Bridal Beauty: Steal vs. Splurge

Every bride wants to look her absolute best on her wedding day. Enter the pre-wedding beauty routine.

I know when I was aisle bound, I obsessed over every little thing and tried dozens of fad beauty treatments and products, most of which were a complete waste of money.

What follows is a list of my absolute must-have products and services that work, along with some more purse friendly alternatives.

Exfoliate Religiously 

Regular exfoliation is the key to glowing skin. My favorite body scrub is Brown Sugar Body Polish by Fresh, and it smells divine! Although, I've tried There's The Rub from Bath and Body Works and it does a great job as well.

Knock'em Dead Lashes

You would be amazed at how pretty you feel when you have a full set of lashes! It'll bring your flirty side out for sure. I went with the big ticket on this one and splurged on the Xtreme Lashes. They lasted well into my honeymoon and I got tons of compliments on them. Make Up Forever in my opinion has the best falsies on the market, hands down. Just make sure to have your makeup artist apply them for you if you're not familiar with applying them yourself.

Primped Nails

Let's be honest, people are going to be looking at your hand non stop throughout your engagement (flash that bling!). A well polished set of digits is essential and you can never go wrong with a pale girly pink shade such as Ballerina by Chanel or Ballet Slipper by Essie.

Blinding White Smile 

With all those pictures being taken, who wants a dull smile? Brighten them in a jiffy (one hour) with the Zoom Whitening treatment in you dentist's office or go the home remedy route (2 weeks) with a box of Crest Advanced White Strips.


What beauty routines will you be investing in for the big day? Would you recommend them to a fellow bride? Please, do tell.

Here's to you looking your most gorgeous self!

XOXO

Sunday Supper

I love to cook. Nothing warms my heart more than sharing a delicious meal with with good friends and loved ones.
Sundays just happen to be my most favorite dinner night, and since I can't share the experience with you in person, why not share in a virtual Sunday supper of sorts?

Breakfast for dinner is so much fun, easy and slightly out of the ordinary. You feel so devious breaking the time of day meal rules; it's the small things.

Corn Beef Hash & Eggs

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 5 cups leftover Corned Beef and Cabbage, well drained
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

 

Directions

Melt the butter in a 12-inch cast iron skillet set over medium heat. Add the bell pepper and cook until it begins to brown slightly, approximately 5 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic, corned beef and cabbage, thyme, oregano and black pepper to the skillet and stir to combine. Once combined, spread the hash evenly over the pan and firmly press down with a spatula. Place a heavy lid, heatproof plate or second pan directly atop the hash and allow to cook until browned, approximately 10 minutes. After 10 minutes stir mixture, press down again, top with the lid and allow to cook another 5 to 6 minutes, or until browned. Serve immediately.

Enjoy and happy Sunday!

XOXO

The New Age Of Wedding Cinematography

Think wedding videos are passé and all around lame? Think again.

Here's the video teaser by American Cinema of supermodel Coco Rocha and interior designer James Conran's wedding at Chateau Challain in France.



Coco + James // Teaser from Americana Cinema on Vimeo.


Incroyable! Did you see that Zac Posen couture gown? I die.
You can catch the full length feature here.

Today's wedding videographers are much more like cinematographers and with artistic vision and expert editing skills, your wedding video can be just as jaw dropping. Time to rethink saving money by not getting a videographer, am I right?

When the day you've been dreaming about and planning for so long goes by in a flash (and it will), you'll sure be glad you have your wedding video to relive all the sweetness. You'd be surprised at all the details and moments you missed.

What are your thoughts? Are you budgeting for a top notch videographer or will you save the money and splurge elsewhere? I'd love to know.

XOXO

Honeysuckle Lovin

Get ready for it because unabashed girly femininity is back in a big way this coming spring. With Pantone solidifying the trend with their 'It' Color of the Year, Honeysuckle.

2011 Color Trend : Honeysuckle by moɴCʜɑɴ℮ʟ ♪♫ on Polyvore.com

Color TR11: Pink ins by SolematesAR featuring juicy couture tops

Spring Shopping Spree by Fashionistlady featuring butterfly earrings

This fabulous punchy pink color is all over the runways and fashion glossies. Matter of fact, one of my spring brides is weaving it into her wedding decor and I could not be more thrilled! Just darling, no?

