Couture Weddings and Events, LLC

Couture Wedding: Ebonique + Jonathan

2011-09-19T07:40:00.000-05:00

Ebonique and Jonathan were married at Signature Manor. The wonderful C. Baron Photography was so kind as to share the photos with us!

Sandra + Nick: Wedding Video

2011-09-14T15:03:00.001-05:00

Joe Simon Wedding Films came out to shoot Sandra & Nicks wedding last weekend. They were wonderful to work with and even did a same day edit-- this video was played at the reception!

Couture Wedding: Krystal & Josh

2011-07-28T16:08:00.001-05:00

Krystal & Josh were married at the University of Houston, with a reception at Demer's Banquet Hall. The photos were taken by the incredible Carlea J Photography. More Than Cakes created the desserts. International DJ Sounds kept the dance floor packed. Jagg Photo captured the video. Carmen's Floral Designs handled the arrangements.

Wedding: Ginger & RJ

2011-07-19T15:36:00.000-05:00

Ginger and RJ were married at Safari Texas Ranch. Nico Photography shared these gorgeous photos. A&A Video recorded the event. Carmen's Floral Designs decorated. LG Entertainers spun the tunes. Edible Designs by Jessie designed the cakes.

Thank you, Ginger & RJ, for letting us be a part of your big day!

Wedding: Antoinette & Julian

2011-06-21T09:11:00.000-05:00

Antoinette & Julian were married at the chapel at the University of Houston. Their reception was held at the Magnolia Hotel. The incredible Chris W Photo was on hand to capture the fun.

Ceremony: Rice University Chapel
Reception: The Magnolia Hotel
Photographer: Chris W Photo
Cake: Edible Designs by Jessie
Florist: Flora Bella Design

Wedding: Christina & John

2011-06-14T08:48:00.001-05:00

Christina and John were married at St Laurence Church and their reception was at the Sweetwater Country Club. Hurst Photography snapped these beautiful pictures.

Suzanne's Flowers

DJs Unlimited

Julie's Cakes

Engagement: Theresa & Hien

2011-06-09T10:04:00.002-05:00

Theresa and Hien met up with Red Fly Photography in Austin for their stunning engagement shoot. The photos are nothing short of gorgeous.

Engagement: Sandra & Nick

2011-06-07T09:37:00.000-05:00

The Couture Girls really want to thank InTandem Photography for these amazing photos! Our couple says the husband-wife duo were a dream to work with and we can't wait to work with them in the future.

2011 Bride's Choice Awards

2011-01-25T09:37:00.000-06:00

Houston, Texas – January 25, 2011 - WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, is thrilled to announce Couture Weddings & Events, LLC. has been selected to receive the prestigious annual WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011 for Wedding Coordinators!

Recognition for the Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011 is determined by recent reviews and extensive surveys from over 750,000 WeddingWire newlyweds. Our past clients are among those that shared their experiences on WeddingWire, the largest wedding review site in the nation.

Couture Weddings & Events, LLC stands among the top five percent of wedding professionals in the WeddingWire community, representing quality and service excellence within the wedding industry. Awards were given to the top wedding professionals across 20 service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers, and were based on the overall professional achievements throughout the past year.

“WeddingWire is honored to celebrate the success of the top-rated wedding professionals within the WeddingWire community,” said Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “With the annual Bride’s Choice Awards™ program, WeddingWire has the unique opportunity to recognize the best wedding professionals across the US and Canada. We applaud Couture Weddings & Events, LLC. for their professionalism and dedication to enhancing the wedding planning experience last year.”

We are happy to announce that Couture Weddings & Events, LLC is among the very best Wedding Coordinators within the WeddingWire Network, which includes leading wedding planning sites WeddingWire, Martha Stewart Weddings, Project Wedding and Weddingbee. We would like to thank our past clients for nominating us to receive the Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011.

For more information, please visit our WeddingWire Storefront today.

For more information on the Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011, please visit www.WeddingWire.com.

About WeddingWire, Inc.
WeddingWire.com, the nation's leading technology company serving the $70 billion wedding industry, is the only online wedding planning resource designed to empower both engaged couples and wedding professionals. For engaged couples, WeddingWire offers the ability to search, compare and book over 200,000 local wedding vendors, from wedding venues to wedding photographers to wedding cakes. WeddingWire also offers an online community and a suite of cutting-edge planning tools for weddings, including wedding websites and wedding checklists, all at no charge. For wedding professionals, WeddingWire provides free online management tools creating the only market opportunity that gives local businesses control over their clients, reviews, leads and performance. Businesses that join the WeddingWire Network appear on WeddingWire.com and other leading sites, including MarthaStewartWeddings.com (NYSE: MSO), ProjectWedding.com and Weddingbee.com (both part of eHarmony), and Celebrations.com (part of the 1-800-Flowers family of brands, NASDAQ: FLWS).

Bridals: Krystal

2010-10-25T08:10:00.004-05:00

This past weekend we were fortunate to do a gorgeous wedding with another stunning bride. If you follow us on Twitter, you've heard us talk about her and her fabulous shoes. So now, we're SO excited to share her gorgeous bridal pictures that Carlea J Photography was so kind to share.

