Make-Up

I am not a make-up artist nor do I portray to be one, but I know the difference between, "a natural look and you must be out of your natural mind look" In my opinion I feel that on your wedding day, and any special event you may be attending. Just to enhance and highlight the beauty that you have. Be cautious of who apply your make-up... I have more Don'ts than Do's

Don't let  a person who everyone including yourself, call her "Bozo the clown" do your make-up because then you will become "Bozo new sidekick "Ronald McDonald"

Don't put make-up on on top of your make-up from that night's bachelorette party.

Don't put make-up on in the car on the way to the church, and drive over a speed bump and now you look like a one eye racoon.

Don't let anyone put on your make-up and there is no mirror around, and they tell you that you can look at it later.

.......here is some visual aid and you can tell what is to much and whats not, and if you can not tell the difference, please proceed to your nearest hardware store and get some paint stripper, because that eyeshadow you are wearing right now is blurring your vision

Put some LOL in your week

YouTube - surprise your man This video speaks for itself.

....a little more LOL for your week

YouTube - Beyonce Clown after this video she need to sit down regroup and think about what went wrong

Photo Styles

One thing that is very important is your wedding photos. They will continue to speak forever and a day.  A lot of brides know what they want when it comes to photos but just do not know how to verbally express it.  Every photographer have their own unique signature style, and if they are a good photographer they can switch up and adapt to any style. Here are the diffrent syles of wedding photography....

Photojournalist (Candid)tells the unique story of your wedding, from the nervous anticipation before the start of the ceremony to the reception's electric slide dance. Photojournalism captures moments rather than poses, documenting the emotions and energy around the entire occasion — the father of the bride's tearing up, the groom's nervousness, the air of excitement as the bride appears for the first time. The photographer doesn't "direct you to pose" so the results are candid, spontaneous, and true. Capture the story of your day as it naturally unfolds.The downsides are few. You will end up with a wide variety of shots and captured moments to choose from for your wedding album. Some moments you might not even have witnessed, and they will serve as a record of how great a time your guests had at your wedding.

Traditional photography (sometimes known as "formal" photography or "portraiture") refers to posed pictures, usually of the wedding party and the couples' families. These are the shots of the bridesmaids with their bouquets, the groom with his parents, the happy bride and groom gazing into each others' eyes, etc. These are the style that your parents, grandparents, are from the 90's on back

Artistic photography is a sort of catch-all category that includes everything from soft-focus lenses and filters to hand-colored images. fishbowl lens shots and unusual camera angles. While these styles effects can make for a hip and modern photo collection, you run some risk of your photos appearing dated years down the road. These more spontaneous shots also have a timeless quality that ensures you album will always remain fresh and relevant. The key to artsy photography is to use it sparingly to highlight a particular moment, rather than to create an entire photo album of this style, it is an album not an art exhibit.

2010 New Projects!!

I have a lot of new and exciting projects up my sleeve for the year of 2010, that I am in the process of working on at the moment. So for all of my past brides, new brides, potenial brides, and just Blog followers, Hope that you will FWD: my blog web link which is http://www.rocquils.blogspot.com/ to any of your gal pals, or male pals, wheter they are single, married or engaged, because some of the upcoming projects will involve a variety of people, and I want to make sure they have the info as it appears!! Thanks a bunch!

Bridesmaids Reception Shoes

You want your girls to look so nice as the come down the aisle in the dress, you pick, the shoes you picked. I know as well as anyone after the ceremony along with yourself they can not wait to get out of those dreadful heels to either relax, dance or let their feet conform back to the orignial shape, but the thing I have notice is that your girls along with yourself are in these beautiful gowns, but then you look down and one has on her grandmother's slide in bedroom shoes, another has on her hospital crocs, another has on a pair of bedazzle flip flops, another has on her custom Air Force Ones, another has been barefoot so long that you can not tell if she has on shoes or not, but they all still want to jump into your reception photos while partying. I suggest fun flip flops in your wedding color, or black or white which is universal, or tell them they can wear casual dressy flats, but still in the color scheme ...OR better yet let that be a gift from you to them to add to their goodie bags, because let's see Flip Flops about $2.00 $Priceless

Fake Tans (Please No)

If you feel that you must have your skin with a nice glow, or bronze look for your wedding, or as the say as if your skin has been kissed by the sun, then please have it done by a professional. No your cousion and your bestfriend does not equal professional, because they can read the directions out loud. Now on the other hand if your favorite color is orange, and you do not mind people saying "There's the great pumpkin Charlie Brown " the entire evening, then you know what I welcome you to help yourself to a plate of disaster They say a picture is worth a thousand words, tell me what these pictures have to say.......

Plan B

Always have a Plan B. If you are planning on having an outside wedding, reception, party or any event always have a Plan B, even if it is taking place in the middle of the Sahara Desert, that would be the day in centuries it decides to rain.  From my experience whenever we have a Plan B, then this is when Plan A runs smooth and everything turns out just fine. For an example here are pictures from a very nice outside reception that is too take place

everything looks so nice, the clouds are clear and the sun is shining, the only thing that you can not see on this picture is that the bride refused to have a Plan B so within a matter of minutes, Mother Nature took over

and well I don't have to even say anymore.......

