Wednesday, June 27, 2012

BRIDAL BEAUTY: Pre-Wedding Skin Care


Preparing for your wedding day can be an incredibly stressful time for many ‘brides to be’.  To help you out, we have created a series called ‘Bridal Beauty’.   Bridal Beauty’ is a series of beauty tips that will help you to alleviate some of the pressure.  We want you to sit back, relax and enjoy the process of prepping for your walk down the aisle.

The team at SoCo Events has held the hands of many brides through the process of creating their bridal beauty regiment and appointments.   We are here to share with you some of our wisdom and best wedding day beauty practices.

We started our series with Bridal Beauty: Hair Tips.  Today, we are going into the second part of our series with ‘Bridal Beauty: Pre-Wedding Skin Care’.   It’s never too soon to start a healthy skincare regimen. 

Photo Credit: Pinterest/unsourced
SKIN CARE TIPS:
·       You definitely want your skin to glow on your wedding day!  The happiness you are feeling on the inside will shine through and help you out in this regard, somewhat. ;) You want to make sure to eat “clean” in the months leading up to you wedding day.  What you put in your body has more of an affect on your skin than any product or treatment will ever have.  By “clean”, eat plenty of vegetables, fruits and remember drink plenty of water.  We like to follow the “8x8 rule”, which is 8 glasses of 8 oz. of water each day.  Adding lemon to your water is a tip I always give my brides…it works wonders for your skin. 


Photo Credit: mindbodygreen.com
·       Schedule all tweezing/waxing/threading appointments for at least 7 days out from your wedding day.  Be careful to stay consistent with what has worked well with your skin type in the past – if soy wax leaves your sensitive skin with zero redness or irritation, make sure to stick with this proven method of hair removal.  The last thing you want to do is have a reaction to a new product right before your wedding. 

Photo Credit: google.com
·       Six months out from your wedding is a great time to try a new treatment – microderm, oxygen facials, and collagen treatments. You have enough time to recover if your skin reacts poorly to a new or more extensive treatment.  If you love your microderm, you can continue with treatments in the months and weeks leading to your big day. If you are thinking of trying something a little more serious, like botox/other fillers – do so around this 6-month out mark as well. You cannot predict how you will react to new treatments, so do not risk having to deal with bumps and bruising weeks before your wedding.  Keep in mind that most fillers take around 10 days to work their magic. 

Photo Credit: blog.birchbox.com
·       One of the most important things you can do to achieve a beautiful glow on your wedding day, is to get a professional airbrush tan – for your fiancĂ© (unless he and Ricky Martin are similar skin tone ;).  You don’t want to be beautifully bronzed standing next to your pasty groom!  Spread the color and book a package with BronzedBerry that covers you both. Make sure to keep a natural color, which should be easy with BronzedBerry – they have amazing organic formulas – think no orange and no smell!  Your color should also correlate with the season in which you are tying the knot.  It will look much more natural to have deeper color if your wedding is in July, rather than January. A little color will work wonders for your confidence on your wedding day.  It will ensure you and your soon to be hubby look fabulous in all the days pictures! 

Photo Credit: BronzedBerry


Monday, June 25, 2012

SoCo Events Featured in Washingtonian Bride & Groom!

We are absolutely thrilled to have had the opportunity to work with Washingtonian Bride & Groom on this piece by LauraWainman.  Check out the article by clicking the link below.



Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Summer Weddings: Chill Out!

As the temperatures approach triple digits today, we wanted to provide you with some tips to keep your guests cool during your outdoor summer ceremony.  When making the decision to say your "I do's" outdoors, always take into account rising temperatures and blistering sun.  Aim to not have your ceremony during the hours were the sun is the strongest and choose a spot that provides shade.  It is also a great idea to include the following:

Greet guests with a refreshing cold non alcoholic beverage

These misters will provide great scented relief

Because no one wants unprotected guests!

How amazing would chilled towels feel after a hot ceremony?!?

Stay cool today!!!


{Photo Credits: 1-4 Martha Stewart Weddings}


Friday, June 15, 2012

Happy Father's Day!

