Part 2: 2013 Year in Review: Oliveaire Design Studio

A Year in Review: 2012

Oliveaire would like to take the time to thank all the brides and families that we had the opportunity to work with last year. Working with each bride and groom along with their families is always an achievement when we see the smiles on their faces after a successful event! Thank you for letting us help bring that smile to your faces, we sincerely appreciate all of you and letting us be apart of such a memorable day! Congratulations to you all, and we look forward to working with all of our 2013 brides this year! 

Below are some of many of the pictures from our 2012 events! Take a look at the gorgeous transformations Oliveaire created, and imagine what we can do for you! 

BBFN (Bridal Bliss For Now),
Olivia

Something Old, New, Borrowed & Blue

This old poem rumored from the Victorian era poem symbolizes five tokens. If a bride holds a piece of each symbol when she gets married, her marriage will be happy and filled with good fortune. We all know getting married is wonderful but the marriage part is a new and challenging adventure for the couple, and they can use any advantage they can get!

The “old” means something from the bride’s past and usually a token from the Bride’s family to continue a part of her family’s history. It could be the Bride’s Mother’s gown or veil she plans to wear on her own wedding day. It could also be her Grandmother’s pearl earrings that she inherited. A new twist to this is to include something you may have something of your Father’s or Grandfather’s. A pocket watch tucked in your sash or the love letter your Grandfather wrote your Grandmother tucked in the bible you are holding in your hand while walking down the aisle.

The “new” part means optimism and hope for the bride’s new life. New tokens or items are easy. It could be the new shoes on the bride’s feet, or new jewelry given to her by her parents or groom. A new twist to this is as simple as getting a new haircut or style that day, or getting married in the couple’s new home.

The “borrowed” tokens usually are from important people in the bride’s life who have had the good fortune of a good marriage, and would like to share that fortune with her. It can be Grandma’s engagement ring attached to her bouquet. A twist to this is a key from her parents’ first home attached to the bride’s bracelet, or to make her feel a part of your special day, something of your mother-in-law’s.  

The “blue” token symbolizes purity. A long time ago, wedding gowns were made of blue fabric, not white. Nowadays, brides use blue shoes, handkerchiefs, a garter, and sashes to name a few.  A twist to this is just simply using a blue ribbon to wrap the bouquet or wearing jewelry with blue gems. Blue sapphire earrings will definitely make a blue statement. Instead of heels, why not blue cowboy boots if you’re a country western bride.

The silver sixpence in your left shoe means money, honey. Financial security may not be the most important thing to hold a marriage together, but it is definitely important, now and more so in the past where women were not allowed to own property. New twists to this are a copper penny in your shoe or have the groom put one in his shoe too. The groom was the original wearer of such sixpence back in old Scotland. Better yet, purchase a keepsake sixpence for authenticity.

During these ultra-modern times, a bride and groom still yearn for the traditional because deep down, they believe in it, but go ahead and put your twist on it.

BBFN (Bridal Bliss for Now),

Olivia

A Blend Of Your Personal Tastes and Personalities: Creating a Signature Cocktail

          Weddings are full of many details that are all chosen from your personal tastes and preferences.  From the dress and the flowers to the food and the venue space, you are in charge of making your dream wedding reflect just who you and your fiancé are.  Well this is just the same when it comes to a trending detail: The Signature Cocktail.  The signature cocktail has been trending for many years, but is becoming even more popular in 2012.  We have a couple tips for you to consider when it comes to choosing your very own signature cocktail.

Appearance

Appearance is everything.  First of all, make sure your very own signature drink matches your wedding color scheme.  You do not want a red cocktail in a venue that is decorated in green fabrics.  You want your cocktail to look fabulous and delicious so everyone will want to try the drink that shows off your personal tastes and personality.  Also, you could add a personal touch such as your favorite flower on top or a small umbrella that could possibly have a logo with your names and wedding date on it.  The skies the limit with personal touches, make it your very own.

Follow Your Theme

Follow, follow, follow your theme of your wedding when choosing your signature cocktail.  For example, if you are having a country wedding, you might want to go with a Long Island, a Twisted Lemonade or a Harvester cocktail.  Making sure all of your details directly link together will really help pull your wedding together in an amazing and beautiful way. 

Consider The Season

During the winter months, do you see yourself or experience yourself drinking a Margarita or a Pina Colada?  Or during the summer months, do you crave to drink a warm Baileys cocktail?  We would like to think your answers would be no.  Making sure your cocktail associates with the season your wedding date is set in is very important.  We have researched and found a great cocktail to consider for your wedding no matter what season it is in.

