philly wedding

Style Tips for Your Wedding After You’ve Postponed

Sadly so many couples who had planned to get married in 2020 have postponed their wedding day. Many of these couples have postponed to a date that is in a different season than originally planned. Whether your date has changed to a new season or if you are in the wedding planning stage, these style tips will help guide you. As a wedding industry professional, I always recommend working with professionals who specialize in weddings. For trusted, expert advice, I partnered with the very talented Andi Schilawski, owner and lead planner and designer of Forever Love Events, based in Philadelphia, PA. Andi’s couples’ weddings have been featured on The Perfect Palette, 100 Layer Cake, Martha Stewart Weddings, Philly In Love and more. 

Andi SchilawskiOwner | Lead Planner & Designer Forever Love Events

Andi Schilawski

Owner | Lead Planner & Designer Forever Love Events

Andi shares, “So many changes have happened during the last few months. No one would have ever anticipated what 2020 had in store for us. As planners, we always prepare for bad weather and even terrorism. We have plans A, B, C and even D sometimes, but a pandemic is usually not within those plans. My heart breaks for those who have lost loved ones due to COVID-19, for those on the front lines risking their lives every single day to keep us safe and healthy but as a wedding planner, my heart also breaks for all of the couples that have had to reschedule their big day.” Andi adds,  “rescheduling is not as easy as just figuring out a new date that works for you and your vendors (even though that in itself sometimes is not easy at all!), you also need to take into consideration possible style adjustments.” 

Flowers & Decor: Are you rescheduling to a completely different season? If so, flowers and overall decor would be the most important thing to revisit as you probably had agreed with your florist on local/seasonal blooms that might not be available on your new date. Also, the decor in general, if you were having a winter wonderland wedding and now you have a spring event, you may want to update a few things on your design so everything is cohesive with the time of the year for the new date. 

Timeline: The timeline for the day might also need to be updated. If you were having a summer wedding and were planning on doing a first look, most likely the start time of your event would have been around 6:00pm or later so you had plenty of light to do pictures outdoor before heading to the venue. But if your date is now in late fall or winter, you would want to consider starting your event earlier so you get those beautiful outdoor shots before sunset.

Kristen + Pete - Real WeddingLove Me Do PhotographyForever Love Events

Kristen + Pete - Real Wedding

Love Me Do Photography

Forever Love Events

Food, Signature Cocktails or other Reception Enhancements: Think of the season! You wouldn't want to offer that Mojito you had planned as a signature drink for your summer wedding if you are now getting married in the winter or do that ice cream bar at the end of the night, instead, you might want to replace those with a warmer/wintery drink or a hot chocolate station at the end of the night.

Kristen + Pete - Real WeddingLove Me Do PhotographyForever Love Events

Kristen + Pete - Real Wedding

Love Me Do Photography

Forever Love Events

Bridal Party Attire: Just as important as the flowers, this should match the occasion as well as the season and weather, especially for the bridesmaids. If their dresses have already been ordered, you can easily update the look with accessories such as wraps for cooler months. 

Possibly Guests' Dress Code: If you moved your wedding from an evening event to a morning/early afternoon wedding, you might not want to ask your guests to wear formal or black-tie attire.

 “As you can see, there are many things to consider when you reschedule your wedding to a different season, your wedding planner should be able to provide a plan on how to move forward and see what (if any) of these points would affect you or anything else I might have not mentioned as each wedding is different.”

As a makeup artist, there are a few options I also recommend considering for your wedding day beauty style.

Makeup: If you will now be getting married in a fall or winter month rather than spring or summer, try deeper or richer shades. You can even make adjustments with texture. Since heat and humidity will be less of a factor, creamy or hydrating textures are much more comfortable. 

Hair: Often times brides consider wearing their hair up or back in some way due to heat and humidity in the warmer months. However, if you will now be getting married in the fall or winter you can consider wearing your hair down or only partially back. The humidity also affects the texture of our hair and how it holds, considering this may also help you decide on your day-of style. 

Skincare: Many of us tend to have drier skin in the fall and winter and are a bit more oily in the summer months. I always recommend working with an esthetician to best prepare for your skin for any season prior to your big day.  

Spray Tan: During the warmer months we tend to get a little extra natural color from the sun. A spray tan may be something you consider for an extra touch of warmth to your complexion for a fall or winter wedding. 

