Local Vendor: Rust Belt Love

Talented. Enthusiastic. Fun.

Three words to describe two sisters operating one amazing design company.

I first met Alyson O'Connor, one of the two owners of RustBeltLove on Twitter back in late summer of 2010. We got "tweeting" and finally met up with each other (along with her sister Megan Murdie) shortly after - when our lives sort of calmed down a bit! Talk about a fun time! We shared business stories, life stories, and a lot of laughs. I am so excited to have met these two, and wanted to spread the word about their awesome, local design company. As such, I introduce you to....RustBeltLove!

"The way we see it, event design is creating a COHESIVE look and feel for your event. We want to make sure your color scheme, mood, theme, and overall PERSONALITY are carried, visually, throughout all elements involved. Your invitations should set the mood, and thereafter your menus, programs, table settings, even something as small, but significant, as your favors should all meld perfectly. Wrap everything up with a matching thank you card you'll understand why it's the little things that people notice."

Each RustBeltLove package begins with a free consultation where these two lovely ladies get to know you - what you like, what you don't like, and the colors, themes, and textures that you are drawn to. They will then take all of that information and create a special "mood board," designed specifically for you and your overall tone. They offer several packages that range from simply invitations all the way to their platinum package, which includes shower invitations, thank you cards, catering centerpieces, favors, menus, place cards, table design, room decor and programs!

You can contact Alyson and Megan at

RustBeltLove@gmail.com

Also, check them out on

Facebook

and

Twitter!

Need A Unique Engagement, Shower, or Wedding Gift?

Why not surprise them with a gift certificate from Queen City Weddings?!

With our wide variety of packages you can purchase gift certificates in almost any denomination - the prefect gift for any bride-to-be!

Our hourly package is great for the bride who has done all of the planning, but needs an extra helping hand on their wedding day to make sure everything goes as planned. Examples include:

• Setting up the ceremony site with bows, flowers and programs
• Assisting with special, small details at the reception site - cake table photo montage, escort cards, candy buffet bar, remembrance table, the list could go on and on!
• Delivering items to ceremony site or reception site
• Packing up reception items at the end of the night

Call or email us today!

716.725.5068

johanna@queencityweddings.com

Inspiration Board: Honeysuckle, Yellow & Orange

Although, it is only mid-February, these last couple of days truly got me excited for springtime as the temperatures hit the mid 50's and the sun finally made an appearance! Unfortunately, I woke up this morning and was greeted with mid-20 degree temperatures, scattered snow showers and a very gray day.

To help keep my springtime spirits high I thought I would focus today's inspiration board on a fun, bright, springtime color combination - including Pantone's color of the year, Honeysuckle! After doing the research for this board, I very quickly realized that I am so ready for sunshine, warmth, and lots & lots of beautiful weddings! Enjoy!

Top Row: Cake, Aisle, Bouquet

Middle Row: Lemonade, Bridesmaid Dress, Escort Cards

Bottom Row: Centerpiece, Invitation, Bridesmaids

Inspiration Board: Mason Jars

Looking for an inexpensive, but gorgeous centerpiece? How about dazzling up your aisle? Or maybe you need to add some soft lighting to your reception? Look no further than your pantry for the answer to all of these – Mason Jars!

I absolutely love mason jars. They can be used in so many aspects of your wedding and are so reasonably priced – not to mention that they can be used again and again after your big day. You cant go wrong! As such, today’s inspiration board features these fantastic little jewels! I even had to do two because, let's face it, the possibilities are endless! Enjoy!

Top Row: Aisle Flowers, Hanging Lanterns, Centerpiece

Middle Row: Candle Holders, Photo Jars, Vases

Bottom Row: Bouquet Holder, Hanging Lanterns

Top Row: Centerpiece, Crayon Holder, Lemonade

Middle Row: Flower Shepherd Hook, Candle Shepherd Hook, Favor

Bottom Row: Lemonade, Centerpiece, Hanging Lantern

I also wanted to add that The Wedding Paper Divas have a great how-to guide for DIY mason jar wedding favors that I definitely urge you to check out!

And here is a great link for DIY mason jar lanterns by the San Diego Wedding Insider.

Local Vendor: Make up By Holly

In early December I had the honor to meet up with Holly Margolis, owner of Makeup By Holly M to discuss weddings, life and other miscellaneous fun. Holly just recently moved to the Buffalo area from her hometown of Long Island and brought along her business to expand to the Western New York area. I am so glad that she did! Here is a little bit about her that I would love to share with all of our Buffalo Brides!

