Married by Michiana - Heather & Brock's Wedding

Here are a couple of shots from my cell phone from Brock & Heather's wedding last Saturday. As you can see, Michiana chose a gorgeous dress for Heather to wear on her big day!

Guests at the wedding were treated to this delicious candy buffet, courtesy of Heather's mom -- they got to choose from a wide array of heart-shaped chocolates and I must say the guests loved them. This buffet was nearly empty by 9 pm!

If you'd like to see some professional shots from the wedding, please visit photographer Cathy Dietz's blog!

5 Tip for Perfect Wedding Day Makeup

Today's post is courtesy of Rebecca Maalouf, lead makeup artist and owner of Camellia, The Makeup Studio in Granger, Indiana.

I recently asked Rebecca to give our readers some tips on makeup for their wedding day and here is what she had to say:

Whether you're the type who rarely wears any makeup, or you're a full blown beauty junkie, you're not about to mess around with your wedding day makeup. Here's your guide to looking gorgeous all the way to the altar.

1- While there is no one "look" that fits every bride, there are a few signature touches that always look classic and beautiful. Among them, a touch of shimmer on the eye, a full blush on the cheek, and lip color within two shades of your natural lip color. Unless you are doing a theme wedding, this is not the time for red or burgundy lips, smokey eyes, or an all brown makeup palette.

2- Makeup should be camera ready, no sunscreens oils, or heavy texture. While a touch of shimmer is pretty, frost or metallic's can look outdated and do not photograph well. All artistry makeup is camera ready, some well known artistry brands are Smashbox, Paula Dorf, Mac, and Bobbi Brown. Choose these makeup brands for your wedding, even if you normally wear a different brand. You will look flawless in pictures.

3- You will need a face and an eye primer on your wedding day. This is key, and should not be skimped upon, which is tempting because you cannot immediately see the effect of a primer. But you will... hours later.

4- Use a powder to set your foundation, but do not use a powder as your foundation. Again, even if you wear a powder as your daily makeup, it just doesn't cut it for your wedding, but you will need it to help create a flawless finish and a lasting look. Really press it in so it looks like a second skin.

5- We use a spray called Model in a Bottle. It mattifies and holds the look for the full day. often into the next day. (Model in a Bottle $18) http://www.camelliacosmetics.com/

Plan to touch up your powder and lip color, bring it with you. If you follow the steps above, this is all you should need! Remember, 1st make it pretty, 2nd make sure it lasts.

Looking gorgeous on your wedding day. How PERFECT is that?

Interships Available at The Perfect Solutions

The Perfect Solutions is accepting applications for unpaid internships for the 2009 wedding season. The major focus of these positions will be on the behind-the-scenes work necessary to produce a successful wedding including phone and internet research and assisting with the set up and organization of a wedding planning studio.

Wedding planning is fun but make no mistake, it is very hard work! At The Perfect Solutions, the bottom line is simple: I want to work with people who are willing to work and learn. This is not a paying job but the potential for what you can gather and understand about this profession is huge. I am a stickler for detail and I expect everyone who works with me to be of the same mindset. We are not slackers - we work HARD and we are dedicated to the craft of planning and managing absolutely amazing weddings for our clients.

We are looking for one or more individual to work 10-12 hours per week on a variety of projects. If you are motivated, a team player and not afraid to work hard, please submit your resume to kathy@theperfectsolutions.com by March 20.

Is Hiring a Wedding Planner Worth The Money?

Jeannie Ward, a wedding coordinator colleague from Southern California recently posted a blog entry about what can happen when you decide to "save" money by not hiring a wedding planner.

Although this situation happened in another part of the country, the lessons learned from this experience apply to weddings anywhere. Here are some excerpts from the Wedding Jeannie:

[This particular] bride decided not to hire a planner because she didn’t want to pay the fee, and she was confident that her family members would take care of the details. Unfortunately they didn’t, and her wedding was not all she was wishing for.

Here is a list of what went wrong, and how it could have been avoided.

The bride was 30 minutes late for her own wedding. We make a detailed timeline of the entire day, from the time the make-up artist arrives, to the time the limo picks up the bridal party, etc. We even contact your hair and make-up artists to tell them what time they should start and finish, to keep the bride on time.

The florist was late and didn’t have an assistant to help him. He was putting down the aisle runner and petals while the guests were seated and watched. A professional coordinator’s timeline is detailed. Each vendor (including the florist), is called two weeks before the event to discuss the duties and what time they need to start work and finish work. The florist is called again a few days before the wedding to confirm. I always have an assistant, and often times an intern. If a vendor is late and needs help to finish, we all jump in to get it done.

