New York Magazines...

Well, the new issues are not on the stands yet, so you all get a break from me for a week!! I hope everyone had a wonderful Labor Day and we will chat again Monday the 28th!!!
XOXO, Tamara

Dallas Brides MODERN LUXURY

Dallas Brides Magazine published by Modern Luxury...now this magazine I really love. The reasons are really simple and perhaps it is because it is a fairly new publication and there is a level of sophistication and expectation by the wedding readers, but they have impressed me and I hope they will continue to!

Reason #1 Sophisticated wedding gown spread...WOW! This shoot is set in one of my favorite places of all time the St. Regis Hotel, New York and Modern Luxury has managed to find the most stunning and sophisticated gowns that are fashion forward, yet not too much that they wouldn't be selected by a semi-conservative Southern Bride. Brilliant! and Stunning photos to boot by a NY photographer named Jill Wachter http://www.jillwachter.com/ . Please checkout her website...she is extraordinary at her work. My favorite gown in this spread is the Reem Acra "White Cloud" gown...and how elegant it looks in this photo with gloves...Brides beware...the Debutantes will definitely be after this one...

Reason#2 TONS of articles/editorial...this is what I LOVE in a magazine. There are a significant number of advertisements as well, but I don't feel like there is so much advertising I cannot clearly find the articles I seek. None of the articles in this magazine are too lengthy to read through quickly. Lots of one to two page articles and editorial that have lots of good information! I love the article on all of the upcoming trunk shows! Great Information! They have these little pages they call "Wed Dossier" and each page has a category. I love the Floral page...beautiful and slightly contemporary uses of floral and highlighting two of my favorites Mami of Botanical Art and Todd Fiscus back at Avant Garden???well, there he goes again...I cannot even begin to keep up with Todd. I wish I knew where he got that energy...Congratulations Todd!!!I also really love the "Wed Dossier" food page on the Incredible Shrinking Menu. I LOVE this concept and we have been using it in NY at the cocktail receptions there for a while. It is a great idea and helps with people going too crazy at the reception and then having no room for the three-course dinner that is soon to follow. Passing minis is great too...it keeps lines down at stations (if there are any) and definitely keeps people mingling. Great article on a fabulous party food tip!

Reason #3...It's just pretty. It is a glamourous looking cover and it just makes me want to pick it up off the shelf and give it a home...mission accomplished Modern Luxury. Thank you and I look forward to the next!
XOXO, Tamara

The Texas Wedding Guide

The Texas Wedding Guide has been around for a long time in Dallas. I am going to guess at least 10 years... I have always liked this publication and think it has always been presented in a very elegant way. I have always liked the size of this publication and the way it feels when I hold it and read it. It feels like I am reading a book and I love that...not sure why...I just do.

I really like the way vendors are presented in this publication. They have a section called "How I found my perfect..." where real Texas Brides talk about how they found certain vendors and what they loved about their experiences with them on their wedding day. I think this is a great way to present this information!

The Real Weddings area is nice as well. They congratulate everyone on the initial page and then there are two pages on each individual wedding. Very well done and just a couple of photos of the most beautiful details or moments. The only thing I wish they would do differently is list all the vendors as most of them just list the photographer. I certainly understand them wanting to support their advertisers, but I think Brides like to know everyone involved...just a thought.

Lastly, and I have saved the best for last...I have always been a HUGE FAN of this publications insert wedding planning guide. It is smart and concise. It is helpful and filled with important and good information for couples that are getting married. This guide has been around since the beginning and it really is one of the best reasons to run to the store and grab The Texas Wedding Guide off the shelf. Enjoy!!!
XOXO, Tamara

D Weddings

Everyone Loves DWeddings!!!! It really is what most people
consider to be the best local wedding magazine, although there are some new publications that intend to give D a run for their money...I suppose only time will tell if they will be successful. D is such a powerful brand of magazines!!!

The wedding publication is filled with resources for Brides and Grooms...tons of advertisements and some editorial that helps Brides and Grooms find vendors in Dallas. The Real Weddings section is also plentiful...alot of really beautiful weddings with lots of really beautiful details and resources.

My favorite article in this particular issue is called "The Sweetest Things" and is not as much of an article as it is a photo spread with some really stunning wedding gowns. Most of the gowns are from Neiman Marcus Downtown, but a couple are from Stanley Korshak and some small Boutiques as well. My personal favorite is the Vera Wang Organza gown on page 96. I also love the Betsey Johnson corset gown although I wish I could see the whole thing (the model is seated)...At any rate, there is a page within the spread with some nice accessories which completes this fashion extravaganza. On the fashion topic, there is also a little page on Beautiful Bridesmaids gowns (page 58) and the Nocturne dress by Siri is one of the most elegant I have ever seen. Gorgeous!!!

A couple of other little items I found in this issue that I loved for you all are in the Gift Shop (page 56) the LAFCO soaps from NY...I LOVE THESE!! There is a great shot of Vintage cake toppers (page 64) and last, but not least there is a page on...yep...you guessed it HANDBAGS (page 51) and the Valentino, Edidi and Larisa Barrera are all a tie for most glamourous bag I have seen this week!!!

XOXO, Tamara

Martha Stewart Weddings

Hello all...I have arrived safely in NY and thought I would take a few minutes to share what I really enjoy about the Martha Stewart Weddings magazine, which is my pick for today. I do think I am a fairly crafty person, but honestly there is alot in this magazine I would not even begin to attempt, for example, the cutting of paper garlands shown on page 150. With that said, however, I do think that this magazine's biggest strength is its ability to expose the smallest details of a wedding. If you are looking for little detailed items for your wedding (homemade or not) this is the magazine to source.