Holly started in the make up and beauty industry over ten years ago. She first discovered her passion for make up and beauty when she started at Lancome Cosmetics in Bloomingdales. She then went on to work for MAC Cosmetics where she was truly able to focus on the perfecting her skills, receive great training, and work with incredible clientele. Holly has received numerous certificates in regards to the makeup industry that allow her to keep up to date with new techniques and produces, and allowing her to pass on the best possible services to her clients.

Makeup by Holly M uses all MAC products, is affordable, and also makes it easy for brides on their wedding day as she will travel to wherever the bride is getting ready.

It was a pleasure catching up with Holly and welcoming her to beautiful Buffalo. I urge you all to check out her website at http://www.makeupbyhollym.com where you can learn more about her services and see some before and after photos of her work. Also, check out her facebook page when you search “Makeup by Holly M.”

Holiday Recap

Well I finally did it! This weekend I devoted my entire Saturday to taking down, organizing and putting away all of our holiday decorations! As I was tackling this daunting task, I had the opportunity to recap how great the holidays were - full of family, love and the real reason for the season. I still cannot believe that the holidays are already over - but I am so excited for all that 2011 will bring. Here's a quick holiday recap of Holidays 2010. How were your holidays? And what did you do to make them special?

Engagement Gift Guide

So the engagement season is upon us! (Congratulations to all of you who are recently engaged!) As such, I wanted to focus on some engagement gift ideas that I have come across and wanted to share.

Here are a few of my favorites. Enjoy!

Personalized: Any personalized gift makes it extra special. Find a gift that is catered to the couple and then try and find a company that will personalize it for you (there are many local establishments that do a phenomenal job with embroidery, engraving, and personalization for a very decent price).

Expressed Impressions – This is a local company that can take any photo and laser it onto charms, lighters, cufflinks, wine charms, you name it! Their options are endless and you cannot beat their price. Best of all, they are local and I love supporting local businesses! Check out their website at ExpressedImpressions.com.

Zazzle Stamps – Every couple needs stamps when it comes to their big day – Engagement announcements, Save the Dates, Invitations, Thank You cards. Postage costs can really add up for the couple that chooses more personable snail mail in this digital age. Why not head to Zazzle and order them personalized stamps for their big day. They will be sure to be used!

Monograms – Monograms are also a very classic fun gift where you can put on anything. Towels, bathrobes, house mats, glassware, china – the list can go on and on.

Modern Artisans – They offer some pretty neat personalized keepsake plates that are a great addition to any newly engaged couple’s house. You have a couple of options that vary in price which allow you to add the couple’s name, wedding date, or initials. Check their website out here.

Champagne - Go with the classic engagement gift, but add that special touch. Head over to a site like Gift Specialists to create your own, unique champagne or wine label for the couple.

Wedding Day Organization: Getting engaged is very exciting, but after all of the congratulations and jumping up and down, the bride may feel a bit overwhelmed. There are so many elements to the wedding and with people constantly posing questions about the big day, these gifts may be just the thing to calm her nerves!

Organizer – There are various wedding day organizers readily available depending on the brides’ tastes and needs. However, to add that special touch I suggest creating your own! I am all about DIY. Head on over to a local office supply store to grab a three ring binder, along with some folders and dividers, Then run a quick Google search for all of the wedding day must-have checklists that pertain the best to the brides. Print them out, arrange them in the binder, and add a personalized cover to this extra special gift!

Magazine Subscription – Bride-to-be’s love wedding day inspiration, and what better way to help them organization their thoughts and give them the inspiration that they need than a year’s subscription to their favorite wedding magazine. A few to note are Martha Stewart Weddings, Brides & Get Married.

Name change kit – There are so many legal documents that bride’s these days need to remember to change to her new name that it can be a very frustrating task. However, these all inclusive kits allow the bride a quick guide to changing all her needed documents over in a hassle free way catered to the state she is in.

Wedding Day Accessories: Here are a few items to spoil the bride with for her big day.

Charm Bracelet – Looking to buy for you bff? A close relative? Why not splurge and start her a brand new charm bracelet that will represent this new stage in her life. Start off with a bracelet and a charm for an extra special engagement gift and keep the trend going for her showers and wedding day gifts - it will sure make gift buying all that much easier – and personable!

Customized Cake Topper – There are so many beautiful cake toppers available on the web and at local shops. These can add such a special touch to the bride and groom’s big day. Here are a few that I found that may get you started. Acrylic Squares, Mongrammed, or Sentimental.

Wedding Time Capsule – What significant events happened during the year you were married in? Who was President? What was your favorite movie? Wedding Time Capsules are great, fun and inexpensive gifts for the bride and groom to forever remember their wedding year.

