sun smarts

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Being on the Board of the Noreen O’Neill Foundation for Melanoma Research, I know lots of (not so) fun melanoma facts. Like how melanoma is the fastest growing form of cancer among the general U.S. population. And when detected early, 95% of cases can be treated and cured. So as you can imagine, I’m passionate about sharing my sun smarts, especially because it’s so easy to stay protected in the first place.

When it comes to planning a summer wedding, most people are worrying about the heat but aren’t thinking about sun protection. So here are a few ways to keep your guests from getting burned.

1. Offer your guests sunscreen. You can simply put a DIY sign next to a bowl of sunscreen towelettes or order mini bottles with customized labels.

2. Shade your guests with pretty parasols. They protect from harmful rays and look beautiful in photos.

3. Offer cool sunglasses. Since melanoma can develop in the eyes, it’s important to wear sunglasses with UV protection.

Lea & Gerry Engagement Shoot

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Check out Lea and Gerry’s fun and flirty engagement session by IlluminArts Photography. You can tell they had a blast, and we love all the cool backdrops they found in their hometown of Chicago. We can’t wait for their wedding in September!

images via illuminarts photography

baby birds tommy and jake

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We love our couples and being there on their wedding day to witness such a special time in their lives. We’re so happy to get updates from them, especially when it’s to tell us about another special event in their lives… a new addition to the family.

Natalie & Tommy
August 6, 2010

Tommy
June 6, 2011

Amy & Joe
October 30, 2010

Jake
September 21, 2011

images via david & amy lau photography, natalie, stephen govel photography, and amy

christina on picking the perfect venue

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Christina and Nate
Wedding Date: October 26, 2012

How They Met:
We both lived in the Art Museum area of Philadelphia and met at a local bar/restaurant where I worked. We were friendly for a few years and would bump into each other here and there. After he didn’t see me for a while, he tracked me down on facebook to finally make a connection.

How He Popped the Question:
We got engaged in front of World Cafe Live in April 2011. We went there on our 3rd date to see a show. It was a significant night because that’s when we both realized we found someone special. When we walked up to the venue in April 2011 (over 1 year after that special date) and Nate handed me the ticket that he had kept all that time. He then got down on one knee to propose. After I got over the shock, I walked into World Cafe Live to find all of my family and friends there waiting to celebrate!

Christina on Picking the Perfect Venue:
Most girls have thought about their dream wedding as soon as they were old enough to speak the words “I do.” They have a picture of Prince Charming in their head and a vision of the perfect day — Unfortunately, I was not one of those girls. While getting engaged was the most wonderful experience of my life, beginning to think about the details of planning a wedding was very overwhelming to me. Everyone tells you picking the venue is the hardest part, but once you set your place and date, everything else will easily fall into place. When other brides would say, “You’ll just know when you walk into a place, this is where your wedding should be,” I thought to myself, there is no way it will be that simple for me. Well it turns out there is a fairytale ending for even us non-believers!

When I walked into Tendenza I had an immediate feeling of happiness instead of the stress and anxiety I felt when visiting other venues. All of a sudden the vision I was never able to have became clear. Even my Prince Charming was smiling and nodding as we were walking through, instead of his usual look while touring other places… a mixture of confusion and boredom. I never thought I would be one to speak these words, but we picked Tendenza because… I just knew.

images via jessica lee and cescaphe event group

pretty pout

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I love the look of a pretty hued pout, but my search for the perfect lip color left me feeling like Goldilocks. Too dark. Too thick. Too bright. But my seemingly never-ending search for the ideal lip shade is finally over… Burt’s Bees Tinted Lip Balm is just right.

It’s perfect for wedding day beauty because it’s sheer enough that it looks natural, with just enough color to get attention. It smells great, doesn’t have that weird lipstick taste, and goes on super smooth like chapstick. There are six colors… two neutrals, two pinks, and two reds. My favorite shade is red dahlia, which has a pretty berry tone, but I also love Honeysuckle for a nice natural look. Pucker up!

image via burt’s bees

colleen on… pre cana

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Colleen and Kurt
Wedding Date: July 21, 2012

How They Met:
I first met Kurt at the Osprey in Manasquan in the Summer of 2008. He challenged me to a dance off right in the middle of the dance floor. We reconnected again in the Fall of 2009 at a Rutgers University Football Game. From the minute our conversation began, I felt a connection. He was so easy to talk to and I thought he was sooo much fun. At first I was reluctant to date him because I had met him through my brothers. However after some time, I decided to give it a shot. We began dating in January 2010.

How He Popped the Question:
He proposed on July 16, 2011 at a restaurant by his lakehouse in Northern NJ. The proposal was just the first suprise, we came back to the lakehouse and friends and family from both sides were there to greet us and celebrate our good news.

Colleen on Pre Cana:
I was born and raised Catholic. However in the past 12 years I rarely attended mass and strayed away from the Catholic faith. My fiancé, Kurt is a devout Lutheran and is very dedicated to his church community. However, at my mother’s request, we are having a Catholic Wedding Ceremony, which means we are required to go through Pre-Cana. Kurt was on board from the beginning, considering he really didn’t have another option 🙂

Kurt and I had our initial meeting with the priest and we were asked questions such as “Are you related?” and “Is Kurt ordained?”. These questions called upon laughter and furthered my belief that this entire process must be a hoax.

The next steps threw a curve ball my way. We met with a married couple and took a compatibility test on a scantron form (kind of like the SATs), otherwise known as the Focus Test. Kurt and I returned two weeks later to discuss our answers with the couple. The test and the discussion of our answers was wonderful- in that it invoked conversations every couple should have before marriage: finances, household responsibilities, children, in-laws, relationships with friends, community involvement. My biggest fear was that it would be a test of Catholicism, which I would no doubt fail! To my pleasant surprise there was nothing on the topic.

We furthered these discussions at an all day retreat with about 15 other couples getting married in the Catholic faith. It was nice to share experiences, challenges, and charming stories with couples that are going through the same process. The all day retreat also included 7 married couples who graciously donated their time to share life experiences with us- both good and bad.

The entire pre-cana experience opened both of our eyes to the fact that marriage is not always easy, but the training equipped us with the tools to get through any challenging situations that we will face in our life. More important, it reinstated why we are getting married- because we found the person, partner, and best friend we want to share our life with.