourists with a complete get-away experience. One of exotic foods and splendid beaches. It's an incredible location for a wedding, and regardless of your budget it's easy to accomplish it in style.


With money as no object, I wanted to highlight a few things that will make the ultimate Jamaican wedding experience. First was finding the right location. With the help of Five Star Alliance - the Expedia of luxury 5 star hotels - I was introduced to Half Moon Resort. And it's absolutely beautiful. But with rooms starting at $609 a night, very expensive. With a ceremony at the gazebo pier - out surrounded by water on three sides - the ceremony alone is $600. For the reception, dinner for 100 at the Seagrape Terrace is $1,000. Lucky that being outside is decoration enough!


As the ceremony is taking place on a solid surface (not beach sand), we can have these amazing Fendi peep-toe pumps ($705). The dress is a Badgley Mischka ($7,500), and I just love the neck line.


For the earrings, I fell in love with these chandelier earrings by Gucci ($2,490). Last - the cake. The overall palette for the wedding is white and creme, and I wanted to reflect that in a simple-chic cake - this beauty by Cake Alchemy ($1,200). And there's the basics you need for a splurge wedding in Jamaica at $13,495.


Wow, that felt very showcase showdown (from the Price is Right).


Now, let's do the same on the sly. For a much more affordable hotel, I found the Rock House Hotel, awarded many titles by CBS and travel magazines for being a luxury hotel at every day affordable prices. Rooms start at $125!


For the ceremony, another great spot where you're surrounded on 3 sides by water, the oval stone deck ($200). For the reception, dinner at the Rockhouse (original name, huh?) for 100 is yards cheaper at $575 (a 3 course dinner is only $25!). If I ever go to Jamaica, I'm so staying at this hotel.


Now the shoes - not as fab as Fendi, but pretty darn good when it looks so similar and is only $73 (by Topshop). The earrings, a very similar pair by Isharya, and feature my favorite stone, the moon stone ($175).


The dress, a Nichole Miller! Awesome, I know! And at only $750. Last, the cake - I actually like this one better because of the way they added the little squiggle lines, by Cheryl Kleinman Cakes ($420).


Ok, I'm invoking my inner Bob Barker - All this, and more! Yours if the price is right! Only $2,193!!

{Rebekah} Splurge vs Steal Jamaica: Love Jamaica Style by bekahross