The Most Fun You Will Ever Have at a Bridal Event - Charity Shootouts!

Brides and Grooms, you do not want to miss this amazing and exciting opportunity to meet the best photographers, get pampered, have multiple engagement sessions - while supporting a great cause!

We hope to see you at:

Friday Favorite Find: Annie Girl & Anna Elyse Bridesmaids

This week's Friday Favorite Find is geared toward the special women that you can't imagine your life without and who will be standing by your side on your wedding day.  YOUR BRIDESMAIDS!

Celebrate them with beautiful custom bridesmaid's dresses from Anna Elyse Bridesmaids.

You want the women in your bridal party to look and feel beautiful and also have a dress that they can wear again.  With varying sizes and body shapes it is hard to find a style that works for everyone.
Anna Elyse Bridesmaids offers 14 skirt styles that can be paired with up to 16 different bodice styles so each of your bridesmaids can select the most flattering look for her.  With 150 colors to choose from and several luscious fabrics, you can offer the most special women in your life couture quality for less than a couture price.

Take a look at Anna Elyse's line of Signature Classics:

You can also find adorable dresses for the special little girls in your bridal party at Annie Girl.  My favorite (and the dress that I had for my Flower Girls at my own wedding) is the Annie Girl Dress Up Dress.

You can choose a classic silhouette in White or Ivory Taffeta and then mix and match sashes and nine flower varieties until you find the perfect combination.

Step 1:  Choose your dress

Step 2:  Choose your sash (4 styles and a wide variety of colors!)

Step 3:  Choose your flower

To find out more about Anna Elyse, check out this YouTube Video about their Designer Loft and Flagship Salon in Pasadena or set up an appointment to visit them in person!

Anna Elyse Bridesmaids™ &

Annie Girl Couture Creations™

FLAGSHIP Salon and Design Studio

87 East Green Street, Suite 302

Pasadena, CA 91105

Get Directions 

in Historic Old Town Pasadena

Phone: 626.396.1900

Email: info@annaelyse.com or info@anniegirl.com

Salon & Design Studio Hours:Monday - Friday: 9am - 6pm Pacific

(Appointment Required)

Saturday & Sunday

(Appointment Required)

My adorable flower girls in their Annie Girl Dress Up Dresses with me at my wedding!

Photo by ES Photography

We know you'll find the perfect dress for your entire bridal party at Anna Elyse Bridesmaids.


Happy Friday!


Love, Laughter and Happiness,
Carrie


Carrie Goldberg - Event Manager
Mary Dann Wedding and Party Coordinators

Friday Favorite Find: Heys USA EcoCase Luggage

For our Friday Favorite Find today we are focusing on what happens after the wedding:  THE HONEYMOON!  For the trip you've been waiting a lifetime for, you are going to need some fabulous gear! 

We love the new line of eco-friendly luggage from Heys USA Group, creator of the "World's Lightest Carry-On Luggage".   The EcoCase and EcoLeaves are made from 100% recycled plastic.  By utilizing recycled materials to create new durable products, not only does it help to reduce the demand for new materials and new resources, but it also reduces materials that would otherwise fill a landfill.  

These pieces, while eco-friendly are also very fashionable.  This three piece set comes in a variety of colors including black, green, red, turquoise and silver.   You can get all three pieces for $450.  They are very durable, lightweight and expandable with a fully lined, stylized interior with a built-in divider and mesh pockets for more organized packing.  See it online at Heys USA.

Heys USA offers a variety of travel products to meet your travel needs.  Here are a couple of our other favorites from their wide line of choices.

The Heys Sidewinder 3-piece sets comes with a 21”, 26” and 30” upright sizes; perfect for everything from business to leisure travel.  This set retails for $490 and is available at www.heysusa.com and www.ebags.com, plus other retailers and etailers.

This is a must have for all the over-packers out there!  Heys offers these fantastic scales that will help you avoid having to empty out your bags at the airport and leave important items behind.  This $30 lifesaver will save you unnecessary luggage fees by keeping you under the maximum weight requirement.

