I LOVE CABANAS

I love cabanas. I love the sense of intimacy they create. I love how they can be used to emphasize something special. I love everything about them. Here are some ways to incorporate them into your Big Day...

For the altar:

For the cake table:
For the sweetheart table:


For the head table:
For a lounge area:

You can use them for anything! I also like them for the escort card table/ turn favor table, as well as the guest book/welcome table.

Happy Friday, everyone! xo

AISLES & ALTARS II

Today is all about inspiration for your ceremony altar. This can be dictated by your religion and family traditions, such as using a chuppah. But the options are limited only by your imagination - or your coordinator's, and it is a fantastic way to represent who you are and what feeling you want to share with your guests. Will it be grand or simple? Modern or traditional? Man-made or organic?

I love using antique furniture - from dressers like this, to salvaged doors ...

Fabric panels to provide a backdrop and lots of candles ...

Stunning in its simplicity ...

Romantic and natural ...

Romantic and ethereal ...Intimate ...

Regal ...

What will you do for your altar?

AISLES & ALTARS I

There are so many ways to infuse personal style into your ceremony by dressing up the aisle and or altar. Today I'll focus on the aisle, and tomorrow I'll share some ideas for the altar.

Flowers are a fabulous way to add color and drama, and there are countless ways to incorporate them. From down the sides of the aisle and on the aisle chairs ...

To blanketing the aisle ...
To a more elaborate floral pattern ...
With or without a fabric aisle runner ...
To feathers ...
And don't forget candles for added drama ...

How will you adorn your aisle?

JINGLE BELL ROCK

Yesterday I shared an inspiration board all about a homespun Christmas affair. Today's is not.

This board is all about over-the-top glitz and edgy glamour. The only thing soft about this party is the lighting. But the mood is festive and it would be an unforgettable open house for the week between Christmas and New Year's.

HOMEY FOR THE HOLIDAYS

I can hardly believe that Christmas is just days away! There's no time of year that I like more. The presents are nice, but it's the cooking and the baking, the traditions and the merriment, the cheesy music and the cocktails (oh, the cocktails!) ... and the family and friends. This year, my father-in-law is visiting from Italy and we'll have a house full of friends over for dinner that are away from their families. Truly blessed. I cannot wait!

Today's inspiration board is my kind of Christmas. Full of DIY touches that remind me of days making reindeer ornaments out of clothes pins with my mom. It's cozy and inviting. And if you try real hard, you can smell cookies baking in the oven and cider in the kettle.

Tomorrow I'll share another inspiration board that would be fabulous for a glitzed up holiday open house. What's your holiday style?

PAPER WREATH

I found this over on Project Wedding and fell in love with the idea. It's a holiday wreath made of old photos; so sweet! But I also love it for how all the other ways it can be incorporated into design ... Right now, I'm using it for my holiday cards that I've received in the mail. It looks stunning in the dining room! It would also be a fabulous way to utilize old family photos at your fall/winter wedding. Happy designs!

THOSE GORGEOUS CENTERPIECES

You agonize over the colors, the flowers and the exact look and feel you want to create for your reception. And it all turns out spectacular; the flowers are jaw-dropping gorgeous. So after all that time and money, what do you plan to do with the flowers after the wedding is over? Have you thought about it? You should.

Kirsten Ellis, Beaux Arts Photographie

Do you plan to take the centerpieces home? Are you going to give them away during the reception? Will you offer guests to take them home with them? Perhaps you'll give them as gifts to VIPs like your parents or someone that went out of their way to help with something. Or, maybe you don't care ... once the party is done, it's done.

Photo by Donna Romani

Whatever your plans, be aware that you've purchased your flowers, but not necessarily the vases holding them. Some florists may build a portion of the cost of the vases into the fee for each piece to cover their expenses for lost property. Some florists charge a rental fee for each vase on top of the flowers. And some florists won't charge you anything for the vases, but do expect to get them back. Each florist has their own practice.

Josh Newton Photography

Unless you've discussed it in advance, chances are you are renting your vases or being loaned them at no cost. This means that at the end of the night, your florist will return and take the vases back. And unless you've brought a basket, bucket or other vases with you, the flowers are going back with the florist, too.

Photography by Jeff Newsom

If you would like to keep your flowers, or have the option to give them away, most florists will allow you to provide your own vases. They usually require them to be delivered to their studio about a week in advance of the wedding. Depending on the vision you've discussed with your florist, you can usually find vases dirt cheap at Michael's or online at Save-on-Crafts.

Miki & Sonja Photography

By talking to the florists up front, you'll not only be able to better evaluate each cost estimate when choosing your florist, but you'll also know what to expect when it's all over.

Photography by Jose Villa

What do you plan to do with your flowers?

ULTIMATE GROOMING EXPERIENCE

Women are fairly straight forward. Men, my husband included, believe that we are mysterious and complicated; that it's impossible to figure out what we like and want. But we're quite easy. We like to be pampered and cherished and feel special. We like spas and indulgences, ritual. And truth be told, men do too.