Festive Fall Color Palette

2010-09-22T08:30:00.004-05:00

September is here and with it comes the gorgeous golds, reds and browns of fall. So, we decided to check out some of the stunning palettes Chrissy with the Perfect Palette has designed for the fall wedding season. Here's what Chrissy had to say:

{Burnt Orange, Copper, Orange, Gold, Chocolate Brown, Gray}

A feeling of Fall is in the air & so what better time to bring out this fun palette of traditional Fall colors than now? I just love how shades of orange blend effortlessly with gold, chocolate brown and gray. Who says a palette needs to consist of two or three colors? Fall is such a fun time to get married. I personally love the festive table scape featured as well as the beautiful floral cake topper. Want your bridal party attire to stand out as unique? Check out those fun wrap style dresses! That's definitely a dress I'd wear again! And what better way to say farewell than to invite your guest to take part in a fun sparkler send off! Definitely an exciting and special way to end your wedding night!

Jump over to Chrissy's blog to see the original post or find out where she got her photos! While you're there, browse all of her gorgeous palettes. You can search by color, season, or theme!

Jessica + Ryan

2010-09-20T10:02:00.012-05:00

Ladies and gentlemen, we are thrilled to present to you one of the most fabulous Couture weddings. Of course, we may be slightly biased, since Jessica N. (formerly Jessica H.) is one of our own amazing Couture coordinators. But we'll let you be the judge...

My name is Jessica Nelson and I am one of the coordinators for Couture. Ryan and I got married in Katy, TX at First United Methodist Church then moved to the WestLake Club in Houston, TX for the reception. We had our beautiful flowers done by Carmen’s Flora l. Edible Designs by Jessie did our amazing cakes. Our favorite Texas Country Band, Owen Temple and also Jason from DJs Unlimited provided the music. We also had a photobooth from DJU which was so much fun. My hair and makeup was courtesy of Beauty on Call. Couture Weddings and Events helped me with my wedding and gave me so many great ideas. I was wanted something different and fun, something that would fit my personality. The wedding turned out to be better then I could even imagine. Everything was perfect to the very last detail. Here is a quote from my AMAZING photographer, Carlea J Photography, “You can just tell when a bride has an eye for planning. The beauty is in the details. And Jessica nailed it. From the rhinestone encrusted candy jars to the personalized pink and orange beer mugs, everything was pretty in pink. Bravo my friend!”

Here is my garter I custom ordered.

This is one of my favorite things. These were my centerpieces for every table. I glued on every rhinestone and those are real gold fishes in there. Don’t worry they were all ok and everyone took them home at the end of the night.

Movie theme grooms cake. The movie tickets say Now Showing Ryan + Jessica 7-10-10. Just a little added touch.

Personalized wine glasses for all my bridesmaids & beer mugs for the groomsmen by Linden with Embroidery by Design.

Personalized toasting flutes, also by Linden.

Hand made cake topper by yours truly.

Candy bar full of orange and pink candy.

Owen Temple - Texas Country band performed at the wedding.

HUGE conga line.

Midnight snack of homemade chocolate chip cookies and shot glasses of milk.

Congrats Jessica & Ryan!

Laura + Markus {Part 2}

2010-09-16T08:40:00.000-05:00

Laura and Markus also held their reception at Assumption Catholic Church. Bailey Connor Catering provided the delicious meal while Sound Connections spun fun tunes. Darryl & Co. handled the reception design while Finale baked the custom cake. The fun was topped off by and Ice Cream Bar courtesy of Marble Slab and memorable pictures by FunPix Photobooth.

Laura + Markus {Part 1}

2010-09-13T16:44:00.008-05:00

Laura and Markus were married last May at Assumption Catholic Church in Houston. The groom hails from Austria so it made for a wonderful time with the mixed cultures. The gorgeous flower arrangements are courtesy of Daryl & Co. Evoke Photography captured these beautiful shots while K Sue-Ray Videography recorded the day. The Fort Bend Boys Choir provided ceremony music. Laura's makeup was courtesy of The Perfect Face.
{Part 2} of Laura & Markus' big day includes ice cream and a fabulous photo booth...so check back soon!

Also, if you haven't already entered the Giveaway for your dream honeymoon...click here!

Win Your Dream Honeymoon!

2010-09-10T16:39:00.007-05:00

Holy cow, has it really been TWO months since I last blogged?! Two months. Totally unacceptable. Don't hate me please? Okay, to make it up to you, I have this AMAZING giveaway from the lovely AmyJean, aka The Relentless Bride. Seriously, it's awesome. A free dream honeymoon. Not kidding.

It could be you wading in the gorgeous water. But not me. I HAD to go get married already. Not that I'm bitter.

The trip is to The Westin Dawn Resort & Spa, St. Maarten. You can check out AmyJean's own experience here.

Enter before October 2, 2010 for the chance to win!

By the way, I have SO many gorgeous pictures to share from recent weddings. So keep checking back for those!

Rachel + Matt (Part 2)

2010-07-15T14:48:00.005-05:00

Thank you for letting us be a part of your big day!

Rachel + Matt (Part 1)

2010-06-28T10:50:00.001-05:00

Rachel and Matt were married April 24 at Agave Road in Katy. Flowers are by Carmen's Floral Designs, Cake by Edible Designs by Jessie, and Photography by Chris Wineinger Photography.

Charity Wedding Dress Sale

2010-06-25T09:51:00.004-05:00

Photo from here.