Spring: Cherry Blossom Tini

Summer: Twisted Lemonade or a Lemon Drop Martini

Autumn: Harvester or a Manhattan

Winter: Pomegranate Champaign Cocktail

Adding a personal signature cocktail to your menu is fun and unique.  It shows your and your fiancés personalities and your taste in a creative way.  Create something delicious that you and your guests can enjoy together, and if it is an exact blend of the two of you, you can go no wrong. 

BBFN (Bridal Bliss For Now),

Olivia

Keeping Decision Makers Happy

Being a bride is a balancing act in many ways. One of the toughest jobs you have is to keep all of the decision makers involved in your wedding happy. You have to establish priorities as a couple, and decide on what means the most to you. Then…

You need to figure out who else will be contributing to your wedding budget, and what spoken or unspoken expectations come with that financial contribution. Even if there are not immediately spoken expectations, they are there. Your father may be making a small contribution and seem laid back (but he assumes you want him to walk you down the aisle), your grandmother may want to pay for your gown (as long as it’s not strapless), mother may tell you that she trusts you to select a menu (as long as it doesn’t include fish), and his mother may make a passing comment that she knows a photographer (but what she is not saying is that she fully expects you to use said photographer).

Here are a few tips to help you navigate these tricky waters:

• Start the conversation early – the earlier you start to talk about each person’s vision for your wedding, the better. This gives you the most amount of time to find common ground.
• It is your day, be careful how often you assert that – everyone wants you to be happy with your wedding day. The memories will be most vivid for the two of you. BUT, you will surely earn the title of Bridezilla if you overuse that statement.
• Be prepared to make concessions – as you and your fiancé decide what is most important to you, also start to think about areas that you are willing to bend to keep people happy.
• Listen to others’ wishes – while you may be exhausted of listening to others opinions, you never know when someone will offer up a suggestion that you truly are excited about.

The old cliché is true, you can’t keep all of the people happy, all of the time. It is definitely in your best interest to figure out which people are most important for you to compromise with. Just don't forget, it's your big day. Stay strong, and do what makes you happy, your family will see it too. 

BBFN (Bridal Bliss for Now),

Olivia

HD Beauty – Up Close and “Pore”sonal

Today, Adel Domingo, Event Architect with Oliveaire will be sharing some beauty tips with all of you lovely ladies. Take it away Adel...

If fluorescent lights were not enough, all of a sudden up comes high definition technology. Now, instead of just seeing a hundred pores, we can see a million pores and specks on our faces. I can understand why a director would like to show an action film or sports action in “high-def.” The details are unbelievable to look at. The clarity and the movement are so flawless.


A reporter or actor, male or female, cannot just go in front of the camera without putting on makeup. The shine on their faces, or even bald heads, could blind us when we watch them if not for makeup. I guess they also have to be pleasant to look at as they deliver the bad news or their lines. Let’s be honest now, as an audience, we critique their images like there is no tomorrow. We are as harsh and strong as the studio lighting that is focused on them. I guess it’s the fact they cannot hear us thru the screen, or that they’re celebrities, or it’s our own insecurities. But I digress.

The digital cameras and video cameras used in the wedding industry today are fast and clear. As a bride you may be a little worried, if you are aware of high definition, or just being in the spot light. Even the term high definition is intimidating.


Photo credit to R.E.M. Photography

How do you deal with it? Just make it easy on yourself and consult with a makeup artist that has experience applying makeup for print ads or commercials. Ask questions. Ask them to do a makeup trial on you, and then have somebody photograph or videotape you with a high quality digital camera. If the artist is good, he or she will know how to match your skin tone and type, whether they should use an air brush technique, a mattifier to minimize pores, use mineral powder or pressed foundation, just to name a few choices. The application of the lipstick is also important. However, one of the “must do’s” is to use a concealer. Using a concealer brush instead of your hands or a sponge is much better because you have better control on the coverage. The makeup artist has the tools, and the supplies, to tackle the job. He/she will make you look beautiful, and most importantly, make it last for hours of crying, dancing, and hugging.


Why go thru all of this? Because you want to look flawless on your wedding day. However, remember that flawless doesn’t mean some Hollywood definition of perfection. Sometimes those flaws are what make you beautiful and perfect. The lines that appear when you smile, that mole, the freckles, those little things about you add to why your fiancé fell in love with you. So do yourself a favor, don’t hide everything. HD should capture your tears, the flow of your gown, that first kiss as husband and wife, and the real you.

Adel

Hope you enjoyed the tips!

BBFN (Bridal Bliss for Now),
Olviia

p.s. If you are in the area be sure to join us at the WE tv Wedding Show at Oakbrook Center this Saturday, July 24th from 12 - 6 p.m.