Trendy Girl Party

Inspiring creative and trendy party ideas

How to Make a Mardi Gras Wreath

With Mardi Gras heading our way, we decided to do a festive and fun Mardi Gras wreath. We used a simple green wreath and decorated it with gold, green and purple Mardi Gras beads. We also used some Mardi Gras headbands we purchased at the Dollar Store to create the swirly ribbon effect. If you [...]

Mardi Gras Colored Theme Party

For this fun mardi gras theme we started with a satin green fabric base to incorporate the green, purple and gold into our theme. To the green satin, we added a layer of purple tulle along with a gold beaded trim, we then incorporated mardi gras beads, coins and blow outs all in the same [...]

How to Make Your Own Masquerade Mask

Masquerade mask party themes have become very popular. A few years ago, I created my own masquerade mask to wear to a party, so I thought I’d share how I did it. The process of making your own masquerade or mardi gras mask can be fun and cost-effective, especially if you want something unique. Following [...]

Planning the Wedding Reception

March 2nd, 2012

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The Wedding Venue Dilemma

I feel like this is the never-ending wedding. Once again, so much has changed. Our original plans to have our wedding at the park in order to cut costs were nixed due to a potential of extremely strong winds for the day. El Paso, Texas between the months of March and April has unpredictable weather.

Also, since Adrian has retail hours and I work nine-hour days an hour away, and I am near the end of my masters, we decided it would be a good idea to hire a wedding planner. Not only are we extremely busy but we cannot make a decision together to save our lives. So we were referred to a wedding planner by the photographer we hired. I was hesitant at first because all I could see is the increase in budget with a wedding planner’s fees. Once we met with her though, all of our fears and hesitations melted away! Angelica Juarez, owner of Mint Weddings gave us a vision of a wedding we never dreamed we could have. She also let us know that when we hire a wedding planner we also get the wedding planner’s discounts, which ended up saving us about the cost she was charging for her services. We were sold!! We were having a wedding we both wanted but didn’t know we could have and weren’t paying a dime extra for it.

Angelica told us about an art studio we could rent out for our wedding. Within the first visit to the potential wedding venue, we knew this was the place for us. It had a New York type feel to it and we loved how our linens and centerpieces shone under the studio lights. Our colors were bright and with the space’s white walls, the place looked straight out of a bridal magazine. When we first met with one of the owners of the venue he gave us the impression that there was no wiggle room in the 160 capacity and to put the nail on the coffin, he asked if it would be possible not to invite kids. I was furious at first but being that our original number was at 150, I thought we wouldn’t have to deal with the issue of space and the owner would just have to deal with kids for one night.

As the days passed we thought of more and more people to invite to our wedding so much so that our list jumped from a solid 150 to an ever growing 230. I was so stressed out!!!! We began to toy with the idea of not inviting kids but I could just see family members lashing out at me for being a snob. After weeks and weeks of going through the list we decided it was time for me to be a big girl and ask family members not to bring kids. For Adrian it wasn’t that big of an issue because he has a fairly small family and there are only a handful of kids that aren’t over the age of 14. Three of those in the handful would also be in the wedding. So I had begun to prepare myself for months of backlash before and after the wedding from my family that is until we attended a family gathering. Everything changed after we attended Adrian’s Aunt’s birthday party held at a country club. His aunt told us how much she paid for 100 guests and our jaws dropped! She was able to have a wedding style event for a quarter of our entire budget! We were floored. Adrian began searching for halls the next day, what we said we didn’t want for the wedding in the first place. I was still very hesitant to change plans but it seemed Adrian had some sort of over drive on.

We decided to go look at a venue but were warned, through Google comments, to tread lightly. I already had my guard up when we got there. But, the owners were actually pretty willing to work with you. The place was a ranch, completely different from a loft wedding I was already envisioning and excited about. I liked the fact that there was an outdoor area and that there was an abundance of fireplaces but I hated that I would no longer be able to have my tiffany chairs among other things.

Adrian negotiated the price down and the owners wanted us to make a decision at that moment because of the reduction in price but Adrian was able to talk them into at least giving us a day. We were able to fill a whole week’s worth of arguments into that one day. Adrian was asking me to make the decision because I was the one who was inviting kids, anyway it turned into a big fight but we came to the conclusion that we would rather not have the wedding we envisioned to try to accommodate more people. In the end it would make everyone happy, including us. I couldn’t imagine telling family members they couldn’t bring a part of their family. So, we made the decision to change the venue for our wedding three months before the wedding. We lost yet another deposit, bringing the total of lost deposits up to $500.

We met with our wedding planner recently and she picked up the ball and ran with it, though it was not the wedding she had initially envisioned for us either, I know she will find a way to make the place look FABULOUS. This week we’re planning to meet with a graphic designer for our wedding invitations and a potential dj for our wedding. I feel like finally, after almost three years, we are making progress towards our big special wedding day. Having all of our family and loved ones there, without having to worry about capacity or comfort is a big weight that has been lifted off of our shoulders. Now, I just can’t stop daydreaming about every moment of the big day. I hope to let you guys know of more details soon!

As for the lessons learned, my wedding planning tips for this week are simple:

1. Follow your instinct. You have to feel comfortable with the decision you make.
2. Don’t make decisions on impulse. Take your time, talk it over and then make a decision. If something doesn’t feel right, don’t do it. This could’ve saved us some deposits.