Fathers are usually the unsung heroes at weddings.  They start the entire wedding journey when a nervous boy asks for their daughter's hand in marriage.  From that moment on, they are often asked to support with a smile, not ask questions about how much the flowers cost and keep their speech to under 3 minutes.  This weekend, Dad deserves his day and we have gathered a few of our favorite FOB moments from years past.

Speechless as he sees his little girl for the first time on her wedding day

While everyone is getting beautiful, Dad is taking care of business

Is this not the best?! Dad carried around a picture of he and the bride as a child

Someone has got to work.....to pay for this wedding!

Putting the final touches on his speech..or waiting to get his hair set!?!?

This dad loves his daughters! This is the second daughter I helped him get down the aisle, and he was just as emotional the first time!!


To all the father of the bride's past and present that practice their speech incessantly, take lessons to master their dance perfectly and who write checks without complaint we wish you a day full of love and laughter.  And, maybe just maybe let your son-in-law pay for dinner this time ;)


Thursday, June 14, 2012

2012 BRIDAL TREND: LACE AND SLEEVES!


Brides can thank Kate Middleton for the 2012 wedding fashion trend -- long sleeves and lace!  We are thrilled that this trend might be here to stay.  The long sleeves and lace trend is a fashion forward twist on a very classic look.   
Think Grace Kelly meets Kate Moss.  
Kate Middleton
Not only was this look prominent on the runway during Spring Bridal Week 2012, but it has been embraced by celebrities.  We expect to see this elegant look for quite a few years to come.
Grace Kelly



Ivanka Trump
Drew Barrymore



Lauren Bush
Ashley Biden

Below are some of our favorite pieces from the Spring 2012 Bridal Shows.

Reem Acra 2012
Monique Lhuillier 2012
Carolina Herrera 2012




Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Real Weddings: The Meridian House - Washington, DC


If there were a wedding that defined the word “love”, it would be the marriage of Kara Frank and Brendan Williams-Kief.  The love that Kara and Brendan have for each other is evident from the moment you meet them.  They are lighthearted, carefree and such a joy to be around.  The love that they have for each other, as well as their friends and their family, is contagious. 

Kara and Brendan met in college.  There is no doubt that these two were always the life of the party. This couple knows how to have a great time!  To top it off, they have some serious dance skills!  Kara and Brendan didn’t leave the dance floor all night.  There were multiple VERY impressive “dance off” moments throughout the evening.  It was some of the best dancing that I have ever seen at a wedding.   

Kara and Brendan not only owned the dance floor, but they owned my heart that evening.  In lieu of favors, the couple made a donation to Alex’s Lemonade Stand, which raises money to help fight children’s cancer. 
First Dance
The Dance Floor
The Send Off!
Click HERE to view the full gallery.

SoCo Events was hired as a “Month of Planner” to assist the bride and groom with the details and execution of their dream day.   Kara and Brendan had decided upon an ‘Elegant Garden Evening’ theme with a gorgeous color selection of navy blue and blush pink.  Their venue, The Meridian House, was perfect.  The Ceremony was held in the Linden Grove beneath a canopy of trees with hanging lanterns.  The sounds of the string quartet set the mood for a beautifully romantic evening.  The ‘first dance’ was to the song “Just Like Heaven” by the Cure.  Brendan was singing to Kara as they swayed under the beautiful chandelier with all of the guests surrounding them. 

This was followed by an elegant candle-lit dinner in the dining room and library with heartfelt toasts from the bride’s parents, maid of honor and best man.  The evening concluded with the newleyweds being sent off through a cheering crowd and sparklers to be whisked away in a vintage Bentley to their honeymoon destination of Portugal.


Wedding Date: September 17, 2011
Number of Guests: 150

Ceremony Venue: Linden Grove at The Meridian House / Reception Venue: The Meridian House / Photographer: Amy Raab Photography / Caterer and Wedding Cake: WindowsCatering
Invitations: The Written Word / Ceremony Music:  Ceremony Strings Quartet / Cocktail & Reception Music: Evan Reitmeyer – My Deejay / Florist: DaVinci’s Florist / Hair & Makeup: Bella Bethesda Hair Salon / Transportation: RegalLimousine / Wedding Gown: Monique Lhuillier Bliss Collection from Carine’sBridal with vintage style crystal belt