Texas brides rejoice! The Brides Against Breast Cancer Sale is headed your way!

Austin, TX: July 2 at 10 AM, Renaissance Austin Hotel (Power Hour)
Dallas, TX: July 23 at 10 AM, Hilton Arlington (Power Hours)

Check out the complete tour calendar here.

You can win special VIP tickets over at One Wed's Savvy Scoop to get first grabs at heavily discounted wedding dresses. Make the jump for all of the juicy details!

A Perfect Palette

2010-04-19T08:00:00.003-05:00

I previously introduced you to Chrissy with the Perfect Palette. Go ahead, take a look at the previous post...but remember to come back and finish this one!

A common predicament brides mention to us is choosing the perfect color palette for their wedding. If you're facing this problem, we absolutely recommend you browse Chrissy's blog for a while. You can search by color or season. Here's one of our favorite Spring combos...

Chrissy combined Pink, Fuschia, Light Pink, Light Yellow, Antique Gold, and Ivory to create a palette fit for any Spring Soiree.

Thank you...

2010-03-12T15:04:00.008-06:00

I owe a huge thank you to everyone who made my wedding day perfect...

Amanda at Marquardt Ranch

Ashley & Carlea of Studio 563 for bringing amazing photos such as this one...

Ohhh...goodness...

Sonja with Sonja Gary Strings

Martha & Judy with the Jade Shoppe

Ashley & Jennifer with Blush Makeup & Hair

Bumdoodlers Bakery

Alamo Photographic (video)

Steve with the Hungry Horse Cafe

Christi with the Scenic Loop Cafe

...and of course, Couture's own, Jessica L.!

Couture Wedding: Tierney & Brandon

2010-03-09T19:34:00.008-06:00

Brandon and Tierney were married on November 28, 2009 at St. John Vianney with the reception held at the Pine Forest Country Club. Elegant Beginnings provided the beautiful linens while The Senter Piece designed the stunning flowers. Rock N Robin kept the dance floor packed all night. Amy Lombardo provided the breathtaking photos.

Congratulations Tierney & Brandon!

Apologies....

2010-02-17T15:42:00.001-06:00

Hello all! Thanks for following our blog. This post is just to let you know that our blog will be silent for a couple weeks. Heather will be getting hitched on the 20th (yay!) and then headed on her honeymoon. But Jessica will still be in town and working hard. So if you need to get in touch with us, send her an email: Info (at) houstoncoutureevents (dot) com.

Jessica will also be updating Twitter--hopefully with some pictures of Heather's wedding as it happens! So be sure to check in.

We're very sorry for the silence, but we'll be back with tons of exciting posts starting the week of March 1st!

Ask The Expert: Something Old, Something New...

2010-02-15T08:30:00.002-06:00

Photo from here.

I've received a lot of questions lately via Twitter about this Victorian tradition. So, what better time to blog about it. Of course, the saying goes like this:

Something old, something new

Something borrowed, something blue

And a silver sixpence in her shoe.

Something Old: This refers to the brides ties that will remain after marriage, such as that to her family and friends. This seems to be the toughest item to find. I've decided on using my Great-Grandmother's brooch to pin a piece of my Mother's wedding veil to my bouquet. Other great ideas were to make a garter out of your Mother's wedding dress.

Photo from here.

Something New: This refers to the brides new life and the hope that comes with it. Many brides count their gown as their new item since it's generally white, which represents purity.

Photo from here.

Something Borrowed: This item is usually borrowed from a happily married friend or family member. I am going to count my Great-Grandmother's brooch and Mom's veil for this item as well, since they've both had long and happy marriages. I've also heard of brides borrowing friends veils or jewelry for this item.

Something Blue: Before Queen Victoria, brides often wore blue wedding gowns as blue represented modesty and fidelity. Of course, Queen Victoria changed this for everyone when she chose to marry in white. Many brides choose to wear a blue garter or undergarments, if their gown allows. Another great idea is to have the bridesmaids sign the bottom of your shoes with a blue marker. Whoever's name wears off first will be the next to walk down the aisle!

Photo from here.

Silver Sixpence: This refers to an old Scottish tradition meant to bring luck. Many companies still sell Sixpence coins for weddings.

My First Bridezilla Moment...

2010-02-03T08:30:00.003-06:00

Any of my bridal party will tell you that I've, for the most part, been very easy to deal with as a bride. But a couple weeks ago I had my first Bridezilla moment...

The cutoff date for our RSVPs was January 20th. This gave guests approximately 1 month to check their calendars and send in the cards before the deadline. Well, when the date rolled around we had 50 invitations that had received no response!

I have heard from many brides recently that the art of RSVPing is dying quickly. I guess as a wedding planner & a bride I see every single item an RSVP affects: the amount of food, number of tables, number of table linens, flower arrangements, size of the dance floor, and the list goes on...Understandably, the average guest may not see this.

As my face started to turn green, and horns began to sprout from my head, I got to work color coding my guest list. Each color represented who was going to contact that particular guest. For example, I was purple, my fiance was green, his dad was orange, and my parents were blue. I then emailed the list to each person and we got to work.

We received a variety of excuses from guests...they thought the cutoff date was later, they lost their invitation, never received an invitation, and everything in between.

Photo from here.

