Rock Bride Magazine Launch Party and Modest Manor Venue Preview

We are so excited about our launch party!  An 80’s Prom themed party that will include:

Food — Music — Swag Bags — Magazine Launch — Preview of new Wedding Venue — Wedding Professionals —

Fun Stations for Couples/Attendees

You don’t want to miss this party!  Come see what we are all about!  See the new wedding venue that has a style and elegant look couples will love for their wedding or rehearsal dinner.

Tickets to the event are limited.  We are donating part of the proceeds to Wish Upon a Wedding a non profit charity that helps terminally ill people wed.

Get your tickets now while you can:

Tickets:
Regular: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=P7DQ7Y9G5BLDW

VIP: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=MMGVMXDR37UXY

Get your 80’s wear out and party with Rock Bride.  We cannot wait for you to see what we are all about!

Why We Will Always Love Hawaii as a Wedding, Honeymoon, and Vacation Location

I have spent the last few days doing a four page feature article about Hawaiian Weddings, Honeymoons, and Getaways.  I have been to Hawaii many times and can honestly say — it never gets old.  I discover something new every time, and enjoy the first moment I put my feet in the sand, and splash in the ocean.  I’m 43 years old, but somehow find myself feeling 12.  I love the smell in the air, the energy walking down the street, and hearing Aloha everywhere you go.  Hawaii captures a feeling of happiness that makes you feel energized and alive.

I actually got married in Maui in my twenties to my ex husband.  So I understand why people make the choice of having a destination wedding.  I will admit my wedding was low key, with little stress.  My Dad and I spent our time planning via phone trusting a wedding planner to make everything work.  I admit we had a great planner and everything was silky smooth.  It was a small and intimate ceremony with the most gorgeous album of wedding pictures you can only imagine.

We have spent the last few days enjoying the beauty of Hawaii, while working on our feature article on Weddings, Honeymoon destinations, and romantic getaways.    We are excited to share this information with everyone, including photos, discounts, and ways to plan the perfect trip!  You cannot lose going to Hawaii.  I have met so many newlyweds, couples on their anniversary, and couples on getaways.  The place is such a great place for romance.  I woke up this morning to take a walk with my fiance on the beach with coffee in hand, enjoying the beauty of it all.  And it’s always nice to start out your day with the man of your dreams saying I love you under the palm trees.  Hawaii rocks no doubt about it.

Win a Free Wedding and Honeymoon at the Bellevue Bridal Show

Are you getting married in 2016?  Would you like to win a dream wedding?  We are giving one away!  Not only the wedding, but a dream honeymoon too.  We will be announcing the great team who put together a FULL wedding package that some lucky couple will win.  HOW?  Get your tickets to the Bellevue Bridal Show and enter.  Rules?  Must be 18 years of age or older.  Must live in Washington State.  Must not be employed by Rock Bride Magazine, Bellevue Bridal Show, or any vendors participating in the event.

What will you get?

Venue  (specific dates will be offered for your wedding – off season), Photography, Flowers, Catering, Dress(s), Tux(s), Videographer, Hair/Make Up, Cake, Rings, Wedding Planner, Wedding Officiant,Limo, and Honeymoon.  Value $25,000

This would be a dream come true for any couple.  And the kicker – your wedding will be showcased in Rock Bride Magazine.  So now is the time to get your tickets for the show:  http://www.bellevuebridalshow.com  and get tickets!

Good luck to all the couples out there who want to win a dream wedding!

Adam and Eve Stylized Shoot – The Forbidden Love

All of the stylized shoots are my love child.  This love child was the idea of photographer of Jessica Karraker.  When we discussed stylized shoot options — I was sold on having it at Cave B.  A venue with such beauty, and elegance, any model or theme can come to life.  Jessica knows this venue well, and was thrilled to do a photo shoot there.  She even had a brilliant idea for the theme — Adam and Eve, the forbidden love.

I was very excited with this concept.  The earthy look of Adam and Eve, the apples, the natural part of it.    It had so many possibilities.  And the twist – a gorgeous Bride in her (well let’s just say older – never reveal a woman’s age) and a hot young twenty something year old man.  Forbidden love!  Yes we all know cougars are not exactly a new thing, but they still turn a few heads.  The photo shoot was gorgeous and the models chemistry was amazing.

I know we all love the sneak peek, so I am showing the cake.  Lake Union Cafe & Bakery did this gorgeous cake.  The artist of this cake, Kathleen Sutton – who knocked it out of the park.  My favorite part to every photo shoot is when it all comes together.  I send ideas, and they are brought to life.   It starts with an idea, then grows into something more.The table settings were perfect for this shoot.  All place settings and table accents provided by Unique and Chic Event Rentals.  A new company that has some of the most beautiful and affordable items.    And as the photos come out piece by piece….  we all love the mystery of it!