Kneeling benches were to be used for the ceremony. The bride’s sister was to pick them up from the rental company and bring them. She didn’t do it! Her own sister didn’t do it. Prior to every wedding, I’m mentally prepared for every possible problem. I know what rental company is nearby, and could have had my assistant pick them up within ten minutes.

Seating cards were to be placed outside of the ballroom. Assigned seating was the order of the day. The bride left this task to her beloved and responsible cousin. Guess what? She forgot them! It was a seating “free for all”. Important family members were relegated to the back of the room, because people who took the seats closest to the couple refused to move. We require that the seating cards are given to us the night of the rehearsal. We place them and assist guests in being seated.

The ceremony was one hour late and the priest threatened to leave because he had another wedding to perform. He instructed the DJ to start the music and send the bride down the aisle immediately or he would leave. The bridal party was running around visiting with friends and would not stay lined up. The brides father couldn’t be found when it was time to start. The Bride had to walk down the aisle alone! This is absolutely heartbreaking. There are always two of us at every wedding. I stay with the bride and her maids, and my assistant stays with the groom and his men. We keep everyone in line. The latest I’ve ever started a wedding was 10 minutes.

Photography is one of the most important aspects of your wedding. You get one opportunity to capture “moments” on film. A coordinator would have made sure the photographer was doing his job. If necessary, my assistant would shadow him and keep him on his toes. It’s our job to oversee that the important shots are being captured. The photographer at this wedding was eating hors’ doeuvres and sitting down. The DJ caught him sitting down on several occasions, not taking pictures. He had to continually hound him all night to do his job. It is not the job of the DJ to help with all of these problems. This couple was very lucky that this DJ is very caring and wanted the best for them.

A video montage was to be played during the reception. The bride assured the DJ that there would be a projector and a screen provided. She forgot to inform the venue. No screen, no projector. Luckily the DJ had a backup projector in his vehicle. He convinced the venue manager to allow them to use their screen (additional fee for the couple). We do a final walkthrough with the venue to go over the timeline and flow for the day. The mistake would have been indentified and corrected at that time.

In the long run, the couple were married. Isn’t that what really matters? Of course it is. But the bride was especially distressed about everything that went wrong. Most brides are sure that their family will “take care of them that day”. I can attest to the fact that when a family member has been assigned a duty, 8 times out of 10, they don’t deliver. It’s not that they don’t love you, but your wedding is not their priority. We see it happen every day. That’s why I carry in the trunk of my car, an extra sign in book, toasting glasses, garters in every color, place cards and pens.

The Perfect Solutions' services mirror those of the Wedding Jeannie. We follow up with every vendor and have your best interests in mind at all times. We are your advocate and right-hand, especially during that busy week prior to the wedding. You never have to worry about forgotton items, late vendors or unruly wedding party members, we handle it all and are prepared for EVERY possible situation or emergency.

I think the Wedding Jeannie said it best:

Wedding Coordinator Month Of Package…$$
Walking down the aisle with your dad….PRICELESS!!!

Friday Fun Find - Jewelry for your wedding party

While surfing the 'net the other day, I came across this awesome site for handmade jewelry, Lochers . The jewelry is inspired by, and made from items found at flea markets in Paris and London and is absolutely adorable.

Either of these necklaces would make beautiful and unique keepsakes for your bridesmaids and the price is very reasonable at $69 each.

In addition to these pieces, you can find some "naughty but nice" items on Locher's website as well (I'll let you surf and find them) with darling images and french words. Feel free to leave a comment about your favorite piece (mauvaise fille, perhaps? or is sans culotte more your style?) Warning: Some of the items are X-rated.

A unique gift with a Parisian twist. How PERFECT is that?

A uni

And the winners are......

Michiana has spoken for the final time in this year's "Married by Michiana" sponsored by U93, Swan Lake Resort, Cathy Dietz Photography and The Perfect Solutions.

Heather will be wearing this gorgeous gown from Greta's on March 21 when she walks down the aisle with Brock and Brock will be quite a handsome groom in this Calvin Klein tuxedo from Louie's

The Perfect Solutions will be with Brock and Heather all day on their special day. Stay tuned to our blog for pictures and comments!

Married by Michiana and U93. How PERFECT is that?

Michiana Has Spoken - Bridesmaids & Groomsmens Attire

Your votes have been tallied and the winners for the bridesmaids dressses and groomsmen's tuxes for Married by Michiana's Brock & Heather's March 21 wedding at Swan Lake Resort are these gorgeous ones from Greta's Bridal and Louie's Tux Shop

Be sure to visit U93 this week to vote on Brock's tux and Heather's wedding gown!