Winners!

Thank you designers for submitting your designs and for all of you who voted! We are happy to announce that is was a close race but Design A pulled into the lead and will win the 3 month subscription, but all is not lost for Design B as they will win a 1 month subscription. So congrats to both of you!!!

As always please feel free to post your designs on our facebook page, www.facebook.com/designedbythebride , leave us a comment here on the blog, or drop us a line at designedbythebride@gmail.com

Happy Holidays and Happy Designing!

Freebie contest

We have two very lucky ladies! It seems everyone was preoccupied this weekend and didn't get a chance to get their design posted on our facebook page in time... Your loss is the gain for our two submissions because they are now the guaranteed winners! We are still going to give our lovely readers the opportunity to pick which one should be the 1st place winner (recipient of free 3 months subscription) and who should be the 2nd place winner (recipient of free 1 month subscription).


How to vote: comment on this post with the letter A or B depending on which design is your favorite. The design with the most votes wins 1st place!

Design A

Design B

You have until Friday 12/10 at noon to cast your vote!

FREEBIE ALERT

For our facebook fans you have seen our second freebie alert announcement! So here's the scoop:

1. Create an amazing bouquet on http://www.designedbythebride.com/
2. Become a fan (like us!) on facebook if you haven't already
3. Post your bouquet design on our wall by monday 12/6 at noon est
4. We will select our top favorites and post them here on the blog
5. Comment with your 1st and 2nd favorite designs
6. Scores will be tallied and winners announced on Friday 12/10, so this means get everyone you can to vote for your design by noon on friday!!!

So what do the winners receive....
1st place- FREE 3 month subscription to Bloom
2nd place- FREE 1 month subscription to Bloom

What a great present for yourself! So hurry up and start designing that bouquet! But you only are allowed one entry so make sure it's the best you can do!

DIY Wedding Flowers

Everyone is always trying to save money when planning a wedding. The first question many of us ask is, "How much does it cost?"

It's never been easier to save $$ on your flowers.

Your first step, design your flowers online. Find out what flowers you like and in what colors and combinations. Even find out if they look good with your bridesmaids dresses or table linens... All without having to pay a florist or buy real flowers.

So now you know what flowers you want, do you still have to pay a florist to do it all for you? We recently found Angie Zimmerman who understands this problem all too well. She has created a DIY Wedding Flower Guide and DVD set.

Angie's Guide includes 5 DVD's each focusing on a different aspect of wedding flowers: Bouquets, corsages and boutonnieres, ceremony decor and reception decor. The fifth DVD includes instructions on how to process your flowers and what tools you will need.

Her "Flower Guide" gives instruction for various types of bridal bouquets, so you will know how to make the exact bouquet you want.

So if you are on a budget, use Designed by the Bride to test out some flower combinations before you purchase anything and then with Angie's help you will be able to create the wedding of your dreams!

Visit Angie at :

http://www.doityourselfweddingflowerguide.com/pages/products.html

http://flowerarranging101.tv/

Upgrade

So we are very excited to announce our latest website upgrade! We have added a new tool that allows you to change the background color of the space. This takes your virtual designs one step closer to reality. Now you can see if those flowers really will look nice against those bridesmaid dresses and if you really want a pink cake or just a pink linen under the cake... Check out the subscription benefits page for more info. Bloom is the name of the full access area where you can utilize this fantastic tool. We are offering the first 25 subscribers (minimum 3 month subscription to qualify) that sign up by 10/4 a free one year, 4 issue, subscription to the hottest new magazine, Get Married as seen on WeTV!!!

We can't wait to hear what you think about the latest changes and what you would like to see in the future!

Your favorite flowers

So the results are in... We posted a poll on facebook asking which flowers are a must have for your wedding and most of you said calla lilies and orchids. No surprise there because these are gorgeous flowers that work with many styles. We created a few designs for you using these lovely blooms: (send us your calla lily and orchid designs and we'll add them too!)

