Why Summer Weddings Are Hot

Summer is an amazing time to be in Southern California, and it might just be the season that our area is most known for. But if you're planning a wedding for summer, the season is extra special.

A summer wedding is a great choice for a lot of reasons. It's almost guaranteed you'll have sun for your wedding day, and you'll be able to have an outdoor wedding. This does come with its own set of challenges, though.

You'll need to think ahead about how you and your guests will stay cool and comfortable. This includes providing a shaded area and plenty of water. Infused water can be a beautiful way to give your guests hydration with great flavor. Cooling stations can also be a good addition, and one that your out-of-town guests will especially appreciate.

Another consideration for the summer is the extra tourism in the area. As you plan your summer wedding, make sure your guests will be able to find accommodation at the height of vacation season. You can also use this to your advantage, though, by giving your guests a taste of all Southern California has to offer as part of your wedding weekend.

Whatever you do for your summer wedding, finding great vendors is crucial. When you visit one of our upcoming bridal shows, you'll be able to meet all the vendors you'll need and have a great fun doing it!

What Are Your Wedding Must Haves?

Every bride has a few things that she won't compromise on when it comes to her wedding day. Whether it's something big, like the venue, or something small, like serving drinks in Mason jars, these are her must haves.

Creating a wedding day must have list can be a big help for your planning. Whether you're doing it all yourself or working with a wedding planner, knowing the most important elements can help you prioritize everything else.

For example, if your venue is a must have, but your preferred band doesn't have any available dates in common with it, you will know which to be flexible on. This is much easier to do at the start of your planning, when you'll be less stressed about it all, than it will be as you approach the big day.

Of course, it's easy to get carried away and turn everything into a must have. Try limiting yourself to five or ten must haves, and rank these in order of importance to you. This can help your sanity and your budget.

Another way to help make your wedding planning less stressful is to meet with vendors at an upcoming Bridal Showplace event. You'll be able to meet some of Southern California's best wedding professionals all in one place!

Choosing a Wedding Photography Style

Look at your parents' and grandparents' wedding photos and they'll all start to look a bit similar. Nowadays, though, there are many different styles of wedding photography. Do you know how to choose the right style for you?

Whatever style you choose, it's still likely you'll do a few posed photos. These will include shots of you and your new spouse, as well as group photos of the wedding party and possibly even the guests. These are a great record of the day, but will generally form only part of your overall wedding photos.

Photojournalism style wedding photography has become much more popular. With this style, your photographer will follow the day to capture the spontaneous moments that tell the story of your wedding. From getting dressed to getting down on the dance floor, the photographer will focus on what happens, rather than just portrait-style photos.

Another popular twist to wedding photographs is to add creativity to the posed photos. This can include finding special locations for some of the photos. There are plenty of great examples of this type of creative wedding photography online, with some making a big impact and setting the trend.

When you choose a wedding photographer, it's important to find one you get along with, but also one that works in the style you want for your photos. When you come to one of our shows, you'll be able to meet photographers and view their work. You can also find them through our exhibitor directory!

Celebrity Weddings To Inspire California Brides

It's shaping up to be a busy year for celebrity weddings, and we're only a month into the main wedding season! With some big names set to get married this year, we're looking forward to a lot of big trends being set, too. For now, let's take a look at who has already said their I Dos.

• Michael Jordan and Yvette Prieto were married in a Florida ceremony. The couple held their reception in a whopping 40,000 square foot tent on the golf course next to their mansion. We expect to see a few more large tent weddings over the year.
• Keira Knightley and James Righton went extra small for their wedding, with only 11 people joining the couple for the ceremony. They followed it with a reception at a family country house, and the bride seemed to wear a recycled dress. We wonder if this kind of budget wedding might be a new celebrity trend.
• Melissa Gilbert and Timothy Busfield chose a Wednesday for their wedding in San Ysidro. Both had been previously married and the couple opted for an intimate wedding. The bride might be a trend-setter, though, as she chose to wear a deep red gown for the occasion.
• Shenae Grimes and Josh Beech were married this week in England. They went very non-traditional, with the bride reportedly walking down the aisle to house music. The stand-out part of their wedding has to be her dress, though. She wore a glamorous black and blush wedding gown!

