B&B Spotlight: Unique, Custom-Made Engagement Rings By Independent Jewelry Designers in NYC

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Entries by Kate Murphy

B&B Spotlight: Unique, Custom-Made Engagement Rings By Independent Jewelry Designers in NYC

Alternative Engagement Rings – Ra Metals Causal Séance Olivia Michaels Jewelry

The tradition of the engagement ring can be traced back to ancient Rome when a bride-to-be was given two rings – a gold one to wear in public and an iron ring to wear at home while carrying out household duties. She wore it on her left hand as it was believed that what we now call the ‘ring finger’ contained a vein, the vena amoris, that led to the heart. Archduke Maximillian of Austria was the first to use a diamond ring to symbolize engagement in 1477 when he betrothed Mary of Burgundy. This started a trend within the upper class of using the diamond engagement ring to not only symbolize love, but also wealth and status. Confined mostly to the affluent for the next five hundred years, the diamond ring’s modern-day popularity didn’t begin until 1947 when De Beers launched the advertising campaign “A Diamond is Forever.”
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4 Ways To Manage Wedding Stress During COVID-19: A Bridal Therapist’s Take

by Kate Murphy

Mary and Brian Wedding – Cake Topper – Crescent Beach Club – Amy Rizzuto Photography

COVID-19 has presented couples planning a wedding with new and unprecedented challenges. Routine decisions involving color scheme, catering, and entertainment are now giving way to more serious considerations such as health and safety regulations for gatherings, date postponements, change of venue, and guest list revisions. Modifying an original wedding vision in the face of a global pandemic is inevitably going to create anxiety and friction between two people.

Our thoughts are with everyone trying to navigate this uncharted territory. Now is a time for couples to look to those around them, both personal and professional, for advice and support. With this in mind, we reached out to AisleTalk, a boutique NYC-based therapy practice specializing in helping people cope with the stresses of wedding planning. Here, Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Therapist, Farzana Rahman, highlights four ways to manage wedding stress during COVID-19.
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Interview With Brian Kantor, Founder of Pour My Party

by Kate Murphy

Image courtesy of Brian Kantor of Pour My Party – Christina Emilie Photography

Couples are going to great lengths these days to personalize their wedding in order to make sure that the celebration is one-of-a-kind and unforgettable. We’ve seen everything from live painters and wedding bands playing curated song lists to bouncy castles being incorporated to take the post-ceremony party to the next level. And while these all sound great, at the end of the night, every couple wants to ride off in the getaway car with a shared feeling that their wedding was a sincere expression of their style and personality from start to finish.
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Gorgeous Bridal Shoes With Flower Power

by Kate Murphy

Jamie and Jasper Wedding – Brides Shoes – Gurneys Montauk – Pat Furey Photography

When it comes to wedding accessories, finding the perfect bridal shoe is one of the most important details for getting your big-day ensemble aisleway ready. The sea of bridal footwear is bottomless. Even Carrie Bradshaw would agree, the thought of deciding where to start is overwhelming. To help kickstart your search, we decided to focus on what we know best – flowers. The allure of a sparkling bloom or botanical lace accent is undeniable. From delicate and sweet to sophisticated chic, these floral bridal shoes blossom with stylish beauty.
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Bridal Beauty Tips For Every Skin Tone

by Kate Murphy

Bridal Beauty Tips for Every Skin Tone

When Rhianna launched her cosmetics brand, Fenty Beauty, in 2017, she included forty shades of foundation (there are now fifty). This was unprecedented at the time – other leading makeup brands only offered half the amount. In just three years, Fenty Beauty has changed the game regarding what it means to be beauty inclusive, moving other cosmetic lines to vastly expand their selection to customers.

The impact that this movement has had on bridal beauty is apparent. Every woman, regardless if she is into makeup or not, wants to look (and feel) her best on her wedding. Most likely, you will be enlisting a beauty team, with the conversation about wedding makeup commencing well before the big day. It is important that your team understands your skin tone and which products are best for you. To help guide this discussion, we checked in with Megan Glenn, a beauty writer and rep for American Beauty School in New York City. Here, Megan shares essential bridal beauty tips for every skin tone.
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Fall Wedding Flower Ideas: Seasonal Statement Blooms We Love

by Kate Murphy

Corinne and Kevin Wedding – Brides Bouquet – New York Historical Society – Love In Theory

Heading into fall, a whole new array of seasonal flowers becomes available. There are many reasons for incorporating flowers at their peak bloom into wedding decor – they tend to be budget-friendly, sustainable, and at the height of beauty and freshness. Admittedly, 2020 has been an exceptionally challenging year for wedding planning. In the middle of a global pandemic, many couples are postponing, downsizing, and reconsidering their original visions. One way to stay positive is to focus on the details that are really important to you. And if flowers top the list, there are many creative approaches to styling and design that will help steer a new path toward fulfilling your wedding dreams. Meeting with clients, we make it a point to highlight seasonal flowers that bring high-impact to a bride’s bouquet or reception centerpiece. Here are statement wedding flower ideas for fall that guarantee to put the ‘WOW’ factor into your special day.
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About Kate Murphy

Entries by Kate Murphy