By Laura, ECC

Wedding Decor: Rough Luxe

Are you a trendy spring bride looking for the latest trends for your Spring 2012 wedding?  Well the Plaza Lecea has you covered. This year’s spring trends are leaning toward the “rough luxe”.  Combining the look of the “rough” and the raw with the elegance of luxury.  Natural raw woods/twigs and linen cloth paired with delicate flowers and laces. To keep the elegance subtle use soft spring hues: muted blues, greens, yellows and pinks.  Monogramming is also becoming a popular trend, custom napkins, linens, etc.

The Dress: Illusion Necklines and Vintage

Illusion necklines are becoming ever popular with our 2012 spring brides!  Delicate fabrics, sheer lace and often with an embellished layer of fabric, veils the skin that would normally be left bare above a strapless dress line.  This transforms a stark sexy look to a more elegant look. If you want to get the same elegant look without the illusion necklines try a vintage 50’s and 60’s wedding dress design or simply a bird cage veil is a great way to add this vintage look without overdoing it.

The Cake:

Think ruffles and monograms personalized to your wedding needs!  Teamed with some muted spring colors!  Still need help, come visit us at the Plaza Lecea!

Photo Credit: Alamo Photographic

The mother and son dance is an expression in itself.  Your mother has had that maternal bond with you since your birth.  She has cared for you and made sure you were safe, fed and clothed.  Now she is passing that torch onto your wife. The song you choose can perfectly express the bond between you and your mother, can tell the story of your relationship, and is your opportunity to honor and thank her for all she has done for you.

Sit down with mama and go over some of these songs and see if any spark her interest:

Classics:

• A Song for Mama –Boys II Men
• Blessed –Elton John
• Close to You –The Carpenters
• In My Life –The Beatles
• What a Wonderful World –Louis Armstrong
• You are the Sunshine of My Life –Stevie Wonder
• Simple Man –Lyrnyrd Skynyrd
• First Lady in My Life-Paul Todd
• Stand by Me –Ben E. King
• First Time I Saw Your Face –Roberta Flack
• Sunrise, Sunset –Steve Kirwan

Country:

• I Hope You Dance –LeAnn Womack
• Heart to Heart –Toby Keith
• The Best Day –Taylor Swift
• Angels –Randy Travis
• It’s Your Song –Garth Brooks
• I’ll Be –Reba McEntire

Modern classics:

• Hero –Mariah Carey
• Wind Beneath My Wings –Gary Morris
• Greatest Love of All –Whitney Houston

Not so mainstream:

• Dear Mama –Tupac

So many of the mother-son and father-daughter songs are interchangeable; don’t feel like you can’t do The Beatles’ In My Life with your dad just because it’s on this list. Listen to the lyrics and what speaks to you and your mother or father. And remember that you can always do a google search to help in this quest…last time we checked there was about 2 million hits about this topic, so you are sure to find something you can dance to!

Beyond your wedding dress shopping, finding a dress for your bridesmaids can just as daunting. So we’ve “maid” it a little easier on you with a local resource guide for some of San Antonio’s best bridesmaid dress shops:

Photo Credit: Alamo Photographic

Local Resources:

Alfred Angelo: http://bit.ly/aabridesmaids

Two locations in San Antonio:

• 9951 I-10 West
  San Antonio, TX 78230
  (210) 558-3168
• 209 Northwest Loop 410
  San Antonio, TX 78216
  (210) 530-5100

Hours of Operation:

M-F: 11 am to 8 pm
Sat: 10 am to 6 pm
Sun: 12 pm to 6 pm

Bella Bridesmaid: www.bellabridesmaid.com

5800 Broadway St #201
San Antonio, TX 78209
(210) 804-1000

Hours of Operation:

T-F: 10 am to 6 pm
Sat: 10 am to 5 pm
Sun-Mon: Closed

Designers: Alvina Valenta, Amsale, Anna Elyse, Badgley Mischka, Carol Hannah, Coren Moore, Jenny Yoo, Love by Enzoani, LulaKate Bridal, Priscilla of Boston, Melissa Sweet, Monique Lhuillier Maids, Simple Silhouettes, Two Birds

Photo Credit: Alamo Photographic

Bridal Galleria: http://www.sawhost.com/bridalgalleria/

7319 San Pedro Avenue
San Antonio, TX 78216
(210) 342-5752

Hours of Operation:

M-F: 10:30 am to 7 pm
Sat: 10 am to 6 pm
Sun: Closed

David’s Bridal: http://www.davidsbridal.com/Browse_Bridal-Party

Two locations in San Antonio:

• 5841 NW Loop 410
  San Antonio, TX 78238
  (210) 680-5094
• 125 NW Loop 410 (Plaza del Norte)
  San Antonio, TX 78216
  (210) 340-5385

Hours of Operation:

M-F: 11 am to 9 pm
Sat: 10 am to 7 pm
Sun: 12 pm to 6 pm

Julian Gold:  www.juliangold.com

4109 McCullough

Photo Credit: Alamo Photographic

San Antonio, TX 78212
(210) 824-2493

Hours of Operation:

M-Sat: 10 am to 5:30 pm
Sun: Closed

Designers: Amsale, Vera Wang, Melissa Sweet, Priscilla of Boston, Lazaro, Bill Levkoff, Watters & Watters

Nordstrom’s: http://bit.ly/Nordstromsbridesmaids

Nordstrom The Shops at La Cantera
15900 La Cantera Parkway
San Antonio, TX 78256
(210)332-1900

Hours of Operation:

M-Sat: 10 am to 9 pm
Sun: 12 pm to 6 pm

Designers: ABS by Allen Schwartz, Adrianna Papell, Adrianna Papell Day, Aidan Mattox, Alexia Admor, Amsale, BCBGMAXAZRIA, Betsy & Adam, Cachet, Calvin Klein, David Meister, Donna Morgan, Donna Ricco, Elie Tahari, Eliza J, Ellen Tracy, Glint, Halston Heritage, JS Boutique, JS Collections, Laundry by Shelli Segal, Maggy London, Max & Cleo, ML Monique Lhuillier Bridesmaids, Nicole Miller, Patra, Suzi Chin for Maggy Boutique, Tadashi Shoji, Tahari by Arthur S. Levine, Taylor Dresses, Xscape

The Bridal Connection: www.bridalconnectionsa.com/

6909 N Loop 1604 E
San Antonio, TX 78266
(210) 967-4696

Hours of Operation:

Photo Credit: Alamo Photographic

M-F: 11 am to 7 pm
Sat: 10 am to 7 pm
Sun: 12 pm to 6 pm

Designers: After 6 by The Dessy Group, Mori Lee, Alexia, Bari Jay, Forever Yours, Eden Bridals, bill Levkoff, Mary’s Bridal

The Bridal Salon of San Antonio: www.bridalsalonsa.com/

2150 East Hildebrand Avenue
San Antonio, TX 78209-6333
(210) 828-7931

Hours of Operation:

T-Sat: 10 am to 5 pm
Sun-Mon: closed

Designers: Watters & Watters, Wtoo, Vera Wang Maids, Jim Hjelm Occasions & Separates, The Dessy Group

There are also tons and tons (we really mean tons) of resources online that you can order from as well. Here are some unique choices that you may already shop at already!

Online Resources:

J Crew: http://www.jcrew.com/wedding/Wedding_Bridesmaid/bridesmaidpartydresses.jsp

Photo Credit: Alamo Photographic

The Dessy Group: www.dessy.com/bridesmaid-dresses/

The Limited: http://bit.ly/limitedbridesmaids

White House Black Market: http://bit.ly/whbmbridesmaids

And remember, think about your bridesmaids feelings and budget before choosing the dress. You will be in their shoes one day too! Happy planning!

Besides your photos and video, having your guests sign the guestbook is the next best thing for remembering your special day! We heart our brides over at Plaza Lecea because they are so darn creative! Here are some quick ideas for making your sign-in completely different and uniquely you:

1. Matted frame: Put your beloved engagement photo in a frame that you’d like to display in your casa. Make sure you choose a mat for the frame that is large enough for all of your guests to sign. Pick up a couple fine-tip sharpies and you are all set! Put the mat in the frame for guests to sign because otherwise they might sign too close to the edge and their message may not be readable when you put the glass and frame on.
2. Quilt: Have guests sign or leave a well-wish on swatches of fabric in the colors of your wedding (or really any colors you’d like to have a quilt in). Ask a quilting enthusiast to help put your lovely quilt together!
3. Photo booth: Love this fun idea because it gives your guests an opportunity to take home some instant photos of your special day! Most of the photo booth companies will print two copies of the pictures you take and give one to your guests as a keepsake and put another in a book and have them sign it. And there are so many fun accessories that the photo booth companies bring to make your pictures memorable! We recommend San Antonio Photobooths: http://www.sanantoniophotobooths.com/ or TNT Photobooths of Texas:  http://www.tntphotobooths.com/
4. Guest Book Store: Ok, so we haven’t seen this one here, but I came across it on another blog and thought it was too cool for school! People always find it troubling figuring out what to write in that small two inch space, and a guest book from the Guest Book Store gives them an opportunity to answer a couple of fun questions and even draw a picture of the bride and groom! You will be amazed at the funny things your guests come up with! Here is the site: www.guestbookstore.com.  
5. Wishing tree: Pick up some branches or curly willow from your local florist or Hobby Lobby and spray paint them the colors of your wedding. Cut out shapes (we’ve seen lots of hearts) and connect a hook to the shape so guests can hang the wishes from the branches. You can display this tree at your home or put the shapes into a scrapbook later.
6. Photo book: Gather all of your favorite photos as a couple (or even as kiddos) and put them into a photo book on Kodakgallery.com or shutterfly.com. There are so many ways to personalize the book

Check back tomorrow for six more awesome ideas–you’ve most like not heard of a few of them!!!