Thanks for reading, looking forward to sharing more of our wedding story!

-Adriana

Image: Rosen Georgiev / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

How to Make a Mardi Gras Wreath

February 19th, 2012

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With Mardi Gras heading our way, we decided to do a festive and fun Mardi Gras wreath. We used a simple green wreath and decorated it with gold, green and purple Mardi Gras beads. We also used some Mardi Gras headbands we purchased at the Dollar Store to create the swirly ribbon effect. If you can’t find these, you can add any type of purple, gold and green ribbon, preferably wired, to get the same effect. For a bit more color we used purple feathers, a mardi gras mask and metallic blowouts. To finish the wreath off, we added the Mardi Gras crown at the top. If you have trouble securing the mask or any other items, you can use green floral wire to secure items. This is a simple, cost-effective and fun idea to help kick off your Mardi Gras celebration!

Valentine’s Day Treats

February 7th, 2012

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Since it’s so close to Valentine’s Day, we are seeing hearts! Here are a few of our favorite treats in a heart theme. We have heart-topped cupcakes, strawberry jell-o topped with whipped cream and a heart-shaped strawberry, followed by our snack-sized Snickers with heart toothpick toppers and ending with a glass of white wine in decorated with a few heart gel stickers. These delightful treats are all delicious and pleasing to the eye, a perfect way to celebrate Valentine’s Day!

How to Hire the Right Makeup Artist for your Wedding

January 12th, 2012

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Planning a wedding is difficult. You want everything to run smoothly so you want to hire the best vendors, people you can count on to get the job done and preferably, without a hitch. Hiring a makeup artist is part of the planning process, for some, but how do you hire the right makeup artist for your wedding? Following are tips for hiring the right makeup artist for your wedding day:

1. Where to start–Where do I find a good makeup artist? As I researched this article, I realized this was a starting point for most people. Where should I go to find a makeup artist? I found a few directories, which has a list of makeup artists in the U.S. including makeup artist directory and makeup professional. I found a few others, but not with extensive lists. There are salons that offer makeup applications, check local beauty salons and spas for good makeup artists. If you don’t want to spend as much, research local beauty schools who may offer makeup applications at a lower rate.

2. The Portfolio–The Internet has made it easier to check out people’s work so you can look at the artist’s portfolio before you even decide to meet with a particular makeup artist. Make sure you like their style of makeup application and specifically ask for wedding pictures if they don’t have them on the website.

3. The Appointment–Meet with the makeup artist. Make sure the personality and style fit with your personality and style. Ask yourself these questions:

Is she/he easy to work with?
Was he/she punctual?
Is he/she organized?
Are the instruments clean?
Is it the right price range?
Do I feel comfortable with him/her?

4. Communication–Communicate well what you want and expect from them as far as makeup and on your wedding day overall. It’s helpful to make a list of items such as colors you would like, and possibly even take photographs to show him/her the look you are trying to achieve.

5. The Contract–Make sure you understand the contract and all fees before signing anything so there will be no misunderstandings. Usually there are hourly rates and/or packages available for brides.

Following these simple tips will ensure your process with your makeup artist will run smoothly on that very special wedding day. For other wedding makeup application tips check out our article 10 Dos and Don’ts for Wedding Day Makeup.

Image: Timeless Photography / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

10 Dos and Don’ts for Wedding Day Makeup

January 12th, 2012

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Most brides choose to hire a makeup artist for their wedding makeup. For tips on how to hire the right makeup artist, check out this link.

For those of you contemplating doing your own makeup on your wedding day, here are a few tips and tricks to consider before applying your own makeup.

1. DO–Make sure you use sunscreen on your face prior to your wedding whenever you are outdoors. Peeling and redness can be hard to hide in those wedding day pictures. If you can, avoid the sun as much as possible.

2. DO–Moisturize and hydrate. This is the best option to keep a healthy glow, avoid alcohol, especially the night before your wedding day because it will dehydrate you and make your face look puffy and dull.

3. DO–Get plenty of sleep. This might be particularly hard the night before your wedding day. But, sleep is essential for radiant skin.

4. DO–If your eyes are red, use eye drops, preferably a brand you’re familiar with, to avoid surprises.

5. DO–Use matte eye shadows and avoid shimmer highlighters and lipsticks to prevent shine in photos.

6. DO–Use foundation with yellow undertones because they work best with flash photography.

7. DO–Use waterproof mascara. Chances are, you will get emotional, so waterproof makeup is the way to go on this one!

8. DON’T–Use heavy pencils or dark shadows on your brows. It may show up harsh on the pictures.

9. DON’T–Get too trendy with makeup. Although, I love trends, what may look good now, may not necessarily look good years from now. Sticking with a classic look is best.

10. DON’T–Try anything out of the ordinary days prior to your wedding day, such as getting a facial or trying new makeup.

The best advice we can give for the best wedding day makeup is stick to what you know best. However, there are also several tutorials on YouTube.com you can try for applying makeup if you want to try something different.

Keep in mind that makeup that looks effortless is what you ultimately want to achieve. Preparing your face in advance by eating properly, getting enough rest and staying hydrated is a good start. The best part about applying your own makeup is that you can practice as much as you want in order to achieve the best look for you on your wedding day.

Image: Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net