These are all simple adjustments you may consider. It is a great idea to reach out to your vendors and get their professional guidance. If you haven’t already chosen a wedding planner or coordinator, this is the perfect time to do so! A planner will assist you with all of these details and most importantly with the execution and so much more. Andi is not only very talented, she is incredibly kind and patient. Exactly what you want on your big day! 

 Congratulations to you on your upcoming wedding! What a celebration your wedding day will be! 

Kristen + Pete - Real WeddingLove Me Do PhotographyForever Love EventsJKo Beauty

Kristen + Pete - Real Wedding

Love Me Do Photography

Forever Love Events

JKo Beauty

10 Foods for a Wedding Day Glow

As a bridal makeup artist, my goal is to enhance each of my bride's natural beauty and joyful glow on her wedding day. Of course there are many tricks and techniques with makeup and day-of skin prep that I am able to use for a glowing complexion. There are also many skin care tips I share along the way to prepare for skin that is in it's best condition. In addition, there are several healthy practices to enhance this beautiful, bridal glow. Here is my pick of top 10 foods to eat for a healthy, wedding day glow...

1) TOMATOES

Tomatoes help boost collagen, are rich in Vitamin A, C and K as well as lycopene, a powerful anti-oxidant. 

2) GREEN TEA

Green Tea is loaded with polyphenols, powerful anti-oxidants. Drinking green tea regularly is also known to help reverse sun damage. Be sure not to limit consumption, it also contains caffeine which can ultimately dehydrate your skin. 

3) BERRIES

Berries are rich in vitamin C and anti-oxidants. Anthrocyanin, an anti-oxidant that helps fight damage from free radicals and ellagic acid, which helps protect from sun damage and promotes collagen and elasticity are both present in berries. They also contain essential fatty acids which improve skin's hydration and reduce inflammation. 

4) AVOCADOS

Avocados are a great source of carotenoids which improve density, thickness, tone and overall general appearance. They also contain vitamins C and E and oleic acid which helps keep skin soft and hydrated. 

5) CARROTS

Carrots have vitamin C which helps plumpness and firmness of the skin. They are rich in beta-carotene which is converted to vitamin A and helps with blemishes, pigmentation and oiliness.   

6) LEAFY GREENS

Leafy Greens such as kale and swiss chard are high in beta-carotene, helping to repair and renew skin for a healthy glow. Arugula also contains sulfur which supports collagen production. Spinach is also high in folate which helps with DNA repair. Leafy greens are also rich in vitamins A and C.

7) EGGS 

Eggs help to soften, firm and hydrate your skin. They help to protect skin from UV damage with lutein and zeaxanthin. Eggs have amino acids that help in generation of new cells. 

8) ALMONDS

Almonds help to hydrate and soften the skin. They are high in vitamin E which helps prevent cell damage as well as damage from the sun. 

9) CITRUS FRUITS

Citrus Fruits help with sun spots, uneven skin tone and enhancing a radiant glow while rejuvenating your skin from within. These fruits are high in vitamin C and contain vitamin B6, folate, potassium, lycopene, niacin, magnesium, thiamin and phytonutrients. 

 10) PEPPERS

Peppers are high in vitamins A, C and K. They help with blood circulation and fighting blemishes as well as fighting oxidative stress. 

These 10 foods are just a starting point for a healthy glow for all of us, not just a bride. It is incredible what a healthy, clean and well-balanced diet can do for our overall health and well-being. Have fun and be creative with your food, it's truly one of life's simple pleasures.

How to Prep for Your Spray Tan

Whether getting a spray tan or applying self tanner yourself at home, these tips will help prepare you for a longer lasting, more even tan.

Before Your Tan

  • For hair removal, shave the day before and wax 48 hours prior to your tan.

  • The previous night, apply a body moisturizer all over my maximum hydration.

  • Exfoliate to remove any dead skin for a more even color.

  • Be sure to have completely clean skin, no perfumes, deodorant, makeup or lotions.

  • Apply lip balm to prevent color to lips.

  • Schedule your manicure or pedicure before your tanning session.

After Your Tan

  • Wear loose fitting, dark clothes.

  • Do not get wet or sweaty. Sorry, no swimming or gym time until after you've showered.

  • Allow your tan to develop as directed. It is not recommended to exceed the time instructed.

  • Use daily moisturizer or a tan extender lotion for a longer lasting tan.

  • Avoid harsh soaps and body scrubs.

  • After showering, pat dry with your towel.

Happy Safe Tanning!

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