Stay tuned for the next poll on facebook coming soon! http://www.facebook.com/designedbythebride

Bargain Hunters

We all know wedding budgets can quickly spiral out of control. So as a bride you have to turn into a bargain hunting queen! We recently came across an amazing blog that will help you find some great deals. http://www.dealdivabridalguide.com/ She is truly an expert so checkout her fabulous finds from dresses to makeup and everything in between! She recently did a post about our website and included some of your designs from the gallery- take a look and see if she selected one of yours!

Have you been looking for the perfect sandal for your wedding, your bridesmaids or just for any occasion?? We think we found them!

In the Spotlight: Frogges by Jan Nikisher

We recently spoke with Jan Nikisher, the owner of "Frogges." She hand crafts beautifully embellished flip flops customized to exactly what you want. Be sure to check out her site, http://www.frogges.com/, and contact her at jan.nikisher@frogges.com with any questions!

Here is what Jan had to say:

What is the story behind Frogges; how did you get started?

I was searching the Internet for quality flip flops for myself when I stumbled upon a few pairs of embellished sandals that caught my eye. But the prices on them! I was sure I could make some for myself with the quality shoes I wanted and still be under those prices. I researched types of flip flops, how to put on the crystals, types of adhesive that would last without discoloring and would hold in high humidity, how to prep the shoes so that the crystals would stay on, etc.

Then I bought the products and made up my first pair for myself, not intending to make more. However, when I made them, I had so much fun and had so many more designs in my head! And when I wore them, I got so many compliments and women saying they wanted some; that I decided to start making different styles and colors to sell. I would literally go to bed at night and have design shapes and colors running through my mind. I was convinced I could make more colors and designs and give customers better value for less money. And I think I've done that!

Though the name "Frogges" is a bit whimsical, I am passionate about beauty, quality and value. That is why each of my designs is an original and is a work of art, lovingly created and carefully crafted with the best quality materials available.

What separates your flip flops from other brands?

My unadorned sandals are imported from Brazil (Havaianas and Cariris) and are from the finest soft rubber to give optimum comfort and years of durability. And then I bedazzle them! I use only jewelry quality crystals from the Swarovski crystal factory in Austria. Each crystal is a XILION Rose-the most brilliant cut on the market- and is individually hand set on the sandal. I use only ss16 stones to create maximum sparkle and easily discernible designs of the eye-catching style. My spectacular designs employ from 200-400 crystals per pair of sandal, dependent on the design, the size of the sandal and the width of the strap.

Every one of my designs is created on a 1.5 or a 2.5 inch heel height. A heel of this height displays your feet and legs to a better advantage than flat sandals and looks much more alluring, whether worn with jeans, casual clothes, a swimsuit, festive attire or as an accessory to a breathtakingly gorgeous wedding gown.

Rainbow 2:

How durable are your flip flops?

Each pair of Frogges includes a packet of crystals matching the design colors, in the unlikely event a crystal becomes loose. I used a high quality UV-formula adhesive which resists yellowing or cracking. This adhesive is flexible and capable of holding up in high humidity, sunlight, temperature fluctuations and is waterproof, so that crystals remain secure. Customers have worn their Frogges sandals in the water, on beach sand and shelling without loosing a crystal!


Frogges can be gently washed in warm, soapy water, rinsed off and dried with a soft cloth to be at their sparkly best. Treated gently, Frogges should stay in great shape for many years to come.

From looking at your Etsy store, you have a variety of different colors available; do you take custom orders?

Custom colors and imagination are my specialty. At no extra charge! And I always offer free shipping. I recently sent off a pair of bride's shoes crafted in orange and blue (Florida Gators fan) with GO UF on the heels. They were beautiful!


How will I know what size to buy?

The rubber sandals I use, being quality shoes, are pretty true to size, perhaps even a bit generous in the sizing. I encourage customers to call me or email me with specific size questions if they are unsure so we can get the perfect fit!