Thankfully, there were no casualties from my Bridezilla moment...although Couture coordinator Jessica H. did send me a link to these Zilla Pills...not in the least bit subtle! Haha.

Wedding Accessories

2010-02-01T08:07:00.000-06:00

With my wedding getting closer and closer, I've been searching for wedding jewelry
& accessories to tie together my bridal look. I started off at the dress shop and purchased a gorgeous pair of tear drop earrings. One diamond fell out so they are replacing that for me before I take it home.

I'm now debating on hair accessories. I'm mildly obsessed with feathers right now, so I'm loving this one:

Photo from here.

I'm also loving this one right now:

Photo from here.

Brides Choice Awards 2010

2010-01-22T08:00:00.000-06:00

Houston, TX – January 20,2010 - WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, just announced Couture Weddings & Events, LLC has been selected to receive the 2010 Bride’s Choice Awards™ for Wedding Planning!

The annual Bride’s Choice Awards™ recognizes and celebrates excellence in quality and service within the wedding industry, as determined by recent reviews and extensive surveys from over 500,000 newlyweds.

Couture Weddings & Events, LLC is among the top five percent of all vendors in the WeddingWire community, which includes over 100,000 wedding professionals across the US and Canada. Awards were given to winners across 19 different service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers.

“We are excited to recognize and honor the success of the top wedding professionals within the WeddingWire Community” said Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “The annual Bride’s Choice Awards™ program has given us the unique opportunity to highlight the best wedding professionals in each region as reviewed by brides and grooms who have utilized their services in the past year.”

We are happy to announce that Couture Weddings & Events, LLC is among the very best Wedding Planning within the WeddingWire Network, which includes WeddingWire and Martha Stewart Weddings. We would like to thank our past newlyweds for nominating us for the 2010 Bride’s Choice Awards™.

For more information, please visit our WeddingWire Storefront today at www.houstoncoutureevents.com.

About WeddingWire, Inc.
WeddingWire is the only online wedding planning resource designed to empower both engaged couples and wedding vendors. WeddingWire enables engaged couples to search, compare and book over 100,000 reviewed wedding vendors nationwide, from wedding photographers to wedding cakes. WeddingWire also offers an online community and a suite of cutting-edge planning tools, including wedding websites and wedding checklists, all at no charge. For wedding vendors, WeddingWire provides free online management tools creating the only market opportunity that gives businesses control over their clients, reviews, leads and performance. In addition, WeddingWire has partnered with Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. (NYSE: MSO) to provide its network of local vendors and online wedding-planning tools in the Weddings section of www.MarthaStewartWeddings.com. For additional information, please visit www.WeddingWire.com.

Thank You!

2010-01-11T10:42:00.003-06:00

Thank you to everyone who helped out with our booth this weekend:

Linens by Lisa provided our Purple Pintuck Cocktail Linens.
Popaddodle Desserts provided the delicious cookies for our dessert bar.

Embroidery by Design provided the adorable aprons, and everything polka dotted.

Carmen's Floral Designs provided the beautiful flower arrangement.

43 Days

2010-01-08T08:00:00.000-06:00

The official wedding countdown is now at 43 days!

Being a wedding planner while planning my own wedding is definitely a blessing and a curse. I obviously have had an easier time making decisions for my overall wedding style. But I have no time to work on the projects I'd like to! I'm crossing my fingers and hoping the luminaries and candy bar decor will make themselves...

The invitations were mailed out right before Christmas. Only one was returned, and it was at the fault of the USPS. Here's the invitation template:

Photo from here.

The Bridemaid gifts are partially assembled--so glad I started on those early! I'll share pictures after the wedding. I don't want to ruin the surprise for the girls.

The month of January brings our final premarital counseling session, finalizing of our menu, bachelor(ette) parties, and linens (ohhh, I still have to choose linens...), and probably a trip to Costco to choose candy for the candy bar.

The long-range weather report for our wedding date changed from "Snowstorms with snow up to 10 inches" to "sunny and mild". Not that this means much, since we're still over a month away, but it helps my nerves some!

Happy Holidays

2009-12-23T16:19:00.003-06:00

Photo from here.

The Couture Girls would like to wish our readers a Happy Holiday! And since we're in the Holiday Spirit, mention this blog post & you'll receive $200 off any of our packages!

Offer expires January 1, 2010. Subject to availability.

Couture Wedding: Amber + Matt

2009-12-21T08:00:00.000-06:00

Amber and Matt were married last Christmas at Houston Baptist University's Belin Chapel. Evoke Photography shot the beautiful holiday affair, while Edible Designs by Jessie created the gorgeous cakes.

Featured Vendor: Embroidery by Design

2009-12-16T08:00:00.002-06:00

I met Linden with Embroidery by Design a few years ago, when we attended the same college. We recently got back in touch when Linden started her Embroidery business. She makes some of the cutest items that would make amazing bridesmaid gifts!

She embroidered some of the softest throw blankets for my shower hostesses--and they were a huge hit!

She does more than just embroidery; Check out these adorable custom wine glasses:

Or these polka-dotted beer mugs:

Or these vinyl letters for your dance floor:

Check out Linden's blog for color & font options!