#aprincessbride #menswearhouse #lucbakery #jessicakarraker #rockbridemagazine #uniqueandchiceventrentals

The very important Wedding Shoes

When we make our lists of the details of our weddings, shoes sometimes end up a last minute split decision.  Not as important as the dress, one of those “small” details.  What we forget is we are not only standing in them all day, but dancing in them all night.  So they should not only be pretty, but comfortable.  And finding shoes that are gorgeous, and won’t leave you with blisters on your honeymoon can be tricky!

Casual – comfortable – designer wedding tennis shoes

Father of the Bride was our first introduction to cute wedding tennis shoes.  When you have a super long dress the shoes often go unseen (except for the garter toss)!  I found these cute shoes on http://weddingtennies.homestead.com/tennies.html for $135.  They are cute, but with no heel will keep you dancing all night.  A cute, but safe bet for any bride.  It also helps with that extra glass of champagne, long stairway, or first dance with added choreography.

Shoes of Prey (Online or Visit at Nordstrom in Bellevue Square)

Design your own wedding shoes!  You pick the heel size, style, color or design.  A great way for every Bride to make her shoes exactly what she wants.  And if you read the reviews on the site – they are known to create exceptional shoes that are both stylish and comfortable.  It’s a great gift idea for wedding showers.  The shoes are typically around $150-250 so it would make a great group gift.  https://www.shoesofprey.com

SOS Shoe Emergency Kit for Brides

The Wedding Rescue Kit by Solemates has everything you need for all event emergencies. The kit includes one pair of Solemates High Heelers, Advil, antacid, bobby pins, Blistex, safety pins, bandage, ear plugs, sewing kit, elastic hair band, nail file, comb, tissues, Shout wipe, Tampax tampon, breath mints, and floss. Comes in a clear zip pouch.  This not only helps your shoes, but also gives you some items that are highly needed on your wedding day – but often forget.  This gem only costs $20.  Also a great gift idea!  http://www.myglassslipper.com/SOS-EMERGENC/

I also remind Brides to wear those shoes around the house a day or two before the big day to break them in.  Get used to your shoes you will be in all day.  Shoes are an important thing for women, but when it comes to weddings we often forget how important they are to this day.  They not only walk us down the aisle, but keep us moving throughout the day and night.  And if we pick the wrong shoes, our honeymoon is spent with blisters and sore feet.  So remember to put some thought into your shoes besides a sparkle and bling.  And if you get the gorgeous strapped shoes – get great sole inserts, and test them before the big day.

Rock Bride Summer Issue – Subscribe Now – Peek inside

Rock Bride Summer Issue 2015

Rock Bride is excited for you to see what we’ve been up to.  Our stylized shoots:  Alice in Wonderland, Zombie, Celtic, and Dr. Who.  This is something we are passionate about.  We love taking a special theme, and bringing it to life.  We take local wedding professionals and the creativity they bring to the table.  We have the concepts – they bring them to life.  We were blessed to work with some creative individuals that made true art.   We hope these shoots will inspire Brides in taking their fantasy weddings and make them reality.

A Celtic Wedding that was romantic and enchanting.  Treehouse Point was the perfect place to shoot this wedding.

Dr. Who was the love child of our photographer Kier, who is an avid fan of the show.  This photo shoot was done in Tacoma by the glass museum.  And the models had the zany charm that will show in the photos in the publication.  They knew the characters and owned them!

The Zombie Wedding was nothing to be afraid of.  This bride and groom rocked the theme with a sexy yet eerie zombie look.  When people think a Zombie wedding cannot be glamorous, sexy, and elegant – we will show you otherwise!

Alice in Wonderland jumps right of the page.  The colors, and small touches makes you want to crawl through rabbit hole with Alice on her big day.  The Mad Hatter groom will make you giggle, and Alice is both bold and innocent.  And of course you will be in love with our adorable flower girl with her modern innocent style.

The Cover was done at a tattoo parlor in Seattle.  The photo is our rockstar Bride getting a real tattoo.  This was the Editor’s vision for the cover from the get go.  We are a modern Bridal publication, and many couples complete their vows and symbolize their special day by getting a tattoo.  Tattoos and weddings also celebrate art we create to showcase what we love, our personalities as both a person, and couple.  The cover had great meaning, and we were very pleased with the photos that came out of this photo shoot.