Waterford Ring holder – The bride now has an extra piece of jewelry to look after! Why not surprise her with a beautiful ring holder so she will have a special spot to put her very special piece.

Ps. I would love to hear your engagement ideas as well. Please e-mail me, comment, or send me a quick note on Facebook or Twitter. I can’t wait to hear!

Goodbye 2010, Hello 2011...

As I sit down to write this last blog post of the year, I cannot help but wonder where the year went! These days are flying by, but I am loving every minute of it. As this last day of 2010 has come upon us, I am able to reflect upon an amazing year – filled with love, laughter and a few bumps and hurdles that allowed me to better myself and be better prepared for all that 2011 may bring!

First and foremost, 2010 was an absolutely fantastic year because I was finally able to obtain my dream of becoming a wedding planner. I officially launched Queen City Weddings earlier this year and cannot believe how far we have come in such a short time. I have to take a moment and thank my husband, my family, and my friends for their endless support and constant encouragement. I could not have done it without you. I consider myself truly blessed to know such amazing people – and continuing to meet such amazing people in the form of wedding professionals and brides & grooms.

Another highlight of 2010 was the birth of my niece, Shylah Belle. What a blessing a child is! I cannot believe that she is already 8 months old as I write this, but it has been such a joy watching her grow throughout these months - finding her fingers and toes, recognizing voices, learning how to crawl, and giving the best smile a child could give. She is such a happy baby and is always smiling at anyone she sees. And seeing her with such happiness and innocence really allows you to put life into perspective. Why not be happy? Why not enjoy everyone for who they are? Life is too short to reflect on the negatives. So, a big thank you to Shylah Belle who has been my constant reminder to live life to it’s fullest and never take a moment for granted.

Shylah on her Birthday!

Shylah Belle Christmas 2010 (8 Months)

2010 also meant my first wedding anniversary with my husband. Words cannot even describe what an honor it is to be his wife. This past year has been such an incredible journey and I have him to thank for it. I am so lucky to have someone who is always there believing me, understanding me, and loving me for me. To celebrate our year of marriage, we enjoyed a delicious dinner and headed out for a weekend just the two of us. It was absolutely perfect and everyday I am reminded that we were truly meant for each other and I can’t wait to spend many, many, many more years with the love of my life.

As I made way through 2010, I also came upon some major career decisions. There were a few ups and downs through the process, but as the New Year is creeping closer and closer, I am only reaffirmed in my thinking of “everything happens for a reason.” Each path I have taken in regards to my career has allowed me to meet extraordinary people, learn some important things, and gave me the opportunity to get to know myself better. It may have been quite the roller coaster ride, but I would have it no other way. It was an incredible experience and I am looking forward to all the 2011 will bring.

2010 also provided me with an event that I would like to put at the very bottom of my “highlight” list; however, the outcome has allowed me to appreciate life all that much more - and the people that are in it. It has also taught me that anything could happen in a minute, so live for today for you never know where tomorrow will take you.

In May of this year, my mom had a very bad bicycle accident. Bad as in she flipped over her bike’s handlebars straight onto her head, couldn’t remember anything that had happened, my dad had to call 911, she spent a portion of the week in the hospital and had a very bad case of dizziness and nystagmus. All in all, I can thankfully say that today she is back to her normal, remarkable self, but that accident allowed our entire family to evaluate our lives a bit more and come to the realization of how quickly things can change.

Me & My Mama

(days before the accident)

For me, it really allowed me to see how quickly things could happen as I was on the phone with her minutes before my dad called me frantically to please come quick to grab their bikes as they are headed to the hospital. But I learned some important lessons during this tragic event. 1. Family will always be there for you and I have one of the best families a girl could ask for. 2. There is no one in the world like your mom, your best friend, your mentor…and no argument, anger or grudge is worth the time because you never know when that person will be gone. 3. I truly admire those individuals that devote their time in the medical field and spend their lives saving people. You can never thank them enough. 4. As I stated above, live life to it’s fullest and never take a moment for granted.

Lastly, a few other highlights to note that helped make 2010 what it was.

- Celebrating the 1st birthday of my other adorable niece, Leah Katherine. I just love her to pieces.

- Finding out that I will be an aunt yet again. So excited! I just absolutely love being an aunt. Can you tell?

- Finalizing major renovations on our “new” house. So so so happy that they are coming to an end…well, kind of.

- Becoming Landlords for the first time. Many lessons learned – on all angles.
- My baby brother turned 21. Talk about feeling old.
- One of my best friends, Laura, became a mother for the first time. So exciting and so awesome to see her as such a natural.