I folded down over 30 pages in this magazine with little details that inspired me for future events. I am inspired visually, so I am certain that alot of beautiful things in this magazine inspire Brides and Grooms. You could find something that you want to represent very much as you see it in the magazine or perhaps it inspires you to do something conceptually the same, but stylistically very different than what you see.

My favorite article in this issue is titled "Let them eat Cupcakes"!!! Now as I see it, the only immediate challenge with attempting to read this article is how badly you will be craving one of the aforementioned cupcakes when you finish! UGH! Original recipes and nothing too outlandish. BEAUTIFUL presentations and clever, clever, clever. The problem??? It appears you have to make them yourself...My favorites from this article...on the first page we find the most adorable cupcake they refer to as "Fresh Baked Blooms" a vanilla cupcake with yellow, ivory and pink Swiss meringue blossoms perched on top. Another cupcake they highight is called "Sugar and Spice" which is a pale pink with beautiful sugar brushed flower petals on top. The cupcake itself has jewels of candied ginger hidden inside a zesty ginger cake. Now, the one that will send me immediately up the street to the nearest bakery is the "Berry Delicious" This cupcake is nothing short of STUNNING and is meringue, split and filled with strawberry-rhubarb compote and cream whipped with creme fraiche...sounds right up my alley. Cupcakes can be used in so many ways at a wedding...they can be used on a Viennese Table at the Reception, they can be individually packaged and used as a favor as your guests depart, they can be used as a "Turn Down" amenity for your out of town guests at their hotels or as a welcome gift for them...you can be assured that however you decide to use them, your guests are guaranteed a Sweet Ending!!

XOXO, Tamara

Elegant Bride!

First of all, my apologies for the late night blog this evening (Wednesday)...busy day packing for my trip to NY tomorrow, so the day got a little crazy...Good news for my readers is that you will get one post tonight and then again in the afternoon tomorrow once I have landed in NYC!!!

I do love an Elegant Bride and I really like this publication so much. I actually really READ this magazine...cover to cover...every article...and I always find that I learn alot and come away with some really great ideas for the future.

This Summer 2009 publication is no exception so let me share some of my favorite things from this issue...

First of all, just a really great favor idea...on page 24 they show this adorable photo of a chic sugar box tied with a ribbon. It is really pretty and a real twist on a favor box...They have filled it with Jordan Almonds, but I would imagine you could fill it with your favorite delicacy!! I am putting this one in my file so if you have time to grab this issue definitely check it out!

There are two articles which I really enjoyed in this issue of Elegant Bride. The first is called "Seaside Escape" and can be found on page 62. It is a story of a real wedding that took place at the One & Only Ocean Club in the Bahamas. It was a beautiful party and really well done. The backdrop at the Ocean Club is really quite stunning, but this wedding really used the simplicity of the natural beauty of the environment to really make the event shine. Fresh colors in all of the florals...an ocean side dinner setting that was stylish, yet simple and elegant...tropical drinks like the "Beach Comber", "Bahama Mama" and "Love Potion"...paint brushes with calligraphied notes that said "Brush the Beach From your Feet"...and a cake that was so stylistically on target it graces the cover of this issue. It is definitely worth a look if you are planning a beach wedding. Congrats to all involved. Beautifully done!

The other article I really enjoyed was an article on St. Lucia called Sublime St. Lucia. It is a travel article really, but it highlights some of the beautiful resorts located on this Caribbean isle.

It talks about three resorts in particular which are Ladera (where I am certain I would not mind waking up every morning), Discovery at Marigot Bay and Cap Maison. The article also discusses the notable landmarks, including the Pitons, which are a pair of forest clad volcanic peaks. For couples considering the Caribbean this article is a must read and if anyone ends up at Ladera, where every suite in the 31 room resort is missing a fourth wall, please send me a note and tell me if it is as magical as it appears in this article.

Well, onto a little more packing. Until tomorrow...

XOXO, Tamara

Inside Weddings!

I am going to start off these national publications with my personal Favorite!! Just like with a brunch buffet where I insist on making my way over to dessert first!

I love this publication which started out as a West Coast Magazine and then became National a few years ago. This magazine screams STYLE! I am not sure that I could say it any better than the editor of this magazine, but she has hit the nail on the head when she says the following in her most recent letter..." We've filled our pages with editorial that brides love. We have the latest gown styles from the world's top designers...We found sparkling jewelry for the bride, beautiful invitation styles, and new discoveries perfect for unique weddings. As always, we featured breathtaking real weddings from brides just like you - more inspirational photos and fresh ideas than any other bridal magazine." I agree with all of the above!!

My favorite article in the Summer issue is the Jewelry Box article...From Vintage looks to bold colorful jewels all the items in this issue are truly stunning. There is also a great page on shoes and another on handbags, which although seem to be everywhere a bride looks, are the two things that are often present a challenge for brides. I am a handbag girl, so just to weigh in my favorite handbag in this issue is the "St. Petersburg" oval minaudiere of glossy snake-print leather with Crystallized Swarovski elements by Inge Christopher.
www.ingechristopher.com

The last thing I will say about Inside Weddings (and I could go on forever) is that the Real Weddings section is really like no other I have ever come across in any other publication. Always the most beautiful weddings and the most creative ideas. The photography is always exceptional and I have been honored to be a part of three different weddings they have featured in the last couple of years. “Made in Manhattan” Winter 2006; “Secret Garden” Fall 2007 and "In Perfect Harmony" Spring 2007.

Thank you to Inside Weddings for always bringing us the most beautiful and unique wedding celebrations. It is always a pleasure to read your newest magazine and visit you online. Come back online soon!!!!

XOXO, Tamara