Couture Wedding: Grace + Raymond

2009-12-14T08:00:00.001-06:00

Grace and Raymond were married at Ashton Gardens on November 6. These breathtaking photos were shot by Diem Photography. Divisi Strings came out to play for the ceremony while DJs Unlimited spun music for the reception. Carmen's Floral Desig ns arranged the beautiful bouquets while Bobbie's Cake Creations made the delicious cake.

Grace and Raymond had a beautiful First Look before their ceremony began.

Congratulations, Grace & Raymond!

Tis the Season to Give Back: Wishpot

2009-12-11T08:00:00.003-06:00

Wishpot is doing a “Wish It-Win It-Give It” giveaway where you can use your wish list to win prizes for yourself AND your favorite charity! Each day for a week starting Dec 21st items from the Wish It Win It home page are being raffled! So start adding items now!

How to enter?

Add items from the lists on the Wish It Win It page
Add items from the websites of the participating brands
Each item you add gives you an entry to win.

And the best part?

If you win, each brand will be generously donating not one but two products; one to you and the second to a charity of your choice.

So start wishing and don’t miss out on the chance to give this holiday season!

Check out Couture's Wishpot Lists here!

Bridal Extravaganza

2009-12-10T08:00:00.000-06:00

Houston's Bridal Extravaganza Show is coming up! Make sure to purchase your tickets for the January 9-10 event. This show is a must for all brides-to-be. Over 500 companies are exhibiting-and most run specials for brides to visit their booths!

The Show also has some major giveaways including teeth whitening, golf outings, and a honeymoon!

Make sure you stop by booth #1214 and tell the Couture Girls hello!

Couture Wedding: Robin + Mark

2009-12-07T11:03:00.005-06:00

Robin and Mark were married last May at First Evangelical Lutheran Church. Flora Bella designed the stunning arrangements for the ceremony.

Studio 563 came out to shoot and, as always, delivered stunning photos.

The reception took place at Hotel Zaza. Reception music was provided by DJ's Unlimited.

The delicious multi-flavored cake was created by More Than Cake s.

Couture Wedding: Shelly + Paul (Part 2)

2009-12-04T08:00:00.001-06:00

After Paul and Shelly's wedding ceremony, the guests were ushered to a cocktail hour in the foyer while Couture supervised a flip of the ceremony site to the reception site. The staff at Hotel Derek was crucial for a successful flip--and they definitely came through!

Sweet Delights made a stunning bride's cake and a fun University of Texas groom's cake.

Reception centerpieces alternated between elegant tall arrangements of orchids and classic arrangements of sunken orchids & hydrangea.

The wedding party grand entrance was hilarious--each couple did a different dance.

Guests noshed on two sushi bars, as well as a carving station.

LG Entertainers spun the music and kept the dance floor packed all night long!

Congratulations, Shelly & Paul!

Couture Wedding: Shelly + Paul (Part 1)

2009-12-02T09:37:00.009-06:00

Shelly and Paul were married November 7 at Hotel Derek. We were thrilled to be able to coordinate such a classy, elegant affair. Akil Bennett shot the wedding and was so kind to share the photos with us.

Shelly made such a beautiful bride.

Darryl & Co. set the atmosphere with classic draping, while Distinctive Details dressed up the seating with covers & sashes.

The mothers of the bride & groom walked down the aisle together, dressed in traditional Korean attire.

Elegant orchids and hydrangea were arranged by Lexi's Florist.

What a great shot of Paul, watching his bride walk down the aisle.

Shelly & Paul sharing a kiss as man and wife.

Stay tuned for Part 2, with reception pictures!

Jewelry: Going Faux

2009-11-30T08:00:00.000-06:00

Photo found here.

Faux jewelry is becoming more and more popular- especially cubic zirconia rings. There are many reasons women- including brides- are leaning more towards the synthetic over the real...

Women that are not engaged like to wear a ring while out on the town, in order to discourage unwanted advances from the opposite sex.
Many couples are forgoing the real-deal in order to save cash for a home, their wedding, or the honeymoon.

and the most important reason...

Jewelers and travel agents alike recommend that brides leave their real diamond ring safe at home for the honeymoon. Whether you're scuba diving or site seeing, there are too many opportunities for your ring to be lost, stolen, or damaged. Since the average bride is hesitant to leave her ring finger nude, it's a great idea to purchase a CZ as a place holder.

Many department stores carry these rings, as well as jewelry discounters such as Charming Charlie.

Thanksgiving Wedding Details

2009-11-25T08:00:00.000-06:00

Photo found here.

In honor of Thanksgiving this week, we'd like to share some great fall wedding details...

These bouquets just scream fall...

Photo found here.

How creative are these centerpieces?

Photo found here.

In lieu of a grooms cake, Couture bride Alisha opted to serve pies at her wedding.

Photo by Clayton Wallace.

Don't forget to follow us on Twitter for constant updates from our wedding this weekend!

Mention our blog and receive $200 off any of our packages!
Offer expires December 5, 2009.

Engagement Session: Rachel + Matt

2009-11-23T09:21:00.007-06:00

Rachel and Matt are one of our fabulous Spring Couture couples. They are getting married April 24 at Agave Road. They met up with amazing photog Chris Wineinger in Montrose last week and here's what resulted:

I want to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving! We have a wedding this weekend, so make sure you're following us on Twitter for down to the minute updates!