Every Bride, Groom, and couple has a vision for their special day.  When we decide to get married that day becomes one of the most memorable days in our life.  And bringing everything that is special to us is what’s important.  Some may want a Circus, a Tea Party, a Fairy Tale, or a special theme.  Others may want a pin up style, rockabilly, or beach wedding in Hawaii.  Our goal is to help couples in finding their day.  Making their magic and sharing it with their friends and family.  As Editor of the magazine, and Bride to Be myself — I love hearing your stories and ideas.  I hope to take readers on my journey as well.  I’m a disco queen/80’s girl marrying a metal golf guy.    Try and wrap your head around that one!  We bring together our love and seven children.  The world isn’t what it used to be.  Weddings aren’t the standard thing they used to be.  So it is our hope the magazine showcases modern ideas for every couple.

Have any idea?  Email me:   rockthisbride@gmail.com.  Want to come to our wedding show – September 12-13th at the Bellevue Hilton.  Bellevue Bridal Show:  www.bellevuebridalshow.com     Please LIKE us on Facebook, Follow us on Twitter, Follow our boards on Pinterest, and Follow our blog!  This is NOT your Mother’s Wedding!

Fun Engagement Party Ideas

Themed

What about an Alice in Wonderland tea party engagement?  Or a an out of this World Star Wars themed party?  Or let your friends and family come dressed as Zombie’s.  Put a fun twist by giving your party a special theme that includes decor, food, drinks, and games.  It’s the beginning of the most special time for a couple.  Let the fun begin!

Luau

Okay I’ve always been a fan of this.  Maybe because I love Hawaii and everything that comes with it!  The decorations are endless, the menu – many options, and people always have clothes to dress up for this.  It’s not only an easy option — but always a fun one!  And the cocktails — who doesn’t love a great Mai Tai!

Clambake

What a gorgeous way to begin celebrating festivities.  A beachside clambake.  Yes it’s weather permitting, but with the right weather it’s a romantic and fun way to gather friends and family to begin your wedding planning.  And a fun way to involve friends and family in the party as well.  Of course there would be buckets of seafood, beer, wine, and champagne, and don’t forget the s’mores!

Brunch

Start off a wonderful Sunday afternoon with friends and family by having a brunch.  This is something that can be done on a large or small budget and the menu options – endless.  Mimosas, french toast, various baked goods, fresh fruit, and special desserts.  And the nice part about brunch is you can do this on a Saturday or Sunday when people are free.  This can be a casual or elegant party depending on the couple and their budget!

As I am recently engaged and still working on my party, I love seeing this different options.  I am still deciding on what I am going to do for my own party.  I will admit I love the Luau, and the brunch.  Then again having a themed party is also a fun option that I might just do!  Congrats to all the newly engaged couples.  The fun is just beginning!

Wedding Cocktails and Sangria

Happy June!  Wedding season is in full bloom for Brides, Grooms, and Wedding Professionals!  When I was watching 27 Dresses this weekend for the thousandth time…..I remember one of the funniest parts is when Katherine Heigl’s character Jane asks James Marsden’s character Kevin his favorite part of a wedding.  First response:  open bar.  We joke about the factor, but having great wine, beer, and cocktails is something many wedding guests look forward to.

One of the great trends is having a signature wine, beer, or specialty cocktails.

Here are some of the great ones I found:

Wedding Sangria

Makes 16 cups

1 Bottle Rose Wine                       1 Lime Juiced                 1 Bottle Burgandy Wine

1 Orange Juiced                          1 Lemon thinly sliced       1 Lime thinly sliced

1 Orange thinly sliced                 1 – 2 liter of Fruit Punch    1  Lemon Juiced

1 – 46 ounce container pineapple juice

1. Mix together the rose and burgundy wine, pineapple juice, and fruit punch in a punch bowl or large container. Add the lemon, lime and orange juices. Float the lemon, lime and orange slices in the punch for a garnish. Serve chilled.

LOVED this recipe straight from Sammy Hagar and his line of rum!

Champagne Punch

• Brut champagne
• 1 1/2 ounces brandy — brandy
• 1 1/2 ounces Cointreau
• 1 bottle club soda
• Rind of 1 orange(s)
• Slices of pineapple(s)
• Slices of orange(s)
• mint
• strawberries

In a punch bowl, deposit the ingredients and a berg of ice. Decorate with sliced fresh pineapple and orange and plenty of fresh mint. Crushed fresh strawberries add a gala touch, plus some flavor.

Strawberry Gin Smash

A Pitcher of Strawberry Gin Smash

Serves 8

2 tablespoons sugar
2 limes, juiced, about 4 tablespoons
1 pound fresh strawberries
2 cups gin
3 cups club soda
Fresh mint sprigs, to garnish

Muddle the sugar and limes in a pitcher that holds at least 8 cups (64 ounces). Set aside 6 to 8 small strawberries and make a small slice in their tips. Hull and slice the remaining strawberries and muddle the slices lightly with the sugar and lime juice.

