A Fabulous Wedding on A Shoesstring Budget!

Well...The Old Hollywood, Valentine's weekend wedding I worked on, finally aired on TLC's, Four Weddings this past Friday night. Unfortunately, our gorgeous bride, Francine, did not win the honeymoon getaway. However, as much as we were content with these results, I am not thrilled with the show's portrayal and ghastly comments made by viewers and even Francine's fellow contestants.

Now I would admit, there were a few things that Renita - owner of FWSB - & I decided we would change, if we had to do it all over again. There were a few logistical and catering elements that we believe we can adjust to further enhance and even perfect the overall experience. Nevertheless, TLC's brilliant producers did a smashing job leaving 90% of the memorable elements of Francine's wedding on the cutting room floor. I did like their portrayal of the wedding's ceremony - they really did capture the beauty and the sentiments of the moment. However, from this point on, it was all downhill. The show's contestants brought out their boxing gloves and the TLC producers were the ring card girls, as they tallied their hooks and jabs. They took the time to highlight a wind-tossed red carpet, a typical production breakdown and setup and the availability of salad dressing! Even a wonderful, professionally choreographed dance paying homage to the late Michael Jackson, performed by, yes, "urban" kids, in costumes reminiscent of the wedding's theme, was treated as a cheap kindergarten performance that warranted a lot more appreciation than what was ignorantly paid. But at the end of the day, this was reality television and in a society obsessed with opulent over-abundance and narrow-minded perceptions of what perfection should be, could we expect anything more of it?
What was unfortunately lost in prime-time translation, was what really mattered most to our Old Hollywood couple. This "wedding" was a celebration of Francine & Michael's commitment to each other. This wasn't some over-indulgent, factory produced farce to mark the beginning of the beginning of their lives together. They have been a solid couple with two beautiful children for over 15 years! Their wedding was an expression of their unity as a family and their devoted partnership in loving each other for many years to come. So, if you could not appreciate this unique and passionate profession, done on a realistic and attainable budget, then you can stick that nice little opinion of yours, where no one would care to tune in!

Not So Mellow Yellow

To be honest, I've never been a huge fan of the colour yellow. I've always dreaded its ease to look very tacky and cheap - especially in fashion. It is so easy for it to be portrayed horridly and it is not the most subdued of colours. However, 2010 has been proving itself quite kind to the intense colour. Fashion and interior designers, event planners and cake artists, have all found masterful, gorgeous ways to either showcase this faboulous colour or use its brilliance as fresh accents. Bridal magazines have depicted several fun ideas of how the colour can be used in a myriad of ways, to execute a memorable event. Even dress manufacturers like The Dessy Group, have an abundance of beautifully designed dresses in several shades of yellow, that would not be an eyesore and a significant embarrassment to a loyal bridesmaid.

All in all, yellow is everywhere! From it's delicate and whimsical hues to it's impacting, dramatic flare, yellow is surely making a bold statement and kicking it up a few notches for this Spring season. Not to mention, it is the signature colour for the bridal show I'm working on this coming June - more details on this to come! My boss, Renita - owner of Fabulous Weddings Shoestring Budgets, has been super excited and frighteningly obsessed with all things yellow and spring in bloom. We've been cataloguing every shade and every idea the colour yellow, in preparation of a fabulous bridal show.

However, as much as I am developing an affinity for yellow, I'm not quite sure I've completely committed to it's brilliant splendour. Nevertheless, I am trying. I created the inspiration board to the right about a week ago, to illustrate a modern twist in using yellow as an accent colour. I must say, I kind of like it - it adds an intense pop of colour, that oddly enough, can be quite elegant and chic. Oh...and it does not look cheap or tacky! I plan on designing a couple invitations depicting the colour, but after I bang out the current work I have on my plate. Either way, I have a new found respect for the use of yellow and I look forward to all the fun, fresh and fabulous ways {ode to FWSB} that my boss and I, among many others, will be depicting it this Spring.