Do you have a favorite pair of flip flops that you have made so far?

I have two favorites. One is the Ocean Waves, because I live near the beach, and the other is Texas Pride, being a Texan!

Ocean Waves:

Texas Pride:

How long does it take to embellish a pair of flip flops?

The whole process of starting to prep a shoe, embellishing it and letting it cure before cleaning and inspection to ship takes 4 days. The embellishing itself depends on how intricate the pattern is and how many colors are involved. That can take up to half a day per pair.

What is your most popular style?


So far, my Rainbow seems to be the best seller, probably because it can be worn with so many colors.

What is your favorite wedding flower and wedding color combos?

I love the wedding color scheme of white, salmon and light teal - with orchids, roses and calla lilies.

An added bonus:
Right now Frogges is having an inventory reduction sale - everything is slashed to wholesale prices, and still free shipping!

Colorful Cakes

Here's a toast to cakes that aren't afraid of a little color!

Although the color pallette is soft, this cake is working several strong patterns. And I love the little hanging signs!!!

This cake has a lot going on, I can only imagine what the rest of the wedding looks like!

Bold zebra print cake will really make a statement!

Love the rich tones on this cake, there's lots of subtle shadowing that makes it come alive. The attention to detail with carrying the design through to the base is what really makes this cake complete. Something to consider with your own cake.... would this have looked as good on top of a silver or gold paper wrapped base?

This is an elegant and edgy cake at the same time.

I could do without the lily in the middle, but love the draping skirt around the bottom.

Beautiful blues make this beach theme cake pop.

This super ornate cake is fabulous!

This is a beautiful shape cake with a fairytale vibe. Again love the attention given to the base with the pleated fabric.

Tall centerpieces!

It's always nice to do a mix of heights for your centerpieces, so here are some lovely tall ones to give you some ideas!


A more natural looking rose arrangement. Side note- do you see that amazing red rose structure around entry doors?! fabulous!!!


Gorgeous draping arrangement that is oh so chic.


The unique vase really adds to this centerpiece. Love the extra touch of adding petals on the table inside the bottom of vase.


Sometimes all you need is some grand greenery to make a big statement!


Ok so this doesn't really have flowers but i think this is an amazing contemporary centerpiece!


Pretty in pink with the touches of curly willow at the top and in the vase really finish it off.

Have any pictures of tall centerpieces that you love? send them to us! designedbythebride@gmail.com

Stepping back in time

Sorry for the lack of posts recently! To make up for it I have a lot of pictures for you today. It's always fun to look at old wedding pictures and see the different styles- so I came across this great site www.fashion-era.com/weddings that is full of amazing old wedding photos.

1925- trailing greenery

1926- hanging ribbons and flowers

1928- could the bouquets get any bigger?!

1945- the huge bouquets continue

1946- a break from the huge bouquets for a more classic stephanotis bouquet

1954- appears to be full of greenery

1956- continues with the very natural look

1958- finally the trend of incredibly oversized bouquets seems to have passed

1961- many held the bouquets more to one side instead of the tradional way we carry them today in the center

1965- small nosegay

1984- hanging ribbons brought back

1986- after all those years the cascade was still the popular style

Well springtime is finally within reach! I jumped into the world of pastels to bring you some springtime inspiration:

Bouquet with a beautiful blend of pastels

Could there be anything cuter than these?! Bridesmaids can carry them or a flower girl, hang them on aisle chairs or pews, on doors or wherever you can find a place!

It's not very often that you can get away with so many color dresses... but the subtle pastel hues makes this a lovely spring bridal party.

Love the bow on this cake and all the fun vine-like swirls!

Trays of these will be oh so sweet to look at and of course eat!

More containers on the website!

Another update to the website: we just added 9 more container options for the centerpiece design tool! We hope this will give you more inspiration and choices for the look of your centerpiece! As always, if you have any recommendations for the site please let us know.