How to wear a Bridal Birdcage Veil with side combs

Use a few hairpins to keep veil in place

Crystal Vine Comb being placed

Close up of Crystal Vine Comb

A question brides ask us is "How do I place and wear a birdcage veil?" Well we listened and made it a point at our last photo session to take step by step photos of how to place and wear a bridal birdcage veil. This is just one way to place and wear a birdcage veil with side combs. But it should give you the general idea of how to use a birdcage veil with combs on each side.

Pictured above is a beautiful vintage style bridal birdcage veil with side combs and separate crystal vine comb. By adding the separate accent comb to the side (as shown above) this look gives you the option of removing the veil and still having a hair accessory in place to accent your hairstyle. Some creative ideas to change the look above are to choose a different style accent comb (flowers, crystals, pearls) or perhaps choose a larger accent comb.

Hairstyle and placement of veil and comb shown above courtesy of Renee from La Tresse Salon located in Baldwinsville, New York. The beautiful photographs above were taken by Ultimate Images By Crystal.

Tips on choosing a Bridal Hairstyle & Bridal Hair Accessories

I think any bride would agree that after choosing the gown the next important decision is choosing a hairstyle and hair accessory to both compliment and accent your gown. This is where total confusion sometimes can take over. But if you break down this process into steps, finding the right hairstyle and accessory might be easier than you think

Your first step could be to start pouring over bridal magazines and hairstyle magazines. A few hairstyle magazine issues are sometimes totally devoted to featuring different bridal hairstyles. After choosing several possible styles narrow your choices down to just a few. Give yourself some variety of your hair being worn up or down or half up and down. Place the pictures of your possible hairstyle picks in a binder or folder so that you can show the pictures to your hairstylist.

Now that you have an idea of a possible hairstyle you can think about searching for the perfect hair accessory. When choosing a hair accessory think not only about the style of the piece but also how comfortable this accessory will be to wear from the ceremony through the reception. If choosing to add a veil to your look, think about how long you plan on wearing the veil. Most veils, whether they are Traditional or a Birdcage Face Veil are worn throughout the ceremony and photographs but usually is removed at the reception. Think also about how easy the veil will be to remove without messing up your hairstyle. Most of the brides we have spoken to have expressed that even after the veil is removed they still want some sparkling hair accessory in their hairstyle. Please view our example above featuring the silver vine and pearl spray comb and traditional separate veil then view the example below it with veil removed and comb staying beautifully in place.

We would advise that you never leave your choice of hairstyle or accessory until the last minute. No one needs the stress of trying out both a new hairstyle or hair accessory on the day of the wedding. A practical suggestion would be to make an appointment with your hairstylist and have a practice session. At a practice session you will get to see how your hairstyle choice would actually look on you. If you have the hair accessory in hand your hairstylist can give you options, suggestions, and guidance to how you would like to wear the hair accessory. Most hairstylists will allow three hairstyle choices per practice session. The greatest advantage to setting up a hairstyle practice session appointment would be that it cuts down the stress and mystery of how your hair and accessory will look on your very special day.

For our Brides located in Central New York that may be searching for a hairstylist who offers practice session appointments we recommend La Tresse Salon located in Baldwinsville, New York. You can contact them at 315-638-2040. La Tresse is also available to travel to your home or hotel for your big day.

The hairstyle and placement of hair accessory pictured above was gracefully styled by Renee at La Tresse Salon and the beautiful makeup application courtesy of Jessica at La Tresse Salon. They both did a wonderful job. The gorgeous photographs above were taken by Crystal Herry of Ultimate Images By Crystal. Many thanks to Renee , Jessica and Crystal for sharing both their vision and artistry during our most recent photo shoot.

Holiday Shoppes

Brides take a break from wedding planning ... gather some family & friends together and have some fun.. Start your holiday shopping in style at "The 13th Annual Holiday shoppes"..

The Holiday Shoppes is the premiere marketplace for unique gifts. Over 100 merchants from across the northeast feature distinct items including gourmet food, handcrafted ornaments, artwork, clothing, jewelry and more. The Holiday Shoppes is the Junior League of Syracuse major fundraiser of the year so your participation helps support its projects and programs for women and children.

Please join us at the Horticulture Building at the New York State Fairgrounds. Holiday Shoppes will be held Friday, November 7 through Sunday, November 9, 2008 at the following times:

Date & Times :

Friday November 7th 10am-7pm

Saturday November 8th 10am-6pm

Sunday November 9th. 12pm- 5pm

Location State Fairgrounds Syracuse, NY in the Horticulture Building.

Patinka's Painted furniture..Home Decor.. Gifts

As the leaves fall gently from the trees and the air grows colder our

thoughts turn to decorating for the upcoming Holiday season. If you are looking for inspiration to put you in that festive mood or that unique gift may we suggest you take a break from the cool autumn air and visit Patinka's gift shop located at 49 Oswego Street in Baldwinsville , New York. This shop is a must see. Patinka's offers a selection of uniquely decorated hand painted furniture... painted home decor selections ... cleverly decorated flowerpots... pumpkins ... ornaments.. fashionable jewelry and so much more. Patinka's also accepts custom hand painted orders. For further information about custom orders you many contact them 315-635-4717 at or stop by the shop. Shop hours of operation Wednesday - Saturday 11am - 5pm.
Photographs above are just a small sample of the whimsical elegance that awaits you at Patinka's.