Bridesmaid Design

2009-11-13T15:03:00.004-06:00

Dress found here.

Recently, I was browsing through bridesmaid dresses and I am loving some of the new designs being offered! Don't you love the shoulder embellishment on this plum stunner?

Dress found here.

I love the simplicity of this dress...

Dress found here.

The full skirt on this gown makes it look so much more elegant.

Dress found here.

I swear if this one has pockets, I might have to go buy it right now...

Dress found here.

Engagement Session: Jessica + Ryan

2009-11-05T08:41:00.009-06:00

We introduced you to Couture Intern, Jessica a few months ago. A couple weekends ago, she and her fiance Ryan met up with the fabulous Carlea of CarleaJ Photography for their engagement shoot. They brought along their adorable pooches Riley & Brody, and ended up with some gorgeous pictures.

I asked Jessica how she and Ryan met and here's what she said:

I was living in Sugarland at the time Ryan and I met. My roommates made me go to Baker Street one night to just get out of the apartment. Ryan happened to be there with some friends and we all ended up talking. Ryan asked for my number and we talked for a few days before going out.

Our first date was a disaster. We went to this Mexican restaurant in the Heights area and the whole time he just stared at me and it was really awkward. After dinner he gave me a card. Inside the card it said to text 'Jessica' to a number. (Ryan is part owner of a company and one of the things they do is mobile marketing). After texting, it asked if I would go on another date with Ryan. How could I say no to that? So the next date we hung out at his place and this is where I fell in love with his dog, Brody. After Ryan stopped staring at me everything just kept getting better and better. We always had so much fun together.

We built a house and have 2 dogs, Brody and Riley. Riley was my Christmas present last year. We treat them like our little kids & love them so much. Ryan and I are a prime example of 'opposites attract'. Before we met no one ever thought either of us would get married. Now we are planning our wedding and lives together.

The Couture Girls are coordinating 2 weddings this weekend--and both are going to be stunning! So make sure you follow our minute-by-minute updates and pictures on Twitter!

The Grand Exit

2009-11-04T10:55:00.000-06:00

Couture Wedding: Amber + Matt
Evoke Photography

A while back, I mentioned that you should make a list of wedding aspects that are important to you. One item that is very low on our list is transportation. We're not particular about our getaway car. We agreed early on that we'll try to borrow my Grandma's Mustang (yeah, my Grandma drives a new Mustang GT; doesn't yours?). It's very pretty, a convertible, and-oh yeah- it's free.

In the past few years I've seen some pretty awesome Grand Exits- from limos, to a Jaguar, to horse drawn carriage. But the one that takes the cake has got to be Couture co-founder, Christi. She and her hubby left her wedding in a helicopter. Now, I have to mention that this not the only form of transportation Christi used on her big day. Nope. Christi stole a horse from a mounted policeman (okay, so she didn't technically steal it). And she and her bridesmaids were driven to the front of the aisle in a limo.

Couture Wedding: Christi + Adam

Now, a helicopter sounds very costly for a Grand Exit, so I asked Christi what made her choose this route. She explained that her wedding venue was so close to a local airport that the cost of renting the helicopter was comparable to that of renting a limo. How cool is that?!

What spectacular Grand Exits have you witnessed?

Bargain Buys: Bravo Bride

2009-11-02T08:00:00.000-06:00

The Couture Girls are always excited to come across a bargain, whether it is for clothes, household items, or (of course!) wedding supplies. We're going to share a great wedding bargain as often as possible for our wonderful readers.

Our first bargain deal comes from BravoBride. This site allows former brides to share gently (or never!) used items from their wedding.

These gift card boxes are adorable:

Found here and here.

And check out this Vera Wang gown listed at $1750 (it was originally $5000!):

As with any online purchase, you should verify the authenticity of an item, such as the Vera Wang gown and always use a reliable method of payment, such as Paypal.

Couture Wedding: Grace & Raymond, Pt. 1

2009-10-26T09:39:00.009-05:00

Grace and Raymond are the awesome couple that I mentioned are getting married November 6. They met up with Diem Photography a couple months ago for their engagement shoot and it resulted in these awesome shots:

How glamorous is that photo?

I love the intimate feel of these photos.

This photo reminds me of the shot I posted of Sheryl and Geoffrey a while back.

Love it.

I can't wait to share all the fun and creative details Grace and Raymond have planned for their wedding. Make sure you're following us on Twitter for updates as the wedding takes place!

Part 2 of Grace and Raymond's blog post will come after their wedding!

What's New With Couture...

2009-10-20T10:40:00.007-05:00

So lately our focus has been on Heather's wedding planning and less on what's going on with Couture. I'll be happy to bring you up to date.

In September, we brought on another intern, named Brittany. She's fabulous and hard working, which is always welcomed here. She'll be with us through December.

As always, we've been super busy with tastings, walkthroughs, and meetings. But we're gearing up for a busy month in November! We're starting out with a wedding at Ashton Gardens, followed by a gorgeous affair at Hotel Derek, and finishing out the month with a 350+ guest wedding at Pine Forest Country Club.

We still have some pictures to share from summer weddings, so stay tuned for those.

Also, Jessica and Alison are headed off to the Wedding College at Sea next week! Can't wait to see what they bring back from that (aside from fabulous tans, I'm sure). We'll still be blogging while they're gone, so don't forget to stop by!