Stir in the gin and club soda and pack the pitcher full of ice. Add mint sprigs to garnish. Pour into ice-filled glasses and garnish with a strawberry, slotted onto the edge of the glass.

• Make-Ahead Note: You can make this ahead; mix everything except the club soda and ice, then refrigerate overnight. A night in the fridge will also help the strawberries add more flavor and color to the drink.

Limoncello Collins

1. 16 ounces limoncello (lemon-flavored liqueur)
2. 12 ounces gin
3. 8 ounces fresh lemon juice
4. 24 paper–thin lemon slices
5. Ice
6. 16 ounces chilled club soda
7. 8 mint sprigs

1. In a pitcher, combine the limoncello, gin and lemon juice. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours. Press 3 thin lemon slices against the inside of each of 8 collins glasses. Add ice to the glasses. Stir the limoncello mixture and pour it into the glasses. Stir 2 ounces of club soda into each drink and garnish with a mint sprig.

When we have alcoholic beverages, it’s always good to remind people about Uber, and Lyft and taxi services.  Some people at weddings have been known to have the info at the wedding book, on tables, or on their wedding website.  A kind reminder to let guests know drinking safely is key.  I have also heard of Brides and Grooms getting in contact with local hotels and get discount codes for hotel rooms.  People love to celebrate at a wedding, it’s always good to add the touch of safety to remind guests you want them to get home safely.

Great Wedding Phone Apps

One of the greatest tools is phone apps.  Planning a wedding is a full time job, and we need all the help we can get at our fingertips.  Phone apps really help us, putting everything at our fingertips.  Here are a few phone apps to help busy couples with their wedding plans:

TaskRabbit :  https://www.taskrabbit.com/      This phone app will help you with all the tasks you don’t want to do.  Have a million bows to make?  Envelope stuffing?  Do you have a million errands to run before the wedding?  TaskRabbit pairs you with reliable help in your area to get things done.  Bridesmaids and the Maid of Honor may already have their hands full, so this phone app can help with those little details!

TouristEye    http://www.touristeye.com/   This is a great phone app to help plan your honeymoon, or help out of town guests make all their travel plans.  This phone app has a lot of helpful tips and ideas for your travel plans, and of course discounts.

Uber  http://www.uber.com/    Make signs to put on the middle of the table for Uber.  This phone app will help guests get a ride home if the wine was a little too tasty.  We all try to be responsible when we drink, but sometimes that one extra glass puts us over the edge, and a ride home is needed.

We all love visiting the web, but our phones are with us most on the go.  There are so many great phone apps out there:  The Knot, Style Me Pretty, Lyft, Wedding Wire.  They can be a great time saver as there are not enough hours in the day to get it all done.  So downloading a few phone apps can help you with your magical day with a touch of your phone.

Top Five Wedding Blogs for Brides

When the ring slips on our finger the wedding planning starts from that moment.  I know I started by purchasing magazines, and looking online at blogs, and various social media outlets.  There is such an abundance of information it can be overwhelming for many Brides.  So I took my top ten favorite blogs that I found inspiring to me.

• Style Me Pretty  http://www.stylemepretty.com      Since 2007 this site/blog has been delivering some of the most cutting edge Bridal tips.  I will admit this is my favorite of them all, and my go to for many inspiring ideas.  They deliver a great consistency with glamour, beauty, and poise.
• Ruffled   http://ruffledblog.com/    Great DIY blog that delivers endless inspiration for down to earth weddings.  A blog you can spend hours looking at with unique and cutting edge ideas.
• Green Wedding Shoes http://greenweddingshoes.com/     This blog not only gives you day-to-day wedding tips, but also current fashion trends.  It’s been around since 2008 and showcases some of the best real weddings around.
• 100 Layer Cake http://www.100layercake.com/blog/     This blog launched in 2009 is a collaboration between three friends and designers.  It offers fresh and unique inspirations for every occasion.
• DIY Bride   http://diybride.com/    This blog was founded in 2003 was created for couples to create their wedding no matter their budget.  And open community of couples planning their special day.

There are a zillion sites out there.  The Knot, Brides, Rock N Roll Wedding, Wedding Wire, and many more.  I have many of them in my social media feed to get their updates.  I also tab a few of my favorites and look at them daily.  It’s those daily inspirations, special offers, and brand new products I love seeing.  I am always excited to find new blogs and what the writers find.  Weddings are art, and we all find different beauty in art.  So finding these small gems is how I start my morning with my cup of coffee!