What do you think of these celebrity weddings? Will they influence or inspire you for your big day?

If you're looking for plenty of inspiration, come to our next show! You'll get to meet loads of great wedding vendors and have a great time!

Upcoming Bridal Showplace Shows:

May 19 - Hyatt Regency, Long Beach

July 28 - Hyatt Resort & Spa, Huntington Beach

Aug. 11 - The Queen Mary, Long Beach

Sept. 8 - LA Marriott, Burbank

Sept. 22 - Marriott, Long Beach

Oct. 6 - Knott's Resort Hotel, Buena Park

Nov. 3 - Hilton Hotel, Pasadena

www.bridalshowplace.net

Wedding Vendor Spotlight: De Cielo Salon & Spa

A survey released this week showed that a whopping 73 percent of American women think that a wedding day is a woman't biggest hair moment in life. It's a time where you want every lock in its place, and to have a style that sets off all of your natural beauty. That's why you should trust an experienced professional to take care of your wedding day hairstyle.

De Cielo Salon & Spa is located in Burbank and is experienced in serving Southern California brides. Their bridal experts work with brides to create the perfect wedding day look.

Working on your hair and makeup, de Cielo will turn you into the gorgeous, radiant bride that will take your fiance's breath away. They can also provide hair and make-up services to the rest of your bridal party. To get a perfect bronze, you and your bridal party can also be spray tanned.

Whether you go to their salon or they come to you, you'll have a team of professionals working with you, which can help you relax before your wedding. For extra pampering, they offer a special facial for brides.

To find out more about de Cielo and their bridal services, get in touch with them through our exhibitor list or through their website. You can also meet de Cielo and plenty of other fabulous wedding vendors at our upcoming bridal shows:

May 19 - Hyatt Regency, Long Beach

July 28 - Hyatt Resort & Spa, Huntington Beach

Aug. 11 - The Queen Mary, Long Beach

Sept. 8 - LA Marriott, Burbank

Sept. 22 - Marriott, Long Beach

Oct. 6 - Knott's Resort Hotel, Buena Park

Nov. 3 - Hilton Hotel, Pasadena

www.bridalshowplace.net

Is It Okay to Postpone a Wedding?

If you follow celebrity wedding news, you've seen a few famous faces postponing their weddings lately. This week saw Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux joining that list, too. The couple were expected to get married next month, but are now looking at the summer because they can't agree on what sort of wedding to have.

Of course, postponements aren't just something for celebrities. Many regular couples find that the date they have set won't work for any number of reasons.

If you need to postpone your wedding, it's perfectly acceptable to do so. The more notice you can give your guests, the better, but sometimes emergencies come up that make this impossible. Before you choose to postpone your wedding, consider your reasons and whether anything can be done to keep things on track.

If it is unavoidable, though, your guests will understand. Though they might not be happy about the potential costs they'll face from changes to travel and accommodation, they will want what is best for you and your fiance.

If wedding planning has you stressed and confused, a bridal show can help you get a handle on everything. When you visit a Bridal Showplace show, you'll be able to meet all the vendors you'll need for your big day. Check out our upcoming shows now!

1920's Great Gatsby Weddings Is a 2013 Wedding Trend

The upcoming release of the new blockbuster movie, "The Great Gatsby" starring Leonardo DiCaprio has brides looking at the fab 1920's for chic inspiration.  Lace, boas, feathers and classic cars have once again become a fab wedding trend.  Black tuxedos and cream colored dresses are making their way down the runway along with classic bridal hairstyles and draping pearls.

Here are some 1920's Great Gatsby inspired 2013 wedding trends that we found on Pinterest that we absolutely loved:

 

Which Great Gatsby trend are you ga-ga for?  Please tell us below.  Plus, if you're looking for SoCal wedding vendors who cater to this trend, please come visit one of our upcoming bridal shows.