Let us know if there are any topics you would like us to cover in our blog posts!

Save the Date!

2009-10-20T08:00:00.000-05:00

Please forgive my recent lack of posts...I promise to do better scheduling them from now on!

My Save the Dates came in a couple weeks ago and I was busy addressing, labeling, stuffing envelopes, and applying stamps. Actually, my mom and I worked out a great assembly line for this process. I addressed while she stuffed and stamped. We actually knocked them all out in one evening!

Afterwards, I noticed how pretty my little brother's cursive is...Guess who's helping address invitations when the time comes?

Here's the template I used for creating our Save the Date:

I found the template at MagnetStreet, who I found very reasonably priced. I purchased the 3.5"x4" magnet, mailing labels, and coordinating stickers (with our faces on them) for under $200, with shipping & handling! Of course, the number of magnets you order will affect the final cost, but that's pretty cheap IMO.

Keep in mind when choosing Save the Dates and Invitations that postage for square shaped mailings often cost more than normal shapes. I advise you make a trip to the post office before mailing your Save the Dates to find out exactly how much postage it requires. This magnet only required one stamp!

Today marks only 4 months until our wedding!

Fiddle-dee-dee...

2009-10-12T10:29:00.000-05:00

"Tara! Home. I'll go home. And I'll think of some way to get him back. After all... tomorrow is another day." -Scarlett O'Hara (also my future father-in-law's words when he saw this picture)

Admit it- you thought that too. Don't get me wrong, it is a beautiful dress and would like great on someone else. I'm just not a petticoat & ruffles kind of girl. Not to mention the lacy straps that scratched my shoulders like crazy. So why, you may ask, did I bother to try this dress on? Because I wanted to try on everything. Gowns have a way of transforming from the hanger to your figure, so you never know what will look amazing on you.

A couple months ago, I was at lunch with my Grandma and we ran into the owner of The Jade Shoppe, a little dress shop in my hometown. Martha told us to stop by and try on whatever I want in her store- no time limit, no dress limit. So I scheduled an appointment and came in with Bridesmaids, Grandma, and Mom in tow. I ended up trying on 12 dresses and purchasing one of them. It was lacy, vintage, and comfortable- everything I wanted. Martha was a dream to work with and my dress should arrive 8-10 weeks from the date I ordered it.

Unfortunately, not all brides have the luck I did. I went shopping with a good friend for her dress a couple weeks after I bought mine and had quite a different experience. The first shop we went into had a great variety of dresses to try on and the samples were well maintained. However, at the end of the appointment, the salesperson we dealt with tried to tell my friend that she needed to purchase today, because wedding dresses take 12-18 months to come in. *ahem* What?! Of course this was just a ploy to get my friend to purchase asap, which I'm sure secures the salesperson's commission. But I was just shocked.

The second shop she went to has a really friendly salesperson without all the pressure of the first shop. However, I was surprised by the condition of their sample dresses. Zippers were broken, seams were torn, and straps were falling off. How can you really see the curves and accents of the dress when you're forced to hold it up the entire time?

Don't fret- this blog does have a happy ending. My friend ended up finding her perfect dress and it has already arrived- allowing plenty of time for alterations and fittings. Before you make an appointment at a dress shop, make sure to follow these simple guidelines:

Get recommendations. If you don't have a friend or family member who has a recommendation for you, check online. Websites like Wedding Wire and Citysearch offer client reviews for your peace of mind.
If you've found a designer you're in love with, make sure the shop you choose carries their line. In many cases, you can go to the designer's website to locate a shop close to you.
Once you've decided to make an appointment at a certain dress shop, make sure to ask if there's a time limit on your appointment. Also ask if there's a limit on the number of dresses you're allowed to try on during your appointment. Some shops will require you to make a second appointment to continue trying on dresses. Many charge for the third session. Make sure you know this information up front.

After you've tried on dresses, I recommend visiting one of the sites I listed above and making your own review of the dress shop--this way you're helping the next bride find her perfect gown!

Wedding in a Week Giveaway

2009-10-01T10:17:00.008-05:00

The folks over at the Broke Ass Bride are doing this AMAZING giveaway. Here's just a sample of what you could win:

A custom made gown from Custom Couture Bridal...

A gorgeous veil from Kasia Fink...

A fun garter from Julianne Smith...

The P90X Workout system so you'll be a buff bride (or at least toned!)...

An awesome wedding map from Penny Pantomime...

And--JUST POSTED--wedding invitations from For The Modern Bride...

And seriously, there's SO much stuff I haven't even mentioned. So make the jump to The Broke Ass Bride's blog and check it out!

A Feather Affair: The Perfect Palette

2009-09-29T10:10:00.012-05:00

I came across The Perfect Palette a few months ago and-I kid you not- spent over an hour engrossed in her website. Chrissy works with brides to create inspiration boards for their weddings using the most rich and intriguing color combinations.

If you didn't immediately make the jump to her site when you saw the inspiration board above, I encourage you to do so. You can search by color or season to see her stunning creations.

Here are some beautiful details from this board, as well as some thoughts from Chrissy herself:

My name is Chrissy and I'm author behind the wedding blog, The Perfect Palette!