Your honeymoon will be the first of many travel experiences for you as Newlyweds.  Travel in comfort and style while knowing that you are doing a little bit of good for the planet.  We hope you love this luggage as much as we do!

Love, Laughter and Happiness,

Carrie

Carrie Goldberg - Event Manager

Mary Dann Wedding and Party Coordinators

An “Eye-Opening” Experience: Mary Dann Wedding & Party Coordinators Partner with CHLA Optical Center

CHLA Storefront

On February 29, 2012 Mary Dann Wedding & Party Coordinators partnered with Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) to open up their first optical location specializing in eyewear for babies to young adults.

One Hope Wine

“Shops specifically designed for children’s glasses are scarce throughout Southern California," said Dr. Mark Borchert, “CHLA understands the challenges our patients face of having to travel long distances to receive proper eye care, so we hope this new optical center in the San Gabriel Valley will provide families with convenience as well as expertise.”

We were so thrilled to lend a helping hand and we had some amazing partners who made the grand opening a huge success! Special thanks to Jessica Boone of Jen O'Sullivan Photography for documenting this important occasion.

A BIG thank you to Mark Baird from Long Shot Coffee and Julio who kept the espresso flowing, and Andrea Sweeney with One Hope Wine who poured some tasty varietals for all the guests.

 

The event wouldn’t have been complete without the custom cupcake cake designed by Polka Tots in Pasadena with the CHLA Optical logo…it was perfection! The delicious Cuban food was provided by Merengue in Monrovia. Guests also left with a fresh tub of Tasty Clouds cotton candy…what a “sweet” way to end the evening.

 



Polka Tots Cupcakes

Thank you to all of our partners!

We are so incredibly blessed to work with you for all of life’s big events especially those for a great cause.

Our eyes are twinkling!

Happy Friday Everyone!

With love,

Janel Gonzalez, Event Manager

Mary Dann Wedding and Party Coordinators

Tasty Tubs Cotton Candy

Food by Merengue Bakery

Inside View

Espresso Bar by Long Shot Coffee

Bridal Fashions: Kirstie Kelly Couture Wedding Collection

We are delighted to feature one of our favorite couture bridal gown designers, Kirstie Kelly on our blog today.  We would love to invite you to her showroom in El Segundo to see her 2012 collection.

Kirstie Kelly's jewel box showroom is the spot for all things bridal in the South Bay.  Brides, Mother of the brides, bridesmaids and flower girls have a place to come and be pampered.   

The customer service that is offered at Kirstie Kelly is impeccable.  According to Kirstie, "It’s more like what you would experience in the 1950s and ’60s,” "You are greeted at the door and offered something to eat or drink. We take the time to understand what you’re looking for. It’s a high-end couture experience in a relaxed environment.”

We'd love to show you a few of our favorite dresses from her new 2012 collection.

This is DAHLIA:

We love this dress because it is high drama!  This gown is made of organza and English tulle.   Each individual piece is hand cut and applied to create mountains of layers that cascade down the skirt.   The bodice is all over hand ruched... talk about lots of work! but ohh so fun!!

Here is a sneak peak of IRIS:

 The gown has a hand beaded and pleated bodice with a draped silk chiffon skirt.  It is absolutely exquisite.  You will have to come to the showroom to see it for yourself!

And we have to introduce you to Poppy:  The perfect little white dress for a reception, rehearsal, or elopement!  

Poppy is made of hand ruched Chantilly lace with a hand stitched corset effect bodice and a delicate organza floral skirt.

The perfect Wedding gown is waiting for you at Kirstie Kelly regardless of your budget.  As noted by Kirstie,  “Whether a bride is spending $700 on a dress or $7,000, she should feel special and that someone is really listening to what she wants.” 