The pre-wedding spa ritual is not just for the ladies. I love the barbershop experience for guys ... Indulge in a hot towel shave with a straight razor given by a professional, a massage and a manicure. Share the experience with your groomsmen, your best man, or take your dad and future father-in-law. Share a cigar and a scotch while getting groomed and enjoy a timeless ritual.

Barbershop spas are available throughout Southern California and many can be rented for private events. Or, if you're interested in hiring a barber to bring their own chair and tools and travel to you for in-suite service, contact me at donna@donnaromanievents.com for more information. How fabulous is that!

What ritual will you indulge in before your wedding?

WINTER WHITE BASH

I'd like to take the opportunity to thank some amazing vendors that put together a wonderful party on Tuesday night for Santa Barbara's event industry professionals. The 6th annual Winter White Bash was held at the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club; we ate, drank and partied the night away under a tent on the polo fields - so fun!

Pardon the poor quality of my photos snapped on my iPhone between cocktails. Enjoy, though!

Love all of the pearlized blues with white and silver. So festive!

Guests brought unwrapped toys to benefit Girls, Inc.

Roll credits!
Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club
Alegria by Design
Rrivre Works, Inc
LaFond's Pampered Palate
Ambient Event Design
Classic Party Rentals
Action Photo Booth
AMS Variety Band
BBJ Linen

And photos - WAY better than mine - were taken by the fabulous Mary Jane Photography. Keep your eye on her site and blog for images later this month.

AFTER THE WEDDING

What do you do with your wedding dress ... after the wedding? Do you keep it for a future generation or do you donate or sell it? This is an extremely personal decision for every bride.

If you're like me, I am extremely sentimental about my wedding photos and memories, but I am more realistic about the dress - and I loved my Vera Wang! I highly doubt that my future daughter(s) would want to wear it, and we really don't have the space to keep it for the sake of not letting go. So, I made the decision to sell it.

It took about nine months to find the right buyer, but once she came along (all the way from London!), we both knew it was right. She was 99-percent sure she was going to buy it before she ever tried it on, and once she slid into it ... we both cried. It fit her like a glove and she looked stunning.

I was unsure how I would feel about someone else wearing my dress. The dress that I wore when I became a Mrs. and sealed it with a kiss. But I'll tell you this, she was so happy in my dress. And she was so in love and looking forward to her wedding (a candle-lit service at night in a small church outside of London - sigh), that I started swooning for her. She got her dream Vera Wang, I got back about $1500 bucks, and my husband was beyond thrilled to get back our second closet!

I highly recommend the whole process ... it's eco-friendly to recycle your gown, and you're making someone else's dreams come true - at an affordable price. It felt good.

I used preownedweddingdresses.com and had a great experience. It cost $25 to list the dress and their customer service is really good. Plus, if you're looking to buy a gently used gown, it's a wonderful place to shop! They have over 3,880 dresses available for purchase right now.

Check out some of the items for sale:

Carmela Sutera

Ines di Santo

Jenny Lee

What will you do with your dress after the wedding is over???

FASHION EMERGENCIES

Not a wedding that I've done has gone by without some kind of emergency. I'm not talking about medical emergencies, thank goodness. I'm talking about fashion emergencies. I have done everything from sew bridesmaids into their dresses, repair hems, fix broken heels and straps, cover and/or remove stains from gowns (note: try to avoid red wine and/or sangria during photos, please!), replace buttons, and so ... much ... more. These things can - and will - happen. Guaranteed.

If you're working with a coordinator, which I know you all are, they will have an emergency kit on hand to deal with these mishaps. However, I've discovered many tricks of the trade come in handy during daily life. So here are a few to know for quick-fixes in your own life:

1. Stain Removal Kit - Madame Paulette is the best stain removal kit I have come across. It has several formula-based papers to handle type-specific problems from wine to grass and more.
2. Sharpies - Sharpies are like concealer for your accessories. It can mask scuff marks on shoes and belts, it can also cover up scratches on wood and iron pieces.

3. Super glue is fabulous for repairing a broken heel or flapping sole.

4. Safety pins are great to handle broken straps and zippers, hold for missing buttons and replace a broken clasp on your favorite necklace or bracelet.
5. Clear nail polish stops a run in your panty hose

6. A wax candle will ease a zipper that's stuck

7. Fashion tape can fix a hem or seam, hold your bra straps in place, manage a plunging neckline
8. And last, but most certainly not least, don't forget your portable sewing kit!

LIFE CYCLES

Keep it simple. Keep it sweet. Cycle on. xo!

HEAD OF THE CLASS

Don't underestimate the significance of your hairstyle on your wedding day. Will you wear a veil - long, medium or short? Will you change into a hairpiece for the reception? Before you meet with your stylist for a trial, consider how you want to wear your hair, what you are going to put on your head, and what accessories you might want or need to complete the look. Talk it over ahead of time. Your stylist will have lots of ideas, but the trial is not the time to start brainstorming. xo!

Photos and accessories by Bride's Head Revisited