Cottage Designs Gift Shop & Olives Eatery located in Baldwinsville New York

Anyone who knows me knows that I like to visit quaint, cozy and unique gift shops. I just love the adventure of not knowing what treasures I will find. Years ago there were quite a few different shops from Syracuse to Utica but in recent years they have been slowly fading away. So when I come across a new gift shop I want to share my find with everyone. One such find is "Cottage Designs" located at 25 Syracuse Street in Baldwinsville, New York. The owner of the shop is just brilliant because she has combined the two things women all around the world love which is dining and shopping. When you step inside the doors you will find "Olives Eatery" located on the first floor within the "Cottage Designs" shop. Entering "Olives" gives you the feeling as if you have just entered a lovely French bistro sidewalk cafe. Ladies if you love decor color and details this place is for you. "Olives Eatery" offers diverse menu choices of panini sandwiches served either hot or cold , soup (which changes daily) , salads and more. The cafe's flavor style can be best described as a fusion of both italian & french cuisine. When you are finished with your lunch be sure to save room for dessert. We recommend the chocolate mousse cake direct from Biscotti's Cafe. This cake is out of this world and to describe it in one word .... Yum! When you are finished dining be sure to check out "Cottage Designs" beautiful selection of jewelry , purses ,scarfs (which make wonderful table runners) and home decor scattered throughout the first floor. But wait , do not forget to venture upstairs to the second floor for even more shopping. The shops (or rooms) on the 2nd floor have items such as clothing by a shop called " The Little Black Dress Boutique" to home decor items by a shop located at the end of the hallway called "Dolce" just to name a few. In my opinion this combination of a cafe & shop is a great place to meet up with friends, shop and of course have fun. I have been informed by the staff that the cafe can be rented out for showers(both baby and bridal), private gatherings and corporate luncheons. For more information on renting please contact "Cottage Designs " at 315- 638-1955. I tried my best to capture "Cottage Designs" in the photos above and I just could not. So you will just have to come and visit the shop for yourself. Hours of operation for the Eatery are Tuesday - Saturday 11- 3:30 pm. Hours of operation for shop are Tuesday - Saturday 11-6pm.

For me this shop scores a perfect10!

Bouquet Jewelry. Ideas & suggestions

So, you have met with your florist and made the choices of flowers , the size and shape of your bouquet and what colors the flowers will be. But you want something more, maybe you want to personalize your bouquet. But how? You may have looked into adding bouquet Jewelry to your bouquet but have questions of how to use and incorporate this sparkling accessory. Below we hope to be able to provide you with answers your questions and give you both ideas and inspiration.

The most popular way brides have been choosing to add personalization to their bouquet is to insert a Single Initial into the bouquet. Most brides are choosing the first letter of their newly shared last name. An example of this choice shown with the letter K and can be viewed in the bouquet above. We often get the question from Brides of, how to use the initial bouquet jewelry and what is the initial attached to? The initial monogram bouquet jewelry we carry is attached to a 10" sterling silver plated non-flexible pick or stem. The pick is easily inserted into a bouquet. For all our bouquet jewelry we do suggest either having you or your florist cut the picks down. This helps the picks fit more securely in your bouquet.

Next, want to dress up the handle of your bouquet? Bouquet jewelry can also be incorporated into the handle of bouquet. The bouquet handle above complete with crystal monogram ribbon was achieved by taking three crystal swirl bouquet jewelry stems then clipping the stems down and then attaching them with glue to the handle, giving the bouquet handle a rich and elegant look.

Need to know how much bouquet jewelry you will need for your bouquet? We suggest 6 picks or stems if the bouquet jewelry is larger or 12 picks or stems if the bouquet jewelry is smaller. If in doubt, we suggest you consult with your florist.

We often get the question of what bouquet jewelry would work well in the center of a flower. Some choices for bouquet jewelry that work well for centers of flowers that we carry would be dainty white pearls & iridescent crystals, aurora boreale iridescent crystals and crystal and rhinestone Stems.

Trying to incorporate bouquet jewelry into your wedding theme? Here are some suggestions to start you on your way. For a beach wedding theme... starfish bouquet jewelry has become a popular choice , for a romance wedding theme... heart bouquet jewelry , simple yet elegant look... think about trying crystal pave buttons or crystal solitaires.

We hope this has helped answer some of your questions about bouquet jewelry and will help in making your choices easier. The beautiful bouquets pictured above were designed by and courtesy of whistlestopflorist located in East Syracuse,NY. All bouquet jewelry in bouquets were provided by and available at whiteroseboutique.

Wishing you much success in creating that perfect bouquet of your dreams.

The Wedding Gift that will last a lifetime and generations to follow

Okay admit it , finding the right Wedding Gift for the Bride and Groom can be difficult task. For the immediate family it can be maddening. Maybe the Bride has received Grandma's engagement ring , or is wearing her Mother's Dress. But most families overlook the importance of handing down the Family History and fond memories. Think about it, a Bride and Groom starting their own lives, and their own branch on the family tree. Maybe it is time for members of the couples families to contribute some family history ,memories in the form of a memory book. You could hand out a few pages of paper to be bound in a decorated book to each immediate family member and friends. Then have each contribute written memories about the bride or groom (when they were younger) , family, themselves or a dear family member who has passed on. You may even be able to tuck in the Wedding invitations a few sheets of paper asking your guests to please contribute their memories to your book and to turn in their completed sheets at the Wedding. A memory book full of reflections, recollections would be both personal and a treasured gift from the heart. Speaking from personal experience it is wonderful way to feel even closer to family members you know or family members you may have heard about through out your lifetime. It is great way for both the Bride and the Groom to get to know each others families more personally and most important, to pass on to their future families.

So find that pretty paper , take hold of your favorite pen and start creating the perfect Wedding Gift that will be both cherished and appreciated for generations to come.