To make an appointment at Kirstie Kelly’s showroom, call (310) 322-6100. The showroom is located at 1730 E. Holly Avenue in El Segundo. For more information and to see more of her collection, visit www.KirstieKelly.com.


We can't wait to see the rest of her 2012 collection!


Love, Laughter and Happiness,


Carrie


Carrie Goldberg - Event Manager
Mary Dann Wedding and Party Coordinators

Friday Favorite Find: Heels Above

I am so excited to share one of my favorite products, Heels Above, which was created by my friend Nicole and her fashion expert mom, Susie as a "smart solution to a silly problem".

How many times have you been to a wedding or event in your favorite pair of heels, only to sink in the grass during the ceremony or get stuck in sidewalk cracks while moving from one location to the other?  I must've taken my shoes to the shoe doctor at least five times to have my heels fixed before finding this amazing product that has since saved my shoes and money on repairs.  

Heels Above stylishly protect and stabilize your high heeled shoes, keeping you above surfaces like grass, grates and cracks that can damage your shoes and slow you down.   It is made out of a small flexible piece of recyclable plastic that attaches easily to your high heel shoes, and are simple to slip on and off.   They are available in two different sizes and come in clear or black.  

Brides, this is a great gift to put in your goodie bag for your bridesmaids who will be standing with you during your ceremony.  Keep them from sinking which will cause fidgeting and distraction from you and your and your husband-to-be so all eyes are on you as you say your "I Do's"!

No matter the surface of the wedding location, Heels Above  is sure to protect your shoes and give you additional support.

Susie and Nicole donated 100 packs of Heels Above to the grand opening of our new Beverly Hills Studio.  They were such a hit!  Everyone who has a pair of high heels should have a pair of Heels Above!

To get your pair, check out the Heels Above website at www.heelsabove.com, call 310-929-7784 or email the lovely ladies at info@heelsabove.com

Love, Laughter and Happiness,

Carrie

Carrie Goldberg - Event Manager

Mary Dann Wedding and Party Coordinators

Top 5 Things to Do Once You Are Engaged

He finally proposed and you said, “yes.” Now What??

Most girls want to buy the dress or pick a wedding date, but the most prudent step would be to discuss my top 5 pieces to the wedding planning puzzle:

1). Budget: how much do you actually have to spend. Yes, it is time to talk about the un-sexy subjects of budget, withdrawal from savings, money management, and who else can help you pay for it.

2). Guest count: when making your list, please consider that most weddings, on the average, cost from $400-$800 per person (inclusive of food, beverage, tax gratuity, vendors, rentals, etc.). As a rule of thumb, your location (food, beverage and site) usually costs half of your overall budget. Select a location/food/beverage knowing that if you doubled the estimated costs, you can afford the rest of the costs like entertainment, photographer, planner/coordinator, videographer, stationery, officiant, flowers, rentals, lighting, beauty, etc. So before you start inviting people you work with and your neighbors, ask yourself, are they worth the average cost per person for your wedding day??

3). Consult with a professional: Since a professional planner (someone who has planned at least 200+ weddings with 10+ years of experience) usually gets married 20-30 times a year, they have much more buying leverage, insights, suggestions and patience than a family member, friend or co worker. Most professional planners will offer a complimentary 1 hour consultation at their office to discuss your vision, budget, needs and features of their company. Your planner would help you create your dream day with your budget and vision in mind.

4). Design ideas. Look through magazines (print or online) to get design ideas. This is a perfect way to be able to communicate your likes and dislikes to anyone you meet or hire to help you. NO one can be a mind reader; it is your job to share some bits and pieces to your planner, designer, florist, and/or venue. Often times, a few “tear sheets” from a magazine can do the trick.

5). Choose a ceremony experience. This is the most sacred part of your wedding day. Make sure you select a setting that makes both of your hearts sing. As you move into making many decisions and merging your full and busy lives together, it is important to honor each of your traditions, dreams and wedding ceremony “ideals”.

Much Gratitude,
Mary Dann-McNamee