If pink just isn't your color, don't you worry because brights and bolds are back in a big way too.

Style Prediction : Bright Bold Colors by moɴCʜɑɴ℮ʟ ♪♫ featuring a christian dior

Or you could could forgo all the trends and march to your own drum. It think that's pretty rad too.

Have you started thinking colors yet? I'd love to chat about it!

Wanderlust Weddings

I love being a New Englander. The astonishing landscape and the beautiful seasons are enough to make you never want to leave, but being buried under two feet of snow would make anyone's wanderlust kick into full affect.

So here is my shameless excuse for a mental vacation in form of a blog post. Enjoy!

When you hear of a 'Destination Wedding' you think of the usual locations - the warm sandy beaches of Mexico and the Caribbean. Maybe even California wine country or Hawaii.

But this is a brave new year and a brave new you. Why not select a location with a bit more flair?

My picks? Well, I'm glad you asked...

Brazil

Christ The Redeemer. Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.

Colonial Salvador, Bahia

Fernando de Nornha, Brasil

Not because I was born there or anything (ehem) but Brazil is one of the most visually intriguing countries in the world. From the sensual beaches of Rio de Janeiro, the charming colonial city of Salvador and the incredible architectural landscape of the country's capitol Brasilia, Brazil is a land bathed in beauty and steeped in history. Immerse yourself and your guests in a carefree, vibrant culture and you'll never want to leave. Did I mention the shopping is killer? Well I should. And I did.

Taprobane Island

Uhhh, can you say astounding? Taprobane Island is a luxury privately owned island off the southern coast of Sri Lanka. The property is made up of three different rental villas - The Sun House, The Dutch House and The Beach House. Each with lushly appointed rooms, infinity pools and incredible views at surprisingly low rates. Elephant transport to the island is gratis, naturally.

New Zealand

Incredible Hiking

Snow Capped Mountains and Mirror Lakes

Lush Rolling Countryside

If adventure is more your cup of tea, how about considering majestic New Zealand? With an unimaginably diverse landscape and unbelievable amount of fauna and wildlife this geographically isolated but forward thinking country has something for every adventure seeker. Plus I hear the natives are outlandishly friendly.


Any of you lovelies planning an exotic destination wedding? Have style, will travel. Honestly, please take me. I'll happily work for sun, sand and cocktails.

Note: If you're planning a destination wedding to one of these locations be sure to check the marriage license requirements for each country. They all have different rules and regulations regarding civil unions. Just don't let red tape get in the way of your dream wedding, simply obtain a marriage license in your home state and then hold the ceremony and post ceremony bash in your location of choice.

xoxo

Breathtaking Jewels: A modern girl's musings about THE ring

Engagement season is upon us!

I'm sure many of you lovelies were presented with a pretty little box over the holiday season. Mind you, many more will be receiving the same sweet proposition by Valentine's Day (don't fret, ladies!).

I love engagement stories! And yes, although the true significance of the moment is that it marks the beginning of of a journey that will culminate in a much too short, fuzzy dream of a day, when you will celebrate the depth of your love and commitment to each other...

Really, my absolute favorite part is the RING! What girl doesn't love jewelery?

Behold

Katherine James Bella's Love. How would Edward or Jacob propose?

The Tiffany Setting. Classic. 'Nough said. 

Ritani Sapphire & Diamond à la  Kate Middleton

Dior. So tongue in cheek. LOVE.

What statement does your engagement ring make? Classic, modern, romantic or fun? Will the boy be picking it out on his own or will you have a hand in the selection?

Share your engagement story with me! Ooh, and send pics too!

Hello there, world...

Welcome to the POPPYlove Weddings blog!

My name is Maya and I am utterly obsessed with all things wedding related. I devour Martha Stewart Weddings (among many others), am addicted to wedding blogs and worship all the loveliness that is a perfectly designed wedding soirée.

POPPYlove Weddings is an honest endeavor to share my love and excitement for beautiful weddings with couples that are on their way down the aisle.

Done right the wedding experience should be a sweet buildup to that one faithful day. I hope to be able to guide you through the sea of endless decisions and multiple options to a wedding that is perfectly you.

Tune in for DIY Tips, Style Guides, Inspirations and much more!

Share your love story with me. I would love to help you down the aisle...

Cheers!