- Got to finally see where my high school bff works in NYC. Long overdue, but so much fun.

So, all in all, as I make my way into the year of 2011, I can only sit back and reflect on what an incredible year 2010 was – what it brought me, what it taught me, and what it allowed me to be. And in doing so, I can’t help but think how all that much better 2011 will be because of it. Because, after all – everything happens for a reason, so sit back and live life to the fullest, but don’t forget to stop and thank all of those who have helped you along the way.

Happy New Year to All!

Inspiration Board: Navy, Silver & White Wedding

Only 3 more days until Christmas! Boy did this year fly by. As I am finalizing my Christmas to-do's, I wanted to take a minute and share with you my favorite holiday wedding color palette - navy, silver & white. I love the sophistication, yet added snowflake fun.

Enjoy! And Happy Holidays to all!

Top Row: Invitation, Suit, Snowflakes

Middle Row: Reception, Bridal Gown

Bottom Row: Bridesmaids, Cake, Programs

Happy Adoption Birthday Goober!

I know that this is completely unrelated to anything weddings, but I wanted to take a minute from my busy day and celebrate the joy and love that our wonderful dog, Goober, has brought into me and my husband's (and many others) lives over the past year. :-)

One year ago, my husband and I grabbed all our "puppy prep" items (lease, collar, treats...) that we spent the prior two weeks researching, buying, and double checking, hopped into the car and made the mini road trip to pick up our beloved Goobster. We drove about an hour east of our house ready to pick up the newest addition of our family with our emotions going wild - so excited, a tad nervous, very anxious, yet so ready to love this little bundle of joy. And love we did. As soon as we stepped out of our car and saw our little pup, we knew we had adopted the perfect pal for us. He was so eager to meet us and ready to love us right back.

A year later and Goober still gives us all the love in the world. I rush home after a busy day at work or running around and without doubt he is waiting at the door for me - so excited and happy to see me (and the hubs!). He follows me around the house no matter what I may be up to - helping with laundry, cleaning, cooking (and patiently waiting for some scraps), working outside - you name it and he is right there by my side. On bad days, he is there to comfort me - letting me know that it will all be okay. I never was a big "dog person," but after adopting our wonderful, lovable, perfect companion Goober, I am not exactly sure how I survived without him. He has brought my husband and I so much in this last year and I just wanted to take a minute and give him some credit where credit is deserved.

Happy Adoption Birthday Goober!

Thanks for being the best darn pup we could ever ask for.

Picking up the Goobster...

A Year Later...

Holiday Cheer!

Just wanted to write a quick note to wish all of our wonderful readers a very merry holiday season! Also, a quick DIY project that I wanted to share - Christmas cards! They were so much fun - and easy - to make. They helped bring me holiday cheer and I was able to send that extra dose of love with each card to all of my amazing family and friends. I know that things can get very hectic around this holiday time, but never forget the true reason for the season!

Congratulations on your Engagement!

He did it! He finally proposed and you cannot stop staring at that gorgeous ring on your left hand! Congratulations! I am sure that you have a million thoughts going through your head - and a million questions getting thrown at you. Did you set a date? Where will you be having it? Oh, how about your honeymoon? The list goes on and on.

With the "engagement" season upon us, I wanted to help out our newly engaged readers with a blog post that I found to be very helpful. I stumbled upon it on it on blogcritic.org and I had to share! It is by Erica Trevis, owner of Little Things Favors and Little Things Baby. She has been in the e-commerce and wedding industry helping brides plan their weddings since 2003. Enjoy!

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You’ve just gotten engaged and congratulations are definitely in order. This is probably the most exciting time in your life – and quite possibly will be one of the most stressful ones as well. As exhilarating it is to be engaged, the impending process is, to a certain extent, pretty overwhelming. There are so many little details to consider – where do you begin?

Enjoy Your Engagement

Go ahead, stare at your ring. Glance at it again. It sparkles, it shines, and it’s finally yours. Savor the moment of your engagement and enjoy it. Take pictures, begin a journal, kiss your fiancé. Tell him that you love him, a thousand times. Jump up and down. Do all the girly things you should do. Live in the moment of this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Parents First, Friends Second

After you’ve basked in your new social status, you want to tell your parents (or those who raised you) before anyone else. Both of you should be present and preferably in person when breaking the news. They will be thrilled about the news, want to look at your ring and begin talking about your wedding. Traditionally, the bride’s parents should be told before the groom’s. Once your family has embraced the news, you can run off to tell your closest friends – the ones who mean the most – and who probably will be in your wedding party. After the news has been broken to these wedding VIPs it’s fair game to announce your upcoming nuptials to the world.