Band or DJ

When it comes to Entertainment at Weddings and other celebrated events, some people straddle the fence between DJ and Band. It really depends on the atmosphere,theme,and your personality. If you are having a very small casual backyard, intimate wedding with maybe twenty-five guest, it would defeat the purpose of having a full twelve piece band. That will cost you four times more than your wedding. A DJ can really play a variety of songs,take requests in a matter of seconds,can blend and mix all at the same time, and keep the crowd moving without an intermission break. A band is more so of a visual entertainment, especally if you have a band that has a lot of spunk, and interacts with the crowd, and make you feel like the artist of the song is right there performing the song themselves. If you were to do both I suggest the band to play like jazz tunes for the Cocktail Hour, and slow melodies for the dinner, then your DJ can pick up the remainder of the night after dinner, to keep everyone on the floor, and having a good time all night long. So again when making the choice it really depends on your style, and what you would enjoy the most.

Card Holder

Here is a very nice, cute and unique holder for your cards, and cash envelopes to be used for your wedding.  I have passed this link on to several brides, and they loved it.  It comes in 8x10 or 11x14 in which I have seen the 8x10 and it is just right. The box is made of wood, and has a lock and key and it rotates on a lazy susan base, and it is really an attention grabber at the gift table. You can put your bridal portraits on it, or engagement pictures, family photos, or a combination, the list goes on and on. It really is an elegant way to secure your cards, and monetary. I have seen it used at a graduation party also, so if you get a chance check this link out http://www.theperfectcardbox.com/ and they also have a clearance section that some of the boxes are little dented or scratched, and the box can be painted to match your wedding colors which is another plus.

2009 Vendor Quotes

Hello just want to give you a little FYI, to all of the 2010 and 2011 brides out there, this is the end of wedding season Oct. thru Dec. now is the time that you want to start trying to lock your vendors in for their 2009 prices. With the economy we never know what tomorrow will bring to us. I have known of vendors prices to increase by 20% for the new year approaching.

Nightmare!!

On a personal note, I never knew how much of a physical, mental, and emotional breakdown that I could ever go thru once my computer was infected with a virus, bug, demon, or whatever you want to call it. This had me in a state of mind that is not even on the map!! I really went thru mourning, and people who knew of the situation even called me to offer there sympthay. This was a nightmare! I am back up and running. My solution to everything is, "just buy another one" UGH!! It's not like the money tree is growing in my backyard. But gotta do what I gotta do! So just like acceptiong an award I would like to thank all of my help and supporters, in my time of need....Berlinda Adams (my mom)

Jamey Milligan(sorry U miss your football game /Red stripes!)  Laina Adams, Marketta Milligan (my voice for computer lingo) Mike Brown (for always holding it down, and looking out) and the Indian man who works for Microsoft somewhere in India.

At the end of the day I'm a PC

Congrats!!

Congratulations to Ashley and Scottie Chapman. Their wedding was on Sept. 12, 2009.  Everything turned out just wonderful, the couple are now on a honeymoon in Montego Bay Jamica. Ashley surprised Scottie with begining her entrance down the aisle by singing "Giving Myself by Jennifer Hudson"  Everyone had a wonderful time at the reception. Again congrats!!

Why is June the #1 Month for Weddings

I have been asked several times, about why is June the most popular month for weddings, and sometimes can be the most costly. Far as cost I do know at times it is hard to get a vendor to offer any discounts, coupons, or specials due to the fact that they are not really competing for clients, June is one of the months that get booked up at least a year in advance, and you are competing with graduations, and other summer events. So if you were to turn a vendor down or take your time retaining them, it is usually other people anxiously waiting on your date. Now what has made the month so popular for so many centuries? Well historically, it has to do with an ancient Roman goddess named "Juno" who was the Roman goddess of marriage. Many Romans chose to honor her by tying the knot in June. Like a lot of traditions, this one stuck.

JUNO

Create a Wedding "Budget"

I know when you get engaged, you are so excited, you buy tons of Bridal magazines, tear out pages of wedding gowns you like, start writing a list of your bridesmaids, and the excitment continues (smile)  The best advice I always give my clients is to establish a "budget" first.  I know a lot of times when I ask the question " what is your max budget" the answer is usually I dont' know. Without a budget it is hard to determine which one of your wedding dreams will come true. There is nothing more devasting then for you to get in the planning process and half way thru find out you do not have enough money and have to cancel some of your "must haves " only because you never created a budget.
This also allows your planner to know which vendors to pair you up with, instead of pairing you with a photographer that is so far out of your price range, or pairing you with a cake decorater who works with small budgets only, but yet you were able to afford  the bakery that make custom over the top cakes.
Also I suggest having at least 25% of your budget accesible, before you even start the planning, so you can retain the vendors that you love without, having to cross your fingers that do not book another client on your day. Having a budget helps you save money, because you have a gage and control of what to spend on each service, without over spending in one area and not having anything left over for your other vendors.

Color Combo for September

My color combo for this month that  is a nice chocolate brown, tangerine orange, and pistachio green. I really feel these colors compliment each other so well, the orange and green are very vibrant, fun, and refreshing, while at the same time the chocolate will add elegance, and can be a nice foundation for the colors to  just"pop"

"You Can Have Whatever You Like"

When it comes to your wedding "You Can Have Whatever You Like" I know for those of you who are past, present, and future clients, have heard me say so many times "there is no rules and regulations" I have had clients who want to get married in November but choose the colors burnt orange, deep reds, and browns, just real beautiful fall colors, but the client did not like fall colors and she is using these colors only because someone said that you HAVE to use these colors because of the season. If your favorite color is mint or kiwi green, and this has always been your vision for your wedding and it is November, then guess what that's the  colors we are using !!! I never wanted a client to look back on their wedding photos and say I wish I should have could have :(  Your professional photos do not have a stamp in the corner showing the weather outside, and the season (LOL), so I say this because, I dont like to see clients struggling to have their visions, but at the same time trying to please others, or following traditon to the "T"
So I challenge you to go on the outsideof that box "It is real fun out here"