The Perfect Palette is all about celebrating color! And what better way to explore the possibilities of color palettes than to put together inspiration boards! And what's great is that you can even sort by color!

What I think is most special about The Perfect Palette is the fact that I create the inspiration boards based on my reader's requests. To date, I've received hundreds of requests for custom boards from all around the world. It's incredibly fun to be able to take my readers ideas, add my own and then create something beautiful that they can use as a visual guide in their planning process. Not only is it fun, but it's also incredibly fulfilling to know that in some small way, I'm inspiring weddings around the world!

Couture Wedding: Alisha + Stewart

2009-09-21T13:36:00.013-05:00

Alisha and Stewart's wedding was an absolute blast to plan. This couple designed their reception to match their unique style, with a Pie Buffet in lieu of a Groom's Cake and DJs Unlimited spinning "Yeah" by Usher for the Father/Daughter Dance.

Their wedding ceremony & reception took place at Safari Texas, with Clayton Wallace shooting the big event. Edible Designs by Jessie created the gorgeous cake, which was accented by a pie table. All flowers were designed by Carmen's Florals.

All photos by Clayton Wallace.

Free Wedding Giveaway

2009-09-18T13:53:00.003-05:00

The folks over at The Bridal Extravaganza have teamed up with Twogether in Texas to bring Texas brides this awesome giveaway:

Click on the images to enlarge.

But I haven't recieved my invite....

2009-09-14T12:28:00.001-05:00

Picture from here.

Everybody has that friend. You know, the one that you haven't seen in a year but she mysteriously reappears right after your engagement with questions and suggestions for your wedding. Or what about the "frenemy" you secretly don't like but only put up with for mutual friends? Maybe you have room in your guest list to invite her, but what if you're on a tight budget? How do you avoid putting stress on the relationship without feeling obligated to extend an invite?

Everyone goes through this. Aside from the budget, the guest list is the most stressful part of wedding planning. We touched recently on creating the guest list with Carlea's blog. But how do you decide who makes the cut and where to draw the line?

My fiancé will readily tell you that I forced him to start a guest list before we were engaged. True story. But in my defense, I am a planner! We started out listing family and close friends. Then we logged onto Facebook and added the friends we'd talked to recently. Then came the distant relatives, high school teammates, kindergarten babysitter, and so on. At this point we had about 250 guests on our list. This obviously had to be tamed- our venue only holds 200!

We divided everything into an A list and a B list. A list guests are family members and friends that have to be at our wedding, no questions asked. This includes immediate family and lifelong best friends. B list is definitely not the insult it initially sounds like it could be. This includes friends that we really want to share our big day and would be honored to attend, if we have room in the budget.

But what about those that didn't make it to the B list? The distant friends I mentioned earlier. For the sake of keeping friendships intact, and feelings unscathed, you should explain everything as honestly as possible--and as early as possible. Your friend should understand that every couple is on a budget- whether it be $4000, $40,000 or $400,000- so you're truly limited as to who you can invite.

This, of course, leads us to the topic of the dreaded "Plus One"...another day, another time.

Destination Wedding Giveaway

2009-09-09T11:01:00.003-05:00

We just dug up ANOTHER wedding contest for our wonderful readers to dive into! Read on:

San Francisco is, without a doubt, one of the most romantic spots in the country. It’s also the perfect choice for this upscale destination wedding valued at $100,000.00! One very deserving bride and groom, along with 75 of their closest friends and family, will celebrate in style, at the luxurious Hotel Vitale, located in the heart of San Francisco. After the wedding, the winners will head to Napa for a relaxing 3 night honeymoon, filled with quiet dinners, private wine tastings, and other exclusive activities.

The 2010 San Francisco Dream Wedding Giveaway is more than just a wedding contest. Over forty premier Bay Area wedding and hospitality vendors are collaborating to make this once in a lifetime dream come true. They’ll work together as a team for almost a year, planning, coordinating and designing the most unforgettable Wedding of the Year, for one very lucky couple in love. By implementing exquisite details and top notch products and services, this amazing wedding will definitely be worthy of platinum status. The contest officially opens on August 4, 2009 at 7:55 a.m. PST.

Just make the jump over their website for more information and to enter!

Couture Wedding: Carlea + Dustin

2009-09-04T10:51:00.025-05:00

We first met Carlea about 2 years ago when she emailed to ask if she could coordinate weddings with us. We are used to receiving such inquiries, but Carlea's email was so creative and hilarious, we had to meet her. At her interview, she handed us a resume designed to look like a wedding invitation and nabbed us a potential bride at Starbucks by discussing Vietnamese wedding traditions. Can you say hired?

In recent months, Carlea officially put her amazing photography talents to work when she started CarleaJ Photography. Seriously, is there anything she can't do?

When Dustin popped the question a year later, we celebrated with them. When Carlea asked us to coordinate her wedding, we were absolutely honored. This wedding was probably the funnest wedding we've ever done. Yep, I just made 'funnest' a word for the purpose of this blog.

The wedding ceremony took place at University Christian Church on campus at UT. The reception was at Thurman's Mansion with tasty bar-b-que by The Salt Li ck. Ashley with Studio 563 came out to shoot while Mr. Thrill and the Texas T's kept the dance floor packed all night long.

As I'm sure you already know, Carlea guestblogs for Couture every week. Make sure you catch her wedding recaps and advice!