Broadcast To The World

In today’s digital age, there are so many ways to announce your new status. If you’re a traditional bride-to-be you may want to look into print publications, mailing out wedding announcements or having an engagement party. If you can’t wait to spread the news and are more of a modern bride, you can set up a wedding website, send out email announcements, create a Facebook page or a Twitter account. Then blast the news into cyber-space for everyone to see. Keep in mind though, older family and friends may consider this a faux pas, so you may want to send out Internet announcements to the younger generation on your guest list and traditional announcements to everyone else.

Setting the Date

The first question you will be asked as soon as you announce the news will be, “So, when is the date?” You may want to consider setting a general time frame before making the announcement, this way you can respond such as, “We’re thinking sometime in the summer of 2014.” The sooner you set a date or narrow down your choices, the sooner you can begin the wedding planning process. It will be impossible to begin to plan anything without having a date in mind.

Set the Budget and the Tone
Before settling on the exact date, sit down with your partner and discuss each other’s wedding vision. Write down what is important to you both, your must-have’s and the things you can do without. A beach themed bash? A black-tie affair? A religious ceremony versus a civil one? Once you know what you both want, selecting the date and all other aspects will become easier as you narrow down your choices.

Chances are your wedding date will dictate your necessary budget and the tone of the wedding. A Saturday evening affair will definitely be formal, where as a Sunday afternoon event will be more casual. The reception venue prices will vary on the day of the day of the week and season you plan to marry in, which ultimately will consume the largest portion of your budget. The first step is to decide how much debt you are willing to take on, how much you can reasonably save, and how much (if anything) your parents can contribute, or alternatively, what aspects of the wedding they are willing to pay for. In today’s economy is no longer wise to go into tremendous amounts of debt just for a single day. However, you may want to consider taking out a joint credit card which offers you perks such as airline miles or “cash back” – just be sure to pay off the bill each month in full.

Draw Up A Preliminary Guest List

As you set the budget you will need to consider your guest list. Bottom line, the more guests you invite, the more the wedding will cost. You can expect the reception location and catering to take up approximately 50 percent of your budget. Once you decide on a total number of guests you can afford, take that number and divide by 4. Each prominent figure in your wedding gets a fourth of your total number of invitees. The bride, the groom, the bride's parents and the groom's parents traditionally each get a fourth of the total guests. So if your inviting 200 guests, each gets 50 guests to invite. Stick by that number to avoid blowing your budget.

Make Appointments For Ceremony and Reception Venues

Many popular locations book a year in advance or more. These are the first two vendors you should book, before any other vendors. The ceremony location should be scheduled first as some religious venues may have requirements to fulfill before the actual wedding date, or will have certain dates blacked-out. Once your ceremony location is set, begin to look at reception locations. The further in advance you book, the more likely you will get the date and time you are looking for.

Selecting Your Attendants

Whether you ask your wedding party before you begin to plan or just in the beginning of the planning stages is up to you. They do more than just stand up for you the day of the wedding, so get them involved as early as possible. Weddings usually have anywhere from two to 12 attendants total, some couples may choose only to have a maid of honor and best man, while other couples may have a larger group of family and friends.

Scout, Investigate, Plan and Hire

Once the ceremony and reception locations are booked, you will need to begin the process of weeding through the countless vendors you will need: entertainment (DJ or band), florist, caterer, baker, photograph and video services, jewelry, wedding party attire, wedding accessories, favor and gift vendors, limousine/transportation companies, and possibly even wedding insurance. Wedding insurance doesn’t only cover if your relationship ends – it can also cover out of business vendors, weather emergencies, illness and more. Check the contract for exactly what is covered, it may be money well spent for peace of mind.

Enlist Help When Needed

No bride can do it alone. Whether you just want a second opinion on the bridesmaids’ dresses or help negotiating a better deal with a vendor, you probably will want someone to share this experience with. Although you may have a best friend or an entourage of girls in tow for support, you may also want to consider hiring an event planner – they can cover anything from small consultations to full, hands on planning and execution. They may be your best ally in finding the best deals and making sure your wedding goes smoothly.

If a wedding planner is out of your budget or if you prefer a more “hands on” approach, [then check out Queen City Wedding's website! or...] there are many websites, communities and forums to source deals, steals, vendor suggestions and reviews. With such a plethora of information readily available at our fingertips, with a bit of time and research you may find little gems that will make your wedding shine.

Happy planning!

Read more: http://blogcritics.org/culture/article/youre-engaged-congrats-now-what/page-3/#ixzz18Bnw807V